Dog Information

Recently a friend of mine purchased a puppy.

Both my friend and her husband are residents in a hospital, so they sometimes work some pretty crazy hours. They also have an 8 month old baby. One day her husband returned with a spur-of-the-moment purchase–a puppy from a pet store in a mall.

Aghast at their impulsive purchase, and dismayed that they’d allowed puppymillers to profit and put another dog in misery, I put together some information to help them through the early stages: namely, housebreaking.

But owning a dog is about so much more than preventing him from pooping on your newly-washed carpet. So dive in, do some research, and then get your dog. Because the more prepared you are, the happier both you and your dog will be*.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a dog behaviorist, or someone vastly experienced with rescue groups. Should you have a problem with keeping your dog or training your dog, please consult a trusted vet first, or check out my links. If you’re looking for a quick answer to your problems, I don’t have it. Heck, I don’t even have a long answer.

So you think you want a puppy?
For those who have never had a dog or a puppy before.

How much is that doggy in the window?
What you should know about pet shop puppies.

So where do I find my dog?
Good breeders, bad breeders; good rescues, bad rescues.

You are what you eat
Think before you pick up that convenient bag of kibble at the supermarket, because what goes in is what comes out.

For a little thing, he sure poops a lot!
All the information on housetraining that I didn’t have and desperately needed when I first started training Paco and Pedro. (Let me put it this way: they weren’t trained until we moved out of our house and started over with a fresh one.)

Finding a Vet
All vets are good, right? Wrong.

Vaccination Summary
Everything you need to know, and some stuff your vet won’t tell you about canine vaccinations.

My dog’s happier outside. Can’t I just leave him there?
Short answer: no. Long answer–click above.

* And my friends? Before the dog was a year old, they were overwhelmed by taking care of both the dog and their baby, and gave him to a trainer who found another home for him. At least they took responsibility in making sure someone knowledgeable would find him a place to live.