Best Pet Articles
Search

My Tips to Take Care of a New Dog

Web Search

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, http://www.a1-dog-info.com/tips-to-take-care-of-a-new-dog.htm for more tips to help you survive living with a dog.

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
webmaster@a1-dog-info.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Longer Living, Healthier Pets Boost the $5 Billion Market for Pet ...
MarketWatch - 12 hours ago
NEW YORK, NY, Oct 10, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- At the center of robust global animal health product growth, the US market for pet medications is ...
Longer Living, Healthier Pets Boost the $5 Billion Market for Pet ... International Business Times
Controversial Stevia May Be Wild Card in $3 Billion Sweetener Market MarketWatch
Controversial Stevia May Be Wild Card in $3 Billion Sweetener Market International Business Times
all 15 news articles


Couple's hearts, home always have room for pets on the mend
Arizona Republic, AZ - 37 minutes ago
The pets return to the Humane Society for adoption. Leo, a 3-month-old Shar-Pei stray, is her current foster dog. He was bitten in the eye - the ...


Social Release: PetSmart(R) Offers Top Costumes, Toys and ...
MarketWatch - 3 hours ago
PetSmart Dog Fashion Expert Rashell Cooper says, "Pets are members of the family, and just like kids, they'll sport the latest trends in costumes this ...


Hyper Dogs Make Bad Pets, Great Life-Savers
CBS 5, CA - 6 hours ago
"They make terrible pets," said Marin County Fire Capt. Jim Boggeri. East Bay SPCA Shelter Supervisor Lenny Deets adds: "Rambunctious, high-energy escape ...
Unwanted Bay Area Dogs Become Life Savers CBS 5
all 2 news articles


Church celebrates blessing of the pets
Marco Island Sun Times, Fl - 10 hours ago
By Daniel Winningham / daniel@misuntimes.com Members of San Marco Catholic Church brought animals of all sizes - mostly dogs - to the annual pet blessing ...
Beach church hosts pet blessing MiamiHerald.com
all 2 news articles


Hard times trigger more pet abandonments
MLive.com, MI - 11 hours ago
Such drop offs are evidence that the economic woes in Michigan are hurting not only its residents, but also their pets. The number of pets abandoned or ...


Economic uncertainty doesn't damper people's dedication to their ...
Beaufort Gazette, SC - 4 hours ago
Another vet, Frank Murphy at Aimant Animal Hospital,agreed that costs associated with taking care of pets are rising. He said increasing pet medication ...


Stuff.co.nz

Exotic pets pose health risks
Globe and Mail, Canada - Oct 7, 2008
So your son is begging for a pet turtle. Before you cave in, consider the salmonella it packs along with it. Reptiles, monkeys, rodents and other exotic ...
8 Pets That Pose Major Health Threats to Kids U.S. News & World Report
Exotic animals, domestic pets pose risk for children: study AFP
Pets 'could trigger fatal diseases' The Press Association
KOAA - ChattahBox
all 421 news articles


Blessings for pets
Macomb Daily Journal, IL - 3 hours ago
By Lainie Steelman Msgr. Richard Pricco blesses the animals during the St. Paul Catholic Church's St. Francis of Assisi Pet Mass. ...


Obesity puts pets at risk
Post-Bulletin, MN - 6 hours ago
Our pets our getting heavier too. "Obesity is the number one issue that we see in our patients, both dogs and cats," says Dr. Mark Wenner, a veterinarian at ...

Pets - Google News

home | site map | SubArticle
© 2008