What do you consider when adding a new dog?

[Paige]

What do you think of when adding a new dog? Do you think about what you want the dog to be able to do (sports, service dog, family pet)? Do you save x amount of money? Do you consider how your current pets will get along? Do you take the rest of the people in your household into consideration?

[Laurelin]

All of the above ( except othe household since I live alone). Time, money for training, plans for training, how I am going to let the dog out for potty breaks while I'm at work, suitability to my sports and lifestyle, making sure I'm fair to my current dogs, etc.

I'm a ways away from nextdog and I'm already researching a ton. Trying to figure out the logistics of everything. I'm sure I'm over thinking things just because I have never raised a pup while I worked before. That's somewhat intimidating

[Southpaw]

Not terribly much. Adopting Happy it was about being sure I could financially do it, but since I work at a clinic its not much of a worry. I also had to know she was good with dogs/cats/kids. And overall just needed reassurance that her temperament was stable.

With a puppy...money and time is pretty much all I'd be concerned about.

[Toller_08]

I consider:

- The ages and temperaments of my other dogs (very important!)
- The people living in my home (to an extent - they have to be ok with my adding a dog, but I'm still going to go with a breed/personality that suits me)
- My financial state and whether I can afford to add another dog vet wise, feeding wise, etc. and do all that I want to do with the dog as far as activities, classes, etc. go.
- How much time I have and if it's fair to add another dog. I would not add another dog if I thought I'd be failing my current dogs.
- Future plans, which I honestly had no idea what they'd be when I bought Dance or Journey (the Dobes were not solely my decision - they were a family decision, and are likely not dogs I will take when I move out one day), but my dogs will not suffer for the sake of whatever I do in the future no matter what I end up doing in the next year, two years, five years, etc.
- Why I want another dog. Do I actually need one? Do I *really* want another dog, or do I just think I do?

And there's probably more that I'm just not thinking of at the moment. But I think my current dogs, money and time are at the top of my list of things to consider.

I don't put a ton of thought into sports and activities, because at the end of the day, I'm mainly interested in an active, fun companion that can accompany me here, there and everywhere that dogs are allowed. But I knew I wanted to do some sports at least, so sought out a dog who would have the drive/athleticism/trainability/etc. to be a sport dog and learn all kinds of things with me and hopefully be successful in at least one thing.

I tend to be a planner and a worrier, so I overthought a lot about a lot of different things before I added Journey. Probably more than I needed to haha.

[SarahHound]

Main thing for me is cat friendly and doesn't chase sheep.

Everything else I can work around

[Shai]

- Why do I want this dog?
- What sort(s) of dog fits what I want? Or, if it's an individual I want, does this dog actually fulfill what I'm looking for?
- Will that dog/one of those sorts of dog fit in my current household?
- Do/Will I have the time/energy/resources to bring up and train the dog properly? Through puppy stages and, as far as I can see the future, adulthood and working career?
- Can I afford this dog/are there any outside factors precluding me from getting this dog (legal, marital, etc ).

That sort of thing.

[*blackrose]

Originally Posted by Toller_08

I consider:

- The ages and temperaments of my other dogs (very important!)
- The people living in my home (to an extent - they have to be ok with my adding a dog, but I'm still going to go with a breed/personality that suits me)
- My financial state and whether I can afford to add another dog vet wise, feeding wise, etc. and do all that I want to do with the dog as far as activities, classes, etc. go.
- How much time I have and if it's fair to add another dog. I would not add another dog if I thought I'd be failing my current dogs.
- Future plans, which I honestly had no idea what they'd be when I bought Dance or Journey (the Dobes were not solely my decision - they were a family decision, and are likely not dogs I will take when I move out one day), but my dogs will not suffer for the sake of whatever I do in the future no matter what I end up doing in the next year, two years, five years, etc.

And there's probably more that I'm just not thinking of at the moment. But I think my current dogs, money and time are at the top of my list of things to consider.

I don't put a ton of thought into sports and activities, because at the end of the day, I'm mainly interested in an active, fun companion that can accompany me here, there and everywhere that dogs are allowed. But I knew I wanted to do some sports at least, so sought out a dog who would have the drive/athleticism/trainability/etc. to be a sport dog and learn with all kinds of things with me and hopefully be successful in at least one thing.

^ Pretty much this.

[Laurelin]

Cardinal rule is that new dog is not going to take away from what my old dogs get. Ie: no new dog to do agility classes with if doing so means old dog can't go. (Barring one being unable to go/retired)

[HayleyMarie]

When Tyler and I decided to add another dog we talked in great lengths about it. Made sure we could afford it, especially to feed it.

- Puppy is not even born yet and I have looked into and talked to trainers
-I talked to the breeder in great lengths about the temperament of Teagan, getting a puppy that will compliment Teagan is very,very important.
-Why we wanted this dog. I thought long and hard about the breed I wanted. We discussed that pros and cons.
- We even discussed how our lifestyle is going to change and what we are going to have to change in order to accommodate a large protective mastiff.
- Space, we waited until we owned our own place.
-We are getting our fenced finished as soon as the ground thaws.

[ruffiangirl]

Mine all just kinda Fell in my lap. I keep planning for a new show/performance dog, then some dog pops up n need of a home.