Choosing Your Next Pet

Choosing Your Next Pet

There are so many choices as to which pet will become a new member of your home. How do you decide which pet to choose?  Below is a list of a few things to do and not to do when choosing your new pet.



1) No Impulsive Decisions
Do your best not purchase or adopt a pet based on a sudden whim or desire. Make it a conscious, well thought-out decision because that decision will have a long-term effect on you, your family and the pet you choose.

2) Do Your Homework
Do extensive research on the pet you are interested in taking home. Consider several sources. Visit your local Humane Society, rescue organizations, veterinarians, animal shelters, reputable breeders and trainers. These are all good sourcesfor sound, viable information concerning most any pet you could be interested in.
If you are looking to adopt or purchase a dog, you will need to learn about the various characteristics of the different breeds you are considering. In many ways, dogs are as different in their needs, abilities and personalities as people are.

3) Consider Your Life Style
Are you active during daytime hours or do you burn the midnight oil?
Some pets, like sugar gliders and ferrets sleep almost all day and are most active at night.
Do you work long hours?
Some pets are fine by themselves while others get very lonely and don’t do well by themselves.

Do you have children?
Are they responsible enough not to be a threat to your new pet?
Do you travel a lot?
Who will care for the pet while you are away from home?


4) Fit Your Pet To Your Home Environment
How much open space is available? Do you have a back yard? Is your yard fenced in? How will your neighbors feel about this new pet? If you rent, are there restrictions or limitations to the type of pet you can have?

5) Decide Why You Want A Pet
Your particular personality traits are extremely important. Do you want a pet that is largely independent and requires very little attention or are you looking for a pet that you can jog or play Frisbee with?
Cat lovers tend to have different traits than dog people. If you give either of them the wrong species, they often have trouble bonding with the pet. Be sure to consider the reasons you want a new pet. Do you want to caress and play with it? If so a newt or turtle probably isn’t a good fit. 
Do you want to teach your pet tricks and interact with it? If so, an intelligent pet like a dog, cat or ferret would be a good choice.          
Many parents adopt or purchase a pet to be their child’s companion. This could be an excellent idea, but don’t adopt or purchase a pet to teach a child responsibility. Owning a pet and being forced to take care  of it does not teach responsibility.
 If you aren’t sure your child is ready – wait or be prepared to do most of the care-taking yourself.

6) Make Sure It Is The Right Time In Your Life To Get A Pet

Seriously consider whether or not this really is the right time for you to bring a pet home. If you already have other pets - will they get along with the new one? How stable is your family life? How’s your health?
Make sure this is the right time for everyone involved.

7) Consider How Long Your Pet Will Live
The average life-span for dogs and cats is 12-16 years – some live longer. Tortoises and goldfish have life spans that are similar to our own. Small parrots live an average of 8-14 years; larger parrots live as long as 35-60 years. Mice are old when they turn 2.
It is important to have a plan for your pet should something happen to you.

