First timer looking for advice!

[Ahbahbahbah]

We have never had a dog, but would really like to get one. Likely to be later this year/early next year.

I’m trying to work out how to prepare ourselves/choose and buy a suitable dog.

Is there some kind of “intro to dogs” book or course we could do?

How do people who haven’t had a dog before work out what type would suit them and find a reputable breeder etc?

If it's running again this year, it's worth going to the big Discover Dogs event. You can explore lots of breeds.

There are lots of books you can read, but the most important thing is to figure out what you can offer a dog, and then narrow breed down from there.

So maybe start to think about the following:

Exercise - how much can you guarantee to give on a daily basis? Some breeds need at least two hours a day, others are happy with 2x30 minute walks. Find a breed that will fit with what you can give them, rather than expecting a breed to adapt, if that makes sense.

Grooming needs - some breeds need a lot more attention than others. Do you have the time to brush daily? Can you afford the regular grooming appointments that some breeds require, or could you learn to do it yourself?

Do you have children? Looking for a child-friendly breed is important, and you also wouldn't want a breed that's too small or fragile with young kids.

Health - I would avoid brachycephalic breeds (like pugs or Frenchies) as well as breeds prone to joint issues like dachshunds. Both parents should be health tested for any genetic issues that occur in the breed, and they should also have good hip, elbow and eye scores.

Time outside of the home - if you work full-time, who will look after the dog? You can't really leave them home all day, so can you afford daycare or a dog walker if that's the case? Walks are about £10-12 an hour, and daycare can be anything up to £30 a day. It's expensive if you use it daily and long-term.

What do you want out of a dog? A companion? Or a breed that will join you on long walks in the country? Working breeds need more exercise and input, and will likely have a higher prey drive than show breeds. But some show lines are bred for looks rather than temperament or health, so that's another thing to consider!

It can be quite overwhelming but it's absolutely worth doing all your research.

Thanks both, that’s really helpful. I definitely want to make sure we’re doing our research and being responsible dog owners, I can’t stand it when people treat pets like fashion accessories or end up rehoming because they didn’t understand what was involved!

We have young kids, so that’s a big factor too.

I know it's a long list but it's absolutely worthwhile doing all your research and making sure the dog will fit your lifestyle.

How young OP? Puppies are bitey little sods! I wouldn’t want to be trying to deal with a toddler whilst trying to stop the puppy using the house as a toilet and biting everyone.

Not to say don't. We are on week 7 of puppy ownership. Read everything
Researched for years. I had a dog growing up. Honestly, I love her and couldnt give her back and she is sweet, not very bitey, compared to all the other pups we know. But, if I could turn the clock back, I wouldnt get her. I would wait until the risk of further lockdowns had passed altogether and my kids were much older. They were 8 and 11.

How young are your children?

They’re 4 and 6, so past the toddler stage thank god! They’re both pretty good with animals and v keen to get a pet. We’re planning to spend time with friends who have dogs (once covid allows) so hopefully they’ll be used to dogs before we get one!

We’re planning a redecoration/lots of new furniture in the next couple of years so I guess we should get the puppy biting phase out of the way first....

@Ahbahbahbah

We’re planning a redecoration/lots of new furniture in the next couple of years so I guess we should get the puppy biting phase out of the way first....

I’ve never really found furniture much of an issue tbh as you don’t tend to leave them alone to chew on it.

It’s people, they bite people... especially children because they’re exciting and fun

Definitely. Don't buy new furniture or carpets until you've mastered the biting, toileting and any potential separation anxiety, chewing and destruction that can come with puppies!

Yes makes sense to get the puppy first then decorate once it seems safe.

How do people find a reputable breeder? I’ve seen posts on here talking about how important that is but don’t know where to start.

I think it depends on thdbreed and what you want to do with it.

I have a working breed and never in a million years would I buy a working breed from a kennel club breeder as the Kennel Club destroys every decent working breed it gets it’s hands on.
Collies, retrievers, jacks, pointers etc I would go for working lines, working breeders, not Kennel Club registered.

If you were looking for a dog to show you would look for a kennel club breeder with titled dogs.

If you were looking for a non working breed and didn’t want to show my preference would be for a hobby breeder but you’d really have your work cut out trying to find a genuine one.
A lot are fronts for puppy farms.

In theory all breeding dogs should be health tested with good scores but in practice a lot of breeders, including KC ones, don’t health test and if they do they don’t often utilise the full range available.
The recommended tests vary according to the breed.

