Need advice on getting a dog.....

[luvs2eat]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

We had outside doggies my whole life... I'm talking NEVER in the house... cause my sister and brother were VERY allergic. They had a barn to sleep in and developed thick warm coats in the winter.

[anglebutterfly]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

if dogs are bored they will dig and try to escape their yard..they will also dig up the yard..but then my neighbor who's a nurse she works several hrs a day..and the dogs are left outside..thier not a problem..but then she has two dogs to keep them company..maybe it depends on the breed..whether they can be left alone or not...i have 3 dogs and they get along with my 4 rabbits..cat..two desert tortoises..they get along with everyone...dogs are wonderful pets..love mine to pieces.

[MaryJo]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Someone mentioned finding a dog that matches your lifestyle - and I totally agree. I'd suggest writing down why you want the dog, how much time and the type of attention you'd be able to give, and then google different breeds to find one that fits your need. Then actually read up on that particular breed so you know the pros and cons before bringing the pet home. That way you are less likely to make a mistake based on the opinion of others or an emotional decision because "he's just so cute."

My cat never adjusted to having a dog in the house, by the way. The fighting was non-stop and one-sided and didn't end until we placed the cat elsewhere. You never know which way a situation will go.

[DebsterinOhio]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Well, I'm not really the person to give advice since I don't even have a dog right now, but I have had them in the past. BUT...I think there are as many different ways to care for a pet as there are to parent a child. Many people treat their dogs as children, which we did not. I loved the dog, and I took care of the dog. I cried for days when I had to put the dog to sleep. That being said...the dog did not sleep in our bed, and I trained the dog to follow some rules (just like kids tho...not that it always DID follow the rules). My DH would have moved out if the dog slept with us.

[nuisance]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Our Dog Was An Outside Dog Mainly, And Mostly Because He Chose To Be. He Was Allowed Inside Whenever He Wanted, He Prefered Outside. Dh Has A Shop In The Back And He Was A Dh's Side The Whole Time He Was In The Shop. If Dh Wasn't Home, He Was Inside With Me, Durring The Coldest He Prefered Inside, And During 100° Weather He Prefered Inside. It Was Always His Choice. It Rained, He Was Inside, He Loved The Snow, He Liked It Outside Then, But He Had His Dog House, And The Whole Shop, That Dh Kept The Heater On Low In, And The Shop Stayed Fairly Warm For Him Should He Choose To Go In There, He Was A Memeber Of The Family. He Loved Kids, My Gs Came As He Was Old And Arthritic, And He Tolerated That Baby Crawling Allover Him, Pulling At Ears/tail/whiskers. We Didn't Allow Baby To Do It Much, Because We Didn't Want To Hurt The Dog, But Where Ever That Baby Was, The Dog Was, If The Baby Cried, The Dog Would Move Us Out Of The Way To Find Out What Was Wrong With His Baby!!!

I Think If A Person Lives In An Apartment With No Yard, They Shouldn't Have A Dog, Even A Little Lap Dog, They Need To Be Able To Run And Play Without A Leash On.

[tastebud]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

I agree. Eventually the cats will get along with the dog or just avoid it. I have 4 cats and a Golden and they are all good friends.
You have to be prepared for the expense of keeping an animal though. You can't see a Vet these days for under $100! I don't know what its like where you live , but I have all mine on Frontline for fleas in the summer which is a monthly dose at $15 a crack. You also have to consider the monthly dose of heartworm pills, vacinations and God forbid any emergency situations. We bought our Golden 9 yrs ago for $850. By the time he was a year old we had spent over $3000 for emergency surgeries because he swallowed a pine cone the first time, then got into the garbage and swallowed a half a corn cob, and the top of the bbq sauce bottle! Big dog puppies love to chew everything and anything!

[shumway]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

I don't think that anyone has addressed your actual concern...

The new puppy and the cats will get along fine. The cats will be a little PO'd about the situation and they'll hiss at the pup and maybe even take a swat or two, but they'll all end up the best of friends. I don't think it needs to be a gradual intoduction either. When you bring the puppy home make it a part of the family immediately. Everyone, including the cats, will adapt much quicker. We have 3 dogs, one is 5 weeks old, and 2 cats. Believe me, they'll all get along.

[beatlebette]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

[QUOTE=jodilyns;268958But I don't regret getting either of them. They've both got their unique personalities and they're both great cats.[/QUOTE]

We feel the same way about our kitties, Jodilyns. They hate each other and don't get along at all. They both can be real brats, too, but they have unique personalities, and we love them to death.

[jodilyns]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Jodilyns, I feel whenever anyone brings a dog into their family they are taking the chance on whether it will be healthy or not. Hopefully it will be. You do have to be prepared for whatever might happen. I think a Lab is a great choice for a first dog for your family. They are very good with young children. Very patience and faithful. You sound like you would be a great "Mom" to a fur baby.

You're right. The two cats we have now were shelter cats and regarding both, I was told at the vet clinic that I got "two lemons." They both had the sneezing that is so often found in shelters and kennels and one had a broken off tooth and fleas. The other was dehydrated and I was told she had a possible GI obstruction or severe gastroenteritis. We've gotten both of them back to health; I think with a lot of love, attention and some medicine. But I don't regret getting either of them. They've both got their unique personalities and they're both great cats.

