Dogs as pets(introduction): Dogs. That's a very broad word! Dogs size from the Great Dane, to the Teacup Poodle. I will never be able to cover all the information that you need for a pet dog, so I suggest that you buy a book on the particular type of dog that you get. Different dogs have different problems and liabilities. For instance, if you don't want a dog that sheds, you can't get a Golden Retriever, and if you don't like dogs that bark that much, you might not want a Poodle cross. It really depends on what you're looking for. Dogs are one of the best companions you can have. They're very loyal, unlike cats, and they can be trained to your needs. But like all animals, they can turn out to be the worst of pets if they're not treated properly, or respected. Dogs also all have their own personalities, and talents, just like people. And also, their child life really effects that personality, just like people. So what you do in the puppy's training, really shows what kind of dog you're going to end up with.
Accomodation: Large, energetic dogs, usually need a lot of space. They need to run around, and excersise. If they don't have space, they'll feel cramped, and often won't be happy. So if you're thinking of getting a Greyhound, for instance, and you live in the smallest appartment out of the whole building, on the 12th floor, you might want to reconsider. With small dogs, some need a lot of space, but some don't. Some just like to snuggle down in a tiny, little, cozy spot, and sleep all day, not really needing as much excersize.
Food: Dog food is something that's up to the owner. There are so many different brands, that it sometimes seems impossible to choose which one is right for your dog. Just make sure that you choose one that is meant for your dog's age. Also if your dog has been eating dog food before you got him/her, you should check out what brand it was eating because sometimes, if you switch from one brand to another without gradually mixing them together and then finally removing the old food from the dog's diet, your dog can become very sick. I depends on the owner whether you want to feed your dog human food, as treats, or the leftovers from dinner. If you choose to, your dog's life span may be shortened because the food is not meant for dogs. If you don't., your dog might live longer, but he may not be quite as happy. Now, if you only give him a small amount every now and then, than I don't think the dog will be sad, and it's life won't really be shortened. That's what I do with my dogs. But it really doesn't matter that much what you choose to do.
Bedding: As puppies, you may want to buy a kennel for your dog to sleep in. You can put a nice, soft dog bed in there for your dog/dogs to sleep in. But as your dog is house trained, you may want to let him sleep in a room, out of his/her kennel, or even with you! You may not find that very good though, because in the wild, it has been proven that to keep alert for predators or prey, dogs every now and then in the night, get up, fix there bed by smoothing it out with their head in circles, and settle back down. If you're a light sleeper, that might not be so great!
One dog or more?:Whether you want one dog or more is up to you. But what happened to me is, we thought that our puppy would get lonely during the day with everybody working, so we figured getting two would solve that problem. That was the biggest mistake with dogs that we've made yet. Because when you have more than one dog, they have a sort of battle when they're young to see who's the dominant one. With our dogs, we got one that weighs 15 pounds, and one that weighs 5 pounds (from the same litter, too!), so there really was no big fight. But they lead each other on, barking away, when even a squirrel passes by. For an experiment, we separated them. The result was, they didn't even bark! But those were our first dogs, so we had no experience, which made it worse. If you're experienced, and you have a lot of time on your hands for the next two years, get more than one.
Toys and Equipement: There are millions of dog toys out on the market, just like dog food. When you walk into that Pet Store, and you see a million little squeaky shoes, and bones, resist. When shopping for dog toys, your dogs should have only one toy. If they have tons, and then you find him/her chewing on your real shoe, and you scold your dog, he'll/she'll think: If I can chew on all that stuff, why can't I chew on this? You'll confuse your dog where as if he or she has only one toy, you can scold him/her, and then give your dog his toy. She'll eventually understand. As for which toy you should pick, I would reccomend a Nyla Bone, or a rubber Kong. Those are both high quality, and safe for your dog. Your dog will need a leash. When choosing, it's really your choice, but just make sure, if you have a small dog, that you don't get one that's too heavy, and that will drag on the ground. There's all sorts of other equipement that you can get for your dog, but this is only the very basics.
Maintenance: Dogs need to be bathed fairly often. It really depends whether you live out in the country, where your dog gets really mucky, or whether you live in an apartment where your dog stays clean. With our dogs, we bath them every two weeks, but that's because we walk them in a forest behind our house. You can bath your dog once every month, or once every week. It depends how smelly you let them get! For shampoos, there are tons on the market, you should get tearless puppy shampoo, so as not to hurt your dog, if he's/she's wiggly. If your dog likes being bathed, than you don't have to worry about slipping quite as much. You can find out more information on your dog in a dog book, and we reccomend that you buy one, because this is just basic care information. Thanks for visiting our site on dogs!
