Today’s piece is not exactly about how to live more environmentally friendly, but, it’s about something that I will say has increased my life quality, my level of happiness, purpose, understanding, and connection, and that has given me so much unconditional love and learning opportunities. It’s about my thoughts on getting a dog, whether to adopt or not, how to choose a breed and my experiences so far.
My puppy, Noah, is about 10 months now, and we have had our fair share of ups and downs. Even though there have been dark moments when I think I’ve taken on too much, I have to say it been one of the best decisions of my life.
The times when I think really bad about having a dog are the times when I’m stressed, when I feel like there is too little time, or when I feel like I have to travel too much. That’s also when I know that I’m a bit out of balance, and not living my life the way I actually enjoy it.
How to choose a breed
When choosing a breed there are many ways to go. You can talk to dog behavioral therapists, take an online quiz, talk to friends who have dogs, read dog books and watch videos on YouTube. I recommend doing quite some research! The important things to know are what your needs are and therefore what qualities you are looking for in a dog.
Some good questions to ask yourself might be:
what kind of activities do I want to do with the dog
how experienced am I with dog training
how much time do I have for mental and physical exercise
will I travel with the dog (affecting the size you will look for)
do I have to consider allergies (affecting the fur type)
Adoption?
Personally, I was looking into adopting a dog at first. I had a search at finn.no for dogs that needed a new home and was trying to find one that felt like connected with me, and that I could handle. After searching for a few months, I was honestly a bit overwhelmed by the thought of taking over a dog that someone else couldn’t handle anymore. I was scared of not being skilled enough to adopt a dog, as I knonw it can require intense amounts of training and expertise on how to treat a dog. That’s when I decided that my first (of hopefully a few:))) dogs will be one that I can train myself from when its a puppy.
Adoption in Norway
Adoption is also very different from country to country. Here in Norway we don’'t have stray dogs (gatehunder), so adoption is usually done through organized sites by adopting a dog that already had another home. If you want to adopt from abroad into Norway, you have to document that you have lived with the dog for over 6 months.
Adoption in other countries
In countries like the US, there are lots of stray dogs (gatehunder) that need a new home. There are puppies that are born in a dumpster in the street, in the woods, and those that are left by their families. It’ a whole different scenario. I definitely think I would adopt a puppy if I lived in the US. Easy to say, but still, the situation is very different.
Where did I get Noah
He is from Nannestad by Gardemoen. I found him through Finn.no. Many of you have asked for the number to his breeder, but she will unfortunately not have any more cockapoos so I’m not able to help you there. After you have found the type of dog you want, look for
If you are buying a dog from a breeder, make sure that you and the breeder have a good connection, that it seems like they know what they are doing, that they are outstanding in taking care of puppies, that they have a clean home, and that they are trustworthy.
I realized that I am super lucky with Noah, he felt very safe with me from day one, thanks to the amazing care he got from when he was born.
Environmentally friendly life with a dog
Many people are concerned that its not eco-friendly to have a dog. Of course, a dog comes with his needs, and there are lots of materialistic purchases involved, and not to forget the food. There are things you can do and better choices to make - as always! I have written a blog post with 6 eco-friendly dog tips HERE.
My most eco-friendly actions with Noah are:
Giving him vegan food (Benevo Puppy from Eco Pets)
Giving him some vegan treats (I use a mix, for training we use ham, sausage++)
Getting a dog bed made of waste materials from Eco Mats
Using eco-friendly waste bags
Buying eco-friendly toys (no plastic!)
Some brands I like:
Soopapets (food)
Benevo (food)
Vegan4dogs (food)
BeCo (eco friendly toys)
Overall, I cannot express the amount of joy a puppy/dog brings into life! Hope this was useful. Feel free to leave any additional tips below.