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Anonymous
So /an/, I've been considering getting a dog/puppy for some time now, but I dont know the first thing about actual animal care.

Personally, I want a nice chocolate lab, and I dont really want a dog thats been bred for farmwork and the like, because I dont live on a farm.

Are there any unobvious things that I should know before becoming a dog/puppy owner? Thanks.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
>>300341
4chan being helpful, as expected.
>> Anonymous
Do not fucking get a chocolate lab, especially if you live in a small house/Apartment or will be away often. They need a ton of a attention, and need a bare minimum of a hour of exercise a day, or they'll tear your house apart. Mine does anyway.
>> Anonymous
>>300360
Are we talking about an hours exercise in one go or an hour spread out over the day?

Either case, I can quite happily do an hours walk every morning, or even several times a day.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
>>300375
>>300348
I immediately regret my choice of pictures.
>> Anonymous
>>300381
HA!

Wasn't there a comicbook version of this, with Batman?
>> Anonymous
>>300372

It would probably be better just in one go, but either is fine.
>> Anonymous
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My wife and I have a flat-coated retriever mix. She's absolutely the sweetest dog I've ever owned. Extremely calm and patient, only barks if she senses danger, etc. Still requires exercise and the like, of course. An hour of hard playing a day keeps her pretty happy.

Anyway, they're a little less typical, if that's what you're looking for.

We got her from the Humane Society -- she was the first puppy we saw. =)
>> 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!