Choosing a Dog: Step By
Step
So you have made the decision that you want to become a dog
owner. The first step then is to decide what type of dog you
would like and more importantly what type of dog fits best with
your living arrangements and lifestyle. There are three routes
you can go down in selecting a dog: pedigree, cross-breed or
mongrel. Next you need to look carefully at the amount of food
exercise, grooming and healthcare a dog needs depending on its
size, shape and temperament. The questions that you need to ask
yourself include the following: do you work so the dog will
need to spend long periods alone, do you have young children,
how much access to exercise space do you have, how much can you
budget for the feeding, care and purchase of the dog?
Let us not forget also that all of those things aside, a dog
can prove an expensive pet and you need to consider whether you
can afford ongoing vets bills, not only for the routine visits
for vaccinations, neutering and general healthcare but also if
your dog should suffer from a disease, whether minor or major,
or should have an accident. It might be worth considering
health insurance for your pet to cover all such eventualities,
but again this is an ongoing cost so think carefully, as a dog
will hopefully be with you for anything up to 14 years,
possibly longer.
Once you have reached a decision about the type of dog you
would like then you can start looking around for a recognized
breeder of purebred puppies if you would like a particular
pedigree or you can visit animal shelters and adopt a puppy or
an older dog who has not been so lucky in life. However, in
taking on an older dog you must be aware that it may have
behavioral problems that have been learned in its previous home
or through mistreatment. These are often problems that can be
overcome but you must go in with your eyes open.
So you have made your selection and you now have a future
companion who will bring much joy into your life. The next step
is to take him home and start the process of settling him into
his new life.
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