The best dogs for children? Simple. Breeds that are not aggressive.
While dogs and children seem to go hand in hand, there are actually quite a few things to consider when getting a dog if you have little kids in the house. Not every dog is well suited to life with children, and not all children are suited to life with a dog.
Many senior dogs end up for adoption each year through no fault of their own. The owner may have died, someone in the family developed allergies, or the family moved.
There are even cases where the family simply decided they couldn’t bear to see their dog get older and pass away. A large breed dog is considered senior at about seven years of age, and a small breed is considered senior at about twelve years of age.
A senior dog rescue can be an especially good choice for someone who wants a dog that is less active and energetic. Many senior dogs have mellowed a lot by the time they reach their senior years, and really want nothing more than a little food, short walks, and love and affection thrown in for good measure. A senior dog adoption can get you unconditional love and a friend for life.
Are you really, truly willing (and able) to assume all of the responsibilities of having a dog?
This quiz for choosing a dog should help you determine if you’re really capable and willing to bring a dog into your life. If you can honestly answer yes to most of these questions, congratulations! You’re ready to consider choosing a breed.
Are you and your family able to commit 12 or more years to living with the dog? Could there be major, life-altering events in your future, such as divorce, moving to a different city, having children, or having to take care of elderly parents? Will you be able to take care of an aging dog that may have health issues?
What are the most important dog grooming tips?
1. Start grooming your puppy NOW! You will save yourself a world of struggling to get your dog to sit still if you teach your puppy now, that grooming is a fun, loving, relaxing experience.
2. Don’t bathe your dog too often. Only once every month or two is necessary. Over washing can lead to dry, irritated skin and strip essential oils from your dog’s skin.
One of the best parts of having this site is the chance to connect with other people who truly care about animals. Liz from Ottawa Dog Blog is one of those people. Liz’s site has a lot of great information on dog
Do you want a dog?
There are a lot of wonderful reasons to want a dog to become part of your life. People want a dog for love, companionship, and even an exercise partner. But beware if you want a dog for one of the following reasons.
For your child When you buy a puppy for your kids, be well aware that the person cleaning up the dog poo, filling the water dish, letting the dog out at six in the morning will be… you. Do you think that your children will take care of the dog’s feeding, watering, and walking? If so, think again…
If you’re serious about buying a puppy or adopting a dog, borrow or pet sit a dog.
To really get a feel for living with a dog, borrow the dog for as much time as possible: a week or two would be ideal. If you borrow a grown dog, consider how much extra work a puppy would be on top of taking care of a dog.
Deciding to borrow a dog is especially helpful for first-time dog owners, who often underestimate the work involved in choosing a dog. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of how much fun it will be to cuddle with a new puppy and take her for walks.
It’s a lot easier to forget how much work it is to walk the dog after work when you’re tired to the bone, clean up dog poo in the back yard, feed and water the dog, and clean up after accidents.
Buy your new puppy a home-made doggie bakery treat!
Dog bakeries are a huge business these days, and have yummy offerings like doggie biscuits and home-made ice cream.
If you can’t find a doggie bakery near you, you can always make your own, using the recipe below!
You bank online, date, make friends, order groceries, choose dog names, so why not learn to train your dog online?
The problem with online puppy training is that your pup is in the real world. In other words, eventually, you have to get off your arse and do the work. If you’re prepared to do some real work after all your browsing, dog training .com may be for you.
What online puppy training is any good? If you do a Google search for online dog training, or online puppy training, you’ll come up with millions of results. The trick, then, is to figure out which site is worth your time.
A good dog life jacket should have a sturdy top handle for grabbing your dog out of the water. Quick release buckles can make it much easier to get your dog in and out of the water.
Life jackets with a breatheable mesh underbelly can help keep your dog’s stomach and chest area drier. At the same time a dog life jacket with a neoprene underbelly can help keep your dog warmer in cold water.
The life jacket should fit so that the dog can go pee with the jacket on. Well designed dog life jackets have a cut out in the middle for male dogs. This will eliminate potential accidents, and save you the hassle of struggling to get the dog out of the jacket in a pee emergency.