Want to Get a Puppy

[hiromizu]

We had a golden retriever for 11 years. He shed and was dumb but it was the sweetest 11 years we've ever experienced.

Pros: obedient, loving, loyal, never yapped and family oriented. never shat at home.
Cons: sometimes lazy, endless appetite, couldn't learn many commands, gullible and easily fooled by other dogs while socializing.

 

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

my dogs did the same. the cool thing was, if i answered the door and didnt invite the people in, the dogs wouldnt let the people even push the door open to look inside. my lab growled at the cops when they pushed my door open to look inside after i walked away to get some info for them one time. the cop slammed the door shut, scared him to death he told me. he also commended me for the training, since after that i opened the door and let him meet the dog, and he was ok with the cop after that.

gosh i wish my parents dog would be that smart. he hears the doorbell or anyone at the door he goes running and barking at the door. but if they come inside, he wants to play. :brokenheart:

cutest little guy in the world (maltese) but not the world's greatest security dog. great apartment dog... i want one when i live in a place that allows pets.

 

[lokiju]

Lab.

Best dogs out there really if you can deal with the shedding.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: freesia39

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

my dogs did the same. the cool thing was, if i answered the door and didnt invite the people in, the dogs wouldnt let the people even push the door open to look inside. my lab growled at the cops when they pushed my door open to look inside after i walked away to get some info for them one time. the cop slammed the door shut, scared him to death he told me. he also commended me for the training, since after that i opened the door and let him meet the dog, and he was ok with the cop after that.

gosh i wish my parents dog would be that smart. he hears the doorbell or anyone at the door he goes running and barking at the door. but if they come inside, he wants to play. :brokenheart:

cutest little guy in the world (maltese) but not the world's greatest security dog. great apartment dog... i want one when i live in a place that allows pets.

took a lot of work to get him to do that. he was to the point that all i had to do was snap my fingers when he was barking at the door and he would sit next to me. he also taught the new dog the same stuff, which was way cool to me. my dads doberman (110lb male with his ears and tail still on him) would let anyone in the house, no noise or anything. found out he wouldnt let anyone out tho when he got robbed. opened the door to a very scared guy almost in tears, not sure how long he had been there. was one of my funniest memories of my dads house, that dog was seriously weird. he wouldnt play ball, his only game consisted of stealing the ball from his mom (who loved to chase the ball) and parading around with it until she attacked him. it was funny to watch as well. i love dogs, they are the source of so much comedy for me.

 

[Oceandevi]

Get an abused pit bull from the pound. A male who is not fixed is best. Make sure he is big and had many teeth. They like to be hit and they love it when you yell at them. A tail held low is a sign of trust. When the dog cowers and growls he in inviting you for a game of wrestle. You should get down on all fours and charge him.

Tell us how it goes.

 

[randalee]

2nded on the Shih-Tzu. I've owned a few different types of dogs, grew up with Miniature Schnauzers, German Shepherds, even a Siberian Husky at one point. We got a Shih-Tzu a couple of years ago -- I was dead set against it. Didn't want some yappy dog at MY HOUSE. I relented, to please my wife, and he's turned into the best breed I've ever owned.

Potty trained extraordinarily easy at 10-12 weeks. I think he was unusually gifted in this respect, all Shih-Tzu may not be that way. He certainly will bark, but only if there is some sort of noise or disturbance. He sleeps with us (under the bed, sometimes in with us when it's colder). He likes to lay down next to me on the couch when I 'vegg-out'. We cut his hair short and keep it that way, as the long hair becomes cumbersome. He gets plenty of exercise just from playing and running around the house and yard. Doesn't need the huge amount of exercise some larger breeds need (ie. Siberian Huskies are crazy).

He has a door, so can let himself in and out, and goes poop in one spot -- makes it easy for me to go and clean up after him. I know it's always right where it always is...

 

[holden j caufield]

please don't buy a pet. Puppy mills where most come from are horrid and you'd save a life from getting one from the pound

 

[Calculator83]

mmmmmmmmmmmm... OMG this seems to be harder than building my first computer...

