Adopting a dog is a big decision – one that will change your life (hopefully for better) forever. But it is one thing to gush over cute puppy videos and another to be 100% responsible for a living, breathing creature. If you feel ready to shoulder the responsibility, here are a few things to keep in mind before you take the plunge.
Please make sure your house has enough space for a dog. This is particularly the case in Hong Kong where people live in smaller spaces. Choose a breed wisely depending on how much free space you have at home. It’s cruel to buy a large dog like a Great Dane and then keep it restricted within tiny quarters. If you stay in a rented apartment, make sure you have permission from both your building authorities and your landlords before welcoming a dog into your house. HKDR reports a record number of cases where dogs are abandoned because their owners did not have permission from their landlords. You don’t want that to happen to your furry friend.
Think about the amount of time you’d be able to devote to your pet each day. Dogs are extremely sociable animals and get depressed or cranky if left alone for too long. In fact, most of their behaviour problems such as barking or aggression may be a cry for attention. If your job requires long hours at office and you have no one to take care of your pet while you are gone, it may be a good idea to hire a dog-walker to take out your dog for walks. If you have a domestic help, you may need to request them to take care of your dog. But before that, you need to find out if your help has any reservations about dogs. Not all people are comfortable around pets.
Dogs need plenty of exercise to stay fit. They need to be taken out for brisk walks at least three times a day. Smaller breeds of dogs require more exercise, but some larger breeds like Labradors also need to have an active routine as they tend to get flabby easily. As a rule of thumb, all dogs need at least 45 minutes of exercise. So before adopting a dog, you need to think if you have the time or physical fitness to give it the exercise it requires. If a dog does not get enough exercise, it can lead to several health complications from early on.
Dogs do create some amount of mess. They shed fur regularly. They may also pick up fleas from time to time. And like humans, they have their share of bodily excretions and you need to be prepared to clean up after them. You may think you are a dog lover from a distance, but ask yourself, are your ready to take a hands-on approach? It may be a good idea to volunteer at a dog rescue centre to get used to cleaning and caring for dogs.
If you already have a cat or some other pet at home, be extra-careful while introducing a new dog to the other non-human members in your family. It’s advisable to opt for a canine with lower prey drive. Especially if you already own a cat or a rabbit, create an exclusive safe zone in your house, where it can retreat if threatened. Introduce your other pet to your dog by smell only at first. The adaption process may take a few days or even a week, but don’t lose patience and always remember to praise your pets and reward them with treats if they show good behaviour.
At the end of the day, it is important to remember that dogs are just like babies and needs all the love, care and attention that a baby would require. If you are ready to love unconditionally, just go for it already! You’ll be rewarded with a flurry of wags for sure.
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay