May the Paws be with You

The flip side to getting a new dog or puppy can be peppered with all sorts of difficulties, so before embarking on such a project you need to do some homework. Inwards, will be the first place you need to look for answers. Lifestyle and canine knowledge are the key factors that will govern how much time and energy you can provide your companion. If you are simply looking to get an animal to keep you company, please do not get a dog. Look at how you can fulfill a dogs needs before how she will fulfill yours. If this has prompted a question in your mind e.g. ‘How do I fulfill a dogs needs?’ then you are not ready for a dog twofold. Instead, buckle down and educate yourself first. This is where you start looking for answers outside of yourself. It’s true enough that folks can learn as they go but you if mightn’t have enough time to give a dog, don’t start. The last thing shelters want is to see return dogs.

If you want a puppy, remember that you will also have an adolescent dog (think behaviour not age). Good house training will require constant interruptions to your sleep unless you have gone to a lot of trouble to set up a fair indoor arrangement that doesn’t leave your dog either confused or still messing in the house. Even then, you will still need to potty train her for ‘going’ outdoors. An older dog might be content to sleep about more than a young dog but still requires mental and physical stimulation. If you are simply getting a second dog to keep the first dog company maybe it means you shouldn’t have acquired the first dog? Don’t get us wrong. At Houndog we love dogs. We take so much joy in seeing the happiness dogs give to their owners. But we take even greater pleasure in seeing how much enrichment an owner can provide for their dog/s.

First question to ask when considering getting a dog… Would you like to make a lot more work for yourself and add to your financial expenses? If the answer is no, please don’t get a dog. But what about the plus side you ask? Sure, there are positives to dog ownership, but those answers are easy. It is the questions people didn’t ask which have resulted in our shelters being pressed to the limit every year. The other reason is, that life circumstances can change, even for the most diligent dog owners and they too may experience the gut wrenching heartache of having to hand over their beloved animal to a stranger.

If you’ve already committed, remind yourself at the start that it’s not going to be a perfect journey. If it turns out to feel perfect then that is a bonus. If you haven’t fostered or trialed the dog before committing to taking her then it’ll be a lucky dip regarding her personality. Remember it can take a few weeks of trialing a dog to find the essence of what you have. Dogs have a ‘settling in’ period. Good luck with your search and may the ‘pause/paws’ be with you.

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)