Owning and raising a dog is no small undertaking for the majority of people. Unless you have your own personal assistant to oversee every minute of your doggums’ upbringing, you will be spending a lot of time in training, exercising, feeding and petting. It is a big commitment but it can be extremely rewarding – the relationship between a human being and a dog can be one of the few unconditionally loving relationships in a lifetime.
While dogs are animals and think like animals, each one is still unique and complex. Discovering the layers of your dog’s personality is only part of the fun of the journey. When you are thinking of buying or adopting a dog, you should first consider your motivation. It’s not a good idea to get a dog simply because the kids are begging you for one or because you think it sounds interesting – caring for an animal is hard work as well as a long-term commitment. Be sure you are doing it for the right reasons. If you adopt a puppy, be aware that you are signing up for long hours of house-training and accidents. Older dogs may already be house-trained but could present behavioral problems. When you go to buy or adopt your dog, choose from the friendliest of the bunch because these are obviously well adjusted to people. You may be drawn to the loner at the back of the pen but too often loner pups turn into dogs with issues.
