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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To REALLY want another dog - a small one?

66 replies

spudulika · 30/08/2011 23:53

Got an adorable labrador, who's 7. I'm at home during the day and feel I could open my heart to another one, but don't want another big, stinky, sheddy, fill up the boot of the car with her body, and cover everything with mud dog. I want a small, neat one who won't make the house even more disgusting than it is at the moment.

DH is putting his size 9's down. He's got an problem with small dogs. Anything smaller than a labrador he sneers at. He calls them 'rat dogs'. Sad

Now I admit that big dogs are lovely in many ways. Our labrador is a good, cuddly armful of dog. And small dogs do YAP, which isn't good. But - well I just want one. I really, really do.

And I think our labrador would enjoy the company during walks especially.

So - AIBU?

OP posts:
RedOnion · 31/08/2011 00:47

All of my dogs have been "rescues". I could never in my life justify buying a dog when dogs are dieing day after day for the want of a home. To me that defeats the term "dog/animal lover".

BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger · 31/08/2011 00:47

Please look into rescue. There are many dogs that could be perfect for you here

You could end up with the perfect 'big dog' that just happens to be in a small body Smile

RedOnion · 31/08/2011 00:50

I want to despair of humanity when I read these kind of threads. OOOOH i wuv doggy woggys, i'm gonna buy a doggy woggy for a mere £300 and i will ignore all the facts about similar doggy woggys being "put to sleep" in rescue after rescue.

hephaestus · 31/08/2011 00:50

Many Tears crosspost there. Grin -high fives-

Original poster
spudulika · 31/08/2011 00:51

But so many of the rescue organisations (have been on all the rescue sites) have restrictions on age of children and other pets in the home.

The first site I went on was Battersea Dogs home. Not a single dog suitable for our situation.

My family's rescue dogs have also put me off with their nipping, demented barking (my sister has a rescued Springer who is completely mad), and aggression (my mum has a JR cross who's lovely most of the time but who has to be muzzled when out because she's so aggressive).

I think what you've also got to remember redOnion, is that lots of the dogs for sale on sites like gumtree are family pets which need rehoming. People just want to have some control over who the animal goes to and to get a few quid in the process. I don't believe they're all evil puppy breeders (though probably quite a lot are... Sad)

OP posts:
Original poster
spudulika · 31/08/2011 00:52

Looking at link Bitter.

OP posts:
RedOnion · 31/08/2011 00:54

People who sell their "pets" on websites are, basically, idiots who should never have had a dog in the first place. You don't flog a kid when times get hard. Why flog a dog?

Yes many rescue centres have difficult criteria to meet. So you fill in all the forms at all the centres within reasonable distance to you and you wait. If you really want a dog, and really care about dogs in general, you just wait. So that when you do get the call then you can be sure that the animal is going to have a perfect forever home and that it also fits your family "forever".

DoesItWearingWellies · 31/08/2011 00:54

I feel I should point out that the chihuahua looks as though she's had a litter of puppies, and at 2 years old, she was terribly young to have been bred from, and may possibly be the reason they are selling her (it could be she can no longer be bred from so they no longer want her).

There is also no way the chihuahua x chinese crested is that - it looks like a wire-haired terrier, especially with what looks like a docked tail.

Rescue centres and rehoming specialists do sometimes have puppies if that is what you really want, plus any reputable rehoming agency/rescue centre would have fully checked the temperament of the dog and the lucky ones have even lived in foster homes experiencing children, other dogs, cats etc and will only be allowed to go to homes where they would be suitable.

Whatever your/your DHs decision is, please research carefully and don't fall in love with a picture before finding out the reality.

Vallhala · 31/08/2011 00:58

FGS PLEASE don't buy through Gumtree (or Pets4Homes, epupz or similar). It's RIFE with puppy farmers. Where they're not puppy farmers, at best the breeders are back yard ones - NO reputable breeder will sell through these mediums, NONE.

A few months ago a MNer reported how she'd bought through one of these free ad sites, think it was Gumtree actually. Within 2 days the dog was dead, taken to the vets to be killed having bitten her neighbours small child. The previous owner had assured the MNer, a mum herself, that the dog was child friendly.

As you'll see on the link I gave, a decent rescue will homecheck you and meet you all, and your Lab, will assess all it's dogs, match you with the right one, and he;ll go home with you neutered, vaccinated, vet checked and with a life time of support and a guarantee that they will take him back at ANY point in his life if ever you can't keep him.

If you MUST go to a breeder, please ONLY go via a nationally known breed club's recommendation and ensure that the breeder will also take the dog back at any time, come what may... and bear in mind that 90 per cent of pppy farned dogs are KC registered, neither that nor KC affiliation means anything at all.

