Rent a Hobby

This article could probably easily bear the alternative titles What to do if you don’t want to place an ad for selling your dog when he’s seven months old or What to do if you don’t want to ship your dog to the often non-existent “farm in the countryside”, but those are simply too long.
Disclaimer: This article is written by a person who - as the title of this blog suggests - is raising dogs as a hobby and it is not, in any way, meant to replace neither the professional advice, no matter the case in which that might be required, nor the thorough documentation that any responsible prospective dog owner should do for the well being of both him and his future pet. Its author cannot speak neither for all dog owners nor people that simply want to get a dog. As the matter of fact, all dogs may have some things in common, but they are not, however, all the same.

In his book, The Dogs Who Found Me, writer and dog rescuer Ken Foster notes:
For those of us who raise dogs, the challenges are part of the appeal. And perhaps that’s the key difference between dogs and other domestic pets: We raise them. It’s rare to hear that term used in connection with any other animal in a home: People don’t talk about raising tropical fish or birds or guinea pigs. Even cats are more often had than raised. But dogs grow up with us. [his emphasis]

I myself couldn’t agree more, therefor “raising” is the word I’m going to use throughout this article regarding “man’s best friends”. It has been scientifically certified that raising a dog can improve one’s mental and physical state, by helping on the development and maintenance of a healthy schedule, prolong one’s life and even make one more compassionate, kind and caring.
A lot of people want dogs. A whole load more of them can’t even grasp the idea. For some of the latter, it’s a good thing that they don’t because they probably realize their own limitations where raising a dog is concerned. Others get all their myths busted when they involuntarily find themselves in the situation of doing so.

On what to expect your soon to be doggie to expect of you
Dogs are high maintenance pets. Sure, they can provide you with quality, relaxing time on the couch after stressful hours of working, they can bring your newspapers and slippers like you’ve seen in that coffee commercial or faithfully follow you wherever you go without having to say a word. But, before any of that happening, dogs are most likely to be a real pain in the ass if you’re around during their naughty puppy hood and don’t know how to handle them. That does not mean than an adult dog that you could, for instance, take off the streets or an animal shelter [which would be both an admirable and courageous thing to do], doesn’t require a lot of care and perhaps even training as well. It’s just that a dog’s natural curiosity and energy are even greater when he’s only a puppy and the age’s typical immaturity doesn’t do a lot of good either.
Whether you have a certain type of dog in mind or you just want a loyal, fury friend to keep you company and you’re undecided about what his breed, size and age should be, a realistic assessment of your lifestyle, accommodation and, last but not least, financial possibilities, needs to be your first concern. That will help you decide, think twice or - who knows - maybe even change your mind. An honorable lady in her seventies living in a single room is most likely not to chose a Saint Bernard for a pet just as well as a person who works ten hours a day shouldn’t - in my opinion - go for a cheerful, energetic yellow lab that likes to run around all day. As the matter of fact, if you ask me, a person that has to spend so much time at work and doesn’t have anyone in the family to spend time with the doggie when not at home shouldn’t get a dog in the first place. Dogs need attention, affection, constant training, long walks in the park, play time, and it has even been proved that they can get depressed if they spend too much time alone every day. They most certainly do not need ten hours of solitude followed by the coming home of an exhausted owner that’s pissed off by his boss or co-workers and wants nothing but a bite to eat and a few hours of laying in front of the TV set, all cares aside. Sure, that person can earn enough money to hire a dog-sitter or take the dog to the all new “day care” centers for dogs that are now available in our country as well but, would one really want to do that? Then what`s the point in getting the dog after all? If you want some living form waiting for you at home, cats, hamsters or fish are always an option. And while that might be cruel, a lot of dog persons have agreed that it must be taken into consideration.

