Thinking about getting a dog....

[Moshlingmummy]

We are thinking about getting a going the next year or so and was looking for some advice on breeds.

We have two young dc (4 and 6) both will be in full Time school by September, so thinking about getting a puppy after that. I am a sahm so will be at home most of the time, and can do training etc. We have a huge garden too.

I have never had a dog before, but dh always had them growing up... In truth I was always very scared of dogs but since having dc have made a huge effort to get over this. My main fear will not be our dog, but of meeting other dogs out on walks.

Breeds wise I actually like pugs, but dh says they are not fun dogs or the kids. I also like king Charles cavaliers and cockapoos.... Dh wants a retriever.

My other concern is about being tied to a dog, we have some friends that can never do anything because of leaving the dog, but others that seemingly ind it ok. So does this depend on the dog, the breed or the owner?

[Moshlingmummy]

Grrr stupid iPad. Thinking of getting a dog!

[TheMonster]

It depends on the breed and the owner, tbh.
I've always had staffies - they are good with children and don't need hours of walking each day.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

It depends on how much support you have aroumnd you for your dogs ime. We are never tied down by our dogs, nor are my parents as we share dog care. Plus the people we foster for will take in ours for holidays etc.

Kennelling is expensive, so you need to bear that in mind if you like to go away.

Days out need to be planned in advance so you can sort out dog care. Nights out are not so bad.

[Moshlingmummy]

Have no support around us, parents are miles away. Do have friends that might doit for a long day etc... We have two cats as well but they are obv independent.

Body of eyeore - I know it's wrong but the word staffie terrifies me, are they really gentle dogs?

[clam]

I have a cockapoo. Absolutely gorgeous! Check my profile.
Everyone he meets is his new best friend (apart from an elderly man at the other side of the park yesterday, who he growled at from afar for no apparent reason!) and he just wants to be with you. Quite happy to be left for reasonable periods of time too.
I've become a bit pfb about going away, in that I don't fancy leaving him in kennels. But our dog-walking people (who come in 2 days a week when I'm at work) offer a home-boarding service, plus my sil and us have a reciprocal agreement whereby we've dog-sat for the odd week or so.
I love golden retrievers but was majorly allergic to my sister's, and he was very large. My cockapoo is quite big for his type, so we have the golden fluffiness of a goldie, but without the sneezing or size.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Staffies are lovely, very gentle dogs. The ultimate lap dog infact. They are nick named the nanny dog because of their natural love for children. Staffie puppies are a force to be reckoned with, but once they reach around 4 they calm down. There are lots of older, calmer staffies in rescues.

[wizzler]

Clam... he is beautiful.

[clam]

Why, thank you!

[Moshlingmummy]

Clam he's gorgeous that's the sort of dog I want!

[AllergicToNutters]

do you want a puppy? or a dog who has gone through the initial puppy stage? There are benefits to both..........

[TheEternalOeuftimist]

I would say that you should not pin yourself down to a particular breed. We were looking for a dog that did not shed, as DH is allergic, and were pretty open apart from that.

We ended up with a Maltese/Cav and she is the sweetest little dog.

We do tend to plan holidays around the dog. Days out can be a bit of a hassle, but we have found ways around that by asking friends.

[ditavonteesed]

I think you are looking at breeds wrong, first thinkk of how much time you can spend walking, training, do you want a cuddly lap dog or an energetic playful dog, shed or low shed, breed profile selector this is quite good for giving you an idea of which breed will suit you.
I have a border terrier incredibly cute, doens t shed much, can be funny with other dogs and needs a lot of excercise, never going to be an obediance champion. Also have a working cocker needs a lot of training and excercise to keep him happy but is the happiest easiest to train dog ever as long as he gets these. pics on profile if you want to see them, both fairly small dogs.
The main point I think is how much excercise you can give them.

[Bitofastate]

I've got a pomernanian, pic on profile. We chose that breed because we wanted small (dd afraid of large dogs), lap dog type with not too much needed in terms of exercise and that was good with children. I work from home so that helps in terms of being around for her all the time.

