Well, you lot seem to have the answer for everything


Me and my little family feel now is the right time to enter into the wonderful world of dog ownership. Until mid last year, I had a lovely cat who sadly got squashed

I thought I'd ask LCB what they think about the impending dogging(?) (may have used that phrase wrong), as they've answered a lot of questions for me in the last few years....

Firstly, we'd be looking for a puppy - we have an 11 month old little boy, and I wouldn't be comfortable bring a rescue dog into the house, as much as I'd like too, you just don't know how they'll react with kids. Are we mad? a few people have mentioned puppies are a lot like babies in the early stages - are they hard to house train etc? What the best way to approach stopping the inevitable poop-in-house?

Secondly, what breed? any to avoid? open to suggestions, but needs to be good with kids (i've been told we're having at least another one ), happy to go for walks (although i'm no marathon runner), but be calm enough to be by itself occasionally. My wife only works one or two days a week, and will be home the rest of the time. Not too big, we live in a 3 bed semi, but have a good sized enclosed garden.

Finally, what kind of MPG should i expect? are there any hidden costs? i've rota'd about £50 a month, is this sensible or am I way off base?

Please feel free to share all doggie stories, good and bad, plus pics too.

thanks

[Edited on 23/1/13 by Norfolkluegojnr]

We have a Dalmatian that we got when she was 8 years old from a breeder. She had been a breeding bitch and had had her maximum litters so was rehomed to us. She sleeps most of the day but still enjoys a good walk and a play. I would wholeheartedly recommend doing the same as a first time doggy household. I had never had a dog before and was quite anxious about it, but I wouldn't be without her now.

Personally on that budget I wouldn't recommend anything pedigree. My sister pays that much just for pet insurance!!

There's also a big upfront saving with mixed breeds, although there are several 'trendy' mixes. Put pretty much anything with a Poodle or Terrier and it becomes a fashion statement rather than a pet.

I'm about to start on what will be quite a mission to convince the other half that we want a dog, so I'll be keeping an eye on other responses!

We are big dog lovers and have always had a Corgi in the house, but would certainly not contemplate a puppy until the sprogs were at walking stage as they (puppy's not sprogs) are also very demanding on ones time if you want them properly house trained and well integrated in the family and also to make sure that it is properly socialised with other dogs.

I would not be too concerned about taking on a rescue dog if it was one of the smaller breeds, say less than 12 lbs and you took care to choose a young and gentle dog that was willing to have a bit of a game, as you will want a dog that can rough house it with pre-schoolers and who won't do too much damage if it snaps when they go too far.

Cost is also very size related in terms of feeding and mixed breeds are generally more robust and less likely to incur high vet bills.

[Edited on 23/1/13 by Ivan]

I would takle this another way.

What do you want the dog For ( comapnionship / Walks / Family pet ) ?

how long can you spend every day walking it ( & cleaning up after it ) ?

What will you do with it when you go on holiday ?

Have you had a dog before and who will train it ?

As anwsers to the above will assit in getting your anwer.

ATB Agriv8

quote:

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Originally posted by Agriv8
I would takle this another way.

What do you want the dog For ( comapnionship / Walks / Family pet ) ?

All of the above. We're animal lovers at heart, and for the first time in my whole life (except uni) we're without a pet.

how long can you spend every day walking it ( & cleaning up after it ) ?

Probably an hour's worth of walking if i'm honest, more at weekends. The wife is at home all day most days, so it'll have plenty of attention.

What will you do with it when you go on holiday ?

Two sets of parents who'd babysit, or preferably take him/her with us. not a fan of kennels, but if needs must. We only go on holiday once a year at most.

Have you had a dog before and who will train it ?

Yes, but when we were both children. Training would fall to me i'd guess.


As anwsers to the above will assit in getting your anwer.

ATB Agriv8

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Puppies require some dedicated training on a regular basis and if your missus is at home most of the time then she will be doing most of the basic training. Find a local puppy class and attend that, its good for training tips and socialisation for the dog. To start with training isn't a 30min job each evening its every minute of every day while you're with the dog. Hard work, but very rewarding.

Main tip we had was with a pup, take it outside every 45-60mins for a toilet every day, whether it needs to or not. Ours picked up house training in no time at all and we never had an accident in the house surprisingly.

Grab a magazine like "Your Dog" and read up in advance, loads of tips and advice in it.

Ours is now 16months old. Can run for hours or can be happily left all day if were both out at work, although if he doesn't get a walk he can become a handful but luckily we have a decent garden to exercise him a little without having to go to the local fields.

Find a breader that asks you as many questions as you do them, a decent breeder will only let their pups go to decent people they have vetted themselves. Always see the mum (and Dad if possible). Avoid puppy farms and people that don't let you see the mum.

If possible find one early like we did and we saw the pups being born and visited every week until we could take him home at 8 weeks.

This is our mutt (Lab cross Collie):

lovely looking dog

thanks for the tips - I'll pass that on to the mrs. There is a training class only about 5 mins walk each week, so thats sorted.

Like the idea of the hourly toilet break - makes sense.

Don't rule out rescue dogs, just make sure you understand where they're from and why they're being re-homed.

