Laura S. Jeffrey - Choosing a Dog: How to Choose and Care for a Dog

Is a dog right for you?

There are hundreds of different dog breeds in the world. Or maybe you want a mixed-breed dog. Choosing a Dog will help you find the right dog for your family. Read about where to get one, what to feed it, why you should train it, and much more. Learn how you and your dog can spend many happy years together.

About the Author

Laura S. Jeffrey is the author of almost two dozen nonfiction books for young readers. She and her husband have two grown children and live in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

About the American Humane Association

Since 1877, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in protecting children, pets, and farm animals from cruelty, abuse, and neglect. Today we're also leading the way in understanding the human-animal bond and its role in therapy, medicine, and society. American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training, and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies, and businesses. You can help make a diff erence, too. Visit www.americanhumane.org today, call 1-866-242-1877, or write to American Humane Association at 1400 16th Street NW, Suite 360, Washington, DC 20036.

Dogs are great pets. They give their owners a lot of love and devotion. All they ask for in return is care and attention. Dogs can also be active and eager buddies. You can take long walks and runs with them. It is no wonder that dogs are known as mans best friend. Millions of Americans own dogs.

Many people enjoy the company of dogs.

This book will help you choose the right dog for you. It will tell you what to feed your new pet and why training your dog is a good idea. It will tell you how to make your new pet feel comfortable and safe. You will learn how to keep your dog healthy and happy.

You can play ball with your dog and teach it to fetch a Frisbee.

Anubis, an Egyptian god of the dead, had the head of a jackal, a type of wild dog.

Dogs have been household pets for thousands of years. Long, long ago, however, dogs were wild animals.

Pictures of dogs have been found on cave walls. Pictures have also been discovered in tombs from Europe and the Middle East.

The ancient Egyptians thought of dogs as gods. Some dogs had their own servants and their own gold. They were fed the finest foods. Many Egyptian rulers were buried with their favorite dogs. The rulers believed that their dogs would protect them in an afterlife.

Dogs and people learned to live with each other more than 14,000 years ago. Pictures of dogs have been found on walls in ancient tombs.

People started breeding dogs for the different types of work they could do. Dogs were used to guard and protect people and property. Other kinds of dogs were used on farms to herd animals. Dogs were used to hunt, too.

Today, most dogs are owned as pets. You can choose from hundreds of different dog breeds. Dogs can be purebreds, meaning they are just one breed of dog, or they can be mixed-breeds.

Saint Bernards can be trained to help find people that may be lost in the snow.

The Saint Bernard is one type of breed. Monks in the Swiss Alps were the first to use Saint Bernards. These big dogs guided people along snow-covered paths.

Guide dogs are specially trained to help blind and visually impaired people get around by themselves.

Saint Bernards were also trained to help rescue travelers. With their good sense of smell, they were able to find people trapped deep in the snow. The dogs were trained to lie down on the people to keep them warm and to bark until help arrived.

The German shepherd is another breed of dog. The German army used them as military dogs during World War I. Soldiers from the United States and England brought these dogs home with them after the war. They are often used as guard dogs. They are used by the police as well as search-and-rescue teams. They are one of the breeds of dogs that are trained as guide dogs for the blind. They can also be trained as service dogs for people with disabilities.

Dogs can live for sixteen years or more, depending on their breed and health. In general, smaller dogs live longer than bigger dogs. With proper care, dogs will give their owners love and friendship for many years.

What type of dog is best for you? Selecting the right animal is the key to a long and happy relationship. First, you should decide if you want a dog or a puppy. Puppies are cute, but they are like babies. They need a lot of attention. In fact, they need more care and training than a grown dog does. A puppy also has plenty of energy. A puppy will need play time with you. It will also need toys to keep it busy when you cannot play.

You and your family can decide which dog is right for you.

Another decision is what breed of dog to get. Some dogs are better for children and families. You can learn about the different breeds of dogs through the Internet or library books, or from the staff at an animal shelter.

Your first stop should be the local animal shelter or an animal welfare group. There you will find cute and loving puppies and dogs in need of a home.

The people who care for animals at the shelter have gotten to know them. They will help match you with the right pet for your family.

If you want a certain breed that is not currently available at the shelter, ask shelter workers about good ways to find that breed. Some communities have breed-placement groups. These are groups of concerned people who take in unwanted dogs, usually of one breed they like, and find homes for them. There are also resources for finding sheltered purebred dogs on the Internet.