Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 9, 1995 TAG: 9501200030
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It's important to be sure everyone is ready for the responsibility. A lot of times, a cute little puppy or kitten is fun for a few weeks, but then children (and adults) get tired of the day-to-day care these living creatures need.
The decision should be one the whole family makes together and shouldn't be a spur-of-the-moment idea because you walk by a pet store window or because someone has been pestering you.
Sometimes it's better to get a smaller animal first, such as a guinea pig or hamster, which doesn't need as much care and training as a larger animal does.
Karras recommends reading, ``The Art of Raising A Puppy,'' before deciding which dog to get.
``You have to be responsible for your pet every day,'' Karras said. Just as people need food, water, exercise, love and attention daily, so do pets. "We're talking about a life,'' he said.
Books are a good place to start if you're training a dog. Karras calls one book ``the bible'' for training: ``How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend'' by the Monks of New Skeet, a group of monks who have been raising and training German Shepherds for years.
Many times, people don't take the time to keep up the training, so an organized class is a good idea. It's like school - you have to go and you have to do the work (and the homework).
You can't expect a dog to just know what good or bad behavior is. A lot of dogs people think are bad have just not been trained. If no one told you how to act, you might be pretty wild, too.
If your family gets a pet and they think they've made the wrong decision, contact a veterinarian or breed association (for dogs) or a shelter that doesn't euthanize animals.
by CNB