Guide For Becoming a Pet Owner
Published by Dee Phillips at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Dee Phillips
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Guide For Becoming a Pet Owner
Is Becoming a Pet Owner Right for You?
Becoming a pet owner is a big decision. You may love animals and want nothing more than having a pet to share your life, but there are a lot of responsibilities that go along with that. Many people are not aware of the commitment that pet ownership entails. You need to take into consideration a few points before you decide to take on the role of pet ownership.
Firstly, being an animal lover is not enough of a reason for pet ownership. You need to assess your and your family’s situation before you make the final decision. The timing should be right for you, the environment needs to be pet friendly and your family’s needs also need to be taken into consideration.
What I mean by assessing your situation is this:
1. Time commitment - You need to be able to have the time to give your pet the attention it deserves. Does your job require you to travel a lot? Are you seldom home? Is your pet going to be home alone most of the time? Do you have the time to give your pet the exercise it needs (i.e. walking your dog)?
2. Is your home a pet friendly environment? Do you live in an apartment that allows pets? Do you live on a busy street that may not be cat-friendly? Do you have a backyard where your pet can have some free space to run? Do you have the right spot with proper sunlight and ventilation for your bird’s cage?
3. Family – Discuss getting a pet with the rest of your family. Are you a cat lover and your spouse a dog lover? Does anyone in the family have pet allergies? Who will take on the responsibility of the pet’s care? Pets can be a large part of your family so every member of the family should at least be consulted when adding this new member to it.
4. Finances – Many people are unaware that having a pet also has a financial commitment attached to it. The pet needs to be fed. There are vet bills involved – dogs and cats need shots, and perhaps to be spayed or neutered. Sometimes pets have other health issues that need to be addressed, and which may require a lot of money. There may be kennel fees or pet sitting fees involved if you need to leave your pet for a vacation period. Cats need clean litter.
5. Temperament – and by this I mean your temperament. Do you have the patience needed to own a pet? Pets need understanding and patience from you. Puppies and kittens, as well as birds, need to be trained. They bite and chew things around the house. They get into mischief. They leave little messes for you to clean up. You need to be able to deal with their personalities and you need to be compatible with them. Do you have the love and compassion your pet will crave?
6. Timing – Is this the right time for you to own a pet? Sometimes timing is everything. You may want a pet, but perhaps some other event in your life can prevent this from being the right time to begin pet ownership. For example, perhaps you are contemplating a job transfer. It may be a better idea to wait until you are settled in the new location to find out which environment may be more suitable to the pet you are considering. Or, perhaps you have just had a baby and although you may still want a pet, you may not have the time to give a pet the attention it deserves (perhaps waiting a short time would be better.)
All of the above needs to be carefully considered before you decide to take on the commitment of pet ownership. But, also be aware that many of the obstacles can be overcome if you are determined that pet ownership is right for you. Read the tips referred to later on in this guide to learn how you can deal with most hindrances that may prevent you from owing a pet.
Remember though, that pet ownership is a commitment that may last for years. It is not to be considered a short term fancy. Pets live a long time (typically 10-15 years for dogs or cats-sometimes longer, and perhaps much longer for some birds) and you need to be able to commit that time for the life of your pet.
Owning a pet though, is a very rewarding experience. Your pet’s commitment and devotion to you will be complete. Nowhere will you receive the satisfaction, love and bonding that comes with giving your life and attention into your pet’s ownership.
This guide will help steer you in the right direction into becoming a GREAT pet owner.
Choosing the Right Type of Pet
Now that you have decided that this is the right time for you to own a pet and that you are ready for pet ownership, you need to decide on the right type of pet for you and your family. You need to choose the type of pet that would be best suited to add to your family.
There are many different types of pets to consider, ranging from the traditional dogs, cats and birds, to more exotic animals. Basically in this guide we will focus on the traditional types of pets and just touch on different specimens.
As mentioned before, your family needs to have a discussion about which type of pet is right for you. Some people are more “doggie” oriented, others simply love cats, while still others prefer the noisy playfulness of a bird. There is no rule as to which is better, but it is simply a personal preference. Of course, if allergies are involved that may make a major difference in your decision.
As also mentioned, you need to take into account the amount of space you may have for your pet (or other environmental factors) and the time commitment your pet may require. For example, a family that lives in an apartment make need to spend extra time in walking a dog, but that time commitment would not be required if their pet was a bird.
Don’t forget that any type of pet you do decide on will return the love and devotion you desire.
