Women are fond of saying “men are dogs”.
Some dogs may be more than a bit insulted, with that remark :D. Nevertheless, there are many similarities between men and dogs.
Living together with a man is a big deal. Suddenly, we have to put up with his many bad habits, all of the time. Living together with a dog, is an even bigger deal. With dogs, it is truly a “till death do us part” commitment. Since dogs are totally dependent on us, there is no such thing as a divorce.
When we agree to bring a dog into our family, we are making that commitment for life.
And just like men, dogs have an array of bad habits.
Therefore, before getting a dog, we want to first consider some of their less than desirable traits.
Should I Get a Dog 1
Dogs Snore Like Drunken Sailors.
This is my cute little Siberian Husky girl, Shania. She is the sweetest thing ever, but at night, she snores like a really large, really drunk, sailor.
At least when a man snores, we can give him a swift kick, and make him turn to the side. This will usually stop the snoring.
My Husky girl, bless her heart, will snore in whatever position she is in.
Should I Get a Dog 2
Dogs Are Expert Stalkers.
I think that the Police song, Every Breath You Take, was composed for a dog. Dogs like following us everywhere, and they watch everything that we do.
My Shiba Inu likes sitting outside, and staring at passers-by, cars, and everything else.
He is known by some of my neighbors as “the little detective”.
If he could talk, I bet he would have some really juicy stories to tell!
Should I Get a Dog 3
Dogs Are Not Ashamed of Begging.
My dogs learned really early on that their most powerful weapon is not their teeth, but their pretty face.
Dogs are willing to do about anything to get what they want, and that includes begging. Beware! They are very, very, good at it, and they will do it whenever they want something from us, which is almost all of the time.
Should I Get a Dog 4
A Dog’s Favorite Perfume is Eau De Skunk.
A dog’s favorite scent is not Dior, CK, or even Old Spice. Rather, they like dead things that smell like, well, dead things. Rolling around in a dead thing to acquire that oh-so-quaint aroma, is often the highlight of a dog’s day.
Smelling and eating poop is also a favorite activity. My Siberian Husky Shania, treats bird poop like it is caviar. What the cat, horse, and goat left behind, is also on her favorite list of foods and scents.
Should I Get a Dog 5
Dogs Are Landscaping Addicts.
We may think that our yard is perfect or close to perfect, but our dogs know better.
Yards often have a boring, flat surface, look. All dogs know that the most interesting, beautiful yards, are the ones that have the most number of holes.
Dogs are such optimists that they always have a can dig attitude. Even when our entire yard is riddled with holes, they always find a way to add just one more. Finally, all the holes combine into one large, big, flat hole, and the process starts all over again.
Should I Get a Dog 6
Dogs Drool, Belch, and Fart.
Dogs live in the moment.
They will drool, fart, belch, and whatever else, in the moment as well. Think Homer Simpson, except much cuter, and with more hair.
Should I Get a Dog 7
Dogs Are Lazy About Personal Hygiene.
When women say “men are dogs“, this is probably one of the key reasons why.
Like men, dogs will sometimes clean themselves, but most of the time, they prefer to just lie around, watch t.v., and go to sleep. Even when we offer to give them a bath, brush their teeth, clip their nails, and wipe their muddy paws, they will object in the most virulent fashion.
The best way to get a man, err I mean dog, to let us groom him, is to pair grooming with something pleasant. Using a favorite food, often does the trick.
Should I Get a Dog 8
Dogs Shed, and Shed, and Shed.
Dogs are cute, and cuddly because they have all that soft, plush, silky hair that we love running our fingers through.
What they often fail to advertise, is that the hair comes off – all over the house.
The amount of shedding varies greatly by dog breed, so careful research is a must. Before getting a dog, make sure that we are not allergic to dog dander. Also get used to having hair all over our floors, furniture, clothes, and other prized possessions.
Frequent brushing, will help ensure that the hair comes off in a more controlled, and manageable fashion. I find that a Furminator is very helpful, especially for dogs with double coats.
Should I Get a Dog 9
Dogs Think that the World is Their Toilet.
Dogs, especially puppies, find it extremely inconvenient to have to go to the toilet, like we do. Interrupting dog play for a trip to the loo, seems like a big waste of time. Therefore, they will just do it on the go. After all, they have unpaid human servants to clean up after them, so life is good.
The best way to potty-train a dog, is to teach him that toileting outside is more fun than a Chuck-E-Cheese trip.
My Siberian Husky puppy was not easy to house-train, because she did not seem to mind frolicking in her own waste products. As soon as she has to go, which is when she wakes up, and after every 10-15 minutes of play-time; I take her outside and give her the “Go Potty” command.
When she goes potty, I praise her very well and give her yummy treats and affection. Then, she goes back to playing. Very quickly, she learned to go sit by the door whenever she needed to go potty. After all, pottying inside gets her nothing, but pottying outside, is a happy bonanza of praise, treats, attention, and play.
Should I Get a Dog 10
A Dog’s Favorite Chew Toy is Everything.
Before we bring a puppy or new dog home, make sure to store away all of our prized possessions.
I do not leave my Jimmy Choo shoes around, or it will quickly become designer rawhide. Make sure to put cell-phones, iPhones, iPods, and all other expensive equipment on a high shelf.
Proper puppy training and puppy management is a must. When puppy Shania is out and about, I supervise her very closely. When I am too busy to supervise, she goes in her crate or long-term enclosure. I also provide her with many interactive, dog friendly, chew toys.
An iPhone may be coolest thing since sliced bread, but it is not friendly to a dog’s digestive system, nor is it friendly to our pocketbook when we pay the vet bill.
