My Tips to Take Care of a New Dog
Tara Pearce
So you’re bringing home that cute little puppy from the best
breeder after doing all that research, or you found the most
adorable “mutt” at the pound, where you were just going to look,
you swore. And now you realize that you weren’t as prepared as
you thought. Maybe you’re planning in advance for the new bundle
of joy. Either way, we’ll give you some valuable tips we’ve
learned over the years of bringing home little bundles of terror
– I mean joy :)
Learn as much as possible about potty training, and expect none
of it to matter, especially when you step in their deposits at 3
a.m. in the pitch black – it WILL happen!
Buy the smallest bag of puppy chow you can find. Your dog will
hate the first one, and the second one and the third one. Buying
small will help you overcome the horror of the money you’ve just
spent on the 7th brand of dog food in 2 weeks.
Strip naked or at the very least to a swimsuit before bathing
your dog. You WILL BE WET. No way to avoid it, even in a 2 foot
deep sunken bathtub. Personal experience talking here.
Prepare yourself for the fact that the toy you thought was SO
COOL in the store, will be sniffed and promptly ignored until the
end of time. Your dog will only like the toys that will drive you
the most crazy. One of the favorites in our house (NOT purchased
by us) is a big skunk with a plastic bottle inside. Inside said
plastic bottle is a marble. Aaaaaargh. ‘Nuff said.
That gorgeous dog bed you bought? You know, the one that cost
almost as much as the new king size bed you got to accommodate
the new dog? Yeah, the dog will rarely, if ever use it. Preferred
dog beds in this house? Couches, blankets dragged to the floor,
pile of clothes, carpets – and of course, our bed, preferably
leaving as little room as possible for the humans by stretching
as wide as possible.
Training? What’s that? Mine occasionally come when called, and
usually sit when told, but that’s about it. I’ve given up. Did
you know that a dog can be flunked out of training school?
Neither did I until it happened… to ME!
Fill in the blank: my favorite ______ will be chewed to death.
Expect it. Embrace it. You will live it.
I think the biggest tip I can give to a new dog owner is to
become a firm believer in Murphy’s Law: whatever can happen
usually will and at the worst possible time. Of course, if you’d
like to avoid my jaded outlook on life with a dog, visit our
website
Tara Pearce is the author and webmaster of A1-Dog-Info.com.
Please visit us for all kinds of information about dog food,
toys, health, books, supplies and clothes.
http://www.a1-dog-info.com
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