Things All Dog Owners Should Know
Hey there! Welcome to The Dog Bunker…
As a dog owner, whether you’re new at it or not, there are a few things to keep in mind when you become the proud owner of a new puppy or even an older dog.
I’ve always had dogs in my life for as long as I can remember, so I thought I would share some of what I have learned over the years with you….
A Few Basics for Dog Owners to Remember
Before going out and picking out the perfect puppy or adopting an older dog, please remember:
You are responsible for their health and well-being. You can’t just put your dog up on a shelf and forget about it if you get tired of doing all the daily chores that may arise with owning a dog.
Things Your Dog Needs
- Food
- Fresh Water
- Grooming
- Training
- Exercise
- Love and Attention
- Health Care (shots, checkups, and emergency care as needed)
Your dog will need these things for the rest of its life…so, be prepared to do what it takes to do these tasks for your dog every day for the next 10-15 years, more or less.
Yes, owning a dog is a lot like having kids….in our home, they’re considered part of the family and have become our furry kids! Once you become a dog owner, you’re now this dog’s “parent” when you think about it.
Owning a dog is a lot of work and responsibility, it is also very rewarding! Who else will show you such complete and unconditional love every day…whether you make mistakes or not, your dog will always be happy to greet you at the door when you come home, ready to cheer you up with all of its silly antics!
So, if you’re here and haven’t gotten a dog yet, I’d advise that you choose a breed that is most suited for your lifestyle…
Please keep reading and look for the “Helpful LINKS” below…
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Choosing a Dog
What is best? A purebred or mixed breed dog?
It doesn’t really matter! They all need the same basic healthcare, food, socialization, and training no matter what kind of dog.
Although some breeds may need more attention than others in certain areas. Breeds that are known as working dogs such as German Shepherds, Huskies, cattle dogs or shepherds of various types, as well as quite a few other breeds, usually are very smart dogs….
but, they can be difficult to keep happy…
In other words…it’s difficult to keep them from being destructive! At least some of these dogs can and do get in a lot of trouble if left alone or not exercised enough…they get destructive and start chewing on everything, barking, and just misbehaving in general.
Some Breeds Need to Be Kept “Busy”
Not saying these are “bad” breeds to choose at all, but just be aware that most dogs that fall into the working breeds class need to be busy…
After all, they’re used to working, right?
So, yes there are certain breeds that are known to be more active dogs, and will most likely need more exercise and attention than some other breeds.
But, on the other hand, there are breeds that aren’t so active at all such as the Shih Tzu, like one of our dogs, Daisy, pictured over on the right…(and, yes, she needs a bath, again!)
All dog breeds have both good and bad points in one way or another…
My point being, a shih tzu’s hair is almost impossible to keep up on when it’s long, and she loves rolling around in the dirt outside…getting her face all filthy! Which is why she doesn’t have the long flowing hair right now.
So, Please, Do Your Homework Before Choosing a Dog
Otherwise, you may be in for trouble…
What I’ve Learned From Our Dogs
Chewed up furniture, shoes, and yes, even doors!
Believe me, I know from experience, especially with our black lab/husky mix, Thor, whom we raised and loved, many years ago. As a pup, he was not happy with being left alone for even a couple of hours in our kitchen. And, as the old saying goes…live and learn!
At the time, we did not realize how energetic he would be, especially as a pup. He was the first puppy my hubby and I were the proud parents of many years ago, and boy, did we learn a lot from him!
The First Time Leaving Thor Home Alone…Big Mistake!
We got home after a couple of hours and we were in for a big surprise! What a mess! We never left him alone in the kitchen after that! Time for crate training! …and, a new door for the kitchen!
Oh, and…believe it or not, new blinds for the kitchen window too! How a three or four month old puppy can reach a window so high up, I still don’t know to this day!
I just wish I had known more back then…
Puppies do get bored too and will chew just about anything!
We learned all too well with our dog, Thor, and with our other dogs as well…
After we realized what we needed to do to keep our house from being wrecked, and how to keep him happy, this same puppy grew up to be a very good dog.
I am hoping to be able to help you, fellow dog lovers, to avoid something like this from happening to you…and hopefully learn from my mistakes before doing them yourself!
Owning a dog is a big responsibility and a lot of work, but they’re worth the extra effort! Life would definitely not be the same without them…they’re always there to greet you at the door and welcome you home with wagging tails!
Dogs are always aiming to please….they’re Loyal, and ALL they ask for is attention from their people!
Click the following links to read more:
Helpful Links
Much more is available here now and if you do not find it yet, it will be coming soon! Much of this info can be found by clicking on the following link to go to my Blogs About Dogs page.
