Would I be mad to get a puppy?

[JulietBravoJuliet]

Just musing really, as I know it's probably a bad idea!

My friend is due a litter from her Jack Russells at the end of April and I just know I'm going to get very broody for one when they arrive, as her dogs are just gorgeous! I've currently got one dog, a six year old collie x poodle, and I've always really wanted another one, as this is the first time I've ever only had one dog and I'd love a little friend for her.

However... I currently live in an open plan house with no actual proper garden. I say "proper" as my front door opens onto a secure gravel car park, where I park my car, and there are 4 other spaces for other people in the building, but, to be fair, they all tend to park on the street. So there is somewhere I can go to take a puppy for a wee, and I'm in the routine of walking my dog 3-4 times a day anyway.

The layout of the house isn't ideal, as it's open plan, with the bedrooms downstairs and kitchen/living area upstairs, so would have to run down 23 stairs to take pup outside. I am, however, planning to buy my own place, as soon as I've got a new job (working two part time jobs at the minute and need a few more hours to get a mortgage). But my current working hours would be ideal whilst pup is young, as I'm only out the house for a couple of hours a day, and work from home for my other job. I'm not planning on working full time, as I only need a very small mortgage, so dogs wouldn't be abandoned in the house all day.

My house is rented, but landlord is cool with dogs, so that wouldn't be a problem. I know the logical thing would be to wait until I move somewhere with a proper garden, but, to enable me to do that, I'll have to be working out of the house for a few more hours than I do at the minute, and that wouldn't be ideal while pup is tiny, so, time wise, now would be better.

Aarrrrggghhhh!

[JulietBravoJuliet]

After the way my usually fairly sane dog has behaved today, I've come to the conclusion that I would indeed be mad... :(

[JKramer]

If you buy raw bones/carcass then its cheaper but Id be careful how much bones you feed them as too much can cause constipation.
I wouldnt feed them bones every day.
Offal is cheap but if you are looking at lean meat thats where the expense is.
Youd be struggling to find any lean meat off the bone at 3/kg at the butchers or supermarket unless the meat expires on the day and is reduced.

[hmc]

I am an experienced dog owner but had forgotten how full on pups are. We are 4 days into owning a flatcoat retriever pup who is gorgeous - I only get a few short spells of time each day when he is napping to do stuff, otherwise when he is awake he requires full on supervision (to prevent chewing anything and everything). No reason why you shouldn't get a pup - as long as you can deal with having no time to do anything for quite a while

[CalamityKate]

Please don't support BYBing :(

[AlpacaLypse]

You know what? I'd get the pup now, while you've got the time. And when he's old enough - around six months - should nicely coincide with when you need to do a few more hours, so he and your older dog will be comfortable with a dogwalker coming in.

[AlpacaLypse]

Calamity I agree, but the puppies are on their way now and nothing you or I can say will stop the OP's friend's bitch from giving birth. At least this way one of the puppies will not be going up on Gumtree.

[CalamityKate]

No but that's how BYBing is perpetuated. The BYBer manages to home the puppies to friends, and friends of friends so thinks "Ooh I'll have another litter".

And so on.

[JulietBravoJuliet]

None of the puppies will be going on Gumtree. This litter was a mistake; the bitch was going to be neutered, both dogs kept separately etc, and a daft family member let them outside together. My friend is more than a little cross and fully intends on getting the bitch speyed after.

After the palaver I had with my current dog though the other day (another thread running on this), I'm not sure it would be sensible to take on another dog until the current ones issues are ironed out.