Owning a dog is a privilege and it brings so much joy and happiness in one’s life. But having one is also a huge responsibility and it is a commitment which a pet owner should always keeps on mind.
It’s been more than a year since I decided to own a dog and I don’t have regrets of doing so. I wrote about my dog Bingo a couple of months ago and you can check it here. In that one year of taking care of my dog, I learned a lot of things about how to be a responsible pet owner. And also, I realized that owning a dog is not that easy and simple, it takes a lot of sacrifice, patience, full attention and of course my unconditional love for my fur baby. But those things are nothing compare to the happiness and love I received from my dog.
Here are some of the things I realized while raising my dog.
Raising a dog is like raising a child
I got Bingo when he was only a month old. Since then, I am like a mother to him. I was with him every now and then when he was still a little puppy until now because I need to attend to all his needs. Feeding him on time, training him to do his things, giving him a bath, walking him outside and playing with him all the time. Most importantly I need to look after his health, bring him to vet and giving him shots. These are the things I used to learn and realize while raising my dog.
Setting aside a budget for your dog
Our dog’s needs are different from ours. We have to provide what they need, and for doing that, we need to have a separate budget for them. When I owned Bingo I already made a up my mind to split my financial priorities. I should provide him what he needs. Dog food, treats, bed, leash, collar, chewing toys, pet bowls, dog shampoo, etc. Aside from that, when he get sick and need a check-up, I should prepare for the vet’s fee and medicines.
Getting to learn their language
Dogs can’t talk, they’ll just show us from their gestures what they want to tell us. And they barely understand the words we are saying to them, they’re just observing our actions. So I need to learn how to understand their own language. I used to understand when my dog wants something from me or if he want to pee or poo. The tone of his voice and bark used to change depends on what he wanted to say to me. A very long patience is really necessary for you to understand each other.
Worrying when getting sick
Since raising a dog is the same as taking care of your own child, it’ll make you worry whenever their health is at risk. Everytime my dog got sick, my heart seemed to break. I can’t stand seeing him uncomfortable and not feeling well. I also feel his pain whenever he is crying, couldn’t speak and convey what he feels.
Having scratches and damaging things
So, this thing I wasn’t prepared at first when I got my dog. It’s unavoidable to get scratch sometimes when owning a dog, especially like mine which is a little active and big. He loves to climb on me often, so wearing a short is a big no. When he was still small, he used to bite everything. Thanks that it lessen as he grows.
Dealing with separation anxiety
I think not only my dog but also me deals with anxiety whenever I leave the house. My mom told me that whenever I’m away, she observed my dog being quiet and sad, staring at the door often, waiting for me. While my mind is always thinking about my dog, whether if he eats already or what he’s doing or whether he’s sad or something like that everytime I’m not at home. We already missed each other eventhough we’re away for only a few hours.
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