A relational bond between a dog and its owner(s) is one of
the most sincere relationships in the pet to human world. The benefits of that
relationship outweigh the consequences of owning a dog. However, that being
said, it must be understood that a dog is a living creature and therefore has
needs that must be attended to.
A dog is not a toy to play with only when you
feel like it, and does not have an off switch anywhere. Before becoming a dog
owner, it is important that you understand the level of commitment you are
about to embark (no pun intended) on. Below are the minimal considerations you
should take into account before committing to a dog and to keep your dog
healthy.
DOGS ARE NOT "FREE"
Many people get caught up in the emotions of picking up or
holding a puppy. But even if the sign at your feet says "free", know
right now that it is only the price to hold the puppy, put the puppy down, and
walk away.
If you decide to walk away with puppy in hand, you need to
understand there will be a cost associated with this financially. The
"free" term stayed with the other puppies you left behind.
- Food -
Dogs are not human. They should not be feed human food. If you took the
puppy thinking you could feed it table scraps, you are wrong. You are
going to have to lay down cash for the dogs food. And not just a one time
shot, but for the remainder of your dog's life. Overtime the food bill
could add up, depending on the size of the dog, to a pretty hefty monthly
expenditure.
- Safety
Equipment - This is referring to collars, leashes, and maybe dog runs or
other things that you will need to control the dog from running out in to
the street or perhaps chasing after other people, animals, and cars. These
items are usually a one time cost, but if you purchase cheaply made ones
to save some money, you may have to buy more than once.
- Vet
Bills - Even if you do most everything at home to keep your dog healthy,
you are still going to acquire vet bills from time to time. Initially, you
are going to have to take the dog to the vet to get vaccination shots, and
hopefully you being a responsible person, spayed or neutered. Then
occasionally to get nails trimmed and clipped (unless you do it). But
there are also times that you may have to take the dog to the vets for
emergencies. None of these visits will be free.
- Grooming
- Dog hair is not human hair. The shampoos are similar, but different in
formulation. For example, Labradors have 2 layers of different type hair,
one short and a little "oily" to protect the dog from cooler
temp water, and the regular longer hair that you see on the coat, and on
the floor, and on the rugs, and on the furniture, and on your clothes,
and...well, you get the point. Bathing and brushing should be done
regularly to control shedding, hair matting, and infestations. And
speaking of that...
- Infestations
- You are going to want to protect your dog from fleas, ticks, and other
creatures like mites. The biggest reason, these creatures have no problem
substituting humans for dogs. For the most part, they are after blood, not
something only the dog offers. Go cheap, and you will reap the rewards by
having carpet, bedding, and furniture infestations. This could create a
bigger cost to rid your house of these little monsters. One flea laying
eggs in carpet that most vacuums do not pick up can create thousands of
fleas in a matter of days.
DOGS REQUIRE TIME
People often try to mislead themselves when it comes to time
requirement of a dog. They think, "Puppy so cute...it won't hamper my busy
schedule too much, little time to throw some food and water down, open a door a
few times a day to let them out...done!"
These disillusioned people could not be farther from the
truth. Dogs demand time and attention, period!
- House
Training - Unless you don't care if your house's floor becomes a minefield
of feces and urine, you are going to have to take time to train your dog
that "using the restroom" means going outside of the house to
find a spot. Time varies from dog to dog, but you are not going to get a
magical dog that knows this from birth. And if you are thinking you have
trained a child, so no problem! Think how long it took to train that
child, oh, and one more thing, humans have much more control of their body
functions when young than do dogs.
- Exercise
- You are going to have to provide your dog with some sort of exercise.
And the dog prefers that you join them in this. Play time and exercise
time is a daily thing your dog is going to require. Think about it, you
would go crazy if you did nothing but eat the same food, use the bathroom,
and the rest of the time awake or sleeping somewhere on a couch, chair,
floor, etc. Ever hear of the term "cabin fever"?
- ME
Time - You bet! Your dog needs to have time when it is just you and them.
The relationship needs that "bonding" time to relieve the dog of
stresses they might otherwise experience. Time away from you is worrisome
at best for the dog. You can leave the house when you want, visit with who
you want, probably leave daily for work, and other social interactions
that you take for granted every day. Your dog has...uh, lets see...you!
That's it! You! So you can see why that ME Time is important.
SUMMATION
Taking on a dog will more than likely create a lasting,
trusting relationship that lasts for years, averaging a decade (10 years). If
you keep your dog healthy, the rewards of that relationship is unconditional
love from you dog regardless of how the rest of the world views you.
There are some things that you need to understand though
when taking on a dog for a pet or companion. Dogs are not "free" per
se, there are costs involved with dog ownership. Some of these costs are
unavoidable, and continue throughout the life of the dog. Dogs are not toys you
can set on a shelf and only play with when you feel like it. They require a lot
of attention and your personal time. Time includes training, bathroom time
(outside), exercise time, play time, and ME Time.
This article was not written with the idea of
discouraging you to become a dog owner. In fact, it was written to explicitly
explain the responsibilities you will face as a dog owner. Those big puppy eyes
and floppy ears pull and tug on the heart strings of even the most closed off
emotional human. And in that "zone" most people tend to forget or
even purposely mislead themselves into thinking dog ownership is no big deal.
It is the hopes of this author that you realize just how much goes into dog
ownership and what it takes to keep your dog healthy. |