Here are a few tips on choosing the right type of pet for you:
Choosing a Dog:
Let’s face it—dogs are a great pet choice. Dogs are great with people and are great companions. Dogs have been referred to as man’s best friend for years. Here is an article you may find interesting on how dogs came to be known as man’s best friend:
Man’s Best Friend
It is believed that the dog as “Man’s Best Friend” became domesticated approximately 15,000 years ago. It would be hard to calculate the number of dog years that would be, but it certainly is a long time. So how was it that the dog became “Man’s Best Friend” to begin with? Let’s go back in history to see how it may have happened.
The earliest wild dog was believed to be descended from a wolf, with perhaps a jackal for a mother. Let’s call our initial dog “Rex”. Rex and primitive man had a few things in common. Both were probably cave dwellers. Both had the difficult task of finding food, shelter and warmth. They both had to hunt to keep themselves alive, and they had to bring back food to their families. Both lived in family packs. So we can deduce that both had similar needs.
Perhaps both watched the other and found out that they could benefit from each other. Man could provide Rex with warmth from his fire and bones left over from his hunting. Rex could provide man with help in the hunting process. Rex could track prey better than man because of his better sense of smell. He could use his pack to help bring down the prey. Man and Rex could work together as a team and both could reap the rewards.
Being a part of a pack, Rex was also a very social animal. He understood what family was all about. In his pack he cared for his other family members, and when man came on the scene he learned to care for him too, probably thinking of man as one of his family pack. Rex would have offered a great amount of protection for his family that man would have benefited from as well.
Modern research has also found that domesticated dogs are able to recognize human communication skills at a high level, even in puppies as young as nine weeks old. They are able to understand human cues better than other animals raised by humans, even more than chimpanzees. This ability to communicate indicates that a special relationship existed between Rex and man and why they possibly had a special connection to each other.
Today it is easy to see why the dog has become “Man’s Best Friend”. They are constant companions, loyal, eager to please, intelligent, hard-working and loving. No one can deny the cuteness of a puppy, the soothing feeling one gets when petting a dog or when looking into a dog’s big brown eyes. Throughout history and the domestication process, Rex and man have formed a special bond. Dogs have become not only companions, but have been of utmost use to humans in working relationships. They seem to have a symbiotic relationship which conceivably demonstrates how the first bond was formed, thereby making the dog “Man’s Best Friend”.
As mentioned in the article, dogs are one of the most loyal and loving of pets. It is hard to beat their companionship. If your need of a pet includes the attributes of a dog, you will not find it disappointing. But, you also need to consider what type of dog would best fit in with your family.
Breed
Various breeds of dogs offer different strengths and weaknesses that may or may not be the right fit for your family. A little research into the different dog breeds to find the right choice would be well advised and would be time well spent.
This guide cannot possibly list all the dog breeds and their qualities, but I will go into a few to give you a hint of what you may want to take into consideration. I would suggest, however, that before you decide on a particular breed you need to familiarize yourself with the type of dog want. Do your research by finding books at the library or book store, or even on the internet. Visit kennel and breeding websites (some of which will be listed later in this guide) and read through the attributes of each breed before making your final decision.
According to the American Kennel Club (2006) the most popular breeds of dogs are as follows (listed in order of kennel registrations):
Labrador Retriever – Labradors are fairly large dogs, standing at about 22-24 inches and weighing approximately 60-75 lbs, full grown. They have a short, water-resistant double coat which is relatively easy to care for. They are friendly, loving, affectionate, patient and highly intelligent. They are loyal, willing, active all-around good natured dogs. They have a life span of 10-16 years.
Labradors make excellent companions and are also quite often used as working dogs. They respond well to praise and positive attention. They are dependable, obedient and gentle. They tend to be great with children, making them an excellent choice for a family dog.
Yorkshire Terrier – The Yorkshire Terrier is a small breed of dog in the toy category, standing about 6-7 inches in height and weighs about 7 pounds. They have long, silky-fine fur. They tend to have a high activity and energy level, and are quite intelligent. They are brave, loyal, clever and affectionate, but are sometimes aggressive. Their life expectancy runs about 12-15 years.
Due to their small size, Yorkshire Terriers make excellent lap dogs. As mentioned, they tend to be highly energetic and will bark at strangers, although they can be fiercely loyal within a family. These small dogs require a bit of extra grooming due to their long hair.
