Caring for a dog
Caring for a dog:
Dogs are one of the most popular choices of pets to have, not only are the protective animals but they are also loving and affectionate. Having a dog is also seen as a gateway to a healthier lifestyle due to having to walk them regularly.
Caring for a dog has been linked to having the similarities of caring for a child due to the fact the need a great deal of time, love, affection and attention giving to them. You also need to ensure that they have the correct amount of discipline from the very start so that they grow up knowing the rules. Another element which is important to remember when you welcome a dog into your family is that they are ‘pack’ animals – this means that they will see your family as their ‘pack’, and within this ‘pack’ they believe in a hierarchy. Where this good for you family is that the dog will always protect its pack, however what you need to ensure if that you teach your dog from a young age where their place is in the ‘pack’ – and that is at the bottom.
You need to make your dog aware that you are the ‘pack leader’ this is important for discipline as if this rule is unclear you are a risk of your dog taking over, which can cause problems particularly if you have children. You must also take time to teach your children how to act around your dog, making sure that they act careful an also responsibly around them, a high majority of dogs are good around children but be sure to check this before committing to your new pet, don’t just assume that they will be good with them.
You must also remember that dogs aren't humans and therefore you can’t apply the same rules to them, yes they need to know that their place is at the bottom of the ‘family pack’ but you can’t discipline them in the same way as you would your children.
Another choice you need to consider when buying a dog is the type of dog that you want; a pedigree or a mongrel. With the majority of people pedigree dogs are seen as more attractive than mongrels, however they tend to have a large number of health problems, these health problems have been found to be often genetic and specific to particular breeds of dogs. This can obviously mean that more trips to the vets will be needed therefore there is likely to be great expense needed for these dogs. Mongrels are the tougher bred of dogs which therefore mean they are less likely to have health problems.
The amount of exercise a dog will need will vary from dog to dog, you have to take into account both the breed of their dog and the size of it, for example larger dogs will require a lot more exercise.
Another costly part of having a dog is the items that they will need; the obvious are food and drink along with this they will need separate bowls for both, they will also need bedding, leads and dog toys. You dog will also need a collar with your name and address on in case they get lost – for this reason it is also a good idea to get your pet micro-chipped. Your dog will also require annual checkups, vaccinations, flea treatments and worming.
A dog’s life span tends to be around 15 years old, and so when you commit to a dog you need to think about whether you are able to care for them for that length of time. You will also need to think about whether you want to take onto an adult dog or a puppy – both come with a number of advantages and disadvantages.
Taking on an adult dog means that they will already be trained and so you want have to spend the money on training them nor will you have to spend money repairing or buying new furniture that they have chewed up. They will also be passed the initial puppy illness stage, however dogs are extremely loyal creatures and taking on an adult dog means that they will have been previously owned by someone else, this may mean that they might take a while to get used to a new family and new surroundings. Taking on an adult dog may also be a disadvantage if they have come from a troublesome background, for example a rescue dog that has been abused by a previous owner, this could mean they find it hard to trust a new owner.
Taking on a puppy on the other hand means that they will only ever have been with you and you will get to see them grow, and subsequently they will grown into your family perfectly as they won’t have known any other. However they won’t be housetrained so you will have to take the time out and spend the money on getting them trained, puppies are also likely to get illnesses whilst they are growing just like babies, and this means again costly visits to the vets.
After all of that you then need to think about where you want to buy your dog from, there are a number of breeders that can be found through dog clubs. You could also buy a dog from an organisation such as the RSPCA, or from a pet shop though be sure to ask about the dogs background when buying it from a pet shop as they maybe the result of legal breeding.