Thinking about getting a dog and don't really know where to start!

[Unlurked]

Some help/advice would be much appreciated. We've decided we would like to get a dog. We have to dcs a 2yo and a dog-mad 4yo, we also have a 5yo cat who is the polar opposite of a lap cat and only really cones into the house to sleep and eat.

So we can afford a dog and I'm at home all day so plenty of time to spend with a dog. I don't want a puppy. I've never owned a dog before and neither has DH so I'm sure there are loads of things we haven't thought of that we should be considering. Where do we learn about training a dog? Will rescue centres consider us while the kids are so young? Will the cat be an issue?

Any help would be appreciated, even if you could point me in the direction of websites or books that would be good to look at for total dog novices! Thanks in advance!

Hi Unlurked, I'm no expert but I'll give you my thoughts. We have a 1 year old black lab who is the best! I grew up with dogs as did my other half but this is the first we have owned. I would say that in some ways a puppy may be easier than a rescue. We have really trained and influenced our dog to fit in with our life. Yes granted there have been some trying moments (Labradors chew) but we have been rewarded with a fab dog we have raised. My Mum has recently rescued a year old spaniel and he has quite a bit of 'baggage' and she has had to work hard to help him through his issues and you don't always know their past. She's retired and I'm not sure how successful she would have been with lots of small kids running around. Don't underestimate how much effort dogs need.

My other thought would be to consider the breed you want or the character traits, size, hair etc. We did a lot of thinking on this and opted for a lab. He's very friendly, easy to train, fun, very loving and not too big. Typical lab traits (although no guarantee).

Good luck!

Hi almond thanks for your reply, lots to think about there. There are a few reasons we don't want a puppy, firstly the amount of relentless work! We've had our cat since she was a kitten and it was honestly more work than having a newborn baby so that's put us off baby animals a bit! Also I wouldn't know where to get one. I dont think I'd know enough to be able to tell a responsible breeder from someone who's just trying to make as much money as possible at the expense of the dogs.

I can tell it's going to take us a long time to make a decision! Thanks again for your reply.

Well you get puppies from rescues as well, just to make it more complicated, lol.

Puppies are definitely hard work, it is a bit like having a baby - but on the plus side you do get a blank slate and they are easier than kittens in that they actually do want to learn to please you, rofl.

You do get completely perfect rescue dogs looking for a home and you get ones with horrendous issues and lots with fairly minor stuff where they just need a bit of training or just that they do things that they're used to being allowed to do but you don't want them to.

A rescue should definitely be able to find you a dog that suits your household, with young children and a cat it might take a bit longer to find the right one, but obviously getting a dog isn't something you rush into anyway.

Training a dog is pretty much like looking after a toddler tbh, lots of praise and rewards when they do something you want, distraction when they do something you don't want them to but that isn't a big deal and a firm no when they do something you really don't want them to. If you've never had a dog before I'd go to classes and they should help you get to grips with teaching commands.

Dogs are harder work than cats, by a long shot - you don't ever get to a point where your dog is 'done', if you stop reinforcing commands - they stop responding to them so training is an ongoing thing. (though obviously not as intensive as in the beginning) and having to go for a walk whether you want to or not can sometimes be a bind.

They're great though, they're pets, best friends and entertainment all rolled into a waggy package.

Have you seen DogsBlog? They have a big selection from lots of rescues, you can search by age or breed and you can even register for a matching service.

Thanks for all the advice. I think we'll get in touch with the dogs trust and sspca this week.

I hadn't really thought much about particular breeds (except DD wants a dalmation!) I think looking for a dog that will get on with the kids and the cat is going to be hard enough to find without limiting ourselves to a certain breed!

I'll definitely look into dog training courses and will take a look at the blog link too, thank you (I'm on the mm app so can't see who's posted what as I type, sorry!).

Don't think you have to go with the first recue centre you go to.
We went to one a few weeks ago. A bored receptionist just waved us through to all the kennels which were all open, the dogs were barking like mad at people going past, there was just a bit of paper indicating which dogs were 'for sale', a bored looking staff member explained, when approached' just see which one you want then come back.
We went to a very different centre who quizzed us about our family make up, our jobs and doggy experience before recommending some to us.
We took them for a walk, more questions followed, then a home visit. I feel much more confident in them.