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Best Dog for us
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What would be the best dog to have, for a family who has never had a dog before? Would it be a bad idea to get a dog from a rescue centre, in case it had emotional problems and we wouldn't have the experience to deal with it? Would it be a good idea to get a small dog? What do we need to consider? Thank you.
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Hello notafish.
Well done for considering a rescue dog. Each dog is carefully tested, and as long as you exercise common sense, most rescue dogs settle well into new homes, glad of the second chance. If there are serious problems, rescue centres will accept a dog back into their care, usually.
Do you have young children? Are you out of the house a lot? Can you afford to pay for EVERY aspect of the dog's care? I know these might all sound obvious and a bit patronising, but it is just stuff that some people don't think through before mking the (BIG!) decision.
If you go for a puppy instead, make sure they are healthy, bred by someone who cares about the breed. See the mother, visit your puppy a few times. Good breeders won't mind this. Someone like Lankeela, Jules or Kita will tell you lots about buying from a breeder. Never EVER consider a breeder who is advertising 3, 4, 5 different breeds. Most likely a puppy farmer, and a potential nightmare.
Our first dog is a Collie, and we had SO much to learn! He had a raft of issues, and we were misled about him. So I am keen for any other prospective owners to know what to expect, and how you can be sure that you are getting what you think you are.
Dogs that are usually good with people range from Labradors (popular choice for a family dog) to Staffies, to Greyhounds, which I love, and lots in between. So either way you have a lot of choice within that. Small dogs aren't necessarily ideal, it depends entirely on what you want. And small dogs can sometimes require more exercise than some big dogs!
Can you be bothered to walk a dog morning, afternoon, night, for 15 years? Can you pay vet bills or afford insurance? Can you flea and worm your dog regularly, and afford their annual boosters? Can you afford the cost of getting them neutered/speyed? Can you buy them good quality food, lots of toys etc?
Well done for considering a rescue dog. Each dog is carefully tested, and as long as you exercise common sense, most rescue dogs settle well into new homes, glad of the second chance. If there are serious problems, rescue centres will accept a dog back into their care, usually.
Do you have young children? Are you out of the house a lot? Can you afford to pay for EVERY aspect of the dog's care? I know these might all sound obvious and a bit patronising, but it is just stuff that some people don't think through before mking the (BIG!) decision.
If you go for a puppy instead, make sure they are healthy, bred by someone who cares about the breed. See the mother, visit your puppy a few times. Good breeders won't mind this. Someone like Lankeela, Jules or Kita will tell you lots about buying from a breeder. Never EVER consider a breeder who is advertising 3, 4, 5 different breeds. Most likely a puppy farmer, and a potential nightmare.
Our first dog is a Collie, and we had SO much to learn! He had a raft of issues, and we were misled about him. So I am keen for any other prospective owners to know what to expect, and how you can be sure that you are getting what you think you are.
Dogs that are usually good with people range from Labradors (popular choice for a family dog) to Staffies, to Greyhounds, which I love, and lots in between. So either way you have a lot of choice within that. Small dogs aren't necessarily ideal, it depends entirely on what you want. And small dogs can sometimes require more exercise than some big dogs!
Can you be bothered to walk a dog morning, afternoon, night, for 15 years? Can you pay vet bills or afford insurance? Can you flea and worm your dog regularly, and afford their annual boosters? Can you afford the cost of getting them neutered/speyed? Can you buy them good quality food, lots of toys etc?
Thank you leelapops for taking the trouble to give an in-depth answer. My children aren't young. Most of the time someone is at home. I was thinking a small dog's expenses would be cheaper than a large dog's. What small dogs are friendly and easy-going? Also I thought a small dog would be good for us, as we're not used to handling dogs at all. My children have been wanting a dog for at least 10 years, so it's not a whim.
Hey notafish, not as problem.
Good to know many years' thought has gone into it! Will the kids be taking some responsibility for the dog? It helps to all agree on every little thing: how the dog will be trained etc.
When it comes to expenses, the difference with a small dog will usually be in food. I am not sure, but any vet procedures will usually be the same. And while you perhaps want to steer clear of the 'giant' breeds (eg. Danes and Mastiffs), most well-trained dogs of any size will be manageable for you.
Jack Russells are popular where I live. Most of the small terrier types are feisty, and may be harder work than a larger, laidback Lab! People round here also like Westies.
Maybe a Spaniel? Springers are medium-sized, but a Cavalier King Charles will only be small. Or a lovely crossbreed from the Rescue.
It may well be worth going to your nearest Rescue Centre, before committing to buy from a breeder of a certain breed. Even if they have nothing suitable, you will have been, and probably received some good advice.
Good to know many years' thought has gone into it! Will the kids be taking some responsibility for the dog? It helps to all agree on every little thing: how the dog will be trained etc.
When it comes to expenses, the difference with a small dog will usually be in food. I am not sure, but any vet procedures will usually be the same. And while you perhaps want to steer clear of the 'giant' breeds (eg. Danes and Mastiffs), most well-trained dogs of any size will be manageable for you.
Jack Russells are popular where I live. Most of the small terrier types are feisty, and may be harder work than a larger, laidback Lab! People round here also like Westies.
Maybe a Spaniel? Springers are medium-sized, but a Cavalier King Charles will only be small. Or a lovely crossbreed from the Rescue.
It may well be worth going to your nearest Rescue Centre, before committing to buy from a breeder of a certain breed. Even if they have nothing suitable, you will have been, and probably received some good advice.
