There are so many ways dogs can enrich your life. I have two dogs myself, a collie cross and a Romanian rescue (breed unknown, but very cute) and have owned dogs all my life. It’s important to go into dog ownership knowing what to expect. As good as dogs are for you, you still do need the knowledge to care for them correctly.

Where To Get A Dog?

When you choose to get a dog, you can either go to a breeder if you have a particular dog in mind. For example, you might go to a Dachshund Breeder or you could try your local rescue centres.

The difficulty with rescue centres in the UK is they want the best most loving home for a dog which completely makes sense! But sometimes they will only consider you if you work from home which isn’t practical for everyone. I spend the majority of the working day at home, so I would have been okay either way. However, not everyone has that luxury and it’s a shame when that option for dog ownership is taken away from them.

If you decide to go to a breeder, make sure you check certain things out like are they happy to show you their paperwork and certificates and results from health checks. Always look for a responsible breeder, the kennel club of assured breeders is a good place to start. You should choose a breeder that really cares for the health and happiness of all their dogs and is not just a breeding farm for puppies. Dogs from proper breeders will be in good health and well socialised. Legally only six litters are allowed from a dog and the Kennel Club will only list four litters.

Now you have your dog how can you expect it to enrich your life!

Companionship

Social isolation can be very damaging. Owning a dog gives you company (they are always happy to see you!) and gets you outside where you get talking to other people. It stops you being cooped up indoors not mixing with the world. Something which is a real danger when you work from home.

Heart Health

Owning a dog can lower your blood pressure and reduce your stress levels. Which makes dog ownership great for heart health. Some studies have indicated owning a dog can lengthen your life.

Encourages You To Exercise

Walking your dog helps you strengthen your body and get your steps in. Being more active will give you more energy and help you feel more positive and upbeat.

Makes You Happy

Studies have shown looking into your dogs eyes can help you release Oxytocin. It is one of the happy hormones that can stop you feeling down and depressed.

As much as they enrich our lives, make sure you do the same for them! Read on for some tips.

Avoid Boredom

Play games with your dog. Games involving them sniffing out treats can be a lot of fun, just hide some around the house. When the boys were smaller, they used to play hide and seek with our collie, she used to love trying to find them. Although now she knows exactly where they are! In front of their consoles…

My oldest dog loves it when I blow bubbles. They both like their Nylabone chewing toys they reviewed for my Christmas gift guide. You can add peanut butter to lick mats so that can keep them occupied for a while. My collie is more high maintenance of the two and will cry and whinge if she isn’t being entertained!

I think that’s why so many collies are great in talent shows as they love learning new tricks. My mum quickly taught her lick and leave, so she will actually lick a treat once and leave it until she is giving the command to eat it! Anything to get her brain ticking over.

Also depending on their temperament get them to socialize with other dogs as much as possible. It’s a good idea to take them to socialization training from puppy age so they are happy around other dogs.

We signed up our collie for fly ball lessons. She got a lot out of those. Sadly, we had to give them up because of the distance and her dislike of certain dogs.

Positive Stroking

My two dogs love having their lower back scratched. Touching a dogs leg can annoy them so is best avoided. They might tolerate it as they love you, but they would prefer you didn’t. Signs they might be uncomfortable are licking their lips or tensing their body. Dogs aren’t keen on big hugs either, just give them some stroking and scratching and don’t confine them in a squeeze as they will feel threatened.

Give Them Time Outdoors

Dogs love to smell different things and outdoors there is so many exciting scents to sniff! So, make sure you take them for a walk and let them spend time in your garden. Also alter your walking routes to keep things interesting. Imagine only going the same way every single time and missing out on all those undiscovered scents!!!

Give Them A Collar Break

At nighttime it’s a good idea to remove their collar so they can really relax and let their skin breathe.