I clicked on this article hopping to find something different by different I mean since you have a tripod I was thinking you might consider that in the discoution.I actually have a tripod myself and I am thinking of getting another dog , for my dog to have as company through her tuff times and beginning of her tripod life , but I also consider the fact that she isn’t that friendly because she gets jealous , and also because she might be thinking she is getting replaced , so I was thought to check out this article to see if you also had a time were you had to put this exact desicion to mind. I really love all of your articles and they helped me immensely with everything.Can you also give me advise on my dog about jumping on furniture ( by the way she has a back limb missing).
Hello Bee,
1. Jumping on furniture
I kept Shania in a secure enclosure while she was recovering from her amputation. I put nice bedding, a water bowl, and puppy pads in the enclosure. She also had very safe chew toys to work on while in there. I gave her a lot of frozen Kongs during her recovery.
I have another dog, so the enclosure was necessary to prevent them from playing before the stitches came out. At the same time the enclosure keeps her safe, prevents her from jumping onto furniture, and getting into other types of trouble. I spent a lot of time with her in there.
During her recovery, we always had someone home with her. I didn’t want to take the chance of her getting hurt or trying to escape.
After the stitches came-off, I started training her not to get on furniture. As soon as she tries to get on the couch, I no-mark and body block her away. Then I tell her what to do instead, e.g. Down. When she lies down, I reward her very well with high priority food, attention, and a nice scratch session. If she manages to get up the couch, I carry her down right away.
In this way, she learns that lying down on the floor = a lot of attention and rewards, but jumping on the couch = get carried down and no rewards. I am very consistent about it so she never gets to come up on the couch, never gets any affection on the couch, and just gets carried down right away.
2. Keeping legs strong
I give Shania Glucosamine to help keep her joints healthy (I discussed this with my vet first). I also take special care of her paws and carefully manage her activity so that she doesn’t hurt any of her other legs.
Here is a bit more on what I do with Shania-
http://shibashake.com/dog/three-legged-dog-care-tripod-dog-care
Each dog is different though, so make sure to check with your vet before giving any supplements to Cleo.
3. Getting another dog
As for getting another dog, I waited until things calmed down a lot with Sephy before getting him a furry companion. Here is a bit more on what I did before getting a second dog.
Shania does not have as good balance as my other dogs, and she can easily get overwhelmed by them during play. I make sure to supervise them closely when they are playing. I establish play-rules and teach all of my dogs those rules so that everyone can have fun and there is no bullying. I also supervise well during meal times.
After Shania’s amputation, I waited several years before getting another dog.
Hugs to Cleo. Is she back home? How is she doing?
Thanks for sharing , it helped a lot.
Cleo came home yesterday and she had a tough time sleeping and so did I.She wasn’t comfortable most of the time because the only good side was the injured leg so she kept crying about it and I felt really bad about not being able to help her , she was also upset about the fact that we wouldn’t let her jump on the bed and I was so sad but I had to stay strong for her and myself.I only got a chance to sleep three hours and now I can’t go back to bed because I am the only one who can take care of her.She is now in her little dog bedroom ish place , she seems to like it so I’m kind of glad I take her outside from four to four hours or when I see that she want’s to go outside but when I did so once she slipped and fell right on her side with the injured leg and she started to cry so bad and I was trying to lift her but she wouldn’t let me.
Why do you think she wouldn’t let me help her get up and what can I do about her slipping ???
In terms of slipping-
1. I put rugs all over the smooth hard floors in the house.
2. I make sure to dry Shania’s paws very well if it has been raining outside.
3. Sarah suggested using shoes for slippery outside surfaces.
http://shibashake.com/dog/three-legged-dog-care-tripod-dog-care/comment-page-3#comment-57139
I haven’t used shoes before on Shania, so I am not sure how well it works for a dog of her size.
When Shania is not feeling well, her instinct is to go be by herself. I think many dogs and animals are that way. In the wild, this instinct helps to keep them safe.
Hugs to Cleo. She is young, so I think she will bounce back quickly.
Thank you , she is doing really well but I’m worried because she is bitting her leg and the scab area is now bleeding and I don’t know what to do about that , also she is kind of agressive when I touch her neck were the cone was so now she is in a corner bitting and licking her leg.
Hello Bee,
I am very glad to hear that Cleo is recovering well.
Shania also wanted to bite on the incision site, so we kept the cone on when we are not around to supervise. In Shania’s case, our vet told us not to let her lick or bite around the area to prevent bleeding and infection.
As you say though, the cone can sometimes chafe the skin on the neck. With Shania, we were able to take the cone off temporarily when are around and can stop her from worrying at her scabs and stitches. Some dogs are more sensitive to wearing the cone though, for example, my Shiba Inu would make a big fuss when we try to put the cone on. In his case, we left it on for the duration after his neutering surgery.
I called our vet a bunch of times during Shania’s recovery, just to make sure that everything was ok. They were very helpful and have a lot of experience with recovery from surgery. It may help to call up Cleo’s vet and see what they suggest.
Hi
My friend has a half wolf half husky female dog who is 2 months pregnant. He is planning to give away the puppies and I would like to take them in. I have absolutely zero dog knowledge whatsoever, but I am quite excited at the idea of raising a dog. Are there any long term issues that I will have to seriously consider? Will the dog the same traits you mentioned as the Siberian Husky? (as this isnt a pure siberian husky)
Hello Zach,
I have never lived with a wolf-dog hybrid, so I do not have experience in this area. Here is an interesting article from someone who has a wolf-Sibe mix-
http://blairtracy.hubpages.com/_orec/hub/Owning-a-Husky-Wolf
Good luck and let us know how it goes.