Tag: Breed

Things to consider before bringing home a dog

Ever considered bringing home a dog? Many youngsters are fascinated by pets that they see in the movies. Who will forget the evergreen television serial ‘Lassie’. You cannot expect your dog to save you from trouble week in and week out, but having a dog at home can be a wonderful experience. If you are looking forward to bringing home a four-legged best friend, consider these few things:

A dog will take up a lot of your time

Understand that a dog will take up a whole lot of your time. If you are a busy bee who works sixteen hours a day, then a dog may not always be a good idea for you. Shopping for dog food, training, regular checkups at the vet and many more such activities are going to need your time. You will need to take care of your pet constantly.

A dog will require you to be at home  

Taking your dog for a walk each day is important. If you aren’t at home that often then consider hiring a dog walker. You may require being home to take your dog for a walk otherwise. Going for a vacation will also need you to make sure your dog will be taken care of. Your dog will need you to give it food at regular intervals as well.

Your dog should be suitable to your lifestyle and your surroundings

If you live in a small apartment then having a big dog is not an option for you. You do not want your dog to have health issues, nor do you want it to break things around the house.

Choose the right breed for your surrounding

Consider the climate, surroundings, and the region you live in when choosing what breed of dog you want. Make sure you do not get a dog with a lot of fur in a hot and humid region lest it suffers.

Choosing a male or female dog

During the initial days, a male dog may urinate on the walls and the furniture, while a female will get her menstruation cycles every six months. These are some things that you need to be aware of and be prepared for.

Have you considered these things? If you haven’t, then consider them today if you are thinking of getting home a dog.

Things you need to consider before buying a dog

Buying a dog from the local pet store may be an easy option for you, but there are many cases out there where owners have been fooled about the breed of the puppy, have overpaid for cheaper breeds, or have bought unhealthy dogs for a hefty sum. So it is important to do your research before you invest into buying a dog. Make sure everything fits your requirements because the dog is soon going to be part of your house! Here are a few things you need to consider before investing in your four legged best friend.

(Also read – Things you can do with your dog outdoors)

Puppy mills are a cruel place for  dogs and their puppies

(Also read – Things that may destroy your dog’s spirit)

Buying from a pet store

This can be the easiest option as you get to see the puppy first hand before you buy it. However, have you considered where these puppies may be coming from? The store owner won’t always tell you the truth about it, will he? For him it is a business in the end.

(Also read – Foods that can poison your dog)

Your local pet store puppy may have come from a large-scale, substandard commercial breeding facility, commonly known as a puppy mill. Here is where dogs are caged and bred and they give birth to puppies as often as possible. These puppies could have some costly medical problems that you may not have the finances to deal with! And most often, you won’t know about it until the puppy is already home for a few months.

Buying from the Internet

One of the riskiest ways to buy a puppy is off the internet. Buying a puppy whose picture you may have seen or whose owner you may have spoken to has no guarantee of being healthy. Not only this, owners could also lie about the breed and post fake pictures which could surprise you when the pet actually reaches your doorstep and you have paid for it.

So if you want to know about the quality of your puppy and where he was born and bred, it is a good practice to ask the breeder if he can show you the place your pup came from. If he refrains from showing you, then that is evidence enough that your puppy wasn’t necessarily in safe hands and may have been born unhealthy.

(Also read – Things to consider before bringing home a dog)

You need to be aware of the breeder who sells you a puppy

One more thing you can do is to make sure your dog is registered with a kennel club. The registration certificate carries the pedigree of your dog’s ancestry. So if you want to be absolutely sure of the quality of the pup you have purchased, a kennel club registration is a must!

If your dog isn’t registered yet, you can register it at a recognised kennel club in your area.