There are a number of banal and standard problems that beginner dog owners face. It’s good if someone in the family previously had dogs or had the opportunity to have close contact with them. But what to do if you decide to get a dog, but it’s not clear from which side to approach it? 
This article is for informational and advisory purposes for those who are thinking about getting their first dog. A LOT OF BOOKAF.
1. Soberly assess your material, time and moral capabilities. 
A dog in the house is a joy. But a puppy in the house also means a bunch of new difficulties and problems. Take off the rose-colored glasses of “dog-hunting” and soberly assess your capabilities.
Does your living space allow you to keep a dog? If the housing is rented, then you need to negotiate with the landlord.
There is a very common belief that a large dog does not belong in an apartment. I don't agree with this statement. Provided that your pet receives sufficient mental and physical exercise outside, the apartment is just a kennel for him to eat and sleep. Tested by personal experience.
How sorry do you feel about your renovation? Puppies are all very different and there is a chance that the repair will be greatly damaged by your pet’s teeth, claws and other games. Especially if the dog is your first and you still have no idea how to tame the awl in your furry ass.
Do all your loved ones living with you want a dog in the house? It is reckless to get a puppy if someone in the house is categorically against it. This could spell disaster for the dog or your family comfort.
Do you and/or your loved ones have enough time for quality walks and activities with your pet?
If your children ask for a dog, do you understand that it will be YOUR dog? Children can rarely consciously bear 100% responsibility (especially since children under 14 years old are not allowed to walk with any dog without an adult). And will you get a dog not for your children, but for yourself?
Are you ready to spend quite significant sums on quality food, toys, and veterinary care for your dog? After all, you can’t feed your dog super-premium food today and Chappie tomorrow, because... “We only have money for vodka.”
If you have thought about and discussed all these issues with your loved ones and come to the conclusion that you are ready for a dog, move on to the next point.
2. Selecting a breed 
The choice of breed is, of course, a matter of taste. But here we must also be guided not only by the desire to squeeze this cute little plush ball, but also by common sense. Unfortunately, I often observe among acquaintances with special needs for the first time a choice in favor of terriers, for which they were simply not ready. I am absolutely not against terriers and love them very much, but I see how difficult it can be for new owners to live with them. After all, when choosing, they were guided by size, cute ears and cheerful disposition. But they were not interested in the characteristics of the breed and with horror in their eyes they said that their cute little dog, it turns out, barks loudly, chases cats, digs holes and vacuums the entire walk. And at home he creates bedlam and doesn’t listen to anyone. And when you tell them, “Well, you took a hunter. And a burrower, too,” they are very surprised. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the disadvantages of the breed you like. What about your health? Is it necessary to cut the wool? What behavioral and character traits are characteristic of the breed? Are you ready to deal with all this?
Outbred puppies are also a lottery. I would not recommend them for a first dog for inexperienced owners. There can be such parades of cockroaches in the head that even experienced dog walkers cannot always cope with. And when you take a purebred puppy, you can at least count on the help of the breeder and some predictability in matters of character and health. By the way, you should take the choice of a breeder extremely responsibly. The desire to save money will lead you to scammers from Avito. And in the best case, you are best to choose a puppy with an experienced dog walker or veterinarian who already knows where to look and what to pay attention to.
3. Train your dog 
It doesn’t seem like anything new, just banal advice. But it is at this point that the most lush and bushy rakes grow. Very often I see over-aged idiots who hang their tail on the owner’s opinion and behave as they please, thereby causing inconvenience to both the other dogs and the owner’s nervous system. Any dog needs to be trained! Any size! Even if you have a microscopic one. Of course, the most correct thing would be to go to a dog trainer who will train you so that you can convey your wishes to the dog. This is just the perfect ideal. But if this doesn’t work out for you (you need to insert your own excuse below), you can teach the basic commands yourself. Now there are a lot of channels on YouTube and information on forums about the simplest methods of training.
The main thing here is:
clearly understand what action you expect from the dog. If you have little idea of the end result of the command, then the dog will never guess what is needed from it.
The required minimum of commands for comfortable coexistence, in my opinion:
yes/ok/so, etc. for encouragement
no/fu/impossible as a prohibition
to me (without this command I can’t even imagine how to live with a dog)
stand/sit/lie down (any command that fixes the dog in place)
sequence in actions. Training is needed constantly and methodically. This doesn’t mean that you spend five hours a day working on the “sit” command, but a couple of times a day for 10-15 minutes is a necessity. At least until the team starts to fly away from the teeth. Unfortunately, this happened to my neighbors. They took a cute miniature girl. At first they enthusiastically told us how they trained and practiced. And then I look - the enthusiasm has subsided, something seems to have become boring. And the puppy is only 5 months old. And the owners have already given up on training. We've played enough. It turned out to be too dreary. And now there are constantly mournful calls of incomprehensible commands that the puppy is absolutely not interested in.
A small puppy needs to be taught the rules of behavior in the house from the very first day. You can't go here, but you can go there. You can't put this in your mouth, but you can. We sleep here, eat there, the diaper is in this corner. And if something is possible/impossible once, then it is possible/impossible always. The dog won’t understand why today you can’t go on the bed, but tomorrow you can, and in a week you can’t again.
A unified approach to the rules of conduct for everyone living in the apartment. As an example: I already have an adult, well-mannered dog. She is not allowed to bark. But we were forced to live with my grandmother for some time. And the grandmother really liked it when the dog once “boomed” at the sound of the intercom, which was new to her. She happily praised the dog. And the dog began to voice the doorbell. And now, until we move away from grandma, I won’t be able to fix this. Because it won’t be possible to explain to the dog why you can’t bark with us, but you can bark with your grandmother. And given that we are at work during the day, it is not clear how many times in our absence we are encouraged to vote.
Remember that following commands on the street is the key to your dog’s safety.
One of the common mistakes of novice owners is to praise unemotionally. A dog, and especially a puppy, does not understand words so much as the emotions with which they are spoken. Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce the correct behavior or actions emotionally! Super emotional! So that the puppy immediately clearly understands that he is doing well. Yes, at first it will be awkward to jump for joy and scream like crazy in the street, but then you’ll get used to it)
Be sure not only to familiarize yourself, but also to learn the norms of the current legislation on the issue of keeping animals! And be sure to follow them! Firstly, this is your direct responsibility as a citizen. Secondly, this is a guarantee of the safety of you and your dog. Thirdly, this is a guarantee of the absence of conflicts with others. Unfortunately, sometimes you come across not quite adequate citizens (regardless of the presence/absence of a dog) who can come up with accusations, some demands for a muzzle that is not necessary in the current situation, etc. In this case, knowledge of the law will save you and your nerves. So, at a minimum, we study Federal Law 498 of December 27, 2018 and the regulations of your city/region.
Well, in conclusion 
Well, in general, I have advice for those who want to get their first dog. Just take it and live for at least a week as a virtual dog owner. Go for a walk in the morning every day, set aside an approximate amount of money for the cost of the dog. In the evening, don't forget to take a walk. I recommend finding a dog hangout in your area and just going there for a week in the evening. Firstly, you will look for a company for future walks, secondly, look at different dogs in the “natural environment”, you will begin to at least approximately understand the body language and behavior of different dogs, you will be able to pick up useful knowledge and passwords/appearances of places interesting to a dog owner and services, ask a million stupid questions that will be answered with pleasure (only here you still need to double-check and filter the information), and, thirdly, during this time you will understand for yourself whether you are really ready for a dog. If all this doesn’t scare you, then welcome to the ranks of dog breeders
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