Is it worth getting a dog? This question often arises both for single people and families with children. Answering it, many factors should be taken into account, which we will discuss in our article.
There are situations when a child asks for a dog. What to do? We need to weigh the pros and cons. Making the right decision, one should take into account the child's age, his and his employment, as well as financial capabilities. But first things first. We will now examine each factor in detail.
Lack of time
You need to understand that the desire to get a dog should not be one-minute. Since for an animal for a long time you need to take responsibility. In the modern rhythm of life, there is not always enough time for yourself, not like for a dog. And for the normal well-being of the animal, he needs communication both with his relatives and with people. Many dogs have to wait seven to eight hours or more per day for the owner. Perhaps the animal behaves calmly during this period, but it suffers from a lack of attention and communication with the owner.
Due to a lack of external stimuli, dogs may experience behavioral problems. For example, it often happens that a puppy chews everything. This is due to the fact that he has no place to throw out his energy because of too short walks. When thinking about whether to get a dog, think about whether you have enough time for it. If not, then better to abandon such an undertaking.
If you usually don’t have enough patience and it’s hard to restrain yourself, then you should not start a dog. Since the owner should always be calm. A lot in the learning process also depends on the individual characteristics of the animal and your personal knowledge.
Dogs live for about fifteen years
If you are considering whether to get a dog, remember that these animals live for about fifteen years or more. Can you take care of your pet every day for such a period of time? If so, then you should have a four-legged friend. Despite the fact that the dog's life is more than ten years, it is still shorter than human. Therefore, it is moral to be prepared for the fact that the pet will die before you. Sometimes the loss of a dog is a heavy blow to its owner.
Extra high costs
You need to understand that the dog is a source of high costs. You should not start such a beast if you do not have a guarantee of a constant income over the next decades. After all, the dog needs to be fed, quarterly treated from internal parasites, monthly - from fleas and ticks.
Also, do not forget about the annual vaccination. In case of unforeseen veterinary expenses, it is worth having a reserve amount in a bank or on a card.
Unpleasant situations with four-legged friends
Some people do not like dogs. Sometimes they express their opinion to their owners. It should be prepared for such problems, even if you are the owner of the most obedient dog in the world.
Self-control and restrictions in choosing leisure options
The owner of the dog needs constant self-control. You must always look after yourself, your behavior and things. For example, in order not to put a hot iron and so on on the floor. So is it worth it to get a dog? If you are thinking about resolving this issue, then remember that you need to be responsible for the dog. Therefore, many owners deny themselves some entertainment or reduce their time, as their faithful friend is waiting for them at home.
Which gender to choose a pet? Features of the behavior of males and bitches
If you decide to get a dog, then you need to know how to choose it. More on this later in the article. It is important to consider many nuances: age, breed and gender. It’s not enough to say: “I want to get a dog.” You need to determine what gender you want the animal. This affects the features of care. Both sexes have their pros and cons in character.
Dog handlers say bitches are more emotionally vulnerable. They are closer to humans than males. Girls are better trained, more flexible. A bitch is attracted to a male about two times a year.
If we talk about the shortcomings of girls, it is estrus and unplanned pregnancy. Often, bitches have a false pregnancy, as well as various complications against this background. If you do not want to breed puppies, then you need to think about how to sterilize the bitch. About increased care and attention during the period of gestation of babies is not worth talking about. It's obvious.
Dogs are energetic, assertive, reckless. They also have uncontrollable joy. Every day we are ready to please the owners with positive emotions. Increased activity, the absence of difficulties associated with pregnancy - these are the main positive qualities of males.
Now let's talk about the shortcomings. The first and main one - in males year-round there is an increased interest in women of the opposite sex. They expressed a desire to dominate. They often strive to take a leading position in the family. Particular attention should be paid when raising a male of a service breed. With the right approach, the animal shows gorgeous results.
How to choose a dog? Breed and age
No less important is the age of the dog. Many people advise not to get an adult animal, as this is an already formed personality with its own habits. It is best to take a puppy from two to four months old. This is the best age of the dog when it is transferred to the new owners. You can raise such an animal yourself. When teaching a dog, try to instill in him the rules of good behavior, smooth sharp corners, and adjust to the family.
There may be problems in raising an adult dog. Since she has an already formed character, she is used to some conditions of detention. Remaking it for yourself is more difficult.
A big plus if you take an adult animal (of course, well-brought up) is that it will not make a puddle in the middle of the corridor or will not spoil property (furniture, shoes, etc.). This applies to the dog, which was instilled with norms of behavior.
When choosing a dog, you should also consider the breed and purpose, because of which you want to get animals. If you want to raise a guard in a private house, then a rottweiler or German shepherd would be a good option. Which dog will be a companion and suitable for an apartment? It can be both a Labrador (if you want more), and a pug, a French bulldog, a spaniel or a Pekingese.
Some features in nutrition
So how to feed the dog? What are the features? Note that most health problems arise due to the presence of errors in the feeding of the pet. But the rules of nutrition of dogs are quite simple, they are not difficult to follow. Remember that the body of a dog and a person are different. A dog is a predator. Man is an omnivorous creature. It’s good for dogs, unlike humans, to eat raw food.
