Key Points Checklist Before You Buy Your First Dog

The confident happy dog, which feels that the world is a reliable place where human behavior is consistent, will bring you compliments everywhere. Here is a Checklist which you should complete before making any plans to bring a pup home.

* Have we sufficient space for a dog indoors and out? Dogs should not be left alone for long periods of time during a day. Going to work should be fine as long as you have a crate, but remember your dog had physical needs also.

* Can we provide companionship and interest for the dogs for the greater part of the day, especially when it's young? Like I said, Dogs should not be left alone.

* Do you choose a male or female dog?

* Is our garden sufficiently well fenced to keep a dog in?

* Where will we take the dog for exercise, away from motor traffic and where it can be let off the lead easily and regularly?

* Can we afford to feed a dog properly and pay for regular vaccinations and boosters to protect it from disease?

* Have we budgeted for veterinary Fees in illness and accident or for an insurance policy to cover those fees and our third party liability if our dog should cause an injury or damage to another person's property?

* Is our family or our environment likely to change in the foreseeable future, making the conditions for having a dog less suitable? Giving a pet as a gift whether it is a new puppy, kitten, ferret, or bunny rabbit is never a good idea.

* Can we make plans for the dog when we go on holiday, Have we budgeted for boarding kennel expenses?

* Does all the family really want a dog and are we willing to be responsible owners, not allowing our dog to be nuisance in any way?

* Are we happy to accept the inconveniences associated with dog ownership? Does everyone in your home wish to get a dog? Who will be solely responsible for this new pet? Have we the time to look after a dog, no and in foreseeable future?

Additionally you should remember, if you live in an apartment we would not suggest getting something like a German Shepherd or a Newfoundland, both breeds are large and demand more room out of your small space.