Getting a dog can be an exciting and fun experience but it can also be very frustrating if you do not know what to expect from the process. It is best to plan for your new dog carefully rather than bringing home a new pet on a whim. Expect the process to take at least a month and if you are looking for a specific type of dog it may take longer. The first step is deciding that you want a new pet. It is important that everyone in your household agrees to the pet and that you discuss who will take care the different responsibilities involved in having a dog. But once you’ve decided you definitely want a dog where do you get one? Although you can buy dogs from pet stores, adopting a homeless dog is the better thing to do. For one thing you will be giving a dog a better life. There are plenty of great dogs out there to adopt. Plus, bred dogs often have a lot of physical and temperamental problems due to inbreeding.
Once you’ve decided to adopt a dog it is a good idea to put some thought into what kind of dog you want. All dogs are not the same! Some qualities to think about are; activity level, how much grooming care is needed, size, and temperament. There are many books and articles, printed as well as online, that will give you information about different breeds and their characteristics. Take some time to find out about different types of dogs.
Age is often a good place to start. Older dogs are usually calmer than puppies and young dogs. If you decide on a puppy remember that they are hard work! Someone must be around most of the day with a puppy to take care of it. Be aware that even if you adopt an adult dog they may not be housetrained. If you do not want to have to housetrain your dog be sure to ask if the dog is trained or not. Age is not the only indicator for activity level though. This characteristic varies across breeds and individual dogs. Smaller dogs tend to be more hyper but large dogs often have a lot of energy as well. Decide w
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