It’s amazing how Covid-19 has changed our lives, isn’t it? Few leisure opportunities, no long-distance travel and ideally still a home office – no wonder that many people are finally making their dream of owning a dog possible. Because finally the general conditions seem to fit and what else do you have to do? Of course, we can understand that very well, but this step must be carefully considered. What if the world changes again? For those who are undecided, we would like to name a few empirical values and factors that should be taken into account.

What comes after the home office?

Please be sure to clarify whether your employer allows and encourages dogs. Is a co-worker in the same office afraid of dogs? And what if you want to change jobs? Are you ready to choose your new job based on dog compatibility? This factor is definitely very important and should be considered with great care when wanting a dog. Our dachshund, for example, is very difficult in offices, as a self-employed person with your own company this is fortunately not a problem, in a regular employment relationship it would be a great challenge. One cannot assume that every dog, despite training and patience, can be trained to become the perfect office dog.

Can the dog travel with you?

Currently, the topic of “travel” does not play a particularly important role. But what do you do with the dog if that changes again and it should go on a larger or longer journey? Do you have friends or relatives who can take care of him? Professional care can be very expensive. We travel a lot with the camper, which is of course ideal for a life with a dog. In addition, thanks to its compact size, our miniature dachshund can be taken into the cabin of the plane (in a bag, of course). This means that at least short and medium-haul flights with a dog are no problem.

Do you have an eye on the costs?

A dog can be quite expensive. Not only the food carries a lot of weight, the costs for the veterinarian or the dog trainer are also not insignificant. An unforeseen operation can be in the four-digit range, unfortunately already experienced. Of course, the quality of life with a dog is difficult to weigh with money, but you should be aware of this.