Getting A Dog

[simonas]

i love my dog and couldn;t iagine life without him,saying that I didn;t realise it would be such a commitment whenI got him 4 yrs ago.,

if you ever want to go away or even for the night ovbviously you need someone to let him out or get a kennel and that can be restricting cos somethjimes you can be out and you want to stay out if you know what I mean

mines a basseett hound and hes a gorgeous dog but its caused trouble with me and the wife cos she doesn;t like hair.mess ,smell etc and these things happen when you have a dog

but even after all that hes ace and I love a night when kids are in bed and mrs out and we curl up on the settee together and walking at night is quality relax time

 

[modaz]

nothing beats a digged up back gardens, wet nose smears on the patio doors, chewed dog treats found hidden under the sofa and food splattered all over the kitchen floor, now thats enough about me the best thing I ever did was get a dog, wouldn't like to be without her a simple as that. But I'm ok as she comes to work with me daily, infact she's with me 24/7 and I love it. But I wouldn't have dog if I had to leave them at home.

 

[TigerIssey]

Two dogs; boy could I tell some stories. Bottom line two dogs are a blast, you are correct in thinking that two well socialized well trained dogs will keep each other entertained rather than entertaining themselves with furniture chewing & wall paper removal. My two guys are a year apart nearly to the day, we started leaving them alone for a bit uncrated when the younger guy was 6 months.

We only had one minor issue when they were alone for about 5 hours at 8 & 20 months, my own fault for not securing the gate to the living room. Christmas tree, gifts, decorations, the whole setup, they chewed a tiny corner of the tree skirt, made of the same material as their stuffies. They could have really made a mess, but I guess they were content with napping on the couch & looking out the window.

Everyone has stories like this, was I laughing and remembering. My parents had two dobermans when I was a kid, they did a similar thing, we found selection box chocolate bars around the room for so long after, they hid them everywhere (they were police dog trained and we got them from dog handlers that just had too many large dogs).

Something else I was thinking about was going to a couple of local rescue centres with my other half and getting to meet some of the different breeds so both of us can get a feel for what breed(s) would suit us best. Do you think they would mind us doing that?

Some will some won't, some will only let potential adoptees that have had all the checks done look at their dogs.

The best way to find the right dog for you is to go to several shows. We did about 3 years of research before deciding on an Australian Terrier, at least a year of working with breeders

Shows are a good idea, crufts is coming up and they have a discover dogs section where you can go and interact with the dogs, ask questions etc. Most if not all breeds are represented, hit all in one go so to speak. The other thing here is that you can get freebies (trial size foods etc) check out toys cages collars leads all under one roof.

nothing beats a digged up back gardens, wet nose smears on the patio doors, chewed dog treats found hidden under the sofa and food splattered all over the kitchen floor, now thats enough about me the best thing I ever did was get a dog, wouldn't like to be without her a simple as that. But I'm ok as she comes to work with me daily, infact she's with me 24/7 and I love it. But I wouldn't have dog if I had to leave them at home.

I read this and looked at my windows, snot marks smeared everywhere from where he just has to tell the birds (in rural lancashire) that are just not welcome within a mile radius of HIS garden.
Also reminds me of a hole we had to fill in in the garden before we sold our last house. he tried to bury one of my garden chairs (yes it was that big) but I guess that comes with territory with staffies or terriers of any kind really!!!
We don't get food on the floor, he is quite well mannered with that, but he dribbles his water everywhere!!

Having said all that, I could never be without dogs in my life, they are something special.
good luck

 

[boeingtech]

i have recently rescued a german shepherd from german shepherd rescue she is stunning she is such a big softy who loves her cuddles and is spot on with my 2 children better than my last shepherd who i had when my children where born.
I have always had pet insurance on my dog's and believe me vets are not cheep i am with direct line and have never paid more than £23.00 a month when my dog was 10 years old,the older the dog gets the more you pay so to start with you will be paying around £10.00 a month for a young dog.
Food wise it will vary my last dog liked dried food so she only cost about £4.00 a week to feed this dog like's abit of both tin and dried so she cost's about £7.00 a week.
I would recommend any one to please rescue a dog and not buy a puppy there are so many lovely dog's in kennels just waiting for a loving home.Only problem you may incounter is that some rescue might not rehome if both of you are out of the house for long hours leaving the dog on it's own, but if you can pop home to make sure the dog is ok in your breaks then that is usually fine.
If you are worried about chewing then don't get a puppy as it will come with the teritory unless you are prepared to get dog cage for it's first few months'
I had 2 dog's together before and i found that they were naughty together and would chew but appart were brilliant but all dog's are different.
Your partner has nothing to worry about with german shepherds they are one of the most loveable and obident dog's you will get and will always protect it's family .
I would never be without a dog and hope that this help's you i am sure you will find the dog that is just right for you

 

[tenohfive]

Thanks for all the replies. A few things in reponse (I'm not going to use the quote thing, I'm tired and haven't the patience.)

