Deciding to get a puppy is a big and serious decision that should not be made hastily.

There is a slogan promoted by animal charities: A dog is for life, not just for Christmas. Of course, most sensible people wouldn’t consider getting a dog as a Christmas gift but the idea behind the slogan can apply to any time of the year.

A dog can live for around 15 years, some more, some less, depending on breed, health and luck. When you get a dog, whether you spend a lot of money on a well-bred pedigree or you get one from a rescue centre, you have to realise that this is a very long-term commitment. Are you really sure you want to take on the responsibility for another creature’s happiness and well-being for years to come?

Here are some more questions you need to consider:

• Are all family members as keen as you are on having a dog?
• Are you prepared for the disruption and mess that a puppy brings with it?
• Can you cope with cleaning up puddles and poop and watching your puppy like a hawk so that you can deposit it outside to do its business? This can go on for weeks.
• Have you got the time needed to devote to training your dog?
  It takes time and effort to have a well-behaved dog with good social skills.
• Are you prepared for regular daily walks regardless of weather? Snow, wind and rain don’t deter a dog from wanting and needing a walk.
• Are you prepared for the expense? Not only do you have to buy good quality dog food but you will need to get your dogs vaccinated against killer diseases. Then there are illnesses and injuries that happen to all pets and can involve high vets’ bills or regular insurance payments.
• When you are away from home and your dog can’t go with you, if you don’t have somebody who is prepared to look after the dog for you, you will have to pay for boarding kennels.

Choosing a Puppy

Puppy dogs

If you are considering getting a purebred dog, consider your lifestyle and circumstances. Buying a hyperactive Collie when you live in a small town centre apartment will lead to misery for you and your dog as he will not get the exercise and stimulation he needs. In these circumstances you would do much better with a small dog like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel although a dog like this will still need regular exercise.

If you are a rather timid person, you might think that a strong dog like a German Shepherd or Rottweiler would be ideal and would protect you. You might find that your dog sees itself as leader and you as a subordinate: again this could make life miserable for both of you.

Read up on the different breeds, talk to breeders and the many breed societies and find one that suits your personality and lifestyle.

If you decide on a crossbred dog, ideally you should see the parents, if possible, or at least the mother. Get to know the puppy in the weeks before it is ready to leave its mother and see if you like its personality. If you are getting the puppy from a rescue centre, take your time and pay several visits to make sure you and the puppy are compatible. Talk to the staff and get their impressions of the dog.

It is far better to take many months to come to a decision about getting a puppy to ensure that you choose the right companion who will, hopefully, spend many years by your side.

A friend recounts her experience with a poor diagnosis from a veterinarian which caused unnecessary pain for her Dalmatian, Boo. The happy ending shows that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for dogs.

I’d been getting fed up with the veterinary practice I used for a while as they seem to have a lot of newly qualified vets and a very high turnover of staff, so it was rare you ever got to see the same vet twice, even for a follow-up appointment.

On a number of occasions I took my dalmatian, Boo, to them, presenting with what looked like a trapped nerve in his back. Each time, they insisted it was just a pulled muscle, pumped him full of painkilling drugs and sent us away. After a couple of days rest he would seem to improve, but I still wasn’t convinced.

Eventually, I decided to register with a newer vet, just a few minutes further away, who I’d heard good things about. I took him down for his initial appointment – just to check him over for registration with them – and told them about the ongoing problem and said that I always felt it was a nerve thing rather than a muscle thing. He had been starting to show some symptoms again of the problem recurring and, sure enough, when the vet ran his hands down Boo’s back, he twinged when he was touched in the troublesome area, so without a second thought, the vet said he wanted to x-ray him, as he could see Boo obviously had a problem there.

Sure enough, when the x-rays came out, Boo was diagnosed with severe spondylosis – a type of arthritis where the vertebrae form bony spurs which, whilst they’re growing, can pinch nerves. The spurs were almost fused together by this time, which is why he hadn’t been having the problems he’d had previously.

If only the other vets had actually bothered to try and figure the problem out, rather than just pumping him with drugs every time, he wouldn’t have had to go through half the episodes of severe discomfort he did! The new vets referred Boo to an acupuncturist and, if he starts to look like he’s having problems, I give him a call and he does his needles which, surprisingly, Boo loves and he’s as right as rain again!

The acupuncturist now considers Boo an ambassador for the breed as he’s so laid back and mellow. Apparently he was dismayed when informed he had a new, spotty patient, and was expecting no end of trouble from a highly-strung, hyperactive loony.

After the first appointment, he was so impressed with Boo’s behaviour, he said he wanted to try electro-acupuncture on Boo next time, which he would never usually risk with a dalmatian because the last thing most of them want is any more energy putting through them! So now Boo has his needles put in, gets attached to the battery and goes to sleep, with just the tip of his tail wagging periodically. Unfortunately, since he’s standing up, I get the delightful task of supporting his heavy old head (he doesn’t mind having his head propped up even when he’s not asleep – he’s just a bit of a lazy so-and-so), so end up with a dead arm!

Want to read more about a dog’s misadventures with poor diagnosis? Read The Saga of Saffy’s Paw.