When I was younger we had a GSD and I knew I couldn't commit to that again re exercise so we chose accordingly

[noinspiration]

If being tied down is of concern to you, do not get a dog. You will be tied, fact. You can make life easier on yourself by gradually getting your dog/puppy used to spending time on his own. Start this immediately. A dog that barks or is destructive out of separation anxiety is a big problem. That doesn't mean you can leave one alone all day though - you can't.

You will need to take your dog out first thing, lunch time, afternoon, and evening as a bare minimum i.e. no more spontaneous days out. Everything you do will have to be arranged round the dog and his care. I'm not joking - dogs are totally dependent, and rely on us for everything. If you are prepared to use kennels holidays are easy (but kennels are expensive), if not, you are tied to dog friendly self catering until you can find a house sitter or pet carer you trust. Also pets are a real spanner in the works should you want/need to go back to work in future.

Think really carefully about all of this, as once you have a dog it is for life.

[higgle]

Please think about getting a recue dog - all types and ages are available. Start getting broody with a Greyhound rescue site, and I guarantee that by the time you have got round to reading some of the stories on "Many Tears"you will be hooked on the idea. There are not that many dogs with problem histories ( and as a person new to dog ownership that would nnot be a good idea) and quite a few puppies - some born to dogs they have rescued when pregnant on the MT site. If you go that route you will lots of support and a good chance of taking a dog who has tried out life in a foster placement witha family like yours.

And, lastly, don't write off Staffies, my lovely old boy is sat by my feet as I write this, we have had 4 dogs of very different breeds ( Collie cross, Dachshund, PBGV) over the years and he is the kindest natured of them all.

[Moshlingmummy]

Ok lots to think about...

Dh wants a puppy so the kids grow up with it... I am wary of rescues as one of our cats is a rescue (we have 2) and to be honest we still have issues with him ten years on.

I am around at home all day, the kids will be at school and I have no plans to go back to work. My plan was to walk the dog immediately after school drop off and before pick up weekdays. Dh would take it out for a short walk before bed. Weekends obv more of a family thing and dh will be more involved. Our garden is nearly 1.5 acres so obviously it can also have a fairly good run around there I'm hoping.

Holidays wise we will have to use kennels, am not worried about that. Because both the kids are at school term time obviously we don't do that much. But school holidays I suppose I will want to be able to take the kids outfor the day etc.. How do you get round that, or don't you, do I have to assume that we need to give up things like that for a dog?.

[clam]

Some places (Longleat for example) have kennels on site for dogs whose families are visiting. I've also been pleasantly surprised at the number of people who've genuinely been keen to dog-sit for the odd day here and there. It suits some to "borrow" a dog for the nice bits and then give them back! I hated the thought of being tied down to anything, let alone a dog, but we've had ours nearly a year now and it's really not been an issue. On the odd day we've been stuck, something/one always crops up to help. And the last resort is kennels/doggy daycare.
By the way, have just come back from a long walk on the moor. Gorgeous dog has been rolling in the muddy river and I have to tell you he doesn't look half so cute now!

[TeaTeaLotsOfTea]

I have 2 yorkshire terriers.

I have taken them on holiday with us or I've left them with an "at home" dog sitter service.

I prefered that because I didn't like the look of our local kennels.

Is there any chance you can borrow a dog for a day to see how you feel?

Smaller dogs are easier to handle for small children than large dogs though I've heard that labs are good family dogs though not for me (giant poos to pick up).

Just to bear in mind yorkshires are needy dogs. Mine have to sit on either mine or DS's knee and love love love to be fussed over. That maybe mine but friends is the same too.

I just think you need to remember that getting a dog is like getting an extra child. imo [busmile]

[TeaTeaLotsOfTea]

You can take dogs to lots of places.

I took mine to blackpools model village [busmile]

You can't take them to the beach between the months of May and September though.

[clam]

"You can't take them to the beach between the months of May and September though"
Some beaches. OK, most, or at least those you'd want to go to! But we holidayed in this country last summer as we'd not long got the puppy and we took him with us. I was a bit worried that we'd be terribly restricted as to where we could go with him (even looked into asking sil to have him for the week instead) but we went for it in the end as dh was insistent that going for holiday walks and so on was one of the reasons we'd got him in the first place. It was great. We googled dog-friendly accommodation, pubs and attractions. We went to beaches where dogs were allowed. It worked OK.
We're back off abroad this summer but have booked him in to dog-boarding, where he'll stay at his walker's house for the fortnight and live as part of their family. It'll be fine.

