How to choose a puppy (Part 1)
So you want to get a dog.... a new furry best friend. What a wonderful addition to your family it will be!
Everyone who gets a dog envisions all the fun and frolic their new pet will bring to their lives, but too often, the pup comes with a few drawbacks they didn't anticipate. The sad truth is that the leading cause of death in dogs is actually not a disease ---it's euthanasia in shelters, and most dogs end up in shelters because of behavior problems. Even if you would never abandon a pet to a shelter, nobody wants to live with a dog who causes headaches ---a pet should be a source of joy, not hassles!
The most powerful way to avoid problems with a new dog is also one of the least utilized methods ---and that is simply this: Choose the right dog!
What does that mean? Well, dogs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors and coat varieties, long hair, short hair, even no hair at all. It is easy to fall in love with the look of a particular breed. But what a lot of people forget is that most dog breeds were not created to look a certain way, but rather to act in a certain way ---our dog breeds were bred to serve specific functions, and to do certain jobs. Even though you may look at a dog as simply a companion, your fabulous furry friend's genes will strongly influence how they behave.
I find that most people already have an idea of what kind of dog they think they want. But it is important to spend some time thinking about what kind of dog you don't want!
Everyone who gets a dog envisions all the fun and frolic their new pet will bring to their lives, but too often, the pup comes with a few drawbacks they didn't anticipate. The sad truth is that the leading cause of death in dogs is actually not a disease ---it's euthanasia in shelters, and most dogs end up in shelters because of behavior problems. Even if you would never abandon a pet to a shelter, nobody wants to live with a dog who causes headaches ---a pet should be a source of joy, not hassles!
The most powerful way to avoid problems with a new dog is also one of the least utilized methods ---and that is simply this: Choose the right dog!
What does that mean? Well, dogs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors and coat varieties, long hair, short hair, even no hair at all. It is easy to fall in love with the look of a particular breed. But what a lot of people forget is that most dog breeds were not created to look a certain way, but rather to act in a certain way ---our dog breeds were bred to serve specific functions, and to do certain jobs. Even though you may look at a dog as simply a companion, your fabulous furry friend's genes will strongly influence how they behave.
I find that most people already have an idea of what kind of dog they think they want. But it is important to spend some time thinking about what kind of dog you don't want!
Look for our next post in this series “The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle”.
View the next posts in this series:
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 2): The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
- How to choose a puppy (Part 4): Shelter Dogs
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This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.