Insurance Recommendations? Excited new dog owner !

[MsRyanGosling]

I am soon to be the new owner of a Bedlington Terrier . I have never owned a dog as an adult before so want to get it right!

Is there any particular recommendations wrt insurance?

Also, are training classes/groups worthwhile or should I try to train him myself from books?

Also, is there anyone theory or training I should avoid. I read about a horrid one on here a few weeks go but can't remember who it was

He looks gorgeous - how old will he be when you get him?

Re insurance, go for lifetime cover - more expensive but could work out cheaper in the long term if your pup has any kind of chronic condition. It might be worth asking your vet if there are any companies they deal with directly otherwise you have to pay upfront and then claim it back

Definitely go to training classes - books and the internet are great but a good trainer can make a huge difference. Ask if you can observe a class first to make sure you like the approach

Do a search for kikopup on YouTube - really useful resource - and there's a force free training group on Facebook which has some very knowledgeable and helpful admins. Avoid Cesar Milan ...

Good luck!

Direct line were brilliant for us. Our dog was very ill whilst we were on holiday together. We took him to a vet and found he needed emergency surgery. When we rang direct line to check we were covered we found out that we hadn't changed our address when we moved house a few months earlier. (We panicked at this thinking it would be a good reason not to pay out) but they were brilliant. They changed our address. Got in contact with the vets and arranged payment. Our dog needed further surgery and treatment when we returned home and again everything was easy to sort out- even though they then had to pay 2 different vets in 2 different areas of the country. All in all it was over £2000 but they took away the stress and hassle. Would definitely recommend.

Aw, he is so cute.

Good luck with him, Beddies are real characters and lots of fun, but often quite a challenge to train. For that reason I would definitely get him booked into puppy classes asap.

The trainer you read about on here was probably Cesar Milan - avoid like the plague. Also avoid anyone who talks about dominance and showing pup who's boss or recommends using check chains and/or physical punishment or hands on him, rather than positive reward based methods.

Clicker training is fantastic, as it gets the dogs to work things out for themselves and is good for wearing them out, as well as training them.

I'd definitely second Kikopup's videos either on YouTube or her website Dogmantics.com for you to get an idea of what good, positive training should look like, but if you haven't had a dog yourself as an adult, I would find a suitable professional to help you as early as possible, as a good foundation is what you need for a well trained dog and pups are never too young to start.

Re insurance, lifetime cover is necessary if you want him to be covered year after year for anything that might crop up (eg diabetes). I am with Petplan, as they've always been good with us and don't have lots of hidden catches in the small print. Bear in mind that something like a leg break can cost thousands, so personally, I wouldn't go for less than £7,000 - which is what you get on PetPlan's Classic Lifetime policy. Also make sure any policy you take out has decent third-party insurance, just in case.

Books I'd recommend you read are Life Skills for Puppies and On Talking Terms with Dogs. Another I highly recommend is The Ahimsa Dog Training Manual.

Get life cover.
If you ever decide to change insurer or let the policy lapse then re-insure, remember that any health problem the dog ever had or anything that a vet has previously mentioned on its notes might cause a problem will almost certainly be excluded by the new policy - so do your insurance shopping now then stick to one company.
My own dog is insured with the Kennel Club up to £10,000.
Books are good but training classes are even better. Get word of mouth recommendations for a trainer or ask your vet; see if you can pick one who will follow up puppy classes with the Kennel Club Bronze, Silver and Gold Good Citizen training classes (you don't have to have a pedigree dog for these nor do you need to be interested in obedience competition - they're just aimed at the average dog owner who wants a well mannered dog at home and in public). I'm taking my one year old to her weekly Gold training class tonight.
Good luck with your pup!

Thanks! Lots of good info there.

Lifetime insurance it is! I've also ordered two Gwen Bailey books and read as much as humanely possible.

Picking him up on Sunday