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How to Choose Your New Dog
Dogs come in all sizes, from tiny Chiihuahuas and "teacup dogs" to huge Newfoundland Dogs and St. Bernards - but they all have the need to love and be loved. Of course they all need exercise, good food, plenty of fresh water, and a warm place to sleep, too! And in order to be happy and well behaved, some dogs also need a job to do.
Ralph's job is making sure the tractor gets home safely!
For many, their job entails guarding the house and taking good care of their humans, but
others need even more. Dogs like Border Collies and Heelers need some real "work" in order
to keep from being bored. Those aren't good dogs to keep in a small apartment, or even in a
home with a small yard.
Every dog breed has basic personality traits. Each dog is
different, but some breeds are more active while others can be content to sit at your feet
and take lots of naps. ALL puppies are active though - so if you decide to get a dog,
remember that the puppy stage can be a lot of work! If you want a quiet companion who
already knows how to be a well-behaved dog, do consider adopting an adult.
Usually,
adult rescue dogs are already house-trained, know how to walk on a leash, ride quietly in
the car, and have basic obedience skills like knowing to come when they're called.
Before you choose a pet dog, think about how much time you have to spend with
your dog. Some dog breeds need more intensive training than others, some need more
exercise, and some need more grooming. Short-haired dogs like Greyhounds just need to
have their coat brushed occasionally, while thicker coated dogs like Pomeranians need
regular grooming, and long haired dogs like the Bearded Collie need a thorough brushing
or combing every other day. There are dogs who require only a good bath now and then,
while other dog breeds need regular visits to the dog groomer for a haircut, along with
a bath.
These three are all rescue dogs. Two came from an animal shelter and the big black dog
was found abandoned on a frozen lake. In this photo they were loving the exercise, but
had to have baths when they got home!
When our old black Harry Dog passed away we
knew the house was way too quiet. But we weren't sure how to choose a new pet dog. After
all, it had been a long time, and Harry Dog had really chosen us. So we looked at dogs
everywhere. I saw dogs I liked, but I just wasn't sure. Finally one day we drove to the
animal shelter to look around.
Seeing all the rescued dogs in an animal shelter
is hard. At least it was for me. I wanted to take them all home. But instead we walked
around and talked to all of them through their cages. Then we picked out about four
young dogs who seemed interested in us, but appeared well-behaved because they weren't
jumping up and down and barking wildly. We took each out into the exercise area and
walked with them and then watched how each dog behaved when turned loose.
Suzie doing her classic
"Border Collie stare"...
I couldn't tell you exactly why we chose Suzie. I think it just "felt" right.
But we did have to change one thing immediately: her name. The people in the shelter
called her Jane, and that just didn't fit.
Some of the things you may need to
consider when you're deciding how to choose a pet dog were not issues for us.
For instance:- Our dogs live in the house, so we didn't have to worry
about a thick coat to keep them warm in winter.
- We have plenty of space,
so a dog who needed plenty of exercise would get along fine.
- We don't have
any small children so we didn't need to consider whether the dog we chose would be
a kid friendly pet.
- We don't have chickens or other livestock that a dog might
want to chase.
- We assume that dogs and cats will get along, but knew that our
big yellow cat would teach our young dog to behave!
- We had time to train a dog,
so while we didn't want a wild thing, we weren't worried about basic obedience.
- We
DID consider grooming requirements, and did choose a dog that we could bathe at home
and who wouldn't require extensive brushing.
- We DID consider age, and had intended
to choose a young puppy. Instead we chose a dog of about 4 months.
Read the book...
While talking to friends and family, and even your veterinarian, will help you make
a good
choice, "read the book" as well. A good encyclopedia of dog breeds will help you learn
about
each breed's usual behavioral traits, plus his exercise, training, and grooming requirements.
 When you get to Booksamillion type in "dog breeds"
in the search box at the top - you'll find a great selection. I even saw a book there
to help allergy sufferers choose the right dog.
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