Mistakes Potential Dog Owners Make

If you cannot be fully committed, maybe you should rethink having one. Do you know the average person will put more thought in to a car or clothing purchase than into a dog? Scary when you think of it. A car does not think, does not breathe, and does not have training needs. A car does not have moods or the ability to reproduce itself. A car needs basic maintenance and a safe driver. A dog needs far more. So, here are the five biggest mistakes I see dog owners making - and believe me, these only scratch the surface!

Failure to research the desired dog.

Nothing irks me more than having someone come up and say they got the dog because they liked how it looked and now they cannot handle it. A family recently got a Border Collie puppy for their small farm. But they wanted a laid back breed. This is not a Border Collie. A former manager of mine got a Bulldog puppy and he wanted a dog capable of jogging with him. This is not a Bulldog (English type Bulldog, not an American which are far more athletic).

My own Hunter was given up because the family wanted a small dog. Well Hunter is a cross between an Australian Shepherd and a Newfoundland - neither are small breeds! Getting a dog based on what you see on TV or in the movies is irresponsible. What makes a breed excel in these fields can often make it a tough pet for the average dog owner. What about size? Can you physically handle the dog you want? A smaller, frail elderly person may be better suited with a smaller dog and not something like a Great Dane. Even a gentle bump from a giant breed can send an owner sprawling and a hip be broken.

Failure to research the source of the dog.

Just because you know all you can about a breed or the breeds going into the cross you are looking at adopting does not mean your research is done. Dogs should be gotten from two places only: reputable breeder or a good rescue group. Pet stores and back yard breeders are the two worst places for a puppy. Rarely do good breeders advertise in the local papers.

They place pups through word of mouth. When you go to look at a potential pet, you need to ask many questions including: health (and ask for proof of tests done of you are not looking for a rescue); temperament; pros and cons of the breed; why the person is breeding; etc. I had a client who researched the breed her family got. The breed should have suited them well. When she bought the puppy, she went to a person who bred less for companionship and more for hunting ability. The puppy is more than they can handle. She has a very strong work drive and needs to get out and use her talents. The puppy will not be happy being a house pet; she needs a job like tracking.