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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

tell me the fors and against for having a puppy...

34 replies

anniebear · 18/06/2011 16:09

Thank you.

We would like a puppy but home life is stressful and I can't seeing us being able to get one right now.

But...if we did in the future, what are the fors and againsts.....

A few people ahve got one recently and they put on Facebook to me 'DON'T DO IT'

Shock I realise they are much harder work and time consuming than a cat (we have a cat) I see it like you are having another member of the family!

But is it that bad?!!

thanks

OP posts:
mellowbird · 18/06/2011 16:13

If home life is stressful there are no fors right now.

Sensible to wait,do your research,spend time with friend's dogs etc...help out at rescue,dog walking etc to get a feel for life with a dog in it Smile

fruitshootsandheaves · 18/06/2011 16:15

The first few weeks are hard. Constantly on watch for any signs of needing to poo or wee or chew, and the wait to be able to take them for a walk after the vaccinations seems endless, then when you do take them for a walk there are even more problems.

However once the sweet but hard work puppy stage is over, you have a friend for life, They are always pleased to see you, never judge you and there is a whole world of new dog walking / agility / obedience friends out there.

I waited 23 years to get a dog so i may be slightly biased to the positives!

Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 16:16

no, I know we are not getting one at the moment. But just wanted to see if it is really as bad as people have made out?!!!!

Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 16:18

fruit shoot, thanks...how long does the sweet but hard work puppy stage last?!!!

OP posts:
DooinMeCleanin · 18/06/2011 16:19

For:

They look cute for about 5 minutes

Against:

They need constant supervision
They pee and poo all over your house
They chew things
They bite and have tiny, sharp little teeth, like lots of little pins.
They howl at night
They need lots of training. Lots and lots and lots of training
They grow alarmingy quickly and if they don't get the training they need you end up with a badly behaved, over excited teenaged dog, the same size as an adult dog, but with none of the control

I have lots of good things to say about adult rescue dogs, if you want hear them?

fruitshootsandheaves · 18/06/2011 16:22

Really hard bit is about a month, then it gets a bit easier for another month, then after yet another month you slowly realise it's not quite as hard as the first month! Grin
However my dog is nearly 3 years and still chews things so depends on the breed.

Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 16:44

er doinmecleanin...you may have jsut put me off lol

OP posts:
Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 16:45

thanks Fruitshoot

I love King charles :)

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Crosshair · 18/06/2011 17:06

Depends on the breed and temperament of the puppy. My puppy(1.5 years) is a small dog and very playfull.

Against:

-The first days are intense, going outside every 30 mins, after a sleep, after food and after a play. Waiting in the garden for 10-20 minutes to say go wee once they actually start weeing.
-Accidents will and do happen for the first few months.
-Need to keep an eye on the puppy at all times for the first few weeks/months to curb chewing and to cut down on accidents.
-Training such as crate, basic commands takes time. (Was abit of a shock having a little life to look after that was a complete blank canvas)
-Biting and mouthing at the start.
-The cost (Jabs plus medical conditions, insurance)
-Dogs that havent been trained properly are a nightmare and can be dangerous.

For:

-Friend for life
-Lots of funny/happy moments
-Gets you out of the house

Crosshair · 18/06/2011 17:10

My mum has a cavalier king charles spaniel(11 years) he has a nice temperament but gets hair everywhere. I think they maybe prone to quite a few medical conditions.(Not 100% on this) But im sure you've done your research.

mellowbird · 18/06/2011 18:14

my ckcs doesn't moult,think that's rare though from what i've heard.

Ephiny · 18/06/2011 18:16

Is there a particular reason you want a puppy? For most people it's better to go for an adult rescue dog, especially if it's your first dog - the rescue should be able to match you with a dog of suitable temperament, with basic training already in place.

If things are stressful at the moment though, obviously consider whether you have the time and energy to give to a dog or puppy, otherwise it's not fair on them.

I've never had a tiny puppy, but I believe it's similar to having a new baby in terms of the stress and work required!

Happymm · 18/06/2011 18:52

Please check out our new puppy owners thread, and you'll see a cross section of some of the problems we have and are still facing :o

They are very hard work, and have had lots of conversations a little about talking of a newborn, oh yes, she's started sleeping though...

But yes, they are fun, have their moments, and am sure once we are past this things will improve...at least I hope so :o

Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 20:39

I have lots of time!! not sure why I want one!! I used to love animals when younger but went off them after being attacked a few times lol , but the last few years have fallen back in love with them :) we got a kitten from the RSPCA, they advised us to get a kitten as it would get used to our house (bit loud lol) I thought that would be best with a puppy also.