Very sound advice so far as always from the regulars on this site. If you can get to a few dog shows, then you can have a look at the different breeds and chat with the owners. This will give you a good idea of size, coat care, temperament, etc.
For example, are you prepared to groom a dog every day if it has a long coat that will matt if left unbrushed? (Bearded Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, Tibetan Terriers). Would you be willing to pay someone to clip the dog if it needed it every six weeks or so? (Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers).)
Do you want a dog you can let off the lead (some breeds like Beagles or Siberian Huskies will take off following their nose and disappear into the sunset). Do you want a dog that will take well to obedience training (Border Collie, German Shepherd Dog, Springer Spaniel - remembering that the same dog without any training can be a total nightmare). There are several native British and Irish breeds that are classed as vulnerable as they do not have many dogs being bred each year, and the breeders would be most happy if you were to think about one of them. The Smooth Collie is a short coated version of the 'Lassie' Collie, same with the Smooth Fox Terrier. The Sealyham is very similar to a Westie, just slightly larger, and there are many terrier breeds in this group.
If you give me an idea where you live I will point you in the direction of a show in your area, where you can go along and just have a look.
Just get a shortlist of your requirements ready, such as exercise, grooming, training, and any breeds you just like the look of. Most dog people are more than happy to talk dogs for hours on end, and you will learn a lot just by looking at how the owners handle their dogs.
For example, are you prepared to groom a dog every day if it has a long coat that will matt if left unbrushed? (Bearded Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, Tibetan Terriers). Would you be willing to pay someone to clip the dog if it needed it every six weeks or so? (Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers).)
Do you want a dog you can let off the lead (some breeds like Beagles or Siberian Huskies will take off following their nose and disappear into the sunset). Do you want a dog that will take well to obedience training (Border Collie, German Shepherd Dog, Springer Spaniel - remembering that the same dog without any training can be a total nightmare). There are several native British and Irish breeds that are classed as vulnerable as they do not have many dogs being bred each year, and the breeders would be most happy if you were to think about one of them. The Smooth Collie is a short coated version of the 'Lassie' Collie, same with the Smooth Fox Terrier. The Sealyham is very similar to a Westie, just slightly larger, and there are many terrier breeds in this group.
If you give me an idea where you live I will point you in the direction of a show in your area, where you can go along and just have a look.
Just get a shortlist of your requirements ready, such as exercise, grooming, training, and any breeds you just like the look of. Most dog people are more than happy to talk dogs for hours on end, and you will learn a lot just by looking at how the owners handle their dogs.
Among the people on this site you will probably find the owner of just about any kind of dog you can imagine and they're all good folks who are more then willing to share their experiances and help new dog (or cat even) owners, so dont worry about asking, everybody will help if they can, and people like the three already mentioned by leelapops
always give excellant advice, so good luck with your doggy hunt and don't forget to let us know what you decide
always give excellant advice, so good luck with your doggy hunt and don't forget to let us know what you decide
I'm glad this question has been raised as we are looking for a dog and have been looking at rescue dogs. We too are first time dog owners. My daughter is dog mad and has been for most of her life, son is not too keen on dogs, but has got better with being them being around and will be fine as long as the dog is not too big or too lively, he will be ok with it. We looked at a border collie in a rescue centre but son said she was too big. We have now drawn up a shortlist of a few possible breeds. Unfortunately for us these breeds only very rarely get put into the rescue centre for rehoming and we are a loss as to know where to reliably get one from. There are many adverts online for puppies, aside from the fact that many of these adverts I don't trust - they could be puppy farms, we ideally don't want a puppy.
Anyone got any suggestions about the best place to look, the breeds are Cavalier King Charles Spaniel , Bichon Frise and Shih Tzu (we are also open to having a crossbreed ). Our local rescue centre only ever seem to have JRT, Staffies and border collie x's
Anyone got any suggestions about the best place to look, the breeds are Cavalier King Charles Spaniel , Bichon Frise and Shih Tzu (we are also open to having a crossbreed ). Our local rescue centre only ever seem to have JRT, Staffies and border collie x's
I'm in a similar situation (but without the kids!). We've been looking at getting a whippet. From what I can tell they are really good natured, easy to train and are the least likely breed to need lots of vet treatments. We love hiking, and whippets also need lots of exercise and won't mind going on big walks with us ;)
hi all we do actually have the forms for the Bichon Frise resuce and the Southern Cavalier King Charles Rescue centre here on my desk waiting to be completed so I will get those in the post tomorrow and we will hopefully hear something back from them.
Notafish - we chose those breeds as we know people with a bichon and a KCCS and have experienced their good temperament etc, we know about the grooming aspect, costs and frequency etc, we are not a particularly active family so have chosen breeds that need moderate exerciseand feel that either of these would be right for us. Mr Jules is keener on the cavalier as he thinks the other two are a bit too small, but I am conscious of the moulting issue with the cavalier which is something he won't necessarily worry about as it's me that does the cleaning!
Notafish - we chose those breeds as we know people with a bichon and a KCCS and have experienced their good temperament etc, we know about the grooming aspect, costs and frequency etc, we are not a particularly active family so have chosen breeds that need moderate exerciseand feel that either of these would be right for us. Mr Jules is keener on the cavalier as he thinks the other two are a bit too small, but I am conscious of the moulting issue with the cavalier which is something he won't necessarily worry about as it's me that does the cleaning!
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