The decision to bring a dog home can (and hopefully will) represent a 10 or 15 year commitment or more. Advancements in veterinary care and nutrition have resulted in longer life spans for most breeds of dogs.
Dogs require a time commitment from their owners. They are pack animals and do not like to be left alone for extended periods of time. You and your family members become your dog's pack. The workaholic who leaves for the office at 6AM and comes back at 10PM is not the ideal dog owner.
Frequent travelers have to make arrangements for boarding their dog when they are gone, which can be expensive. Even if suitable arrangements can be made, no dog wants to spend half its life in a boarding kennel he wants to be with his pack.
Time must be spent training and socializing your dog so he can be a member of the community. Your dog must be under control when he meets people or dogs on a walk, or when guests come to your home. Successful training requires patience, consistency and time.
A poorly trained dog can be disruptive to a household. And a dog that is poorly socialized can be a hazard for children and other dogs he might encounter. In many cases, it is beneficial for the dog and owner to attend organized obedience training classes.
Dogs vary in the amount of maintenance they require, but most dogs need to have their coats brushed or groomed (in some cases like the Old English Sheepdog this may require several hours of grooming per week). They need their teeth brushed regularly.
Most breeds need some kind of daily exercise, some need long walks or runs daily or twice daily to keep them contented. They need the stimulation of play as well, whether it is a simple game of fetch a ball or more formal activities such as entering agility training programs. Some breeds must have their ears cleaned regularly. And don't forget baths!
The bottom line question is: Does your lifestyle allow you enough time to properly care for your dog, well beyond just feeding him or talking him for a quick walk around the block when you get home from work?
Dogs require a financial commitment. The total annual cost of owning a dog surprises many people it's best to be prepared and budget accordingly. Good quality dog food is not cheap. Municipalities require that dogs be licensed. Then there's the cost of dog toys, dog beds, leashes, collars, treats, grooming it all adds up.
Health care for your dog can be expensive. At a minimum, your pet will need annual wellness exams and vaccinations. But emergency injuries or illness happen as well. Dogs sometimes need expensive surgery. They ingest things that are harmful to them, including plants in your yard. As dogs get older, just like people their medical expenses rise.
One of the most important decisions that you will have to make is of the type of dog that you are going to get. Dogs give us so much love and companionship that it is difficult to imagine ever living without one. If you are faced with the decision of what kind of dog to get them here are some suggestions that might help you to make your choice.
One issue that many people are very passionate about is that of buying a dog from a shelter. There are so many dogs that are available and are not given homes that you can understand why somebody would feel that way. Many of the dogs that are at the pound will certainly make a fantastic pet. It's a tough choice to make, however, especially if you have been considering buying a particular breed of dog.
If you have been thinking about getting a specific breed of dog then it is certainly going to be easier to find that dog from a breeder. You would want to make sure that the breeder was reputable and was not part of just a puppy farm. Many times so called purebred dogs are treated unkindly and there is a lot of interbreeding going on inside those farms. Many of these puppies are sold at pet stores for a large price. Having a dog that has a history of inbreeding can cause health problems that may show up quickly or not for years to come. Reputable breeders will inshore that your new puppy comes from a reputable stock and that no inbreeding has taken place.
Sometimes we just want a great companion for ourselves or for our family. If you are not looking for a particular breed and you would like a wonderful companion then choosing one from the local shelter may be the way to go. Not only does the shelter always have a rotating stock of new pets, but you are able to interact with the dog for a period of time and see how they are going to react to you and your family. When choosing a dog from the shelter you will also be able to pick one that is the approximate age that you need. Although many times they will not have this exact information they will be able to help you to guess at how old the dog is.
Another thing to keep in mind when deciding if you will get a dog at a breeder or at the pound is that a dog bought from a shelter is a dog saved. Because of the fact that shelters get so many new dogs all the time they need to get rid of the older dogs that have not found homes. While this is a sad situation they just don't have the funds to be able to keep these dogs indefinitely. There are shelters, however, that are known as no kill shelters. No kill shelters will keep the dogs until they find a home. Many people choose to find their dogs at the shelters.
Having a new dog is a joy. They give us so much in return for the care that we give to them. Make sure that you choose your new dog wisely and take all things into consideration. You will, no doubt, end up with a new family member that you could never have imagined living without.
Both Daniel Millions & Tim Tropical are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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