Jumat, 22 April 2011

Hard, Fast Rules For Dog Owners

By Erin Song


Before making the decision about buying a new dog, here are some points you should consider :-

Are you sure someone will be home for the day or while you're out?

You never want to leave your dog (and even more so for puppies) alone at home unless it's for just a few hours. If you are out at work from 9-5 don't get a dog unless you can make satisfactory arrangements with a friend to let the dog out.

Uh, holidays included?

It's an unfortunate fact of life - holiday time also happens to be dog-destroying time for most. Unless you have a loving spouse and kids who love your dog just as much, brace yourself for boarding kennels and the cost they entail. The costs of boarding kennels, however, has risen due to an increase in operational costs - aside from preparing your budget for the expense, prepare to book early as well.

Are the costs of caring for a dog agreeable with your budget?

This includes not only the cost of food, and kennels at holiday time, but also the cost of vaccinations and also possible veterinary fees in case of illness. Dogs are like humans, especially small children, as they can easily fall sick without a moment's notice, so it always helps to be ready at all times. It is a good idea, that being said, to take out pet insurance.

Can you give your dogs exercise?

Dogs need more than just a walk to the nearby shop hanging by a leash - they need intense physical action like ball games, running freely around the park and other similar activities. Your love for your pet will shine through if you be there for him when he needs quality exercise, never mind if it's raining cats and dogs outside. Now if you think this is too much effort on your part, your older dog may need to be put in a home. Unless you want to put your dog in a shelter, exercise is important.

Family circumstances

It's always heartwarming to see children bonding with dogs and acting like best of pals, but not when you see small children unknowingly abusing puppies. Young children, especially the larger ones, can be especially aggressive and may tend to fling a small puppy around. Puppies' bones can break easily when thrown around in such a violent manner. It is always best to wait till your children mature physically and psychologically before introducing a dog to the household.

Keeping your dog groomed

Not everybody has time to pay heed to a dog's grooming needs, so you may want to get a dog with a wiry or smooth coat, as they don't need much grooming compared to others. But if you have a lot of free time on your hands, then by all means go for those longer coats and make sure to groom them daily. You'll need to give a poodle a daily trim on top of the normal grooming activities, so be prepared to pay for a dog groomer if you want a poodle but not the time required to maintain its coat.




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