Courteous Canines - Exclusive Dog Services

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"Helping you to be your dog's best friend!"

Before you get a dog

Before you go looking to get a dog, take a good long look at yourself

Every year millions of dogs are brought to shelters and left to die. This is because people do not think about all of the time, money and energy that goes into having a dog. Courteous Canines has been working with dogs and people for years; day in and day out, we come in contact withmany individuals that did not think about all of the responsibilities that having a dog entails. We thought it was necessary to put this fact sheet together in order to prevent any more sad, sad, dog- owner cases. MILLIONS of dogs each YEAR are put to DEATH because humans did not think through and realize what a big responsibility having a dog is.

There are many people that get caught up in how much fun it would be to have a dog to play “fetch” with, or wanting a dog for the “children” to “learn responsibility” and “grow up having a dog”, or to be used as a deterrent for burglars. If any of these phrases are reasons why you are considering a dog, think twice, three times, and then think again!

60% of dogs are killed each year in the United States alone!

Below are some facts, questions and suggestions, that you may want to consider BEFORE you go on to find a dog. After reading them, if you still would like to bring a dog into your life, then please feel free to contact COURTEOUS CANINES! We offer a service called “Dog selection/dog consulting” to help people find a dog that goes with their lifestyle.

· FACT: The average cost of having a dog per year in the state of New Jersey is
$600-700.

This does NOT include food, vitamins, treats, toys, accessories, etc.

This does NOT include any type of dog training: housebreaking, obedience training, etc.

This does NOT include flea / tick or heart worm deterrents that are strongly recommended for where we live.

This also does NOT include any type of additional vet visits; especially emergencies!

This also does NOT include dog licenses for your town.

This DOES include spaying or neutering; however, the price varies depending on weight of dog.

Ask yourself: “Can I afford a minimum of $1,000.00 per year?” It affects the family budget!

· FACT: IF you get a puppy, and want to housebreak him it will take an average of 3 ½ months (14 weeks).

* Dogs can not teach themselves this, they rely on you to be there to help them succeed.

Ask yourself: “Does my schedule allow me to be home to take a puppy out every 2-3 hours for the first few months?” . “Am I willing to change my schedule around in order to housebreak a puppy successfully or teach an adult dog how to be housebroken?”

· FACT: Humane training is the key to communicating with your dog. Training never stops; however, to learn how to communicate with your dog, expect to spend between $175 - $1,000.00 for training over a 6 months period.

Ask yourself: “Can I afford this and do I have the time every day to practice?”

· FACT: 20% of dog bites happen to young children each year. Half of them are from the family dog.

Courteous Canines strongly encourages people with children, to wait on getting
a dog until their chilren are at least 8 years of age.

Ask yourself: “Are my children too young for a dog?” … “Do I have a lot of time to spend with a puppy or dog considering the children’s needs and schedule?” … “ Can I realistically monitor both a youngster(s) and a new dog? … “Will the dog be put on the back burner?”.

*** This is a BIG problem with “dog owners” – Please think twice about getting a dog while your children are very young. We see too many sad situations where dogs are not getting the required attention, are

not being supervised 24/7 with youngsters, are biting young children, & are brought to a shelter to die.

· FACT: Many family dogs develop behavior problems due to boredom, teasing, roughhousing, etc.

Ask yourself: “Am I ready to give a dog plenty of daily companionship instead of companionship only when it’s most convenient?” “Can I provide consistent exercise?” “Will my dog be included as a member of the family or ignored, and / or tied up outside?”

· FACT: Dogs thrive on routine. Without it, it causes them stress.

Ask yourself: “Will I be able to provide healthy meals and exercise on a regular basis?”

· FACT: People choose dogs based on looks not on breed characteristics.

Ask yourself: “Do I know and understand what this particular pure breed is bred to do?”

ie: German Shepherds are quite pretty dogs, BUT they are bred to guard. So when you are making a decision to get a dog such as this, take this breed characteristic into consideration. With guarding dog you will have to contend with a dog that then guards your home, your property, your car, you, your children, etc. This may sound nice, but with guarding also comes barking and even biting.

Courteous Canines sees many mis–matched dogs and owners. Ask qualified dog people for the answers, read, and observe. One of the best suggestions we can make is: If you are looking to get a certain purebred dog, go and find 5 people or so that own ADULT dogs of that breed and ask to spend a day with their dog. Puppies don’t stay puppies for long, find out what an adolescent dog is like in that breed. We encourage you to adopt a dog if you do decide to get one; either from a shelter or a breed rescue group.

Ask yourself: “Am I willing to do this?” … “Do I have the time?”

Dogs are living, breathing, emotion filled beings. Please do not treat them as a possession or a robot, but rather with tons of love, patients and plenty of time. They are beautiful, devoted, smart animals that have so much to offer if only given a true chance . Dogs require a lifetime of time, money, patients and understanding. If these do not fit in with your lifestyle, please Do NOT consider getting a dog at this time. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions!

We welcome your comments and suggestions:
info@courteouscanines.com