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Original poster

Help needed re DOGS, never had one before, DH has suddenly decided we are getting one, what about a West Highland Terrier?

96 replies

MrsSpoon · 29/10/2007 13:11

Help!

We have previously had a cat and DS2 in particular seem quite obsessed with her death. DH out of nowhere has decided the best thing would be to get a dog [thunk]. We have decided against another cat as we have moved to an area where the roads are busy (our cat was killed on the road outside our house).

Neither DH nor I have any dog experience. I would like something small, DS2 likes the hairy variety and prefers lighter coloured dogs , I think they just show up the dirt more. Something that won't chew up the house, a dog that could be left for a number of hours (there is generally someone at home all the time but for the odd occasion it would be nice to know that it wouldn't be barking all day and tearing the house to shreds). Also obviously a dog that would be good with children and be happy with moderate walks, ie no 10 mile treks.

Does such a thing exist? I am thinking West Highland Terriers look not too much bother, am I deluded?

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Wisteria · 29/10/2007 14:43

I've only met one or two but have to say they were lovely and seemed to have the right combination of temperament for the families they were with.

On the whole I am anti these 'trendy designer dog' breeds (especially the ones that can't be bred from) as they can have serious health problems and can be costly later on.

WRT the character certainty you speak of with pedigrees; it's not always a good thing to go with a pedigree dog as a pet around children (and this is only my opinion), years of inbreeding means that they are generally more expensive health wise than a mongrel and they are more prone to being snappy and temperamental for some reason, especially the smaller dogs.

Original poster
MrsSpoon · 29/10/2007 16:14

Just wanted to pop back on to thank everyone for their help, you have given me lots to think about, and I will update if we have any news on the puppy front.

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Original poster
MrsSpoon · 29/10/2007 22:41

ahem< We are now the proud owners of a beautiful black labradoodle.

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gibberish · 30/10/2007 00:04

Do not, and I mean do NOT mention this to dd2 MrsSpoon!

Are you pleased? Relieved? Apprehensive? All three?

After thinking all my life that I am not a 'dog person' I would actually quite like one now. But dh is violently opposed

Earlybird · 30/10/2007 01:26

Where/how did you get it so fast? I always thought it would take a bit of time to find/purchase a dog....

hercules1 · 30/10/2007 06:16

Wow. Good luck! That was fast.

Wisteria · 30/10/2007 08:31

That was incredibly fast......

I'm sure that you will be very happy together and I hope that she/ he will settle down quickly for you.

Pics on profile please!!

Original poster
MrsSpoon · 30/10/2007 09:52

gibberish knows us in RL, this is the way my DH operates, when he makes up his mind about something there is no changing it.

There seems to be a few Labradoodle breeders in the area so we phoned two, one had just sold the last puppy of the litter and the other said I have a litter of black pups (black not so popular as I understand) available now and it just so happened that last night was the only night this week we had available to go and view so DH bundled us all in the car. Did some research on the breeder beforehand, she has been breeding Labs and now Labs and Labradoodles for 25 years and is Kennel Club registered etc, got all the paperwork for the dog. She also gave us some good advice about the toilet training and so far it seems to be working. In fact first thing she did when she got in the house was ask to go out and then she did a poo in the grass, she had something to eat and snuggled down for a sleep, she did wake us at 5.30am and had by that time done a poo on the kitchen floor. Off to get a crate today and other bits and bobs.

Will put a photo on my profile later. DSs are really chuffed, I think they have been missing having a pet.

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jaynehater · 30/10/2007 10:11

We researched dogs exhaustively before we committed to a Border Terrier - it was well worth it.

They are much less snappy and irritable than other terrier breeds, they are outrageously loyal, they rarely bark unless someone is actually IN the house, and ours tolerates so much from our girls....see my profile

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with a well bred, male Border, ours spends some of it's days in dolls clothes uncomplaining, yet loves the girls fiercely, and plays football, etc with them happily.

We've had ours for two years, and zero trouble between him and kids, a half hour chasing session in a field and he's happy - he'll walk for miles but is equally happy lurking at your feet.

(This is turning into a Border Terrier rhapsody, sorry. Without noticing, I've become one of THOSE dog owners )

Big vote here for borders. Compact and bijoux, thoroughly easy to bond with for life, and they look like a loo brush, what's not to love?

jaynehater · 30/10/2007 10:12

See, I'm still not working the page thing properly - when I posted the last post was about westies, but I see now it's moved on substantially!!

Congrats on your dog, hope you have a wonderful time together x

Original poster
MrsSpoon · 30/10/2007 17:05

LOL jaynehater, although your Border Terrier sounds lovely.