[beatlebette]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Jodilyns, I feel whenever anyone brings a dog into their family they are taking the chance on whether it will be healthy or not. Hopefully it will be. You do have to be prepared for whatever might happen. I think a Lab is a great choice for a first dog for your family. They are very good with young children. Very patience and faithful. You sound like you would be a great "Mom" to a fur baby.

[TexAnn]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

So sorry to hear that Rose....(((((Hugs)))))

[Tearose84]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Well, we have a yellow lab. They are so sweet and family friendly. The problem is that they are so prone to medical problems, and our dog has every one of them. he has epilepsy, hip displasia, he is only two and can hardly walk. He is ready to be put down. So much as I love labs, you just never know if they will be healthy or not.

[TexAnn]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Very well put Krub...Very Well put INDEED! Thank-you for your insight...

[Sweet Pea]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Aw, don't be sorry. Track dogs are for the track. They're kept like horses. Horses don't fit in the house, so they stay in the barn, unless of course if you're a Bedouin, then they stay in the tent with you.

I always felt so sorry for dogs who are left outside. They're usually plastered up against the sliding glass door hoping to come inside. When I go outside to visit them, they're out of their minds with joy and jump all over me, eventually chasing me back inside. I've also experienced outside dogs who aren't social at all and run to the back of the property and avoid me at all costs.

Dogs just want to be loved and kissed and want to sit under the dinner table while you eat or hang out on the couch with you or follow you into the bathroom. Yes, and they want to climb into bed with you, too. All my dogs, and cats, have had full house privileges and I feel as if they're mentally healthier for it. Track dogs, when adopted after they retire, have to be socialized and taught to act like dogs rather than horses.

My horses always had to live in the barn, but if I thought I could potty train them, they'd be following me into the house!

[krubinic]

Re: Need advice on getting a dog.....

Please don't be offended or sorry you brought up the subject, jodilyns........I truly believe everyone here is honestly trying to help you and not berate you. Multiple opinions are something you will get plenty of when you ask for advice on an internet discussion board. I believe you when you say you love dogs and want to provide a good home, etc. Here is my "opinion" and "two cents worth" as well:


I just went through adopting a "rescued" Golden Retriever back in November. I can tell you this much, if you are planning on keeping the dog outside, you might not be considered an "acceptable" home in the eyes of some shelters/rescues.

My story is that I looked for quite awhile before finding my dog. Partly because I wasn't sure I was ready again........it had been 1 1/2 years after my 14 year old dog had to be put down due to poor health and one year before that my 8 year old had to be put down because of a degenerative disease - both were rescues as well........then there was the frustration of not being able to make up my mind which dog I wanted. Basically, because I wanted them ALL. I got so frustrated that I couldn't save them ALL that I almost took NONE. Until one wise "foster" volunteer told me not to concentrate on all those I COULDN'T save/adopt but to concentrate on the one that I DID save/adopt and feel proud about it.......that finally freed me from the guilt I felt that if I chose just one, then tons of other deserving dogs wouldn't get my love and good home.

Anyway, one particular breed rescue (Golden Retrievers) wouldn't let anyone adopt unless you have a fenced in yard and they must be kept in the house. A lot of other shelters/rescues felt the same way about the dog being kept in the house. So much so, that you had to sign a contract promising that to the rescue. The rescue I dealt with was wonderful and even came to my home and did an "inspection" to make sure I had all my ducks in order. I had to show them proof of what provisions I had made to adopt a dog.

The rescue "inspector" told me that the only problem with my home was that my home is "too nice" and he was afraid that the dog's life would be nothing but "restrictions" inside the house (only certain rooms, etc.) I told him that's just how fussy I am about my home, but also that I hadn't had dogs in 1 1/2 years so things naturally would "look too nice". However, I KNOW from having two dogs at the same time from before what it's like to have dog hair all over, toys all over, nose prints on the glass of the doors, scratch marks, crates, dog dishes, etc.

Finally, I was considered "acceptable" and I got my 2 y/o "Murphy" on Friday, November 9, 2007........what a joyous day that was and he has brought me nothing but pure joy since then. I didn't get my yard fenced in until this past May but I made the commitment from November 9th until the end of May to walk him EVERY SINGLE DAY, THREE TIMES PER DAY IN ANY KIND OF WEATHER. I admit I have slacked off on the 3 x's per day now with the fence up. However, I get my butt out of bed every single working day Mon-Fri at 5:30 a.m. and I walk him for 30 minutes before I go to work.....on the weekends I do longer walks.

I'm not trying to scare you away from shelters and rescues at all. But what I am trying to do is let you know first-handed what it's like to pursue a dog through them. I also feel that commitment is very important. I no longer have small children living in my home, so my level of commitment and time will be a lot easier than yours. When my 3 kids were smaller, I admit, I was not as committed as I am now. So my advice is, perhaps you should wait until you can reach a better level of commitment and time. And by no means am I putting down anyone who has smaller children with dogs right now, because like I said, I did it too once upon a time. I'm just passing along my experience of the difference between the two stages of life.

Good luck and if you decide to go for it, I hope you get as good of a dog as I have with me right now laying at my feet giving me all his loyalty and unconditional love!!!