Once you’ve checked the “time” and “space” boxes, looking at things from a material point of view might seem trivial, given the fact the you’re about to bring home what will be a new member of the family. But the fact is that providing for your dog is quite crucial. Don’t, for a second, think that a dog is “cheap” just by looking at his “price tag”. A dog shouldn’t - for instance - eat human food. Cooking meals that would fulfill a dog’s needs for a healthy development in our home may be very challenging. In the same time, there are a lot of people that - in their attempt of saving some money - feed the dogs nothing but bread and table scraps, unaware of the health problems this may cause their four-legged friends and of the fact that the market holds special dog food that might be just as affordable.
But it’s not just food a dog needs. There are also toys, sterilized beef bones and a special place of his own [or several, if he’s as into chewing and tearing things apart as my dog is] to remind him of the dens his ancestors used to have in the wild, that are essential to your little [or big] buddy, not to mention shots and other mandatory regular or unexpectedly needed [Accidents can, unfortunately, happen any time!] medical care.
You should also consider small or newborn children or other pets you may have in deciding to get a dog. If you have a fluffy cat, don’t get a Pit Bull, they may not get along that well. Chihuahuas may be tiny and cute but aren’t necessarily a good company for a three years old. Jokes aside, socializing dogs with other animals or children may require substantial extra work you should be willing to engage in but that will surely pay off in wonderful moments along yours and your dog’s life!

Taking on the adventurous mission of raising your dog
I’ll further refer especially to puppies but the following - so to say - guiding lines can apply to any dog that hasn’t been trained prior to coming to live in your household.

Bringing the puppy home
Several experts claim that, before bringing the dog home, the prospective owner should create a bond between him and the animal. However, that is not - most of the times because of the distance - always possible. An alternative would be buying a stuffed toy you could hold close when you sleep and sending it to the breeder or the animal shelter so that the dog would become familiar with your scent.
As the day your dog actually arrives in your home may be the busiest you’ve ever had in years, securing the basic things your doggie will need before that is very important. Asking the person that is tasking care of it at the moment what kind of food he or she uses is the best thing to do. If you want to switch to a different type of food, make sure you do it gradually, in order to let the animal’s digestive system get used to it. Premium food is always recommended as, besides all its nutritional advantages, it also decreases the amount of feces, which will make your work in training the doggie not to soil your Persian carpets considerably easier. I will not get into details about how I came to acknowledge this after not being able to get a hold of my dog’s regular brand of food and replacing it with the most similar possible…
Along with a considerable amount of food, you should get your dog some toys [from the outset, a dog needs a chew toy, a stuffed toy and a small ball], food and water bowls, a collar [the best thing is to get your dog accustomed with the collar as early as possible - don’t just officially presume it’s natural for a dog to wear a collar - it’s not] and… a crate. A lot of people don’t agree with crating the dog - I myself was their leader. They feel that such an accessory torments the dog and is morally wrong to use. There’s nothing further from the truth: the crate serves primarily as an ersatz for the den a dog would have in the wild, a place he can call his own and where he can retreat whenever he feels the need to; besides that, it’s also the easiest way of training your dog to urinate and defecate outside, as the animal would not want to soil the place he sleeps in. Another well known advantage is that it prevents your dog’s possible destructive behavior whose target may be your furniture, your shoes or your electrical cables. And it’s not only your belongings you’re protecting. We all know that constantly spending time with your dog is highly recommended, however, keeping an eye on him 24/7 is not humanly possible. Dogs can be prone to accidents if left unsupervised in the house. Last but not least, the crate serves as a way of consolidating his position within the family he sees as a pack, a position that must be always inferior to yours and that of the other members of the family!

Remember, though: a crate is only wholesome IF used correctly! If you’re just gonna put the dog in the crate whenever you don’t feel like dealing with him and for no matter how long a period, you can forget about it.
When you get a puppy, the usual age you can take it from the breeder or shelter is six weeks, after it has been weaned and had the first shot. That age doesn’t allow you to do a lot of training where the dog’s obedience is concerned so you should focus your attention on housebreaking. But be careful: if your vet tells you not to let the dog outside until he’s fully immunized, you’d better listen, especially if it’s spring and viruses are having a fiesta in the surroundings of your home. If that’s the case, the provisional paper training is the best option.

The puppy’s first night away from his mom…
… can be incredibly traumatic both for the animal and for your ears and mental sanity, whether you opted for a crate or not. To make it easier for him, you can place a bottle of warm water in his litter and a ticking clock or a small radio that could be running all night in a low volume nearby. That could decrease the puppy’s feeling of loneliness. The most important thing is to remember not to, ever, under any circumstances, go pamper the dog because of his yelps. What can be mistakenly regarded as kindness can harm your dog’s self-esteem a lot and create a useless dependence on your care and presence by leading the animal to believe that all he has to do is yelp when he wants to have his way. Remember the aforementioned considerations about pack hierarchy that, far from being cruel, are essential for you and your dog’s well being. I don’t think I have to mention that taking the puppy in your bed should be strictly forbidden, as that would become a very difficult to kick habit, that’s both not at all profitable for the training of your dog and not healthy for yourself.