German Shepherd – The German Shepherd or “Alsatian” is a larger variety of dog weighing in at about 77-85 lbs. and standing about 24-26 inches tall. There are three varieties of German Shepherd dogs, a short-haired, medium-haired and long-haired.
German Shepherd dogs have an extraordinarily high intelligence rating. They are fearless, alert, obedient, loyal, courageous, and eager to learn. They are protective and fearless, making them excellent guard dogs. They have a life span of about 15 years.
Golden Retriever – This is a medium-large sized dog with a height of about 20-24 inches and weights averaging about 55-80 lbs. They have a soft, feathered double coat of long-ish fur, which can be wavy or flat. They fur is golden in color, giving them part of their name.
Golden Retrievers tend to be highly intelligent and have a medium-high energy level. They are athletic, friendly, confident, biddable and never seem to be timid or aggressive. Their life expectancy is about 12-13 years. They make excellent family dogs.
Beagle – The Beagle is a medium sized dog measuring about 13-16 inches high and weigh in at about 16-35 lbs., with females being slightly smaller. They have large, soft floppy ears and big brown eyes that are hard to resist. They have an excellent sense of smell and are often used as scent dogs for tracking or detecting prohibited products at airports, etc.
Beagles tend to be popular dogs because of their even temperament, smaller size and relatively lack of inherited health problems. Beagles are intelligent dogs, but because they were bred for their single-mindedness in the hunt, they can tend to be stubborn and hard to train. They are good with children which make them good family dogs, but they do tend to be prone to separation anxiety.
Dachshund – This is a breed of dog that looks to be elongated, with short little legs. There are three sizes of Dachshund – Toy, with a height of up to 12 inches and weighing about 8 lbs., Miniature, with a height of up to 14 inches and weighing about 9 lbs., and Standard, with a height between 14-18 inches and weighing about 20 lbs. There are also three different varieties in the length of their coat, short-haired, wired-haired and long-haired. Their life expectancy is about 12-15 years.
Dachshunds are lively, affectionate, mischievous dog which are bold, willful, playful, fun and often humorous. They are clever dogs, but tend to be harder to train. They are also very devoted. They do tend to have a louder bark, which makes them good as a watchdog. Dachshunds also crave the companionship of their owners and do not like to be left alone. But, they also tend not to like strangers. Not all Dachshunds are known to be good with children.
Boxer – This is another medium-large dog, standing about 22-25 inches in height and weighing about 60-70 lbs. They have a shiny, close-fitting coat and they have a life expectancy of about 11-14 years.
These dogs are happy, high-spirited, playful, curious and energetic. They are intelligent, eager and quick to learn, but they can also tend to be stubborn at times. They are a loyal and affectionate dog.
Although boxers are patient and tend to be good with children and are not an aggressive or vicious breed, they tend to need careful socialization with other dogs sometimes exhibiting protective, territorial and dominant behavior. These dogs are active and need plenty of exercise.
Poodle – Poodles come in three varieties, the Toy with a height of up to 10 inches and weighing 6-9 lbs., the Miniature with a height of 11-15 inches and weighing approximately 15-17 lbs. and the Standard with a height of 15 inches or more and a weight of 45-70 lbs. Their coat is profuse and very curly when groomed and clipped. Their life expectancy is between 12-15 years.
Poodles are sensitive, highly intelligent, perky dogs. Some may tend to be high-strung and timid. They are generally good-natured and very trainable. Poodles can get bored easily and as a result get into mischief. Poodles also tend to have a reputation for being people-orientated dogs and do well in the family atmosphere.
Shih Tzu – This breed of dog stands p to about 11 inches tall and weighs about 9-16 lbs. They are extraordinarily cute with an abundance of long hair lined with a woolly undercoat. They have a life expectancy of about 15 years.
These dogs are fairly active. They are alert, spunky, sometimes arrogant, loyal, obstinate, clever and playful. Because of their long coats, they need to be brushed and groomed a bit more than may be required of other breeds.
Miniature Schnauzer – The Miniature Schnauzer is a smaller dog with a general height of about 12-14 inches and a weight of about 10-15 lbs. They have a harsh outer coat, with a soft undercoat. Their life expectancy is about 15 years.
The Miniature Schnauzer tends to be a fairly active dog with a high learning rate. They are very perky, loving, intelligent, affectionate, playful and obedient, but their temperament can be quite variable. They make ideal guard dogs and will defend their home both verbally and physically.
These dogs are generally good with children and can recognize the need for gentle play within a family environment. They do, however, tend to need a lot of attention and affection from their owners or their mental health can suffer.