catman
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 06:09 PM |
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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
caged supersix
Carbon/GRP
210 bhp silvertop
190 lbft
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 06:18 PM |
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quote:
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.
Room wise, the dog could have the run of the heated conservatory so no problems separating them if needs be.
Thanks for the 'what dog' suggestion, I'll check that out. 
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Slimy38
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 06:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by morcus
I wouldn't get a small dog, from experience they always seem to be mean.
Whilst your experience is unfortunately very typical, that isn't actually because of the type of dog, it's another example of bad owners.
Consider a big dog that barks, it soon gets told what's what and stops. A small dog doing the same gets the response 'aw, isn't he
cute', and therefore it thinks it's the right thing to do. Soon enough it think it's at the top of the household tree, and acts it.
Train a small dog the same as a large dog, and they're just as well behaved.
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plentywahalla
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 07:01 PM |
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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
Rules are for the guidance of wise men ... and the obedience of fools. (anon)
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 07:26 PM |
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Crikey 
Better not show her that well end up with a horse!
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philw
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 07:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
Crikey
Better not show her that well end up with a horse!
Thats what happend to me
Having said that we have just got a new puppy, a Kangal, I'll put a picture up
[Edited on 23/1/2013 by philw]
Must try harder
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 07:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by philw
quote:
Originally posted by Norfolkluegojnr
Crikey
Better not show her that well end up with a horse!
Thats what happend to me
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 08:43 PM |
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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 
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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whitestu
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 09:31 PM |
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quote:
Train a small dog the same as a large dog, and they're just as well behaved.
+1 I used to have a Cairn terrier and he was a great little dog, and whilst he had a bit of mischief in him he was very well behaved.
Stu
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Danozeman
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 10:17 PM |
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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.
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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Danozeman
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 10:18 PM |
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quote:
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):
He is a lovely looking dog aswell as the dalmation. Are dalmations hard work?
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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martyn1137
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 10:43 PM |
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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.
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RK
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 11:16 PM |
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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.
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MikeR
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 11:21 PM |
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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!)
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dlatch
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 11:26 PM |
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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 
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RK
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 11:29 PM |
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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.
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MikeR
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 11:36 PM |
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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!
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SeanStone
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| posted on 23/1/13 at 11:48 PM |
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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!
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BangedupTiger
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 12:01 AM |
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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]
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ReMan
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 01:20 AM |
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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
www.plusnine.co.uk
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 07:33 AM |
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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!
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plentywahalla
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 08:29 AM |
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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!
Rules are for the guidance of wise men ... and the obedience of fools. (anon)
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Slimy38
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 09:02 AM |
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quote:
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?
I really agree with this one. Yes it's nice to have predictable traits, and in the past selective breeding was very effective in
'designing' a dog to suit the purpose it was aimed at. But it's inherently unsafe in nature, and in my very selfish opinion
shouldn't be encouraged.
Of course, with regards to fashion, there are key cross breeds now that seem to fetch a premium. Put a Cocker Spaniel with a Poodle and you'd
expect to lose money, but a 'Cockapoo' as they're described can often be dearer than it's pedigree parents!
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Norfolkluegojnr
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 09:04 AM |
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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.
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T66
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| posted on 24/1/13 at 09:21 AM |
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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.....
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