Should you get a dog? Shared by Bullie Pups R Us

AOL Journal ^ | 3/13/08 | Bullie Pups R Us

[bulliepupsrus]

Should I Get a Dog?

Dogs are one of the most popular pets in the world. They have enjoyed this status for a very long time, probably from the time 10,000 to 15,000 years ago when Stone Age cave dwellers lived and hunted with dogs.

If you think you want a dog, you're following a well-established tradition.

Why You Might Want a Dog

There are a number of reasons that people think they might want a dog for a pet. The most universal is the desire for the companionship of an animal who will be a loyal friend for many years. Others think it would be nice to have a watchdog to guard the house, and some people are interested in participating in dog shows, agility trials or other organized activities.

If you're thinking about getting a dog, it's important to determine if you can care for him properly. Dogs need several things from a pet parent:

Time Commitment Attention

For your dog to stay healthy, he will need to be fed correctly, exercised sufficiently, groomed regularly and taken to the vet for regular checkups and shots. If you want your dog to be well-mannered and a pleasure to be around, you will have to make sure he is thoroughly socialized and trained, which requires spending many hours with him. Dogs also need set schedules so they know when they'll be fed and when they'll be let out.

If you're a very busy person who works long hours and travels a lot, dog ownership may not be for you.

Things to Consider Before You Buy a Dog

Owning a dog can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have, but before you even begin to think about what kind of dog you might want, you need to ask yourself some serious questions about how well your lifestyle will suit any dog.

Many people fall in love with a cute puppy at a pet store and bring it home only to face a brutal truth. That cute puppy will have to be taken out to relieve himself first thing in the morning. Every single morning. Even weekend mornings. Even if it's raining or snowing or 100 degrees in the shade. And he'll have to go out more than once a day, sometimes several times more than once, especially when he's young.

That's just the start. Here are some other things to seriously consider before plunging into dog ownership:

Allergies A bad allergic reaction to dogs in a member of your family can result in your having to find a new home for the dog--a sad experience for everyone. Some individuals are severely allergic and can’t even live in a house where a dog has lived. Others are much less bothered and can make adjustments so that they can live comfortably with a pet. An allergy may be to the dog’s saliva, hair or dander. Not all dogs cause the same allergic reaction. Certain breeds are known to be less allergenic because they shed very little or not at all. These include the Chinese crested, which has no hair, and breeds, which can range in size, such as a Basenji, Bichon Frise, and a Standard Poodle.

What Do You Want in a Dog?

Is your main concern to have a house pet who will be a good companion? Do you want an athletic dog who can go with you when you run? Will you take your dog on camping trips and will he have to be big enough to carry his own food? Do you want a dog that can be a credible watchdog and guardian? Do you want to show the dog? Do you want to participate in agility, obedience or field trials? You will want to study the different breeds and then talk to breeders and members of local dog clubs to find out what characteristics will best fit your expectations.

Can Your Children Adjust?

Children love puppies, but both children and puppies need supervision. Kids can play too rough with a puppy, and a young child will not understand that the puppy is tired and needs to rest. A puppy who is hurt or tired of playing is likely to growl and snap, and sometimes bite, to get the child to leave him alone. An older dog can be a serious threat if he is not used to children. There is one rule NEVER to be broken: Babies and toddlers should never be left unsupervised with a dog, no matter how much you trust the dog.

Can Your Other Pets Adjust?

If you already have pets, you will need to consider how the dog will adjust to them and they to him. If you have cats that have never been around a dog, you may have a long period of adjustment or the combination may not work at all. Puppies will usually learn to live with cats if care is taken that the initial meeting is not too traumatic. If you are considering an older dog, try to find out how he has previously reacted to other pets.

How Much Space Do You Have for a Dog?

This is an important consideration. A large, active dog, such as a retriever or German shepherd can run and play in a large, fenced-in yard. Often, though, the dog doesn't do much playing if you aren't available to be with him, and he will simply lounge around on the grass just as he would if he were inside on his dog bed. Large dogs can be happy even in an apartment if they get a long walk or two every day.

Housing

Unless you live in the country and spend a great deal of time outside with your dog, he will not be happy as a strictly outdoor dog. Outside should be for playing and exercising. A dog should never be left outdoors in hot weather without shade and water or in cold weather without well-insulated shelter. If your dog spends much time outside, he will need a fenced-in yard or a large kennel.

