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Courtesy of Dog Breed Info Center - reprinted with permission
Are you ready
for a PUPPY?
for a PUPPY?
A dog will do his best to please you and keep you smiling. He will curl up with you when you are
feeling down or need some serious relaxation. He won't hold your mistakes against you or prejudge
you for your looks, faults or lack of know-how. He'll be your unconditional friend and will play ball
with you as long as you wish. He'll forgive you for all your mistakes, never holding them against you
later. Sleeping at your feet and loving to please you, he will enjoy just spending time with you. He'll
do his best to protect you, because you will be his master.
However, a dog also relies on you for everything- from his food, water, shelter, exercise, grooming, to his
companionship, training, veterinary care and protection. Know what you are getting into. Are you
prepared to spend the next 10-15 years of your life taking care of your dog? That is about how long your dog
will live. Can you afford the added expense of a dog? When you get a dog, it is a life long commitment, and
should not be treated like a piece of furniture that you can just "get rid of" when you get tired of it. After all, this
dog will be part of your family. Would you get rid of your children because you were tired of them wetting their
beds? Before you bring a dog into your home, think long and hard. Are you prepared for the responsibility?
The decision to get a dog needs to be carefully thought out. Do you honestly have the time to take care of a
dog? What kind of dog should you get? Some people think a dog is a dog. I hear them say they don't care what
breed of dog they get. There are many different breeds with many different personalities and needs. Honestly
think about it and do your homework. Think about your family as it is right now, and how it will be in the future.
Every family has its own needs, schedule, personality, medical problems, space and time limitations. If you take
a good hard look at your family's situation, you can match a dog that will fit into your lives nicely and not just
make things more awkward and difficult.
Is anyone in your family allergic to dog hair? Are you bothered by hair on everything from your clothes to your
toast? Some breeds are heavy shedders, while others hardly shed at all. Do you have children? Are you going
to have children in the next 10-15 years? Do you have friends who visit your home who have children. Some
dogs are excellent with children and would be their best friend. Some are only good with children when they are
raised with them from puppyhood, while others are very sensitive and may bite your child if they are pestered by
him or her. Do you mind holes being dug in your yard? Some dogs like to dig, while others are less likely to dig.
Do you mind hearing a dog bark all the time? Some dogs love to bark and do it all the time, while others are
more quiet, barking only when necessary. Do you mind if your dog has a tendency to wander away from home,
or would you rather have a dog that would be more likely to stick close to home? Some dogs like to roam. It is in
their nature, while others have a strong instinct to stick close to home. Some dogs will kill your cat, while others
will be your cat's best friend. Do you have time to exercise your dog?
Every dog needs it exercise or they will go stir-crazy. Some dogs need daily vigorous exercise and you would
need to take them out every day for a run or a nice long walk, while others will get enough exercise just by
running around the inside of your house. Some dogs need a job to do or they will become restless, bored,
very destructive, and unruly. Other dogs do not mind lying around the house with nothing to do. Some can
be highly obedience-trained, while others cannot. Get the point? All breeds of dog are different, and all families
are different. Find a dog that fits well into your family, so you and your dog can live in harmony. Having a dog
can be the most rewarding thing you have ever done, or it can be your worst nightmare. It's your choice. Do
your homework. Research the different kinds of breeds and take a long hard look at your life and don't forget,
that cute little puppy does grow up to be an adult dog. Never adopt a puppy, or adult dog solely on looks.
feeling down or need some serious relaxation. He won't hold your mistakes against you or prejudge
you for your looks, faults or lack of know-how. He'll be your unconditional friend and will play ball
with you as long as you wish. He'll forgive you for all your mistakes, never holding them against you
later. Sleeping at your feet and loving to please you, he will enjoy just spending time with you. He'll
do his best to protect you, because you will be his master.
However, a dog also relies on you for everything- from his food, water, shelter, exercise, grooming, to his
companionship, training, veterinary care and protection. Know what you are getting into. Are you
prepared to spend the next 10-15 years of your life taking care of your dog? That is about how long your dog
will live. Can you afford the added expense of a dog? When you get a dog, it is a life long commitment, and
should not be treated like a piece of furniture that you can just "get rid of" when you get tired of it. After all, this
dog will be part of your family. Would you get rid of your children because you were tired of them wetting their
beds? Before you bring a dog into your home, think long and hard. Are you prepared for the responsibility?
The decision to get a dog needs to be carefully thought out. Do you honestly have the time to take care of a
dog? What kind of dog should you get? Some people think a dog is a dog. I hear them say they don't care what
breed of dog they get. There are many different breeds with many different personalities and needs. Honestly
think about it and do your homework. Think about your family as it is right now, and how it will be in the future.
