Prevent Canine Homelessness: Learn How To Choose The Right Dog For Your Family
Sixty percent of American households include at least one dog. Owning a dog is a great experience, but there is a lot of responsibility that goes along with ownership! To make sure your dog is as happy and healthy as possible, you need to follow a few general rules.
Before even getting a dog, you should carefully think and consider your choice of breed. Study the breed (or mix of breeds) that interests you and learn what that dog has been bred for. Consider the dog’s natural abilities and temperament and try to best blend them with your home environment.
For example, if you live in a small apartment, a large, active dog like a Labrador would not be a good idea; unless you’re biking, running, rollerblading, or doing some other activity that you could share with your canine friend to burn off all of his natural energy. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a dog that will do all of those activities with you, a lazy, physically challenged breed may not be the right choice for you.
For a dog to be happy, truly happy, he must honor the traits that have been instilled in him. For example, a working dog needs a job just as much as he needs food and water. A herding dog needs room to run, preferably with something to fetch. A toy dog needs a lot of attention and gentle affection. If these basic needs are not met, a dog develops behavioral problems such as anxiety, chewing, digging, excessive barking, biting, and more.
If your home environment cannot honor the traits of your favorite breed, you should choose another type of dog. To do anything less would subject the dog to a life that does not challenge, honor or accommodate the traits that have been genetically programmed into him/her, and that doesn’t sound fair, does it?
Bringing a dog into a home that doesn’t respect its genetically programmed traits would be akin to preventing a highly athletic child from participating in sports, or even running and playing. You would not be able to change who the child is by simply providing a non-athletic home where video games are played. No matter what, the boy is, and always will be, athletic. It is what it has been genetically programmed to be, and nothing can change that. Preventing such a child from playing sports and honoring his traits would be totally unfair and would make the child miserable.
The same goes for a dog: if you can’t provide the kind of environment or intellectual stimulation that the particular breed requires, it would be totally unfair to the dog, and it would be best to choose a different breed. that he realistically adapts to his lifestyle.
Ho, Ho, OH NO!
Never buy a dog during the holidays, as a gift for someone, or on a whim. Bringing a dog home during the holidays (usually the busiest and most stressful time of year) isn’t fair to the dog. Pick a time long after the holidays when the house is quiet and well-prepared for the arrival of a new dog. If you want to get a dog as a gift, present the person with a surprise card, then take it to the shelter or breeder so they can choose the right dog for them.
A dog is a living being with independent thoughts, feelings and needs. Having a dog is a great responsibility that can last up to fifteen years or more. Owning a dog means much more than providing food and water. Careful planning and preparation is a must before bringing a dog or any other living creature into a home.
How much is that little dog in the window…?
How many times have we loved the wagging tails and adorable antics of pet store puppies? As cute as they may be, one should never buy a puppy from a pet store…ever.
Puppies from pet stores and other puppy stores that sell purebred dogs or “designer dogs” (mixed breeds); they all have one thing in common: they all get their puppies from puppy mills.
Puppy mills are horrific, massive dog breeding operations that are notorious for excessive breeding, inbreeding, and horrific cases of abuse and inhumane treatment, all in the name of making money. These operations take advantage of consumers who only see adorable puppies in flashy storefronts and on fancy websites.
What they don’t see is where the puppies come from. Puppy mill operations are virtual torture chambers with too many dogs crammed into cages that are too small, living in filthy, squalid conditions without medical or preventative care.
Life is particularly cruel for “breeding” dogs who often spend their entire lives in cages, never feeling the feel of the ground beneath their feet. They breed continuously for years without human companionship and with no hope of ever becoming part of a family. Once they can no longer produce pups, they are usually killed.
The purchase of these puppies perpetuates the industry and the need for more breeding dogs to live and die in horrible conditions. This irresponsible practice and excessive breeding results in millions of puppies with significant health and/or behavior problems.
So where do you get a dog? There are many wonderful dogs, purebreds and mixed breeds in shelters/rescues across the country that need homes. (Make sure the shelter/rescue he deals with has exemplary veterinary and business references.) The American Kennel Club is a great resource for finding reputable breeders of purebred puppies, and occasionally these breeders may also have young dogs for sale. Again, check references and always take a reputable behaviorist/trainer with you on your dog search to ensure the dog you choose is emotionally balanced, healthy, and the right breed type for your family.