5 Things You Should Know Before You Get a Dog

Here’s how to be sure the time is right

Published in

Better Humans

6 min readApr 7, 2022

My dog, Pepsi and me on a sunny day in front of vine — All photos by the author © Alyssa-Ninja Weis

On January 1, last year, we did it. Many years of living with the dream, no, the goal of having a fluffy family member have come to an end. We got a dog.

In this story, you’ll find 5 things that people don’t really talk about and I wish I had known before.

First, imagine this…

You come home and already hear the wagging tail knocking at the door. A whining that you sense through the door is another sign of the excitement that is present on the other side. When you enter, your fluff ball jumps up and down, yowls, does a little dance, and rolls around the floor.

It’s the impersonation of happiness and all of that BECAUSE OF YOU.

This is just one example of many that shows how a dog’s love can be expressed and rub off on you.

Let’s face it, we all want to be loved.

And dogs tend to give unconditional love. It looks up to you and want’s to make you proud. It snuggles you when you’re sad.

Here’s how you can read between the fairytale belief lines you have when you think of getting a dog.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with all the squishy ideas linked to dogs.

1 Responsi-what?

It’s not that this was the first time I had a dog. Until I was 16 years old, I cannot imagine a time without a woof (or two). However, it’s a different story when you get one as an adult.

Why? Well, as a grown-up you have sole responsibility or share it with your spouse.

Here is just a shortlist of the responsibility-aspect of having a dog includes:

at least 2–3 walks per day
1–2 dog meals per day
long weekend walks
regular nail clippings
worm tablets every 3 months
minimum 1 vet checkup per year
medication if your dog is allergic to something or has food intolerances
fur haircut if the breed needs it
1 bath per year (unless your doggo played in the mud or is very dirty — their fur is somewhat self-cleaning to a degree)
registration and tax (at least this is what you need to do in Vienna, Austria)
training depending on its age and skill level
mental stimulation with smart toys (we give some of the dry food in a treat-dispensing ball — affiliate link)
finding a place that takes care of the woof when you’re on holiday without it
telling strangers — even kids — not to pet your doggo if it’s stressful for it (You’ll learn to say no)
…

Once white and brown Pepsi dog got dirty from rolling around in the sand and mud — One of those “I need a bath” moments © Alyssa-Ninja Weis

In any case, learn and look out for signs of stress in your dog to be its best buddy. Carlyn Beccia wrote a great piece on this called ‘Why You Should Stop Hugging Your Dog.’

2 Let’s talk about timing

First and foremost, it’s not always a good time to get a dog. In my opinion, it depends on a couple of factors.

Do you want a puppy?
Are you thinking of getting a shelter dog?
Is the dog used to being home alone?
Is it housebroken?
…

Consider taking a couple of days off so that both of you can get acclimated. Working from home helps and so does taking turns with your partner if you have one.

Did we do it because of the pandemic? Yes and no.

No, as we’ve fantasized about getting a dog for several years already.

Yes, as we figured that times with little traveling will allow us to get used to a dog, just like it can get used to us.

Note: Visit a couple of shelters first and meet their dogs. There are lots of lonely soles in there who are just waiting to find a new home and family. They will also help you to find a dog that fits your lifestyle. Also, I recommend not supporting breeders, as mixed breeds are often more healthy and robust. Check out Marne Platt story on ‘Why You Should Adopt Your Dog From a Shelter.’

Adopt, don’t shop.

3 The not-so-much-of-a-honeymoon phase

The ideal imagination goes something like this: We get a dog, go home and it’s well-behaved, housetrained, and happy. Reality looks a bit different.

It’s love, but with hiccups.

In our case, we adopted a dog from a friend of a friend who moved to Asia. It was not an easy decision for her. In the end, she came to the conclusion that the European weather would be more natural for her dog.

For the first two weeks, our little Pepsi dog barked several times throughout the night and woke us. We were miserably tired and didn’t know what to do.

Our solution was to close the doors to the entry hallway so that the noises in the staircase don’t wake her. We also started to cover her in a blanket to make the room darker (and baby her a little, because we’re weak). It was probably also because she was stressed due to all the changes.

Our dog is also the best alarm system in town.

Nobody can come close to our apartment door without being informed, that there is a dangerous fluff ball in the house. This is a tough one and we are still working on it. However, it got better.

Tipp: Involve a dog trainer who works on specific misbehavior with you and your dog. They can give valuable advice on how you can get the best out of your woof.

Me on a summer day in an old street, where my dog stands in a small stream with its butt to the camera — When you try to convince your dog to look into the camera © Alyssa-Ninja Weis

4 It’s time to make time (and get active)

One assumes that you’d be more active with a dog, and that’s true. You’ll get out more and there’s not a single day you will spend indoors only unless somebody else takes over your dog walks.

Weekends are ideal for longer hikes.

If you have a highly sniffy fluff like me, your quick errands might turn into an exploration of every little crack, corner, and blade of grass on the way there and back.

Also, I’m the one running after Pepsi. Not because she’s starting it, but because I’m trying to excite her to run.

This is what you can do if you have a lazy dog like me:

play monster
hide goodies and make it find them
teach them to sit-wait-run towards you in the distance
teach them to sit and search for you after you hid
arrange dates with dog friends

All in all, having a dog will help you discover new places.

5 Inseparable until dogs are not allowed

You will also find out which of the known places you cannot take your woof to.

Here are the no-gos (at least in Vienna):

doctors
supermarkets (basically any place that has produce and food they don’t want your dog to sniff at)
city parks
public beaches often have separate dog areas (yes, there are beaches in Vienna along the Danube river)
some national forests (some allow dogs on a leash)

Once you know the basics and as long as you do the research, you’ll be fine.

However, there are many places you absolutely need to bring your fluff ball. Think forests, vineyards, mountains, lakes, the sea, etc. Start dreaming.