I've been thinking about starting a thread to cover the basics of caring for a dog for a while now and since the VB challenges are going on I figured now's a good time to start it... I'll try and cover everything from adopting and choosing a dog, to feeding a dog (and vegetarian diets), to general care of your dog, fun activities, and common behavior problems you'll encounter... as well some theory and a list of resources for future reading. Over the next several days I'll add more sections to the thread so eventually we can get a little F.A.Q. set up for dog owners. Feel free to contribute in any areas that you may have expertise.

I don't want this to be a debate thread, so if you want to contest something that someone has written, lets start a different thread about it. Lord knows I'm still learning, lots, about dogs myself, so my opinions may be wrong and we can talk about that in other threads. I'll start with adoption...

This sounds great! I am still learning about my rescued dog and I love the idea.:up:

Recommended Resources


Books

The Dog Listener (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060089466/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Jan Fennell
The Other End of the Leash (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/034544678X/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Patricia McConnell
How To Speak Dog (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/074320297X/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Stanley Coren
Culture Clash (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1888047054/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Jean Donaldson
Clicker Training for Dogs (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890948217/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Karen Pryor
Click To Calm (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890948209/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Emma Parsons
Aggression In Dogs (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929242204/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Brenda Aloff
Idiot's Guide to Dog Tricks (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1592573991/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) by Liz Palika

I'll write descriptions or reviews for all of these at a later date.

Videos

Calming Signals (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00021Z68I/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) with Turid Rugaas
The Dog Whisperer (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002MQFGY/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) with Paul Owens
Dog Whisperer Season 1 (http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EGDALQ/ref=nosim/veggieboards-20) with Cesar Millan

Most of the DVDs I've seen have been a waste of money, so there aren't many I'd recommend. But there are several I still want to check out.

Websites

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/ - Good information on all dog breeds.
http://www.petfinder.com/ - First stop when looking for a new pet.
http://www.dogpatch.org/ - Lots of training resources, especially good for Dog Sports.
http://www.canismajor.com/ - Dog owner's guide with lots of training info.
http://www.clickertraining.com/ - Karen Pryor's website, info on clicker training.
http://www.turidrugaas.com/ - Turid Rugaas' website with large training section.
http://www.dogwise.com/ - Great selection of dog books and DVDs.
http://www.dogster.com/ - Show off your dogs.

Adopting A Dog


Are you ready for a dog?

Although dogs are cute and fun and a great source of companionship, they are also a lot of work and can require a lot of time and money. Adopting a dog is a big commitment and shouldn't be made lightly. You're committing to care for this animal for the duration of his life, through the good times and the very bad times.

Depending on the breed and age of the dog you get, you may have him for 10 to 15 years or longer. Do you know what you'll be doing 15 years from now? Are you planning on having children? Making any career or lifestyle changes? These are all things to think about before you make the decision to get a dog.

Can you afford a dog? Sure it costs less than $100 to get a dog, but statisticians estimate that the average cost of a dog over it's lifetime is around $8000 USD, and over $12,000 USD if it lives to be 15 years old! These are the average numbers and don't take into account emergencies that might happen or surgeries that might be needed. If you're wanting the best for your dog, you could end up spending quite a lot of money.

Do you have time for a dog? Behaviorists recommend giving your pets one hour of exercise each day. Sticking them out in your yard and expecting them to exercise themselves won't cut it. Taking your dog for regular walks is a must. Some dogs require more exercise than others, but in general you're looking at a daily one hour commitment to avoid common behavior problems. In addition most trainers recommend 15 minutes of daily training. None of this sounds like much right now, but it all adds up, especially if you have a hectic schedule or kids to take care of.

Are you ready for the problems? Dogs come with a myriad of personalities, and many of these personalities develop into behavior problems. Are you ready to deal with the barking, the digging, the chewing, the peeing on everything? Some problems are easy to correct, but others like seperation anxiety and aggression can take months or years to fix and can be very frustrating for the owner.


Why do you want a dog?

One of the best way to find out what kind of dog you should get, is to think about why you want a dog in the first place. Are you wanting a companion? A playmate for your kids or dogs? Someone to protect your house? Or maybe you just want to rescue an animal. What you expect out of a dog will help you figure out if the dogs you are looking at are the right dogs for you.

A note on getting dogs for protection: Although some breeds are naturally protective, getting a dog for protection is a bad idea in my opinion. There are several problems with using dogs as protection that I'll get into when I talk about aggression, but for the most part you're giving a dog an unfair job and encouraging behavior traits that can be problematic for a dog. Dogs are a deterrent towards crime, but house alarms are just as effective and they don't come with behavior issues and they won't be killed by an intruder.


Choosing the right dog for your lifestyle

A common mistake people make is thinking that any dog will adapt fine to the owner's lifestyle. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Before you start looking for a dog, you need to outline some realistic expections and your lifestyle and how the dog you get will fit into that lifestyle.

What type of environment do you live in? Is it a calm, quiet household, or does it tend to be loud and busy? Do you have people coming over all the time? Dogs that romp and play may enjoy the busy household, whereas a shy or fearful dog would need a calm environment. If you have people running in and out all the time you want want a dog that darts for doors or hides from company.

Do you have a fenced in yard? How big is your yard? Some dogs love to run and need large open areas, whereas other dogs will just go out to pee and then want right back inside. Some dogs can jump a fence with no problem, so even if you have a fence you may end up needing to use a trolley or other way of containing the dog you get.

Do you have kids or other pets? Obviously you are going to want to make sure the dog you adopt gets along with everyone in your household. Never sign adoption papers until everyone in your household has met the dog. Some dogs have issues with kids, others are really great with kids and even protective over them. Dogs with a high prey instinct might terrorize cats and other animals. It's unfair to your cat to assume that he'll be fine or that the dog will get over it.

Do you have any other concerns such as allergies, drooling, or shedding? If shedding is a concern you might want to reconsider getting a dog. Some people think that short-haired dogs would be best because they don't have as much hair, but in actuality they tend to be some of the biggest shedders. Dogs with curly wired-haired coats probably shed the least, but even they still shed. Likewise there are some dogs that are less allergenic than others, but if you know you have allergies you should consider thinking twice before adopting.

The biggest thing to consider is how much time you have for the dog. Most dogs need about an hour of daily exercise, but some need a lot more than that, and some need rigourous exercise. Do you want a jogging companion, or a couch potato?

Check out DogBreedInfo's Guide to Finding the Pefect Dog at http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/searchcategories.htm. Their site has a breed selector quiz that will give you some suggestions about breeds that may work for your household. But keep in mind that most dogs won't fit into one particular category and may not even have the common tendencies of their breed makeup, so just use at as a guideline and not as a final authority.


Shelters & Rescues

Coming soon.