Try to go for a litter with a low Inbreeding co efficient.
This is one area where a kennel club breeder is extremely advantageous as you can check the inbreeding level of the litter.

Make sure you like the temperament of the parent dogs as they are the best indication of what the puppy will grow up like.

I would avoid any ‘exaggerated’ breeds prone to serious health issues like flat faced breeds like pugs, frenchies, bulldogs etc, GSDs and Dachshunds, dome head breeds like cavaliers, heavily wrinkled breeds like shar peis etc

Please just be really careful and discerning about where you get it from because people all round the country are currently too scared to walk their dogs due to dog snatching and attempted dog snatching. Actual instances reported to the police, not the fear mongering rumours. We need to cut off the resale market!

@BigWolfLittleWolf - thank you, that’s helpful.

I’m not interested in showing and definitely don’t want a dog that’s been inbred/has genetic issues.

But I’m really not sure how to identify a good breeder - once I know what we want would it be ok to just approach people with that breed and ask where they got them? Or is that some kind of breach of dog walker etiquette?

But I’m really not sure how to identify a good breeder
You can’t know for sure but less dogs living in with the family rather than big outdoor kennels, nice temperaments, breeders who ask you lots of questions about what you can offer their puppy, breeders who are always available for help and will take the dog back if you can no longer look after it, pedigrees showing low levels of inbreeding, health tests being done are all good signs.

once I know what we want would it be ok to just approach people with that breed and ask where they got them?
Yes but I wouldn’t only ask them that!
If someone just approached me out of the blue and asked where I got my dog from my immediate thought would be they want to steal my dog!
Tell them you are considering that breed, what are the good points and bad points, would they recommend them etc

Ah that’s a good tip, I definitely don’t want to look like I’m scouting for good dogs to steal! I will open with some more normal sounding chat :)

I wouldn’t be talking to people you bump into. You have no idea how good their breeder is. Just because they love their dog doesn’t mean the poor bitch it came from isn’t being bred from time and time again.
I would choose pedigree and go via the breed club or rescue.

Hmm, yes that’s a good point. I suppose I’m sort of thinking that somebody who seems like a good dog owner would have a better idea than I am whether their breeder was good?

We talked to people who were walking the breed we wanted to find out about breeders. People do the same to us.

The bit I underestimated was that that you can't really leave them alone when they are a puppy. They sleep a lot but you need to be there to toilet train etc. So I ended up working from home for the first month then in laws looked after her in morning and I wfh in the afternoon..

You have no idea how good their breeder is. Just because they love their dog doesn’t mean the poor bitch it came from isn’t being bred from time and time again
This is certainly true but then you can tell a lot just by looking at the dog while you are talking.
Is their dog nervous around you?
Aggressive?
Hyperactive?
Calm?
And most owners love to talk about their dogs and I think most, if asked, will tell you the bad as well the good.

What I meant by that, as reading back I don’t think it’s clear, is that you can get a small clue as to how well bred the dog is just by talking to it’s owner.
It’s true it won’t tell you whether it was farmed or from an over bred bitch though.

They may give you a good idea about what their dog is like. But I know seemingly lovely people who bought from commercial breeders or puppy farmers. And people that seem nice who bred from their pets with no health testing.

They may give you a good idea about what their dog is like. But I know seemingly lovely people who bought from commercial breeders or puppy farmers. And people that seem nice who bred from their pets with no health testing
Tbf, a lot of puppy farm fronts are very convincing indeed.
We probably all know people who inadvertently bought from a puppy farm/dealer.
They aren’t easy to spot at all.
Re health testing, this is a problem all round.
A lot of hobby breeders don’t test, that is true, equally a lot of otherwise excellent working breeders don’t and there are plenty of Kennel Club breeders, listed within the breed club, who either don’t health test at all or only do a few or worse, test and then breed anyway when the result is poor.

In my experience, people can be wilfully blind about their puppy's origins - ignoring red flags and failing to do even the most basic of research. Someone I know was looking for a popular breed on Pets4Homes (Red flag 1), at a breeder located in West Wales (flag 2), with pictures of puppies that were so posed they may have been stock images (flag 3). A simple Google of the breeders name and town revealed he'd a well documented history of poor welfare relating to his breeding dogs - not just a puppy farmer, but someone at the worst end of the spectrum. The prospective puppy buyer hadn't done even the most basic of due diligence checks.