Getting a dog advice

[crappyday2018]

I've been desperate to buy a dog for a long time now and hope to get one next year. I'm already trying to do as much research as possible so I'm prepared.
My working hours would mean I would be home by 3.30 (Mon-Wed), home by 6pm on a Thurs and my oldest would be home by 2.30pm on a Friday.
I intend to get a dog walker to come in around lunchtime every day (even on my short days).
Do you think getting a walker to do a 30 minute walk at lunchtime will be enough if I take it out in the morning and then straight after work too?
I'm looking to get a Labradoodle.

JoJo I love that chicken saved your dog’s recall. That made me smile.

Jeez. I am NOT focussing on the positive stories only. I can't reply to everyone cos I don't have bliddy time.
It amazes me how negative people are being when I've come on here for advice and I have not AT ANY POINT said what I intend to do.
Have I rushed out and bought a puppy? NO
Have I said I will be going ahead and ignoring everyone? NO
I think it is those people who aren't actually listening to me.

And I've said MANY times on here - if people actually bother to read my replies that anyone who is patronising or attempts to paint me as some sort of psychopath just for suggesting I MIGHT get a dog when I work, will be ignored.
People with actual good advice and offering things that I need to consider, are all greatly appreciated.
Too many people jump straight on their high horse and yes, i will be ignoring those ones.

JoJo - I feel sad that you've come on here, as an inexperienced dog owner of a 6 month old puppy, with your "positive story" to share, to encourage the OP to herself get a puppy in her far from ideal circumstances. You have no way of know how your puppy will fare with your circumstances as she continues to develop. Adolescence is the phase when many dogs develop behavioural issues, hence so many of them ending up being rehomed. Your dog isn't even there yet. I really hope that she continues to cope with being left alone for such long hours each day, but it is not guaranteed by any means.

@JoJoSaysHello sorry you've had some nasty replies, suggesting you're damaging your dog. I do appreciate you sharing your stories.

JUST TO BE CLEAR - I'm not ignoring everyone else's though.

Can I ask (at fear of being flamed once again)...

I suspect a puppy will be out of the question as I won't be able to get enough time off work at the beginning.

If I was to take on a slightly older dog, even say 6 months, would I just be taking on loads of potential bad learned behaviour? How easy are dogs to train at this age?

@JoJoSaysHello I think people are just concerned - you've listed exercise that goes way beyond the recommended limits for a puppy so young. I've seen young dogs suffer from hip, knee and elbow problems due to being over-exercised as pups and it's not pleasant.

You have years ahead of you to take your dog out for hours on end, there's no rush! But I really, really would rethink the hours of exercise you're giving your puppy. There's a reason the 5 minute per month rule exists - it's not some kind of scam.

Puppies will get just as exhausted with brain games, kongs, scatter feeding or scent games in the home.

If I was to take on a slightly older dog, even say 6 months, would I just be taking on loads of potential bad learned behaviour? How easy are dogs to train at this age?

Honestly? Six months was the start of the worst stage for me. You'll just be entering teenage dog mode - and I found it MUCH harder than the puppy stage. Mine was a nightmare - he was very mouthy and still quite bitey, his recall next to disappeared for several months, he forgot all the commands and training, had next-to-no concentration and was very clingy and vocal. He was stronger than he was as a pup but extremely stubborn and didn't want to do much of anything I asked!

He's much better now at 13 months but it's still hard. Today, for example he was excellent on his walk but the other day he pulled like a train to try and make friends with a man with a bacon sandwich! Just when I think I've cured one behaviour, another comes along and replace it!

If you want to get a young-ish dog, can I recommend going for one that's a 2-3 years old? Old enough to have calmed down and be out of the teenage phase but young enough to still have loads of energy and time for walks and play.

Whilst I think a dog at 6 months of age eliminates the puppy toilet training and excessive biting, for me I would either endure the puppy stages from day 1 or get an older dog which had been through the adolescence stage so you could see their true adult personality.

I am sure for some people 6 month olds would work fine for them but I think back to my dog at that time. I had established a bond, cemented early training so that whilst he 'pretended' he didn't know all the commands I knew he did know them but was rebelling against them. I also knew what he liked to chew and what was 'safe' around him. Trainers had also recommended getting recall firmly under my belt before adolescence hit because otherwise they could take off and not actually 'know' they should come back iykwim.

So for me I would suck up the puppy months (thinking never again ) or look at one a bit older than that.

@adaline Thank you for your constructive response! I will consider such things in place of a walk when I return home on an evening.

I hope it didn't come across as patronising! I hadn't even heard of the five minute rule until we got our pup :)

Mine loves being scatter fed (so biscuits scattered in the garden to find), playing "find it" where we hide bits of treats in the living room and make him sniff them out, and getting treats out of things like cardboard boxes, snuffle mats and plastic bottles :)

Adeline- I tried to do a "find it" type game with my puppy yesterday. I put a few treats out around the room, not even hidden as it was the first time, and then.let him in the room.

He came and sat infront of me with this daft smiley "where the treats gone hooman??" Look on his face.

No attempts to sniff them out whatsoever.