Feel free to look around! You may learn something that will help you with your dog. Please share any comments or questions you may have about your dogs, and come back and visit us again! I’d be more than happy to hear them and learn how I can help you with your dog.
Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Please leave a comment below or if you’d rather, you can leave me a message on our contact form.
I’d be happy to help you with your four-legged friend 🙂
It’s why I started this web site to be able to help out fellow dog lovers and learn even more about dogs and the things that can be of benefit to our beloved fur balls!
thanks for guide, Sherry.
Hopefully I understood some years ago that too active dog is not for me
Hi Silvia,
You’re very welcome! Glad you enjoyed reading it and have already realized a too active dog is not the one for you. Many people make the mistake of getting the wrong type of dog to fit their lifestyle only to find out later it won’t work out well for either of them.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Do drop by again and check out some of the other posts here on dogs. If you have any questions about dogs or dog related issues, I’d love to hear them.
Best wishes ~Sherry
Hi, Sherry.
Loved reading about our four-legged friends. I understand that having a dog is like having kids. But I don’t have kids, and I am thinking about having a dog. So I have actually no idea of what it will be like. But I would love to take care of someone and since I don’t have kids it can be a dog.
Thanks for this informative site about dogs. I will come back for sure.
Tove
Hi Tove,
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed reading about our furry friends here. Yes, having a dog is a lot like having kids, especially if you get one as a puppy or one that isn’t yet trained very well.
I’d recommend that you start out by researching which breeds you’d prefer first. Some breeds require more care than others when it comes to exercise and/or grooming. It all depends on what you’d prefer to have as your four-legged friend…one that is full of energy or one that is rather happy to be somewhat of a couch potato?
Since ours aren’t too high energy they’re, of course, happy to go for a walk…as long as it’s not a 5-mile marathon though. But, they’re also happy to sit around my feet or lay around on the couch if they happen to get the chance. As long as we’re around they’re pretty content to do whatever we’re doing.
Plus, it does depend too on a dog’s age…the older they get, the less rambunctious they usually are…of course, there are always exceptions though. You may find adopting a dog that is well trained already from a local shelter preferable to a puppy…as cute as they may be, they are a ton of work! Plus, you’ll be helping a dog in need of a loving home. Many shelters allow you to take the dog out and see if it works or not for you first…at least for giving it a walk and to see how the dog reacts to you.
Anyways, I’m hoping you can find that four-legged friend sometime in your future. Let me know when you do and I’ll be happy to help with any questions you may have about it.
Thank you for stopping by and best wishes ~Sherry
Love this! Also watch out for small rubber toys for the pups, you do not want them digesting any of those ever, learned this first hand too.
Hi Josh,
Thank you for stopping by and commenting! Yes, small rubber toys can be dangerous to our pups. They can be easily swallowed and end up causing a lot of problems or could also be a choking hazard…neither scenario is good. If swallowed, it more than likely will cause digestive issues or a blockage and you’ll end up having to bring your dog to the vet to have it removed surgically.
I always avoid buying toys that are small enough for any of our dogs to easily fit in their mouth and swallow. But, since we have two small dogs and two bigger ones, we keep the few small dog toys put away unless we’re right there to keep an eye on them.
Another thing is to make sure these toys aren’t breaking off in pieces either. This is another problem I’ve noticed with some rubber toys, pieces can be bitten off easily and swallowed, which isn’t good either. Mostly, I’ve noticed this happening with the cheap rubbery squeak toys I found in the local stores, but occasionally even the ones that aren’t so cheap have the same problem.
I just updated a post here on durable dog toys as Christmas ideas some time ago, mainly for aggressive chewers, which you might want to check out too.
Thank you again Josh…I’m glad you brought up the subject of small rubber toys and our pups. It’s always good to watch out for the safety of our dogs. These things can cause a ton of problems and could even end up being fatal to our four legged friends…something none of us wants to happen!
Take care and best wishes to you and your furry friend! ~Sherry
Hi Ellis,
Thank you for the kind comment! I’m glad to hear it’s loading fast for you too. It always does on my end, but there’s no way I can tell from elsewhere.
Anyways, if you’d like to know more about where my site is hosted, you can get started here. All I’ll say here is it’s much more than just hosting. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about it. Just hit the contact button and fill out the boxes provided.
Hope that helps you out and please feel free to stop by The Dog Bunker again. Best of luck :)-Sherry
There are specific breeds with lower susceptibility to chocolate. However, never give your dog chocolate by choice.
In older dogs it is probably one of the leading causes of death.
Hi there,
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. Yes, it’s never a good idea to give a dog chocolate no matter how old they are, they could become extremely sick or even die from it! You never know what kind of reaction your dog will have to it.
Thanks again for stopping by The Dog Bunker and I hope you stop by again soon. Best wishes- Sherry 🙂