Multiple Factors Form Building Blocks For Responsible Dog Ownership
Dog Training Schools are a practical source in providing information and guidance in dog ownership. They can help identify critical factors for people thinking of purchasing or adopting a dog-anything from initial reasons, to costs, to pitfalls, to selection process of where, when, and how to purchase the next addition to your family household.
A key factor to consider is the lifestyle change dog ownership creates. You’ll need frequent attention in the early months of bringing home a puppy. As your darling pup grows there are exercise issues, training considerations, and veterinary/medical factors, among other things. Do you have time for a pooch? If you’ve never owned a dog before, do you have the temperament for ongoing care? Can you meet the intermittent but ongoing financial commitments to dog ownership?
Additionally, breakout reasons for a thoughtful dog purchase or selection that can impact the kind of dog you might select include questions like do I want Bow Wow for security reasons? For family life lessons for my children? For Companionship? These are all legitimate and important ideas comprising a desire for owning a dog and will lead you to selecting a dog that fits your rationale for ownership in the first place.
Once all these very basic questions have been answered to your satisfaction, you will want to identify more specific items to consider. There are several common sources for adopting or purchasing puppies or even more mature dogs, according to reputable dog trainer colleges.
Animal shelters can be good sources for either category, with additional calculations becoming part of the identification process. Pups having been housed for awhile in a shelter allow staff to have greater knowledge about a ‘resident’s’ personality and health history, which can be helpful. Plus, they typically require spayed or neutering of dogs that will be adopted out.
Another source for picking out the newest member of your family is Breeder Rescue organizations, if you are looking for a lower cost purebred. Rescue organizations are typically conscientious about health and care of their dogs, sometimes having specific knowledge and history about a particular pooch you might like to select. A pre-examination by your vet’s office can assist further in ensuring you have a good match for your home.
Conventional breeders are yet another source if it is a puppy with pedigree and breeding history. Even though purchasing your pooch from a breeder can be a greater financial outlay initially, sometimes it is well worth the investment, depending on your purpose of owning a dog in the first place.
Individual ads can be another source of buying a puppy, or even a neighbor down the street, selling a litter from their mama dog’s first batch. Often you can keep expenses down and gain valuable history about the puppy’s early home life and personality from such sources.
Finally, pet stores round out that last source category for selecting a pooch. But, ‘buyer beware’, as without knowledge of breeder background, history of interaction of the pup while in the store, you may have missing information about the dog you select. You’ll want to insure that you can get a pre-purchase health exam from your vet to eliminate potential for pre-existing illness, as well as a return policy should things not work out to your satisfaction early on.
Knowing what to look for in a healthy dog from any of the above selection sites can be facilitated by a professional dog training school in your area. Is the dog energetic? Does the pup look to have any physical slights or illnesses when you first interact with the litter? If health issues are identified are they easily remedied, or if not, would you be willing to care for a less-than-perfect-pooch, as a part of your reason for adopting or buying a dog in the first place?
In the end, a critical factor in things to consider when buying a dog no matter the source from which you select one from is the overall cost of dog ownership. While there are obvious costs, there are also some less easily identified expenses you’ll want to be aware of. Basic costs include things like initial purchase price, dog beds, collars and leashes, dog food and dishes, toys, and vet costs.
Some less obvious costs can actually be quite extensive. Additional veterinary expenses like spaying or neutering, vaccines, flea and tick control, and emergency vet attention can be subsets of general health maintenance of your pooch. Also, there are dog tags, micro chips, and pedigree registration expenses to consider.
If your dog will be housed outside some of the time, you may need to consider cost of gates or fencing, dog houses, or runs. Plus, boarding costs or pet-sitter fees should also be thought out for when you are away from home, for business or pleasure. And last but not least, there are obedience or training classes that reputable dog trainer colleges recommend for you to share with Bow Wow to ensure a well-behaved member of your family.
All told, owning a dog is a responsibility and a joy for folks interested in a four-legged addition to their family. Whether it’s a household of one or a family, you’ll make the best selection possible when considering reasons and circumstances of owning these most wondrous of companions.
John Brown is a retired licensed veterinarian who has a long-term work experience with dog training schoolsDog Trainer
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