Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx
A friend of mine wants a dog. As a single mom she will be at work at least four days a week for 10 –12 hours a day with the commute. I truly understand the peace of mind that a good dawgly provides. I also understand the expense and other considerations that need to be considered before you buy a beastly for your house.
Don’t get a dog if you think you can keep it in the back yard and have a happy dog. Dogs are pack animals and require a pack to be happy. With good crate training, living with a dog is doable and better for both of you. You will want to read up on this before you bring the puppy home.
Crate training takes no more than 3 to 4 weeks if done correctly and assuming you have a normal dog that is healthy and happy. One trick I use to bond with the animal is I put my stinkiest t-shirt in the crate with the puppy. Every dog I have done that with has become truly “my dawg”.
You must have a fenced in back yard at the very least. There will be times when the dog needs to go out and you are busy. Having a fenced in yard means you can let the beastie out and then check back in 5 or 10 minutes. Read more at Please Fence Me In.
Finally, dogs are expensive. They require regular visits to the vet, food, accoutrements, and often, medicine. Crates cost money too. If a $200 – $400 vet bills is too much for you, don’t put yourself in the position of having to pick between feeding your kids and taking your sick dog to the vets. Read more at “The Cost of Dog Ownership”.
No matter what your experience is with dogs, you and your children should go with the puppy to obedience training. The training is really for you and your kids, but this practically guarantees that you have assess to a pro, know the “new” basics about owning and operating a dawgly, and have even a chance of success. To my friend, we will give you three, free, half-hour lessons if you are interested.
Once you agree to these facts of dawg ownership, you can move on the the selection phase.
This Dog Breed Selector might be helpful in selecting a breed. It promises, “Get some help making this important decision, choosing the right dog breed, with this personalized guide. It’s simple: Tell us your preferences, and we’ll match them with a list of dog breeds, in ranked order, that best meet your desires.” If you aren’t a runner, you won’t want a high energy dog that requires constant running time.
If you are getting puppy consider these two tests which are indicators of the personality of the beastie you are considering to bring in your house:
1. If there is a litter of dawglies, don’t choose the first one that comes to the door of the cage/enclosure. That is mostly the alpha dog that will take a special person to control. Don’t take the one that cowers in the corner, that is the runt that can also take a special owner to work with it. Ever other animal of the pack is up for grabs so pick the one you like; maybe the one with the white socks or the white flash on the chest.
2. Take this puppy and separate it from the pack. Place it on it’s back. If it fights to get up and doesn’t stop, this is a stubborn, headstrong dawg. If it fights to get up and then relaxes, this is a normal dog.
Once you have selected and paid for your puppy, you are on your way to the joy, security, and sometimes, frustration of bringing another soul into your house. I can’t imagine not having a dog, so maybe I have the dog gene. But I also appreciate the fact that my wife is a natural with animals that makes it really easy for me to overstate how happy you will be with this new member of the family. You mileage may vary.
The Bis Key Chronicles 
I swore off dogs after we had to put out beloved Rosie down at age 16. I now have my daughter’s dog (long story) and love having a dog back in my life. I just wish he remembered that the backyard is where he needs to “take care of business.” Damn dog.
Love this and agree with every word! We crate trained our beasties, and they still sleep in them at night with the doors open. I think it makes for a much happier, secure, and more obedient dog. I suppose they feel “safe” in their own little bedrooms in our bedroom. We have an American Eskimo Dog and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. A wackier mix of breeds you will never find. It works though. The Eskie has all of the intensity that the Cavvie lacks. Yet the Cavvie still rules the roost. Great advice!
Dogs are happiest if you understand them. Most people don’t take the time to think out what ownership means. I truly hate the humans that take a perfectly good puppy, ruins them, and then deserts them. I love and respect good dog owners. There are just too few of them.
When we lost our first puppy – after 8.5 years of awesome companionship (he was a large dog – 190 lbs of rott/shep/pyrn mix – who died from multiple cancers… which he stoically refused to let us know were causing him any discomfort) – we came home from the vet to a quiet, empty house… looked at each other with tears in our eyes, and said “the house is too empty… we need another dog”.
We took our time, and a few months later brought our next puppy home… 8 weeks old, 12 lbs at the time… he’s now hitting the 8.5 year mark, a petite 100lbs – dane/lab mix this time… and in perfect health (as of last month’s check-up). He’s not quite as stoic as the first pup… this one lets us know when he’s not feeling well. 🙂
We also recently tried multiple-dog ownership… but I think that’s not for us… or we just haven’t found the right dog to join us. Both dogs are now happier as only-dogs again (we’re still in touch with the new family for doggie #2).
I highly recommend http://www.petfinder.com as a way to research available adoptable dogs of all ages in the area. If you want a specific breed, there are lots of rescue groups around that can help you find a good pup, too – they’re also good resources for learning about breed specific issues, since they normally see the ones that get ‘returned to sender’ for one reason or another.
This is a great article! Personally, I’ll take a big rescued mutt of a dog any day… and in fact, that’s exactly what we did when my boys were little. But yes, it’s a commitment of time, money, and more – and it’s important to remember that.
I am such a dog lover, we have three at the moment. Great post.!