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Friday, 1 June 2007
last night, Choong, Niki & myself were MSN mass convo-ing. And as usual we were talking about our very beloved furfriends, DOGS. Niki was talking abt people who buy dogs, and then give them up. because they realise its not suitable for them. And I am very very very upset to hear such stuff. I am super against people, who do not do adequate research b4 getting a dog. If the reason you are getting THAT puppy just because it looks cute, wake up, because THAT puppy will grow up in less than a year, and THAT puppy will no longer be cute. will you still love THAT puppy? the same goes for adoption. Reading up and knowing exectly how ur dog will behave is essential. different breeds have different characteritics. And not all small dogs, behave the same way. The classic example would be a Maltese & Jack Russel. while the former is laidback, and requires a lot of grooming time per day, the latter demands more attention for play time, and very much lesser grooming. plus, it not just about finding the right dog to suit ur lifestyle, you need to think about other practical factors like, 1. Family Your parents/spouse and siblings may like dogs. They probably dun mind petting any furfriends they meet on the road. But liking and living with one is completely different. Will they be able to take it, if ur new furfriend pees on their bed, will they be able to take it, if ur new furfriend decides to chew on that expensive sofa. These will happen because it takes time to train a dog, and even so, I am sad to say even until today my girl loves peeing on the rugs she sees at home. ( but she only does that when my mom chats on the phone & Mafia feels she is being neglected) 2. Finances If you think buying a $900 pure bred puppy is expensive. You probably wanna think twice before getting one. because dogs are not cheap to maintain. Good kibbles can cost you about $150 for a 15kg pack (Mafia is eating TimberWolf Organic - Ocean Blue, which is one of the most expensive but best kibbles & a pack can last me 6 months, because she take only very little kibbles as the spoilt one is on Home cooked food) Mafia's Home Cooked Food varies depending on my mom's mood. But as a rough guide, my mom goes to the wet market for, fresh minced beef & pork, pork fillets, carrots, potatoes, corns, pork liver, brown rice, papaya & apples every Sunday morning for her precious baby. The other expensive thing is Vet visits. My girl's prev owner brought her to the best- Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital hence, I am continuing that. It cost me a whole damn lot, and i have spent close to $400 on her medical bills so far, but no complaints 3. Time Can you afford time to spend with ur little furfriend. They need daily walks no matter the size of ur house. Mafia goes for her walks 4 times a day. 5am ( mom takes her) , 10am, 3pm, 8pm. I also spend at least an hour each day combing her fur to make sure no matts. plus u need to spend time to play with them daily. Mafia and I play with her squeaky toys every afternoon. My mom & brother play with her the moment they are home at 7 until she goes to bed at 10. So much responsibilty, and compromise in my life because of her, but if you asked me, would I still choose to adopt her if I could choose all over again, My answer is yes. Definately! Becaue it is all worth it, when u see her wagging her tail, while looking at you. wagging her tail because she is happy u are home, kissing u in the morning because she is happy u are awake. because of her, I am now able to take time off to smell the roses during our daily walks in the park, because of her, i made friends with a lot of fellow doggie owners who live nearby because of her, i understand wat responsibility is. because of her, I am forever Changed~  I hope that this helped you, to realise if your lifestyle, is indeed suitable to own one. & Congrats to your final decision. NOTE: I never support home-breeder nor puppymills. If you really have to buy a puppy, pls only get one from a SKC certified breeder. T H E S U N S E T 3:21 pm |
