What’s more, you have to think about your daily routine. Specifically, when you get up, how long you’re away from home while studying or working, when you get back, and how active your social life is. You need to know for a fact that you’ll be flexible enough to spend quality time with your pupperino.
Make sure it isn’t one of those situations where we promised our parents that, of course, we’ll get up at 6 in the morning to walk our new best pal... only to end up sleeping in.
To put it bluntly, if you live alone and you spend most of your time away from home, maybe a pet like a dog might not be for you. They need to be walked. They need to spend time playing with you and others. They can’t be locked up in a cage at home for 18 hours each day because you prioritize your career.
Of course, things are very different if your office is a pet-friendly zone. That way, once you’ve trained and socialized your puppy, you can make everyone’s day brighter. (Though keep in mind that some of your colleagues might be scared of dogs or be allergic to them. Puppies might objectively be one of the top five best things in the entire multiverse, but not everyone’s a fan, no matter how cute they are.)
No matter how cute a dog might be, you can’t simply run up to it and start rubbing its belly. It’s safer (and polite!) to ask the animal’s owner whether you can approach them or give them a snack. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the doggo’s mood. For instance, if it’s wagging its tail up high, its ears are floppy, and it generally looks relaxed, you can approach them. However, if the dog’s tail is low or tucked underneath them, they’re tense, and their ears are pinned back, they are probably very uncomfortable.
The so-called ‘socialization period’ for puppies is when they’re between 4 and 12 weeks of age. That’s when you can gradually start introducing your dog to family, friends, and strangers. If you find that your pet is frightened of other people, you can introduce them from a safe distance and slowly desensitize them. That way, they’ll eventually get used to other human beings, and they’ll undoubtedly make their day that much brighter.
