Are you ready for a dog?

Owning a dog can be a very rewarding experience, but is a huge responsibility and you need to be committed to looking after it. It can cost up to £10,000 throughout its life. Consider the costs that include:

• Food bills
• Bedding
• Toys
• Collar and lead
• Vet bills
• Microchipping fees
• Neutering fees
• Costs for training classes
• Boarding kennel fees if you are going away
• Insurance cover
• You should also consider that you might need to replace items in the home that your dog may chew or damage.

Owning a pet is also very time consuming. The average life span of a dog is 13 years, so before you take on the responsibility of owning a dog ask yourself some simple questions:

• Will you still want a dog in five years' time?
• Is your situation likely to change?
• Do you have time to exercise the dog?
• Will you be able to devote time to training the dog?
• How often will the dog be left on its own each day?
• What will you do with the dog if you go away?
• You need to consider all of these questions and think about whether you are able to properly care for a dog.
• Will you show commitment and be a responsible dog owner?
• Are you willing to always remove your dog's faeces and deposit of it in a suitable way?
• Do you have the time and money to go to training classes with your dog?
• You should also consider whether or not the whole family would be able to live with a dog.
• Allergies can be a big problem. If one member of the family has eczema or asthma it would be better to choose a dog that doesn't shed hair. Also bear in mind the fact that some dogs need professional grooming, which can be quite expensive.