Getting a dog for companionship seems like a great reason to own a dog and many canines do live up to their reputation as being ,man’s best friend,. However it is important to realize that dogs are not a substitute for human companionship. Many people spoil a dog to death or lose control over its training because they start projecting the qualities of a human on the animal’s personality. Mistaking a dog for being a human is the number one reason why pets end up being overweight, overly dominant or submissive and aggressive to strangers. They are fed human food, encouraged to sleep on beds just like human children and never chastised as puppies for biting, nipping and growling. An unhealthy emotional reliance on your pet can also lead to all kinds of behavioral and psychological problems for your dog such as possessiveness, submissive urination and separation anxiety. It is also not good for you to develop a codependency with your pet. You may develop anger or resentment issues over a dog that you can’t control or take misbehavior personally. Although it is a great idea to think of your pet as one of the family, he should not become the master of your domain. To make sure that your dog is psychologically healthy and well behaved be prepared to withhold your tendencies to coddle him or her as a puppy. This includes denying the puppy food when he leaps up at the table and being too enthusiastic when greeting him or her when you come home. An inability to establish healthy boundaries between you, the human and your dog, the pet can lead to problems that are so serious that the dog has to be put down. At the very least a dog that is treated like a human may have to take obedience lessons so that he treats humans with respect Sometimes you can acquire a pet so that other pets in your home will not be lonely. . This is a fantastic idea. Just keep in mind that your costs of owning a pet will be double , including food and veterinarian bills. Of course it is important to choose dogs that are peaceful and make easy friends with other dogs. It would be a bad idea to combine a Yorkshire Terrier with a Rotweiller for example, as the Rottie may perceive it as food. You are much better off to pair that Yorkie with a Dachshund who is very sociable with other animals. However just because an animal is small does not mean it is more sociable. Jack Russell Terriers have been known to kill other pets simply because they are jealous of the attention they are getting from the owner. Whether you are getting a dog because you feel that you need companionship or because you feel like your other pets do the key to success is balance. Keep your expectations realistic and don’t try to turn your dog into your boyfriend or expect a dog that chases cats to become your kitty’s best buddy.
