To most people, dogs are a lot like their children. This has become even more obvious today with the dog strollers, dog carriers that look like baby carriers, and all the clothes, play groups, and everything else you see and hear about. In some cases I think it is a little over board but I truly believe that dogs are a part of your family too. They bring you joy, they require training and discipline, they love you despite your issues. All too often people decide to get a dog just because they want something running around the yard to keep the kids entertained or whatever. This is not fair to the dog or to your kids! We recently brought a new dog into our family. The home he came from wasn't bad but they knew they didn't have enough room for him. He had slept in a crate in the garage every night and apparently wasn't made a part of the family. He is now spoiled rotten. He sleeps on a big cozy dog bed in our bedroom, plays in the back yard with the kids, goes swimming, goes camping, and he even has a special rug in the family room just for him. He recently saw his former owner and you could actually see the worry in his eyes that he was going to go back there! Who could resist these eyes though?
Just like kids, dogs need to know they are loved. They need to be taken to the doctor now and then. They need to be given regular meals and a warm safe place to sleep. It doesn't matter what kind of dog you own. Everyone has different dogs that they like. Some of the best dogs are mutts but I'm not saying that purebred dogs are not good. In fact, there are many good breeds of dog out there. I don't believe however that the breed of the dog is what makes them good. I believe that it is their personality and how they were raised. It also comes through their parents. I had the misfortune of getting a puppy who's parents weren't socialized. The puppy ended up attacking our mini Doxie and we had to take it back to the breeder. He had been fine with everyone, then one day, for no reason that we could see, he attacked and tore a small whole in Little Guy's neck. Well, that wasn't fair to him to have to go through that so we decided that since he was one of our children too, his safety and comfort came first. He soon made friends with another Australian Shepherd puppy though and they lived together, with us of course, for another 2 years. We lost Little Guy to pneumonia when he was eleven. He had been part of our family since he was 8 weeks old. Losing him was like losing a child.
People really need to think about the whole picture before they just get a dog. It is a lifetime commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly. A dog isn't like a toy that you can just give away when you're tired of playing with it. They have feelings too. It is also a decision that the whole family should be a part of. If you are looking to add to your family, bring your spouse or significant other and the kids along. If you have another dog already, you should set up a time for them to meet on neutral ground before you bring them home. This will tell you if they will get along or not. If they get into a fight then you can be pretty sure that they don't like each other. Never try to introduce a new dog by yourself. It is always a good idea to keep them on leashes with someone holding each leash and prepared to separate them if needed. Before you bring the dog home you should have everything you need to make them comfortable. They should have some toys to play with, a bed, food and bowls, a leash, and someone who has time to spend with them. If you treat your dog like a member of the family then you will likely have a very happy, well behaved dog. Just look at these two, do they look happy to you?
