So You Want to Get a Dog? First Things First

PUPPY OR DOG?

Puppies can be such bundles of love. I love their cute pink bellies (I call them "puppy tummies"), their precious little feet, and of course, their endearing faces. However, puppies not only come with a great deal of "cute", they also come with the heavy, heavy responsibility of housebreaking. Depending on your needs and your home (other family members, other pets, and personal schedules and obligations), you may find it best to get an older puppy or grown dog. Translation: A dog that is already housetrained. Whether you choose a puppy or a dog, please consider a visit to your local animal shelter (find one that kills animals due to space restrictions so that you save the life of one that is endangered). In doing so, you not only save a life, but you also make a friend for life.


A WORD BEFORE WE GO ON

Over the course of 40 years, I have been learning more and more about holistic medications and treatments and holistic preventive health care for myself, and therefore, over a period of time, I have come to have the same concerns and considerations for my furry friends as well. I haven't been sorry. That being said, some of my recommendations may sound careless or neglectful to the onlooker who hasn't researched the issues, but know that I did not arrive at these ideas because they are easier, simpler, or cheaper for me nor am I neglectful in any way. I like to read and know about any health issues, medications, nutrition, or treatments out there - for me or my pets - and therefore, anything that I suggest here has been researched. All of it is a matter of personal choice, of course, but I will share what I know and why I have made the choices I've made.

BEFORE YOU ADOPT OR BUY

If you're getting a puppy, and it will need to be housetrained, you should consider a crate. Crate-training is very effective if you purchase a crate that is just large enough for the dog to turn around. That's it. If it is like a small hotel room for your pet, it will likely relieve itself in the crate and possibly even lie down in it while it is supposed to be waiting for you to take it outside. That being said, if you are going to get a puppy and use crate-training as a means to housebreak your dog, be prepared to purchase many crates over the course of the lifetime of your growing puppy (if you have a puppy that is a large-breed dog).

Get some dry and wet canned food for your companion. Just start with a good brand right off. If you have a puppy (under one year of age), it is best to feed puppy food. Puppies, growing dogs - for that matter - have different nutritional requirements than mature, fully grown dogs. Make sure that you are feeding your new companion properly. Read labels, find out how long your companion should be on puppy food. Then, consider quality food. Most of the more expensive brands do not not contain any fillers. (If you had been feeding your pet no-filler foods during the China wheat gluten pet food scare, you know what I'm talking about. No fillers, and there was no need for concern.) Free feed (leave an unlimited supply out at all times) your companion the dry food and provide canned food according to the label instructions. This provides a good balance of carbs so that you can also prevent early onset diabetes. Again, what is the old saying? "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Make sure you have dedicated bowls and dishes/plates - preferably unbreakable - for your new companion to eat dry food out of, have access to fresh water, and eat canned food from (for this, I prefer a flat dish). A weighted water bowl never hurts, either.

PUPPY - AND DOG - PROOFING YOUR HOME

Puppy-proof your home before you go get one. In fact, all of what I'm about to say here should really be applied to any pet. Make sure that your blind-pulls are up higher than your new companion can jump (never underestimate the ability of a playful puppy or excited dog) to prevent accidental hanging of your new companion. Make sure that your cabinets are secured and cannot be opened when bumped into. Make sure that no chemicals or poisons of any kind - that includes plants, too, and even some foods! - are out of reach.

If you are having a problem with bugs of any kind in your home, and you have turned to the services of an exterminator or are using a spray or bombs in your home, please make sure that your bug problem is taken care of prior to bringing a new companion into your home. Chemicals of any kind are not safe for anyone or anything. Better to be safe than sorry. Once your bug problem is taken care of, and you have sent your exterminator packing, clean every baseboard, crevice, and any other common area in your home or outdoors (enclosed patio or balcony) thoroughly in an attempt to remove any unsafe chemicals and to reduce your dog's exposure.

Get your friend a bed of his/her own - if you are crate-training, don't be surprised to learn that even when your companion is out of the crate (always leave the dog open), he/she will eventually prefer to hang out in the crate (which your companion will consider its "den"). Even if your plan is to have your new companion sleep with you, you may be surprised at where you will find your friend sleeping. It is nice to offer at least one option.

You may want to get some safe toys for your new companion. If a puppy, a puppy-sized Kong is the best choice. Puppies are teething. Best to give your puppy something to chew on. (This would seem a good time to mention the importance of keeping your shoes and any other potential "chew toys" in a safe place.

YOUR OTHER CATS AND/OR DOGS AT HOME

Of great concern, do not bring any animal into your home if it has diarrhea. Period. It may have either intestinal parasites or God forbid, if it is a canine, it could have parvovirus. More on this in another post. Diarrhea? Don't do it. Leave that animal at the shelter, breeder, or pet store.

