So…right about now, the logical reader may be wondering: Why blog about dogs when you don’t actually own a dog? The answer is pretty simple. I am a dog NUT! I love dogs. I love meeting dogs, talking about dogs, reading about dogs, playing with dogs. I grew up with dogs and I’m an aunt to several, but my lifestyle has always made me hesitate to make the commitment to get a dog of my own. I’ve generally worked long hours at places that were too far from home to come home for lunch, I travel a lot as a hobby, the expenses are intimidating, I live in an apartment, etc.
But I’m getting close. I can feel it. So I’ve decided to take advantage of some free time I’ve recently been granted to kick up my doggie research. I know that getting a dog is a huge commitment, and since I’ve waited this long, I want to invest the time in choosing the right dog for me and my lifestyle, and I want to be prepared when I bring it through the front door and into our lives.
I’ve started reading several books that focus on dog ownership, dog training, dog behavior, etc. I’m getting a lot of great tips and things to think about while reading these books – definitely things I want to revisit when I begin the adventure with my own puppy. But I’m getting these books from the library and I’m concerned that in the heat of the moment, when little Magdala or Chauncey (two front runner names at this point) start showing signs of dominance aggression or relieving themselves in the house, will I remember all those awesome tips I’ve read? Will I be prepared to lovingly communicate to them the behavior that I prefer, and put a stop to the behavior that will likely have my fiance packing little Magdala’s bags?
I have to confess that I am borrowing this idea of “blogging about research as a way to create a future reference tool” from a friend. This friend once mentioned that a big part of the reason she blogs is so that she can catalog her research and refer back to it later. I like it, and I’m gonna try to make it work for me.
At the same time, this isn’t a purely selfish endeavor. Or at the very least that’s not my only aspiration for this blog. I hope that in compiling the best dog training tips and kernels of doggie knowledge that I’ve found in my research, that I’m able to share these tips with other dog lovers like yourself. I’d love to get your feedback on what’s worked for you, what hasn’t worked, and what you’ve learned that can’t be found in books. And when I do finally have a dog of my own, I want to revisit these tips and keep notes on what’s working, what’s not, what I’m gonna try next and hopefully get some help from you when I get stumped. Cause let’s face it, we can do all the research in the world to prepare, but each dog is different, each owner is different, and each new dog/owner pairing is a puzzle to be solved. It’s not gonna be easy, but it is gonna be an exciting adventure and I hope to meet some great friends along the way!
[...] next question you may have is how I came to become a dog owner. As I mentioned in my very first blog post, I grew up with dogs and I’ve been a dog nut my entire life. Unfortunately the time was never [...]