Choosing a dog

Choosing a dog is a very big decision, and not one to be made lightly. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a dog is right for you and your family. It is vital that you sit down with your family and fully think through the following questions, and resist saying yes just because you really want a dog. You must do what is best for the animal as most dogs end up in shelters because they've grown into adults and people only want puppies, or because people simply no longer have the time for them.

Some of the questions to honestly ask yourself include:

1. How much space do we have for a dog? Is our back yard big enough? Do we have somewhere for him/her to sleep?
2. What age dog are we looking for? Do we have enough time to devote to the training of a new puppy, or would an older, housebroken dog be better for us?
3. What is our activity level? Do we really want a high-activity level dog when we aren't really very active ourselves? Or, are we really active, will the breed of dog we want be able, and willing, to keep up with our lifestyle?
4. Perhaps most importantly - How much will it cost to keep a dog, and can we afford it? Can we afford to feed a dog the high-quality food it deserves, pay for its vaccinations once a year, and have money for any emergencies that may come up?

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