Can You Afford a Dog?

Your dog will have to be fed and groomed and provided with toys and treats. You may want to take him to obedience classes. If you travel occasionally on business or you're going on trips and can't take your dog, you will need to arrange to board him or to hire a dog sitter who will take care of him in your home.

Veterinary Care

Your dog will need regular veterinary checkups, which will include vaccinations, worming and flea and tick prevention. A medical emergency can cost several hundred dollars. As your dog ages, he may develop chronic health conditions that require regular visits to the vet. Veterinary charges vary from city to city. If you have not owned a pet before, you might want to call to see what the rates are in your area.

Grooming

If you don't have time to groom your dog, don't have the facilities to give him a bath conveniently, or if he requires special grooming, you will need to pay for a professional groomer. You will also need brushes and combs for maintenance.

Licensing

Dogs are required to be licensed. Fees are set by the county or the city and vary widely. To find out about licensing, call your county animal control office. Your vet and the local animal shelter will also know where you should go to purchase a license.

Exercise and Companionship - Do You Have Time?

Some dogs need only a short walk once or twice a day, while others are built to run all day. Be honest when you consider what level of regular exercise will be comfortable for you. If you have a heavy work schedule, taking the dog for a walk in the evening may be a burden rather than a pleasure. An active dog who only gets real exercise on weekends and holidays is likely to be unhappy, not to mention bored and destructive. In addition to exercise, your dog needs time with you. If you have a full work schedule and a busy social life, your dog is likely to be lonely, bored and destructive.

Size and Energy Level of the Dog

Before you even think about getting a young, highly energetic dog, such as a golden retriever, you need to ask yourself if you are strong enough to control and exercise a dog that will want to run and play and that could easily knock you down by accident. Don't buy a puppy that will turn into a 150-pound athlete if your energy level is more attuned to a stroll with a toy poodle.

Is Your Lifestyle Stable?

One common reason that dogs are given up to animal shelters is that the owner has had to move, and the new living quarters don't allow pets. Or the owner has married, and the new spouse doesn't like dogs. Are you likely to move frequently? Is your family life stable? Does your job require you to travel often or for long periods of time?

Puppy or Older Dog?

Most people automatically think about puppies when they think about getting a dog. While puppies are cute and fun, there are benefits in getting an older dog. It's much easier to housetrain an older dog. Puppies don't physically have the capacity for holding their urine for long period of time and must be taken out frequently. You will not have to wait for an older dog to grow up to see what size he will be or what kind of temperament he will have, and if you get your dog from an animal shelter or a rescue organization, you will probably be saving his life.

The First Steps

If after having read all this, you still want a dog, congratulations! You're probably eager to take the first step, and you want to dash out to the pet store, or the breeder, or the shelter, or the rescue organization, but don't rush out and pick up a dog just yet. It's important that you take the time to read as much as you can about selecting, introducing and keeping a dog. Browse through the other articles on our web site. Check books out of the public library or visit a bookstore.

Consider what kind of dog you want. Do you want a purebred dog or a mix? Do you want a male or a female? Do you want a puppy or an older dog? Talk to other dog owners that you know. Where did they get their dogs and what was their experience? Where do you want to look for the perfect choice?

Once you decide to get a dog, choose an occasion to bring him home when you and your family will have time to give him plenty of attention; bringing him home at the start of a long weekend or a vacation, when you will have more time to spend at home with him, will definitely make the transition to his new home easier for him as well as his new family. Prepare for his arrival. You'll need to know what to expect and how to care for him when he first comes into your life.

If you have carefully chosen your new canine friend and properly prepared for him, bringing him home can be one of the most joyful experiences of your life. He will become part of your family and will love you without reservation. Return his love, and he will really be your best friend.

shared by Bullie Pups R Us

[AnAmericanMother]

Her face markings and the short coat on the chest completely fooled me! She sure is a pretty one.

A Chessie is a real man's dog, when you get a great one there's nothing to touch them, but they need a really good handler.

I know you miss her, but at least you've got her baby. I may breed my younger dog if she turns out to be as good as I suspect she is.

