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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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This is a good rescue site to have a read through - they have all breeds/crossbreeds of all ages and types. They give a really good idea of each dogs requirements etc.
http://www.freewebs.com/manytearsrescue/dogslo okingforhomes.htm
If you do get a dog from a rescue centre I would go to one that has a non destruction policy (they don't put dogs to sleep) as the staff are more likely to be honest with you. If the staff know the dog is due to be put to sleep tomorrow they will more likely push you to take an unsuitable dog.
The Blue Cross are good.
Whatever you choose whether it is a dog from a rescue centre or buying a pup remember to go with your HEAD and not your heart!! DON'T get a dog because you feel sorry for it.
http://www.freewebs.com/manytearsrescue/dogslo okingforhomes.htm
If you do get a dog from a rescue centre I would go to one that has a non destruction policy (they don't put dogs to sleep) as the staff are more likely to be honest with you. If the staff know the dog is due to be put to sleep tomorrow they will more likely push you to take an unsuitable dog.
The Blue Cross are good.
Whatever you choose whether it is a dog from a rescue centre or buying a pup remember to go with your HEAD and not your heart!! DON'T get a dog because you feel sorry for it.
hi, notafish
I have a rescue dog and she was hard work at the beginning. She's supposed to be a 15 month old Collie/Lab cross, but a vet friend told me that's she's much younger, maybe only a year now. Still a puppy really.
Lead training was a nightmare, and she chewed everything - walls, furniture, my glasses, pens - everything within reach if she was left unsupervised for even a short while. Dug up all my plants and ate my breakfast once when I went into the hall to get the post, but was cute enough not to disturb the plates.
She was very reluctant to go to her bed at night (she has her own room !!). I suppose she remembered being left alone in the pen at the rescue centre. Then I hit on the idea of a Kong with doggie peanut butter. Magic.
Her current mission is to get rid of the very persistent pigeons that are trying to nest on my fire escape, in spite of netting and 'pigeon off' spikes. She can stare at them for ages, wishing she could fly.
She has had 4 walks a day, some quite long, since I got her in early February - I don't even want to think how many that is - we still do them. I live in the north, by the sea, and sometimes it took all my resolve to get togged, booted and gloved, with keys, doggie poop bags and treats in pocket and go out at seven in the morning and last thing at night when the gales and rain were almost blowing me off my feet.
A dog is a huge commitment, but I wouldn't be without her.
I just wanted to tell you that my brother's family has a Cavalier, and apparently she wakes the whole house up with her snoring.
I have a rescue dog and she was hard work at the beginning. She's supposed to be a 15 month old Collie/Lab cross, but a vet friend told me that's she's much younger, maybe only a year now. Still a puppy really.
Lead training was a nightmare, and she chewed everything - walls, furniture, my glasses, pens - everything within reach if she was left unsupervised for even a short while. Dug up all my plants and ate my breakfast once when I went into the hall to get the post, but was cute enough not to disturb the plates.
She was very reluctant to go to her bed at night (she has her own room !!). I suppose she remembered being left alone in the pen at the rescue centre. Then I hit on the idea of a Kong with doggie peanut butter. Magic.
Her current mission is to get rid of the very persistent pigeons that are trying to nest on my fire escape, in spite of netting and 'pigeon off' spikes. She can stare at them for ages, wishing she could fly.
She has had 4 walks a day, some quite long, since I got her in early February - I don't even want to think how many that is - we still do them. I live in the north, by the sea, and sometimes it took all my resolve to get togged, booted and gloved, with keys, doggie poop bags and treats in pocket and go out at seven in the morning and last thing at night when the gales and rain were almost blowing me off my feet.
A dog is a huge commitment, but I wouldn't be without her.
I just wanted to tell you that my brother's family has a Cavalier, and apparently she wakes the whole house up with her snoring.
Just catching up, so apologies if the replies don't make sense.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are mostly very nice little dogs, main problem with them is heart trouble, so only get one from a reputable breeder who heart tests the parents. Bichons are also nice little dogs, but of course do need clipping regularly. Whippets are super, can be a bit destructive if not given something to occupy them.
