One of the great advantages of living in a rural area, especially near rural Dallas, is how much more space you’ll have for the price. Many people can easily have both a large home and yard well within their price range in a more rural area. Having a larger space allows for many more things than you would be able to have in a more urban setting, such as a playground area for kids, a patio or entertainment space, a pool, outdoor kitchen, or even stables or pens for different animals.
The opportunities for the types of pets you can have in a rural area are nearly endless because of how much space you have. You can have a large free-range backyard space for dogs and bunnies, have pens for farm animals such as pigs, goats, and chickens, stables for horses, a large house for cats or fish, and many more. According to many different scientific researches, pets are especially great for the health of people living in rural areas. If you’re moving to a rural area soon and don’t already have a pet to bring, or would like another one, we think it would be a great idea.
Here is a rundown of the best pets to have in the rural Dallas area.
Horses
Cost to own and care: $2500 a year, $200-2.000 to adopt depending on the horse
Lifespan: 25-30 years
Why we recommend it: Horses are the classic country life animal. For starters, horses aren’t actually as difficult to care for as one may think. While it is a big commitment to keep a horse healthy, feeding and caring for one is not very complicated!
Horses are great social animals. Horses themselves are very energetic and playful and each have different personalities. Horse riding provides great exercise outdoors, and you can ride with friends, train your horse, enter competitions and more– allowing for more social activity and more healthy exercise for both you and your pet. Horses also have longer lifespans than most pets, so you’ll have plenty of time with them and build a great relationship.
Dogs
Cost to own and care: about $500 a year ($1000 first year) excluding medical complications, $200-$400 to adopt
Lifespan: about 10-15 years, depending on the breed
Why we recommend it: Dog’s are known as a man’s best friend for a reason! Dogs are known to be happy across all breeds, and they all have unique personalities. Dogs are the most common American pet. Dogs can also be social like horses, with many dog-related events happening in the rural community, as well as the opportunity to take your dog on walks through nature. Dogs are loyal and won’t leave your side, and there are hundreds of breeds to choose from!
Here are some of the breeds we recommend for the country life due to their exercise needs and natural tendencies:
- Australian Shepard
- can tolerate a wide range of weather conditions, and are great at managing livestock
- Great Pyrenees
- protective nature; good for being a watchdog and protecting the family
- Labrador Retriever
- very family friendly, natural hunting companion, body type and exercise needs most well-suited for rural and suburban areas
- Australian Cattle Dog
- bred to manage livestock in dangerous rural areas, watchdog capabilities
- Border Collie
- bred to herd sheep, easily trained, adaptable to different temperatures, family friendly
- Jack Russel Terrier
- naturally catches rodents, good with children, easy to maintain
If you have a certain need in your home such as needing to manage livestock, catch rodents, extra security, or just something for the family to bond with, there are many different breeds of dog whose speciality is just that! With a small amount of research, you’ll definitely be able to find a dog that loves you and perfectly fits your needs.
Bunnies
Cost to own and care: about $150 to adopt and set up, $20 monthly to maintain
Lifespan: 7-10 years
Why we recommend it: Bunnies are soft, quiet animals that need less space and money than the average pet. Bunnies are easily trainable and can be taught to use a litter box, run outside, and even do some tricks! If you have a young child or someone who would like a pet that’s not too rough, bunnies are a great and cute option. Bunnies bond well with owners just like dogs and cats do!
Goats
Cost to own and care: $300-600 to start, $10 a month to care
Lifespan: 15-18 years
Why we recommend it: While goats are commonly known to be raised for meat or dairy, they can also make great pets! In the country life where you have more opportunity to live off the land, you can also use goats both for dairy and pet purposes. A goat is one of the more popular pets that you can almost only have in the country. If you’re looking to get a truly unique pet that you can treat well with the country life, look no further.
Goats love lounging around and can also be used as therapy pets, yoga companions, and more! Goat breeds such as the pygmy goat are known to be particularly small, cute, and happy to keep around.
There are many other advantages to the country life aside from keeping exciting pets. If you’re interested in living in the rural Dallas area, here are some myths that we debunk that explains why it’s a great option.
Here at Weichert Realtors, Team Realty, we specialize in selling rural North Texas homes. We sell in various counties such as Springtown, Weatherford, and many more near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. If you’re interested in buying a home in the area, give us a call at 817-598-0988 or 817-220-4663, or contact us here for more information!