Ok, SO FAR i've taken into my equation.

1. Buy one from pound. (Save a life)

2. Get medium-small size Dog, Live in apartment.


Questions:

1. How much is yearly bill assuming this dog already has shots?

2. No one answered potty train question?

3. How do I tell if the dog is well behaved at the pound?

4. If I'd get 2 dogs, Do they have to be the same ones, or are types incompatible, as in computer ram.

5. How much SHOULD I spend?

6. Are dogs alright with electronics, I have many and I'd notice high pitch noises sometimes from them, will dogs go crazy over this?

7. Fixing dogs. Does this have to be done? I just cannot wrap my mind around it because I think of another life, and If it had happen to me OMG, idk, I can't contemplate doing this to a dog.

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: Calculator83
mmmmmmmmmmmm... OMG this seems to be harder than building my first computer...

Ok, SO FAR i've taken into my equation.

1. Buy one from pound. (Save a life)

2. Get medium-small size Dog, Live in apartment.


Questions:

1. How much is yearly bill assuming this dog already has shots?

2. No one answered potty train question?

3. How do I tell if the dog is well behaved at the pound?

4. If I'd get 2 dogs, Do they have to be the same ones, or are types incompatible, as in computer ram.

5. How much SHOULD I spend?

6. Are dogs alright with electronics, I have many and I'd notice high pitch noises sometimes from them, will dogs go crazy over this?

7. Fixing dogs. Does this have to be done? I just cannot wrap my mind around it because I think of another life, and If it had happen to me OMG, idk, I can't contemplate doing this to a dog.

I think you should get a 8800GT, Roomba, or that weird Sony robot dog. Don't get anything that uses oxygen.

 

[alkemyst]

too much misinformation here...looking for something larger to kill myself with.

 

[abaez]

This thread has been enlightening. I'd like to get a small dog.. no shedding and I don't mind taking it out.. but I do work 8 hours/day... not sure what would work ;(

 

[Calculator83]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
too much misinformation here...looking for something larger to kill myself with.

ur telling me, I'm doing more than scratching my head over it.

 

[TheSiege]

Pound per pound a great dane eats less food then most dogs, and they are a great apartment dog.

they grow huge like you want.

 

[CellarDoor]

Just go to the pound or the nearest shelter and see which one you like. Sometimes the people there will know a little bit about their personality and temperament. Do NOT go to the shelter until you are absolutely ready to get one. IME there is no such thing as shopping for a dog. You go and you end up getting one. Also, sheltered dogs tend to have interesting, but great personalities, and mixed breeds often have less health problems, IME. If you get one that is a couple years old it's likely already house-trained. The up-front cost for one of the shelter dogs isn't very much, but obviously you have to be able to afford medication and visits to the vet down the line.

 

[umbrella39]

Get a Boston Terrier. Loyal and very friendly and playful. Not a yapping breed of dog.

Text

 

[SketchMaster]

Puppys are a greate idea.

...Untill you bring them home.

 

[0roo0roo]

you don't have to go to a pound, a reputable breeder will also do. if you want a specific breed research and buy it. saving a life is fine and cheap as well. but unless you are experienced adopting a dog that is already grown is a bad idea. you do not know what trauma and lack of training it has had and will have to deal with the results.

potty training just requires patience and consitency.
read a training book.
do not skip this. frankly it just requires consistency. and if you aren't going to read up on it, you shouldn't get a dog.

raised together dogs probably will get along. if they develop a hierarchy respect it. feed the dominant first etc.
electronics are fine esp when raised around them. dogs don't mind pc's etc. mind didnt mind loud music for instance, and generally ignored the tv as if it didn't exist. they only mind vacuum cleaners and such loud things

fixing should be done as soon as the vet thinks it is ok. you dont want a hormone crazed dog. fixing stunts them nearer to puppyhood.

most of your questions are answered in books.