One of the best things to do is to contact the secretary of a breed club, all club details are on the Kennel Club website at the bottom of the breed standards for each breed. They will put you in touch with club members who might have puppies available, and be able to tell you the health problems and testing requirements in their particular breed.
One phrase that really makes me wince is 'we only want a pet, we are not worried about pedigree' - if you want to be sure what you are getting then you need to go to a good breeder who will supply full details of parentage and pedigree, and registration papers. You may not want to show or breed, but you would not buy a car without a registration document and you should consider a dog in the same way. You will with luck have your new pet for upwards of ten years, and will pay a fair sum if it is good quality, so make sure you get value for money. It costs the same to feed and keep a poor specimen, plus often more for vets bills so get a good 'un if you can.
First time dog owners will have to be very lucky to get a rescue dog without any problems, most of them are in rescue for a reason. Apart from a retired greyhound, which are no trouble at all, I would steer clear of a rescue dog and go for a puppy of a breed that you can get some idea what the adults are like.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are mostly very nice little dogs, main problem with them is heart trouble, so only get one from a reputable breeder who heart tests the parents. Bichons are also nice little dogs, but of course do need clipping regularly. Whippets are super, can be a bit destructive if not given something to occupy them.
One of the best things to do is to contact the secretary of a breed club, all club details are on the Kennel Club website at the bottom of the breed standards for each breed. They will put you in touch with club members who might have puppies available, and be able to tell you the health problems and testing requirements in their particular breed.
One phrase that really makes me wince is 'we only want a pet, we are not worried about pedigree' - if you want to be sure what you are getting then you need to go to a good breeder who will supply full details of parentage and pedigree, and registration papers. You may not want to show or breed, but you would not buy a car without a registration document and you should consider a dog in the same way. You will with luck have your new pet for upwards of ten years, and will pay a fair sum if it is good quality, so make sure you get value for money. It costs the same to feed and keep a poor specimen, plus often more for vets bills so get a good 'un if you can.
First time dog owners will have to be very lucky to get a rescue dog without any problems, most of them are in rescue for a reason. Apart from a retired greyhound, which are no trouble at all, I would steer clear of a rescue dog and go for a puppy of a breed that you can get some idea what the adults are like.
More thoughts. If you get a puppy from a reputable breeder, they will want to keep in touch and you may even end up with new friends. They will be on the end of the phone if you have the slightest problem or worry, as breeders we care what happens to our 'babies' even when they are pensioners.
I have had a phone call tonight from someone who has two of my 'puppies' , one of them is in the vets tonight as he has ripped a nail out of his foot and the owner is worried sick as he has never spent a night away from home before. He is five and the other one is ten, and I get calls regularly telling me what they are up to.
If you have read about 'Handsome George' getting a second place in a show at Scotland, thugulike will tell you that the breeder of their Mastiff encouraged them to show him and even handled him at the show for them, and they now have a dog that has qualified for Crufts at his first show, and they never intended showing him. They really have a dog to be proud of.
This is the link to the Kennel Club breed standards, each breed is in a 'Group' such as Gundogs or Terriers, so click on a group and look at all the breeds, and if you scroll down it tells you what they should be like. The club details are at the bottom.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/435
I have had a phone call tonight from someone who has two of my 'puppies' , one of them is in the vets tonight as he has ripped a nail out of his foot and the owner is worried sick as he has never spent a night away from home before. He is five and the other one is ten, and I get calls regularly telling me what they are up to.
If you have read about 'Handsome George' getting a second place in a show at Scotland, thugulike will tell you that the breeder of their Mastiff encouraged them to show him and even handled him at the show for them, and they now have a dog that has qualified for Crufts at his first show, and they never intended showing him. They really have a dog to be proud of.
This is the link to the Kennel Club breed standards, each breed is in a 'Group' such as Gundogs or Terriers, so click on a group and look at all the breeds, and if you scroll down it tells you what they should be like. The club details are at the bottom.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/435
i have had 3 cavalier king charles spaniels, they are beautiful, loyal, almost need no training, they are fantastic, im potty about them, they are good natured, loving, prone to ailments tho, hip probs, ear, and eye, but my dogs never, its just the breed, and they snore,...........quite alot, if it bothers you not to always hear the tv then not for you, but if i could find one, one that i could afford, id have one ..........no two, yesterday...lol
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