First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘London dog training’

How do I go about choosing a new pet for the family? What is the best pet for the household? Well you are starting well by collecting information. This is vital as a pet is for life, so be 100% sure, otherwise do not have a pet.
A bit negative there, but there is such a large choice of pets to pick from, all of them can be pleasurable, but have different advantages and disadvantages. You can pick from a dog, cat, hamster, rat, fish, spider, bird and the list goes on and on.
It is important to involve everyone in the assessment, it needs to be a whole household decision. Due to its significance I propose you discuss and write down your objective for wanting a pet. Add to it on a large sheet of paper, with a column for the pet, some columns to rank each pet. The considerations for a pet include, time (yours), cost (pets are pricey), pet care, space constraint, ability to fuss, interest, collective activity, any phobias, other points.
Pets take time, some have need of more than others. Time hungry animals are those that require regular exercise such as dogs and horses. Dogs evolved from wolves and maintain many of those characteristics. They are used to regularly covering large areas every day to search for food, so most breeds need a minimum an hour or two a day walking. This needs to be part of a regular schedule and done everyday. Other pets may necessitate a lot of grooming, changing water etc. A pet sitter often uses much of their visiting time to grooming long haired cats, though the cat and the sitter enjoy it. You may aspire a specificpet, but do you have the time for him? Be straight with yourself and the potential pet.
Expenditure, consider all expenditure. There is the potential cost of the pet to start with, which for a pedigree pet can be costly. I would strongly advise you to consider adopting a abandoned pet, there are increasing numbers of these now as people are unfortunately discarding them to the pet charities – why not do good and help out? The other starting costs include cages, leads, grooming aids, blankets / beds. After that are the regular pet costs, food, which for a large dog can be substantial. I strongly advise you to have your pet sterilized, many pet specialists and research have shown that you will have less behavioural problems with a neutered animal. There are regular veterinary expenditure such as vaccinations, however some are impossible to plan for. Because of this I strongly recommend you to take out pet insurance, so you can deal with any situations that may occur. There are also regular costs for flea treatment etc. These costs mount up.
Is your house large enough for the animal? Some animals can be exciting, but you may not be able to fuss them, what is the key for you? No animal has everything. Can you pick up the animal? Rats are remarkably fascinating, but some people hate the scaly tail, or the idea of one.
You may want to review the summary paper, you may not have the time for walking the dog during the week due to work pressures, but this may pay for a professional dog walker. Not enough space for the horse, use stables, but watch the cost.
So once you have identified a type of animal, there are lots of diverse types and breeds to choose from, looking at hamsters there are five basic types, with very different characteristics. There is also the choice of how many, some animals are better off single, others as a pair because they must have the company. Then there is the choice of sex, some animals have very different behaviour between the male and female. Male rats are less active than females and urinate more.
Final steps, I would suggest you to organise a pet test drive. Find someone with a similar pet, that you can borrow for a few days, or even be a pet sitter for them during the summer vacations. Talk to the owner about the expenditure, the work that is needed, and do not forget the pleasure that the animal gives. An alternative is to do some animal charity work.
Pet breeders and dog trainers are exceptionally knowledgeable, so visit and talk with them.
I hope this helps, go and enjoy a new pet.