First ever dog

[bakewellbride]

We are thinking of getting a dog but I have never had one and need advice! Dh grew up with dogs and adores them. Our children absolutely love dogs too (they are 2 and nearly 6).

We live near the beach and countryside and a 5 minute walk away from a park that has a huge secured field for dogs to run around. I guess I'd be at that field daily! I'm a sahm but will get a part time job when the toddler starts school (we'd pay for someone to come and help with the dog on my working days if dh also at work that day - he does shifts so no set days).

I am active and do lots of walking as well as run 9 miles every week so the exercise doesn't scare me.

I just want to know what it's like. What is it like to actually own a dog? Is it really bad having to pick up poo all the time? Everyone scares me with their horror stories of his much work it all is but when I see dogs I just think it would be amazing and that we have a good set up.

Any words of wisdom are welcome. I am thinking of maybe a Labrador, are there any other good breeds you'd recommend?

It’s incredible. You have something in your home that loves you 100% of the time absolutely and entirely unconditionally.

Picking up poop is the least of your worries 🤣 - and you learn an amazing technique. Don’t you already pop a bag over your hand pick up the nappy and invert the bag to contain it - if not try it. That’s all you do and no poop gets near your skin 🤣

2yr old and puppy is going to be very hard work. Even a 6yr old …. Land sharks are land sharks when they are tiny and puppy teeth as sharp and small children are idiots around dogs. You need to learn dog body language very fast - all those insta photos of dog being climbed on should NEVER happen. The dog is always trying so hard to be good and not tell the skin puppy how bloody unhappy it is about this , for instance.

think if never being able to go where your dog can’t at weekends / holidays etc. They are very tying

The puppy stage can be quite hard but overall I love having a dog, he's like my little mate who is always pleased to see me, always has my back and will always love me.

Dogs are awesome. But a lot of work. They are also expensive. Where you live sounds great though, and your work set up, etc, too. Research breeds that might work for your family - eg do you want small, medium, large dog? Needs a lot of excise, or not? Do you need a bigger car? How will holidays work? Etc. Get a rescue, not from a breeder, please - there are enough puppies in the world! And enjoy. Teaching kids the responsibility of a dog is a great thing I think (said as someone who had dogs as a kid, and now as an adult).

Read this thread I started a few weeks ago. It's made me so excited to get ours.

Tell me the best thing/s about having a dog www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/5101087-tell-me-the-best-things-about-having-a-dog

(Note - not really a practical slant to this but a lovely read all the same)

We have a 4 month old puppy and I have never had a dog before. Picking up the poo doesn't bother me as I do it each time. He is very cute which is good as he can be a bit bitey when tried, He sleeps well at night in his crate but is awake early 5.30/6. The hardest bit for me is not being able to go out without someone being around as he isn't used to being left yet so I feel a bit tied to the house at the moment but I am sure this will get better. He can be frustrating when taking shoes or chewing things. I also go to puppy training once a week and then need to practice. He has been with us since 8 weeks and we already can't remember what it was like without him. We have stair gates up to keep him from going upstairs at the moment.
My dd13 & dd15 are totally besotted and enjoy helping

We have a miniature poodle. We’ve had bigger dogs before but decided to downsize. She is absolutely the easiest dog we’ve ever had. She’s very intelligent and lives to please, a winning combination. She’s a complete joy. She’s ecstatic to see us, in the morning or if we have been out. She loves cuddles and sits with us in the evening.

Do not be tempted to get any sort of poodle cross.

Dogs are the absolute best but I would really recommend waiting until your youngest is in school before you go ahead!

I have retrievers and spaniels and walk 7-8 miles a day with them - usually more. Grew up with GSDs and retrievers.

Retrievers (labs, goldens etc) need at least 90 minutes a day of good exercise - not being set loose around the same field or walking the kids to school. Those breeds need exercise and mental stimulation. If you fail to give them that, they destroy your house or worse.

I’d also flag its not daily you exercise a dog, it’s twice a day - at least - with retrievers or spaniels (or most of the ‘family friendly’ breeds. In every weather condition. If you’re not doing that, you don’t deserve a dog IMO.

Dogs are lovely. But they’re a life time commitment and the commitment is no less once they grow. Please have a serious think about breeds - and don’t go for anything energetic as tbh I don’t think you’ll give it what it needs.

I have a cocker poodle cross puppy, 12 weeks now. He’s our first dog, though I too grew up with dogs. He’s absolutely gorgeous and we all adore him. He’s also a lot of work.

Picking up poo isn’t an issue, he needs a lot of company and stimulation, you need to learn when he’s tired and over stimulated (and needs a rest) and when he’s bored (and needs activity or stimulation) which can be hard because the behaviours can look the same. He’s learning to take himself off to his crate when he needs to stop but that’s been a lot of consistent work and routine.