To give an example, one of my folks current four dogs is a rescue Labrador. She was given up very unhappily by a family who had a drastic change of circumstance and could not look after her. She is a joy to have and has played with my 3 kids from birth.

Agriv8s advice is spot on IMHO, answer the questions and you will be guided to the right sort of dog.

Your children/child is not old enough to share the house with a dog.


A colleague a lot younger than me did this conversation with me about 2 years ago, he didnt listen and finds the dog a complete (but canny) pain to walk and occupy while balancing a baby on his arm age 2.


It nipped the baby about 6 months ago, and he didnt listen to me then. Dogs are great family additions, but imho you need to wait till your through the baby stage of your marriage before dogs ever become a consideration.


Taking the kids out in the countryside with your dog is rewarding and fun, but they need to be older so they also can be trained and coached how to co-occupy the house with a dog.



My colleague is 30, the reason I spoke to him the way I did, was because at 30 I did exactly that, bought a German Shepherd with an 11 month in the house. He was great around the house, and yes we got on with it, but with hindsight I should of waited till they were older. He actually was that good, he stopped wagging his tail around them, as he knew he sent them flying !



Give it a few years, get the babies sorted and old enough to understand how to live with a dog. Ps make sure you do dog classes with a young pup, take the kids - I did....


Sorry to put a damper on it, but there are decisions you make in life, that you wouldnt of with hindsight. Mine is free.....




Good luck with whatever you end up doing.




Ivan

I've answered Agriv8's questions above - not sure i its clear?

thanks for the advice about rescue dogs - its the route i'd prefer to take, with some many needing homes already. All my cats previously came from rescue homes.

quote:

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Originally posted by Alfa145
Puppies require some dedicated training on a regular basis and if your missus is at home most of the time then she will be doing most of the basic training. Find a local puppy class and attend that, its good for training tips and socialisation for the dog. To start with training isn't a 30min job each evening its every minute of every day while you're with the dog. Hard work, but very rewarding.

Main tip we had was with a pup, take it outside every 45-60mins for a toilet every day, whether it needs to or not. Ours picked up house training in no time at all and we never had an accident in the house surprisingly.

Grab a magazine like "Your Dog" and read up in advance, loads of tips and advice in it.

Ours is now 16months old. Can run for hours or can be happily left all day if were both out at work, although if he doesn't get a walk he can become a handful but luckily we have a decent garden to exercise him a little without having to go to the local fields.

Find a breader that asks you as many questions as you do them, a decent breeder will only let their pups go to decent people they have vetted themselves. Always see the mum (and Dad if possible). Avoid puppy farms and people that don't let you see the mum.

If possible find one early like we did and we saw the pups being born and visited every week until we could take him home at 8 weeks.

This is our mutt (Lab cross Collie):

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quote:

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Originally posted by T66
Your children/child is not old enough to share the house with a dog.


A colleague a lot younger than me did this conversation with me about 2 years ago, he didnt listen and finds the dog a complete (but canny) pain to walk and occupy while balancing a baby on his arm age 2.


It nipped the baby about 6 months ago, and he didnt listen to me then. Dogs are great family additions, but imho you need to wait till your through the baby stage of your marriage before dogs ever become a consideration.


Taking the kids out in the countryside with your dog is rewarding and fun, but they need to be older so they also can be trained and coached how to co-occupy the house with a dog.



My colleague is 30, the reason I spoke to him the way I did, was because at 30 I did exactly that, bought a German Shepherd with an 11 month in the house. He was great around the house, and yes we got on with it, but with hindsight I should of waited till they were older. He actually was that good, he stopped wagging his tail around them, as he knew he sent them flying !



Give it a few years, get the babies sorted and old enough to understand how to live with a dog. Ps make sure you do dog classes with a young pup, take the kids - I did....


Sorry to put a damper on it, but there are decisions you make in life, that you wouldnt of with hindsight. Mine is free.....




Good luck with whatever you end up doing.




Ivan

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Ivan I see where your coming from but it's not always the case, granted our Labrador was already here when our baby Lily arrived but now Lily's 18months old they are inseparable. Walks are great, Lily enjoys the fresh air the dog enjoys the walk and its gets me off my arse. I am lucky as there are loads of farm tracks within 5 mins of my front door.

Lily plays with the dog all the time and Oscar (dog) is always the first one on the scene if she starts crying. We've taught her not to go in his bed as that's his little space and there's been no issues even when she tries to use him as a horse!

Steve

I didn't see it anywhere else so I will say get a bitch. We don't have a dog any more but have had both dogs and bitches and bitches are easier to train and don't have as much to prove. I've been walking a pair of Springer bitches for the last few weeks as my friend can hardly walk after a back operation a few years ago and his wife fell and broke her leg a week before Christmas. They are a bit lively being ex working dogs but they are so obedient. If I had another it would be a Collie cross as they are so eager to please, our last one never did anything naughty from about 6 months old and she would wee on command in the garden at night before bedtime. She lived to 18 and was a lovely dog.

We have been looking for another dog. We lost one before Christmas and the surviving one is wandering around looking lost and is demanding of attention. Two dogs are better than one, as they entertain and exercise each other.

