Being a proud dog owner is one of the coolest ownership. Getting a dog by yourself is full of fun and excitement while having a partner to cuddle and snuggle with. If it is the first time, you will have the question of whether to buy a dog or adopt it.
By the way, here is the short answer.
According to the studies, it is better to adopt a dog if you are a first-time dog owner considering factors such as time and cost. Saving a life and money, the ability to choose a dog at any age, not supporting pet mills are the positive sides of adopting a dog. But, this may have significant cons.
Let’s have a quick discussion, and then you can decide whether to adopt a doggy or to buy as a first-time dog owner.
Should you adopt or buy a dog as a first-time dog owner?
A doggy fellow is a complete package of responsibility even though they are fun-filled machines. There is a lot that goes into being a first-time dog owner, no matter if you adopt or buy.
If you are ready to commit and learn, you can go for the option of either adopting or buying.
Let’s run a little deep into the facts.
If you consider the above question; should you adopt or buy a dog as a first-time owner, there are many factors you should give attention to beforehand.
Well, first I must say that answer to the above question depends on consequences like finance and free time. Because either you are adopting or buying a dog, you should be able to take good care of them.
Though it seems the answer to the above question is simple to take, it is not.
Whether you adopt or buy a doggy, there are pros and cons, and things will become somewhat complicated if you are a first-time owner.
If you prefer to buy a dog, you should consider the cost and the stability of your income. Then buying a little puppy makes you a parent rather than an owner since you should dedicate a lot of time while committing to the ownership.
Visits to the vet, vaccinations, behavioral training, evening walks, attending to health issues, and the list goes on.
If you plan to adopt a doggy boy, you have to take him from a shelter considering their size, activity level, personality, and most importantly, you should consider whether he is appropriate to your family.
Then you should consider their history and check whether they have any bad recordings. Even if you adopt a dog, you should engage in the above list of works to ensure their wellness.
See, both the options have their own upsides and downsides, and the decision is difficult to make. That’s why we are going to help you to make a sensible decision with a complete guide.
Keep on reading!
Suggested Reading: Can a single person adopt a dog?
What are the pros of adopting a dog as a first time owner?
Adopting a dog as a first-time owner is fascinating for a number of reasons. If you plan to adopt from a public shelter, you are unknowingly saving one angelic life and giving another a second chance to get adopted by a good hand.
Before looking into the pros and cons of adopting a doggy, be sure to browse and learn how to raise him properly, no matter if you adopt a little ball of puppy or an adult doggy.
So, it is crucial to choose the right organization where you can go for the best match.
Well, now we will analyze the pros of adopting a dog as a first-time owner.
1 . You’ll save money
It is clearly stated that adopting a dog costs comparatively less than buying a dog. Generally, if you adopt an adult dog or a puppy, you will have to spend between $50 to $100, whereas buying a dog may cost $500 up to $1000.
So this is clear enough for you to understand the importance of adopting a dog, especially if you are a first-time owner.
Further, the dogs in shelters are mostly vaccinated, and you will be able to save money from taking them to vaccinations.
2 . You will save a life
As a first-time owner, if you go for the option of adopting a doggy fellow automatically, you are saving a poor life who is waiting to be on a good hand.
Approximately millions of pets in shelters are euthanized annually since the space at shelters is limited. So they tend to euthanize pets when they aren’t adopted within a specific period of time.
You can prevent dogs from the above brutal scenarios if you turn to adopting more and more rather than buying dogs from pet stores.
If so, you are not saving one life but two since it creates a space for another doggy once you take home the doggy you chose.
3 . Can choose a pet at any age
Well, if you are a working person from morning till evening, you probably won’t be able to spend much time with a doggy. This becomes worse when you have a puppy.
So by adopting, you can choose exactly which age group you need. This is a sensible option since you are a first-time owner. An adult doggy will be a great fit for your life if you are super busy.
Go for the option of adopting a doggy as a first-time owner. You can choose a well-trained adult dog rather than going for a much attention needed puppy.
4 . You won’t support pet mills
A pet mill is a place where animals are bred on a larger scale, considering the profit rather than their welfare of them. Pathetically, dogs in such mills are housed with poor medical conditions.
If you adopt a poor doggy, you can save them from going into a pet mill, and moreover, you will not support pet mills where animals’ are ill-treated.
5 . A great companion
Adopting a well-trained and affectionate doggy fellow will make your life complete. Animal shelters are filled with many healthy and well-behaved dogs who eagerly wait for your love and affection.
Since they have been properly vaccinated and medically in good condition, they will be a great companion to you.
So, no matter if you adopt a doggy fellow as a first-time dog owner, it will be compatible with your daily routine.
