Responsibility and Commitment on owning a dog
Dogs are the second most popular pets (after cats) but they are not for everyone. How do you decide whether to get a dog? And if you decide to get one, how do you decide what type of dog to get, and how do you take care of your new dog? There are many things to consider before you decide to own a dog.
There are approximately 63 million dogs in the United State. About 45 million U.S households have dogs. You can get a dog in almost any shape, size, or color, and the variety of dog breeds is staggering. If you like purebred, there are 154 AKC (American Kennel Club) breeds and more than 150 other breeds to choose from.
Dogs offer companionship, protection, and services. Most people know about dogs that help visually impaired people, but there are also dogs who hear for those who are deaf and those who can help quadriplegics. Dogs are also work as sled dogs, tracking dogs, hunting dogs, search-and-rescue dogs. No other domesticated animal is so versatile and so bonded to humans like dogs.
Responsible Pet Ownership
Owning a dog is a big responsibility, both in time and cost. Every year millions of dogs make their way into shelters and rescues because people thought that they would like a dog but weren’t prepared for the responsibilities of having one.
Time Commitments and Inconvenience of Owning a Dog
Dogs offer their owners companionship, love and humor, but in return dogs require time and can be inconvenient. Generally, dogs are dependent on their owners for attention. Dogs are also requiring training, exercise, and attention every day. So owning a dog is a ten to fifteen year commitment in a relationship. That means you have to be there to let the dog out to relieve herself at least every four hours as a puppy and every nine hours as an adult. You have to feed the dog two times a day, provides fresh water and you have to train and exercise her.
How long do you need to spend training and exercising your dog? that depends on the dog, how old the dog is and other factors. If you live in an apartment, you have to take your dog out side four to five times a day. If you have a fenced-in backyard, you have to let your dog out several time each day. And you have to take the dog for at least two or three times a week, depending on the breed.
Dog training takes time. Start with training classes, whether your dog is a puppy or an adult. If you have a puppy, consider taking five or six hour long puppy kindergarten classes and then hour long weekly obedience classes for eight to twelve weeks. An adult dog will only need the obedience course. During the obedience course and afterward, you need to train your dog at home.
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