How to Choose the Right Dog

As the old saying goes, “Dog is man’s best friend”. A dog does not only protect the household of its owner, but also gives happiness and satisfaction to his master. Man adopts and takes good care of his dog, and in return, the dog protects and gives service to its master; a reciprocal exchange of companionship, friendship and kindness. Almost everyone has a loyal canine best friend already, but still, some households haven’t got theirs. How to choose the right dog will require some thorough thinking because it is an important decision indeed. If you are planning to have your own dog, you must be physically, financially and emotionally ready. You will not bring a poor dog to your house just to make it a house guard! You want to have a dog because you want to be responsible in taking good care of it, and to treat it like a member of your family. Several factors on how to choose the right dog must be taken into consideration before adopting or buying a dog for your home. The following tips may help you decide on how to pick your ideal dog: • Look into your present standard of living and don’t forget to consider the needs and safety of your family, most especially if you already have kids or if you have small siblings. Likewise, ponder if you are ready and willing to make some adjustments, if ever you will bring a dog to your home. • Consider any financial constraints. Think about how much you can afford in buying or adopting a new dog. Likewise, consider the financial support your acquiring of a new dog would definitely entail, like the routinely maintenance of the dog’s appearance such as bathing, haircut and other basic grooming practices. Be ready also for some costly expenses like when visiting the veterinary for scheduled vaccines, cleanings of teeth, and unexpected sickness or injuries. • Bear in mind the characteristics of the dog that you want. Decide the ideal look or breed, size, age, and level of energy, as well. You can choose from several popular breeds like the Akita, Basset Hound, Beagle, Bulldog, Chihuahua, Dalmatian, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, Retriever, Great Dane, Poodle, and Shih-Tzu among many others. • Do some research about the different breeds of dogs, and from there, you can make a list of some breeds that you may possibly consider buying or adopting, until you can trim down your list and finally decide on what you really want. You can bring your list when looking in the animal shelter or pet shop where you are planning to adopt or buy your dog. Also, do bring a list of several important questions you may wish to ask so that you will become more knowledgeable about the breed of dog that you want.