fit the bill. There are some terrific stuffed animals out there, and they don’t shed, make noise, or eat. Years ago, pet rocks were a fad. Maybe a lovely piece of granite on a shelf would meet your need for something decorative, and it would require only dusting now and then.
Why a Dog?
Unconditional love is one of the things that make dogs so popular. No matter what happens at work, no matter how dysfunctional your family, your dog will love you. Burst into tears, and there’s that faithful friend, trying to lick your face and make it all better. A dog will never criticize your taste in clothes or suggest that you lose a few pounds.
Don’t forget, though, that even unconditional love requires work. A dog doesn’t take care of himself. He needs food, medical care, shelter, and playtime. If you don’t have the time and money to provide what he needs, you’re back to a stuffed toy.
Does Everyone Want a Dog?
“Please, can we get a dog? Please, please, please?” If this sounds like your child, the next phrase out of his or her mouth will likely be, “I’ll take care of him! I promise.” This isn’t true, of course. No matter how much a child says it, or even believes it, the truth is that one or both parents will be responsible for the dog’s care. You can either accept that fact and agree to take on the extra work or convince your child that a stuffed dog is way better than a real dog.
It’s not enough that the child(ren) in the family wants the dog. Based on unscientific research, I’d say that nine out of ten children polled would vote for a dog. However, the entire family must want the dog. It’s not fair to the dog if one family member dislikes him and ignores or, worse, abuses him. It’s not fair to the dog if there’s no primary caretaker. Kids will agree to anything to get a dog, but they are still kids, which means that they’ll forget to put down clean water, or feed the dog on time, or give him his daily walk. It’s up to an adult to make sure that the dog receives proper care, and that’s less likely to happen if the adult in charge didn’t really want the dog to begin with. This is why a dog should never be a surprise gift. Unless your best friend has been insisting that a Golden Retriever would make her life complete, or you know that Aunt Sally can’t live without a Pomeranian, give a box of chocolates instead.
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How Big? Male or Female? And More …
Consider what size dog you should get. You may have your heart set on a Great Dane or a St. Bernard, but if you live in a studio apartment, that may not be the best choice. While most large breeds are fairly docile and do not have extensive exercise needs, you’ll want everyone to be comfortable, so consider how much room a specific dog will take up and how much room that leaves you. On the other hand, some small dogs, such as Parson Russell Terriers, are very energetic. With any dog, size isn’t the only consideration; you must factor in the dog’s exercise needs as well.
Also think about what type of coat a dog has. If you’ve always wanted to be a hairdresser, a dog who needs frequent grooming may be your perfect choice. For example, Poodles, whether in show coat or puppy trim, need to be clipped every four to six weeks. Taking the dog to a professional groomer will save you some work, but the costs can add up. Whether you buy grooming equipment and learn to do it yourself or make regular visits to a groomer, you can’t let grooming slide. Even many shorter coated breeds have double coats and shed heavily twice a year, and you’ll need to brush all that dead fur out. Dogs with softer coats and no undercoat, like Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus, need to be kept in short puppy clips or be combed out daily to prevent mats.
All dogs need their nails trimmed on a regular basis. If you live in the city and walk your dog frequently on pavement, his nails will wear down and may not need as much manual clipping. There are several types of canine nail clippers on the market if you want to do it yourself, or you can visit a groomer. Generally, nails need to be clipped every four to six weeks.
Male or female? You may or may not have a preference. Both sexes can be loving, loyal companions. Depending on the breed, males may be significantly larger, so that may be a consideration. Some people find males to be more independent and females to be more willing to please, but this may be something that shows up in a particular breed or family line rather than a trait that has anything to do with gender.
With the particular line of Pembroke Welsh Corgis that I’ve had, the males have always been less inclined to obey than the females. And if I were upset for some reason, the females seemed more concerned—one of my males would go so far as to run upstairs and hide if I was crying. None of this made any difference in the amount of love I felt for them.
Some people would rather have a female because of the male’s tendency to lift a leg and mark territory. Neutering helps lessen this behavior in males but may not stop it entirely.
When it comes to temperament, all dogs are different in terms of personality, and there are differences within breeds, depending on parentage and how the dogs were raised, but you can make certain generalizations about breeds that will help you decide which breed might be best for you. If you are interested in a mixed breed, it’s helpful to know what breeds are in the mix.
All reputable breeders strive for even temperament in their dogs. This means that, regardless of breed, breeders want dogs who are confident and not shy or fearful. Any well-socialized dog will face new experiences calmly, but a dog’s breed has more bearing on whether a dog will be wary of strangers or happy to kiss everyone. For example, many working dogs may have been bred to guard and protect, so these breeds will be less likely to be effusive in greeting strangers—at the same time, they shouldn’t be so fearful or defensive that they attack.
If you have a large family and active household, with a lot of friends coming and going, a Golden Retriever might be a better choice than, say, an Akita. That’s not to say that you can’t have both an Akita and an active social life, but you may need to put in more time training and socializing that Akita.
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Puppy or Adult?
Adult and puppy Bernese Mountain Dog
People tend to think of puppies when they think about getting a dog, but there are many reasons why an adult dog might be a better choice. For one thing, if you get a puppy, be prepared for sleep deprivation. Until your puppy has grown a bit, you will have to get up and get your puppy out quickly when he needs to go. It doesn’t take forever for him to “hold it” through the night, but it can feel like it! If you’re young and have a young family, then you’ll already be used to not sleeping through the night, so getting a puppy won’t be as disruptive. Also, puppies are clueless. You need to take the time, and have the patience, to work with your puppy until you understand each other.
You may not know the background of an adult dog, but an adult is likely to have a working knowledge of basic commands, such as Sit, Stay, and Come. An adult dog will probably be housetrained; even if he is not, he will learn more quickly than a puppy. An adult dog may also be totally up to date on his vaccinations, which will reduce the initial cost of bringing home your new dog.
A Dog’s Vocabulary
There are many things I did not set out to purposely teach my dogs, but they’ve added many words to their vocabularies on their own. They know what I mean when I say “Do you want to go out?” Or “Do you want some cheese?” Or “Stop that!” They know to head for their crates when I say “kennel” … and lots more besides.
Puppies
