First Time Dog Owner in India? Here's What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Got My Labrador
First Time Dog Owner in India? Here's What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Got My Labrador Getting your first dog is 90% excitement and 10% "what have I done." Nobody warns you about the 10%. I got Leo — a Labrador Retriever puppy — over a decade ago in India. I thought I was prepared. I'd watched YouTube videos. Read breed guides. Bought the bed, the bowl, the toys. I was ready. I was not ready. Here's everything I wish someone had sat me down and told me before that first day. Not the cute Instagram version of dog ownership. The real, messy, expensive, life-changing truth of being a first-time dog parent in India. Before You Get the Dog: The Questions Nobody Asks Can you actually afford a dog? Not the purchase price. The REAL cost. Here's what a medium-large dog (Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd) costs annually in an Indian metro city in 2026: Expense Monthly Annual Quality kibble (Royal Canin/Farmina/Drools premium) ₹3,000-5,000 ₹36,000-60,00...