He’s also quite bitey - not in an aggressive way, land shark is definitely a good description. Your 2 year old isn’t going to know how to behave around a dog so I’d be thinking about how you’re going to manage dog and toddler. I think people have a lovely picture of kids and dogs bonding and being best friends but there’s a lot of work involved in training a calm, companionable dog.

In saying that, if you can manage the workload, there’s nothing better than being greeted by a wagging tail in the morning.

I'm a very new owner - nine days! so what I've learned so far might be useful but won't be anything like the whole story. The first few weeks will be super-hard and you need to be able to respond to them like another toddler, only one that doesn't wear nappies and has no language. You will be wiping up pee from your floors and everywhere else for the first few days at least and he will want your constant attention when he's awake. I spent weeks reading puppy training books and Reddit threads about puppy blues and blogs and God knows what else to try to prepare myself, had a house full of toys and food, and ready meals for myself, and all of it helped but nothing prepares you for having a puppy except having a puppy. BUT. They sleep a lot. They are the funniest, most affectionate, snuggly creatures alive (when they're not trying to bite your face off). And I haven't doubted my decision once. I look at him sometimes and can't believe the privilege of having him. Puppy tax attached.

To get the dog you want is a lot of hard work but it’s so worth it. However choose wisely I have a Fox Red Lab and she is working stock and has to work she is now a trained Gundog, man and trail hunt and scent trained, all that coupled with about 5 miles a day across 2 walks makes for the most laid back dog ever. I am sure people will tell me I am wrong but avoid cockerpoos, if you mix two working strains you get a dynamo of a dog that will be like a Duracell bunny. Also the puppy stage is so hard and requires a lot of dedication to get the basics right. However the love and affection you get from a well balanced happy dog cannot be equaled, as I tell my 3 she is the best kid I have 😁

When not working etc this is what we got most of the day

Agree with other posters about the puppy stage being hard! And adolescence! I have a working line Labrador - he is mad as anything but we love him. We also have a 1 year old who came along when our lab was 18mo. I think it’ll be fine if you’re well prepared. They are very bitey as puppies and the obvious toilet training and crate training (would 100% recommend with children in the house!!) I cried a lot during puppyhood, it is not for the faint hearted - the getting up in the night, the destruction, the zoomies at 5am, whining a lot , needing so much entertainment, not being able to leave him home alone for several months. However, I do think it was worth it. Set yourself up for success and train recall from puppyhood and leave it and be around the food bowl during mealtimes to prevent resource guarding. Couldn’t imagine not having a dog now!!

@Paulrn the universal lab sleeping position 😂 (note, ours knows this is the human sofa and has his own 3-seater but can’t resists the cushions😂)

Personally I’d wait until the 2yo is a bit older, puppies can be really bitey and it can really scare young children.

Just want to ditto everyone else who has said it's super hard. No matter how hard you imagine it will be, it will much, much harder.

I'm a first time dog owner, he's 2.5 now. Lab x Red Setter and I just was not prepared for the first year at all.

I saw a video by that Southend Dogs about owning a Labrador and he said something like ... When they are young, they just turn up, fuck things up and leave. But as they grow older they become the most noble, perfect gentle dog you could imagine.

This has been true for me. He destroyed my house, he was as others have said, a landshark, he will bite the children if able. He was into anything and everything, he made me pull my hair out, cry, wonder what the hell I had done and I didn't have young kids. He loves people, dogs, balls, toys and would just lose his shit constantly with energy and excitement and would pull my arm out of its socket to get to something he wanted. He was the worst behaved dog at puppy classes, the little shit head just wanted to dig 😭

But we're out the other end now. I dedicated so much time to training, and still do a bit of training every day. They teach you a resilience and patience you never thought you'd have, and they steal your hearts. He's worth every tear, every sleepless night, every chewed item of clothing.

One thing I will say is it ties you down. You can't just go out for the day without him. I have a good routine, he goes to daycare once a week when I'm in the office and my son has him the second day. But it's £25/day. I pay a lot for food because he's raw fed, another £100/month. Add on all the bits you need (he went through 6 beds in 12 months), vets, insurance, treats, toys, leads, harnesses etc. Mine costs me £300/month easily. Will you go on holiday without him and be able to find someone to have him?

If we are going out, we have to plan and make sure we've enough time to walk before, he's left for 4 hours sometimes and would probably be ok for longer, but I don't like the idea of doing it. We didn't leave him at all really for months, so he didn't get any sort of separation anxiety. Doing everything the right way takes so much time and dedication.

The cost is definitely something to think about. Outside of the cost of the dog I’ve probably spent another £1000 on dog, and dog adjacent, stuff. Things like beds, a crate, toys, vets fees, a cordless vacuum cos my twice a week turned into twice a day so needed something easy I could grab. Food and training treats (so many to find something he liked and would respond to).

It’s an investment of love and finances at least initially.

