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Anonymous
It's tough to sum up the "dos and don'ts" of dog ownership, and even harder to avoid all the possible pitfalls of puppies. As a first-timer, you'd probably be better off going to the pound or humane society in your area and picking a dog that has already reached adulthood (1-2+ years of age). This ensures that the dog is the size you want, and that you can get a basic feel for the dog's personality before bringing it home. Nothing can be a perfect catch-all guide, but there are plenty of great, very short books that cover the basics. Make sure that you get a separate bed for your dog and train it from the get-go to use it to sleep on, unless you plan to tolerate pet hair/odor on your furniture. Dogs *will* get up on any soft furniture they can get to. I've never seen a dog that didn't try. The chewing is typically caused by puppies who are naturally curious and/or teething and under-stimulated or stressed adults. Make sure to play with your dog at least an hour a day, include him/her in activities like riding in the car/going for walks, and provide the dog with toys to play with. Good luck; dogs are a trip!
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