Thinking About Buying A Puppy? Read These Essential Considerations Before Making A Decision

Welcoming a puppy into your family home can be such an exciting experience, but if you've never previously owned a dog then there are many essential considerations that you must uncover and take on board before you make your decision. Dogs are a huge responsibility, and it can cost a hefty sum to keep your furry friend content and comfortable throughout their many years of life. Luckily, focusing your efforts into a few key areas will ensure that you can find out everything you need to know about puppy care, helping your new dog to settle in fast and begin to thrive in their forever home. So, if you would like to find out more, then simply read on. 

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Finding The Most Suitable Breed 

Finding the most suitable breed of dog is absolutely vital, especially for first-time dog owners with little experience in handling or training puppies. Though it's fair to say that every dog will have its own totally unique personality, there are specific breed traits that you can expect to find from certain types of dog, making them either less or more suitable for your home. For example, golden retrievers are said to be some of the softest, friendliest breeds around, making them a perfect match for a family home with children. On the other hand, a breed such as a lurcher needs considerable exercise and loves nothing more than running for hours on end - this is ideal for an owner that enjoys sports and the great outdoors, as they make for the perfect adventure buddy. You can train your dog to avoid performing certain behaviours such as excessive barking and dependence issues through repetition and rewards from a site like Pet-Ness, but breed-specific traits are often hard wired into their DNA making it difficult to get rid of them completely. 

Meeting Care Requirements 

If you have lots of current commitments like full time employment, outdoor hobbies and other out-of-house activities that will leave your dog alone for hours on end, you must think hard before deciding to invest in a puppy. Dogs have serious care requirements ranging from regular feeding to grooming, socialisation and veterinary care, so if you don't have the time to meet these needs then you should think twice before making such a choice. If you feel as though you have the means to provide a pup with a happy life, start off by seeking out the most suitable food. You can pick between dry kibble, canned wet food and even fridge fresh options made with quality ingredients, so trial a few of the best rated brands and see how your dog reacts to each one. Grooming should be your next priority, as your dog should be bathed around twice per month to cleanse their fur and skin. If your pup has long fur, you should aim to brush them frequently (around once per week should be suffice). Allow them to make friends with other fully vaccinated pups and adult dogs early on, as this will support healthy socialisation. 

How to Prep Your Home For a Hot Summer

Now we have entered spring, and it is only a matter of time until we are in summer, where the heat will be getting even hotter depending on where you live. When it gets so hot, you may not even be able to seek comfort in your own home if you haven’t prepared it correctly or taken steps to make it cooler. If you are someone that feels the heat more or does not enjoy the heat when preparing your home, so you have somewhere to shelter and take a rest from the heat will be very beneficial for you.

If you would like to prepare your home for the summer, then hopefully, these few tips will help you get started.

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Check your home’s insulation.

Make sure you are checking or getting someone to check your insulation in your home, check the attic and any spaces in your home. Not only does the insulation in your home help you with cold winters by keeping the heat in, but it will also help to reflect and keep heat out of your home to stop the house from heating up and any cold air in the home from escaping. You are able to add in more insulation on top of existing material, but if you are unsure, it is best to have a professional do this.

Install cooling devices

One of the best ways to make your home cooler is to get some sort of cooling device for the home. This is the quickest way to cool your home but bear in mind it is not the cheapest in most instances. One of the best things you could get installed is air conditioning. It is the best thing to cool your home, which is why most hot countries have it and cars have it too. It is best to have a professional install your AC, and there are plenty available. And also, there is a 24 hour AC service available should you have issues with your AC as it will need to be maintained to make sure it functions.

You can also get ceiling fans or standing fans for your home. They can be a little cheaper but do not cool the home as efficiently as AC does. You would usually need a few around the home in the rooms that get the hottest to try and bring the temperature down.

Install some coverings or plants on your windows

A lot of people are trying smart landscaping to reduce heat in the home. This is where you place plants by the windows to absorb the heat that would otherwise be going through the window into the home. Your other option is to get coverings for your windows to stop the heat from being absorbed into your home through the windows on really sunny days.

If you struggle with your home getting too hot in the summer, then hopefully, these tips will allow you to prepare your home and have a more comfortable summer with a cooler home.