If you are planning on a new canine addition joining your household soon then you need to be completely aware of the responsibility involved with owning a dog. Yes being a dog owner is a lot of fun and very enjoyable but it is also a bigger responsibility than a lot of potential owners realize.

Now the initial point to think about is the time you honestly have to look after your dog, whether you have opted for a puppy or an adult dog they will both require a lot of time and attention from you, especially in the beginning. Do not assume that simply because you are taking on an adult dog that it will not require the same amount of training as a puppy, in fact you could not be further from the truth with this thought to be honest. An adult dog can be harder to train as he/she would have developed some bad habits by now and if they have never had anyone to correct them they are going to take a lot of convincing that your way is indeed the right way!
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Some dogs seem to be programmed to give chase to anything and everything that moves from the smallest bird to the biggest person, if it so much as flinches it is chased!

Now whilst running after a squirrel is not a great hobby for your dog, let alone the squirrel when your dog decides to move up the ladder and chase bigger running things such as joggers it can prove to be very awkward for you as their owner. You always seem to be apologising and making excuses for your pooch like, ‘he has never done this before I am sorry’ or ‘he is just protecting me and wished to scare you away’.
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There are more and more dog owners signing up for training programmes for their dog which involve them being away from home. The concept is that a misbehaving pooch is delivered to a training school and then collected when they are ‘fixed’ the dog trainer will then spend time with the owner teaching them the basics of the training.

Now there can be several reasons for an owner to tread this path regarding their dog’s training. One reason could be that they have tried and given 100% effort to train their dog but they simply do not seem to be achieving the positive results they were hoping for, some owners may have encountered problems with training and due to this fact it is taking much longer to train their dog. If the owner has not allowed for the extra time involved maybe they cannot dedicate the additional time to a training regime.
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When dogs are destined for a life either in the world of dog shows or working in the community they very often have to prove that they can display good manners and their owners must show they can maintain total control of their faithful friend.

Both the owner and the dog are put through a series of tests by an evaluator; this is a person who has never been seen before by the dog or the owner. The initial test is to ascertain the dog’s behaviour when the evaluator approaches their owner, remember this person is a complete stranger. They will talk to the owner whilst totally ignoring the dog as this will allow them to observe the dog’s acceptance towards a friendly stranger.
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All dog owners experience that heart stopping moment when they allow their beloved canine off the lead for the first time, you know that moment when your dog seems to put their nose down on the ground and their bum in the air and then proceed to run off in the opposite direction to you!

Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog the moment is always slightly daunting and it is one not to be rushed. You must be as certain as you can be that your dog will return to you when you want him/her to and not when they choose is the right time.
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How is it that you never have your camera handy when your dog decides to pose in the cutest position or have the daftest expression on his/her face? When you have reached for your camera and set it all up the moment has passed and your dog has returned to normal!

Now thankfully the wonderful invention of the digital camera means that we are not spending a small fortune on camera films and the whole process of developing pictures which are short of useless. We can now snap as many pictures as we like until we obtain the perfect one and we do not have to inform anyone how long it actually took to do it!
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I use the term ‘mouthy’ in the nicest possible way! I am not referring to a dog which talks all the time or a dog which constantly uses bad language, no I am making reference to a dog which is always using its mouth for one thing or another.

Now I know dogs use their mouths to carry out normal daily functions such as barking, eating and drinking but some dogs seem to lick everything in sight and are always trying to put everything in their mouths to taste. Generally if this problem is observed in an adult dog it signifies that they were not fully taught how to inhibit their ‘bite’ as a puppy.
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Now you have thought of a name for your new puppy or adult dog, you have planned and prepared the dog food which he/she will consume and you have bought the essentials such as a lead, collar, doggy toys and a dog bed but have you considered what you will use to feed your dog/puppy in?

This is a common item which is overlooked, strange as this might seem it is true. Potential owners plan everything else to the finest little detail but forget about the utensil used to place their new canine chum’s dinner in!
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Okay so you have arrived home with your cute and fluffy puppy and after all the excitement has died down your thoughts turn to training, puppies do not come with a training programme already installed I am afraid so they do require training.

If this is your first experience of a puppy then your initial task will be to complete some research regarding the training side of things. Now although this is obviously the best option as you will be looking for guidance the world of dog training can be a nightmare to negotiate. There are numerous television programmes on the topic, books, classes and of course there are the opinions of other dog owners.
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If you daydream about taking your puppy to lots of different locations further afield than your local area you will need to be able to travel with him/her. You must remember that you cannot simply expect your puppy to adapt to travelling in a car as most of them have never done so prior to meeting you.

Many puppies go away with their new family from the place they were born and this will be their first experience of a car. When you collect your new puppy always be prepared for them to not travel well and be armed with towels, tissues and newspapers. The best item to transport your puppy in is a cardboard box with the front cut out as an entrance point. You can line this with newspapers and towels and a nice touch is to also pop a soft, puppy safe toy in the box which will act as a source of comfort. Your puppy can cuddle up close to the toy if he/she is feeling lonely because do not forget that they have just left the comfort of their mum and siblings.
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