A nice mid-size, fun-loving, energetic, minimal shedding dog.
I'm not sure I'm ready to make the commitment; the whole walking in cold weather, house smell and not leaving him/her for long periods of time. But, the companionship would be nice. I had a dog growing up and even though he was offically my brother's dog, I Loved him alot.
Who can resist that face? I'm going to let myself chew on the idea for a few months and, if I haven't changed my mind, I'll take a ride over to the Humane Society and adopt a pooch. Oooo, I could just kiss that face!
3 comments:
I love Kobe and having him is really great. In fact, we're thinking about another dog in the late Spring, early Summer. I hope you are getting a dog, if a dog is the right thing for you. Here are some things people told us when we were deciding to get a dog:
1) Money: Food, vet bills, toys, etc. add up. True. Just food alone is $150 a month (we buy very expensive food, though.) Training costs $250 for six weeks up here. Vet bills are $50 - $75 minimum for wellness and shots... the sky's the limit for illness. Are you in for the long haul?
2) Time: To be well socialized, your dog needs to spend time with you, other people and other dogs on a regular basis. A well run dog park is a great way to get your dog's needs met. True. We made lots of friends in our dogpark. We spend at least an hour a day after work in the dog park. We give him a 45 minute walk in the early a.m. every day that we can.. and of course at least two 20 minute pee breaks. In addition to that, he needs play time with us in the house.
3) Choice: Assessing what kind of dog would fit you is better than just getting the dog with the highest factor of cuteness and chemistry. So true. We picked our dog with our head. It was the smartest move we made for being successful at having a dog. Some questions you might ask: Do you want a puppy or a grown dog? How long has the dog been at the shelter? What is the known background on that dog? What breed traits are most compatible with your lifestyle? Individual dogs vary, but breed is a reliable indicator and should be looked at. Research breeds. Labs have high energy needs. Bernese Mountain Dogs have low. Terriers can be tenacious and hard to train. Even if you plan to get a mix.. you should know what traits might go into the mix you pick.
We looked at energy levels (high, mixed, low), dominance (puppytesting, but also bred for?), sloppiness (drool, shedding), intelligence (smart is more fun, but smart needs more stimulation), peculiarities of breed (spinone are dependent, sweet, submissive dogs that can be shy if not well socialized. Beagles have a high piercing howl. Poodles don't shed (although a poodle mix might), but they need to be professionally groomed every 6 weeks.)
so... that's what it was for us. If you get a doggie.. put his face up.
Dogs are demanding little blighters. Just don't even think about it unless you're prepared for a huge commitment. We had two Scottish terriers when I was a kid and they just wanted endless attention, not to mention walks, food, injuries etc. And as Audrey says, make sure you have enough cash!
there are times i appreciate dogs more than people. other moments , not so much(i'm still watching the gigantic bruise on my thigh heal from a sweet dog bite) .
interesting blog , as i've read thus far.
thank you~
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