Buying your first puppy or dog

World over dogs are a popular pet as they can be loyal, helpful and are good protectors. If treated right, dogs can make great companions.

When if comes to choosing a dog, consider your family circumstances. If you have young children, it is better to get a puppy as they will grow up knowing how to be around children. As a puppy, their training will be easier as they will not have become set in their ways.

There are a variety of breeds, cross breeds, half breeds, and pedigrees out there for you to choose from, it just depends what you are looking for.

If you are after a pedigree dog where its lineage can be traced, go to kennel that specialises in such dogs. Make sure you get all the right paperwork so that the dog can be registered with the Kennel Club.

However if you are looking for a dog with specific traits, check the traits of certain breeds (eg Labradors, beagles etc) until you find what you are looking for (eg hunting dogs, water dogs). If traits do not matter then consider going to a pet shop or a rescue centre rather than a kennel to buy a dog.

The cheapest place to buy a dog is a rescue centre or a dog charity, the most expensive place is a kennel. A pet shop will be reasonably priced, in between rescue centre and kennel prices.

Once you have found a dog that melts your heart the next step is taking it home . If you have bought a puppy, it is best to take it home in the morning so it can get used to its new surroundings by the evening. Make sure some is around as the puppy will feel sad and anxious at being separated from the litter other dogs.

Puppies have a straight forward life they eat, sleep, play and relieve themselves. Before bringing a puppy home, make sure you have a bed sorted out for it so it gets used to sleeping in there when it is tired. Ensure there are some toys for the puppy to play with and encourage their use as they will end up chewing on anything they can find.

Feeding times for puppies are very important. If the puppy is under 4 weeks old then it must be fed four times a day on soft foods. It is best to stick to the brand it was being fed on before, but this can be changed gradually. Dogs that are 6 months to a year old should be fed twice a day on soft food. When the dog is over one year old, it should be fed once a day, the amount depending on the size and weight of the dog.

After your dog has been fed it will need to relieve itself. Puppies should be taken outside 10 minutes after they have finished eating and wait for it to do something, after which you should praise then, and take them inside. This will start to be a routine for the dog. There are aids available to help dog get used to the idea that going to the toilet is an outside activity.