Читать книгу The Dog Owner's Handbook - Graham Meadows - Страница 36

Be sure you know who will be responsible for your dog and look after it. Involve all members of the family in the decision-making process, but make sure that one, committed person has the overall responsibility and will act as leader of the pack.

It is important that only one person is the official ‘owner’ of a dog, and acts as the ‘pack leader’.

Do you have enough knowledge? If you are a first-time dog owner, make sure you know what you are taking on. A dog needs much more than feeding, exercise and grooming. It needs training and regular health care throughout its life, and may need special care when it is old.

Do you have enough time? You will need to devote a lot of time to bringing up and training a puppy, and to giving a juvenile and adult dog the companionship it needs. Over a period of years you will spend many thousands of hours training and generally caring for the animal.

Do you have enough commitment? You must be prepared to lose a certain amount of freedom, and commit for 10–15 years, perhaps longer. You may have done this once already, but are you capable of doing it again?

Can you give it the right environment? Is your home large enough for the type of dog you would like? Are there areas nearby where it can be adequately exercised? Can you keep it confined to your property and prevent it from roaming the neighbourhood?

Can you afford it? Apart from any initial cost of purchasing a dog and accessories, there are ongoing costs for food, annual vaccinations and health care, and possibly for neutering. There may be registration fees, and costs involved in fencing your garden, attending obedience-training classes, or kennelling the dog while you are away on holiday.

Can you offer the dog a stable home? Are your circumstances likely to change in the foreseeable future? Is the owner of the dog likely to go away to university, move cities or travel overseas for any length of time? Is the proposed owner elderly or infirm, or likely to suffer health problems that might affect his or her ability to care for a dog?

Which sex will you choose? Decide if you want a male or female, and if you will consider neutering either sex. Bitches are usually smaller than males, more manageable and more easily trained. Unless they are spayed, they will have an oestrus cycle (‘come into season’ or ‘be in heat’) every six months.

You may be tempted to buy a puppy (or two) because of its cuteness, but remember that when it grows up, it will need more than simply feeding and exercise: it will need training, regular health care and special care when it is old.

Retired racing Greyhounds, such as this one, make excellent companions; however, they do tend to chase anything that moves and may need careful retraining.

Is a dog the right species? Think about this very carefully. Would a cat or some other domestic pet be more suitable? Assess all your options before committing yourself.