Prohibited Food for Dogs
So, before talking about what to feed, we highlight the products that are prohibited:
- sweets (cakes, cookies, sweets, etc.);
- pork (this is fatty meat);
- hot sauces (satsebel and others);
- fatty foods;
- tubular bones;
- smoked meats (sausage, etc.);
- potatoes (both boiled and fried);
- spices and spices;
- salty foods;
- boiled bones;
- river fish (bones are dangerous in it, and besides, worms can often be in it) in order to neutralize the product from parasites, you need to process it for about an hour.
How to feed a pet? Useful food for dogs.
So, we come to the most important thing - how to feed a dog? An adult stands twice a day. A little puppy is five to six. And what should be included in the diet? Raw meat. This is a very important product in the diet of dogs of different ages. For a monthly puppy, the daily rate is fifty grams of finely chopped beef. Stuffing should not be used, as it passes very quickly through the dog’s stomach and does not have time to digest. In addition to beef, the dog can chicken and rabbit. Bird necks can also be given. The bones in them do not pose a danger to the digestive system of dogs.
You can give offal to your pet. These include: the liver, kidneys, stomach, lungs and others. Note that raw beef liver is rich in vitamins. Just before giving it to the dog, the offal should be doused with boiling water. It is better not to give the spleen. Beef buds can be given in small numbers to dogs, especially those who are prone to eating excrement. In addition, such food is rich in enzymes and trace elements.
Fish can be given to dogs, but only marine (boneless) and not more than three times a week. Also, boiled eggs (no more than two pieces per week) and low-fat sour-milk products (cottage cheese, kefir and others) are added to the diet.
Dogs can be fed buckwheat, rice porridge. Oatmeal is better steamed with boiling water, and not cook. Barley porridge should not be given; it is not digested in dogs. A small amount of vegetables, fruits and herbs will also be beneficial.
You can add sunflower oil to the porridge (one or two tablespoons, depending on the amount of food). You can feed the dog with dry food. But they must be premium or super-premium. The animal should have fresh water in an accessible place. It is also worth periodically giving vitamins, for example during molting.
How to understand a pet? Behavior features
So many owners are interested in how to understand a dog. Now let's try to understand this issue. We present useful tips on this subject. So how to understand a dog? It is necessary to follow her facial expressions and movements. Then you can roughly guess what the dog will do. If we talk about dog love, then it is infinite. The dog experiences joy while being with a person.
When a dog looks at the owner or other people, its eyes come to life. If the animal is scared, then its pupils are enlarged. As a result, the eyes seem to protrude. This is due to the fact that the muscles are tense and tightened. If a dog closes his eyes in front of another dog, then this means that it does not pose any danger to her. This "trick" and people can use when communicating with dogs. A direct look into the dog’s eyes is perceived by her as a threat or a desire to attack. If you look at her with a slight turn of her head, then the dog will not think of any bad intentions of yours.
What you need to know about the dog owner? If the ears of the dog are raised up, it means that he carefully happens to you. If the ears are at rest, then the dog shows obedience. Pressed means fear, humility, in some situations even aggression. In communication with people, dogs can smile. So they show their happy state or desire to play. With their relatives, such an action means a completely different one. Dogs are invited to play by bow.
Wagging the tail shows how the dog feels. Slow means that she is calm and joyful. Fast wagging is a great joy and willingness to work with the owner. A directly raised tail indicates tension, confidence, or aggression. The fact that the dog is scared can be judged by the tail pressed between the paws.
Content Features
The dog should have its place with a sunbed. In addition, an adult dog, and especially a puppy, requires a variety of toys. They can be purchased at the pet store. Daily walks are required for adult dogs. Duration - from 30 to 60 minutes or more.
Annually it is worth vaccinating the dog against viral diseases and rabies. Before vaccination, an anthelmintic drug should be given to the animal 10 days before the expected date. Which remedy to choose? For example, it can be "Envir", "Drontal" and so on.
During the period of ticks, it is necessary to treat the pet with funds from these parasites. It can be drops at the withers of such companies as Bars, Barrier, Hards, Front Line, etc.
Interesting Facts
Now consider interesting facts about dogs:
- There is a myth that cats and dogs cannot live together. But this is not so. The main problem in their communication is the dog’s desire to catch up. That is, if the cat does not run away, then the dog will not have a natural reaction.
- The tallest dog, which stands on its hind legs, is 2.2 meters tall. This dog was a representative of the Great Dane breed.
- Adult dogs have 42 teeth and puppies have 28.
- A dog smells more than ten thousand times stronger than a person.
- The dog needs the approval of the pack leader (leader or master).
- Dogs, like humans, can hiccup if they drink quickly or eat.
- The longer the nose of the animal, the more effective its cooling system.
- The representatives of the Lundehund breed have six fingers on each foot.
- Another interesting fact about dogs - their wet nose is necessary in order to determine the direction of the wind.
- The direct descendants of wolves, of course, are dogs.
- Almost 50% of dogs sleep in bed with their owners.
- The Bible mentioned dogs fourteen times.
Little conclusion
Now you know a lot of useful information about choosing and feeding a dog. Also, after reading the article, you can already roughly understand whether you need such an animal. And if you decide to have it, then remember that it is impossible for a puppy, then an adult dog will be forbidden. This applies to the peculiarities of the rules of behavior (for example, lying on the couch, jumping on your hands and other things).