| Before you decide to choose a dog, it is
important for you to find out details about what this will
entail. You can help yourself by answering a few questions.
Please visit the Ready for a Dog page to go through these
questions which also gives you an insight on what having a
dog is all about.
Now that you are sure that you want a dog, you can proceed
to choose a good dog for yourself. Here we have given information
on a few steps to be followed in the process of choosing a
dog.
- Decide on what breed you want and on whether you want
a male or female dog and also whether you want a pup or
a dog. The breed should fit the purpose and the environment
of the dog. Female dogs are known to be better tempered
and are therefore easier to train although you will have
to decide on whether you want your female dog to litter
or not so that you can take the necessary precautions. It
is advisable to start with a pup rather than a grown dog.
Dogs may be set in their ways and are more difficult to
train. If you don’t like their habits, it will lead
to unnecessary frustration.
- Look for someone who has a good reputation in the field
of dogs. You can ask around and also call up the sellers
directly to find out more about the ones selling pups/ dogs.
If you want to ensure that you have the breed you want,
you need to ensure that you have a good seller who could
either be a breeder or just a dealer in dogs.
- Choose a healthy medium- sized pup. We have suggested
a few checks to help you try and ascertain the general condition
of the pup.
- Turn the pup onto its back and check for fleas, ticks,
etc. or any indication of a rash.
- Check that its teeth are white and are firm within
the pink gums.
- Walk the pup a little to check for stiffness in its
movements.
- Move away from the vision of the pup, make a few noises
to see if the dog responds and you will know if he is
deaf.
- Check if the pup has a runny nose or watery eyes which
is a good indication of illness
- Check if the pup has a cough or running a fever.
- Its rectal temperature should be below 102 degrees
F.
- Take the pup to a good vet for examination where you
can also seek some advice on food, medical requirements
and grooming requirements.
- Your pup will feel welcomed if you place a bowl of warm
milk for him although it is best not to force him to drink
it. Keep a warm rug for him to lie down. You will find that
young pups in new homes whimper and cry during the first
few days. You can comfort him by holding him close to you
and speaking softly to him. Reduce this over a period of
time and he will eventually stop crying.
- You will first need to begin housebreaking your dog. Please
refer to our Housebreaking your Pup page for a few tips
on housebreaking.
Your new pup is almost like a baby and therefore will require
a little more pampering. Ensure that he gets adequate sleep
as this is most needed and also ensure that you give him regular
meals as advised by your vet. By the time your dog is eight
months old, he is ready to be trained to respond to commands
like ‘sit’, ‘come’, etc. You can of
course earlier. You will find that this time of training is
also a time of bonding for you and your dog. Our Dog Training
page will give you a few tips. If you want your dog to have
professional training, contact a good dog trainer.
All through the life of your dog, he will require good dog
grooming to ensure that he remains healthy. For more information,
please visit the Dog grooming
page on this site.
Dogs add color to an otherwise dull day and once you have
won your dog’s favor, you will find that he will adore
you and be your faithful friend for the rest of your life.
You will know that you did the right thing by choosing a dog.
|