8) Cost
Keep in mind that the cost of providing a proper living space, a good diet, proper veterinary care, grooming and pet sitters will far exceed whatever you originally paid for the animal. Make sure you can afford the additional expense.
What types of pets should I consider?
Dogs are my favorite pets. I love them. Most are smart, happy and loyal. They tend to bond very closely with their owners. They do however require a lot of your time if they are to remain healthy and happy.
Cats are great pets.  They are more independent than dogs and may thrive better if they must endure longer periods of the day alone.
Guinea pigs are gentle and affectionate. They can live in confined areas. They are inexpensive to feed and when taken care of properly - they have very little odor. Unfortunately they only live for 5-8 years. They almost never bite. They do not make good pets for children. If you live in a cool environment and want a longer living rodent, buy or adopt a chinchilla.
Ferrets are also very desirable pets. They are smart, quiet and easy to feed. Ferrets are curious and very affectionate. They generally live 8-10 years. Potential owners will sometimes find their odor to be undesirable. They sleep most of the day and are very active at night .
Rabbits are adorable when they are bunnies (babies). As they mature their needs increase and they can become aggressive.
Rats, Mice, Gerbils and Hamsters all make good pets particularly when they are handled from the time they open their eyes. Rats generally live from 4-6 years while mice live 2-3 years. They are very inexpensive to buy and keep and can be very affectionate. Caution: they do have a pretty strong odor –especially when their cages aren’t cleaned often enough. Hamsters carry the most stench while gerbils are least stinky.
Snakes, Lizards ,Turtles and Tortoises  are  “observational” pets. Meaning you can watch them, handle them and even pet them but they don’t generally return affection. Tortoises are the most affectionate of the group. Each of these animals have very long life spans, which can be  problem as situations change in the owners’ lives.
Cockatiels and Cockatoos, Parakeets and Parrots are the most affectionate of all birds that are kept as pets. Usually they will bond with only one member of the family – which potentially can be a problem.
In most cases, the larger the bird species, the longer they tend to live. These birds are often very noisy and cockatoos in particular produce large amounts of dust.

Fish are beautiful to look at and they add an air of peace and comfort to the owner’s home. Fish need consistent and methodical attention to thrive. Developing a one- one relationship with a fish is difficult, but they will come to you when you feed them (smile).
Farm Animals can also be very good pets, although zoning laws often restrict them from residential neighborhoods.
 Farm animals are domesticated and can be very affectionate. Some of them need more space than is found in a normal home.

Finding, loving and caring for the right pet can be a blessing for both the owner and the animal. Please be sure to choose carefully and to do your part – your pet is depending on you!

Referenced from 2016 article by Ron Hines DVM PhD 

The Importance of Training Your Dog

In many ways, our dogs are like our children. We want them to grow up smart, healthy and confident.

Obedience is another key attribute treasured by parents that is sometimes missed as owners raise their pups to adulthood.

In fact, obedience training is one the most important aspects of raising a happy, confident and well-adjusted dog. Well-trained dogs are often given more freedom. More freedom often leads to more exercise time, playtime and family time.

When company comes to your home, a dog that behaves does not have to be locked in a room or kicked outdoors.

Perhaps most importantly, disobedient, untrained dogs are a nuisance and their bad behavior can lead to limited interaction with family members and even feelings of regret by the owners.

Too many dogs end up in shelters across the Columbus Georgia area because they were not properly trained and their bad behavior can no longer be tolerated.

Leader of Your Pack

Proper training strengthens the bond between a dog and its owner. It helps build understanding and respect. In fact, proper training reinforces who the “Alpha” of the pack really is! And if your dog has any question as to who the leader is – he/she will almost certainly assume that role for themselves!

Training May Save Your Dog’s Life

Obedience training allows dog owners to instantly control their dogs’ behavior through voice commands or even hand signals. Say for example, a dog gets out of his/her collar and is in jeopardy of running into the street. He/she can be directed to “stop” and “sit” safely before running into traffic and being injured or killed.

There Are Consequences to Not Training Your Dog

Without proper obedience training, many dogs are likely to miss behave – and everyone involved suffers as a result.

The owners are unhappy, embarrassed and sometimes even fearful concerning their dog’s behavior.

The dog suffers because they constantly receive negative attention are no attention because of his or her bad behavior.

Friends and family suffer because no one wants to visit a home with a dog that constantly misbehaves.

Even the Loving Pet Sitter suffers!!! Trust me, it is much less stressful for the owner, the sitter and the pet when the dog has been properly trained.

Obedience Is for Everyone

Obedient dogs are a source of pride and pleasure for their owners because they can go almost anywhere and not be a risk or disturbance to others.

Each of us should want a dog who behaves around children, adults and other animals.

The bottom line is that obedient, well-trained dogs truly do benefit everyone they come in contact with.

Sourced from an article by Robin Kovary copyright 1995 – 1999.