All you should do is treat them with love and affection while attending to their health problems.
What are the downsides of adopting a dog as a first-time owner?
As well as the pros of adopting a doggy fellow as a first-time owner. There are cons as well.
We’ll have a quick view.
1 . Health problems
When you are adopting a doggy from a shelter or any other place, you have to consider their health as a prioritized factor.
There can be a spoiled and weak health history of the doggy you choose. Sometimes it can be a mental health problem as well.
So you have to consider a lot about their health before adopting, and it does not matter if he is in bad condition if you can properly treat him at home.
2 . Aggressive
Generally, an adopted dog might have the probability of becoming more aggressive since they are not adopted with so much love from puppyhood.
Check their aggressive nature before adopting, and if you feel like things will be all okay when you take him home, don’t hesitate.
But, you gotta be careful if you have children at home. Because he might not get comfortable with your home and surroundings until a week or two later.
3 . Behavioral issues
Behavioral issues are common with most adopted dogs. It is quite reasonable since they are not exposed to proper training.
There can be issues with their sleeping places, creating accidents within the home, not responding to you and the list goes on.
Be wise and choose!
4 . Food issues
Sometimes, the dog you adopted rejects having food or treats no matter what you feed them. It is because they are scared or not comfortable with the place. If so, give them a little time.
If they show any allergic conditions for some food items, take him to the vet and have a check-up.
Identify which food they prefer a lot and then gradually go for nutritious foods though they hesitate at the beginning.
5 . Anxious conditions
An adopted dog hitting by anxiety is quite reasonable. Because they might have spent their whole life lonely at a shelter.
So be careful and check their level of anxiety before adopting. Things can be great and good once you adopt even such a doggy if you take good care of them with love and unconditional affection.
Be thoughtful as you are a first-time dog owner since the above-mentioned cons can be quite challenging.
By the way, read this to understand whether having a dog can ruin your life.
What are the pros of buying a dog as a first-time owner?
As a first-time owner, if you decide to buy a doggy, consider some consequences. Buying a doggy has its own series of pros.
We’ll look into those.
1 . Can choose a good breed
Well, when buying a doggy, mostly a puppy, you can choose the breed you want. If you are a breed concerned first-time owner, buying a little pup from a good breed is better.
Though you cannot guarantee his temperaments from the breed, you can still predict his personality.
2 . Have a clear history
Another pros of buying a doggy are that you can have a clear record of their history.
Since they are exposed to sale, the pet shop keepers have a quite satisfactory recording of their physical and mental health issues.
3 . Can properly train
If you decide to buy a pet as a first-time dog owner, and also you have enough time and money, you can have the benefit of training him from the beginning.
With the aid of a dog trainer or on your own self, you can start trading them on the very same day you take them home.
You will be able to teach them good behavioral manners and potty training, recall training, etc. if the cost is not an issue at all.
4 . Less health problems
When buying a dog, you can be concerned about their status of health. Dogs who are at pet shops are less prone to health issues since they are well taken care of.
So as a first-time dog owner, it will be pretty easy with the flow if you have a doggy free of both physical and mental health issues.
You have the opportunity of choosing a dog with less or free from health problems when you buy one.
What are the cons of buying a dog as a first-time owner?
1 . Time
When considering the cons of buying a dog as a first-time owner, the factor of time is crucial. Frankly, No matter how much you spend on them if you do not have enough time to be with them.
Your doggy can indeed stay with a dog walker or alone for an hour or two. But still, they are waiting for you to come and pamper them with love since you are the owner.
You should be able to separate times for vet visits as well. Since it is dog ownership’s first time, you should be well prepared to raise him properly by being committed.
2 . Cost
The stability of your income is most important when buying a dog as a first-time owner. As we all know, buying a cute little pup of a good breed will cost a lot.
If you can handle it and manage the rest of the expenditures, there’s no issue at all. Plus, if you don’t have time to train them, you should also pay for a dog trainer.
But if it is hard for you to attend to everything, you should really give it a second thought about buying a dog.
Things to be aware of.
Do not adopt or either buy a dog if you can’t spend time with them.
Train them properly with patience with the guide of the vet.
Consider your monthly income and expenditures before buying or adopting a doggy.
Be responsible and take good care of them no matter if you adopt or buy them. Also, you need to understand that there are certain dog breeds that should never be owned by an average person.
Conclusion.
Dogs are a complete package of joy and responsibility at the same time. So if you doubt about buying or adopting a dog as a first-time owner, now you can decide with solid facts. Remember to be good and patient with them whether you adopt or buy.
Cheers until next time!
