What to Do Before Adopting a Dog

Adopting a dog (or any pet) can be an incredibly rewarding decision to make. Dogs bring a great deal of love, joy, and affection into your life and can make your family feel whole. It is important to remember, though, that adopting a dog is no small matter.

When you decide to adopt a dog, you decide to take on the responsibility of caring for an entirely dependent being. Your dog will need you for everything from food to shelter to stability. This means that if you have recently decided to adopt a dog, there are several things that you will want to do first to make sure that you are prepared to take on such a responsibility.

You will likely need to make some big adjustments to your schedule in the beginning to help accommodate the transition for your dog and yourself, and you will certainly need to stock up on certain supplies. With the right preparation, however, you can make the adoption of your dog a seamless and exciting process for both of you. With all this in mind, here are some of the more important things that you should look to do before you adopt a dog.

Find a Vet

If you have never owned a dog before, you might mistakenly think that the time to find a vet is only when that dog becomes sick or injured. The truth of the matter is you actually want to find your vet before you ever bring your pet home for the first time.

Your dog is going to need to be evaluated by a vet once you adopt them to ensure that there are no underlying health issues present. Your event will also be the one that prescribes all of the preventative medication that your dog will need, such as heartworm prevention and flea and tick prevention. Furthermore, your dog might need certain vaccinations and immunizations to keep them safe from some of the more common illnesses that affect dogs.

Before you can have all of this taken care of, you need to find a Forney animal hospital in your area that you can register your new dog with.

Get Supplies

You will find that there are a number of essential items that you will need to get for your dog so that they can be comfortable in your home. A bed for them, a crate if you plan on crate training, and plenty of dog food are all necessary items that you should get prior to adopting your dog.

It is important that your dog feels right at home from the very first day that they arrive. Having everything that you will need for them on hand ahead of time is one of the best ways to help accomplish this goal so that your dog can feel right at home.

Take Time Off

There will be an adjustment period for your dog when you first bring them home, for both you and them. Therefore, it is a good idea to book a little bit of time off of work so you can really be there for them during those first few days when things are bound to be overwhelming.