But am thinking of adopting one. any special things i should know about? I'm generally a cat person, but love dogs as well. hes a minpin/pekignese mix....
2006-11-18 18:58:29 · 3 answers · asked by vdubbchick 4 in Pets ➔ Dogs
OK, it's great that you have decided to adopt rather than buy from a breeder/pet store or any other facility.
This is what you will need to know before you get the dog:
1) As soon as you get the puppy - you should ask the pound if he has had all his shots. If not, you will need to take him to the vet when he is due for his next shot.
2) **If he isn't fully house-trained already** You will obviously have to start house-training the dog. Some people use crate training however, a lot of breeders do not do this as it can be cruel to leave the dog in such a small place. You will need to take him out to go potty every 2 hours.
3) You should enrol him into obedience classes ASAP. You should only enrol him after he has had his Parvo shot (If they do classes at a public park. Some business' have a facility that they use privately).
4) You will need to neuter him to prevent things like: escaping to go find a female dog in heat, humping and marking his territory everywhere.
5) It is a good idea to micro-chip him. If he ever escapes from your property, he can be detected with the number in his micro-chip.
6) You will need to make sure you are financially stable before getting the pup. Puppies are a lot of work. They also can cost a lot. You will need to buy a crate/bed, food, grooming supplies, toys, collar, leash, name tag, food and water dishes.
Goodluck on getting your new puppy.
2006-11-18 21:45:37 · answer #1 · answered by Elena 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a TON of work, especially in the beginning.. for the first few months at least. Plus, it costs at least a good amount of money to properly take care of them, and training them is absolutely necessary. On the flip side, they're super fun and loyal, friendly and cuddly and cute, and just about every other good thing you can think of. You could try taking care of someone else's dog for a day or two, like a friend's dog, so you could get the feel of it. Dogs are super, my doggie is my best friend. :o) Like I said though, she's also quite a bit of work.. but worth it to me.
2006-11-19 03:42:55 · answer #2 · answered by Emo B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Training in the beginning is the key to a good dog. Adopting is an awesome idea. Give them plenty of toys to chew on and make time to take them out to go pottie
2006-11-19 03:03:26 · answer #3 · answered by gvemethreesteps 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