Advice on getting a dog

[Polyanwood]

I am still hoping to get a dog. I would welcome people's advice.

We have never had a dog, but do look after my sister's dog for a few weeks a year when she goes on holiday. I love her dog and I loved the previous dogs she had, so perhaps it doesn't matter. There are lots of rescue dogs to choose from. How do you choose?

I've been looking for a while and have begun to think that perhaps the kind of dog I have in mind does not exist. perhaps the ideas about what I should be looking for are wrong?

this is what I think I want
1. a dog that is house trained - grandson will be crawling soon - not a puppy
2. a dog that has long enough legs and is big enough to walk run with me - up to 20 miles at a time when marathon training
3. a dog that will walk/run to heel on a lead or not without puilling or stopping (can all dogs be trained to do this)
4. a dog that is not a breed that will be bad a recall - there are a lot of busy roads so I could lose it and it get run over - I thought the sight dogs like greyhounds and lurchers would be bad
5. a dog that won't make my asthma or my daughters eczema worse - I was hoping for a less hairy, less moulting dog
6. a dog that can be left alone for up to 6 hours a day ( idea is that if I get a dog soon, the children will all be home for the summer and the dog won't be alone for 3 months, but from the autumn the dog would be home alone 3 days a week.) I thought that this meant that I should avoid breeds that tend to get more anxious or easily bored - not a collie, spaniel or terrier.
7. breeds that other people in the family might be scared of: alsatians, rottweilers, staffies
8. a dog without serious behavoiural problems - aggression, food guarding, chasing small furry things, excessive barking or very anxious
9. a dog that is well and young enough to train - not sure how old - I was thinking under 4 years?

So I was thinking a medium sized cross breed dog would be perfect. I thought there would be lots of them, but there are not. I think that there is something wrong with my expectations. What do you think?

 

[Luminos]

That's a big ask.
Get a stuffed toy.

 

[Polyanwood]

I realised that. I have been looking for quite a long time so which bits are being too fussy? Husband wants to buy a puppy, but that seems mad when there are so may dogs needing homes.

 

[madasafish]

You want to be owned by a dog?

I suggest professional help...

I see all these dogs walking their pets every day. The dogs are the only ones who appear happy..

 

[VEG]

I am still hoping to get a dog. I would welcome people's advice.

We have never had a dog, but do look after my sister's dog for a few weeks a year when she goes on holiday. I love her dog and I loved the previous dogs she had, so perhaps it doesn't matter. There are lots of rescue dogs to choose from. How do you choose?

I've been looking for a while and have begun to think that perhaps the kind of dog I have in mind does not exist. perhaps the ideas about what I should be looking for are wrong?

this is what I think I want
1. a dog that is house trained - grandson will be crawling soon - not a puppy
2. a dog that has long enough legs and is big enough to walk run with me - up to 20 miles at a time when marathon training
3. a dog that will walk/run to heel on a lead or not without puilling or stopping (can all dogs be trained to do this)
4. a dog that is not a breed that will be bad a recall - there are a lot of busy roads so I could lose it and it get run over - I thought the sight dogs like greyhounds and lurchers would be bad
5. a dog that won't make my asthma or my daughters eczema worse - I was hoping for a less hairy, less moulting dog
6. a dog that can be left alone for up to 6 hours a day ( idea is that if I get a dog soon, the children will all be home for the summer and the dog won't be alone for 3 months, but from the autumn the dog would be home alone 3 days a week.) I thought that this meant that I should avoid breeds that tend to get more anxious or easily bored - not a collie, spaniel or terrier.
7. breeds that other people in the family might be scared of: alsatians, rottweilers, staffies
8. a dog without serious behavoiural problems - aggression, food guarding, chasing small furry things, excessive barking or very anxious
9. a dog that is well and young enough to train - not sure how old - I was thinking under 4 years?

So I was thinking a medium sized cross breed dog would be perfect. I thought there would be lots of them, but there are not. I think that there is something wrong with my expectations. What do you think?

Sounds like a sheep dog (collie)

 

[susbees]

Dogs are like grandchildren...great to borrow for a while...and give back.

Our two well-bred border collies are a hundred times more hassle than any other living thing here....including millions of bees, some llamas, sheep, chooks, tropical fish (except their pump), cats, two children, an adult child, and two part time adult children...(probably meaning part-time child as well as part-time resident).

Get a cat. No. Get two. Rescue cats abound too

 

[Polyanwood]

I wonder if there is a scheme where you can regularly borrow a dog.

 

[Polyanwood]

http://www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=6381

What about this one? I like the look of her.

 

[Walrus]

with Veg

A border collie can run all day and is easy to train. There again, anything is easy to train compared to my beagles!

Edit:

Oops, just seen Susbees comment....Oh well. They are definitely all a pain in the *ss but lovely too.

 

[victor meldrew]

Try the Samoyed rescue society.
Sammy's are wonderful animals .strong fit dogs that love people including kids .
Brenda Walker who runs the society is a lovely person .
Any of their dogs will have been spayed/neutered and micro chipped!View attachment 8211


View attachment 8215

VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Polyanwood]

He is beautiful, although VERY hairy. Do you have to do lots of hoovering? I am allergic to housework.

