TIPS FOR ADOPTING A DOG

Knowing Your Dog as an Individual.

Now you have done your preliminary research, what next? Well, you should take things a step further and try to know the particular dog you want to adopt as an individual. Yes, I stress this over and over again. Each dog has its own personality as an individual and not just as a breed.

The best way to know your dog as an individual is to visit the dog in its existing habitat and interact with him or her. If your dog breeder is close by, then it makes it easier for you to visit and do your assessment. But if they are far of, then you might need to travel a bit to do this assessment, but trust me, the time and effort you put in will be worthwhile.

There are so many indicators right off the bat that will show you whether the dog will be a right fit for you and your family. You get to experience firsthand, the dog’s personality and behavior (especially for adult dogs).

The dog might show an instant affinity towards you or a member of your family (hopefully the one interested in the dog). Or there may be conflicts immediately showing that you are not a good match, (even with the research).

A dog’s nature as an individual has the highest effect on whether the dog can stay with you and your household or not.

If your dog breeder is far away from you. You might have to depend on them to give you precise information on the dog’s individual nature. A good dog breeder no matter how busy they are should always be interested in providing the best homes for their dogs. If your intuition tells you that this breeder is just about the business of making money with dogs. You are better off avoiding him and looking for another breeder.

The best option still would be for you to travel out to the breeder’s place and have a one on one interaction with the preferred dog or puppy. You can then ask the breeder more questions like what habits does the dog have? What kind of lifestyle is he or she used to? How has the dog been raised?

For example, dogs raised in the breeder’s home would be used to interacting with people in a family, while dogs raised in a kernel would lack this type of interaction.

The questions you ask should be geared towards helping you to understand the dog’s day to day routine, and how you can pattern that routine to fit into your existing lifestyle.

A good dog breeder would willingly discuss all areas of the dog’s lifestyle with you in order to give you a better understanding of the dog.

Whether you are planning to adopt a puppy or a full-grown dog, each comes with its own challenges. For example, adopting a puppy means you should be ready for many accidents and mistakes at home while a full-grown dog should be fully trained. On the flip side, a puppy can be trained to become what you want while a full-grown dog has already formed habits, behaviors, and personality types that would be hard to change.

Basically, you just want to know what your dog is like before bringing him or her home. You want to know all the positive and negative aspects and be sure in advance that you have a way to cope with the negative.

This is especially true if you happen to click with the dog when visiting. Try and learn much about your dog on these visits and also start to build a bond with the dog you want. This is going to make the dogs transition into your family smooth and the experience enjoyable for all.

Getting Your Home and Family Ready for the New Dog.

Best case scenario, every member of your family is excited at the thought of a new dog coming into the household. However, this is just the beginning. To make the event more fulfilling, you need to make some preparation ahead of time for your dog or puppy.

Getting your home and family ready for a new dog is an experience all by itself. You want to be sure that your house is going to be safe for your new dog. You also want to be sure that your dog does not damage existing things in the house. Both these things are easy to do, but they take a little time and effort to do.

Getting your home ready for a new dog can be compared to preparing your home for a new child. Beginning from the floor, check to see if there is anything on that level that can be harmful. Electrical wire, sharp pointy objects, easily breakable objects, etc. should be removed from that level. This should be done in every room in the house especially the rooms the dog will be spending more time in.

You should begin training your kids to put their toys and personal things in places where the dog cannot reach. This will help in ensuring that your dog does not end up spoiling their things or harm themselves. It is easy for a dog to choke on foreign objects as they are predisposed to chewing anything around them.

Keeping possible objects like this far from them will give the dog a safer environment to live in.

There is also the need to start preparing a special spot for your dog. This place is where you will keep all his things. Food, water, toys, etc. This will make your dog feel at home quicker as the spot will be a special place for him or her. A place where they can get everything they want and most importantly a place where the dog knows belongs exclusively to him. With time your new dog will come to understand this.

This will give your dog a sense of comfort and stability, knowing that he or she does not just have a new home, but also a space that belongs only to him.

In addition to this, small kids should be emotionally prepared for the new dog. Basically, for most kids, the idea of a new pet coming into the household would already be something exciting for them. You can feed into their excitement by giving them interesting details about the dog like; Is it a puppy? What does the dog look like? What do you expect the dog to do in the house?

Information like this tends to get kids excited but in addition, you should start preparing them on how to behave around the dog. Some kids are just daring and can start off by pulling the dog’s tail or pushing the dog around, all dangerous things to do especially when the dog is a bit mature.

Initial training for your kids on how to behave around the dog is imperative, till the dog gets to know them well in the family. This is for the safety of both the dog and the kids.

If your situation is that of having teens in the household. In addition to the initial training, you can start preparing their mind for some form of responsibility towards the dog.

For example, who is going to be in charge of feeding the dog? Who will be in charge of grooming the dog? What about walking the dog?

Giving these teens some responsibility towards the new dog will help them to bond properly with the family and make everyone feel as if they are contributing something worthwhile to the new pet.

These responsibilities should be discussed ahead of time and make it in such a way that tasks are accepted willingly and not imposed. Those that don’t want to take any responsibility towards the dog can be exempt, but what they can’t be exempt from is how to act when around the new dog.

This more or less has to be enforced for the safety of all the household.

It is always advisable to start preparing your home ahead of time, especially from the moment you decide that you will be bringing a dog home. This makes it easier to manage, especially if for any reason the timetable for the dog coming home is fast-forwarded. This way, you won’t be caught off guard.

Dog Supplies: Buying them.

