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015 – Family Dog

Every day I get emails. This time it's from duck duck! duck duck asks: Thanks for another episode, Dad! I’ve got a question this time! I’m thinking of getting a dog, probably one of the retriever breeds. Any dadvice on family pet care? Oh boy do I ever! As I've mentioned, I grew up in the Swedish countryside. We had a lot of pets. So many pets. So many pets, in fact, my classmates once accused me of lying because no one has that many pets! Dogs! Cats! Bunnies! Fish! Chickens! Ducks, for a very brief time. And for all these different types of pets, I have one very important piece of advice... their well-being goes first in every single situation. This was not always the case in my childhood home. I've had a lot of sleepless nights over this, if I'm being honest. I was a kid, but still... Let me be clear, there was no animal abuse or dangerous negligence! Just... a lot of animals that didn't get the attention they deserved all the time. At one point we had sixteen dogs. SIXTEEN. Not just any dogs - Alaskan Malamutes. Y'know, the really big sled dogs that require a lot of attention and exercise to really live their best lives. That's the main thing to consider when getting any kind of pet. What does it need to live a good life? Am I able to fulfil those needs? Not just basic needs like food and shelter, but social needs as well. Is it going to spend time alone? Will you be able to go on long walks, not just little pee breaks? Read up on what your particular breed needs, and whatever health problems it may have. Be prepared! There's also events that you might not think about straight away, like who takes care of it if you get the flu? Where does it go if you're off on vacation? Can it socialise with other dogs? My sister-in-law has a chihuahua that sometimes has sleepovers with his friends from doggy daycare. He looks so happy, hanging out with his little buddies Also, be prepared to love it when it's being really annoying. It will poop in your shoes. It will bark, or play-bite too hard, or step its hard little feet right on your bladder. Love it with your whole heart, always. Let me know what kind of dog you end up getting! That goes for the rest of you too: do you have a pet? Do you want to send me photos of that pet, so I can draw them? Do you want a DADVICE pet special in the future? Well, that's it for today. Love your pets, at least as much as I love you. Bye for now, kiddos! Your dad gets bitten on the nose again by dog.