The sad thing is looking at the re-homing websites and seeing how many dogs are on there because the owners have 'a young family'. It must be the majority reason, and causes are lack of time for the dogs needs, dog too boisterous for the little ones, kids developing allergies, and so on.

I think that the comments above are all valid ... sadly.

We had a greatdane when I was a kid, I dont know exact dates, but as eldest of three I think she predated me by about two-three years.

She stood on me a fair bit when I was small, particuarly around the backdoor before walks, but only by mistake as she was otherwise very good with us. I think I was about 8-9 when she was put down, which would have made my brother (youngest of the three) 2-3ish and we got a rescue dog fairly much straight after that, a puppy fonud straying in the streets, presumed to be some sort of greyhouse/airedale mongrel thing. Greyhound size and shape, but fully, and airedale colours, also very nice. Second dog saddly met and end during my a-levels and as both parents work full time and we have left home, they are currently without do, as are we. Interestingly after 25years of living there in the last four years without a dog they have had four breakings to the garage where before we had none. Both dogs spend the night in a kennal in a small compound outside as soon as they where but a puppy, bar nights it was below -5 come putting out time.

I once got nipped by my grandads dog, another greatdane when we where house sitting him and I put my hand in his mouth. I wasnt as freindly as our great dane because I put my hand in/around her mouth all the time... Remember it hurting at the time but in dont recall much blood and its left no lasting damage!

Im a great beleaver in going for it anyway and hoping it will work out but cant speak from any exerience of raising a dog withs kids myself, other than as one of the kids, as above.


Note to self, buy dog a year before your first child... :p



Daniel

Personally I would go anywhere other than a breeder of any pedigree type, most rescue centres have puppies or very young dogs, go for a cross breed, lab + something is normally good as you get some of the labs easy going temperament with less of the health issues labs are known for. We have had a lab boxer cross since a pup and he's fantastic, looks like the spawn of satan, has a bark to match but regularly gets beaten up by the cat, soft as muck. He is 15 now and lost his lifetime chum, a lab Alsatian cross last year but is still soldiering on, we got him when our eldest was 3. Whatever you get the amount of work you put into socialising and training is directly related to the kind of dog you will end up with. With very few exceptions there aren't many bad dogs just badly trained/treated ones
HTH

[Edited on 23/1/13 by snakebelly]

Also, you dnot really mention what the dog is for, other than to say your dog lovers. So I presume in effect, its in the main as a companion? This is certainly all our dogs every really where.

With the greatdane my parents did consider showing her, but never really made the time. Ditto the second dog, where they considered doing dog handling with her as she was button sharp, but also never made the time. Although both would reliablely walk at you heal, come when called, sit when a car passed, run beside a bike, etc.

The great dane was fed on tripe from the butcher, the second dog on a 50/50 mix of biscuits and tinned meat. As far as I know neither had insurance and the only significant vet visit bar putting down the greatdane was to banage the leg of other dog when she ran out of the front gate as it was opened and had a minor run in with a car.



Daniel

quote:

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Originally posted by sdh2903
Ivan I see where your coming from but it's not always the case, granted our Labrador was already here when our baby Lily arrived but now Lily's 18months old they are inseparable. Walks are great, Lily enjoys the fresh air the dog enjoys the walk and its gets me off my arse. I am lucky as there are loads of farm tracks within 5 mins of my front door.

Lily plays with the dog all the time and Oscar (dog) is always the first one on the scene if she starts crying. We've taught her not to go in his bed as that's his little space and there's been no issues even when she tries to use him as a horse!

Steve

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If you go for it I would endorse the Labrador cross. The one who died before Christmas was a Lab/Collie and the surviving dog is a Lab/Springer. As said before, you get the easy going docile nature of the Labrador without the hip problems and the overweight tendency.

Good luck.

Having the time and patience for a baby and puppy seems like a stretch to me , a mature dog will know what's acceptable around a toddler but a pup or adolescent dog would need supervising IMO .

I've recently taken on a rott/ Akita dog from a shelter with serious food aggression and nervous aggression that came from a family with a 13 month baby and another on the way . Sadly there are thousand of adolescent dogs in shelters for the same reasons .

Thanks everyone, all useful honest feedback - keep it coming.

My childhood dog was a lab cross, and I guess what I really want for my son is the bond I had with her. She was a wonderful friend and playmate, and come into the house not awfully long after I did.

I appreciate all the feedback re timing though It was my only real concern;obviously my son is the most important aspect of my life and if it means waiting a few years its not the end of the world. Love and attention wouldn't be in short supply, but if he was bitten badly I'd never forgive myself.

I'll make sure the wife reads this too - why don't women have LCB style forums ill never know.

had dogs all my life and they have all come from rescue centres, all of them are mutts or various cross types and all of them have been superb family pets, never had any issues with them biting anyone or being vicious at all in my view there is not many bad dogs but plenty bad owners.
i would visit your local rescue centre as they could advise on a suitable mutt and there are sadly many out there desperatley needing a loving home so it is win win imo
a bitch would prob be the best option though


Description

I'm going to go against what seems to common opinion and say, don't get a Mongrel. Dogs are of course individuals and everyone different, but pedigree dogs are much more predictable and also don't buy a puppy without seeing the parents. Go and get a copy of 'What Dog' if it's still in print, it lists a large number of breeds and tells you whats what and what to look out for along with alot of brilliant infomation on how to look after dogs in general.

