pet dog

[got_no_jaffas]

i'm thinking of getting a small dog as a pet. a few things...

(a) i have never had a pet before so don't really know what to do

(B) i am 2 months into a chinese course at blcu so my chinese is crap

© i have no idea of the rules or regulations about owning a pet in china

a few good things...

(a) i live in a 1 bed private apartment complex with garden grounds where the dog can play with other dogs

(B) i am at home most of the time trying to learn the language

does anyone have any tips or guidance?

[md1101]

assuming you are getting a cat or a dog you need to register your dog. this costs around 5000yuan. yes its expensive and most local chinese don't bother registering their animals. but if you take your dog for a walk and if he is not registered it is possible a policeman could ask you for its registration (though i RARELY see a policeman in china that can be bothered doing anything)..

[skylee]

I saw lots of people walk their dogs in Chengdu. I didn't expect it so it was kind of surprising.

[gougou]

yes its expensive and most local chinese don't bother registering their animals.

For reference what might happen then, watch 卡拉是条狗 (Cala, my dog).

[doumeizhen]

I picked up a dog under a restaurant during my last stay in Beijing. I found her under the table and thought she was going to die, so I took her home, nursed her, and the mutt kinda grew on me. She now lives happily with my family (mom, wolf, german pointer) in the states.

I never registered bibi. I could take her to the vets without any trouble, and nobody ever hassled us. As a matter of fact, I think the people in my neighborhood liked me better because we had something to talk about. Unless you live in a strictly supervised area, my guess is it would be fine. Just make sure you pick up after them.

When you go to the vets for the first time you will get an immunization booklet. This, if I remember correctly, costs something like 100 RMB. Shots are cheap, and a lot fo dogs you buy off the street have illnesses, so it pays to get them all shot up, because I have heard many of them get sick easily. All I was able to tell the vet was: I found her, please fix her and make her good. He taught me the rest and took care of us.

The fact that you spend a lot of time at home is really important, because despite the fact that dogs are brilliant and wonderful animals (anyone want to guess which year I was born in?) they need training, and you should read up online on how to best train dogs of their age group. They will not train themselves, trust me, as Bibi still has some very strange ideas that she picked up living on the streets. Before I go on boring you, why not just listen to Caesar Milan's segment on dog-psychology.

Now, I have to say this because my mom said it to me: It is not fair to get an animal if you are not willing to make a commitment to it, so you should think about your long term plans before getting one. Having bibi made my life so much better, and I brought her back to the states with me (where my mom quickly appropriated her). So, if you want to bring her back, you should check into that earlier. For the U.S. we had to have proof of Rabies for 3 months, and she had to get an exam (at the Anhua Bridge clinic) and an export document (they give you directions at the Anhua clinic), all of which was done within two weeks of leaving. In LA I just picked her up and gave a copy of the form to the authorities and you get to leave!