Is your family setup right for a dog?
It might feel like you really want to bring yourself home a loving dog, but you might not consider your children to be suitable as of now. For example, children that are relatively hostile, loud or dealing with behavioral issues might come into conflict with a pet of this kind, maybe even spurring a sense of aggression from both parties. That isn’t a healthy place to bring a pet into. It might be that you have small children, and bringing home an excited greyhound could pose a real health risk for your children, even if the dog is of a lovely temperament and means nothing but love.
There are also triggers for certain animals. For example, it might be that bringing home a shelter dog with a negative previous owner could be set off aggressively if exposed to the loud noise a child makes. It could be that your disabled child accidentally and unknowingly hits a dog in the process of trying to stroke them, provoking an aggressive response you’d quite rightly love to avoid.
Simply owning or renting a home does not necessarily mean that you are functionally able to look after a pet. For example, you may be a bachelor with nothing but time, and enough money to look after a pet. However, if living in a small studio flat in the middle of the inner-city, it can feel relatively cramp and quite cruel to keep a pet there all day, especially because leaving the home with them might not be considered the wisest solution.
Of course, some family members will suffer from allergies to your pet. It might not be someone in the home who does, but owning a pet might mean that you can no longer invite your in-laws around (which might be considered good in some circumstances!) Consider the health of your family, and if all looks good, then bringing that pet home might be warranted.
If the house cannot be kept clean throughout the week, if many people are at work leaving the home vacant all day, and you aren’t the closest of families, it might be that bringing a pet home is not the best solution. Conversely, if all the opposite is true, it could be that this is the perfect environment for a dog.
This article has been relatively cautionary, but it must be in order for you to foster a good relationship with pet ownership. If you can ensure that you do not fall into any of these traps, it’s likely your family setup is perfect for a new pet. Make it a celebratory event, and you’re sure to experience nothing but love with the new family member.