How to choose a dog
14 Jan 2010
Prior to going ahead and choosing your dog, there are a number of issues to think about. Making time to consider these issues will help ensure that you end up with a dog that suits your needs.You may want a clever, lively dog who will need lots of exercise and stimulation. Maybe a dog who likes to lie about all day doing nothing would be preferable. Perhaps you’re craving the companionship of a dog who wants to follow you around everywhere. Maybe you’re after a dog to guard your home and posessions. Going through this process will help you in establishing the age and type of dog that you should be searching for.
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Try to assess your level of experience in dog ownership. Ask yourself whether any dogs you have had previously recognised you as the dominant member of the pack. The answers to these questions will assist you to work on any weak points you may have.
You’ll need to make sure that your new dog will integrate with any animals you already have. Ensure that you look for a dog who’se personality marries up nicely with the character traits of your existing dog. Consider whether a mature dog or a puppy would be more suitable.
A word of caution - even though children naturally seem to love dogs, be aware that not all dogs love children, so choose carefully. Thorough research on what has happened to a dog before you knew him is strongly recommended.
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Think about the amount of room you have at home for your dog to move around. A dog can get rid of a lot of excess energy at home if you have a large garden. If you don’t have a back yard, however, you will need to take the dog out for regular walks to ensure he gets well exercised. If time is also an issue, you should think about arranging for someone else to come and walk the dog for you.Your dogs level of training will be influential in determining how well he
integrates into the new home. He must understand what he can and can’t do. Its important that your dog understands that you are the boss. You’ll need to persivere and stay assertive in order to do this. The amount of time you will need to dedicate to your dogs training will be influenced by his age and history. A very young dog will need to be taught all aspects of obedience training from the very basic
level. The good news is that puppies haven’t had time to pick up bad habits.Depending on your time constraints and enthusiasm level, one possibility for you may be to offer a new home to a dog from your local dog shelter. If you don’t want to have to go though all of the training that a young dog will need, look for one of the many trained older dogs who need re-homing. This option may provide you with a dog who needs precious little training at all!.
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