Owning Your First Dog

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     Owning a dog is a very exciting time for most families. Little kids often dream of having their very own puppy when they are growing up. It is a great way to bring your family together. You will be the best parent on the block when you bring home a new dog for your kids. However, owning a dog is not always just fun and games you know. You have a lot of responsibilities when you take on a dog as part of your family. Owning a dog is like dog boarding twenty-four seven hours a day, seven days a week. If you would rather leave that job to the dog boarding facility, than clearly a dog is not the right pet for you. However, if you find that the friendship and fun times you will get from your animal is worth the work, than you should definitely think of investing in a dog.

Having a dog means responsibility yes, but what responsibilities? One of the biggest ones is obviously vet care and keeping them healthy. This is usually one of the last things people think about when getting a dog, but it is one of the biggest parts of owning one. Now that does not mean your animal is going to be sick all of time, it just means that you need to be ready if they do get sick and you need to be able to take the right precautions so that they do not get sick. You should get a working relationship going with your vet so you feel comfortable calling them if you have any questions.

Another responsibility that comes with owning a dog is making sure they stay exercised and happy. You need to be able to take them out for walks multiple times a day, or at least once a day. Your dog needs to get out and run around. If you have a big fenced yard, then you will be able to let it run around freely. However, if you do not have a big yard for it to run around you will need to go out and take it on a leash for exercise. If you like to exercise, taking your dog on runs with you is a great way to bond with your pet as well. On the other side, if you do not tend to work out much, having a dog is a great way for you to get some exercise.

Lastly, your dog will need to be groomed frequently. A long-haired dog needs to be clipped more often the short-haired dogs because the fur gets matted which does not look good. It is a good idea to give your dog a bath occasionally and trim the toenails. Imagine how uncomfortable it is for a woman to have knotted or dirty hair, it is the same way for a dog. Your dog will also need its nails clipped regardless. Keeping them clean and happy is vital to their happy life with you.