- Christmas DogRandy Son Of Robert / Foter.com / CC BY
So you’re thinking you’d like a dog or puppy, and you’ve been wanting one for a while now. Christmas is coming, and now you’ve gone “Perfect timing, let’s get a dog for Christmas!”
Sounds so easy. But hang on a minute and read this…
It could well make all the difference.
You see, you’re thinking getting a dog makes perfect sense and it could be the best decision you ever make. However, it could also turn out to be an absolute nightmare for both you and your dog.
What you can expect…
Peeing on the carpets, chewed furniture, barking at night, biting and ripping your work clothes. It all ends up in a lot of stress, expensive bills, heartache, and then to top it off, the dog is returned to the rescue center at around 1 year old, having been classed as “too hard to handle.”
Here’s the good news.
With just a little bit of prior knowledge, that dog could be a happy dog for many, many years, bringing joy into your household for the rest of your dog’s life. Same dog. Different approach.
That’s right. It’s not the dog. It’s the approach. So give your future puppy or dog a chance and keep reading!
Here’s a couple of things to think about before you make the plunge, because it’s a big decision and you want to get it right the first time.
1. Choose the right dog!
There is more than one dog out there that would suit you; in fact, I can promise you there are thousands! So don’t think that this is a needle in a haystack sort of job. However, you do want to choose a puppy or dog that will suit you and your lifestyle.
So the first question to ask is whether a dog or puppy is best for you.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. With an older dog you can tell their personality and character easier as it is more developed. So you can tell if they’re a couch potato or a challenger!
Also, with an older dog there will be no need to go through all the house training, etc. For those of you unfamiliar with this, it can be very time consuming and requires you to be around most of the time (if not all the time to start with). So if you need to get back to work soon after getting your new puppy, an older dog may be better.
A few of the other factors to think about are the size, the amount of shedding and grooming required, and the amount of energy your dog will have. Take your time to think of all the different options and then meet several dogs before making your decision.
2. Time commitment
The amount of time required to spend with your dog can really vary from dog to dog and also changes over the lifetime of the dog. Young dogs, puppies, and up to the age of 2 can often require quite a lot more than older dogs, who are often happy to lie around more and sleep during the day.
A very important consideration to make is to get an idea of how much energy your dog will have and how much exercise you can give them. Different breeds tend to have different amounts of energy, but the personality and character of the dog will have just as much influence on the dog.
For example, if you get a high energy Border Collie or Boxer, then they are likely to need way more exercise than a chilled-out St Bernard or Pug. A high energy dog could need 2-3 half-hour pharmacy walks or runs every day. A smaller low energy dog may be very happy charging around the back garden and playing, and may not need to get out to the park every day.
Making sure that you can give your dog the exercise, time, and stimulation is crucial, because the energy that they have has to go somewhere!
3.Setting up the home beforehand
There is nothing crazier than bringing home a dog and then deciding that you need to build a fence or patch up the holes to keep them in! Yet so many people do this.
It’s crazy because from the word go you are not able to let your puppy or dog run around outside! You get stressed, so your dog becomes stressed…You set yourself up to fail!
So mend that fence and dog-proof the garden now.
Here are a couple of other key things to consider.
Decide now on a small area where you can contain your puppy. (A dog can be kept in a room, but puppies will sometimes need to be contained at night). Think about buying a puppy pen, a crate, or simply creating a safe place that you can put your puppy to rest when you need a break and where they sleep. This safe place could be a laundry, bathroom, or washroom.
Get hold of some toys, chews, and old objects that your puppy can chew safely for when they arrive home.
Decide now what areas you want your puppy or dog to be in and which areas are out of bounds. This will then mean that you start off on the right step.
4. Training starts the second you get home
Something that the vast majority of people don’t realize is that your training starts the second you pick your puppy or dog up. Don’t be fooled– just because they are good when you get them does not mean that they will stay that way if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Waiting for a problem to occur before you do anything about it is not smart. It’s why so many people struggle, and a lot fail. It’s much harder to get things back on track after your dog has gotten into bad habits.
Remember, prevention is better than cure.
Trust me when I say that dogs can turn unruly very quickly if they are not trained correctly. Just look at the rescue centers a few months after Christmas. They are bursting at the seams.
If you want good solid advice on bringing home a new puppy or dog, then by far the best site I’ve seen on the internet is Doggy Dan’s online dog trainer. To take a look, CLICK HERE.
Inside is one of the most comprehensive dog and puppy training sites you will find. Dan even has a video diary of the raising of his puppy Moses from 8 weeks old, where he shows you everything that you could ever want to know about raising a puppy.
There are over 250 videos inside the site that include how to become the pack leader (this is a really cool section) and solve any behavioral issues. It really is a fantastic site, and I fully recommend that you take a look.
Remember, a Christmas puppy or dog is for life. So have a careful thought before you dive in and make some smart decisions about what dog is best for you. Then make things easy for yourself and start your training early!
Like right now!
So if you really want to set yourself and your puppy up to win and have a stress-free Christmas and a dog for life, then CLICK HERE.