Questions for dog owners!

[Monkley]

Some of these may sound daft but please bear with me as I am a novice!

Firstly where did you get your dog? Should I google local breeders?

Can you train a dog to poo in a specific place in the garden rather than all over the place?

Can you train a dog yourself or is it better to go to classes?

How much do you spend on food and insurance?

Finally what dog do you have and what would you recommend as a first dog for a young family? We'd like a medium to large dog, maybe a golden retriever cross?

Thanks!

Hi! Us too! We are looking at 'dodle' mixes.

Labradoodles look amazing! I've been having fun on google images typing in different crosses, like husky x chihuahua

You need to think about ur lifestyle how often u go on holidays, how often you are willing to go out walking in the rain etc them base that on what dog u choose rather than ones u like look of first. We had a collie first but but a lot of work in to her with classes and regular training and loads of walks - she's very well behaved and calm now but it takes a lot of work.

1. Please do not get a dog from a breeder, unless you go to a reputable one, a reputable one will not be breeding crosses of any kind, including those that are currently very fashionable. If you decide on a particular breed and want to go the breeder route, google the local breed club and contact the secretary who will be a mine of information. Be prepared to wait up to a year for a puppy. Otherwise look to rescue.

2. Yes with a lot of patience and persistence you can train most dogs to use a particular spot, lots of work though and not all dogs will get it.

3. If you are a first time owner you will need guidance to train. Training classes provide many other benefits other than just a well trained dog, it should be seen as a long term commitment.

4. Food? Pluck a figure from the air, depends on the size and activity of the dog, a pound a day is a doog starting point. Insurance £10 - £20 a month again depending on the dog.

5. Is hard to recomend a good first dog, Goldens can be lovely, but also stubborn and willful, they need a lot of exercise.

The Kennel Club website has a good quiz thing to help you find a suitable breed for your circumstances.

Got our dog from our local Greyhound rescue, he's a greyhound, no trouble whatsoever, perfect for first timers.

You can train dogs to poo in a specific place although I haven't bothered as his area of the garden is a specific place for him to poo which we sectioned off especially for him.

Wrt training, I keep meaning to book us into classes but still haven't. He walks brilliantly on a lead (as the majority of greys do), his recall is pretty good (unless he spots a cat) and I've taught him to stay in his bed when we're getting ready to go walkies and I call him when I'm ready for him.

Food is £20.25 for a 15kg sack and it lasts 6 weeks. I also buy him chicken wings and he has 4 of those a day, they cost about £4 per week(ish).

Insurance is £20-something a month for one of those all singing all dancing jobbies.

If you decide on a certain breed and you want a puppy from a breeder don't google local breeders. I'd google x breed forums, they should be able to point you in the direction of a reputable breeder. Or breed rescue! Much better to take in an unwanted dog imho than to buy from a breeder. Rescues often have puppies too, so check out rescues aswell.

Mine are from local farms. Not the best approach, but I wanted working collies, and they come from farms.

You can train a dog to do most things, if you put the work in.

Classes, classes, classes! Of course you can teach your dog lots of things yourself, but classes socialise your dog so that he learns how to behave round other dogs. This is very important. You don't want a dog that is frightened and aggressive or overly exuberant when you meet other dog walkers.

Food, about £1 a day on kibble, plus rawhide chews? I bulk buy 15kg sacks to save money. Insurance, errrr don't have it. I should! Must sort that....

Working collies. Definitely not suitable as family pets, so please don't get one. Try and match your dog to your lifestyle. Read up and ask other owners before getting a puppy. People don't realise what a big commitment it is. You basically are getting a baby, of a different species, that needs to learn how to survive in a dog world, and a human world, and follow basic commands in a foreign language. It's a big ask, and the only person who can teach him is you. Do you have the time and the energy to take that on?

I got my Otterhound from a kc breeder (not that there's many otterhound breeders out there)
You can train them to 'go' in a particular bit in the garden. We've always done this by taking the pup up the garden on a lead to their spot.... also helps with not over exercising, and avoiding steps when they're young.
For a first time owner I'd suggest training classes, also a good way of socialising your dog. Lots of vets run puppy socialisation classes, these are very good and let your pup meet, interact and learn dog manners from a young age.
I feed mine hypo-allergenic food, costs £42 for 30kg delivered. This keeps them going for over 2 months. Insurance for both of mine is probably about £20-£30 a month. Brilliant thing about having a rare breed is that insurance is cheap as chips, half the price of my Basset Hound's.
I have an Otterhound and a Basset Hound. I grew up with lots of different breeds, and there was always at least one Basset around! However I would NOT have a 'true' hound such as a Basset as an only dog. For a first time owner I'd suggest a Greyhound, beautiful dogs, gorgeous natures, don't need loads of exercise and give brilliant cuddles! Labradors need a lot of exercise, nothing makes me angrier than seeing an overweight lab.

Q) Firstly where did you get your dog? Should I google local breeders?
Ours is a rescue dog - our neigbours took in a dumped litter & were looking for homes (not in UK). I'd definitely visit local rescues, they will give you loads of help and advice.

Can you train a dog to poo in a specific place in the garden rather than all over the place?
Yes

Can you train a dog yourself or is it better to go to classes?
I'd suggest classes if you can, though I've never been in a position to do so myself as none reachably nearby, you can of course train your dog without.

How much do you spend on food and insurance?
Food - approx £30 a month (big dog, eats complete dry vegetarian food), we don't have insurance

Finally what dog do you have and what would you recommend as a first dog for a young family? We'd like a medium to large dog, maybe a golden retriever cross?
Rescue dog so don't know for sure, but almost certainly Husky/Podenco cross, possibly with a bit of alsatian. I would personally find a good rescue and get matched up with a suitable dog.

The question you don't ask - exercise . . . Our dog is now 12 and still needs a generous hour's walk as a minimum every day. When he was younger we lived on farms so he was outdoors and running around all day. Do think hard about how much time you have to walk a dog, and also that you won't need to leave him/her alone too much.

Ours are both rescues, the first (a whippet) was only 12 months old when we got him, the second (a greyhound x whippet) was thought to be about 6 years old though.

Wrt poo, ours tend to go mainly when we take them for walks (they get 3 walks per day, and yes, we do pick up the poo after them). Otherwise, when they do go in the garden, they tend to stick to pretty much the same area anyway - it's not something we've taught them, they just seem to always go to the same bit.

Personally I'd say classes are better for training. You can do it yourself, but I found I learned much better approaches by going to classes, I think the contact with other dogs is good for them too and they can also help you work on specific issues. I also found that by going to classes it gave more pressure to work on training at other times too as you don't want to be the only one in the class whose dog still can't do x,y and z.

Food, we pay around £7 per week for 2 dogs - they have this stuff, with some rice and a few veg mixed in.

Insurance, we pay £8 per month for whippetty and £12 per month for lurcher-girl (as she's that bit older).

Neither of ours demand much exercise, but will happily go on a long walk if one is offered.

I would definately recommend a whippet or greyhound as a first dog though and there are tons of retired greyhounds just waiting for good homes!