I should just add as it seems a bit odd that we suddenly went all Labradoodle that I did a fair bit of research a while ago (perhaps a year and half or two years back) on labradoodles but couldn't convince DH and Wisteria's comments about the amount of exercise we are able to give being a good amount helped us realise that perhaps we can manage a bigger dog afterall.

Gibberish, my DH liked the idea of a dog but said he could never do the poo thing (is that what bothers your DH?) and also worried about the smell and hair. We don't have any carpets so hoping the smell won't be too permeating, a labradoodle apparently doesn't shed hair and DH has had an epiphany about poo and the dog (she really must get a name) has been at his insistence which shocked me as I had resigned myself to a pet-less (it would be cruel to have another cat as I know it would just be run over) life.

No photos yet, I haven't located the camera but soon I promise.

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starshaker · 30/10/2007 17:09

we have a westie called radley and hes lovely. very affectionate and good with dd (2) he is happy with shrt walks but dp has taken him our on 1 of his runs and thats about 5 miles and he was fine. he is on his own when im at college and we have nothing chewed and he is totally house traind. he is a fab wee dog and neither of us were experienced dog owners. just make sure u take it to puppy classes etc to socialise.

gibberish · 30/10/2007 18:21

he just hates the idea of having a dog in the house mrsspoon. he had a dog when he was young in Zim and ofcourse it was kept outside. i've tried explaining that we don't exactly have the weather here to keep a dog outside... but haven't convinced him. he absolutely hates animal hair and says that a dog will wreck the house. can't really argue with that as the cats did wreck the carpets and wallpaper!

bah humbug...

Be back later to chat x

jaynehater · 30/10/2007 21:16

Gibberish, DH was raised in SA - same attitude....

There are some non shedding breeds out there, I can't remember off the top of my head which ones....or is his objection more deep rooted than that? I was a thoroughgoing dog hater till we got Reiver, and now it's love, to the extent that we now have TWO dogs...unthinkable to me two years ago....

or alternatively you could get one of these

gibberish · 30/10/2007 22:14

Well, I think he might be able to cope with one of those...

Can't see him ever agreeing to us having a dog ever. We have four children and a too small house so adding a dog would probably be enough to push him over he limit

jaynehater · 30/10/2007 22:15

Mind you, from personal experience, a dog beat a hamster, any day

jaynehater · 30/10/2007 22:16

Four children = more willing walking 'volunteers' ?

gibberish · 30/10/2007 22:27

Yeah 'more willing walking volunteers' for about a month, before the novelty wears off and it is just one more job for me more like..

We have been through all the 'small' pets - hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, budgies, guinea pigs and had two cats until they got knocked down and killed earlier this year. Nightmare. Guinea pig dropped dead last Saturday... our animals are VERY well looked after but we don't seem to have much success with them!

EmsMum · 31/10/2007 12:20

Sounds like the first night with the new labradoodle went very well! Good luck and much happiness.

You were lucky to have a local breeder! When my DH found our dachs-in-need-of-home on the internet he drove the next day from Lancashire to Dover, after a quick trip to petshop to aquire crate for the return journey!

Original poster
MrsSpoon · 01/11/2007 12:42

Photos on profile now.

Sounds like it may be difficult to win your DH round gibberish, keep working on him!

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gibberish · 01/11/2007 20:37

Yeah, we'll have a flying pig before we have a dog!

Aw, puppy is lovely! Is it a he or a she? Have you named him/her yet? If you are wondering why I am here, dd3 decided she had an sore tummy yet again. Getting to be a regular occurrence this..

Wisteria · 02/11/2007 09:51

Mrs Spoon, she looks lovely and Pippin is a sweet name - kind face, should be good for you!

Really pleased, not to mention insanely jealous! My dp may well be sightly cross with you now LOL as I will probably be nagging him for the next 3 weeks

superloopy · 02/11/2007 10:11

Mrs Spoon - I would just like to take back all of the nice things I said about West Highland Terriers.
They are actually f**cking stupid pissing machines!! Mine seem to have no bloody memory at all and has taken to weeing on my new rug, after beingsuposedly trained for a few months now.
I am sorry to rant and vent at you. Pippen is lovely BTW. Want to swap???

superloopy · 02/11/2007 10:14

Ooops! Sorry Pippin....

Original poster
MrsSpoon · 04/11/2007 22:28

ROFL, Pippin pees on rugs too superloopy! According to my Mum it is more comfortable for her that's why she does it there!

LOL @ your DD3, my two have both been through that, DS2 still plays that card from time to time. She is a girl and is called Pippin. All the best locating a flying pig!

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