They don't have dogs any more but my parents have kept show dogs for less than £50 a month, including a rhodesian ridgeback which was a huge dog. Insurance wasn't too bad, and covered alot because the dog was intended for showing.

I wouldn't get a small dog, from experience they always seem to be mean. Also avoid anything with out of proportion body parts as they're very suseptible to damage, so big dogs with small legs, dogs with big ears, that kind of thing.

Have you got somewhere for the dog to sleep and if need be stay to be out of the way of the child?

As others said, I wouldn't want to raise a puppy with small children about.

our dog was resued from a puppy farm and she is the best behaved dog ive ever had. just because they are a rescue dog doesnt mean that they have a problem. its often the previous owner that had the problem!

HTH

Ed

quote:

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Originally posted by morcus
I'm going to go against what seems to common opinion and say, don't get a Mongrel. Dogs are of course individuals and everyone different, but pedigree dogs are much more predictable and also don't buy a puppy without seeing the parents. Go and get a copy of 'What Dog' if it's still in print, it lists a large number of breeds and tells you whats what and what to look out for along with alot of brilliant infomation on how to look after dogs in general.

They don't have dogs any more but my parents have kept show dogs for less than £50 a month, including a rhodesian ridgeback which was a huge dog. Insurance wasn't too bad, and covered alot because the dog was intended for showing.

I wouldn't get a small dog, from experience they always seem to be mean. Also avoid anything with out of proportion body parts as they're very suseptible to damage, so big dogs with small legs, dogs with big ears, that kind of thing.

Have you got somewhere for the dog to sleep and if need be stay to be out of the way of the child?

As others said, I wouldn't want to raise a puppy with small children about.

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quote:

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Originally posted by morcus
I wouldn't get a small dog, from experience they always seem to be mean.

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Quote ...

".I'll make sure the wife reads this too - why don't women have LCB style forums ill never know. "

They do... My other half is addicted to this:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=67

Crikey

Better not show her that well end up with a horse!

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Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
Crikey

Better not show her that well end up with a horse!

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quote:

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Originally posted by philw

quote:

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Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
Crikey

Better not show her that well end up with a horse!

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Thats what happend to me

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my 2p worth...go to a rescue centre and have a look round,the dog will choose you !.
collie cros,s and the best,smart and loving,bitches are usually better with babies and kids.
make sure you tell the dog his/her place in the pecking order,they will be a loyal servant and protect you and yours with their lives...i still miss both mine

quote:

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Train a small dog the same as a large dog, and they're just as well behaved.

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This is a very interesting thread. We are thinking of getting a dog. well i am and trying to persuade my wife. iv got a 2 and a half year old and a 6 and a half year old. so theyr old enough to be trained aswell as the dog.

We always had dogs when i lived at home, when we left we got 2 cats, one of which has chosen a new house to live in. My parents have a jack russel cross kairn terrier. Thats a nutter but its never been trained so has no chance.

quote:

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Originally posted by Alfa145
Puppies require some dedicated training on a regular basis and if your missus is at home most of the time then she will be doing most of the basic training. Find a local puppy class and attend that, its good for training tips and socialisation for the dog. To start with training isn't a 30min job each evening its every minute of every day while you're with the dog. Hard work, but very rewarding.

Main tip we had was with a pup, take it outside every 45-60mins for a toilet every day, whether it needs to or not. Ours picked up house training in no time at all and we never had an accident in the house surprisingly.

Grab a magazine like "Your Dog" and read up in advance, loads of tips and advice in it.

Ours is now 16months old. Can run for hours or can be happily left all day if were both out at work, although if he doesn't get a walk he can become a handful but luckily we have a decent garden to exercise him a little without having to go to the local fields.

Find a breader that asks you as many questions as you do them, a decent breeder will only let their pups go to decent people they have vetted themselves. Always see the mum (and Dad if possible). Avoid puppy farms and people that don't let you see the mum.

If possible find one early like we did and we saw the pups being born and visited every week until we could take him home at 8 weeks.

This is our mutt (Lab cross Collie):

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My vote is a lurcher.

My daughter wanted one on return from Uni. Our first dog in the house although we have a number of other animals. Winston was a rescue dog with little history as he had been picked up by the dog warden a couple of times then on the last occasion this owners failed to pay the £20 or so and recover him. He would have been put to sleep if the local rescue centre had not taken him in. That would have been a tragedy. We have all put a lot of time in but he is a gem. We now have another.

I could go on for pages but here are a few points:-

Lurchers come in all sizes, they are not all big dogs.

They are not as intense as a terrier or collie.

Contrary to popular belief they do not require much exercise. A short burst twice a day is more than ample.

If you have a good size well enclosed garden thats ideal

They sleep when not walking or eating - normally upside down on the sofa - all lurchers do!

They tend to be very laid back.

