Thinking of getting a dog

[goshhhhhh]

We are thinking of getting a dog. For various reasons this would be the right time as my dh will be at home (lost job dueto illness - can't drive). My son has been going on for ages & has worn us down. We also have someone who could dog sit. We live in a village with good walks & a dog training class.
I am worried as I have never owned a dog & would want to make sure we are doing the right thing. I also know I want a short hair (minimise shedding & smell) and non yappy.
My biggest worry is our two cats one of whom we had to work very hard with to manage her nervousness even though we had her as a kitten. They are four now.
Any advice - I would want to get it right for all of us not least of all the potential new member of our family (kids are 12 & 8).

[AlpacaLypse]

You sound like you're in a good place to have a dog join your family.

A good rescue/rehoming society will be able to help you choose the right dog. They will be as interested as you are in getting it right. If you have a particular breed in mind, there should be a society dedicated to rehoming that breed. Sadly there are always dogs looking for new homes through no fault of their own. If you don't really mind what breed, or are happy with a cross breed, Many Tears seem to be quite good.

I would throughly recommend THIS rescue, as I know they put a lot of effort into matching dogs to potential forever homes - although a lot of the dogs are rather hairy and you did mention that was something you didn't fancy!

[marne2]

Get a young rescue dog, puppies are hard work ( like having a newborn ), they poop and wee everywhere and eat your furniture, they also need a lot of training. If you get a rescue dog you can spend time with it before you decide if it's the dog for you, they have usually had training and have been tested with cats plus you have the bonus of it being neutered and chipped ( saving a fortune ). I alway recommend bull breeds on her ( I am biased as I own a lovely Staffie ), mine sleeps with the cat and is great with the children (8 and 10), we also have a lab x which we got as a pup 18 months ago but he is much harder work, very bouncy and needs loads of attention ( and her shreds a lot )., I have had many dogs but the Staffie has the best character and is the easiest to care for.

[PercyHorse]

Do you want a dog? Does your DH? You are the ones who will end up walking it in the pouring rain on cold winter days. You are the ones who will pay for it's food and health care for 12 years. I love mine but I do have to remind myself of that sometimes when they've rolled in something vile right near the end of a walk and I'm due to meet a friend in twenty minutes. Getting through the puppy days was a nightmare too. I still have the scars (mostly emotional) and the furniture and walls still have the teeth marks.

[goshhhhhh]

Thank you for the advice.
Really want to get it right as for us a pet is part of the family & I could never contemplate rehoming unless a complete disaster.

[goshhhhhh]

My dh says yes & I think it would help him as much as we could help a dog ( he also says it is an hour away from the dcs every day!). I'm more on the fence due to our lovely cats.

[tabulahrasa]

If one of the cats is nervous...don't get a puppy or a really young dog, they're over enthusiastic and it freaks cats out IME.

Get an adult rescue that has lived with cats or been fostered with them and won't be hassling them to play constantly.

[AlpacaLypse]

I know Black Retriever X always do a cat test - they've got a number of volunteers who bravely allow dogs to come visit and see what happens when they encounter their cat.

[tabulahrasa]

Lots of rescues cat test...but, cat friendly can actually be a bit much for cats who are not used to dogs, lol...what you really want is really cat indifferent, a dog that goes, oh, a cat and just carries on doing what it was doing.

But they exist.

[PercyHorse]

It sounds like you're ready for a dog then. I'd agree with other posters about getting a rescue dog rather than a puppy. One that is known to be cat safe. You can use stair gates so that the dog stays downstairs leaving upstairs to the cats.

[goshhhhhh]

Cat indifferent sounds right!

[goshhhhhh]

Been looking at black retriever x. Think we will contact them.

[marne2]

Just make sure your cats can get away from the dog when they want to, we have alway used a stair gate and our dogs are not allowed upstairs so the cat can go up there to sleep in peace, he spends most of the day in dd's room and then comes down in the evening for cuddles and sleeps with the dogs.

[marne2]

I'm at home all day, the dogs get me out of the house each day, would be lost without them, I'm sure your dh would benefit from having one as he must feel a bit lost no longer being at work, will give him something to do to get out of the house.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Word of warning - we have a black Labrador retriever and he sheds constantly! Nobody told me this about labs before we got him and it might have changed our minds on the breed, but glad we've got him as he's perfect (for us) in every other way.

Don't know about other retrievers, but stay away from labs if shedding is an deal breaker.

[PercyHorse]

The cat people on here always suggest the plug in things to reduce stress. Feliway? You could try moving the cats' feeding bowls somewhere the dog won't have access to well in advance of the new furry arrival and maybe encouraging them to go out of the front door so they won't have to go past the dog every time they want food/water/to wander outside.

[goshhhhhh]

Good ideas. Cats currently fed in kitchen - though their cat flap is somewhere else.

[tabulahrasa]

My cats are fed on a table out of reach of the dog...also litter trays are in places he can't easily get to. (Yep dogs are disgustingThey have those scratching post things that are quite tall with beds on top and they're allowed on furniture but the dog isn't, so if they're all in the room together the cats can navigate the whole room without being on dog level if they want to.

I don't use stairgates, but the dog doesn't go upstairs and the cats do.

I've used feliway, but I can't tell you how succesful it is as it wasn't stress that was affecting my cat but lymphoma...so all I know is that it doesn't cure cancer, lol.

[pigsDOfly]

I got my dog as an eight week old puppy when my cats, brother and sister, were 17 - admittedly neither of them of a nervous disposition - and it worked out fine.

Female cat wasn't too impressed at first but lovely old ginger male and puppy soon became friends. He would sit and watch puppy playing and they would sleep curled up together.

Take it very, very slowly and introduce them gradually; dog on a lead so unable to lunge and at a distance. They all need to be able to smell each other before they actually get up close.

My cats also had their food on a table and cats will need lots of high places to sit so they can stare down on the dog:) . Would also second Feliway, and litter trays out of dog's reach; cat poo is my dog's idea of a gourmet meal.

Just a point re rescue and a dog being tested with cats. The fact that my dog grew up with my two cats and they all got on swimmingly doesn't seemed to have left much of an impact on her with regard other cats and she actually seems terrified of any we meet in the street. Dogs often won't take information gained in one setting into a different setting so you might find a dog's love of cats doesn't necessarily apply to your cats.

You sound really ready for a dog. I'd never had a dog before I got my gorgeous girl who is now three years old; if I'd know how amazing dogs are I'd have got one years ago.