So, you're planning to get a dog, eh? Congratulations! You're on your way to having one of the most satisfying, enjoyable moments of your life with your loyal friend and companion. But before you start picking out which cute pooch you'll be taking home to meet your family, you have to keep in mind a few important things first. Having a dog as a pet involves more than buying a bag of dog food and a brand-new dog house. Acquiring a new canine is nearly as important as adopting a child. Dogs need constant love and attention, especially when they're young. You will need more than dog food if you want to keep your pooch happy and healthy.

When you first walk into a pet store you will be bombarded by everything from designer clothes to dog food. It's not going to be any use talking to the salesmen; they're just there to sell you everything in the store if possible, whether you need it or not. There are only a few essential things you should get for your new pet. First and foremost, buy a book about your breed. All breeds are very different and have different needs and personality quirks. But at the same time, don't think of the book as the end all and be all of how your dog is supposed to behave. Treat it as more of a guide.

What you need next is a good collar, and make sure you can stick at least two fingers between the dog's skin and the collar. Also remember to get one that has plenty of room for your growing dog. Some dog breeds can grow very fast in just two or three weeks, so you want to make sure that you won't be replacing the collar every 2nd week or so.

Also, get a good training collar, such as a German pinch collar or a choke chain. But don't let the names scare you; these two training collars are the best for teaching your dog to heel and to walk on the end of a leash without tearing your arm off its socket. The biggest thing to remember with both collars is to never use the collar as your dog's everyday collar. I know some people who forget to replace the collar after training their dogs and end up having to cut the collar off because the dog grew so big the collar would no longer fit over its head.

After getting the collars, buy a weighted water bowl and a food bowl. Puppies love to play with and in their food, so it helps to have weighted bowls to avoid having them tipped over. A well made crate or dog house, depending on whether your dog will sleep outside or inside. You will also need three leashes of different lengths, to be used for walking and training the dog. This is another thing you'll need that dog book for. It will explain to you how to use these different leashes in training.

Chew toys, chew toys, and more chew toys. Dogs require constant exercise on their gums, so get a variety of chew toys for your pet, unless you plan on replacing your furniture and your slippers on a regular basis.

Of course, we can't forget the dog food! If you don't know it yet, dogs are carnivores, despite what animal rights activists might say. They eat meat. So it's recommended to check the ingredients. Corn and other vegetables should not be the first ingredients you see, or else, your new four-legged friend is not getting what he needs. Look for chicken or beef to be listed as the first ingredient.