Choose the Right DogChoose the right dog! When thinking of dog ownership, a few questions should come to mind such as, how much will owning a dog cost, how much time am I going to invest as a dog owner, where should I get my dog from, and what kind of dog should I get? These questions should all be taken into consideration before bringing home that four-legged wonder. As important as each question is, choosing the right dog for you, or your family, is the most important, when planning to get a dog. Should you start off with a new puppy, or, would an older dog be the wiser choice? Think of your lifestyle and your interests, and then think about the dog. What kind of dog would fit right in as a companion for you, or as a member of your family? Will you be happy with the dog you choose? What about the size of the dog? A little Chihuahua or a large St.Bernard? What about the breed? Purebred, crossbred, or mutt?
No doubt about it, puppies are cute, small, and cuddly, but, don't let the size and those puppy eyes fool you, they grow up fast. Think of your puppy when it is full grown, some families make the mistake of bringing home a puppy and tend to loose interest in the dog as it ages. Think ahead and choose the right dog. A puppy will need a lot of your time. Potty-training a puppy, or house-training a puppy will take a few weeks, 24/7. Also consider puppy obedience training, and early socialization. Cost wise, a new puppy will require a few trips to the vet for a checkup and a series of vaccinations. If you opt to get an older dog, she may have had all her required vaccinations, but, you may still want a vet to check her over to get a complete physical, and a yearly checkup thereafter. An older dog may know some obedience commands, Sit, Stay, Come, and maybe even Down. She may also be house trained, thus saving you some time in those areas. Choose the right dog! Think of your lifestyle, are you single, married, do you have children, or plan to have children? Do you live in an apartment or have a home with a yard? How much time do spend at work, are you always on the go, or do you spend most of your time at home? Try to find a breed of dog that will fit into your lifestyle. If you have children or plan to have children in the near future, you would naturally want to choose a dog that gets along with children. A dog like the Canary Dog would not be a good choice, yet the Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, or the Golden Retriever are known to make great family pets. Some dogs can handle teenagers quite well, but that same dog will not do well with babies or younger children. Remember, safety first, all dogs no matter what the breed, should always be supervised by an adult when around young children. Choose the right dog, because some dogs do well living in an apartment such as a Pekingese who might enjoy curling up with you on your sofa while you read a book. While a Wire Fox Terrier would need more room and possibly a yard to really feel at home. Do you like doing things outdoors, enjoy an early morning jog, or a walk on the beach? Then you would want to choose the right dog that will enjoy doing these things too. All dogs require some sort of daily exercise, some more than others. A German Shepherd Dog for instance needs more exercise, as compared to a Great Dane, a large dog yes, but not as active, and requires little exercise. Maybe you spend most of your time at home, and you're simply looking for a dog for companionship. All dogs make good companions and enjoy being a part of the family. Some dogs were bred simply for companionship, such as the King Charles Spaniel,a very popular companion breed. What you need to take into consideration also, is the size of the dog. If getting a puppy, find out how large he will be when full grown. Large dogs eat more, and require more physical space then small dogs. If you live in an apartment then a Havanese (7-13lbs.) would be a more likely choice rather than a Greyhound (60-70lbs.) who might feel uncomfortable living in a small area. Choose the right dog and think of where you live now and where you might live in the future. Males tend to be more dominate than females. This behavior is natural and most likely a male will try to dominate his owner. A male would also be more protective of his territory and be more aggressive than a female. A female on the other hand, will be easier to obedience train and house train. Choose the right dog? OMG, there are so many dogs to choose from! There are over a hundred different breeds from the Aberdeen Terrier(Scottish Terrier) to the Zwergteckel (Miniature Dachshund). Then you have dogs that are crossbred, such as the Labradoodle or the Bull Boxer, and my favorite, the mutts. Mutts are fun, they look like this breed, and a little of that breed, with a face like, or the colors of, go figure. Getting a purebred dog has its advantages. For one, their behavior, traits, or background of the dog will help you to know more, or less, of what you might expect from that certain breed. Take the Labrador Retriever as an example; this dog was first used as a gun dog to aide a hunter in retrieving game. Then used by fishermen to help bring in the fishing nets to shore. This tells you that they were gentle with their mouths, reliable, loves the water, the outdoors, are eager to please, and that they had an active lifestyle. A mutt on the other hand would surely take more guess work. A mutt is of a mixed breed, and figuring out the background, and the traits of the different breeds, would require more research if you know of course, what breeds are in the mix. It would be much easier to do different things with a mutt, and watch the dog's behavior to find out what her likes and dislikes are. Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment. Please do your research and yes, choose the right dog, it will make life easier and happier for everyone, including your puppy or adult dog.
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