Puppies

[rebajayne]

Hiya

Im moving into a new house, and my 4 year old boy ask's me everyday "when we move can i get a new doggy". I would really like one, and i think it does kids the world of good to be brought up with a dog. Im covered with work as i work from my mums home and it can come with me

Would it be fair to leave it with my mum to stay when i go on holiday (in june)??

Also at what age can a puppy get left say for a few hours on its own?

[smudge]

Why don't you wait until you've settled into your new home, then decide if/when to buy a puppy.

Perhaps you might be taking on too much at once, having to establish your son into a new environment & school etc., then having the extra work of training a new puppy too.

That's only my personal opinion, but I wish you & your family all the best & for 2006 too.

[Solarjunkie]

Absolutely agree with Smudge, wait till you get back from holiday to add to your family. Then you'll have the long school holidays to get it well established.

Don't forget the advantages of an older dog, no housetraining for example! Sadly there are always plenty available at rescue centres.

[pauline lee]

Yes, wait until after your holiday. Unfortunately it is holiday times when dogs get dumped, so you will have a better choice. I hope you get one from a rescue centre. It is a known fact that cross-breeds are healthier than pedigrees, and much cheaper to buy. Try the Dogs Trust or RSPCA or Blue Cross.

I could leave mine when it was about five or six months old. By then she had been house trained. I house trained her within six weeks by taking her out at every meal time after she had eaten. She was a cross breed greyhound/labrador, was brilliant with kids and lived until past her 16th birthday. Good luck to you.

[woofgang]

In addition to the sensible advice that you have received, i would like to comment that from your post, it seems to me that you and your littlie could usefully spend the time learning more about having a dog. There are loads of good websites and books, you need to think about what kind of dog you would like (large, small, hairy, smooth and what kind of character).

You could make links with local rescue centres and get the home visit approval bit done or find a breeder and get approved and get your name on their waiting list. If the rescue centre or breeder make it very easy for you to have one of their precious dogs then beware, they are unlikely to care about what happens after you have the dog!

The answers to your questions depend upon the view of the poster. I tend to agree with Pauline Lee on the leaving pup alone question. People who crate train will tell you younger, again to a certain extent it will depend upon the nature of your puppy. About the leaving pup with your Mum question, again depends on your Mum and the puppy. Will she treat the puppy EXACTLY as you do? Is her house suitable? You don't want to change training methods and expectations as this can be very confusing for pup also how upsetting for you and your son if pup became too attached to Mum and didn't want to go home with you!

Last point, take it from me that it is much easier to housetrain a puppy in summer. When the days are dark, cold and wet, pup won't want to stay out in the garden till he's been and you won't want to wait with him which is essential!!

[lankeela]

Sorry if off thread, but have to disagree. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that cross breeds are healthier than pedigrees. Its just that there is very little information kept on illness/disease in crossbreeds, and often only the healthy ones survive.

My breed suffers from an inherited eye condition, and it is widely accepted that it came into the breed from Jack Russells being used in early matings. Jack Russells and other crossbreeds terriers are the biggest sufferers of this condition which any vet will tell you. It is the breed club that have done the research and fund raising to try to get a DNA test which will help all breeds and crosses that suffer from it.

At least you would know what you were getting with a pedigree, size, temperament, health awareness.

[WendyS]

Yes, I'd wait until after your holiday and also consider getting an older rescue dog. Puppies, although adorable, can be terribly destructive, and if you've got new carpets or new furniture in your new house you may live to regret the damage a puppy can do, especially if it's left alone for very long.

[Angleflame]

I agree with the others......wait till after your holiday. I will say to be careful what breed you get, as you have a 4 year old boy.....some dogs don't do well with children. May I suggest you look on the website www.dogbreedinfo.com . This has every breed you can think of to look at. It also has a search catagory that you can put in what you want from a dog and it will pick out the breeds for you. Good luck