First Time Dog Owner Tips
Do you have the Space & Time ?

The need for sufficient space in the first time dog owner's home is a very important factor. It is true that animals usually, adapt to their living spaces – be it a house or apartment – but it's necessary for a pet to live comfortably, clean, and be able to enjoy the space that they are given. For example, you wouldn't want to put a Great Dane in a mini apartment since in a year he will weigh more than 40 kilograms and his size will double. Whereas a poodle or a Chihuahua would have no problem at all living in a small space like a mini apartment. If you don't have a garden or a park where you can take your dog out every day, you will want to consider getting a smaller dog that does not need as much vigorous exercise (all dogs need daily exercise though). Certain breeds of large dogs specifically need to be able to get a lot of fresh air and room to run around a lot.

Time to spend and dedicate to your dog: Generally dogs require a lot more time and dedication then cats do. Therefore if you are the type of person with a 9:00 – 5:00 job, you are going to want to get one of the breeds that require less attention and that don't panic when being left alone for that many hours. Some breeds need daily and special attention to their coats and some bark a lot to get their owners attention. So take these things into account.

Of course having a dog also means that your new puppy will need to get trained to learn those things like not barking in your absence so that it does not turn into a hard to break habit. If you think that you will not be able to take on the responsibility of training your dog or getting someone to train him, you are probably not ready for a dog. And your best option might be a pet that does not demand so much attention like a cat or fish. Note: all pets require some amount of attention,

their spaces must be continually cleaned, they need to get fed daily etc. 

Remember that in the case of dogs, they need to be taken out everyday to do their needs. If your house does not have a garden, take into consideration that this is one of the first things you will have to do for your dog when getting home from work. This is important also because dogs need to get daily exercise and they really enjoy going on walks.