How to decide on a dog for you

“A dog is a man’s best friend.” This is very true but it is important to make the right decision whether to have a dog or not as a dog can also be a man’s worst nightmare!

To get a dog is very exiting but also very challenging and a great commitment. Unfortunately there are too many dogs that annually ends up in animal shelters – dogs that are mistreated by their owners or dogs that become a burden for their owners. 

So, the decision is yours but here are some tips to assist you to make the right decision:

1. Be sure that there is place in your unique lifestyle for a dog: It is no use to have a dog and you are over-committed with your work or your social life. To have a dog for companionship is good and noble but then you must be there for him. A child must grow up with a pet and normally a dog is a good pet but it won’t take long before your child will outgrow the dog – go to school, busy with extra-mural activities and own social life. Dogs are also social creatures and need a lot of attention and you must be prepared to make time for socializing, training and grooming.

2. Take into consideration your domestic environment: The size of your house, garden and any other available open spaces in the vicinity of your house are very important for the physical needs of your dog. A big dog generally needs more physical exercise than the smaller breeds. Some dogs are typical house-bound dogs whilst others are typical outdoor dogs.

3. Take into consideration the financial implications: There may be once off costs to get a dog. The more pedigree it is, the higher the price. But, there is also recurrent expenditure – feeding costs, veterinary fees, vacation boarding, etc. which all have to be taken into account.

4. Make sure there is a cooling off period: Do not decide overnight to have a dog. Get the commitment of the entire family or household. Make sure everyone is on board with the commitment it will ask from everyone. Remember, normally everyone is keen and eager when it is a cute puppy -  they will fight to get its attention and to play with it,  but as it grew bigger it will be lose its shine. Therefore, after the decision is taken to get a dog, make sure there is a cooling off period of at least 5 days before you commit yourself with a seller.

Be responsible in your decision because a dog is truly a man’s best friend!

How to train a budgie

All over the world the budgie is an extremely popular house pet. The reason for their popularity is that they are cheerful, cheeky and good companions to human beings because they enjoy relating to people.

It is an inexpensive pet and easy to maintain and are sought after by owners of all ages. Another discovered attribute of the budgie is that it is a highly trainable bird. 

Here are some tips on how to train your budgie:

1. As with any living creature training should start at a very young age. Therefore get hold of a budgie that is about 6 weeks old – just weaned from his mother.

2. The best option is that the budgie should preferable be trained by only one person of the household. It is a known fact that budgies learns best if it can bond with one person – combined with the relative young age at which you must start, the budgie will learn to accept that person as another member of his flock.

3. The secret of success is that from the start, it must receive a lot of attention, continuously. This will assist in also making it tame. 

4. There must be constant contact with the budgie. It must be in a cage but the best then is to put your hand in the cage for long periods. As time goes on you can start stretching out your index finger – this resembles his perch and with time and encouragement it may well hop onto your finger. 

5. The next step is then to get the budgie to accept to be held in your hand. This can be established by first to stroke the bird gently along its back. As soon as it is accustomed to this human touch, go over to gently lay a hand on its back. 

6. As soon as it has accepted this step, you can then gently grasp the bird safely in the palm of your hand. 

7. Then it is time to control the bird in your hand. Use your first and second fingers to control its head. With your other fingers and thumb you can control the wings to avoid them flapping excessively.

This is the basics. It will take some time but once tamed and used to your hand and cuddling it you can proceed with more difficult training, for instance they can be taught to perform tricks like climbing a ladder, ring a bell, etc.

As part of the parrot family a budgie can also be taught to mimic human sounds.

Getting a new puppy? How to prepare for the arrival of your new puppy

One of my best loved shows on TV is The Dog Whisperer. The reason is that I myself grew up with dogs in the house and I also ensured that my children grew up with dogs. It is therefore quite obvious that I am a dog fan and lover.

But one thing that is true; only get a dog as a pet or even as companion or friend when you are fully committed to look after the dog and are prepared to accept responsibility for its well-being. Once you as family have decided on a dog as pet and also the breed you want (this must be a collective decision as all must be on board to take care of the dog as a unit) and you have ordered or arranged for the dog, you must prepare for its arrival and initiation into its new family clan:

1.       The need for toys: Make sure there are enough canine toys to keep it busy. Doing this will prevent frustration and anger towards the puppy later on as it is natural for a puppy to chew on anything or play with anything. Having enough toys of its own, it would leave your slippers or the newspaper intact!

2.       Feeding: Obtain professional advice before hand on the feeding and nutritional needs of your specific breed of dog.

3.       Sleeping quarters: Yes, a dog must have its own sleeping and bedding arrangements. A general mistake is made when due to the cuteness and cuddliness of a new puppy; everyone wants it to sleep on the bed with them. As soon as the dog is grown up or old news then it has to move out of the house. Then the howling every night, whole night through will drive you and your neighbours crazy.

4.       House training: The new puppy must be house-trained so that it will know what its role and place in the house is; where may it be and which places are out of bounds.

5.       A name for the puppy: The name must be a collective decision of the family and the entire family must assist in conditioning the puppy with its name.

6.       A vet for the puppy: You must have a vet you can use for normal health issues and vaccinations as well as emergency procedures when your puppy needs it.

7.       Puppy- proof your home and garden: This is important to keep your puppy safe. It is also important to isolate no-go areas for the puppy in the house and in the garden. A puppy is very inquisitive and will investigate everything; especially all flower and vegetable patches!

Remember, that new, wriggly, kissy, bundle of fun can become your worst nightmare if you do not take control and charge from the beginning. If not, you will need more than a Dog Whisperer!

Daniel