We both work full time and have a dog, and tbh it only really worked for us (especially when they were a puppy .... as they really can't be left alone for any length of time till they are about 6 months old) as our in laws took a full and active role of doggy day care.

But lots of people make it work.

They are a huge tie, holidays have to planned round the dog, weekends away etc, days out - weddings.... We have never put ours in kennels as we've always taken her with us or left her with the in laws.

Train the puppy for the dog you want, so decide if you want to always have sofas with dog throws on or will not allow on the sofa/bed etc.

We wouldn't be without her, she's adorable. It's completely changed our life and in a good way.

Also at the beginning you probably get less exercise having a dog as they can't walk for that long and need sniffy walks too as well as long hikes....

My dogs are adults but here's my typical dog day (Mon- Fri)
5:15 get up & dressed... have a coffee.

5:45 take dogs out for a walk
6:30 ish get back, have breakfast and get ready for work.

7:15 go work
.... DH is home either until 2pm or is back 2ish so he'll let them out or walks them.

16:15 home Take dogs for a walk
17:00 ish sort dinner/ DC - they are older teenagers.

18:00 - 19:00 dog training classes (this is 3x week)
20;00 I often play or do extra training with them....

I have to say, the early starts can be brutal especially in winter when it is cold, wet and dark. Think twice, it's a lifestyle that you can't just change like any other hobbies. Plus, I do K9 sports, so training & exercise need to be done every single day.

2 year old and a labrador will be very hard work for a first time dog owner.

Dont think a dog walk as part of your exercise it will be more of a training exercise with a lab for quite a while. You may have to have your run without the dog for a while so add in the extra time.

Labs are great loving dogs but can easily find things to do that can be annoying! Eating, chewing things left in reach especially children toys.

Mega tie you will not be able to do anything spontaneously anymore. Lots of places that allow children do not allow dogs.

Do not go into this with rose coloured spectacles it will be hard hard work and very frustrating at times and expensive. Think hard about it.

Or you can borrow my mad lab for a day to see how you get on (I am an experienced dog handler but this lab is just a loon case and at times make me want a cat instead!)

Picking up poo is just a non issue compared to all the other stuff involved with having a dog!

I got my dog in my early 20's and he was my first so I had been soo looking forward to it. I'd wanted once since I was a kid. He's a lab cross and is now 6 years old. But I will be honest and say that I definitely had a rose tinted, idealised view of what having a dog would be like and how perfect everything would be and the reality is it has been so much harder than I thought it would be

He has health issues so he costs a lot more money than I anticipated, which I definitely didn't budget for at the time so we've made adjustments as we go along
He's reactive on the lead but is fine when off so we have to manage his walks really carefully to make sure there's either minimal lead walking, or that it's somewhere we're unlikely to see other dogs
He also has severe seperation anxiety which we're working on but it's hard and takes a lot of time, patience, money with a trainer and a lot of hard work. At the moment he can't be left at home for more than about 20 minutes, which means we either take him where we're going, have to ask my family to look after him, or we don't go. We don't just nip out for tea, go to the cinema, go on dates, things like that without having to arrange care for him in advance

Obviously I love him to bits and I'm absolutely not saying that everyone experiences these things. But I wish I had really understood what I could be letting myself in for. I also really couldn't imagine having children in the mix as well but that's probably just me😆

We too have a Lab, now 3. My first ever dog, I've always had cats.

Yes, it IS hard work.
I think the biggest negative for me, and something I took a while coming to terms with, is how tying a dog is. How I can't spontaneously go out for the day now...I have to plan doggy day care.
I'm more used to it now but it took a while.

He does spend alot of the day sleeping!

He gets 2 walks a day, one of 1.5 hours and the other about 45 minutes but I actually quite like inclement weather so it's not a bind.
I definitely appreciate my local surroundings more now and visit the beach loads more than I used to!

He's already had double elbow dysplasia surgery which cost £6900 - the insurance, which we'd literally got weeks before, just covered it.
I know his insurance will go up, it's currently £70 a month.

The teens, who were the ones that pushed for a dog, rarely walk him and will only do so if I ask.
Obviously, I should have known this 😂

He's my boy (a menopause puppy!) and I now can't imagine life without a dog now.

This is he.

I have a horse too, so thought the dog would be easy ...

It's not! It's bloody hard work!

Sometimes I feel like a single parent, as it's just the dog, the horse and me... and I'm responsible for all of us 😂

I love the walks (mostly!), but my God does he need entertaining- a LOT! He doesn't play by himself 😭

All the things I wasn't going to let him do (get on the sofa, share food, sleep on my bed ..., he now does 🙈)

He cost a bloody fortune on chews and toys

He's made my life smaller

And he's a total bloody dickhead, but... I love him so much, he makes me laugh every day and he gives the most amazing cuddles 🥰🥰

Go into it eyes wide open and the patience of a saint, it'll change your life 🩷