As others have said you get out what you put in, but if you have had a dog before you will know.

There are always dogs with known history to be rehomed. Maybe give an older dog a fresh start, they respect it somehow.

Insure it. This is one of the few occasions we have fleeced an insurance company. £13 a month is nothing if they have even a minor health problem needing vet treatment.

As others have said, there are few bad dogs, its the owners who need training.

Chloe, my daughter, has just read this post and says she will add some more info for you tomorrow.

They take a huge amount of work if you are going to do them any favours. A rescue dog is maybe a bit more effort still, but when I say our Cristal is like our child, I am not joking at all. She is everything to us. Sorry don't know how to upload a pic, but trust me, she is cute (but spayed, and has crooked teeth!!).

The thing I never thought about before though, which is mildly disconcerting, is that some big dogs want to eat her sometimes, and she has been attacked viciously twice. We have to be extremely vigilant, and we do no visits to dog parks as a result. She is never loose on her own, except in our back garden, which is fenced. A Jack Russell or something might be a good choice - they can defend themselves pretty well, but they have been known to jump very high to get at small children.

Looks like I'm going to go against the trend here.

Sat at my feet is a black lab, 10 years old and a big softie. He's my other halfs dog. We've got two young kids (3 months and 20 months). So i'm where you will be in a bit.

I wouldn't get a dog now!!!! Seriously, your heart is ruling your head in my view.

The lab is amazingly placid. Our eldest pulls his fur, feet and tail and the dog takes it whilst we dispair and tell the lad off. After taking advice from day one we never trusted leaving the dog with a baby. They are an animal. Trained or not, they can flip, you have to be careful. This is an added stress to looking after the babie(s) checking where the dog is and making sure he's with you. When our lad is tired just before bed we have to lock the dog in the kitchen for his protection - this isn't fair on the dog (he doesn't understand why he's being excluded from the pack (he sees this as punishment)).

You've got a young kid. It will take a lot of your time, when the second turns up you have no free time. This means things get dropped, walking the dog will be an easy one to drop if you've not being doing it for 8 years. We struggle to fit it in, luckily with our mutt being so old we'd already scaled back his walks to protect his joints. When he was younger he got walked twice a day for between 40 mins and an hour. The larger the dog the more walking they need. You've got to add in puppy training and clearing up after him. Your dog won't know that its wrong to poo in the corner of the room initially. Your kid won't know its wrong to pick it up. Kids usually put things in their mouths........ How you going to spend all your time training the dog when you're feeding the baby / changing the baby / making your own food / trying to sleep?

50 quid a month isn't a lot either. This is going to be the family pet, your kids are going to grow up with it. You really want to consider medical and third party insurance (if the dog runs out and causes and accident you are liable for the damage to property - can you afford to replace a couple of cars?). You also need to pay for worming and kenel cough every year. Add to that food (which is about 45 quid a month) and 50 quid isn't enough. When baby #2 comes along can you still afford the 50 quid?

I'd also look up the cost of kennels - you'll end up using them at some point. We pay about 10 quid a night and supply the food.

Sorry i sound so negative. We love having ours around but when our monster is no longer with us I've already said we're not replacing him with another dog. We just don't have the time for a pup.

(ours is now chasing rabbits in his sleep - legs are going 10 to the dozen!)

jack Russell's are great dogs but exactly the same as having another child in the amount of attention they need, such characters though they always make you laugh.
but i would not recommend one in this situation.
dalmatians are fantastic dogs but when they shed their coats it is a nightmare they have very short hair but its like pine needles and gets everywhere.

my current dog jules is a collie cross with god knows what but she is such a smart dog and great with the family but also smart enough to be a good guard dog. she has foiled a distraction burglary at my next door neighbours (elderly lady of 86)
was a classic case of one person at front door keeping the person in the house busy while another sneaked in the back to steal what they could.
what they did not realise was my dog was in our back garden at the time and knows who all my neighbours grandkids and relatives are and she can get in their garden anytime she likes through the fence, result was two crooks running away nothing stolen and big juicy bone reward for a clever collie

I have to say that you don't forget it's an animal, when it goes after it's own poo, and looks like it's really enjoying the chowing down. There are ways to curb this, I know, but they take even more effort.

Caught ours licking the babies poo out of a nappy I was changing. Then spent 24 hours wondering if we where going to have a sick dog. We didn't!

We've got 2 rescue german shephards and they are excellent around children

My sister is a nanny and when she takes the children for walks with the dogs, both of the are always making sure other dogs and people can't get near them

the larger of the 2 is the most docile animal i have met. He lets me pick him up and just shuts his eyes!

I think it is good for a child to be around animals, especially faithful loving animals like dogs. I always grew up around dogs from a baby. We had a collie when i was a few months old, he was a pup. then we've had labs.

Personally I would go for a rescue dog around 6yrs up. They will be past their destructive stage and far more tollerant of children, not all dogs are in rescue centres due to behaviour, especially dogs of an older age.

I would say go for a breed like a lab, lovely placid dogs. I would like a rotweiller next (even more placid IMO) but the mrs wants a "pudsey"

You will know the dog for you when you see it.