I ended up going round the room pointing to the treats in the floor 😅

@adaline No it really didn't, don't worry! We often play "find it" on an evening but we've done one high value treat at a time so far - I'll reduce value & increase quantity to challenge her more! And get creative with hiding places.

I had to do it with really smelly treats the first few times so it was easier - so we used bits of cocktail sausage, tiny bits of cheese or cubes of ham. His regular kibble just isn't smelly enough for that kind of game I don't think!

Though he does like eating the cats kibble if it falls on the floor

Good tip i did try it with his kibble so will give something really stinky a go...cat poo is a favourite of his but I'm not hiding that under my sofa cushions!

I too would be wary of taking on a 6 month old dog. Not least because the only reason I put up with Battendog's general teenage arsey-ness was because the memory of him being a cute little puppy was so fresh in my mind .

The training would be easy enough to catch up on but things like how easy the dog gets along with children and other dogs will have been greatly determined already.

6 months old does seem (to me) to be the hardest of all the options:

• you will have had no influence over the critical socialisation period but will have to deal with any fallout from it

• the dog won't yet be old enough to really now for sure what the temperament will be like - they still change a lot from 6 months on - so being able to tell exactly what kind of dog you're getting won't be straight forward.

Plus, trying to imagine how you get hold of a six month old would leave me worried it was coming from someone who didn't know what they were doing, thus maybe increasing the chances of pup not having the best start. If you decide a 6 month old is for you then maybe think about taking along a well seasoned dog trainer to help you assess the dog?

A well rounded 2/3 year year old, as suggested, is still young enough to be playful but old enough to know what kind of dog you're taking on.

For the benefit of data gathering, Battendog's (springer) worse teenage months were between about 9 and 17 months old. He really did push just about any button he could find and tested the patience of everyone. He's just very lucky I am a stubborn old goat!!

Labradoodles are super crazy!

On your long day you need to have it walked for an hour (once it's old enough) or half an hour walk and a half an hour house visit around 3ish.

If you get a puppy you can't leave it for those hours. It's not fair. It will take a long time to crack house training for a start. You run the risk of a bored puppy. Bored puppies often lead to destructive puppies too.

"where the treats gone hooman??"

Brilliant! This, just for interest, is one of many key behavioural differences between dogs and wolves (even wolves raised with humans).

Dogs: have a tendency to ask humans for help if a problem gets too hard
Wolves: use their brawn and smarts to find a solution for themselves, often no matter how long it takes to find it

Making the idea that early man adopted wolves for domestication unlikely - containing a fully grown wolf that doesn't want to be contained would have been a pita for early man. More likely that wolves adopted man...

Are you on FB? If so join a group called Dog Training Advice and Support. Check out the Welcome to your new puppy pack on there. It would be a good thing to read so you can prepare yourself for what to expect/commitment/getting training off on the right foot so to speak.

I would suggest going for a dog no younger than 2/3years old tbh.

We got our rescue at that age and we had young children. One was a toddler. The dog had come from a family home. We were matched up by the rescue.

@ColdCrumpetsandButter yes I've just joined that group. Its great, I've been learning all about dog training already and I don't even have a dog. I've even posted looking for advice on breeds and ages too.

I will consider an older dog then. I just worry about them having problems and also I've been told getting a rescue dog is really difficult too. They may not be keen when they find out I work and will be using a dog walker!

I am still considering all options and won't be rushing into any decision!

That group is absolutely awesome. Solved toilet training and separation anxiety using their advice.
TBH I have had a very hard time with my non rescue pup. She’s been really hard. Some rescue dogs may have behavioural issues but they may simply come from homes where circumstances have changed and the owners have no choice but to
rehome.
There are breed specific rescues but you would be more likely to be looking at getting a dog that would best fit your family rather than going to a rescue and getting a particular breed. Unless you want a greyhound. Far too many greys in rescue.
If you do decide you want a certain breed maybe try some breed selector quizzes. Will make you consider the exercise and training and grooming needs of different sorts of dogs. Also check out issues in the breed. Eg Cavs are lovely but I couldn’t face the prospect of syringomyelia (spelling?!)

@Wolfiefan I've done a million quizes and they all come out with different bloody answers.

I'm thinking possibly a lab.

Go for a small to medium sized breed. Life is much easier with a small dog than when a large dog pulls on the lead or jumps on people.

If you want a pedigree go with a poodle, they come in many different, handy sizes. If you want a young adult dog get in touch with a breed specific rescue and chat to them about option. Also go to dog shows and meet poodle breeders, they may have a young dog that is not good enough for the ring, who is looking for a new home.

Labradors can be quite intense - their puppy/teenage phase lasts a good 2-3 years and they're very strong. They're also incredibly mouthy as puppies/adolescents.

Every young lab I've ever met has been mouthy, strong and jumpy - of course all dogs behave like this at first but it's much easier to tolerate it in a smaller breed than it is in a larger one.

My beagle is 16.5kg and he is strong - I wouldn't want to walk anything bigger or stronger on my own with small children. We don't have DC yet but are TTC and it's one of the reasons we went for a smaller breed. DH wanted a larger type but I don't want to be walking a large breed dog as well as a buggy or small child.

So, remember if you get a lab, your kids won't be able to walk the dog for you, or hold the lead - an excited Labrador could easily topple an 11 year old, let alone a 5yo!