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8 Ways to Adapt to Life With a New Family Dog

Your family has been begging you for many months and years to get a dog. It may not be something you’ve been able to commit to before, but now the time has come for you to take the leap and learn to adore your new, furry family member. There are so many benefits of having a family dog, especially when you have children who will grow up alongside them and make memories with them. There is truly no better companion than a loyal canine, and you won’t regret transitioning them into your family life. Once they have settled in, you will wonder what life was life before they were even around. Dogs are such loving and adaptable creatures, and they will create their own place in your family right away. With that being said, there are a handful of changes you will need to make in order to create calm and happy life with your new pet, so here are some ideas to get you started.

  1. Your Daily Routine

Waking up late in the morning and going about your daily routine is a thing of the past when you become a dog parent. Much like small children, your dog will require your attention first thing in the morning as they’ll need to use the bathroom and go for a walk. Think about how you may need to adapt your daily routine in order to accommodate your new dog and make them feel as comfortable as possible in your family home.

  1. Your Shopping Habits

When you’ve got a dog in the house your weekly grocery shop will start to look a little different for a whole host of reasons. Whilst shopping you’ll need to buy all sorts of things such as toys, grooming products and food. You may need to pay special attention to certain reactions from your dogs when eating certain foods. If you’re concerned, you may need to start buying food for dogs with allergies. There are a handful of differences between food allergies and sensitivities, but your vet will be able to determine the underlying cause of the problem, and recommend any special dietary requirements your dog might need. 

  1. Your Chores and Responsibilities

Having a dog requires a lot more from you in terms of time commitment, chores and responsibilities. If you currently live a very busy and active life, you may find that a new dog throws everything into chaos and disarray. It’s worth thinking about how you share the responsibilities between everyone in your household so that the entire workload doesn’t fall on your shoulders. From walking the dog to cleaning up after the dog, you may have quite a few extra chores on your hands.

  1. Vet Appointments and Healthcare

Keeping track of your dog’s various appointments and healthcare is a full time job in itself, especially when they are a young puppy. You will need to make sure they have all of their relevant immunisations and they are chipped accordingly. You may also need to consider pet insurance in order to cover those unexpected vet bills. These costs can occur when you least expect them, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry with regards to pet insurance, healthcare and vet appointments.

  1. Teaching Your Children How to Care for Your Dog

Integrating your dog into your household is another huge step that you’ll need to consider when you welcome them into your family. It’s important to spend time teaching your little ones how to take care of your dog and treat them. Being gentle and friendly in the early days will help your dog to feel at ease in your household. It can be a very scary and overwhelming time when a puppy is introduced into a new household, so it’s important to explain this to your children when the little cute canine is just starting to settle in. Further down the line, you can also teach your child how to feed the dog and give them water; this will save you a tonne of time in the long run too!

  1. Your Budget

A dog is not just a big time commitment, it’s also a commitment to your bank account. Between maintenance, toys, food and veterinary bills you will need to reassess your budget and make sure you can afford your sweet new pet. You may need to forgo a few luxuries to make sure your perfect pup always has everything they need.

  1. Your Home Set-Up

When it comes to settling in your new dog or puppy into your home, it’s important to give them a dedicated space where they feel fully at ease and comfortable. You may need to move around the furniture in your living room to make sure they have enough space to play, sleep and relax. You may also need to put up stair gates outside certain areas of your home in order to stop your dog from reaching things they’re not allowed. This will also help you when sleep training and toilet training your dog as they will need to be kept in a similar area as they learn these new important life skills.

  1. Additional Love

Your home is about to be filled with so much love and affection for your beautiful dog, so be prepared to have a heart that is fit to burst. Sharing your adoration for a new, gorgeous creature in your life probably won’t be too hard, but it’s worth thinking about how it may impact your daily life. Sitting on the sofa in the evenings may also involve a lovely pup snuggle at the same time too!

When you’re willing to make these changes and sacrifices for your beautiful new dog, everything will soon fall into place seamlessly. There are no limitations on the love you can supply to your new and furry family member, so enjoy every moment of settling them into life in your home. Although it may take some time for them to fully find their own rhythm in your family life, they will soon fit right in and all of the changes and adaptations you’ve made will be totally worth it in the end!

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