He’s so cute, so adorable, but does the four-legged friend that
reminds you so much of Paris Hilton’s beloved Tinkerbell really fit
your lifestyle?
That’s just one of the questions that potential dog owners
should be asking themselves before taking an animal home.
He’s so cute, so adorable, but does the four-legged friend that reminds you so much of Paris Hilton’s beloved Tinkerbell really fit your lifestyle?
That’s just one of the questions that potential dog owners should be asking themselves before taking an animal home. After all, the puppy that looks so cute today will eventually grow up, and the full-grown dog that he or she will become has wants and needs that go way beyond which type of kibble to feed.
“You need to have a clear understanding about the personality type of the animal you’re looking for,” said Dr. Jon Klingborg, president of the California Veterinary Medical Association and a small-animal vet in Merced, Calif. “One of the big mistakes I see is people getting a high-energy dog like a Queensland heeler, which is bred for herding sheep, and then they put them in their back yard in town. You cannot possibly pay Frisbee with this dog enough to satisfy them, and in a few months, we will see neurotic behaviors, and we will see unhappy dogs.”
Klingborg suggests that potential owners brush up on their breed knowledge with books like “Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family,” by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson. They should also ask themselves some of the following questions, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association:
• Do you have room for a pet?
• What kinds of activities do you like?
• How do you spend your day? How often will you be away from home?
• If you live in an apartment or condominium, do you have a “no pets” clause?
• How much will your pet cost?
• What if a pet doesn’t fit into your lifestyle?
Different types of dogs have different needs when it comes to the amount of space they’ll require to live comfortably, the level of exercise they’ll prefer and the level of personal companionship they’ll demand, said Sharon Granskog, a spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
“People will select a breed or a dog based on love at first sight without really considering all of those things,” said Granskog. “Jack Russell terriers became really popular after the television show ‘Frasier’ and you had a lot of people not really realizing how high energy they are or how intelligent they are. They need a lot of activity and a lot of attention, and a lot of people couldn’t do it, so they were releasing the dogs.”
The same phenomenon took place with dalmation puppies after the release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, said Granskog, who said a little fact-checking could lead owners to the best dog for them, even if it’s not one they would have initially suspected. However, she warned, potential owners should look at more than temperament.
Some breeds of dogs, especially certain pure-breds, are prone to congenital health issues, Granskog said. Owners cannot be expected to know how to budget for every eventuality with a dog, but they can look at the basics said Klingborg.
Dogs require regular veterinary visits, shots, and some need medication, and they look to their owner for all of these things, as well as for food and shelter.
There is also a time element. Investing in a dog should mean that an owner is ready to continue this care for 10 or even 20 years, and the dog that person picks should reflect the foreseeable changes the owner expects in that time, from moving and marriage to children and old age.
And even if prospective owners think they’re familiar with the traits of a breed, it helps to be sure. Read about the sub-categories within your intended breed, said Klingborg’s wife, Kim, a professional dog trainer and fire investigator who owns K-9 Tutor in Atwater, Calif.
“A lot of times, people will think something like, ‘I want a good family dog so I’ll get a lab,'” said Kim. “What they often don’t realize is that, if they’re going with a specific breed of dog, there are usually two lines to each breed: Working and show lines. If you want just a family pet and you get a working line pet, it’s going to drive you crazy because it’s going to want a task all the time.”
When it comes to picking a dog out from the pound, the education process gets a little more muddled, said Klingborg. Dogs are under high stress and may not be themselves.
He recommended taking them out of their cage and spending some one-on-one time with the dog if possible, but no matter what a potential owner observes, he or she should know that the dog may act differently in the home setting.
A potential owner in pursuit of a good family dog should bypass the most belligerent pup in a litter and look for one that is neither too shy nor too forward, said Kim.
After that, it’s best to get the dog into a puppy class in order to socialize it with other friendly dogs and strangers, and to ensure the most well-adjusted behavior possible.
For an older dog, training classes are also recommended, said Kim, as they will help the dog to bond with its new owners.
For more information on selecting a dog for your family, visit www.avma.org/CareForAnimals/AnimatedJourneys/PetSelection.