Every family has its own needs, schedule, personality, medical problems, space and time limitations. If you take
a good hard look at your family's situation, you can match a dog that will fit into your lives nicely and not just
make things more awkward and difficult.
Is anyone in your family allergic to dog hair? Are you bothered by hair on everything from your clothes to your
toast? Some breeds are heavy shedders, while others hardly shed at all. Do you have children? Are you going
to have children in the next 10-15 years? Do you have friends who visit your home who have children. Some
dogs are excellent with children and would be their best friend. Some are only good with children when they are
raised with them from puppyhood, while others are very sensitive and may bite your child if they are pestered by
him or her. Do you mind holes being dug in your yard? Some dogs like to dig, while others are less likely to dig.
Do you mind hearing a dog bark all the time? Some dogs love to bark and do it all the time, while others are
more quiet, barking only when necessary. Do you mind if your dog has a tendency to wander away from home,
or would you rather have a dog that would be more likely to stick close to home? Some dogs like to roam. It is in
their nature, while others have a strong instinct to stick close to home. Some dogs will kill your cat, while others
will be your cat's best friend. Do you have time to exercise your dog?
Every dog needs it exercise or they will go stir-crazy. Some dogs need daily vigorous exercise and you would
need to take them out every day for a run or a nice long walk, while others will get enough exercise just by
running around the inside of your house. Some dogs need a job to do or they will become restless, bored,
very destructive, and unruly. Other dogs do not mind lying around the house with nothing to do. Some can
be highly obedience-trained, while others cannot. Get the point? All breeds of dog are different, and all families
are different. Find a dog that fits well into your family, so you and your dog can live in harmony. Having a dog
can be the most rewarding thing you have ever done, or it can be your worst nightmare. It's your choice. Do
your homework. Research the different kinds of breeds and take a long hard look at your life and don't forget,
that cute little puppy does grow up to be an adult dog. Never adopt a puppy, or adult dog solely on looks.
EX-PEN PUPPY SET UP
What?!
Peter Rabbit - Ear chewed by
Scarlett - This is what happens
when you leave certain toys with
your puppy, unattended. Always
be sure you know your puppies
chewing habbits before you leave
toys with them when they are not
being watched.
Scarlett demolishes every
non-chew-proof toy she can get
her paws on!
Scarlett - This is what happens
when you leave certain toys with
your puppy, unattended. Always
be sure you know your puppies
chewing habbits before you leave
toys with them when they are not
being watched.
Scarlett demolishes every
non-chew-proof toy she can get
her paws on!
See below for great example of a
puppy pen set up....
puppy pen set up....
This Ex-Pen Set-up above is the perfect form of containment while your puppy is in "Training". It to
have an accident, it is on this piece of linoleum, where it is easy to clean up and you are setting your
puppy up for success by having the door open to the crate so they are not forced to have an This
Ex-Pen Set-up above is the perfect form of containment while your puppy is in "Training". It accident
inside their crate. Always have water available to them, those water bowls you can find at most pet
stores that screw onto the side of the ex-pen. Leave only tough toys alone with them in most pet
stores that screw onto the side of the ex-pen. Leave only tough toys alone with them in case they are
strong chewers, and always remove their collar when you are not home. Monitor how long you leave
them alone and how many accidents they are having in those periods of time, and eventually when
you start to see them having less and less accidents, it's time to start the crate training with the crate
only and the door shut. Just make sure you start with short periods of time in the crate with the door
shut while you are home, use treats as rewards, and build up to longer time periods while you leave
the room and the house.
have an accident, it is on this piece of linoleum, where it is easy to clean up and you are setting your
puppy up for success by having the door open to the crate so they are not forced to have an This
Ex-Pen Set-up above is the perfect form of containment while your puppy is in "Training". It accident
inside their crate. Always have water available to them, those water bowls you can find at most pet
stores that screw onto the side of the ex-pen. Leave only tough toys alone with them in most pet
stores that screw onto the side of the ex-pen. Leave only tough toys alone with them in case they are
strong chewers, and always remove their collar when you are not home. Monitor how long you leave
them alone and how many accidents they are having in those periods of time, and eventually when
you start to see them having less and less accidents, it's time to start the crate training with the crate
only and the door shut. Just make sure you start with short periods of time in the crate with the door
shut while you are home, use treats as rewards, and build up to longer time periods while you leave
the room and the house.
The carpet floor is lined with Linoleum, if you have hard wood floors you
can use this or painters-tape down some vinyl plastic sheeting instead.
can use this or painters-tape down some vinyl plastic sheeting instead.
Photo by Suzz