The Ultimate Guide to Dog Care. Tammy Gagne
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is important for your pet’s health. It also helps you predict when he will need to head to his potty spot. Dogs also need regular activity and time to de-stress. If you think there is nothing stressful about being a dog, try staying cooped up at home each day while you wait for everyone else in your household to return home from work.
Choosing a dog who fits into your existing household schedule well is smart, but do expect that you may need to make some changes when you become a pet owner. Adjustments might be as simple as getting up 20 minutes earlier to walk your dog before breakfast and going for another walk at the end of the day when you don’t always feel like doing it. You can allow yourself a little flexibility within the schedule, but what matters most is that you establish and stick to a healthy routine for everyone in the household, including the four-legged members.
Tag-team caregiving often works well in a home with multiple people and schedules. The earliest riser is often the best person to perform the first walk of the day. The next person up may be the one to feed the dog and take him out before everyone heads to work or school. Older kids returning home from school in the afternoon can also help out. Children often make the best playmates for energetic pups, providing they are old enough to be respectful. A busy household can offer plenty of room for a dog, as long as everyone is willing to play a role in fulfilling his needs.
The joy of canine companionship is well worth the effort of caring for your pet.
Finding Your Dog
Once you’ve carefully thought about all of the foregoing considerations, it’s time to decide on the type of dog you want and where you might find him. You might have narrowed it down to a particular breed, or you may have your heart set on a mixed breed. Either way, you will have many choices.
Is a Purebred Right for You?
Members of a particular breed share a general appearance as well as many temperamental traits. Personalities will vary from one individual to another, of course, but many of these characteristics are also linked to a dog’s breed. Golden Retrievers are known as friendly and affectionate pets, whereas Akitas are more independent or aloof. None of these traits is good or bad, per se. Prospective owners must simply decide which combination of traits creates the best match for their lifestyles.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) divides its recognized dog breeds into seven different groups:
• Herding Group
• Hound Group
• Non-sporting Group
• Sporting Group
• Terrier Group
• Toy Group
• Working Group
The members of each group typically have several traits in common, most often related to the breeds’ original functions. Members of the Working Group were first bred to serve laborious purposes such as guarding property, pulling sleds, or rescuing people from drowning. Likewise, Herding Group members helped farmers by herding cattle or other livestock. Hounds, sporting dogs, and terriers all hunted, but in different ways. Toy dogs had the easiest job—to serve as loving companions. The non-sporting dogs make up the most diverse of the seven groups, as what these dogs have in common is that they don’t fit into any of the other categories.
Members of the Family
With approximately 200 AKC breeds and a virtually unlimited number of mixed breeds to choose from, finding a dog who matches your family’s needs shouldn’t be too difficult as long as everyone is in agreement about the endeavor. Before you add a pet to your family, discuss the idea with each member of your household. Everyone must be prepared and willing to deal with all that owning a new dog entails. This doesn’t mean that each family member must take on an equal share of caring for the animal, but everyone should be in agreement about this life-changing decision.
Your significant other may love dogs as much as you do but might worry that you don’t have enough time or other resources for a pet right now. If you both work full-time jobs, you must consider who will perform vital tasks like feeding, walking, and housetraining before you get the pet. Don’t try to delegate tasks as you go along; discuss them beforehand. A little planning goes a long way in making sure that you are ready for a pet.
If anyone in the household has an issue with getting a dog, take his or her concerns seriously. Perhaps one family member is comfortable with a smaller pet but not a larger one. Likewise, even a dog’s age can make the difference in the decision to welcome a specific animal. Puppies can be demanding creatures. Adopting an older dog is often a better choice for families with busy schedules, but they must have enough time to devote to a new pet, regardless of his age.
If you don’t yet know exactly which breed is best for you, you might have more luck narrowing your choices down to one of these groups. If you are a hunter looking for a canine assistant, a hound or sporting breed is likely your best match. People who want to participate in organized activities, such as agility or rally, often find that herding dogs make excellent athletes; Australian Cattle Dogs and Border Collies in particular are highly intelligent and trainable as well.
If you are seeking a smaller yet playful pet, consider a toy breed such as the Italian Greyhound or Maltese. With proper training, working breeds like the Anatolian Shepherd and Doberman Pinscher often make capable guard dogs as well as loving pets.
One of the biggest benefits of adopting or buying a purebred dog is that you’ll know much of what you are signing up for beforehand. You won’t be shocked when your Dogue de Bordeaux puppy tips the scale at 120 pounds (54 kg). Likewise, you will expect your Pekingese pup’s coat to grow long over time. You can keep it shorter if you prefer, of course, but those grooming bills won’t catch you off guard.
Different qualities attract people to certain breeds. Perhaps you love the looks of more exotic breeds, such as the corded Komondor or the hairless Xoloitzcuintli. Maybe you prefer the Golden Retriever due to its steadfast reputation as the quintessential family dog. You might not even be able to articulate your reasons for fancying a specific breed. No matter what draws you to one breed or another, just make sure that all of its qualities—and needs—suit your lifestyle before making your final decision.
Whether it’s herding sheep or catching Frisbees, the bright, active Border Collie needs a job to do.
How to Find a Breeder or Breed Rescue
The first place many of us go to find information these days is the Internet, and for good reason. Nearly all businesses and organizations have websites or a social media presence these days. Dog breeders are no exception. These electronic resources offer potential dog owners efficient ways of researching and gathering valuable details. A breeder’s website will probably list whether he or she has or is expecting a litter of pups, and the breeder may also share breed-specific advice on general care, grooming, and training. It is important to remember, though, that not everything is always as it seems online.
Dog breeders are different from most other businesses in that their job is raising live animals. A responsible dog breeder’s job is to produce pups who will grow into healthy adult animals with sound temperaments. The best breeders also strive to adhere to their breed standard, which is an official description of a breed’s desired physical and temperamental traits. A dog does not have to match his standard perfectly to make a good pet, but the best breeders want their puppies to match the standard as closely as possible. This goal takes a great deal of time, patience, and planning to accomplish. Breeders who merely produce dogs as quickly as possible to meet demand are much less likely to be putting health and temperament at the top of their priority list.
The best dog breeders are hobby breeders. These are people who breed first and foremost because of their love for a particular breed. Few people can afford to breed dogs for free, of course. Breeders need to make money just like everyone else, but after doing some research, you will likely be able