A Dog is a big responsibility and before you can even begin to think about getting one here's a few basic questions you should ask yourself. Am I willing to take it on walks up to three times a day? Do I have the space and time? Am I ready to commit to another living being? Do I have the endurance and patience that it takes? Can I faithfully care for my dog by giving it a healthy dose of exercise, love, food, and regular vet visit's? If you can truthfully and faithfully answer yes to all these questions, you may be ready for this life commitment of joy.
First things first, to be able to care for your dog and make it's life rememberable you have to be ready. The best way to do this is to read-up, get involved first hand, and experience. By this I mean visit the library and read as many books as you can get your hands on about dogs. Visit a veterinarian or a animal hospital, volunteer at shelters. Talk to neighbor get their opinion on the great responsibility of getting a dog. Volunteer to take care of someone's dog while they are on vacation for a period of time. From those sources you can draw a conclusion.
Depending on when you get your dog depends on the way that you care for it. If you get a grown dog you have to be aware of the habits that it has formed and if you get a puppy you must be ready to help form it's habits. Training takes a lot of time and patience. There is more about some training tips in Training Your Dog.
One of the most important ways that you could care for your pet would be to get it neutered. This way your dog stays in your backyard and its attention is focused on you and not other dogs. Getting your dog neutered can be expensive, and may seem impossible at times, but their are veterinarians and small organizations that will do it for a low price. At times this process may seem cruel but, it can save plenty of puppies from being sent to the pound and being put to sleep.
Another way that you can care for your dog is to keep it looking and feeling it's finest. By this I mean grooming, bathing, and looking at their pads, toenails, ears, teeth and eyes. It also means health care. Keeping your dog's fur and teeth brushed, toenails filed and clipped (which should only be done by an expert), and ears and eyes cleaned are not for looks sake, but for health. By doing these thing you help your fight disease, ticks, and fleas. Keeping your dog healthy is very important which brings us to regular vet visits. If you think that your dog might be sick you should immediately get it to the vet. Don't trust other people's cure's.
Vaccinations are an important part of you dog's health care. The first one they get is at 7-9 weeks old. The other they get when they have reached the age of 12-14 weeks. After that yearly booster shots will be necessary.
To know what's hurting your dog, most of the time you don't even have to be a vet. All you have to know is the basics. Your dog's body includes the following: