Written by Katie on March 19, 2019

Four Things to Consider When Choosing a Dog

I am an animal person. I love animals and if I had to choose between dogs or cats, I don’t know that I could. Now if you asked me to choose between MY dog and a random cat then obviously I’d choose My dog. I love my dog, and I put much thought and study in before I got him. I knew I wanted a specific type of dog for a specific purpose. I wanted a handsome, herding dog. I wanted a male, and I wanted him to be bright, strong willed, yet fairly easy to train. I also needed him to be family friendly, and able to be an outdoor dog. At the time we were renting, and the landlord said I could have a dog, if it was kept outside.

I had some experience with Australian cattle dogs (red/blue heelers) as I had one when I was younger. Mostly, I learned what NOT to do, unfortunately. Back then I thought I knew what I was doing, I wanted a dog and my parents got me one for my 14th birthday. This was a bad decision on all our parts. We knew nothing of herding dogs, and how to properly train them. If we had gotten a lab or a retriever we probably wouldn’t have had the issues we did. The issues I had with my dog were nearly entirely my own fault, because I wasn’t training him the way a herding dog should be trained. I was training him the way I had learned, and that way works for most pet breeds but is not ideal for working/herding breeds. I got in way over my head and unfortunately had to get rid of the dog after just 1 year because he was becoming to aggressive with the kids. I feel bad that I wasn’t able to help that dog back then and in some ways he is the reason I wanted a heeler. I wanted a second chance.

I got my current dog, Obilio, nearly 3 years ago now. He is a border collie/blue heeler mix. He is exactly what I was looking for. He is handsome, bright, strong willed, and he was fairly easy to train with a few hiccups here and there. He is friendly to our family and is primarily an outdoor dog. When my sister Bekah picked her dog she didn’t put a whole lot of study or thought into it. She knew where the pup was coming from, she knew it was a herding dog. She had experience with helping me train Obilio so, she wasn’t to concerned about it. That worked out fine because we are familiar with Australian Shepherds since my cousin breeds them. Bekah’s dog Enoch, is from my cousins dog liter from last year. All this to say it’s important to know what you want in a dog and what kind of dog your getting BEFORE you go and bring the dog home. Here are 4 things to consider before getting a dog.

1. Did you look into the breed(s)?

Stereotyping a dog by its breed is not always going to be 100 percent accurate but, it can help you understand what the dogs general behavior and needs will be. A giant dog is going to need a lot more food, exercise and care in general than a lap dog. The classic “family” breeds like labs, retrievers, and sheepdogs are typed that way for a reason. They are typically easy going, easy to train and all around people friendly. Pit-bulls get a bad rep but, in actuality make very loving pets. Do your research. Some breeds are known for being runners, or hyper, or difficult to train. Learn if there’s any tricks to training the breed your interested in. Also look into the health patterns for that breed. When I got Obilio, I knew the tricks and training styles that work for herding dogs particularly for Heelers. I didn’t look to much into Border Collie training, because I thought it wouldn’t be much different. For the most part it isn’t different except, in one thing. Their is a trick to socializing Border Collies that I didn’t know. Because of that, I inadvertently made my dog afraid to meet new people, and now I have to go backwards in his training to fix it. He has improved greatly but, I’m still working on it. If your getting a mutt and don’t know the breeds be sure to ask the owner/shelter of their general behavior and health needs.

2. Do you have what you need?

There is more to owning a dog than just a collar and leash. Besides all the obvious things like bed, bowls, treats, and toys you need to consider this, do you have space for your dog. If your dog is staying in the house you’ll need to decide where to keep them. Are you going to allow them in any room in the house? Trust me there will be times when you will want to get away from your dog or your dog will want to get away from you. Your going to want somewhere to keep your dog during those times. If your keeping your dog outside you will need a shelter appropriate for the harshest weather in your area. We have our dogs outside and they have insulated winter safe houses and a wind shield around their kennel. Still when it gets too cold or stormy we bring them in the house. Actually, we let them in the house for hours everyday but, they still spend more time outside than they do inside especially in the summer. My dog doesn’t really like to be inside but, he will come in if I’m inside to be near me. Consider where your dog will live and what your boundaries will be.

3. Are you legal?

If you get your dog from a shelter they will most likely tell you what to do to make your dog legal. If you are buying from a breeder or someone that has accidental puppies then you need to be sure to check your state and county laws regarding dog ownership. I believe the rabies shot is required by every state in the US. Even if you go a natural care route for your pets you are required by law to get them the rabies shot every 3 years. Some states require the yearly booster shot for rabies as well. Also many county’s require you to register your dog. This is just a way for the government to make a little money, I think. It doesn’t actually mean anything it’s basically just a certificate that you pay $30-$40 bucks for to say you registered your dog. It’s more important if you live in the city area because if your dog gets out or gets stolen you need the certificate to claim them back. Check your state and county laws as these may not be true for you or there may be more rules depending on where you live. We live in the country so we don’t have many rules that apply to us but, some cities and neighborhoods have rules about dogs.

4. Are you ready for a dog?

Dogs are one of the greatest most fulfilling pet a person could have. That being said they do take constant care. Even a trained dog needs attention everyday, multiple times a day. If you have an indoor dog your house will require more cleaning and you will have to be diligent about letting your dog out for exercise. If you have an outdoor dog you will have to be diligent to go out several times a day to interact with them and give them the attention they need. If you have small children you will constantly have to keep an eye on them and the dog. Even the gentlest dog can get nippy after being poked in the eye four times by a toddler. Dogs are great companions but, they can also be extremely attention seeking. Do you have the time and care to give to a dog?

Those are four things you should consider before getting a dog. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have a dog feel free to leave a comment about why you love them and picked them.

Tyler

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Written by Katie

2 comments

Anya has written: March 19, 2019 at 8:23 pm Reply

Great post!
We just bought our puppy, Clover, almost a year ago now. I found a wonderful Breeder only a few hours away. She is a Bernedoodle (Poodle and Bernese Mountain Dog mix)…You may have seen the trend for doodles nowadays. We didn’t get her to be trendy though. I did a ton of research on all sorts of breeds before finding Bernedoodles. They seem to be an ideal fit for us. We needed a dog that could run and play hard, and yet be a couch potato as well. Clover is just that. She’s about fifty pounds of loyalty and cuteness, and she loves people. (We spend more of the training time working on being calm around people then anything else!) She wound up with wavy fur instead of curly, but nevertheless has minimal shedding. Being an “F1”, she’s mostly poodle, so she’s pretty dramatic and (so far) likes the water! Sadly the Bernese look is super hard (and pricey) to obtain, so our pup is all black except a few stray hairs of white, and her brown muzzle. (Yes, she’s been taken for a bear cub!) We are so blessed! So glad we took the time to find the right dog.
- Tyler Hirn has written: March 20, 2019 at 10:19 am Reply
  
  Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you got a really great dog for your family. 🙂