Firstly, shifts/length of time out of the house: not every shift it ridiculously long, most are normal hours (and we do nights as well, when the dogs'll be asleep) and there are a few people at work with dogs, most of whom have had them for a long period of time with no major issues. Popping home won't be an option. So I'm of the thought that with careful thought, some planning and the right dog(s) we can minimise the impact, and still have happy dogs.
Two questions though - firstly, will two dogs rather than one make a big difference in terms of keeping themselves entertained when we're out of the house? Thats a pretty important question, as if its a big difference I'll look into getting two at the same or similar time - if its not, I'll start with one and see how we get on with him/her.
And someone suggested creating an area for the dogs (like a cupboard under the stairs) where their beds can go, and their toys and which gives them their own space - not locked in there - and that seemed to make a difference when out of the house. Has anyone else got any similar experiences?

Secondly, someone mentioned collies - doesn't seem like a bright idea, they've a reputation for needing alot more exercise and activity than most dogs. And in my experience of them they are generally mental dogs - not in a good way, just in a requiring all your attention, all the time sort of way. And I'm realistic - there aren't enough hours in the day for me to give a dog like that the attention it needs.

Thirdly, crufts - thanks for whoever mentioned that. If we're not working, we'll definately pop along to that - I might even book the day off. Sounds like a great opportunity to get a feel and some hands on experience, and hopefully dispel any phobia's or misconceptions my other half and I have about different breeds. And thanks whoever posted about dogpages, that'll be going in my favourites along with dogsblog - thanks.

Costs sound reasonable, think I will be going with pet insurance - and will make sure it covers the life of the illness.

Going into this, the more I learn the more I know what I want - I'm almost getting broody, and I'm a 24 year old bloke - which is pretty much unheard of. That said I don't want to rush in and get the wrong dog (or dogs) for us on impulse. And thanks again for all the help so far.

 

[TigerIssey]

And someone suggested creating an area for the dogs (like a cupboard under the stairs) where their beds can go, and their toys and which gives them their own space - not locked in there - and that seemed to make a difference when out of the house. Has anyone else got any similar experiences?

I crate train my dogs, this has many advantages. The crate becomes the dogs den, its their space. You can use a crate in the car, great if you break down on the motorway. Get the dog out, get the crate out, safely put them back in the crate away from the carriageway (I have had to do this). Also, if you want to go away in a hotel in this country, some hotels will accept crate trained dogs, and is a bonus in self catering accomodation as well. The vets will love you for doing this, when my little lucie goes just to see the vet, she is a nightmare, squeals in excitement and all sorts. She had to have tests done under anaesthetic so was crated at the vets, she contendedly curled up in the crate and was as quiet as a mouse, all the time she was there.

Thirdly, crufts - thanks for whoever mentioned that. If we're not working, we'll definately pop along to that - I might even book the day off. Sounds like a great opportunity to get a feel and some hands on experience, and hopefully dispel any phobia's or misconceptions my other half and I have about different breeds

Yeah that was me, its a great day out, if you can get there on the Thursday or Friday it tends to be much quieter than the Saturday or Sunday. This is an advantage for you as you want to check out the discover dogs section, this gets rammed at the weekend.

Two questions though - firstly, will two dogs rather than one make a big difference in terms of keeping themselves entertained when we're out of the house? Thats a pretty important question, as if its a big difference I'll look into getting two at the same or similar time - if its not, I'll start with one and see how we get on with him/her

This really depends on the breed and your situation. I would say get one first, sort out any training you need to do, become accustomed to having the dog around, and get into a routine (important, dogs need them). See how you feel, some dogs may be better as the only one, others will love to have the company. If you get one first and then decide to get another, you can take the dog to a rescue and introduce them on neutral ground, see how their temperaments fit. Most of the time two will keep each other entertained however they can be troublesome together as well (perhaps destructive) there is really no way of knowing until you have the dogs together, as every dog has a completely different temperament and character even within breeds.

 

[tenohfive]

Thanks for that. One at a time seems like a bright idea. My other half has just reminded me we'll be dog sitting a pair of King Charles spaniels for a week in May - I can see her wanting to get this all sorted some time after then, so will see how things go and if/when we do end up taking the plunge, I'll post up then.

Cheers