Small dogs are harder than average to house break. Maybe your dad has good reasons for not wanting a dog? Maybe you could volunteer at a shelter until he changes his mind. There are a lot of animals who need help!
Ask them to let you get an easier pet to start and show them that you can take care of that properly. You could get a rabbit or a guinea pig - they're easy to keep, live in a cage, don't have to be walked or trained. Dogs require a lot of time, energy and money to take care of properly. If the dog isn't properly trained, it can chew up your house and your stuff. If it's not housebroken, it can ruin your floors and your furniture. Your parents may assume that you'll get bored with the dog when you start playing sports and dating and go away to college. You can't keep a dog in a dorm or in most apartments. They don't want to be stuck taking care of a dog for 12 years if you can't handle it.
A good pup can cost $1000 or more. Even ';free'; dogs cost money to take care of. A crate, books and supplies can cost up to $300. Puppy shots are $200, then $100 a year for boosters. Annual Heartworm test and preventative medication $100. Professional trainer $600 and up. Going on vacation? Boarding kennel $40/day. Spaying? $250. If you can't afford to pay for a good dog, maybe you can't afford to maintain one either?
BEFORE you get any dog you should read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know - Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
If he says ok, find a good breeder by going to www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site - they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money. The best breeders will be members of their breed club, promoting healthy dogs with great temperaments. They should ask you a bunch of questions to make sure their puppy will be getting a good home. If all a ';breeder'; seems to care about is whether your check will clear, you can be sure he won't care a week later when the pup is dying from distemper or parvo and you want your money back.
Whatever you do, DON'T go to a pet shop, a flea market or buy one sight-unseen off the Internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. The breeding animals are often kept in deplorable conditions - spending their entire lives in small wire-bottomed cages. They probably haven't been vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases - that costs money and cuts into their profits. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is often clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there.
These so-called ';breeders'; have now figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.What is a good way into talking parents into buying a Bijon Havanese?
i have a male Havanese and he was very easy to housebreak.He loves people.Maybe you could talk your dad into attending a dog show just for fun,no pressure.He can get to know the breeds you are interested in and may just warm up to the idea.Good luck.
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Ask for you allowance for the next few years in advance, or buy one yourself!
The first step would be to prove you can handle the responsibility of owning a dog - having had dogs all my life I can tell you they are just like children - and their care is not inexpensive!
Your heart has to be 100% into having a dog, and you will need to show him/her LOTS of attention - as dogs are always wanting to please their owners.
If you aren't too picky about the ';breed'; of dog, why not think about adopting one from the SPCA or from a rescue league - just a thought : )
Best of luck to you - as I wish everyone had a pet to love : )
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