Thinking of getting a dog? Introduction

I have a new series of posts I want to get started soon: 

Thinking of getting a dog?

Short Intro/How does this lady know what she's talking about?

1. My family has had dogs for a long, long time, way before I was born. German Shepherds, Flatcoated Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Small Mix Breed dogs and now even what we like to call a 北京路狗  (bad chinese for: Beijing Street dog - it's not the exact word for streetdog, I know that). 
2. I am also half way through my K-9 Security Specialist Certificate at George Brown College, which has taught me so much more about dogs and how to train them. It has also given me great connections for questions I may have. 
3. Sam and I have been foster parents for just over a year now. We are currently fostering our 8th dog and his story gave me the idea for this series of "Thinking of getting a dog?" 
4. On top of that, I myself am considering getting a dog in the near future to start Search and Rescue Training with said dog. This is why I am doing a lot of research on this whole topic in my free time. If there is one academic thing I am somewhat good at, it is researching topics that interest me. 

So I am planning on writing tips on this topic, however I come across them. They will probably be in quite a random order as especially foster dogs and their stories might impact my Tips. They will be numbered and if they relate to a previous Tip, on the top of the post it will say something along the lines of "See Tip ... posted on ... for similar Information".  - How professional, eh ?

I hope that with this series I can help whoever stumbled across my Blog with the decision whether or not you are ready for a dog, and where to find the perfect one for you! Keep in mind, I am planning on going through this whole thing in the near future, so we're all in the same boat.

When I come across a problem, rather than saying "nope, that's it, no dog for you missy!" I want to try to find solutions for it. Remember, those solutions might cost you money, so try to keep all that in mind when you read a possible answer to a problem - just because there is an answer, doesn't mean it will work for everybody.

I welcome comments and any tips you can give me. Correct me anytime I am wrong - these are my opinions from experience and possible research I may have done on the topic, this is not a professional opinion or representation of any kind.

Sophia


P.S.: My posts might contain occasional coarse language. This is a topic I get very emotional about and I like to express my feelings the way they come. I will not make this Blog vanilla just because you cannot deal with the bad f-word. Just keep that in mind.