There are all kinds of reasons you should get a dog, however, you should spend some time considering which dog to get. Each breed offers something slightly different, including size, temperament, intellect, friendliness, and more. Putting in the effort to find the right dog means you can be happy once the animal arrives.
Just remember, all dogs take a certain level of care, so if your time is too restricted, don’t get one. However, if you decide on one of the large breed dogs, there are many things you need to know. This article can help in that regard.
Need A lot of Exercise
The first issue with large breed dogs is that they need more exercise. You will have to take them on more walks than their shorter companions. This could mean as many as two or more walks a day. Of course you could always hire a dog walker, but if you aren’t in the position to do so these walks could soon become tiresome.
Same Issues as Other Dogs, Just Larger
Larger dogs suffer from the same afflictions as smaller ones. However, because they are bigger it can sometimes take longer to get rid of certain things, such as fleas. There are specialist products, like Seresto for large dogs.
As a dog lover though, this should not put you off too much though because you will have these problems with whatever breed or size dog you decide to buy, needing certain jabs and medication throughout their life to keep them healthy.
Can Be More Expensive When Traveling
Another thing to consider is travel. For example, when it comes to travel, it is way more expensive to travel with large breed dogs than small. If you intend to take your animal on a plane, and the dog is over a certain size, he will have to fly as baggage, which costs much more than bringing the dog into the cabin.
Certain hotels and motels will refuse to let you stay with them if your dog weighs in excess of 30 pounds. If you are going on some kind of holiday or break, make sure you check the hotels policies beforehand.
Shorter Lifespan
If you want a dog for the family then bear in mind large breed dogs have shorter life spans than their smaller counterparts. Meaning they will be departing sooner than you may like.
Depending on the breed they usually live for around ten to fourteen years. Not long at all if you think about it. If you wanted a dog for a longer time, you should consider a smaller breed.
Some Can Be More Dangerous
Some large breed dogs are also more dangerous. While all dogs can have bad temperaments, when it comes to larger dogs anything it does wrong will be magnified.
They tend to chew on things when they are young too, and a big dog chewing on something does more damage than a small dog doing the same thing.
They are essentially the same, but will require some impetus from you. If you have small, young children then a big dog may not be the right way to go.
Talk it out and weigh up the pros and cons before going ahead.