GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - Getting a new dog or puppy can be a very exciting time, but many people don’t do proper research when choosing the right dog for their family, lifestyle and household.
Local animal behaviour practitioner George van Huyssteen explains:
When choosing a dog for your family, you need to take your family’s lifestyle into consideration. A new dog can be the best thing ever, but choosing the wrong dog can turn it into a nightmare very quickly.
It is therefore very important to do some research before deciding on a specific type or breed of dog. We must always remember, dogs as pets is a fairly new concept. Dogs were originally selectively bred for certain functions.
Border collies were bred to herd sheep, Jack Russel terriers were selectively bred to hunt rats and vermin. Big dogs like boerboels were selectively bred to protect, beagles were selectively bred to follow scent and so on.
Dogs selectively bred for certain functions became very good at doing what they were “designed” for. They also enjoy doing what they were bred to do, and that is where the problem many times slips in. So how do you choose?
We need to consider the dog’s needs as well. Expecting a border collie to cope well in a townhouse or small flat is an unrealistic expectation.
Dogs like border collies are working dogs and they will need lots of physical as well as mental stimulation. If you don’t supply them with adequate stimulation, they will find ways to keep themselves busy, and in many cases, this is where the problem starts. Bored border collies will find ways to keep themselves entertained and digging, barking and chasing everything that moves are popular choices.
Another breed that has become quite popular lately, is the Belgian shepherd or Belgian malinois. These are extremely energetic dogs that can be a handful for novice dog owners and will not be a good first-time dog owner choice.
If you are a laid-back person with a laid-back lifestyle, a working type dog might not be a good idea. If you are an active energetic person who loves running or hiking and would like to take part in dog sport like dog agility or flyball, or you are an experienced dog trainer, border collie and Belgian malinois might be the breed for you, provided you are prepared to put lots of time and energy into training it.
Other popular breeds are the pit bull terriers and bull terriers. These dogs were selectively bred for one purpose and one purpose only. They are fighting dogs. Because they were selectively bred for fighting, that is what they enjoy doing. To expect a pit bull terrier to get along with all other animals is an unrealistic expectation.
If you would like a social dog that you can take to the park or take for a park-run where there will be other dogs, the bull terrier or pit bull terrier might not be the best choice for you. Because these are controversial breeds, click here before you make a decision.
Researching the breed of dog you are interested in before you decide to get one might save you a lot of stress and heartache in the end.
There are many informative websites like the American Kennel Club’s that will give you information regarding breed traits, characteristics and needs for physical and mental exercise.
For more information click here.
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