Advice for a first time dog owner

[Nishky32]

We may be getting a dog, I have never owned one. What advice would you give.

We are both 58, dh works largely from home but is sometimes out of the house. I work from home 4 days out of 5. Children both at uni so come back occasionally.

largeish enclosed back garden but we do live on main road with no gate at end of drive.

I have some allergies so will have to choose breed carefully. I have recently lived with my mum for a week as my dad is in hospital, and their dog did not set me off which is what made us think about finally taking the plunge.

@Nishky32

How exciting! I love dogs!!

Will you be getting a puppy or rehoming?

My main points to note would be if you are rehoming, you will be given lots of support on training and behaviour etc etc straight away and will have a point of contact to go back to should you need any guidance . This is also the cheaper option !

If you are going for a puppy you'll have to brace yourself for the puppy stage which is surprisingly hard ! Toilet training, chewing , teaching boundaries and training how you want them to be from the very start . Puppy's are adorable and bouncy and so much !

We rescued our dog when he was 6months old. Luckily he was already toilet trained , but things we struggled with in the early days of having him were :

• separation anxiety . Most puppies have this whether they are rescue or not and I never realised this. He would cry in the night when we left him downstairs and we went to bed. We had to train him to learn it was ok to be downstairs on his own! We took him to puppy classes with the dogs trust which was great! Also a lot of fun!
• the chewing! We lost so many pillows and our table legs had massive chunks out of them
• having a dog is so rewarding and they love you unconditionally!

Best of luck with your decision

@buttteecuplad Thank you! I would like to rescue- and would be open to an older dog- I am hoping that a rescue centre would allow visits to be sure about the allergy issue- I would know within a few hours if a particular dog affected me.
also a lot of the sites are very clear about what sort of home a dog should go to which is reassuring- it rules us out for a lot of dogs as we are not experienced owners.

The separation anxiety worries me as I am a softie, but my parents had a dog who suffered terribly- I sat with him for 2 hours when they first had him and he trembled the whole time - but now they can leave him for a couple of hours and he is fine- so I know it can be done.

thank you so much for the advice

It is honestly like having a baby, if you get a puppy. Harder, in fact, as babies stay where you put them. As long as you know that it's relentless hard work for a little while... but it's so worth it ❤️
Hope you have the best time, I sleep with mine every night, and it's the best feeing ever.

@ComeOnThenFanny thank you- my colleague has 3 dogs and has told me stories of being outside in her pyjamas at 5am- she said it was like having a baby, but you make a good point about harder than babies!

@Nishky32
Getting an older rescue dog sounds ideal for your working from home circumstances ! You would be able to dedicate so much time to them !

Rehoming centres are fantastic and you can have an open conversation with them about your lifestyle and needs and wants from a dog and they can match you up - a little like a dating agency I guess!! Haha if they don't have any suitable matches they keep your details and let you know when one comes in that would fit !

We struggled initially to rehome as we had indoor Guinea pigs and centres were concerned the dogs they had at that time would want to get the Guinea pigs !!! So it took a while to find the right match !

Puppies are like babies for a short while but since having my daughter who is now 4 I have realised that the puppy stage really doesn't last very long in comparison at all :)

I’m sure you’ll get a lot of responses but I’d say:
Need to walk them at least 2x per day come rain or shine.
Have enough money for vet expenses, insurance etc. Get highest level of insurance possible or at least 10k in the savings. If you have to take a dog to the vet for literally farting it will cost you £100! Accidents/surgery can cost thousands literally.
Be prepared to change your life so your dog isn’t left alone for hours, or passed from pillar to post if you want to go on holiday . Think of them as a toddler age child!
Forget about looking stylish. You’ll be covered in muddy paw prints at least 80% of the time. In all coat/jacket pockets you’ll find poo bags/ soggy tennis balls
The smaller the dog , the smaller the poo. Big dogs=big poo!
Don’t get offended if people you see on your daily dog walks know the name of your dog but not yours
The most controversial one- be prepared to get a bigger bed and possibly take up pilates or yoga as you’ll get into some funny positions depending on the size of your dog.
On a more serious note:
Anyone getting a dog as an ‘older’ adult needs to consider their age- I’m not being ageist, but a dog can live for 15 years . If you have any health conditions that you know could deteriorate within that timeframe you need to ensure you can afford a dog walker if required. I’m 50 and have a 3 yr old dog. If I got another dog when this one passes on, I wouldn’t get another puppy. I would be looking at a rescue dog that was a bit older to ensure I could meet its needs. ( For any naysayers I couldn’t get a rescue this time round as we have a free runny rabbit and alleged dog allergies)
Research the breeds and match to your expectations/ needs. You mentioned allergies so I would err on the side of caution as it would be awful to get a dog but then need to rehome it. Also as lovely as the majority are, poodle mixes can be a bit neurotic. ( Speak from experience)The smaller poodle mixes seem to on the whole a bit less bouncy/ crazy as the spaniel ones! Though we have a pomapoo and he’s very energetic!

