Dogs 101 What You Should Know Before Bringing a Dog Home – Part One

Dogs 101 What You Should Know Before Bringing a Dog Home

Dogs are cute and they are cuddly and they make great companions but before you open your home to a dog there are things you need to know. Think of it as dogs 101 and your path to a successful and happy life with your new dog. Without a strong foundation and a knowledge of your dog your relationship will not start off on the right track and things will just go downhill from there very quickly.

1. Research the dog you want to bring home. Even if you want to get a dog through a shelter learn about the different breeds and the traits they exhibit. Research the care they need and the diseases to be on the lookout for. Even mixed breeds will display certain traits sometimes these traits are a mix and sometimes one trait will be more dominant in the dogs structure and personality. If your family is looking for a couch potato a Terrier Mix is not the way to go. If you are older and want a companion that can travel with you and you can control easily a Great Dane would likely not be your top choice.

2. Once you figure out what breeds you are interested in I mean really interested in not just like because they are cute or have a great face or your like their coloring pattern go out in search of a dog that fits that idea. You will most likely find that you are looking at a group of dogs and not necessarily a specific breed. Maybe the Sporting Dogs are your style or the Working Dogs. You have have your companion for many years and a wrong decision is bad for everyone involved including the dog. Petfinder.com as well as Adopt-A-Pet.com both list mixes and purebred dogs in search of homes. Check out both of the sites and remember many purebred rescues will work with you to get a dog to your location even f you are located on the other side of the country. If you are looking for a breeder ensure that they do genetic testing on their dogs before they breed them. Genetic testing is one way for the breeders to help ensure that their puppies will live long and healthy lives and will give you an idea of what you may need to watch out for as they age. Someone who says their dogs are vet checked and given a clean bill of health but cannot provide proof of genetic testing is someone you want to steer clear of. It means they are in it for the money and not to better the breed you want to be a part of your life.

3. Once you figure out which dog you want make sure your house is dog proof. Put away any chemicals you may have. Don’t have wires and cables running all over the house. If you have a fenced yard make sure the fence is secure enough to keep a big dog from eating through it or pushing over. Small dogs can dig under fences so make sure your fence is secure at the bottom. If you don’t have a fenced yard and don’t plan on having one built map out your walking route. You will probably want to create a short walk and a longer walk for your daily walks and then a really long walk for the weekends when you have more time and energy to be out and about.

4. Find a local vet. Visit the location ask the prices of the various treatments. Find out if there is someone on staff to watch pets that have to stay over night after a surgery, find out if they offer boarding to their clients for when you have to be away. As soon as you know when your new dog is going to come and live with you book a vet appointment for within a week of having it home. It is important to ensure that your new dog is healthy, disease free, and up to ate on vaccinations that are necessary in your part of the country.