Are you ready?

It’s National Pet Month (1 April 2 May) – the aim of this is to promote responsible pet ownership.

And so in line with the theme, we thought to share this useful guide – Preparing for a New Dog – especially for first time dog owners.

The guide is to encourage people to consider the long-term commitment that any pet brings, and think about what type of dog could be best suited to them. It’s full of handy tips on how to look after your new dog, whether it’s a boisterous young puppy, or a more timid rescue dog from a shelter.

Mummy said she wished she had this list before she got me. She would have been more prepared.

May’s comment: The guide, put together by Sainsbury’s Bank includes these topics, starting from the very first basic question:

• Are you ready for a dog?
  • We all have good intentions when considering a dog and there are a lot of benefits, but it’s important to have considered it carefully as it is a life we are bringing home, not a stuffed animal. You should do lots of research on products that may suit your dog by looking at sites like DogProductPicker.com. Never underestimate how much a dog can affect your life. I was a first time dog owner. I got Darcy for companionship and other reasons (LOL!) . I thought I was ready until she arrived – and what a shock I had when I realised her schedule was taking over my life!
• Choosing a breed
  • I remember going through this process. LOL! I had considered anything from Whippet to a Daschund!!! I even found some adorable French Bulldog Puppies in Austin which I nearly bought. Puppies are just too cute!!! How I ended up with a Cockapoo was totally unplanned for. I had never even heard of the breed! But it was meant to be. I think a Higher Being intervened and brought Darcy to me.
• Should you get a puppy or an adult dog? And where to find your dog?
  • At the time I was looking to have a dog, I was unaware of rescue dogs. I thought you always have a puppy. And so I got one. But only after I got involved in the world of dogs did I realise that there are lots of them out there who could do with some loving and caring. That’s how I ended up with little street dog, George! And he brings me joy as Darcy does. While Darcy and I have a bond because we grew together – me, learning how to own a dog and Darcy, learning with me how to live in the human world, George on the other hand, well, he made my heart grow a little bigger. And knowing that I was able to save one life from harm and suffering, makes it very rewarding.
  • As to how I found Darcy – thanks to a cockapoo owner who had done her research, she gave me the name of Darcy’s breeder. As a first time owner, I didn’t know about responsible breeders. As for George, it was all through a dog rescue charity (Hungary Hearts Dog rescue) that I was following – and they needed someone to foster him – the rest is history.
• Picking up your dog, bringing the dog home and dog-proofing your home
  • On looking back, my lack of knowledge was simply due to the fact that I didn’t have anyone to help me. I would have loved to have gone to pick up Darcy but she was in Wales – at least a five hour drive one way to pick her up. I didn’t drive and the person who I thought was going with me, changed his mind. I could not imagine travelling back with a puppy on a ing train ride, let alone, I have never handled a puppy before! So I had her delivered. Well, a five hour car ride later, she got used to riding in a car, and she has ever since been terrific in cars. I hear from a friend that this caused separation anxiety for her dog. If you had something similar happen to you learn how to help a dog with separation anxiety.
  • I didn’t know what food to feed her. It was her puppy trainer that introduced me to kibbles then, and regretfully we spent the first two years with a bad tummy. I did spend a lot of time debating over water bowls, her lead and collar. It was difficult to find her the perfect collar, especially since I couldn’t try them on her. However, one of my friends recently purchased some needlepoint custom dog collars for her dogs and suggested that my new dog might look nice in one of them. Although I ended up buying her a collar before she told me about these ones, it doesn’t mean I can’t get her one in the future. I did buy her a bed, got some poo bags and a ball.
  • I had heard stories of dog-chewing wires, remote controls and of course slippers and shoes!!! But Darcy went to training camp and the only damage she ever did was her toys. In the early days, I let her chew up the envelopes. She did chew her lead. But maybe because I always put away my shoes. Neither did George but he was no longer a puppy when he came to live with us. I knew not to leave chemicals or things like that within their reach. It was after I had Darcy that I learnt about dangerous foods for dogs! I didn’t know that.
• Introductions – to children, other dogs, cats
  • I don’t have children but I have young godchildren, and there are many young children in the neighbourhood – and that was a learning curve. Excited kids are not a good idea with dogs.
  • When George came home, I made sure that Darcy was properly introduced to him. It has never been a problem.
  • We had a cat in the neighbourhood. Darcy and George were always curious about Bertie but he didn’t like dogs! So a few close swatting – made Darcy and George both wary of her. Sadly, he is no longer with us and we now miss him.
• Training tips – including toilet training
  • No crate training for us because there’s no space in my flat for a crate. Instead we had a baby’s gate. Well, all that went away very quickly.
  • And since I was such an inexperienced owner, Darcy went to boot camp. It just meant she knew not to pee indoors but that didn’t mean I did not have to run her down the stairs six times a day!!!! But with George, he had no idea the difference between inside and outside – he was probably never inside. But he learnt very quickly what was right and what was wrong.
• Protecting and looking after your dog
  • Once we bring them home, they are our responsibility. There are some basic things that we must do – microchipping to start with. It is now the law that they must be (from 6 April). It doesn’t stop there.
  • Make sure they are healthy, they must have check-ups at the vet and be vaccinated, de-wormed, flea treatments and nail-clipping.
  • And it is a good idea to have some sort of insurance. You never know what can happen and it pays to be prepared for unexpected circumstances.

Looking back to where I began, there was a lot I didn’t know about having a dog. So I hope this is helpful for anyone considering having one for the first time.

National Pet Month’s aims are to:

• promote responsible pet ownership
• make people aware of the benefits of pets for people and people for pets
• increase public awareness of services available from professionals who work with animals
• raise awareness of the role, value and contribution to society of working companion animals