Regardless of the above, getting a dog as an adult was one of the best decisions we made. A dogs love is unconditional ( if you treat it properly), our fitness has improved but more importantly our mental health too. You can wake up feeling awful but that wagging tail and doggy kisses ( again controversial ) make it all better.
Our dog is a fully fledged family member. If you aren’t going to be able to accept that and the responsibility that comes with owning a dog, I wouldn’t get one.

Yikes- a long post but hopefully good for though!

@buttteecuplad thats reassuring about the rehoming centres and the process

@Righttherights thank you, that is so helpful, this is not a rushed decision we have discussed for many years! You are right to raise the health issue- my parents are in their 80’s and dealing with these issues. They have a fabulous day care place where their dog goes one day a fortnight , initially because he was anxious when left but happy at the day care, so they could have one day when they could go out for longer- now they are thinking of sending him once a week as they have to take shorter walks and they want him to socialise.

I would be looking for a similar thing near me at some point in case there are days when we are both out

Here are my little darlings, just to have an excuse to post a picture 😊

If u decide to get a dog, make sure u get baby gates installed, blankets, toys basically like having a toddler lol... I wouldn't advise having a leather sofa's as mine managed to chew through it even with a cover over the leather sofa ... Some people have carpets but I wouldn't get carpets as it's soo hard to clean especially when they have accidents no matter how much u clean the carpet the smell just lingers and the carpet ends up looking old and tatty (if that is a word lol) .. I'm guessing u are financially stable enough to take of a dog as u wouldn't be thinking of getting one so I am not going to go on about the vet bills

Awwe puppy dog eyes I can't resist the urge of giving them cuddles 😍🐶🐶

What are you going to do about holidays ? I haven’t been away for over 3 years due to not wanting to leave him.

Poodles are great

I feel forgot to add I a student wouldn't bother wearing expensive/new clothing around the dog lol... Good luck 🤞🏽

If you are interested in a puppy, could you be a puppy raiser for a charity? Guide Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Hearing Doga for the Deaf all have schemes and they usually come with training so you can be confident and take it onto any other dogs you have. Puppy raising placements usually last 12 months or so, so a good chance to test out having a dog if you are at all uncertain. Obviously tough to give them up atvthe end, but you know they are going to do good things!

Miniature poodle here

I mean't I wouldn't lol me and my fat fingers

My parents never go away for more than a week, but their day care place will have dogs for a week. Otherwise they find a hotel that takes dogs.

I would love this, but I don’t think my husband would go for it.

Love the photos thank you!

yes we can afford vets bills

Have you thought about a greyhound? The fur is generally good for allergies but they’d be very happy for you to spend time with the dog first.

A rescue greyhound that is

I think a lovely older rescue dog would be great for you. Lurchers are very fine haired and easy to keep clean, like greyhounds. How about Violet? Shes housetrained, cuddly, and in foster care so you would be able to visit several times and spend time with her

I had assumed that greyhounds and lurchers would not be good with the allergy- that is something to think about, thanks. Someone in our village has about 4 greyhounds- might try and engage them in conversation

I would say - take everyone's experience with a pinch of salt and remember that all dogs are individuals with their own quirks, likes and dislikes. Yes, choosing the right breed for your lifestyle is a good starting point, but there's no guarantee that (for example) a greyhound will be happy being left all day, or that a Labrador will be food-motivated.

Think about what you can give a dog, and pick a breed that's likely to fit into your lifestyle and budget, rather than the other way around. In other words - remember that the breed you like may not be the breed that actually fits with your day-to-day routine.

The important things to consider (for me) are:

Exercise requirements
Grooming requirements
Breed traits and which ones you would struggle to manage.
Size (bigger dogs cost more)
Potential health issues and which issues are common in the breed.
Trainability - NOT intelligence. They are two very different things

For example - we have a beagle - he needs a good amount of exercise but nowhere near as much as, say, a husky. He doesn't need grooming but he does shed, so he wouldn't be good for anyone with allergies. He's got a high prey drive and is quite vocal, so maybe not a good idea if you need to WFH on calls, or if you want a dog who can be off the lead on a regular basis. He's medium-size so doesn't cost a lot to feed and they're generally hardy and healthy, so his insurance isn't extortionate either. Training wise - he definitely has his own mind and needs a very different approach to say, a spaniel or a lab.

They're also (as a breed) prone to separation anxiety, so aren't ideal for lifestyles that require you to be out of the house a lot - unless you can afford daycare or walkers, or have family to help out.

I'm not saying this is you at all, but lots of people pick breeds based on appearance and personality alone, and don't really think about how they could cope with the breed on a long-term basis, iyswim.

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts thank you- food for thought!