What It Means To Be A Responsible Dog Owner

If you’re planning on bringing a dog home, then you need to make sure that you’re ready. Being ready doesn’t just mean having the right dog products or having enough money to buy the dog. It also means being ready to handle the responsibilities that come with them as well. But, what does it mean to be a responsible dog owner? It’s not easy to boil down to just a few points, but here are a few of the key responsibilities you need to be on top of.

Meeting their needs at home

You need to make sure that your home is ready to meet the needs of your dog before you even bring them there for the first time. Once you know what kind of dog you’re doing to get, you need to think about what’s necessary for them. This includes, of course, their food, which should be everything they need nutrient-wise to have a complete diet. Otherwise, you should ensure that you have bowls for them, a space for them with a bed they can sleep on, bowls for food and water, and more. This new dog supplies checklist can help you make sure that you’re not missing anything too crucial. Make sure you have the budget for everything you need. Some of it can be found at discounted prices or preowned.

Getting them enough exercise

The amount of exercise that a dog needs is going to depend on its breed and its age. Before you adopt or buy any dogs, you should get a good idea of how much time spent exercising they are going to need every day. Taking them for walks is the best way to work off that excess energy since it engages and stimulates their mind and senses, as well as working them out. However, you should also get toys that they’re likely to spend time chasing and tugging when you play with them. Otherwise, dogs can become restless, can chew things around the home, and might even become more aggressive due to all of that pent up energy that you’re not releasing.

Taking them to the vet

Even if your dog looks perfectly healthy as they are, you’re still going to need to take them to the vet. If they are a small puppy, then you need to look at what vaccinations you have to get for them. You should check the vaccination record for any adopted dogs, as well. Regular treatments for pest control to prevent ticks, fleas, mites, and other problems are a key part of keeping them healthy, as well. However, you should also be taking them for annual wellness visits with the vet no matter what age they are. Vets do more than care for your dog, they help educate you as to how to care for them with diet, exercise, and more, too.

Making time for them

Don’t make any excuses. Yes, you may be busy, you may have a job, you may have kids, you may have school to attend. If you are a dog owner, you need to make time to look after that dog. This includes time to play, to train, to feed them, and simply to bond with them. There are some dogs that are, indeed, a little more independent but this doesn’t mean that they are dogs you can just leave alone for the vast majority of the day or not spend time caring for. You have to make time for your dog, no matter what breed, no matter what age they are.

Training them

No dog is going to be perfect, whether you buy a new puppy or you adopt from a shelter. They’re likely to have some sort of behavioral issues that can manifest more strongly over time if you’re not there to help them rein it in. This can be aggression, anxiety, simple things like excessive barking, and more. There are courses for dog training online that can help you take control. You can’t mold a dog into being the perfect pet or change their personality to what you want, but taking the time to communicate and build discipline can help you rein in some of the excesses or their natural urges and personality, helping them become better behaved in the process.

Getting them used to others

Often tied into how you train and raise them, socialization is a crucial step needed for every dog. Simply put, it means getting them used to be around strangers, be they humans, dogs, or other animals. Dogs bond easily to their owner and the family around them, but as pack animals, they can have mistrust for outsiders. Getting them used to other people and animals can make sure that they don’t carry behaviors of aggression and jumpiness towards others into their adult life. The sooner you start socializing them, the less likely they are to have the same issues years into the future. You can still socialize them if you adopt an adult dog, too, however, so don’t give up.

Picking up after them

It might sound like a relatively small matter compared to some of the other responsibilities. However, being a responsible pet owner means not only being responsible in how you treat them, but in being respectful to the people and environment around you as well. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of picking up their leavings as soon as possible, even if they’re happening in your own backyard. Aside from being generally not too much fun to see or step in, there are genuine health reasons that you shouldn’t be leaving dog feces lying around. What’s more, in a lot of places, you can get fined if you’re caught.

Taking care of a dog is not a part-time job. It’s not even a full-time job. It’s going to be a part of your daily life, every day for as long as you’re with them. If that sounds too bothersome, then it might be worth thinking about getting a plant instead.