If you already have another dog at home, make sure that your new puppy or dog comes with proof of negative heartworm testing, no kennel cough, and a negative fecal (poop, for lack of a better term) test (translation: no intestinal parasites were seen under the microscope), and no fleas or ticks! If a puppy, please make sure that your friend at least has its first shots. Also, if it is free of fleas and has either been "wormed" or has had a recent stool sample test negative for intestinal parasites, you'll want to bring home some Advantage to keep it that way. Don't forget your heartworm preventative. Personal recommendation - only because I have found it to be great prevention of most concerns and save you a step - I totally recommend Revolution. A bit more expensive, but it combines flea/tick, treatment and control of ear mites and Sarcoptic mange, and heartworm prevention! It is quite exceptional! I cannot say enough good things about this product. Living in Florida, I have encountered some "industrial strength" fleas (the largest ones I've ever seen, too!), and nothing - and I mean absolutely nothing!) ever works on these things. My tried and true Adams' Flea and Tick shampoos and sprays and Advantage do not hold up to these "nuclear" fleas (which inevitably bring about intestinal parasites) when we have a "cold snap" in late winter and early spring. That is always our worst time. Revolution to the rescue! Seriously.

If you have a male dog at home, it will be easier if you bring home a female to avoid later competition for "alpha male" positioning. It is a hassle to have to keep pets separated each and every day. It is also an unnecessary jolt of adrenalin to be in a hurry to an appointment or your job when you realize that you forgot to put the dogs away in separate rooms! Male dogs will sometimes cause serious injuries or fight to the death to gain the position of "alpha male" in the house. Keep this in mind.

Additionally, the same can apply for two female dogs living together - if not brought into the home as littermates - and sometimes will still have "positioning" issues even then.

For peace of mind, you can plan to have a male and a female dog in your home. Just make sure that one or both of them are altered (neutered or spayed). I recommend both being altered as neutering and spaying makes for a healthier pet down the road.


If you have a cat or cats at home, please make sure that your new canine companion has a low "prey drive" before you bring it home. A puppy may be a better choice if you have a cat at home - and if you have time to do housetraining. When checking out a puppy or dog, if you are at a shelter, ask which puppies/dogs seem to be okay with cats. You can even ask if you can leash the puppy or dog and take them to an area with a cat to assess its "prey drive" and to see how well the puppy/dog listens or wants to listen to you. A personal aside: I kept a neighbor's very large Doberman - who had never lived with any other pets, and definitely never lived with any cats - for five months. I leashed the dog and brought him up to my condo a few days prior to his owner departing for several months, and I kept him leashed. My beloved cat of 15 years was sleeping out on the balcony so I took the leashed Doberman out to the balcony, and we sat together without waking the cat. We sat a safe distance from the sleeping cat, and I made sure that the Doberman could see her. I immediately told him "NO CAT!" in a firm voice the moment he saw her and everytime he looked at her. "NO CAT!" with a firm jerk of his leash. That dog lived with us without any problems - my cat even made his couch her bed - and there was never any concerns of safety for my cat. If the cat jumped up on his couch/bed while he was on it, he would just look at us very nervously and sometimes even jump down. He'd always make a big show of letting us know that he wasn't even looking at her, and this was quite the display. He would only look at her out of the corner of his eye, and that even seemed to make him nervous. We kept them in separate rooms for the first month or so - when no one was home - but after awhile, it became quite obvious that keeping them separated was an unnecessary formality. Never once was my cat in any jeopardy. In fact, I think Mr. Doberman was actually afraid of the cat -- because whenever they were in a room together, Mr. Doberman was told "NO CAT!", and we kept up that reinforcement daily. Dog training and being the "alpha dog" is imperative to your success in any area of dog ownership. Keep that in mind. Dogs may be more enjoyable and more "portable" (think extended periods of time away from home or even vacationing), but they are also more work than cats.

YOUR OTHER DOG(S) OR CAT(S) AT HOME

I just mentioned the parasite concern in the above paragraph so that is covered.

Otherwise, it is super simple - from a health standpoint - to bring a dog into the home that has a cat or cats and nothing else because very few diseases or health risks are transferrable between dogs and cats. As I mentioned, fleas and ticks, of course, would be considerations. Fleas and ticks do not discriminate, and neither do intestinal parasites. So, out of respect and concern for your pets who already share your home, make sure that your new companion is pest-free and get that stool sample tested before bringing in your new companion.

Make sure that your kitten or cat has a private place - out of reach of the dog(s) - where he or she can eat and have access to fresh food and water without the dog(s) scarfing everything up when you and Kitty are not looking. I've been through this, and believe me, it is no fun! Not only will you quite possibly have a dog with gastric problems due to a sudden dietary change, but you will run out of your kitty's food so much faster. If you are like me and feeding a better brand of food, it is especially exasperating because it costs a lot more to feed a dog and your feline companion a better brand of cat food!

A WORD ABOUT DOGS AND CATS WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD

A dog can live on cat food, but a cat cannot live on dog food. If you bring home a puppy or dog, and your cat takes a liking to your new companion's food, don't be too amused by this because a cat needs TAURINE which is in cat food but not generally in dog food.

Note: Recent research indicates that dogs' hearts benefit from TAURINE; therefore, some more advanced and progressive makers of dog food are now adding it to their dog foods; however, there is a certain amount of TAURINE required for your cat's diet. So, make sure that Ms. Kitty has a healthy cat food that it enjoys. Your cat's eyesight depends upon it. Your cat can go blind due to a TAURINE deficiency.