If you’ve decided that owning a dog is right for you,
congratulations: you’re about to open your life to a unique and rewarding
relationship. While people who have dogs tend to be happier, more independent,
and feel more secure than those without pets, it’s important to select the type
of dog that is best for your needs and lifestyle. Man's best friend comes in
countless breeds or mix of breeds, each offering a different blend of personality
traits. Talk to other members of your household and agree on the qualities you
want in a dog and those that you’d prefer to avoid.
Deciding
on the qualities you want in a dog
If you’ve never owned a dog before, it may not be obvious
what type of dog will suit your lifestyle and living arrangements. Following
are some important questions:
- Do you
have an active household with young children, disabled people, or frail
elderly people? If so, you’ll want a gentle dog. In an active
household, avoid toy breeds; they may get trampled by youngsters and are
prone to barking and biting. Large or rambunctious dogs could
accidentally knock over a small child or adult who is unsteady on his or
her feet.
- How
much shedding can you tolerate, and how much grooming can you afford? Most
dogs shed fur to some extent, especially dogs with double coats like chows
and Akitas, which can be messy and provoke allergy attacks in some people.
Some dogs, such as poodles and poodle mixes like Labradoodles, are bred to
be non-shedding but may require a lot of professional grooming, so you’ll
need to factor in the time and expense of owning such a dog.
- How
active do you plan to be with the dog? This is one of the most
important questions you can ask about a potential dog (and yourself). If
you’re not terribly active, don’t get a dog that needs a lot of exercise,
such as a golden retriever or husky. On the other hand, if you’d like a
dog to run with, choose an animal that can tolerate lots of exercise such
as a pointer or Border collie. Inevitably, a dog that gets enough exercise
will behave better in the home and be less prone to anxiety and its
potentially destructive consequences.
- Who
will take care of the dog? Although children will often beg for a dog
and reassure parents that they will be the primary caretakers, the
responsibility typically falls to the adults in a household. (And even if
a child does care for the pet, you must supervise him or her.) The bottom
line: if you and your family members aren’t prepared to feed and walk a
dog, you shouldn’t get one.
- How
long will the dog be alone on a daily basis? Not only do dogs need to
go out to eliminate every eight hours or so (or more often than that if
they’re puppies or old and sick), but they can also suffer from loneliness
and anxiety if isolated. You may have to hire a dog walker or take the dog
to doggie day care.
- Do you
have other animals in the home, and will they get along with your new pet?
Some dogs and cats will not tolerate a new animal in the home, so be
sure to assess your current pets’ predisposition to new family members
before you commit.
- Do you
live in the right size and kind of home for the dog you want to acquire? Big,
rowdy Labrador retrievers and hyper Border collies won’t do well in tiny
apartments and need plenty of space to run and play, especially when
they’re young. But size is not always a good indicator of energy level or
adaptability to a small house. Many large dogs are better suited to
apartment life than are the high-energy but small Jack Russell Terriers, for
example.
- Do you
want a puppy or a full-grown dog? Starting from scratch with a puppy
can be a tremendous joy, but also a tremendous amount of work, so you want
to be sure you’ll have time to properly housebreak, socialize, and train a
puppy. If you can’t deal with a puppy, a housebroken adult dog is often a
better choice.
Adapted with permission from Get Healthy, Get a Dog: The health
benefits of canine companionship ,
a special health report published by Harvard Health Publications.
If you have a specific breed of dog in mind, you can look
for rescue group that caters to that breed or seek out a reputable breeder. Ask
for a referral from other dog owners, a veterinarian, or local breed club or
rescue group, but remember: a reputable breeder will always want to meet you
before selling a dog to ensure that you’ll be a suitable, responsible owner.
Of course, you can also find purebred dogs in
shelters—where they’ll cost substantially less than from a breeder—as well as
many different types of mixed breed dogs. Mixed breed dogs usually have fewer
health problems than their purebred cousins, often have better dispositions,
and tend to adapt more easily to a new home. With a purebred, though, it’s
easier to know what to expect in regards to size, behavior and health—you’d
need to know the different breeds in a mix to determine the same of a mutt. Of
course, breed or mix of breeds doesn’t solely determine the character of a
dog—much of that is down to you and the kind of home and training you provide
your pet.
Shelter
and rescue dogs
Whether a mixed breed or a purebred, dogs adopted from a
shelter or rescue group make excellent pets. For the most part, a dog ends up
in a shelter through no fault of his own. His owner may have died or moved to a
place that doesn’t allow pets, or he may have simply been abandoned by
irresponsible owners who bought him on a whim and later discovered they were
unable or unwilling to care for him properly. If any shelter or rescue dog
exhibits aggressive behavior, he is typically euthanized rather than offered
for adoption.
Rescue groups try to find suitable homes for unwanted or
abandoned dogs, many taken from shelters where they would otherwise have been
euthanized. Volunteers usually take care of the animals until they can find a
permanent home. This means that rescuers are often very familiar with a dog’s
personality and can help advise you on whether the pet would be a good match
for your needs. By adopting an animal from a shelter or rescue organization,
you’ll not only be giving a home to a deserving pet, but you’ll also likely be
saving a dog’s life.
Avoid
puppies sold in pet stores or on the Internet
Pet stores that care about puppies don't sell them. That's
because the majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from cruel and
inhumane puppy mills. Puppy mills are like dog-making factories with the mother
dogs spending their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no
personal attention or quality of life. When the mother and father dogs can no
longer breed, they are discarded or killed. Consumers who purchase puppies
from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder's home firsthand
are often unknowingly supporting this cruel industry.
Help stop this cycle of cruelty simply by choosing to adopt
your next pet from a shelter or rescue, or by only purchasing a dog from a
responsible breeder who will show you where your puppy was born and raised.
Source: The Humane Society of the United States
Assessing
a dog or puppy
There are no perfect tests to predict how a dog or puppy
will adapt to your home—much of it comes down to your emotional reaction to the
dog—but there are some things to look for when meeting a prospective new pet.
In general, you’re looking for a friendly dog that’s interested in you and
likes to be touched. If you have kids, you want a dog that is not overly
sensitive to loud noises or being handled.
- Talk to
shelter staff or rescue group volunteers, anyone who has spent time with
the dog and can offer insight into its personality. Many organizations
have developed temperament tests for dogs to help make better
matches—these may tell you how a dog is with children or other pets, for
example, whether he guards his food, or is energetic and needs a lot of
exercise or prefers to snuggle up with a human.
- Remember
that any dog in a shelter is likely to be stressed so may seem a little
shy or scared at first. Often, a dog's true personality won’t become
apparent until he's away from the shelter.
- Spend time
with the dog, out of his cage. Is the dog friendly and curious about you?
Is he hyper or calm? Does he like to be touched and petted?
- Take the
dog for a walk to see how he reacts to other people and dogs. Play with
him, ask to feed him. Does the dog seem comfortable around you and your
family?
- Even if the dog has any physical or behavioral problems, with the right care and training he can still make a wonderful pet. It’s a personal decision but it’s best to be aware of any potential difficulties before making a commitment.
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