This is a very important aspect of preparing yourself to adopt a dog. There is much more to adopting a dog than just dog food and toys. Having the proper supplies for your dog breed ready at home before he or she comes home makes their transition into your home life a bit smooth.

The breed you are adopting will greatly affect the type of dog supplies you will buy, but let’s start with the basics.

Food and water bowls are very essential supplies for your dogs. Whether you are buying individual bowls, connected bowls, or the ones that automatically dispense food. You should buy the one that suits the dog breed you are adopting.

Dog food. Dogs usually do well when they are fed a consistent type of diet. There are many types of dog food available and trying to make a good choice for your dog can leave you dizzy sometimes. From dry food to canned food to ones that require mixing with water to All-natural dog food and the ones fortified with extra vitamins. The list can be endless.

The best way to approach dog food is to discuss it either with your dog breeder or a vet doctor. That way you can get the best advice on the best approach and best dog food to feed your dog.

You also need grooming supplies for your dog. As time goes on some things can be purchased on the go, but basic things like a dog comb or brush, dog towel, and bathing shampoo should be bought at the beginning.

A first aid kit is essential to have ready for your new dog. There is no telling where danger might be lurking. It is always good advice to be ready for anything. There are also health supplements for your dog e.g. vitamin supplements.

As with dog food, seek advice from your veterinary doctor on the type of supplement that will be suitable for your dog.

Dog toys. Obviously, your new dog would need some dog toys. Apart from the fact that it will give him or her something to play with, dog toys also reduce their desire to chew on other things in the house (your shoes, furniture, personal belongings, etc.)

When buying dog toys for your new dog, keep these two things in mind. Number one, buy toys that are suitable for the size of the dog you are adopting. For example, puppy toys are useless to mature dogs and vice versa. Number two, make sure the dog toys you are buying are non-toxic and long-lasting. You can look to trusted brands for this. Basically, avoid dog toys made of wood and paint coatings as these can shatter and splinter easily leading to a choking hazard for your dog.

Dog Treats. Ahh, that wonderful training reinforcer for our dogs. Whether you are going to be training your dog for a special purpose or just making sure he is a good boy at home, dog treats are wonderful as part of the dog supplies that a dog needs. Dogs just love these treats and you will find yourself wondering later on if it is possible to get your dog to do anything without them.

Dog beds. This also needs to be taken into consideration. Some dogs love dog beds others don’t. There is that thing in dogs that is individualistic in nature. If you want your dog to use a dog bed, choosing the right material and size is important. The bed you are buying should be easy to clean. The more comfortable your dog feels in the bed, the more likely he or she would want to go back there when wanting to rest.

Rawhide products are also useful for our dogs. They serve to deal with the tendency of dogs to want to chew on things and they are also good for our dogs’ teeth.

Finally, leashes, collars, and harnesses. These are important when you are taking your dog for a walk or trying to socialize them. Your dog will definitely need his daily dose of exercise (All dependent on the breed type). And leashes collars and harnesses are important to keep him in control while doing this. As with the other dog supplies, these ones should be bought taking into consideration, your dog’s shape, size, and health conditions.

Buying your dog supplies shouldn’t be rocket science. Just make a list of what you need from the listings above and do your shopping comparison to get the best bang for your buck, and go ahead and make the purchase. Having the supplies before the dog arrives makes things easier for everyone.

Finding the Perfect Dog Breeder?

There are too many reasons why you should do your research first before settling on a dog breeder to buy your dog from. Adopting a dog from the first dog breeder you come in contact with is never a good idea. The same way you put in the effort to research your dog’s breed and history, you should put in the same effort in finding the right dog breeder for you.

All dog breeders are not created equal. Some just do it for the money and don’t take time to take care of the dogs. Some are not even honest about the state of health of these pets.

What you want is a dog breeder who takes good care of his puppies and dogs. Not only does he take good care of them, but loves the dogs he sells. He is interested in not just selling his dogs but is interested in the type of household in which his dogs are going into.

This is another advantage of visiting a dog breeder yourself. You get to find out first hand if he really cares about his dogs. If he loves his dog, it will show in the way he handles them.

Another problem with doing business with the first dog breeder you meet is you might end up being cheated financially. You need to check other dog breeders in order to compare purchasing price before committing to one. You don’t want to adopt a bad stock and you definitely don’t want to end up paying more than necessary.

You can find good dog breeders by getting recommendations from people who have already adopted the breeds you want and are happy with their adoption. This is one of the advantages of networking as discussed earlier. You can also get information online in forums and discussion groups.

Another way you can find top class dog breeders is by going to dog clubs or societies. The American Kennel Club is a good place to start. They constantly update their list of dog breeders and have details on every possible breed known to man.

When you find the dog breed you want on their list, you can then contact a number of them to compare price and value. This means, just as you did when networking, you would need to ask the breeders a lot of questions.

A good breeder would be open to answering your questions and give you more insight into the dog you are interested in. This includes both the positive and negative aspects of the particular dog. There temperaments, habits, and personality.

The breeder should also be open to telling you how long they have been breeding dogs. Especially the particular breed you are interested in. Is it a full-time job for him or just a hobby? What length has he gone to maintain the health of the dog?

More importantly, a very good breeder would be interested in who you are. You see they care about their dogs and are not in the business of just selling puppies and dogs, but providing a good home for them.

Don’t be surprised if the breeder actually follows up with you after you make your purchase. You see, most top-notch breeders are also interested in how the dog is doing with you and will happily point you in the right direction if there are immediate challenges.

Basically, contact as many dog breeders as you can before making a final decision. Remember, your dog is going to be with you for a long time, so it’s better you take time to make the decision.