Preparing For A Dog Is Like Preparing For A Baby

Getting a second dog is a whole lot of fun and cuteness, especially when you get a puppy. But there are a couple of adjustments for your new dog, your previous furbaby, and even on yourself (and spouses and children if you have them).

It's not like you can just go to the mall and on your way to Macy's you see an adorable pup at the pet store and instantly impulse buy the dog. Dogs are NOT impulse buying products. Save that for ice cream when you're grocery shopping. Trust me, you'll be better off with the ice cream if you haven't done your research on getting a dog.

There's a lot of research you should do before getting a dog. A lot of it should be breed specific: what are good types of dogs for apartments, what breeds are easily potty trainable, what breeds are good with kids, etc. But you also want to research about how to prepare yourself for the new addition.

When I decided that we were going to get another pup, I had to plan a lot of things ahead of time. The last thing I wanted to do was bring home a pup and not know where it was going to sleep at night: the crate or the bed? Obviously you can't break down every possible scenario and have a perfect solution for every obstacle. But you can try to come up with some things before hand.

Here's a list of things to do to prepare for a new furbaby:

• Purchase all the goodies: food, food container, crates, bowls, toys, chews, collar, leash (probably multiple), tag, flea and tick prevention, cone, blanket,  potty pads, bed, squirt bottle, pinch collar (or type of walking corrector), lots of cleaning supplies, assortment of treats
• Figure out where the dog is going to sleep at night
• If you have another pet, find out what is going to be different for them: for us, Luna would be going from eating whenever she feels like to scheduled feeding times. Also things to think about is their areas level. How are you going to make sure that they have their own space when they need it?
• If you have kids: talk to them about appropriate behaviors around the new addition, including if they can give treats, if they can walk the dog, etc.
• Come up with command words for different instructions and let your significant other or roommates know them. The key to training a dog is consistency. You want to make sure that everyone is saying "OFF" if you want the dog to get off the furniture. If someone uses "DOWN" the dog will get confused as to which command is correct.
• Figure out a schedule for everything! Feeding, peeing, drinking, potty, nighttime, playtime, nap time, etc. Again, consistency is key.
• If you are renting, you better make sure your landlord is aware.
• Dog proof everything! Cords, books, magazines, socks, shoes, electronics, TV remotes, etc. are puppies favorite chews. Put everything up or away so your addition won't ruin your favorite things. 
• Make a vet appointment. You're probably going to want to have the vet check to make sure there's nothing weird going on with your dog. I brought Skylar to the vet a couple days after having her home so if I had questions I could ask the vet. I also wanted to establish a relationship with a vet at a time where (hopefully) everyone is healthy

As you can see, a lot goes into getting a puppy. And that's just the planning part! Think of what it's gonna be like when you actually have him/her! Pets are for life, and never get a dog if you aren't sure if you will keep them forever. They are like kids. Would you return your kid to the hospital you delivered them at because he/she was coloring on your walls? No!

Dogs are a lot like having kids (or so I would assume...I don't have any of my own, but what I hear is that dogs can prepare you for parenthood.) And preparing for a dog is just like preparing for a baby! Planning, buying, preparing, and training. You might as well have a puppy baby shower too! Haha... But seriously if you are planning a puppy shower, please tell me, I'd love to be the event planner for that party. 

That's my list. If you have any other good preparation tips leave a comment below!