Avoid any breeder who breeds more than one breed of dog, any which has lots of litters, any which has more than 4 litters in any 12 months and is nor licensed (check with their local council before even meeting them), any which does not offer ORIGINAL documents and any which breeds dogs season after season or younger than 2yrs/older than 5 years. Also any which doesn't breed to improve breed lines and can't tell you all there is to know on genetics or any breeder which doesn;t provide original docs on ALL relevent health scans for pups and parents. There is more to look out for, can offer details if needed.

DoesItWearingWellies · 31/08/2011 00:58

And kind of expanding on RedOnion's post, if you need to rehome your dog, you don't try and make money out of them.

hephaestus · 31/08/2011 01:01

One of my dogs was purchased from the freeads, just like the ones you've linked to. Her owner seemed genuinely distressed, was moving abroad, had to sell his beloved six month old pup.

It was all utter bollocks, his account is still live on the ad site, same location, he's bought and passed on another dog since too. That cute gangly pup tore my house to bits with separation anxiety, pissed and shit in the house in terror, turned herself inside out when she saw another dog and was basically an unsocialised, untrained wreck. It has taken years and thousands of pounds to see her right.

I didn't part with anything like £400 either!

Vallhala · 31/08/2011 01:02

Spud, Battersea is a POUND and NOT a rescue. It homechecks, vaccinates etc, is better than 98% of most pounds but please don't confuse the two. And yes, it's a bugger re kids and dog adoption, I agree.

NO WAY have you been on "all the rescue sites" because I can name several which rehome to those with children!

Most of these are independent rescues which are able to be more flexible and many of which don't have blanket bans on homes with DC or fixed age restrictions. I THINK that Dogs Trust rehomes to those with young DC, according to the nature of the dog in question, too.

Vallhala · 31/08/2011 01:07

Right, that first Chi on Guntree. Google the mobile. Haven't even tried to check the home number yet, didn't need to.

They're also selling a completely different breed.

ALARM BELLS!

Believe me, I see this all the time... at best they are bloody dodgy backyard breeders, out for a profit with no rgard for the ongoing breed improvement or the pups and dogs own health, quite likely they are puppy farming.

BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger · 31/08/2011 01:08

Spud, I have no intention of getting another dog yet but patrol their site daily Grin

Original poster
spudulika · 31/08/2011 01:10

Thanks for all the info peeps - must stop myself from staying up all night looking at all the rescue centres.

Have taken on board your comments about puppy farming.

Will do more research tomorrow.

Smile
OP posts:
Vallhala · 31/08/2011 01:10

Home number shows yet another breed for sale.

BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger · 31/08/2011 01:12

Glad to here it Spud - Make sure you post pictures when you find your perfect pooch Smile

Vallhala · 31/08/2011 01:20

A long but very relevent thread on puppy farmers, how to spot them and what to look for in a GOOD breeder.

Though as a GOOD rescuer I would still advocate rescue every time and am more than happy to offer more advice on identifying one, what to ask and so on.

GnocchiGnocchiWhosThere · 31/08/2011 01:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NorksAreMessy · 31/08/2011 06:35

Strongly recommend a westie-bichon mutt.
Big strong serious bark for important reasons only
Will walk for two hours very happily
protective of family
Good around children- mainly ignores them TBH
Sits with her head in my lap on the sofa
Has no truck with our misbehaving yorkies- tells them off

And she looks gorgeous :)

That was a stealth boast in all but the stealth bit!

Andrewofgg · 31/08/2011 07:17

YABU. Damn it, it's DH's home too and if he doesn't like small dogs, that should be the end if it. I hope he wouldn't get a dog of a breed which you detest.

Vallhala · 31/08/2011 09:59

"Damn it, it's DH's home too and if he doesn't like small dogs, that should be the end if it."

And that, my dear Andrew, is the very reason why this poster would never re-marry. Wink Thank doG I don't have to compromise or do anything someone else's way any more!

(Disclaimer: Where pets are concerned it's in the interests of all parties for ALL adults in the house to be in agreement, for reasons explained upthread).

Andrewofgg · 31/08/2011 10:10

Vallhala Entirely agree that if you want your own uncompromised way about pets you need to stay single, and very good luck to you! Your disclaimer is bang on.

Birdsgottafly · 31/08/2011 10:11

I never liked small dogs, always had GS. When i met my boyfriend he had previously bred working dogs, terriers and lurchers. They had a good circle of carers that would mind each others dogs if they needed to go away or in hospital, as working dogs don't do well in kennels.

We looked after a JR and i must say i have found that they are very dfferent than how i thought a small dog would be. Could you consider fostering?

Vallhala · 31/08/2011 10:13

Bugger me, Andrew agrees with Vall/DBF!

That's a first! :o