Living with the puppy
Perhaps the key word when it comes to raising your puppy is “discipline”. When you bring a puppy into your home, you actually pick up where his mother left off, therefore you need to set up a system of both gratifications and castigations that you and everyone in your household must stick to with consistency and immediacy, just like his mother used to do, day by day until your puppy will group up to be an adult. Don’t fool yourself that you can let the puppy chew your slipper just because he’s little and can do no irreparable damage. You will only give him the impression that what he does is OK and this is all it takes for it to become a nasty habit you’ll find more and more difficult to kick as time goes by.
Once you set a place for the dog’s crate or shelter, stick with that place! You may want to chose a spot that allows the dog to see most of what’s going on in the house without being in a highly trafficked area.
Always feed the dog’s meals in the same place, at the same time of day. Just like with sleeping, you need to make the feeding a ritual. You can supplement your dog’s food with small treats, first, in order to make the bonding between you and him easier [for instance, you can give the puppy small pieces of boiled chicken or beef whenever he has all the attention focused on you or when he pees or poops in the place you’ve indicated, always along with the praise “Good dog!” and a gentle petting], then, to help make the obedience lessons easier and more fun.
Play with the dog! But make sure he knows the difference between playing and obedience lessons. Carefully mark every moment and every activity you do with your dog. During the playtime, if the dog does just so much as accidentally biting you, say a single and ferm “No!”, stop the play immediately and ignore the dog for about ten minutes. Same goes for any behavior you might disapprove but remember, there’s a fine line between what an owner might find unacceptable and a dog’s natural needs. If your little buddy barks like crazy, jumps up and down and chews anything he can get his teeth on, before googleing for tips to stop that behavior, you might wanna wonder is he isn’t just way too bored or way too energetic. Maybe his playtime periods or obedience lessons are too long, maybe the dog doesn’t have enough activity. Tired dog = good dog. Also, if you, for instance, find a broken shoe or a gnawed piece of furniture when you were out of the room for 15 minutes, don’t call the dog and scold him! You don’t know when exactly the “disaster” occurred so your puppy might be totally confused.

Learn to speak your dog’s language! The Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas developed a theory about canine behavior , according to which certain gestures and behaviors of our dogs we probably never payed attention to before might be signals that could help us understand them better!
Be responsible! During the mandatory regular grooming sessions, examine your dog’s skin, teeth and fur, always check for everything to be OK. Preventing is better than having to subject your friend to long, traumatizing and also expensive medical treatments. And while we’re at it, do a thorough prospection before choosing a veterinarian to take care of your dog. Experience showed me that, in spite of those six years of college one has to attend to get a license, there actually are veterinarians that don’t know the difference between an Amstaff and a Great Dane, that think it’s abnormal for a two months old puppy not to have control over his bladder or that my dog could have changed her teeth without me noticing! And I’m not someone that raises dogs for 40 years or so now!
Also, if you decide to raise a dog that might be subject to some kind of breed specific legislation, be responsible and play by the rules! The muzzle may be an unnatural accessory but, as Joe Stahlkuppe put it: I suppose that a spayed or neutered muzzled Pit Bull that is allowed to spend its days with its owner is better than a Pit Bull that is confiscated from its owner by a breed ban law.

And remember: never, EVER hit your dog!!
I always wanted a dog. While a lot of people are cat persons, I always saw myself as what you could call a “dog person”. But I don’t think someone actually realizes how raising a dog can change one’s life until they really welcome a dog in their home. Hopefully, after reading the former lines, the ones that were undecided about getting a dog came to the conclusion that this is what they want, the ones that already wanted that had their decision strengthened and each and everyone of both the categories will enjoy raising and living with their four-legged friends, find every moment of the latter’s existence as one of the best they themselves have ever lived. May they make you just as happy as I’ve never thought they would!