lifestyle is something that most of us have had the pleasure of experiencing at least once in our lifetime. Whether that experience was happy, inew news or otherwise, it has influenced the person we are today. Owning a dog or any pet often allows us to experience emotions such as love or grief for the first time. It is truly a dog lifestyle changing event that stays with us and influences our lives from then on.
When you make the decision to bring a dog into your home and embrace the dog lifestyle, you must first consider the needs of the dog. Unfortunately many of us have become couch potatoes in today’s TV and Computer ridden world. This does not always make for a good dog lifestyle relationship if you choose a dog that has a high activity level, because one of you is going to have to change!
What do I mean? Well, either you are going to continue to sit on the couch and watch TV and your new dog is going to start going stir crazy and probably chew up half the house including your remote or you are going to have to become active again. This means taking your dog out for walks at least two to three times a day and learning to play with your dog and not sit and watch TV all day.
If you try to cheat and just walk your dog around the house or stand out in the front yard for a few minutes, you will pay for your laziness. Your dog will not get the exercise and activity they need and will most likely show destructive behavior inside the house because of boredom.
A good start to this program would be to enroll in a dog training class so that you can learn the right way to train your dog and you will both be on the same communication page. It will make your job a whole lot easier if you both know the rules and will help you start a smooth transition into the dog lifestyle.
This will also give you a good idea of how much daily activity is necessary for your dog. It’s important to note that your dog needs to do more than just take a daily walk. They need to play and run and jump. It’s really important that they are allowed to do this. If at all possible, provide a fenced in yard for them to play in without a leash. If you don’t have that available, make sure you take them to the park or an open field that is safe for them to play in without traffic concerns.
If you know up front that these type of exercise and activity needs are not going to be possible for you to meet then you need to make your dog choice based on that information. For example someone who is older or perhaps has difficulty in getting around will want to make a dog choice that requires very little daily activity. Whereas someone who is active and likes the outdoors are perfect pet parents for an active dog breed. It all comes down to the dog lifestyle you want to create.
Another example might be if you have been wanting to lose weight and of course you’ve bought every product on the market but haven’t lost a pound. Let’s say you finally decide to get a dog and that dog requires you to walk them at least twice a day and perhaps some extra play time out in the backyard a few times a week. Before you know it, you have been walking 10 – 15 minutes twice a day every day and without even trying, the weight is coming off!
Before you dreaded the thought of exercising but now with your loving new companion, your walks are anything but boring, in fact they are rather eventful. Better yet, it’s not like you can skip them because then your furry little friend will be having an accident on the carpet. So without even trying, you’ve gained a new best friend, started exercising and lost weight – a brand new dog lifestyle of your very own!
Now if you’re still stumped on choosing a dog, there is tons of information on line on every breed imaginable. Make sure you do your homework before you make a choice. You want a good fit for both you and your new dog so that both of you will be happy.
A few generalizations are as follows. Larger sized dogs are often more physically active and these breeds often include the working and hunting dogs. They are genetically designed to be busy and they need to run off their excess energy. They include dogs such as German Shepherd, Greyhounds, Irish Setter and Dobermans.
Size is not always an accurate determination of a dog’s activity level. For example extra large dogs like the St. Bernard and Bull Mastiff are low activity dogs. They will spend most of their time snoozing.
Smaller dogs like Chihuahuas, Poodles and Pekinese will do quite well in a small living area and do not require the daily long walks. However they can be extremely hyper and high strung and will often run around the house in high activity mode in a burst of energy. There is generally no purpose to their crazy energy spurt and they can be quite obnoxious, bouncing and jumping on everyone in the room. The good news, as soon as they have run out of energy, they will sneak right back up on your lap or their favorite spot and take a long snooze.
Obviously making your dog choice requires some time and thought on your part but it is well worth it! If you take your time and choose a dog that fits the dog lifestyle that you are looking for, you enjoy a long and loving relationship with your new dog.
A few months ago I left the business world to pursue my passion of working with animals while trying to improve my health. To do this, I am using my 20+ years experience as a dog breeder and pet owner. I also worked for a well known veterinarian and national vet supply company for several years. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business and I worked in the Agriculture Business Industry for over twenty years. So if you are interested in the details of how the right dog food, dog care and just good old fashioned love and affection can help your dog live a healthier and longer life, please join us at: