I love animals of all types but dogs are my choice of family pet. I am not a Certified Dog Trainer but have trained dogs for over 30 years on the basics which makes a much happier dog. ALL dogs need training and the amount has to do with the breed.
That’s your first question as Pet Parents, are you both willing to train, the same way consistently. If the answer is no, you don’t need a dog.
Making a decision to buy a pet is a huge step that requires research to find the right breed for you and your family. Buying the right dog and understanding what the animal’s needs are daily is critical.
Every dog has a different temperament, health risks, and daily needs. You must know what you are committing to and what makes a healthy and happy animal and pet owner.
Unfortunately, many people are driven by what’s cute or popular. Don’t fall for this potentially dangerous situation. Not only do dogs require walking every day, nutritious food, and water, but they also require training from day one, annual veterinarian checks, and staying current on all vaccines. Many cities require each animal to be registered which requires a fee. Having an animal is expensive even if they don’t get sick or choke on their chew toy.
This is my approach, I take the emotions out of the decision-making. When you are considering a pet DO NOT get the children involved at this point, they can not apply the same logic and can make the process frustrating and a nightmare.
As Pet Parents can you be the master? If the dog thinks they are your master, you are in for hell or worse.
Look at your schedules. Are you both working, leaving the dog alone all day, getting home late, rushing to cook, and having no extra energy to commit to your pet. You don’t need a dog, get a fish.
If you want a puppy, are you ready to have a newborn in the house? Many hours are spent cleaning pee and poo, even stepping in, lucky me. A puppy requires constant supervision regardless of how late or how cold.
Are you looking for a small or large dog? They have very different needs and in my experience large dogs not only require more advanced training but also more walking.
From there, you have to read what each breed needs daily and can you meet their needs. Some dogs are aloof, and others want nothing but to play but what’s important is the breed’s natural personality, ability to train, and aggression level. This may sound overboard but buying the wrong pet makes everyone unhappy and an unhappy dog can get aggressive at any size. This is one of the main reasons dogs are sent to a shelter, tossed away, and leaving the animal with a broken heart.
If you are adopting from the local Shelter, it’s imperative to know the dog’s history. This may make the decision for you. If a dog has been returned several times, they are brokenhearted, doesn’t trust you, and will require a tremendous amount of time to trust you. In our case, our dog Griffy was less than a year old, pregnant and living on the streets in Dallas when she was found. The amount of space and love was more than had ever been required of us.
Once you decide on one or several breeds, visit the breeder or shelter to get your first interaction with the breed. I bought a very expensive Shar Pei from a breeder, I loved her with all my heart but personally, there are too many animals euthanized each day to buy from a breeder. However, if you do buy from a breeder, you must visit their business, look around to see if it’s clean, how are the animals housed, do they look healthy, and make conversation about any Champions they may have bred. I would also ask what vet they work with when needed. This gives you a reference or if reluctant to share, it’s a red flag.
When you take your pup home make sure you get its pedigree records, vet records if any, and a guarantee. Make sure you are prepared at home for when they arrive.
If as Pet Parents you do not train and understand the breed and it disfigures or kills your child or someone else, it’s in your hands and the responsibility can not be deflected. That is rough but it happens.
I will write a post soon about a dog attacking my husband and biting one of the dogs twice, it happened this month. Keep an eye out to see an example of what happens when a dog is not trained.
This is not all-inclusive but it’s my approach.
Melinda
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 
I find it sad when people get animals and give them up for some reason or another. I have had many cats over my lifetime, some passed away too early, but many lived a full life. I had 5 at one point the same time! Losing them was hard, but they had a very good life with us. They were all rescues even our current cat, Hope, who is 5 now. Seriously thinking about getting another one…they enrich my life…
I love cats but no more after marrying, my husband is allergic. We kept mine, Truffles until he had kidney failure. I truly miss the dedicated 45 min we spent each morning playing on his scratch pad, some kitty crack and just laying next to each other until he fell asleep. He was a special cat. All of mine have been. I’ve had cats, dogs, fish, saltwater tank and a large bird. I can’t live w/o animals. They love in a way nothing else can. I’m so glad you’re a shelter believer! Hugs.
We buy a pet for life 💜💜💜💜
That’s what all pets deserve.
Yes indeed 💜💜💜