[signet2012]

Research the breed properly, try to meet a few and make sure you go to the right people to get it. (lots of advice on this topic of the do's and don'ts)

Commitment wise - very dog dependent I find, I have friends who can not leave their dog for a hour. Mine is quite happily left for 4-6 hours regularly and in fact if I'm off work he looks at me as if I'm in the wrong for not going out!

Make sure you get the right training, paid if needed. I didn't have clue when I got my dog, as a result he has a lot of issues that had I had the knowledge and experience to handle a dog I could of resolved.

The biggest thing I could warn you about is you will love it. Which is a good thing. A dog brings so much love and unconditional friendship its great, they also worry you. Much more than Children as they can't tell you if they are unhappy or poorly. Be prepared to feel guilty about going away, going out, not playing with it because your on the phone etc.

Oh and you think you're in charge of you're house? Dogs change that. :)

Seriously though, as hard work as my dog has been, my life is better for him being in it and I love him to bits.

Good luck!

[clam]

I used to have cream carpets!

[wizzler]

My DC are much the same age as yours, and we decided on a puppy. I would have been happy with a rescue dog, but lots will only home to houses with a dog already ( if its a dog rescued from a breeder), and others were unwilling to rehome to someone with such young DC...

Rightly or wrongly I was nervous of getting an older dog which may have a difficult nature due to poor training or bad treatment prior to be sent to the rescue centre.

We wanted a dog with a small frame ( so it wouldnt bowl DD over ) and we wanted one that didn't moult. We are now proud owners of a toy poodle puppy. .. and he is fab!

[TeaTeaLotsOfTea]

clam you're right its just occured to me that we went to Wales in June 2008 and took the dogs with us and we went on the beach.

[Scuttlebutter]

OP, one thing that might be a good idea to check out first is if your DC are allergic to pets, specifically dog hair.

Secondly, you are right to be concerned about the aspect of being tied - having dogs does change your lifestyle, and is a commitment for the next 15 years. You could well still have the dog after your eldest child has long since left home.

Have you considered the amount of exercise a dog will need, and the training/interaction if you have a pup? Have a look at some of the many puppy threads on here to get a feel for the reality - they may be helpful when deciding. If it's going to be you who is the main caregiver/exerciser, be realistic about how much exercise/training you can commit to each day, and think about what happens if you are ill/pregnant/unavailable. Some breeds need a great deal of exercise each day where others are happy with two shortish walks or one hour walk most week days. Don't assume your DC will necessarily want to come along, especially when the weather is wet, cold or it is dark. Have a think about the sorts of activities you might want to do as a family with the dog - are you the sort of family that likes doing outdoors stuff already? Could you see yourselves doing long walks, geocaching, Cani X? Or realistically are you more likely to do a quick spin round the park? Neither is good or bad, but it's important at this stage to think about this as this will determine what dog would best fit with your family's lifestyle.

Another consideration before you take the plunge into dog ownership is to see how dogs can fit into your life in other ways. For instance, why not get the family involved in walking dogs regularly for the local rescue/dogs home? This can be a great way of meeting lots of lovely dogs, and for your family to see if they enjoy/can cope with this regular commitment. If the DC are moaning the house down at having to walk the dogs each week, then at least you've got a heads up before getting your own, and being stuck with it. Another option is to walk a dog for the Cinnamon Trust. This is a wonderful charity that helps elderly and terminally ill people with walking their pets, thus helping to ensure they can stay in their owners home. It's a wonderful charity to walk for, as not only do you get to know the dogs, but you are also helping the owner and it's lovely to get to know them. Also a wonderful way to demonstrate helping others to your children. Or you could consider fostering a dog for a charity, before it finds its forever home. Many charities are desperate for foster homes with children, as this can help ensure that a family home can be offered for the forever home. A charity would pay for the dog's food and vet care, and you would get the pleasure of looking after it, and the satisfaction of knowing you helped a dog find a permanent, loving home. Tis v satisfying, and again, a great way of having involvement with dogs without the permanent tie of ownership.

Good luck!