Every Day Human’s Essentials

What Are the Best Every Day Essentials for Dog Guardian Humans Owners? (an Opinion by Boris, the Dog)

What Essentials do You Humans Need to Have so That You Can be a Good or Great Guardian for One of My 4-Legged Relatives?

It’s simple, really. To be a good guardian for a dog, you need to have heaps of TLC!

That’s Time, Love and Commitment!

Time:

Do you have the time to research and choose the right canine companion that will be compatible with your human energy level and lifestyle?

Do you have time every day to feed, train, socialize, walk, run, swim, bike, hike, play, brush, bath, clean ears, brush teeth, clip nails, groom or take to the groomers, pick up poop, clean up after, and sometimes take your dog to the vet for regular check-ups? We dogs take up a lot of time.

Love:

Do you love dogs so much that your life is incomplete without one? Do you have the knowledge needed to properly raise a dog?

Commitment:

Are you committed to caring, training, guarding, feeding, protecting and keeping one of my cousins safe, happy and healthy for as long as you both shall live?

Depending on how good you are at this relationship, that could be 10 to 15 or more years!

Following is a list of questions to ask yourself that will help you humans decide if you would be a good dog guardian:

1. Do I have the time and patience necessary to devote to a puppy or dog? We dogs need a lot of attention, socializing, exercising, training, feeding, watering, playing and your endless devotion.
   
2. Am I a physically active? Humans that prefer to spend their leisure time in front of those computer things or TV screens are not taking their dog outside for the walks, play or adventures they crave.
   

3. Do I like to travel a lot or have to travel for my work? Small dogs are easier to travel with and can travel inside the plane cabin with their humans. If you can’t take your dog on business trips with you, they will have to spend a lot of time being cared for by somebody else.
   
4. Am I a neat freak, do I have allergies or a sensitive nose? Many of my cousins shed their hair and it will be all over your house and clothes. Some humans that suffer from allergies can be OK with low or non-shedding dogs. Many of my cousins also drool, loudly snore and are very messy drinkers and eaters that can also clear a room with their odorous gasses.
   
5. Do I have a young, growing family? Children take up most of the parent’s spare time and often really young children cannot carefully handle a puppy or be part of caring for a dog? We dogs need a lot of time, attention, exercise, love and care. 

6. Am I physically fit and healthy? To properly care for one of my cousins, you humans need to be outside walking us two to three times a day, every day, rain or shine (and much more when we’re a puppy or a highly active type of dog). We dogs live for sharing time with our humans in the great outdoors, so if you’ve got sore knees, a bad back, low energy and aches and pains, perhaps you’d better get a goldfish or a cat.
   
7. Can I afford the extra costs? We dogs are expensive, and depending on the particular dog there are many extra costs involved in being a good guardian for a dog, such as food, doody bags, kennels, leashes, collars, clothing, grooming equipment, trips to the grooming salon, trips to the vet, and more. Can you afford a dog?
   
8. Who is deciding to add a dog to the human family? Asking a dog to be part of your family needs to be a well thought out family decision. If you’re thinking about a dog just because the children are begging for one, they will often quickly lose interest. Before taking the leap, you humans need to be certain that all ages of humans are willing to support this decision.
   
9. Have I thoroughly researched the type of dog? Often humans don’t take the time to take a close enough look at the type of dog they may be interested in. Often humans are not truly honest about whether a particular type of dog is really compatible with the human’s lifestyle. Many mistakes are made when dogs are chosen for the wrong reasons (see more below).
   
10. What is the number one reason why I want a dog in my life? There are many answers to this question, and if you humans can answer this one question really honestly, it can be the difference between being a great dog guardian or a big mistake.

Being honest with yourself when answering these questions can be the difference between a long and happy partnership with your dog, or a life of misery for everyone concerned, and the reason why so many of my cousins end up behind bars when the relationship doesn’t work out.

The Wrong Reasons

If your reasons or sharing your life with a dog fall under this category, perhaps you should consider a cat or a goldfish, instead.

Many humans use one or more of the following “reasons” and others for choosing a particular dog to share their life with. For instance:

1. They like what the dog looks like
2. The particular type of dog may be currently popular
3. They saw this type of dog on TV or in a movie they enjoyed
4. The human’s parents had the same kind of dog when they were children
5. A human friend has the same type of dog
6. The dog has a cute face
7. The dog has a pretty coat
8. The dog has a funny, wrinkled face
9. The human feels sorry for a homeless dog
10. Rescuing a dog makes the human feel good about themselves
11. The human’s children are begging for a dog
12. Everyone else has a dog
13. The human is trying to impress their friends
14. Having a dog makes the human feel special
15. The human wants to dress up the dog like a child
16. a human friend or family member can no longer keep their dog
17. a human was selling puppies on a street corner
18. the human lives by his or herself and is feeling lonely

All of the above “reasons” amount to being spontaneous excuses for choosing to bring one of my fur friends into a human family.

We dogs deserve much more considered research and careful thought because without it, you humans will often end up increasing the number of dogs abandoned to rescues and left behind bars in shelters.

If you have TLC, you can be a great dog guardian, even if your knowledge so far may be minimal, because with Time you can learn all you need, and there are plenty of professionals and endless books written that can help you become an expert.

If you’re honest about your own energy and lifestyle, you can then choose the right dog to share your life with, or if you need someone to help find the right match for you, there’s professionals who can help you with that, too.

Bottom line, if you can be honest about your energy and lifestyle, time and ability to commit to what’s essential, you will be able to choose the right dog for the right reasons, which means you and your canine companion will have the best opportunity for a long and happy life together.