Dog Training – Things To Consider Before Getting A Dog

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Hi and welcome everyone!

This is Sharda with another dog training newsletter!

Here we go!

There is a lot  of  things to consider before getting a dog into your home.

Read about the issues below and think about your personal situation.

Bringing your attention to these now will help prevent any unexpected “surprises” after you bring a new puppy into your home.

YOUR LIFESTYLE
Are you the type of person who travels a lot—either for work or pleasure? Or, you just like to get out of the house as much as possible? If are a person who enjoys being away from home rather than spending time at home, then you might not be ready to commit to a puppy yet.

However, if you don’t travel very much and you enjoy spending time at your home, then your lifestyle can probably accommodate a puppy at this time.

This isn’t to say that by having a puppy you can never leave your home. Of course you can! But generally speaking, if you are away at work all day, then you prefer to spend your evenings out also, it would not be fair for your puppy to spend so much time by himself.

YOUR FAMILY
Do you live by yourself or do you live with a roommate, spouse, and/or children? Or, maybe you are caring for an elderly family member? How do these people feel about you bringing a puppy into the household?

Taking into consideration the other members of your household is something that shouldn’t be overlooked as you are considering a puppy. If you live with others, you need to make sure that everyone agrees to welcome a puppy into the home.

Hopefully everyone will be just as enthusiastic about a new puppy as you. However, if anyone does not agree to the new addition, you need to find out the reason why.

Does a young child have a fear of dogs? Is your spouse concerned about the financial obligations? There may be an easy solution to the concern, or there might not be in which case you may need to reconsider a puppy.

If you have children, handicapped, or senior citizens in your home, consider breeds that are appropriate for them.

Dogs that are generally good with children include:

• Airedale Terrier
• Beagle
• Bichon Frise
• Boxer
• Bulldog
• English Toy Spaniel
• Great Dane
• Japanese Chin
• Miniature Dachshund
• Norfolk Terrier
• Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)
• Standard Dachshund
• Standard Schnauzer
• Bearded Collie
• Boston Terrier
• Brussels Griffon
• Cocker Spaniel
• Golden Retriever
• Irish Terrier
• Labrador Retriever
• Miniature Pinscher
• Norwich Terrier
• Shih Tzu

YOUR PERSONALITY
What type of personality do you have? Do you like to be by yourself or do you enjoy the company of others? Are you cranky in the morning or do wake up full of energy? Are you shy or outgoing? Are you selfish or giving?

Your personality is a very important factor and it will affect your puppy’s happiness. If you tend to be grumpy all the time and you direct that grumpiness towards your puppy, he will think that he is doing something wrong and might shy away from you. If you are generally happy, your puppy will be more responsive to you.

If you exude a personality that is compassionate, friendly, joyful, positive, energetic, humorous and patient, then you will most likely be compatible with a puppy. If you can’t have a sense of humour in a puppy’s silly and somewhat mischievous habits, then you might not be ready for a puppy yet.

YOUR HOME
You want your new puppy to feel comfortable right away in your home! So think about the size, the layout, and the furnishings to help you know what type of dog would be at ease in your home.

What kind of home do you live in? Do you live in an apartment with a small amount of space? Or do you live in a house with a back yard? If you have a back yard, to you have a fence?

Do you have a lot of stairs? What about the furnishings? Do you own a lot of expensive rugs and breakable items? Do you have adequate space in a nice quiet area for a crate?

You will need to not only think about the living space that you can provide your puppy, but also outside space to eliminate. If you live in an apartment, is there plenty of grass around to walk your dog? Also, are you allowed to walk your dog on this grass? Is the area well lit for night-time strolls?

Whatever your case may be, you will most likely need to make some puppy-proofing steps to ensure your puppy’s safety. You will learn about puppy-proofing later in Chapter 4.

YOUR NEIGHBORS
As a responsible puppy owner, you need to think about how your puppy will affect your neighbours. After all, you would hope that they would do the same for you!

If you live in an apartment, will your puppy’s bark bother your neighbours? It would be a good idea to review your apartment building’s pet policy before buying a puppy. Some apartments may charge fines—or worse eviction—for too many complaints made against excessive barking.

If you live in a house, do you have a fence to prevent the puppy from going into your neighbours’ yards and possibly chewing up their flowers and gardens? If you do not have a fence, you will need to keep him on a leash or under close supervision when he is outside.

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
You want your puppy to be safe—and entertained—when you walk him around the neighbourhood. Next time you are out, take a look around to see if your puppy would be comfortable going on walks.

Ask yourself questions such as: Are the sidewalks in good condition? Are the streets well-lit? Are there parks nearby? Are there nice wide walking trails in the area? Are there other dogs around your neighbourhood and if so how do they usually react around each other?

YOUR HEALTH
A new puppy is going to demand a lot of attention from you, so you will want to be in good shape to keep up with him!

Take a good look at your health conditions. Are you in adequate health to handle a puppy? For example, are you allergic to any breeds? Do your allergies flare up when you are outside?

Are you physically capable of handling a puppy? You will need to consider your strength as the puppy grows to a full-size dog. Will you be able to lift him up and carry him if necessary?

Also consider the amount of exercise and dog training that your pet may need. If he requires long walks at a time, are you able to accommodate him?

YOUR BUDGET
Raising a puppy is not cheap! It takes a lot of money to keep them looking good and feeling great. So are you prepared to handle the financial responsibilities that come along with raising a puppy?

Here is a sample of the types of costs you can expect:
The puppy – The prices range of a new puppy varies significantly depending on whether you purchase him from an animal shelter, pet store, or breeder. The estimated cost is anywhere from no cost to up to $1500, depending on what type of breed you buy and where you buy it. Buying a dog from an animal shelter is little or no cost. Buying a common breed from a breeder is usually around $300-$500. However, breeds that are more desirable or that come from a very reputable breeder can be between $500 and $1500. If your new puppy is going to be shipped in an airplane, find out beforehand if shipping is part of the advertised cost. Some breeders charge a few extra hundred dollars for shipping.

• Scheduled veterinarian visits Unexpected veterinarian visits
• Dog food
• Crate
• Bedding
• Leash
• Dog Training Collar
• Grooming supplies
• Regular flea, tick, and heartworm treatments
• Toys
• Treats, treats, and more treats

YOUR SCHEDULE
A new puppy is very dependent on his owners. Therefore, you will need to ensure that your regular schedule and the schedule of your family can accommodate the needs of a new puppy.

Take an honest look at your schedule and ask yourself questions such as: What kind of schedule do I have? Do I work long hours? Is my schedule flexible enough to leave work to let my puppy out? If I need to take my puppy to the veterinarian unexpectedly, am I able to?

And when you are home, are you willing to give up your “free time” to devote to training, exercising, and playing with your puppy? You will want to get into the habit of making time for your puppy.

YOUR CLIMATE
What kind of climate do you live in? Do you have steamy hot summers or blistery cold winters? Do you have a lot of rain and wind?

You will need to make sure that the climate you live in is appropriate for your breed of puppy. Unfortunately, not all dogs can handle all types of climate conditions and you don’t want to make going outside in the elements a miserable task for them. Otherwise, they may have more frequent accidents in the house.

A pug and other short-nosed breeds are not ideal for extreme heat, so an air conditioner would be necessary. Also, you would want to only take him out for lengthy walks in the early morning or late evenings.

I hope you learned a lot from today’s Dog training newsletter.

I will be back for more!

Warmest regards,
Sharda Baker