Do you want to get a dog? That is a great idea. What should you know if you decided to find a four-legged friend, and how to make your life comfortable? So, now we will talk about this.
1. Choosing a breed
First of all, you need to choose the breed. You need to select it according to your temperament, physical abilities, and lifestyle in general. For example, if you spend a lot of time at work, it is better to choose a calm pet, which does not need long walks. If, on the contrary, you have an active lifestyle, often go to nature or just like to play sports, then an active dog will be an excellent companion for you.
2. Choosing a puppy
If you have chosen a breed, the most correct thing to do is to buy a pet in a kennel. Of course, you need to read reviews, talk to breeders and ask them questions you are interested in. You should have certain requirements for the puppy, depending on the purpose of the purchase. You should inform the breeder about them because this person knows his puppies better and will help you to choose the right one.
3. What to buy for the dog?
To start a joint life, the following things are needed: bowls for food and water, preferably on a metal stand so that they do not turn over, a soft and reliable collar, a leash, combs, and brushes for grooming, luxury dog beds, and toys. It is also necessary to buy wool and teeth care products. A leash is a kind of connection between the pet and the owner on a walk, so you should pay attention to it. There are a huge number of them on the market nowadays. The leash for training should be short, up to one and a half meters. For walks, on the contrary, you need a long leash so that the puppy can explore the world.
4. Vaccinations
Pets, like humans, have a vaccination calendar. The first vaccinations, as a rule, are made by the breeder. Further revaccination depends on the age at which you want to take the puppy. Sometimes puppies leave for their breeders completely vaccinated, and the next vaccinations will need to be done only in a year. If you take a pet at an earlier age, after the first vaccination, then the responsibility for revaccination rests with you. Complex vaccinations against the most frequent diseases and rabies are necessary once a year.
5. Walk
Walking time is an individual question. Some dogs are initially afraid of the street, and it is necessary to little by little habituate the puppy to constant noise and movement. Such a dog will not benefit from long walks, and it is better to walk with them not for long but often. If the puppy is very active, then the more you walk, the better for everyone. If it does not leave energy on a walk, it will start to splash it out otherwise, for example, to run at the house. The nature of the walk is also important: if you walk around the area with a dog at a speed pace for an hour, it will exhaust him much more than it runs with other dogs for this hour. With a small puppy, walks should be short. The general rule of the duration of walks is that the number of months of the puppy is multiplied by five minutes. The number of walks can be unlimited, but the dog should be given a rest.
6. Toilet
Actively praise the puppy when it has done his case on the street and does not scold if it happened at home. The process of toilet training is not fast, and it usually ends in five to six months. If the dog is habituated to a diaper, then everything is simpler here: we take the diaper to the street and put it on the ground. Over time, we completely remove the diaper from the apartment and give it up on a walk.
7. Training
Training is the most important part of co-existence with a dog. If we talk about a puppy, first it needs to be taught is to react to his name. The most necessary commands are “to me”, “next to me”, “not allowed”, “sit”, “lie down” and, of course, “give me a paw” – the last is an indicator of good dog upbringing. This is the minimum, but the more commands the dog knows, the better it develops. It’s always hard to start with the first commands because it’s difficult for a puppy to concentrate and understand what is wanted from him. The main thing is patience, you need to praise for good performance and not scold for bad. If the process of puppy training will be a joy, then it will go quickly. Over time, the more commands there are in his head, the faster dog will learn something new.