1. You live a stable life! If you are a digital nomad and got stranded in paradise, please ask yourself the question if you will either stay or if you can bring your dog with you, once you have to move. If you are in a fresh relationship, make sure to talk about who will take care of the dog in case of a break up. Do you have a job where traveling might be required soon or are you waiting for a promotion? If you can’t commit to a dog, you can always foster for a few months. A dog is not a toy, that you can easily return. You will break their heart, cause traumas and the dog might end up on the street.

2. You have enough time! We all love dogs and we all would love to have a cute pup. But don’t underestimate the attention they need and how much work they are. Are you ready to walk your dog every day multiple times? Even when it rains? (Unless you live on a super hectare fenced farm) Do you have time to visit a dog school and train your dog? Do you have time to really exercise and wear out your dog, so they don’t destroy the house?

3. You have enough money! Let’s be crystal clear: Dogs are expensive. They need food, a bed, toys, treats, leashes, bandanas (of course), they might break things when they are a puppy, they need an insurance, medical care, treatments and so on. Please don’t underestimate the costs and really really prepare for that. We would advice to create a little list of monthly expenses. These might vary from country to country.

4. You have enough space! Depending on the size of your dog and the breed, you might need an actual palace. Just kidding. But jokes aside, you shouldn’t keep an Australian Shepherd in a tiny apartment. If you get a sausage dog, you shouldn’t have many stairs. Preferably you have a garden or enough time to walk your dog properly.

5. You know which dog to choose! Before you decide to get a dog, please make sure you know enough about the dog breed you are aiming for. If you decide to give a shelter dog a new life, you might want to have a deep conversation with the caretaker to get to know the dogs personality and to see if it’s the right fit. If you are a little older and not as agile anymore, you might want to pair up with a senior dog. If you are a super outdoorsy person, always in the woods and running 3 times a week, you might not want to choose a pug.

6. You are prepared! What happens if you go on holidays? Is your landlord okay with a dog? What if you get a complicated dog? Where is the next dog park? What if you work long on some days? Are you allergic? Is the dog okay with kids? These are the questions you need to answer for yourself. And you are responsible to find solutions.

7. You are ready to commit and to loose some freedom! A dog is almost like a child. It needs attention, time, money, love and you also need to adjust your life. If the dog needs to go pee, you can’t finish your 2hrs phone call with your mom. You can’t just leave the house from one minute to another and go on holidays, unless you have a room mate our husband who takes care of your dog, while you are away. (Or you can bring your dog with you) Some restaurants might not accept dogs and what happens if you have to return to your office? Is a dog allowed?

8. You are patient! No matter if you get a street dog, a rescue dog, a shelter dog a puppy, you need to be patient. The dog has to get used to you, their new life, new surroundings, smells. Some of them need to overcome traumas and fear. Some don’t behave well and can’t be trained easily. Be patient. It takes months for dogs to fully settle in. Some dogs need years to fully build trust and to bond with you. Don’t be disappointed if the new dog doesn’t like to cuddle with you. Maybe find different ways to interact and have some bonding time. Don’t force the dog and don’t give up. Consistency and patience is the key.

9. You are ready for unconditional love! Be prepared. Dogs have so so much love to give and you will experience love from your side too. You will very likely never be without a dog anymore, once you welcomed one dog into your life. They are the most loyal and happy animales we have ever met. Can you handle that? Their love and cuteness?

Disclaimer: We fully support rescue dogs and wish everyone would just decide to give a shelter dog a new life. However we are realistic enough, that not everyone can accept a rescue dog due to family reasons, allergies, need of a support dogs etc. If you decide for a breed dog, please please check the breeder and don’t buy a dog from a sketchy place. You should not support breeders who only breed for money.

In places like Indonesia we are actually fully against breed dogs! The streets and shelters are full of dogs first of all and secondly breeding in Indonesia is pure cruelty as far as we have seen. If you buy a breed dog in such a country, you play a role in animal abuse. If you consider adopting a dog, please reach out to Bali.Paws, Mission Pawsible, BAWA or Barc for Bali Dogs in Bali. Or Vierbeiner in Not in Germany.