Thinking about Adopting a Pet?: 4 things to consider
by Dr. Frances Vaujin, DVM

Thinking about acquiring a new pet? A pet is a commitment for 10 - 20 years, and the decision to bring one into your home and life should not be made lightly, or on the spur of the moment. Acquiring a pet for the wrong reasons, or bringing home the wrong type of pet for your lifestyle or environment, is a common mistake that often leads to the pet being given up. Most animals that are brought to shelters end up being destroyed. Many people start with good intentions, but do not think about the almost certain fate for the pet if "it doesn't work out."
So, how can you be sure you are ready for the commitment of a new pet? As with most decisions in life, knowledge is the key to making the best decision you can. Start by asking yourself some basic questions.

1. Does everyone in the household want a pet, or is the pet going to be source of argument?
2. Is everyone ready and able to share in the responsibility, or is just one person going to end up doing all the work?
3. Do you travel or work long hours, leaving little time to spend with a pet?
4. Do you have the disposable income to afford a pet?


By answering the questions above honestly, you are taking the initial steps to responsible pet ownership. For instance, being able to afford a pet is not enough. Most behavior problems that arise in pets are created by the pet owners. Behavior is one of the top reasons listed for giving a pet up to a shelter. If you don't have the time to spend with a pet, and you do not properly train a pet, the animal becomes, bored, frustrated, or confused as to what you want, and reacts in a manner the owner considers as "problem behavior."

Conversely, having all the time in the world to spend with your pet, is not enough to be a responsible pet owner. You have to be able to afford your pet too. In addition to the cost of food and supplies, are you able to spend, on average, a couple hundred dollars a year in basic health care for your pet? Are you aware that, barring accident or disease, the first year of your pet's life will cost more than the next few years? New pets, or puppies and kittens, need a series of vaccinations, and should be spayed or neutered. Your new pet may come with an existing parasite infection, a skin condition, or an infectious disease that needs treatment. A new pet comes with expenses that some people find themselves not prepared for.

There are options, i.e. low cost vaccination clinics, that can help ease the costs of pet ownership. Those clinics are ways that you can protect your healthy pet from contracting illnesses proactively. Nonetheless, an prospective owner should still keep in mind that there will be costs associated with maintaining health and fighting any arising conditions. We will speak more about those conditions in Part 2 of this article, coming soon.

About the Author:
Dr. Frances Vaujin, DVM, is the Medical Director of LuvMyPet.com, the nation's largest provider of low cost pet vaccination clinics (partnered with Petco in 23 states), and is the owner of and head veterinarian at Heroes Veterinary Hospital, a full-service pet facility in Broward County, Florida.



Tips for the Aspiring Dog Handler
by Enrico Pallatzo

If you are looking to handle your dog either at competition level or just for a living, you may find it hard work in the beginning. This is because training a dog to walk properly without playing up and to listen to your every command is a difficult thing to master, though some dogs do learn quicker than others!
To become a professional dog handler it will take a combination of:

Reading various dog handling books - Knowing the different breeds and how hard they are to handle - Studying obedience tips - Practicing for hours on end.

You may go into dog handling thinking that it will be fairly easy and that you will accomplish it within a matter of weeks, but you will come out of training realizing that it is actually a lot harder than it looks. However as long as you have patience and understanding, you will get there eventually.

The Best Ways to Learn Dog Handling


There are various different methods of learning available, but many people find that by actually learning from others is the best way of learning. So, find somebody who knows what they are talking about and who has handled dogs for years and that will be your best method of learning. Do not assume that all dog obedience classes and handling classes are good enough to enter however. There are some trainers who do not really know what they are talking about. They may know the odd tip which may help you but unless they have trained at a professional level then they will really be of little to no use to you. So do some research on the trainers available in your area before signing up with one.

Another tip which you should keep in mind is that in order to train a dog you have to be relaxed. It is so easy to get frustrated whilst training your dog and in response to your frustration your voice will become stressed and sometimes even high pitched. This will not make the dog want to listen to you. You will either frighten them or cause them to become excited and that it not what you want in a professional show ring!

By the time that you have finished training, your dog’s attention should be completely on you and your voice will be soft yet firm. You will also sometimes only have to use hand commands for your dog to do what is asked of them and the tasks that you do set them will be done quickly and smoothly without any problems. Professional dog handlers do make it look easy but it does take an extremely long time to get there.

So overall you need to talk to your dog in a firm but gentle manner. You need them to know that you mean business without scaring them or getting them too excited. When they do something right do get excited and do praise them, especially at the beginning as this will encourage them to do what is asked of them more often. Also keep training sessions short in the beginning too as dogs can become quickly bored and if training stops being fun they will no longer listen to you and your training will be a waste of time. Finally the most important thing to remember when training your dog any command is that you should not have to repeat yourself. By repeating the word too often it will lose its meaning. So only give a command once and if the dog does not do what they are told put them back into a sit or down position for a while and then try again soon after. By being patient and correcting Behaviour you do not want, you will eventually start to become an experience dog handler.


If you are looking to handle your dog either at competition level or just for a living, you may find it hard work in the beginning. This is because training a dog to walk properly without playing up and to listen to your every command is a difficult thing to master, though some dogs do learn quicker than others!

To become a professional dog handler it will take a combination of:

Reading various dog handling books - Knowing the different breeds and how hard they are to handle - Studying obedience tips - Practicing for hours on end.

You may go into dog handling thinking that it will be fairly easy and that you will accomplish it within a matter of weeks, but you will come out of training realizing that it is actually a lot harder than it looks. However as long as you have patience and understanding, you will get there eventually.

The Best Ways to Learn Dog Handling

There are various different methods of learning available, but many people find that by actually learning from others is the best way of learning. So, find somebody who knows what they are talking about and who has handled dogs for years and that will be your best method of learning. Do not assume that all dog obedience classes and handling classes are good enough to enter however. There are some trainers who do not really know what they are talking about. They may know the odd tip which may help you but unless they have trained at a professional level then they will really be of little to no use to you. So do some research on the trainers available in your area before signing up with one.

Another tip which you should keep in mind is that in order to train a dog you have to be relaxed. It is so easy to get frustrated whilst training your dog and in response to your frustration your voice will become stressed and sometimes even high pitched. This will not make the dog want to listen to you. You will either frighten them or cause them to become excited and that it not what you want in a professional show ring!

By the time that you have finished training, your dog’s attention should be completely on you and your voice will be soft yet firm. You will also sometimes only have to use hand commands for your dog to do what is asked of them and the tasks that you do set them will be done quickly and smoothly without any problems. Professional dog handlers do make it look easy but it does take an extremely long time to get there.

So overall you need to talk to your dog in a firm but gentle manner. You need them to know that you mean business without scaring them or getting them too excited. When they do something right do get excited and do praise them, especially at the beginning as this will encourage them to do what is asked of them more often. Also keep training sessions short in the beginning too as dogs can become quickly bored and if training stops being fun they will no longer listen to you and your training will be a waste of time. Finally the most important thing to remember when training your dog any command is that you should not have to repeat yourself. By repeating the word too often it will lose its meaning. So only give a command once and if the dog does not do what they are told put them back into a sit or down position for a while and then try again soon after. By being patient and correcting Behaviour you do not want, you will eventually start to become an experience dog handler.

About the Author:
Enrico Pallatzo is a professional dog trainer. Graduate of Temple University. Hobbies include opera singing and scuba diving. Get more information regarding dog aging.