Are You My Best Friend?

People often ask, “What breed of dog would be perfect for me?

- Johnny Filart

”Considering that dogs are supposedly man’s best friend, and the fact that there are millions of dogs in our country, mostly kept as pets, it will surprise most people to hear me classifying them as “easy,” “low maintenance,” and “care-free” pets.

This is not to say that dog keeping is necessarily as difficult as raising a child. Puppyhood is much shorter than childhood, and you don’t need to nurture a dog to grow up and become successful enough to support itself. But it is important to note that keeping a dog is not something to be taken lightly, and it cannot be done in many households. People become distressed once they find out that dogs need to be walked daily, rain or shine; that they need to be trained and registered, as well as licensed; that they need regular grooming and preventive medical care; and that cannot be left alone for long periods of time, regardless of breed.

Pet keepers sometimes have the mistaken notion that dogs require minimum care and can be kept in almost any home. Certain dog breeds are not as adaptable to average households, or they will have certain requirements that are not easily met or fulfilled. Problems can arise because of size, temperament difficulty, and cost of maintenance, special habits, limited availability, and the need for local regulatory permits.

Dogs play an important role in human society, and not just because of the multiple kinds of services they are tasked to perform. The primary objective of both man and dog in a relationship has always been for companionship and working together. Dogs may be submissive to their masters, just as they would be to the dominant alpha male of their packs.