What You Need for A New Dog

So, you're planning to get a dog, eh? Congratulations! You're on your way to having one of the most satisfying, enjoyable moments of your life with your loyal friend and companion. But before you start picking out which cute pooch you'll be taking home to meet your family, you have to keep in mind a few important things first. Buying a new dog is more than simply finding the cutest puppy in the store and buying a bag of dog food. Getting a new dog is almost like having a new child. They need constant attention and love, especially when they're young. You will need more than dog food if you want to keep your pooch happy and healthy.

When you first walk into a pet store you will be bombarded by everything from designer clothes to dog food. It's not going to be any use talking to the salesmen; their goal is to sell you everything you lay your eyes on, whether you need it or not. There are only a few essential things you should get for your new pet. My suggestion is first and foremost, get a good book and learn about your dog's breed and its characteristics. Not all dogs are the same; different breeds have different personalities, quirks, habits, needs, etc. But at the same time, don't think of the book as the end all and be all of how your dog is supposed to behave. Treat it as more of a guide.

After this, get a good collar, and make sure you can stick at least two fingers between the dog's skin and the collar. Also remember to get one that has plenty of room for your growing dog. Some dog breeds can grow very fast in just two or three weeks, so you want to make sure that you won't be replacing the collar every 2nd week or so.

Also, get a good training collar, the most popular of which are the choke chain and the German pinch collar. Nevermind the scary names; these two collars work great at training your dog to behave properly at the end of a leash without tearing your arm off its socket. The biggest thing to remember with both collars is to never use the collar as your dog's everyday collar. I know some people who forget to replace the collar after training their dogs and end up having to cut them off after a few days because their dogs grew so big that the collars wouldn't fit over their heads anymore.

The other supplies needed are simple. Get a weighted water bowl and a food bowl. Dogs, especially puppies, seem to have a fondness for playing in their dinner as much as eating it. A well made crate or dog house, depending on whether or not the dog will be an inside or outside dog. You will also need three leashes of different lengths, to be used for walking and training the dog. The book you get will explain how the different sized leashes are used in training.

Chew toys, chew toys, and more chew toys. Dogs require constant exercise on their gums, so get a variety of chew toys for your pet, or else you'll be replacing your upholstery and your shoes on a regular basis.

And finally, DOG FOOD! If you don't know it yet, dogs are carnivores, despite what animal rights activists might say. They eat meat. So check the ingredients first. If corn and other types of vegetables is the first ingredient listed, your dog won't be eating what he really needs. Chicken or beef should be listed as the first ingredients.

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Chiun Masters is a researcher and writer for http://www.capitaldogsupply.com, where you can get high-quality dog supplies at great prices. Visit us when you need dog supplies.

- Azlan Irda