[Edited on 24/1/13 by BangedupTiger]

Our new baby Ruby

birddog
16mths old FCR
We got held off our first dog till our kids were about 8, but dont expect at that, or any other age your kds will help once the novelty has worn off.
Temperament wise Ruby is great and has'nt chewed anyones face off yet, but I wouldn't trust her or any other dog with small children.
Ours is a poo lover and will happily recycle her own if left to it, needless to say we dont kiss her on the lips too often
This one gets (needs) 2 walks a day min half an hour about 1.5 hours total plus a short dogsitter walk at £7 a day on the days that neither of us can be around at lunchtime.
Insurance a must, you get what you pay for, and they can be sick/broken often if you have an actve dog/life.
Rescue's. Personally I think that and have seen first hand two dogs passed of as good, when they weren't, but I'm sure there are good ones, just think of it like you would buying a second hand car with no warranty.
All good replys but theres no single right answer.
We love ours to bits, but......
I'm with the don't do it yet camp

Thanks again everyone.

It's great to hear the good and bad. I'm not one to rush into anything, and i think for now it may Be best to wait a couple of years. As said, my son has to come first and I may be letting my experiences of dogs come before the sensible answer to the situation.

I've left it with the wife for now, but she also said thank you for your input - it's actually very hard to get honest advice about pets, with people often falling into the 'they're awesome' or 'they're a nightmare' camp. At the end of the day there is no wrong answer, but you've all helped to get us a closer the the right one for us!

One more point, i would be careful of the comment that pedigree dogs are somehow 'better'.

This is a complete fraud perpetuated by the breeding / showing fraternity which seeks to maximise the profits that can be made by dveloping fashion breeds. Inbreeding is illegal in humans and yet is is encouraged in pet animals, why?

The breed standards adopted by the kennel club applaud various characteristics in the breed, and breeders mate animals with prominent features to accentuate them. The example given of someone who shows Rhodesian Ridgebacks is a good example. The characteristic ridge is actually a spinal deformation. It is degenerative and if overdeveloped can lead to a dog being crippled and unable to stand. Every breed has some kind of problem, with some such as king charles spaniels, basset hounds and pekingese being too horrible to mention.

We have always had cross breeds, and cross bred from breeds that are normally proportioned and healthy. Always see the mother and father and avoid breeders who advertise that their dogs are 'champion this' or 'champion that'

I have probably opened a can of worms!

quote:

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Originally posted by plentywahalla
One more point, i would be careful of the comment that pedigree dogs are somehow 'better'.

This is a complete fraud perpetuated by the breeding / showing fraternity which seeks to maximise the profits that can be made by dveloping fashion breeds. Inbreeding is illegal in humans and yet is is encouraged in pet animals, why?

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Personal favourite on crossbreeding so far, was a Schnauzer and a Poodle.....

apparently called a Schnoodle. odd looking thing it was too.

And finallly, my first dog "Bruce" was a first cross Dalmatian/Fox terrier. Built about the size of a Labrador, with a rough coat, lived ailment free till 16 maybe longer, I cannot recall. A true gentleman of a dog around anyone.


His special trick came with any ladies visiting my mother, he was partial to popping his nose under their hems for a sniff....! Not sure of what, but my mum started locking the old bugger away when her friends came round. Dog at broth and all that....


The first cross/mutt route is the way to go, when your ready. An interesting thread.....

When I rang the rescue centre I asked if they had "a short-haired, general-purpose, medium-sized mutt" - which made the woman in charge laugh!

We were lucky in that she had the ideal one - he'd just come in, wasn't settling in the kennels and she wanted to get him out and into a family ASAP. He was probably around 12 - 18 months old when we got him, and he lived to about 15 years old. Mongrels generally live much longer, and healthier, than pedigrees! Not the brightest dog in the world, but good-natured and often amusing.

I would suggest that you avoid the more intelligent working dogs - jack russells, border collies, and so on - although they can be brilliant dogs their intelligence means that they have to be kept occupied or they can get to be a nuisance. This means playing games, a chance to explore new territories (under supervision, of course), mental challenges and frequent interaction with members of the family (who are its pack).

A book that I found brilliant when I was a trainee dog owner was Think Dog by John Fisher. He explains how a dog's mind works as a pack animal, and how humans can act in a particular way to ensure that the dog is happy knowing his place. A lot of it is very surprising - for example, never let the dog sleep on your bed - he's making a claim to be top dog, putting you at a lower ranking. He gives many other examples.

Our Tibetan Terrier as a puppy

[Edited on 25/1/13 by jeffw]

We've got 2 mutts at the moment, both bitches, one old king Charles cav, one inbred collie who's about 3.

The cav is a nice enough dog, but a little snatchy for treats, also she's dull and thick as anything, prone to accidents despite proper training, also hates walking, nice old people dog, but crap for an active young family.

The collie (rescued as a pup, but neglected for a while, rescued again by us at about 18 mo old) and she's a great dog, she's still a bit hyper but is calming nicely, I wouldn't really trust her around babies as she's just a bit clumsy, but utterly harmless, she'll let you stick your hand in her gob and take treats off her, utterly devoted, very obedient and an all round good job, took less than a week to house train her (after being an outside dog forever) only problem is the energy, she'll happily run all day, I ended up getting a harness for her and just take her on bike rides rather than trying to walk her.

