Questions to Ask Before You Adopt

Since we are now fostering westies it got me thinking of what my foster brothers/sisters future parents need to think about before taking him/her home. So with the help of the ASPCA I wanted to share some questions everyone should honestly answer before they adopt a dog.

Why do you want to adopt? This is a big one! Do you want a traveling buddy, a friend for your children, a couch potato, etc? Figuring this out will help you greatly when your at the shelter or looking through the many dogs on petfinder.
Ready to have this dog for 10-15 years? When you adopt you are promising to take care of this dog “through sickness and in health” “in good times and bad.” Alot can change in your life, new job, new home, marriage, divorce, kids, etc. and this dog is depending on you through all of this. You have to be willing to commit to this doggie.
Can you afford to take care of a doggie? Dogs are much more expensive then just a bag or two of food a month. One of my twitter pals a vet posted this recently and I think it sums this point up

People–you are not rescuing a dog when you come in for your first visit and cannot afford the bare essentials to keep them healthy!!

The ASPCA has an excellent chart to show the true cost of pets.
Can you spoil that dog? Ok maybe not spoil but give quality time? I know I want all of my mommy and daddy’s time. Dogs thrive when they receive attention and a new pet parent has to realize that this dog will take time out of your day. He or she will want to go on walks with you and play fetch with you. If you travel alot or work 18 hour days you need to consider how that will affect your new dog as well.
What if your doggy gets sick? Are you prepared to handle the challenges such as trips to the vet, and giving your dog medication? My mom is an expert at this. After my many bladder infections she became an expert at giving me pills and cleaning up my messes. My mommy was also very committed to making sure I took my medication on time every day even if I fought her on it.
What about training? Doggies need some basic training for us to be good dogs. And if you adopt a dog are you willing to take the dog to class or train him or her on your own? Depending on how smart or in my case how stubborn we are this may take a while.
What about pet-proofing your house? You may have to buy a trash can with a lid, cover for electrical cords (I learned the hard way don’t chew on cords..you get shocked!). Many plants are also poisonious to animals so you may need to give some of your plants away to keep us safe.
Finally, are you ready to be a puppy mama/daddy? These animals will rely on you for everything so you need to be willing to really look after them and be their advocate for what they need to live a healthy, happy life.