Choosing the Right Pet and Breed for Your Lifestyle
Are you looking to expand your family? Maybe of the furry, four-legged kind? Before you excitedly go running to the shelter, rescue, or breeder we hope that you take a moment to genuinely contemplate the species and breed type. It is always best to determine first off which species would best fit your lifestyle, such as a dog or a cat. Sometimes this is an easy answer because some people are not cat people, while others are not dog people. However, if you are both, then there are several factors to consider.
First, when determining on whether to adopt a dog or a cat, decide on what your lifestyle is currently like. Are you away from home frequently, as in traveling or vacationing a lot or long workdays? If so, a cat might be the better choice. As long as there is a water bowl, an automatic feeder, and a clean litter box cats can be left alone for the entire day. Furthermore, depending on the individual cat and its needs, they can be left for a few days at a time, which is very beneficial if you travel or go on frequent vacations.
If you would still prefer to adopt a dog, the second idea that you need to genuinely contemplate is your daily lifestyle. Are you or your family active, as in going on daily walks or runs? Or, is it preferred to have nice calm, relaxing days at home? Do you or your family frequent places that allow dogs? This is very beneficial information to decide on beforehand because some breeds are low-maintenance where they are calm and reserved, while other breeds are high-maintenance where they are very active and need lots of exercise and play. It is very important to choose a breed that will fit into your everyday life; otherwise, the dog can become destructive or too much to handle making daily life very stressful.
Remember though, that if you do decide to adopt a dog from a shelter or a rescue, most of these dogs will be mixed breed dogs. Therefore, you will need to consider the characteristics and personality traits of all presenting breeds within the dog. Also, the true personality of the dog may not show right away, there is always an adjustment period for both the adopted pet and the humans; more so if the pet has not been staying with a foster family.
Other important factors that you will want to contemplate are the size and age of the dog. Do you live in an apartment or a house? Is there a yard or an area to walk the dog? These factors can help determine if a small, medium, or large breed would be best. As for the age of the dog, will you have time to potty-train, teach manners to, and supervise a puppy? Or, would a dog that is already trained and a little older be a better fit?
As one can see, there are several factors that should be considered when adopting a companion and all of these factors need to be considered as a whole because they are all connected.
Happy researching!
*Featured image courtesy of Shutterstock.
