Every dog owner was once a beginner. Nothing comes easy and it takes much practice and experience of taking care of your dog before it turns into second nature. There were a lot of things that I wish I knew before adopting my first pet. I still remember the excitement from the very first day.

In this article, I asked over 5 different other dog owners to share their advice on what they wish they knew before getting their first dog.

Dogs are really expensive (it’s true)

I’ve mentioned before in my previous posts that I dreamt of getting a dog since a young age. I would beg my parents to adopt one, but my parents would always say it was too expensive. I used to think it wasn’t expensive and that it was just an excuse for my parents to not get me one.

Now that I own a few dogs, I can honestly say that yes it’s true, dogs are expensive. No, it’s not just basic food and shelter that you need to pay for. Imagine all the things that you need to buy for your pup on a daily basis. Imagine each time you go shopping and find something “adorable” and want to buy it for your dog. All those little things add up and can cost you a fortune.

If you want an in-depth review for the cost of ownership for a dog, read this article I wrote a while back. “The Annual Cost For Owning A dog”

As a proud dog owner, I wish I knew how expensive it is to own a dog before I jumped the gun and got one. 🙂

Dogs shed…

I grew up with my uncle who had hair loss problems. Every day I would need to sweep the floor because his hair would be dropping all over the place. Now that I own a few dogs, I sweep my house at least two times a day.

How much do dogs shed? That depends on the breed, but even the ones with minimum hair shed quite a lot.

Dogs like German shepherds, huskies, akitas, malamutes, etc are massive shedders. Other types will shed less, but it doesn’t stop the hair from getting all over your clothes.

Me and a few fellow dog owners agree with this and wish we knew this when choosing the type of dog we wanted to adopt.

Dogs can be loud

Dogs bark, unless you train it to be silent. This can be a problem if you’re living in an apartment or condo complex that has strict rules for pets. Depending on the breed of your dog, it can bark more than other dogs and not only will that disturb you, it can disturb your neighbors as well.

One thing I would do differently is to purchase a Dog Shock Collar. The one that I recommend is by Petrainer and it does an excellent job at teaching my dog to not bark. With this dog shock collar, you can adjust the levels of the shock. You don’t want to shock your dog too much, but this will give him a little pat and tell him to silent down! This one is also waterproof!

The potty thing is an issue

I always recommend that every first dog owner start off with adopting a dog that is potty trained because if not then it’ll pee and poop all around the house. You’ll be stressed out dealing with his mess.

If you do happen to buy a dog that isn’t potty trained, then it will require some house training. In that case, you MUST buy a Potty Training Patch. Invest in one of these before you get your first dog to avoid problems. You’ll thank me 🙂

Dogs can cause a hole in the house

Seen those cartoons where the dog runs around and breaks stuff like chew up the sofa or breaks a hole in the house? Yes that happens! This usually only happens if your dog is bored though. To prevent this you must keep your dog entertained.

Check out this article I put up before on, “The Best Toys For Your Dog”

Lesson learned, don’t let your dog be bored or it can get disruptive.

Owning a dog requires time

Would you have a kid and not dedicate any time for him? Dogs need love and attention. You need to walk him. You need to pet him. You need to prepare food for him. You need to sacrafice time for him.

If you don’t have time to dedicate for your dog, then don’t get one! Love it as if it’s your baby! I always tell this to first time dog owners, that a dog will change your life. You’ll need to walk it daily and take it out for an adventure.

Related Read: “The ultimate checklist for taking your dog out to an adventure”

Dogs attract flies

Flea and tick are usually a problem for most dogs especially if you take it out a lot. It’s best that you purchase a spray or a flea prevention collar before getting your first dog. Have a read on this article, “What are flea and tick and the best ways to prevent them”

You can’t just feed your dog anything you want

Another big mistakes first dog owners make is feeding their pups with whatever they want. They go to Petsmart, see a dog food brand that looks budget-friendly and feeds it to the dog. Sure, this won’t kill your dog, but your dog needs nutrition too.

Having the proper nutrition and feeding your dog with proper food will really help.

Here’s some resources to help you out with that:

What dogs can eat and cannot eat?

Can dogs eat raw eggs? How about scrambled eggs?

Traveling with your dog could be a pain

Traveling with your dog sounds fun and it is! I love to take my dogs out on roadtrips and on flights, but that’s because I’m already experienced and know the procedures for doing so. There are a lot of little things that can get in the way such as training your dog to adjust to staying in a crate and making sure that your dog is comfortable the entire trip. It’s not as easy as you think.

First time dogs should put traveling aside until they get the basics down.

If you do plan on traveling with your dog though, here’s an article that can help:

Tips for helping your dog adjust to a new move

Conclusion

Owning a dog is not as easy as you think. Do think twice before getting one for your family and do read through this article a few times! I hope this helped everyone that’s thinking about getting a new dog. Make sure you choose a breed that fits your environment as well.