I love animals, dogs in particular, but I’ve never had a pet until I was in my 20s. My Mom would not let me have a dog since she was sure that the care would fall on her and she didn’t want that. My first puppy was from a neighbor. A mixed breed or what you would call an askal. They call them Aspin now I think. But he was so beautiful with thick, soft fur and a mischievous personality. I named him Gus. He looked like a yellow lab.
I knew caring for a dog was like caring for a child. A long term commitment and it would be expensive. Gus would need shots, a bed, bowls for his food and water, a leash and toys. Lots of toys. We shopped for dog supplies and I think I spent too much on doggie toys and treats.
Getting a dog is a big decision and responsibility. Here are some tips on what to do when getting a dog.
- Decide on what breed best suits your personality and lifestyle.
- Prepare your home. Just like preparing for a new baby, your home needs to be ready. Make sure no expensive shoes or precious belongings are within reach of a teething puppy. I lost about half a dozen shoes that way. My puppy chewed on them.
- Bring your dog to a Vet for check up and vaccines.
- House train your dog. Let him know right away what areas are off limits, if he is allowed on the bed or sofa, etc.
- Shop for supplies, whatever your dog needs like food bowls, toys, leash, toilet training pad, grooming supplies, dog carrier, etc.
Now you can enjoy your pet and have fun. You have a bestfriend for life.
Oohhhh. Good tips. Before we took Zune home, we really prepared ourselves for it. I think we did a good job too, although we also missed a lot of things that resulted to him being a biter. We don’t have him anymore because we had to find him another home. We’re not thinking of getting another though it’s been a year without a dog in the house, because when we do, we want to be the best human parents for it.
Well you’re right having a pet dog or any animal is a big responsibility, it’s like rearing a child. Good luck on having a new dog.
Great advice. I grew up in a household that had dogs and they were such great companions. Now e have a cat and I love it.
Eliz
We also had a lot of cats long ago, 21 was the most we had. I hated it! Their hair got into everything.
True! But we love our cat… and he is smiling at me as I writ his… Kidding!
BTW, I forgot to add my blog to this week’s bc list, a visit would be appreciated.
Eliz
Great mini checklist. Will keep them in mind when we are ready for a new pet at home.
Good luck on having a new dog. We used to have more than 3 dogs when I was younger and the responsibility of having one is quite big.
Agree. Responsibility for the dogs or any pets around is quite heavy, I think.
I guess I’m one of those who just admire dogs from a distance hehehe. Aside from the fear of being bitten or scratched, I think caring for a dog would be beyond my budget, what with all those necessities and the trip to the vet.
My husband and I don’t like dogs because of the smell….
You are right, having a dog is a commitment and responsibility. I think this applies to all kind of pets. This is the reason why I never had one. I don’t want added responsibilities plus I don’t think I was “able” to provide for the need of a pet.
Its equally difficult to have dogs here in Canada because they take dogs ( and cats) like children. It does not help that it is snowing most part of the year. Siguro when we are retired I will comsider because I really love dogs.
We have a sad incident here in Zamboanga about a “trained dog” who bit an 8 year old child in the neck and who died! The owner wasn’t in ZC at that time and the caretakers (less than a month in their employ) brought the dogs out for their daily cleaning and cleansing rituals. I was wondering if the group of kids might have also have provoked the dog….. So, please really be ready and always be careful with the pets!
My hubby would love to have a dog. Pabasa ko muna tong post mo bago ang lahat.
I want a dog too, preferably “pug” kaso mahal eh. Maybe next time.
Thanks for the tips. 
My husband loves dogs. He always tells me that we should get one, but I’m really scared of doggies ever since. I wasn’t bitten, I don’t even know how it started. I’m just not too comfortable whenever there’s one around. Guess we should compromise.
Great checklist. We use to have a dog when I was a kid but now I don’t think the kids are ready for such a big responsibility. We also don’t have space for pets living in a small apartment.
Thank for this checklist. My son loves animals too. But I don’t get him any pet yet because I am always afraid he might get an accident. When he is on the right age I will give him one and maybe it’s a dog.
Mommy Maye
It’s great to have a dog. I really did have a bestfriend in our dogs. I used to tell them my woes and cry to them. I wondered if they understood.
this is true.. i suddenly miss my dog right now.. hehe kahit nsa office lang ako. hehe they are so malambing and can make us human, stress free.. hehe
I never had a pet growing up. My dad didn’t approve of them. But maybe I can have a dog in the future and this list will come in handy.
You really need to be responsible owner of dog. You must treat them like human. Ayaw ni mommy mag-alaga ng aso sa bahay, baka daw kasi paglaruan lang ni matt.
These tips would be very helpful for those who have pets in their care. We can’t have furry pets at home because some of us are allergic.
i had a cat when i was growing up. she died when I was about to turn 18. (sniff) unfortunately we couldnt get any pets at home because my son has asthma.
I was so sad too when my first dog died. I actually went on leave from work. I couldn’t stop crying.
When I was in the third grade, I was allowed to have a pet dog na. My kids are asking me why I don’t let them have one. These tips would help a lot in making me decide if they do deserve to have a pet dog
having a dog takes a lot of responsibilities specially yung my breed na dog..
We have a dog and we were prepared. A family friend just brought the dog to us and we cannot say no. We were so unprepared that our dog needs training. Good luck to us! We love him dearly though.
Kahit gaano kagulo and naughty, we love our pets talaga. They’re part of the family.
We just had our pet dog last year and he’s turning one year old next month. He is a shih-tzu pup and we named him Lucio. It’s true that caring for a pet dog is a big responsibility especially the kind of dog that we have. A bit expensive, too as we need to bring her to Vet, to pet grooming salon and all that stuff. But, the joy that he brings to us in the house is priceless.
Shih-Tzus are so cute! and maarte with their groomed long hair
Caring for pets, or dogs for instance, is also serious business actually. My kids want to have one, but so far we have not given in yet.
we have a boxer dog before but he died of unknown cause. What I learned from this experience is before having a breed dog, you’ll need to prepare his cage. Sometimes, sobrang gala niya kasi.
When my first dog died we didn’t know the cause too. Could have been poisoning because he was a fierce guard dog.
My boyfie told me that we will adopt a dog soon.