Quiz: Ready for a dog, or not?

[emaillocker]If you really want a dog but are not sure if you and your family should get one, it might be worthwhile taking this quiz. Answer these questions – as honestly as possible – to get a nudge in the right direction.

 

  1. Why do you want a dog?

a. The neighbours have one.

b. The children want a puppy to play with.

c. Puppies are cute.

d. We all want a companion for our family.

 

2. Do you have the budget for a dog?

a. If the dog eats table scraps every day and doesn’t fall ill, I’ll manage financially.

b. We might struggle financially sometimes, but we’ll manage.

c. Money isn’t a problem – we planned for a new puppy and can afford one.

 

3. Do you know which breed would suit your family best?

a. No – not a clue.

b. We have a few breeds in mind…

c. Yes – we know exactly which dog will fit in with our family.

 

4. Is anyone in the family allergic to dogs?

a. We have no idea.

b. No – we don’t suffer from allergies.

c. Yes, but we’re looking for a hypoallergenic dog.

d. Yes, but that doesn’t matter.

 

5. How much time do you have in a day to train your puppy?

a. 1-2 hours.

b. 3-4 hours.

c. None

d. As long as it takes.

 

6. How much time do you have to exercise your puppy?

a. 1 hour a day.

b. 20-30 minutes a day.

c. I’m too busy.

 

7. What is the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up?

a. Make coffee.

b. Check my device for messages.

c. Read online news stories.

d. Take the dog out.

 

8. How important is socialising your puppy?

a. Extremely important.

b. Not important at all.

 

9. Do you have, or plan to have, pet insurance when you get your puppy?

a. Yes, most certainly.

b. No, it’s a waste of money.

 

10. Which of the following are signs of aggression in a dog?

a. Growling and bearing his teeth.

b. A ‘smiley’ face.

c. Running in circles.

d. Rolling on his back.

 

11. What do you plan to do with your puppy?

a. Go to the dog park.

b. Watch TV all day.

c. Visit friends with other socialised dogs.

d. Nothing – he’ll just stay at home.

 

12. Which of these are bad for your puppy?

a. Table scraps with lots of garlic and onion.

b. Chocolates and raisins.

c. Pieces of biltong.

d. Watermelon

 

It all adds up

Add up your points using the answers below to get your final score, and see what your answers reveal about your readiness to get a puppy. Or, perhaps, it will show that you should rather wait, and learn as much as you can about dogs, before taking on this journey.

  1. a) 0 b) 1 c) 0 d) 4
  2. a) 0 b) 1 c) 4
  3. a) 1 b) 2 c) 4
  4. a) 1 b) 4 c) 3 d) 0
  5. a) 1 b) 2 c) 0 d) 4
  6. a) 4 b) 2 c) 0
  7. a) 0 b) 0 c) 0 d) 4
  8. a) 4 b) 2
  9. a) 4 b) 0
  10. a) 4 b) 0 c) 0 d) 0
  11. a) 4 b) 0 c) 4 d) 0
  12. a) 4 b) 4 c) 1 d) 0

 

What your score means:

32-56 points

You understand dogs and their needs. You are ready to get a puppy, but then again, you knew that and have been planning for a long time.

14-32 points

You’re almost there, but you need to do some more research.

0-14 points

You need to rethink your decision to get a puppy, and first do some homework. Find out as much as you can, and then reconsider whether you should get a puppy.

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