One of my girls doesnt like dogs!!! (yes I know, why am I ever talking about it then) so I thought smaller the better!

I would never get one without researching everywhere I could, I always do before buying anything! Puppy training classes would be the first place we would be going lol. Don't worry, it would never be something we went into lightly and we know that we couldnt have one at the mo

Just amused me that these friends on facebook had status's galore counting the days till they got their puppy then tell me 'NO NO NO, DON'T DO IT' lol

then you think of the amount of people that have dogs, so if its that bad......??

thanks for all the advice :)

OP posts:
Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 20:41

will check out the new puppy owners thread... hahaha obviously none of you took much notice of it lol lol ;)

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Happymm · 18/06/2011 21:12

Actually it was too late for us new puppy owners as we'd already got our puppies! And were struggling!

Good luck if and when you go for it, we will all be here for you... :o

Original poster
anniebear · 18/06/2011 21:15

I know lol Oh well, think I will have to just stick to Fizz our cat lol

thank you again for the advice xx

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Belgrano · 18/06/2011 21:26

Oh no no don't let them put you off. They can be so lovely! We desperately wanted a puppy, it was a hard time (two under 3, one stll crawling, about to move house with a gap between houses where we had to camp out with friends for a few weeks) but got the pup anyway and she was heaven. We adored her and so did everyone we met, including even the friends who had her to stay! Crates are a god send for puppies, by the way.

Then she died suddenly for an unknown reason (and that would be my 'against' with a pup - unexpected health probs although I am told its incredibly rare). So we got another one, still only 2 weeks into our new house, and are now living through renovation works with her and the two very young DCs. As long as you are prepared to put the effort into training (which you MUST MUST do while they are tiny. I tried from day one to do 4 or 5 sets of 5/10 mins each day on training to get a basic set of commands ingrained). I see and hear great things about adult rescues too and am a big fan of doing either but basically don't let everyone put you off....

Oh - and do try to get an easy breed - easy to get along with and easy to train. (I count my lucky stars I went for a 'boring' lab not the pointer I really wanted which needs about 2 hrs of exercies a day and is not food oriented so is much harder to train....). And please go to a responsible breeder.

Happymm · 18/06/2011 21:35

We went for a boring lovely lab too. She is so not boring. She alternatively thinks she is a crocodile or rabbit, but she's lovely. Very intelligent and hopefully, once out of her bitey phase, will be good with the kids...:)
Though they are very food orientated!!!k

VforViennetta · 18/06/2011 21:45

My MIL bought a puppy when dp and I lived with her, obviously we didn't have a choice because it wasn't our house. Dd was 6 months old when she bought a Border Collie. It was a bit of a mare tbh, she wasn't interested in training her much, she is a lovely dog and we had much fun but until we left and BIL moved in she wasn't trained at all, I did try but had no clue or time tbh.

Wasn't really fair on us or the dog, she had a lovely temperament and was marvellous with dd, very protective, but was very people orientated and would jump up and what not.

Bil has dog experience though and has trained her well, plus takes her for epic walks (she is still fat though Hmm).

Due to this experience I would not get a puppy until I had time to devote to training, I do really want one though, maybe an adult lazy dog Grin. I could easily do several walks a day and lots of cuddles, training from puppy hood not so much. Will have to wait untill the children are older though, but dd want's rats, which are apparently very interesting pets, so I shall go with that.

Crosshair · 18/06/2011 21:49

Yeah getting the right breed for you rather then the cutest is important. I have a mini sausage dog and his bark compared to his size is frankly bizzare, but at least he looks cute.Wink

VforViennetta · 18/06/2011 21:57

I have since read that Border Collies aren't recommended for small children?? but Kimmy has always been a sweetheart, playful and jumpy, but never bitey or snappy, she is a very good family dog. I get confused about the breed guides tbh, surely dogs are individuals too?

You might get a rotty who is fierce and protective, another one who is a big softie. I'm quite irrationally scared of rottweilers though, even though one random one did walk me home one night Grin.

Crosshair · 18/06/2011 22:10

Breed guides are often pretty fair and help you get an idea of possible problems. All dogs are different but certain things are often built in at a core level. (I might be talking bollocks, Im no expert) :)

Maryz · 18/06/2011 22:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Crosshair · 18/06/2011 23:01

Im sorry about your dog Maryz. :(

I think a few posters on here work at rescue centre's, if you are interested in an older dog im sure one of them will be able to help you out in some way.