Think in about getting a dog

[Shimmyshimmy]

We're at that stage - wondering whether we can fit a dog into our lives, what kind of dog would suit...which breed? I grew up with Labradors, dcs are keen on that breed too. But I'm wondering why would we get a pedigree rather than a rescue dog - is it, to make a rather crude comparison - like getting a pair of designer jeans? Dcs would like a puppy, I'd like a dog, so I can be more sure of the temperament....in reality they'd be happy either way, they just want a dog.

If you decide on a puppy from a breeder the best way to find a good breeder is to do a lot of leg work. Learn as much about your breed as you can, e.g. find out about health problems and health screening programmes, find out about temperament tendencies and different breeding lines, etc. Then call around breeders and ask them a lot of questions, e.g. what is their breeding programme, what kind of puppies do they hope to produce, what is the mother like/why did they chose her, what is the father like/why did they chose him, how many litters do they plan a year (the fewer the better), how many litters has this bitch had before and what are her previous puppies like now, will they take a puppy back if there is a problem and how often has this happened before, what health screening have they done and what do they know about health problems in their breeding lines, what temperament challenges have they seen in the puppies they have already produced, etc.

You also want a breeder who has a similar environment to yours, e.g. ideally someone who brings up the puppies in the house, has children, other dogs, etc. Do visit breeders before you decide and check the dogs are clean, friendly and well looked after. Do not be put off by a breeder with a waiting list - if they are any good people will be queing up for their puppies and it is much much better to wait a few months for the right puppy then get the wrong puppy now.

If you're north of London, there's Heathlands, their FB page is more up to date but they have some lovely dogs. You could talk to them about what sort of dog you want, they have puppies and older dogss

Battersea have a lovely staff x puppy on their website at the moment ,he's being fostered and is already crate trained and car trained ,he may well have been snapped up but he is cute . They also have a very nice old English Sheepdog .

I can't do staffies they make me feel very uneasy, I know they are meant to be good with children but I can't get over my prejudice, they don't look like nice, friendly dogs. There seem to be loads in all the dog homes I've looked at, it's a real shame for them.

We need to wait until all our booked holidays are over before we get a dog, probably August I would say, don't want to fall for one before that, wouldn't be fair on the dog to go into kennels so early on.

Just returning to this to give you a link to Labrador Rescue SE and Central loveyourlabrador.co.uk/homes-wanted/ in case its of any interest later in the year....

If you go for a puppy a site like Champdogs is no guarantee of a sound dog. I've seen litters on there bred from hip scored bitches that no serious breeder would use because their score is too high - good breeders are looking for lower than average to improve the breed. You still need to filter the results.

Look at Pro Dogs Direct as well. Many rescues have puppies too! And not all rescue dogs have "issues" some are there as a result of relationship breakdowns, moving to rented accommodation that won't have dogs, an accidental mating, all kinds of reasons.

Shimmy shimmy, I would LOVE to hear how you get on as we are in a v v similar scenario to you. I posted here recently, trying to narrow myself down to a couple of breeds and got lots of helpful feedback.

I've narrowed it down to a lab or a cockapoo ( I know, I can hear snorts of derision). I love labs but I'm wary about the shedding/stronger smell. I'm more than happy to Hoover plenty etc, but I can't work out how bad it really is. So many people seem to have them, so it can't be that bad.

We won't get one until after next summer as we are going on a long summer trip over the entire school holidays, so that would be grossly unfair. Despite my desire being sooo strong I'm going to use the time to go to Discover Dogs in November and do as much research into breeders etc as possible.

Everyone rolls their eyes at me here. Every day mu eldest ds asks me which breed I have decided on and each day it alternates between 'definitely a labrador' and then 'definitely a cockapoo'.

Sounds like you are putting lots of thought in like me. I am v excited for you esp if you get a dog after the summer. I wish you luck ( and lots of fun) in your search and would love to hear how you get on ( and if you can recommend any good breeders).

We've moved on a bit, we had a massive chat on Friday, I spelled out the whole scenario - the good the bad and the down right ugly - lifting poo! Dh is still mulling it over, he was surprised to find his whole family were very keen on the idea, but he's not there yet. I think he'd be happier with a pup - at least he'd trust it more. I'm thinking a smaller dog would be easier all round - visiting family and friends, leaving the dog with friends, fits into the back seat of the car in between the dcs....so although I love big dogs - I like a bit of rough and tumble with them but I think for dh a smaller one would be less intimidating and more manageable for him. We also have allergy concerns with close family that we stay with frequently, so that's an important consideration too.
So I'm leaning towards a cock a poo, as a kid I was constantly covered in hair from my labs, I didn't care but life is different now, dh has to look ultra smart for work and I'm less keen on hoovering than you muffin . But you are right we will chew on this decision until we have teased out every concern and then we will decide either way.
I really hope we can make room in our lives for a 4 legged friend because I feel very strongly that a dog is an essential part of childhood and I will feel that we have deprived our dcs - they will have no clue what they are missing but I know.
I don't work at the moment - we wonder realistically how long can a dog be left alone - with the right training of course and what options are there for dog care during the day if I decide I wish to return to the working world, alternatively I suppose I could set up a dog walking business!

Keep in mind there is no guarrantee a cockapoo is going to be OK for people with allergies, and you will be paying pedigree prices for a mongrel. The problem with getting a mongrel is that it will come from fairly random breeding lines. A pedigree puppy will be the result of a lifetime of targeted breeding, a cockapoo is pandering to a silly fad that has not had any time to establish breeding lines.

A puppy will need someone with it pretty much all day long, they are quite hard work. An adult dog should be happy staying on his own for up to 4 hours at a time, so if you plan on returning to work full time you should definitely consider the costs of a dog walker and the commitment of walking the dog before and after work as well.

We have just adopted a gorgeous boy from a small charity called Safe Rescue Dogs. They really do rescue dogs from an appalling fate in Romania. They place dogs and puppies in foster homes in the Uk but aren't that well known which is a shame as they do an amazing job. Best decision we ever made.