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Things to consider before adopting a pet


1. Research dog breeds - This is both a benefit to you and your family, as well as the dog you adopt. Research is the most important first step to see which dog is the right one for you and your family. One of the major mistakes that people make is not doing their homework before adopting a pet. Lab puppies, while one of the cutest puppies you will ever see, do not    stay small for very long and will grow to sometimes over 100 lbs. Another oversight that many people have when choosing a dog is the level of exercise/activity the breed will require. "A tired dog, is a good dog." Never has there been a truer statement made. If your dog has too much pent up energy that doesn't get burnt off, they will often resort to chewing and other undesirable behaviors.     
                             

 

             
2. Diet - A high quality food can also make for easy potty training, better long term health, less likelihood of future weight problems, and less mess to clean up out of the yard. Good quality food, does cost more, but in the long run it really is worth it. Another part of the diet that cannot be stressed enough is fresh water. Giardia and a whole slew of other bacterial infections can be prevented by making sure that your dog has fresh, clean water available to them at all times.

Dog Food Report
           

 

               
3. Hygiene - Regular grooming and tooth care are essential to keeping your pet happy and healthy. Taking care of your pets teeth and gums is often a forgotten part of their well being that, if ignored, can result in some very serious health problems. Keeping your dog clean, brushed, nails trimmed, and their sanitary areas...."sanitary" will not only make your pet more pleasant to be around, but will help save your household and your pet some potential problems.
                       

 

                                   

4. Pets take time - If you want a well socialized and well behaved pet, they need to be worked with. Obedience training and socialization are two of the most important things that you can do for you pet. Dogs need to be around people, other dogs, as well as other pets and children. The more you can expose them to the less trouble you will usually have introducing them to new situations. Obedience training classes are a great way to both teach your pet and for you to learn how best to interact with them, as well as socializing your pet to other animals, people, and locations. Most dogs require daily exercise, such as walks, playing fetch, or just running around the yard, but this all needs to be supervised until you can trust that your dog will not run away. If your dog is tired, both you and your household items will appreciate it.
     
This is also especially important if you have children. It doesn't matter how docile and well mannered your pet is, it is still an animal. Although kids generally mean well, their coordination can be lacking and they tend to play rough. A dog may only put up with this for so long before it decides it has had enough and decides to give a correction to the child.  Make sure that you teach your children the proper way to interact with your pets and that will go a long way towards heading off any potential troubles. An animal is going to be an animal, that is what it wants to be. It is up to you to make sure that your children and the animal know how to properly interact with each other.
     

 

       

5. Consider crate training - While it may seem cruel to keep your pet in a kennel/crate while you are not home, this is a great tool for potty training, teaching manners and an overall better for the dog. It may also save you from some other behavioral issues like chewing, furniture shredding, or terrorizing the house while left unsupervised and bored, or scared. They also offer a place to put the animal if a "timeout" is required.
               

 

6. Regular check ups - Our pets life cycle is unfortunately much shorter than ours. Therefore, they age at a much faster rate and a yearly check up is often not sufficient. Taking your pet in for a check up every six months is often the best way to ensure that your animal is healthy and to catch any potential health issues before they get out of control.
                   

 

               
7. Monitor your pets environment - Pay attention to your household and what is laying around your yard. Household cleaners, certain types of food left laying around, and household chemicals (bug sprays, weed killers, etc.) can be very dangerous to your pet so make sure that they are kept in places where they cannot be ingested by curious pets. If there are things that you don't want to get torn up, make sure that you do not leave them in places where your new pet will be tempted to use them as a play thing. Many new pet owners learn this lesson the hard way.
   
CPR and Emergency Response for Pets

 

Some Useful links for Dog Care

   (we have no affiliation with these sites)
                                              
Healthy Pet.com  
     
United States Humane Society
       
The Pet Center
     
Healthy Dogs
   
About.com: Dogs
     
About.com: Cats  
       
Dog.com     
         
What to look for in Dog Food 
   
Dog Food Ratings and Information
     
Obedience Training
     
Leerburg Dog Training Articles
   
Puppy Care       
     

 

Saving just one animal won't change the world.......... But surely the world will change for that one animal!!!!!!