Five Puppy Things I Didn’t Expect
Ever since I could remember, my family has a owned a dog. It wasn’t until our last golden retriever passed away that we decided not to get another dog. About this time last year, Trevor and I decided to get a dog. We checked out the local shelters because I really wanted to adopt, but after visiting the cavapoo breeder we fell in love with Kobe (our puppy). I had done a lot of research before deciding to get a dog, but after about a year of having Kobe there were definitely some surprises along the way. Here are five things I did not expect when getting a puppy.
Dogs are expensive
I know dogs are an expensive pet to own. When I was first thinking about getting a puppy, I sat down and tried to create a budget. After Kobe’s first vet visit, I realized our budget wasn’t realistic. I found out smaller puppies can only have one vaccination every two weeks due to the dosage levels. Kobe had to have about eight shots meaning we had eight separate vet visits just to get all his shots done! Then they have to get spayed/neutered. I thought having a male dog would be cheaper, but it still cost about $2,000 to get Kobe neutered. The point is the first year is REALLY expensive. I also didn’t realize how much: apartment pet fees, dog walker/daycare, medicines, and grooming actually cost. This will depend on the area you live in, but it adds up quickly.
My advice: if you’re thinking about getting a dog, ask your friends and family about their monthly and/or annual costs so you can get a better estimate on how much your pup will actually cost you!
They will pee on your carpet
Potty training was hard. We moved around a lot with Kobe, from apartment to house and back. This may have been the reason it was so hard to potty train him, but it took him a good five months to be fully potty trained. He peed and pooped on a lot of carpets. I thought it would take a couple months, but the process was much longer. It’s different for every dog and it helps when you’re consistently taking your puppy out to the same spot in the same way each time or even crate train your dog. Trevor and I decided not to crate train him, but for some owners this may be the easiest way especially if your dog likes the crate!
My advice: Keep a strict schedule when you first get your pup. Consistency is key!
Planning around your puppy
I knew a puppy would take up a lot of my time and energy, but I didn’t realize how much I would plan my days or vacations around the pup. During the summer, my dad asked if I wanted to go on a week long vacation in Virginia. I couldn’t take Kobe with me because they had already booked a place that did not allow dogs. Before Kobe, I would say yes to on-a-whim trips like this, but now with Kobe I need to make sure there is someone I trust to take care of him. We also need to make sure to take him out in the morning, afternoon, and night therefore we need to plan who will go back during lunch to take him for a walk or if a dog walker will come, which takes a little bit of planning in the beginning of the week.
My advice: make sure you have time to take the dog out three times a day or you have the budget and someone you can trust to take your pup out during the day.
Daily upkeep: more than just feeding your dog
Dogs are a lot of work. I knew you had to feed them and give them fresh water daily, but what I didn’t expect was all the other daily upkeep you need to do for your pup especially if you dog has hair. When Kobe has longer hair, we are constantly brushing him to keep his hair from matting (which is when the hair basically forms a large knot). He also has some joint problems so we give him medicine twice a day. He also needs his nails cut, his foot pads trimmed, and the hair around his eyes trimmed every 2-3 weeks. This is all on top of getting groomed every two or three months. I guess if you have a dog with fur, you’re probably spending less time brushing your dog and more time vacuuming the fur up haha.
My advice: When getting a pup consider whether the dog has hair or fur and what that means for you on a daily and monthly basis.
The happiness your pup will bring you
I grew up with dogs. I love dogs. I have to stop to say hi to more dogs than people. Ok, maybe the last one is a little overboard, but you get the point. I knew Kobe would be a fun adventure. I never could have imagined how much happiness he has brought me. I doesn’t matter what happened that day I know I can count on going home to see his smiling face and butt wiggling. He’s my best friend and the best snuggle buddy ever! I have anxiety sleeping at night, but having him snuggle up next to me at makes me feel safer (even though he weighs 13 lbs haha). Point is I couldn’t have asked for a better pup.
My advice: Enjoy man or woman’s best friend!
Side note: he’s snuggling me as I write this post 🙂
Check out Kobe’s Insta and follow for cuteness overload!
A post shared by Kobe The Cavapoo 🐶 (@kobe_the_cavapoo) on Apr 10, 2018 at 6:47pm PDT
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Link for barkbox: http://bit.ly/barkboxkobe
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