Choosing a pet dog

Choosing a dog

Choosing a dog is a very big decision, and not one to be made lightly. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a dog is right for you and your family. It is vital that you sit down with your family and fully think through the following questions, and resist saying yes just because you really want a dog.

You must do what is best for the animal as most dogs end up in shelters because they’ve grown into adults and people only want puppies, or because people simply no longer have the time for them.

Some of the questions to honestly ask yourself include:

1. How much space do we have for a dog? Is our back yard big enough? Do we have somewhere for him/her to sleep?

2. What age dog are we looking for? Do we have enough time to devote to the training of a new puppy, or would an older, housebroken dog be better for us?

3. What is our activity level? Do we really want a high-activity level dog when we aren’t really very active ourselves? Or, are we really active, will the breed of dog we want be able, and willing, to keep up with our lifestyle?

4. Perhaps most importantly – How much will it cost to keep a dog, and can we afford it? Can we afford to feed a dog the high-quality food it deserves, pay for its vaccinations once a year, and have money for any emergencies that may come up?

Get started:

How to choose a pet dog

Dog choice

* Choosing a breed. Dogs, depending on the breed, live on average around 9-12 years and all need varying amounts of exercise. If a specific breed is important to you, you have to be sure that breed will suit you and you family.

* A breeder or shelter? When you have decided on a breed, or have realized that a specific breed is not important to your family, you must decide where you will find you new dog or puppy.

* Training your dog. Training your dog is one of the most important things you can do for both the dog and yourself.

* What to feed your dog. It is likely that wherever you get your dog or puppy from, a pack of the food they are currently eating will be provided. Before continuing on with this food, the ingredients should be checked to make sure it is of good enough quality.