One of the most crucial moments in the relationship between man and dog is when a person decides to become and owner of one. Perhaps you've seen an album on facebook of some little ones that looked oh so cute, or you're thinking 'the house is empty all day and I have that flat screen that needs looking after, a dog seems like a cheap alternative to hiring professional security' or maybe you have always wanted a dog but your parents never let you have one. All of these reasons are extremely bad ones and if that is what your thinking then maybe you should think again.
Getting a puppy is like having a baby. There is never an ideal time or the perfect reason to have one. Some people relish the idea of dog ownership like some parents relish the idea of raising kids, and like with parents, when considering dog owners there are both good ones and really really bad ones.
When flirting with the idea of getting a dog there are certain main points to consider. The most important being:
'Do I have the time?'
A puppy will not look after itself. Neither will an adult dog. You can't leave to work every morning saying 'bye Fido, help yourself to anything in the fridge'. The dog will depend on you for EVERYTHING. To be fed and in the case of puppies this is five times a day- with a well balanced and nutritious meal. To be bathed. To be let out for bathroom breaks. To be taught to be good. To be looked after when sick. I cannot stress enough how much of a responsibility it is to have a dog and since the average life span of a dog is over ten years in many cases, this is a longer commitment than most marriages in this day and age.
Your dog will never be a bad dog. He will only have a bad owner. So you will really need to take the time to teach it things, spend time with it and get to know it. The better you know your dog the more likely it is you will be able to tell if something is not right. If your dog is usually active and suddenly sleeps all day long, or if a dog who loves meal time seems disinterested in food then something is wrong. And how would you know if you haven't spent enough time getting to know your dog?
'Do I have enough space?'
Dogs can't live in cages any more than humans can. Same with being leashed all day long. One of the things that makes me incredibly sad when it comes to dogs in Sri Lanka is the fact that so many people cage their dogs. Yes, perhaps after a bath or for a couple of hours at most while you have guests or wish to mop the floor, it is acceptable to cage or leash a dog. But for more than that, it is a crime! In some countries it is actually illegal.
When I say space, I don't mean how much space you have indoors. Maybe your house is magnificent, large and can sleep ten adults. But if for example that magnificent house is tiled, then your dog can't be in it for too long. Tiling will damage a dog's spine, and will cause serious back problems in a growing dog. You need to have garden space and lots of it! If you don't have a lot of garden space, then you will need to exercise your dog daily- an hour of moderately strenuous exercise like a walk, or forty five minutes of strenuous exercise like running or swimming (this will vary of course depending on the age and activeness of the dog, so to be sure consult your vet).
'Am I willing to make sacrifices?'
Yes, with any pet you will have to make sacrifices. Some will be small, like you may wake up one morning to find a toiled roll massacred in your living room. Others, like shoes, Blackberries (true story here, of a dog that ate a Blackberry mobile) laptop chargers, gold chains (ever read the book 'Marley and Me?')- when you have a puppy NOTHING is safe. And other times, they will be bigger sacrifices. You may not be able to go out of town unless you can find someone to care for your dog (luckily there is a fabulous dog hotel for that ) and you may have to leave the party a little bit earlier so you can run back home for meal time. Which ever it is, there will be sacrifices, and you dear dog owner will be making them.
BUT, if you have considered all these things and still think you can handle it, then believe me when I say there will seldom be a more beautiful thing than a relationship between a man and his dog. I can tell you first hand that my life would be awful without my doggies, who have given me so much love- enough for this lifetime and possibly the next.
It is never easy, but it sure is worth it!
Have a nice day dog lovers!
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