My older dog didn't see a duck until she was 3, but she has her CGC, her CD, her AX and AXJ (AKC) and her AD and AJ (USDAA). She got her SHR in short order but we have had some handling issues so we're still working on HR ("Who the heck is the retriever here, anyway?")

She absolutely nailed her JH - and by the way you haven't missed much, those AKC tests are awful. The first one we went to, the marks were so difficult they were more along the order of a Seasoned test in UKC . . . 32 dogs went to the line on Saturday and only 19 went on to the water in the afternoon. And then the water was awful too. Sunday was much the same. If you can imagine asking a Junior dog to do a channel swim and expecting him to stay in the water . . . TWO land-water-land retrieves with the birds falling in heavy brush . . . a mark that fell behind some trees into a ditch, so the dogs could only see it for the split second that it was falling between the bottom of the branches and the top of the grass . . . and then the worst of all, a live flier that was shot over a 10-15' tall mound of overgrown grading dirt, so that the bird might fall behind, beside, or on top of the mound. My dog got a 'gimme' on that one, her bird fell on the front face of the mound with the breast feathers up, it might as well have been a neon sign. But otherwise, she was completely unimpressed with the tricks and snags built into the tests, she just ran out (or swam out), picked up the birds, and brought them back. In a crisis I always fall back on agility commands -- got some laughter from the judges in one Started test when I yelled, "go RIGHT!" but of course she did go right and she was the only dog in that test who didn't bank run.

My young girl is extremely well bred and could probably pass a Started test right now, but I have a tendency to hold them back until I'm sure they can pass. Silly, but there you are.

[Clint N. Suhks]

This is my girl's Mom, Grandmom and Great Grandmom that appears in the book "The Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever". They are 3 of only 9 female Duals in the breed back in the 90's, that may have changed since. The markings you are referring to is called a mask and is common for the color. There are 8 official colors in the breed but most people know them for the traditional dark brown with a white patch on the chest. My girl and her mom and grandmom are "Light Deadgrass" color, the lightest color in the breed.

That's quite an impressive bunch of titles you got there, you've been busy. I never tried any agility stuff, buddies in my training club might have given me the business for it. LOL And I never tried any obedience stuff either because I figured if you can do hunt tests you pretty much got that down. they should give those titles for free if you pass hunt tests LOL And I only got the CGC because I bred her.

There's a big difference between AKC and UKC hunt tests. HRCH is not as Hard as MH. HRCH land blinds are only 100 yards and only 3 multiple marked blind plus poison bird IIRC, it's been 10 years now. I've never been to one but I hear MH land blinds can be 200 yards with 4 marks, that would have beeen tough for my girl to do.

[RikaStrom]

HotD,

I’m on your list. ;-)

Doggy Ping, from the human owned by Little Miss Psycho Dog aka Thena.

RS

[AnAmericanMother]

That darned Junior test started off with a bang . . . 100 yards, uphill - steep as a flight of stairs - through a power cut and then a deep ditch right slap up to a tree line. A number of dogs funked the hill or the ditch right off. That's the other thing I hate about AKC - if your dog fails the very first test you're dismissed and go home, UKC lets you go on to the water.

A judge friend of mine (UKC) says the UKC folks want you to pass, while the AKC folks enjoy watching you fail.

That sure is a cute 'family portrait'. There are some "dead grass" Chessies in our club, but none of them have the facial markings. The very best Seasoned test I saw run when I marshalled for our club one time was run by a little dead grass Chessie bitch, a tiny one, maybe 40 pounds. She was rock steady on the line, marked like a laser, and no-whistled the blind. Plus she was sweet, friendly and good with other dogs. If I could find where I wrote her owner & handler's names down, I'd try to get one of her pups . . . .

Friend of mine's older black Lab (just my dog's age) got her HRCH, his wife put an AX on her and is now starting out in Novice A obedience. She's cleaning up . . . got a 197 1/2 her first trial. I wanted a pup from her, but she had allergy issues so they spayed her. I did the next best thing . . . my little black pup is the living image of her.

By the way, this year they upped the distance on the blind in Seasoned from 40 yards to 60. Rats! Just when I was getting up the courage to enter!

[LucyJo]

Bump for excellence, and because I love English Bulldogs!

