Retirement comes with a lot of changes – free from the shackles of work, you can choose what you want to do with your life and enjoy more freedom – whether you want to relocate to somewhere like these park homes Gloucestershire, or you want to spend some time travelling and enjoying holidays, it’s up to you.

Something else that many people want to do when they retire is to get a dog. Because life is busy and often demanding when we are working, this means that we are not able to provide a dog with all of its needs – when working full time this can be tricky. But retirement means that we finally have that time on our hands to give to a dog.

If you are excitedly planning to go out and get a dog upon your retirement, here are a few things to consider before you do…

Exercise – All dogs need exercise, but different dogs will have different exercise requirements. Researching the exercise needs of different breeds, speaking to breeders and rescue centres and working out how much exercise you can give a dog is essential before you take one on.

Cost – As well as the initial cost of the dog itself, dogs cost money to keep. Veterinary fees and pet insurance, as well as food and equipment like leads and car crates are all things to consider. It is a good idea to write everything out and then you can work out a realistic budget for the dog.

Breed – Researching different breeds is important as they vary a lot! Throughout the centuries dogs were often bred for various jobs, so this can determine how they behave and what drives them. Getting to know more about this can help you to make a decision on what breed of dog is suitable for you.

Lifestyle – Your lifestyle is a huge factor when it comes to choosing the right dog. If you are an outdoors kind of a person, you want an active dog who can keep up with you for example. Your home also plays a part, the size of your home and the garden are also things to consider.

Children – If you have children around you visiting then you want to make sure that both the dog and the children are comfortable and happy and can respect each other. If you are going via a rescue centre, they will be able to show you the dogs that are happy with children around them.