 

[BeeJayBee]

2. a dog that has long enough legs and is big enough to walk run with me - up to 20 miles at a time when marathon training
3. a dog that will walk/run to heel on a lead or not without puilling or stopping (can all dogs be trained to do this)
4. a dog that is not a breed that will be bad a recall - there are a lot of busy roads so I could lose it and it get run over - I thought the sight dogs like greyhounds and lurchers would be bad
5. a dog that won't make my asthma or my daughters eczema worse - I was hoping for a less hairy, less moulting dog

Airedale or Welsh Terrier? They're lovely dogs.

Standard Poodle? - Very active, I don't think they moult either.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am still hoping to get a dog.


this is what I think I want

2. a dog that has long enough legs and is big enough to walk run with me - up to 20 miles at a time when marathon training
3. a dog that will walk/run to heel on a lead or not without puilling or stopping
6. a dog that can be left alone for up to 6 hours a day
What do you think?

This is how I used to advise my clients when I was in practice as a vet.

Running long distances is quite unfair on a dog who wants to stop and sniff and pee lots of different places.
Running with him tethered to a you by a lead is even worse.
Dogs, whatever their breed, are social animals and should not be left alone all day.

susbees is right......get a couple of cats and run on your own.

 

[Brosville]

A staffie! - the "nanny dog" wonderful with kids, and probably the nicest temperament of any breed - the rescue centres are awash with them as thickets buy them to look "hard" and rapidly give them up when they find they're soppy creatures who might lick you to death......
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1481214/Adolf-the-devil-dog-now-known-as-Bundles.html

(and run on your own.........)

 

[madasafish]

Dogs tend to ruin lawns and use them as toilets. Ideal breeding ground for all sorts of diseases.

If dogs did not exist and had just been invented, they would be banned from public parks, houses and gardens...


Cats kill birds.

 

[Polyanwood]

My sister runs too. Next to a main road her dogs run on a lead, when we get to the park/countryside so that she or I can do do circuits on the grass, they stay close (ish) ( run, walk, sniff, pee) and then come back when called. Usually less than 10 minutes on lead, an hour off it, ten minutes back on it. I would not expect a dog to run on a lead without stopping for hours! Some of her dogs love squirrels and go hard of hearing when they get one cornered up a tree. It doesn't matter if you run or walk, it is still very stressful when the dog disappears in the woods sometimes for hours.

It is true that dogs are social. At the moment there are people in the house not working, but I keep hoping that soon there might not be. I guess I could come home at lunchtime or get a dog walker in the day on the days I work full time? Do these things mess with their minds?

 

[enrico]

I wonder if there is a scheme where you can regularly borrow a dog.

Yep, look up barking mad....a scheme where others look after people's dogs when they are away on holiday instead of kennels. Not only do you get a dog for two weeks but you get paid for doing it!!!
E

 

[Luminos]

This is how I used to advise my clients when I was in practice as a vet.

Running long distances is quite unfair on a dog who wants to stop and sniff and pee lots of different places.
Running with him tethered to a you by a lead is even worse.
Dogs, whatever their breed, are social animals and should not be left alone all day.

susbees is right......get a couple of cats and run on your own.

 

[Beauhawk]

I'm not sure your ideal dog exists!

I have four dogs, two trained Gundogs that work and compete in competition (English Spriger Spaniel and German Shorthaired Pointer) a French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeaux) and a bitzer!

They all do different things exceedingly well!

I think some compromise will be required on your part especially around leaving the dog for that amount of time!

With kids running around I would only get a puppy so that as it matured it was very use to the children but then you can never be 100% relaxed with dogs and kids.

However, the most important piece of advice is to provide the puppy with a crate where they feel happy. It should not be a place to be sent when they are naughty, rather a place they can relax in and get away from the kids etc. it is there space. Start them in it as soon a possible. also helps with house training a puppy.

Good luck - they are a tie but you will get so much love back from mans best friend..

 

[Skyhook]

I think there is a lot wrong with your expectations.

To get a dog that is good temperament and house trained, you woud have to get one with a known history in a good home, who's family can no longer keep it, eg moving to a flat. These are quite rare- most adult re-homes are from people that can't cope witha dog, and come with baggage. Also, being house-trained in one house doesn't always mean clean in others.

All dogs are individuals- breeds have tendencies towards certain temperaments, but there are no guarantees.

The only widely available breeds that don't shed hair are poodles and poodle crosses.

Running 20 miles is not natural for dogs. Probably the best ones for this would be husky types, but they have none of your other requirements- and what are you going to do when it gets past it's peak of fitness (probably about half it's life)?

Being left for 6 hours on a regular basis is far from ideal.

Serious behavioural issues- again, this is down to the individual.

And don't get a cat- they kill birds and other wildlife, and **** in next doors garden (you may have guessed my neighbours have cats).

I suggest a tamagotchi.

.