{"id":10373,"date":"2013-05-20T11:32:20","date_gmt":"2013-05-20T18:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thedoginc.com\/i-want-a-dog-am-i-ready"},"modified":"2013-05-20T11:32:20","modified_gmt":"2013-05-20T18:32:20","slug":"i-want-a-dog-should-i-get-a-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/i-want-a-dog-should-i-get-a-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"I Want a Dog, Am I Ready to Get a Dog?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love dogs. I really wanted my own dog.<\/em><\/p>\n

When I was young (< 5 years old) we had two German Shepard mixes. One was white and one was tan. I think they barked a lot but I don’t remember much else.<\/p>\n

The dog that I truly remember is this black and brown mutt. He was on the smallish side, probably around 30 pounds. I love that dog. Sometimes, I would sit for hours with him, not saying anything, just sharing his company. He was afraid of fireworks so on New Year’s eve, I would sit with him the whole night.<\/p>\n

I was pretty lonely then, and that dog was my very best friend.<\/p>\n

\"Girl
I Want a Dog, Should I Get a Dog?<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n

But I did not treat him very well.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was an outside dog. Family rules. When he was young and tried to follow people into the house, he got hit on the butt with a rolled-up newspaper.<\/p>\n

Nobody walked him. I was too young to be out and about, and everybody else was too busy to walk him. None of the neighbors walked their dogs either – it was simply not something that people did.<\/p>\n

After some years, puppy grew up, I got busy, and nobody spent time with him. He dug under the fences and escaped<\/a>. Mom tried to block all of his escape routes, but he always managed to find a new way out. He was a very clever dog, with a lot of time on his hands.<\/p>\n

So every day, he escaped, went gallivanting with his neighborhood dog buddies and came home in the evening for dinner and sleep.<\/p>\n

One day, he did not come home.<\/p>\n

\"Whole
Shiba Inu Sephy, Siberian Husky Shania and puppy Lara.<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n
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Puppy Training<\/h4>\n


\n\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After a few years, my dad brought home a litter of puppies and asked if I wanted to keep one.<\/p>\n

I said no. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I still love dogs. I still really want a dog. But I was a kid, and could not treat a dog the way he should be treated. So I said no.<\/p>\n

Now, I share my life with three dogs – Shiba Inu Sephy, Siberian Husky Shania and puppy Lara. They are my best buddies. I make sure they have long daily walks, lots of play time, and there is no hitting, slapping, poking, or pain based dog training<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Siberian
Should I Get a Dog?<\/div><\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Am I Ready to Get a Dog?<\/h2>\n

Consider carefully before getting a dog. It can be awesome to share our life with a dog but timing is extremely important. Dogs are a big responsibility, and they require a lot of care, training, and supplies. This translates into a whole lot of time, energy, physical activity, patience, and money.<\/p>\n

Love alone is not enough.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dogs need a lot of exercise or they will become hyper and destructive at home<\/a>. Make sure we are fit and energetic enough to give our dog walks, play-time, and obedience training sessions every day.<\/p>\n

Am I ready to get a dog? <\/em><\/p>\n