How to get a dog
How I did it: It was 1996, and my boyfriend at the time and I decided that it would
be nice to have a dog, a small-ish one as we lived in an apartment. I
had never had a dog when I was a kid, but I always loved them and
always wanted one. I used to offer to walk other people's dogs just
because I enjoyed it so much. Well, a few weeks after we made that
decision, we were driving along the highway near Santa Cruz, and we saw
a small dog running around near the onramp. We decided to stop and see
if she was ok. Some neighbors came out and said they had seen her a few
days before. We lured her into the car with a can of Spam and drove
home. We took her to the vet that night to make sure she was in good health, and we called the SPCA to report we had found a
dog. They said that if no one claimed her in 30 days, we could keep her.
Long story short, the boyfriend didn't last but my dog and I celebrated 12 years together this past December.
Lessons & tips: A dog is for life! If you are not prepared to do everything you can to keep a dog for the duration of its life, don't get a dog! If you have to move, find a place that allows dogs. If you can't find one, keep looking! Dogs are social, pack creatures and it's very cruel to get rid of a dog because it no longer suits your lifestyle.
Be prepared to walk your dog twice a day, to pay for quality medical care when needed, and have a plan for where to leave your dog during vacations. Or bring him/her along if it's a dog-friendly kind of vacation.
Take the time to properly train your dog, especially important if you have a large breed. I've heard that many problems that arise with dog ownership can be boiled down to proper training.
Resources: SPCA and rescue organizations. I just don't understand why people spend hundreds of dollars on trendy breeds when there are so many loving wonderful dogs in shelters that need good homes.