[cowboyway]

That's Patoka Lake in southern Indiana,

I lived in southern Michigan for a few years. The goose hunting was great because of all the dairy farms around. I was close enough to Lake Erie to make a few trips there, also.

Shenandoah Vally in Virginia

Most people don't think about the Shenandoah Valley when they think about waterfowl.

I grew up in eastern NC. Hunted the Pamlico and Currituck sounds and up the rivers and creeks that feed them. Used to drop a lot of pintails and mallards at an impoundment near Hobucken, NC. Knew about some really hot oxbows where the woodies were thick as the hairs on a dogs back. But no matter where I went, it was always more fun when I had my dog. Bought my first Chessie back in 1982 after some lowlife stole my Lab. I've had Chessies ever since. (The Lab in my pic was my ex-wifes; I got custody because she opted to move into a townhouse in a city and I convinced her that Gus would be much happier with a few acres to roam around on without a leash.)

I've been on the road since '04. Haven't hunted much over the last 4 years but I tendered my resignation a couple of weeks ago with the intent of taking the rest of the year off and catching up on some hunting.

[PzLdr]

“The More People I Meet, The More I Like My Dog’: Sign I had in my office when I was a DA [right next to the electric chair poster captioned ‘Justice. Regular or Extra Crispy’]

I’ve lived with dogs most of my life. Can’t imagine living without ‘em.

[AnAmericanMother]

Note the shirt I'm wearing in post 13.

I don't have that poster, but I do have a T-shirt from a DA association softball team - Lady Justice with a machine gun and the caption "The State is Ready."

[ovrtaxt]

American Bulldog owner checkin in!

[AnAmericanMother]

You were at ground zero for waterfowl.

My grandfather was a big time duck hunter and used to hunt ENC and the Eastern Shore. That was, unfortunately, before my time.

I admire Chessies, but I love my Labs. They're both little girls, right at 43 pounds both of them. They won't tip your boat over or knock you sprawling in the blind.

[PzLdr]

One of my dogs is [a soon to be] three year old Chessie named Boomer. The other is a 21 mo. German Shepherd named Dieter [Dietz]. Like the shirt. REALLY like your dog!

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, she's a pistol. Her sire is FC/AFC The Man In Black, by Lean Mac out of Gator Point Sweet Potato Pie. Dam is a Candlewood bitch, by a Franklin (dual purpose) sire out of an Honest Abe/Abercrombie & Fitch dam. The litter was bred by Mary Howley. I had her DNA tested and she would throw all three colors. Need to wait til she's two to have her hips, elbows and eyes checked.

I kinda went up one grade of gasoline on the black pup. My older dog's dam is by FC/AFC Storm's Riptide Star, the only chocolate Lab to win the national field title, but her sire is a conformation champion who is an affable old boy, but couldn't find a bird in a phone booth if you poured gravy on it. Nobody was sure what to do with that litter or how they would turn out. At least one other good hunting dog in the litter, but he looks nothing like my dog - he's a big old block-headed moose. You do those wide outcrosses, you get some like the sire, some like the dam, and every possible combination in between. The type doesn't settle down for a generation or so.

[cowboyway]

Jake weighs about 120. A lot of dog with a lot of heart and the happiest Chessie I've ever had. He just doesn't have a bad day.

[AnAmericanMother]

Glad to see a happy Chessie. Sometimes they can be a bit on the serious side.

My Labs are not just happy . . . they're delirious!

[Uriah_lost]

Sounds like you have a deep and meaningful relationship there...good luck with that.

[Shadowstrike]

I have ‘show dogs’ (ones that just show up) too!

Thought I was the only person that happens to.

[kanawa]

Welcome to FR, bulliepupsrus

[LasVegasMac]

Way cool post and thread.....thanks.

Labs and Pits....had both, loved 'em all.

Had a Pit that should have been born a Lab....what a dog!

[SeaHawkFan]

Actually we have a very deep and meaningful relationship. Both of us are spiritually mature Christians and are waiting until marriage before having sex. We both also have a sense of humor. It is not a sin to not want a dog.

You have a problem with any of that?

[Darnright]

Perhaps, when my old guy goes to that big doghouse in the sky, I will get another, but they only made one of my big dog.