If I was gonna get another pooch I'd go with either gsd or lab cross collie, just to try to take a little of the hyper away.

Lovely looking dog!


Whats a GSD?

German Shepard dog

Ah. so obvious once you know.

quote:

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Originally posted by plentywahalla
One more point, i would be careful of the comment that pedigree dogs are somehow 'better'.

This is a complete fraud perpetuated by the breeding / showing fraternity which seeks to maximise the profits that can be made by dveloping fashion breeds. Inbreeding is illegal in humans and yet is is encouraged in pet animals, why?

The breed standards adopted by the kennel club applaud various characteristics in the breed, and breeders mate animals with prominent features to accentuate them. The example given of someone who shows Rhodesian Ridgebacks is a good example. The characteristic ridge is actually a spinal deformation. It is degenerative and if overdeveloped can lead to a dog being crippled and unable to stand. Every breed has some kind of problem, with some such as king charles spaniels, basset hounds and pekingese being too horrible to mention.

We have always had cross breeds, and cross bred from breeds that are normally proportioned and healthy. Always see the mother and father and avoid breeders who advertise that their dogs are 'champion this' or 'champion that'

I have probably opened a can of worms!

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Whilst certain breeds certainly have different tendencies, nurture is all important at a young age.

When we got our dog (Border Collie, Spring Spaniel Cross), my sister in law also got a dog from the same litter about 10 years ago (my daughter was about 3 at the time).

From the outset, our dog was treated well but put into place as soon as he overstepped the mark. No problems integrating him in the family with the incumbant cat or our daughter. He's a lovely softy who will defend the house and kids quite happily. The cat quite often comes up to him for a fuss; she often walks away with a head like a drowned rat ...

Out sledging last week, he loved chasing the sledges and making sure the kids were OK. when we are out for a walk, you can see him trying to round up our 5 year old.

Her dog wasn't given the same level of attention early on and was quite "nippy" as a result. To the point where she didn't trust it with her kids. A bit of training and he would have been fine; I would have had him like a shot but didn't have the space. He ended up being rehomed; as did her next 3 dogs....

At the end of the day, you've got to be prepared to invest in the pet. He/She's going to need walks and attention. Lots of it. Are you at a position where you want to share your time with a dog as well as your kids? They needn't be mutually exclusive...our 5 year old has played rough and tumble with Sam the dog since he's able to walk and the dog takes everything the boy throws at him. If and when he's had enough of playing, the dog comes to find us.

If you're willing to invest the time and effort, go for it; but it's for the long haul.

This thread with it's bit about cross breeds (mongrels) has reminded me of my daughter's dog Toby who died last year aged 15. He was a cross between an Alsatian father and Terrier mother (some people call them Jack Russell but they are a breed to themselves Parson Jack Russell, not the stubby legged Terriers you associate with the name) He was perfectly marked for an Alsatian and looked like he had his legs sawn off half way, he was a brilliant dog played with kids and liked a walk and never had any problems. We had a couple of Fox Terriers, a wire haired dog who was a complete schizophrenic and later a smooth coated bitch who was a lovely dog but wanted to work, hunting is in their genes. Wire haired don't cast and have to be trimmed so you can control where the hair goes which is a big thing if you are house proud.
Proper Jack Russells look like a Fox Terrier with a short nose.



[Edited on 24/1/13 by Peteff]

quote:

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Originally posted by stevebubs
Whilst certain breeds certainly have different tendencies, nurture is all important at a young age.

When we got our dog (Border Collie, Spring Spaniel Cross), my sister in law also got a dog from the same litter about 10 years ago (my daughter was about 3 at the time).

From the outset, our dog was treated well but put into place as soon as he overstepped the mark. No problems integrating him in the family with the incumbant cat or our daughter. He's a lovely softy who will defend the house and kids quite happily. The cat quite often comes up to him for a fuss; she often walks away with a head like a drowned rat ...

Out sledging last week, he loved chasing the sledges and making sure the kids were OK. when we are out for a walk, you can see him trying to round up our 5 year old.

Her dog wasn't given the same level of attention early on and was quite "nippy" as a result. To the point where she didn't trust it with her kids. A bit of training and he would have been fine; I would have had him like a shot but didn't have the space. He ended up being rehomed; as did her next 3 dogs....

At the end of the day, you've got to be prepared to invest in the pet. He/She's going to need walks and attention. Lots of it. Are you at a position where you want to share your time with a dog as well as your kids? They needn't be mutually exclusive...our 5 year old has played rough and tumble with Sam the dog since he's able to walk and the dog takes everything the boy throws at him. If and when he's had enough of playing, the dog comes to find us.

If you're willing to invest the time and effort, go for it; but it's for the long haul.

