So as many of you may know, I recently adopted the worlds cutest puppy! Mac is a Chihuahua Dachshund mix (Chi-Dash or Chi-Weenie for short) and he is now just about 6 months old. I adopted Mac from a local animal rescue shelter when he was 3 months old and ever since October 3rd my life has flipped upside down. As much joy as this little boy brings me he is definitely a handful.Some advice I would like to share is that when you adopt an animal you have them for their entire lifespan. That could be anywhere between 10-17 years! A lot of people my age get puppy fever; we are adults now, some living on our own and can do what we want. What better way to prove your new found independence and responsibility than to get a pup! A puppy will always love you and want to play and cuddle and they’re just so stinkin’ cute! But more often than not people who adopt young animals forget that these babies will grow up and they still have to take care of them and love them even when they’re old.
Living at home, I had to make sure my mom was okay with me bringing a pet into the house, that would be step number one that I would recommend. Talk to your family, boyfriend, girlfriend, roommate, landlord, whomever is in your life at the moment that would be affected by you getting an animal. It goes beyond the person/ people you share a house with, because at some point in time you will need someone to watch the animal when you’re not around. So make sure you communicate your adoption plans with friends and family. Luckily for me, my father turned out to be the world’s greatest grandparent in hiding. He LOVES Mac, loves him (probably more than me), I honestly can’t wait to see how he will act around my children in the far off future.
Second, make sure you can afford it, even adopting a dog is costly. Most people think adoption is so much cheaper than buying a pure breed, which it is, but I wouldn’t say its “cheap.” The fees for adoption can run up to $500 and some places can cost even more. The younger the dog the more expensive they are going to be. So make sure you save up. The place I adopted from took cash only, so I had to make sure I went to the bank beforehand.
100% do your research!! Dogs have all different characteristics depending on breed. Some dogs are more active than others, some require frequent grooming, some like mine are known to be diggers or on the not so friendly side (however I got super lucky!). I went into Pets Smart where they had their adoption event planning to look at a large breed dog and I fell in love with a Chihuahua Dachshund mix. You just never know lol. Aside from the adoption fee, I spent almost $200 on things for a new puppy; i.e. a bed, food, bowls, toys, treats, a leash, harness, collar and more. And don’t even get me started about vet bills.
Puppies also chew everything! Their teeth hurt, so it’s important to make sure you don’t leave anything on the floor and have plenty of bones and teething toys. Potty training is another big thing to be on top of. They will do it everywhere, so make sure you stock up on wee-wee pads (another expensive puppy commodity). Bottom line, it’s a lot of money, time and cleaning but you get a lot of love in return that will make it all worth it!
xo
The Bermuda Room 