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. Buying a new dog is more than simply finding the cutest puppy in the store and buying a bag of dog food. Getting a new dog is almost like having a new child. They need constant attention and love, 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; their goal is to sell you everything you lay your eyes on, whether you need it or not. There are only a few essential things you should get for your new pet. My suggestion is first and foremost, get a good book and learn about your dog's breed and its characteristics. Not all dogs are the same; different breeds have different personalities, quirks, habits, needs, etc. But don't think of the book as the ultimate authority on your dog. The book is there simply to give you guidance.
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 make sure you get a collar that allows plenty of room for growth. Some dog breeds can grow very fast in just two or three weeks, and you don't want to be replacing the collar every two weeks during your puppy's first year.
Speaking of collars, I recommend getting a training collar, the most popular of which are the choke chain and the German pinch collar. Nevermind the scary names; these two collars work great at training your dog to behave properly at 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 them off after a few days because their dogs grew so big that the collars wouldn't fit over their heads anymore.
The other supplies needed are simple. Get 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 dog crate or dog house is next, depending on whether or not the dog will be an inside or outside dog. You will also need at least three leashes of varying lengths, used for training and walking purposes. The book you get will explain how the different sized leashes are used in training.
Chew toys, chew toys, and more chew toys. Dogs, especially puppies, need to exercise their gums regularly, 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 check the ingredients first. If corn and other types of vegetables is the first ingredient listed, your new four-legged friend is not getting what he needs. Look for chicken or beef to be listed as the first ingredient.
Get A New Puppy
The first and foremost question one asks when he or she decides to own a dog is the breed type. Most dog owners including experience ones would choose a new puppy instead of an adult dog. There are no reasons not to get an adult dog if you truly know what you are looking for in dog ownership. In fact, in some cases, adult dogs can make better companions.
On the whole, most dog owners believe that bringing up a puppy is an advantage because this means that you guide its growth and well being. You have the ability to raise it according to what you want. This means you can ensure that it is properly nurtured with the right dog food, the necessary vaccinations given and heartworm prevention done properly at this early stage. You can choose to train your puppy the right way from the start, giving him no chance to develop undesirable behaviors.
It is usually easier for a young puppy to adapt to a new home when compare to older dogs, nevertheless, puppies bring along destructive behavior problems when they are young and damages are unavoidable. They need to be housebroken and house training needs a lot of time, effort, and patience from the owner.
There is no assurance of what a puppy will look like when it grows up; especially if it is a mixed breed. Also, his temperament might change too when he grows up. It is advisable to bring your puppy home when it has reach ten weeks old. Puppies need a lot of time to be cared for by their mothers. This is a crucial stage for them. Doing so enables the puppy to grow better psychologically according to most expert breeders.
Puppies are at a stage where they are most adorable and fun to have in the family. They are hugely lovable and cute now which makes it fun and interesting for the whole family. Puppies can be easily accepted as one of the family.
Then again, raising a puppy requires much more effort and attention from its owner. It can be a difficult, frustrating and time consuming process. Some form of damages are unavoidable in the house when your puppy is teething, they range from carpet stains to chew up shoes and furnitures. All these behaviors can be annoying and frustrating especially if you are too busy to train your puppy properly.
Getting an Adult Dog - A well trained adult dog is an easy fit into any family. You would generally have less of a fuss taking care of an adult dog. They already have an established behavior that you can understand. By being with the dog more often, you would have a clearer idea of its temperament is.
One big consideration is that the personality and characteristic of the adult dog is relatively unknown and need to be carefully evaluated. A new owner should take note of its habits and mood swings. Hopefully you can acquire this valuable data from the previous owners of the dog. There are also chances that some older dogs might suffer from some behavioral problems. It is vital that you know or learn how to handle them before you commit to bringing home that dog.
You still need a considerable amount of time and effort to get to know your adult dog and for him to be comfortable with you. You need to introduce an adult dog to your children and other household members before bringing him into the home. This would help the dog familiarize itself with them. It can help your dog to identify family members and prevent it from hurting or scaring them.
An Older dog do not need as much attention as a young puppy does, it also requires lesser trips to the local veterinary. As far as an adult dog is concern, his physical characteristics will not surprise you and largely remains the same. Its behavior is more predictable as well. What you see is basically what you get and there might be fewer surprises for you in the long run.
Most dogs are housebroken already so they would cause lesser damage to your belongings and don't tend to wake up at night like most puppies do. They have usually outgrown the impulse of chewing things that strike its fancy. In addition, an older dog can easily adapt to other pets, like other dogs or cats.
A popular myth believes that older dogs will not bond to their new owners is definitely not true. Bonding will occurs between you and your dog regardless of your dog's age if you are willing to put in time and effort to develop a good relationship.
Moses Wright has sinced written about articles on various topics from Brain Injury, Credit Loans and Diabetes Treatment. Moses Wright has been a dog lover since young and now he loves to help fellow dog owners solve their dog obedience training problems whenever he can. You can g. Moses Wright's top article generates over 60500 views. Bookmark Moses Wright to your Favourites.
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