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this is my Jack Russell. she is a ruff cut but we have her trimmed on a regular basis to keep the hair down, they moult all year round. if you dont want to deal with hair get anything with an ounce of poodle in it.

most Jack Russels are nuts unless you are very strict when they are young, i persisted and made sure she knew i was the alpha dog from day one. she is nine now and is the most placid laid back dog in the world

this is my brothers dog he is half sharpei and half staff. hes bigger than a german shepherd and easily twice as strong. to say he is a handfull is an understatement bull in a china shop comes to mind, the biggest problem with him is that he is big but thinks he is a little dog. they also have a 6 month old boy and the dog is good as gold with him as he was taught from day one to be gentle around the baby.

number 1 tip! no means no! they have to understand it and you have to strictly enforce it until they learn. when they are pups if you say no and they ignore it put them in their bed. every time they get out of the bed pick them up and put them back even if you do it 50 times in an evening. once you master that your on the way to a well behaved dog.



[Edited on 25/1/2013 by ashg]

Wouldn't / couldn't be without a dog. Always gone for 1st crosses - Labrador x greyhound, labrador x bloodhound and currently (the best yet, dare I say it?) a GW Pointer x Hungarian Vizla. They're unusual, interesting and a lot lot cheaper than pedigrees. The latest costing £200 instead of nearer £1k for a pedigree Vizla!!



He doed need a LOT of exercise but that means that you also get a LOT of exercise. It's a win-win situation as long as you can make the time

He does like too chill aswell though-



And entertains us too-

Howdy partner!

I dont have a dog, and unfortunatly not in the right place in our lives to get one but I just keep viewing this thread to look at all your dog pics!

I really want a dog now.

quote:

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Originally posted by ashg
this is my Jack Russell. she is a ruff cut but we have her trimmed on a regular basis to keep the hair down, they moult all year round. if you dont want to deal with hair get anything with an ounce of poodle in it.

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visit a dogs home, pick the one you like. they need the homes the most

PS On the insurance side, check to make sure you get a "lifetime" style insurance not "annual"

One will pay for a problem through the entirety of the dog's life, the other will only pay for the first 12 months...

Heres ours the first night we got her.... To cute for her own good! We've had her nearly a year now and as said before be strict as a puppy! 3 out of the 4 of us have been- she knows who is the easy one to manipulate in the family!




Its true what they say about Collies, you need to give them plenty of exercise!
Walk her for hours and as soon as we get back in theres a ball dropped at our feet!


Mark.

We got our first ever dog in June of last year. Was pretty apprehensive before getting her and went through the process of asking ourselves the same questions you are now facing (although our daughter was 14 at the time). We went for a bitch cross from a rescue. We knew we didn't have the 24/7 time for a puppy and thought that a matured (not a puppy) that had already been house trained would be a better option.

We searched loads of rescue centre website and eventually found what looked to be the right dog for us. She is called Sasha and is / was at the time, an 18 month old English Bull Terrier cross....... cross with everything I think. She was being fostered by a family in Cardiff which is a long way away from us in Leeds / Wakefield, but I was prepared to travel for the right dog. She is medium in size so not too big for the girls to handle, short haired so not too much hard work brushing every day, and is great around kids and small furries. We knew this as she was fostered with a family who had free roaming rabbits in the garden, cats in the house, another dog, and young daughter. She was rescued from the pound with no real knowledge of her history but she was assessed by the rescue centre and very well described on their forum.

She has been an absolute star. She has the best temprament ever. She is great with both males and females, young and old, and with our rabbits (she even shepherds them round the garden to keep an eye on them and helps lick them clean). SHe is also fantastic with our daughter, and all the nephews and nieces that we have round on occasion, and at some points there has been maybe 7 or 8 of them at once, ranging in age from a few months to 15 years old, pushing and pulling and grabbing and stroking, and poking her, and she just stood there and didn't bat an eyelid at them.

So I definitely wouldn't discount a rescue dog. Just like all dogs and like people, they are all different. One lab is not the same as the next. One Staffie is not the same as the next. One terrier is not the same as the next. One LCB'er is not the same as the next. They all have their own personality and thats what makes them special.

We pay about £20 a month for insurance. The food is maybe £30 a month (£20 food and £10 treat food). Toys say £10 a month. Flea treatment, worming, etc costs probably another £5 a month say And we 'donated' £200 to the rescue for Sasha herself and she came fully vaccinated and neutered / spayed.

We have loved having her. Had her for about 8-9 months now. Yes she can be hard work at times when you have a lot on your plate and you know she needs walking and some attention and play time. But she can also be such a wonderful companion and so funny at times. She is always happy to see me when I get in the door and you know that she loves you. Its great.

We decided to get another dog when my daughter was 6 as she was dog mad. I was adamant i wanted another border collie but the wife wanted a spaniel so to keep the peace thats what we got.
Well she is the happiest most adorable and loving dog you'd ever want to meet and great with kids of all ages.
Anyway a couple of pics

quote:

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Originally posted by ashg
this is my Jack Russell. she is a ruff cut but we have her trimmed on a regular basis to keep the hair down, they moult all year round. if you dont want to deal with hair get anything with an ounce of poodle in it.

most Jack Russels are nuts unless you are very strict when they are young, i persisted and made sure she knew i was the alpha dog from day one. she is nine now and is the most placid laid back dog in the world

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