 

[dawp]

Where do you live? my golden retriever just had puppies in mid Dec and will be giving them away come February, I had just moved and she got knocked up before i could get her fixed. she and a previous litter was abandoned and I adopted her just before i moved to the KC area and was able to find homes for the puppies.

 

[ed21x]

i suggest you get a tiny pomeranian, just cuz those dogs are in general always happy and playful, and never really all that loud. They are also easily trained on a puppy pad, and are easy to handle. hmm, maybe it's cuz i've never had experience with any other types of dogs before.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Calculator83
mmmmmmmmmmmm... OMG this seems to be harder than building my first computer...

It's is, a pet is a variable entity.....a PC is static.

Originally posted by: Calculator83
1. How much is yearly bill assuming this dog already has shots?

No way to answer really....what are you including in the yearly 'bill'..if just the vet and tags you'd just call you local tag office and the veternarian you'd use. PetSmart usually has cheap shots just for this purpose.

Originally posted by: Calculator83
2. No one answered potty train question?

You should be able to train a dog not to go inside the house within a month. I trained my dog within a week. I never trained it to use only one place though as I was in an apartment at the time and would walk it different places.

Originally posted by: Calculator83
3. How do I tell if the dog is well behaved at the pound?

watch it and then play with it a bit. Once it's older I would take it to a puppy park to socialize.

Originally posted by: Calculator83
4. If I'd get 2 dogs, Do they have to be the same ones, or are types incompatible, as in computer ram.

They could be two different animals even. However; some dogs tend to be more animal agressive as a whole, namely the terrier breeds. Every dog is different.

Originally posted by: Calculator83
5. How much SHOULD I spend?

That is up to you. Money on a pet doesn't buy a better pet or even quality. Money on a pet buys a bloodline that is really useful in only breeding and bragging rights. I know people that were paid to take an animal and those that dropped $10k on a dog.

Originally posted by: Calculator83
6. Are dogs alright with electronics, I have many and I'd notice high pitch noises sometimes from them, will dogs go crazy over this?

A pet should be fine unless you have a specific noise emitter. Dogs hear at different wavelengths than people (their ranges go higher).

Originally posted by: Calculator83
7. Fixing dogs. Does this have to be done? I just cannot wrap my mind around it because I think of another life, and If it had happen to me OMG, idk, I can't contemplate doing this to a dog.

First, dogs and other non-humans don't behave the same way as humans do to treatments and training. A dog senses pain way differently than a person and tends to ignore it if it's not life threatening...a person will stub a toe and cry about it to everyone for days.

Fixing a dog doesn't change the dog really at all. It lowers it's aggression a lot and takes it's need to procreate out of the picture and the 'bad' behaviors that go with it. A female dog in heat is messy to have as well.

Fixing a pet is indeed an additional cost. When I had my three cats done it was close to $700 for the neuters, the declaws, and the testing/shots. Even a declawed cat will do it's clawing motions on furniture. It makes no sense to let a cat keep it's claws if one is going to beat it for maintaining them.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Just one more thing. When you get a dog from a rescue/pound they usually include some shots and free neutering or spaying.

 

[MrsLabRat]

Well for starters theres really no "safe" breed. A small dog can be a wonderful, calm, smart pet. And a big dog can be a terrible barker, howler, digger, spaz. You never know what youre going to get. And theres no such thing as a low maintenance pet. Dogs need constant stimulation, and arent at all solitary animals. And please please please dont get one at a pet store. You REALLY never know what youre going to get, and the $ you give to pet stores just promotes puppy mills. A shelter is the best bet. And I agree that you should go for a young adult. They'll be neutered/spayed when you get them, and I believe all shelters microchip them now, too. Look into insurance. VPI is the most popular, 80% of insured pets have VPI. But Pet's Best is becoming more popular lately. They take only about a week to reimburse vet bills, whereas VPI takes about 30 days. If you dont do the insurance thing, I would definitely keep a cushion in your savings of about $2000 for any emergency. You never know when your pet is going to need surgery/hospitalization and you want to be prepared.
Good luck with the dog search!!

 

[alkemyst]

Not all pet stores use dogs from puppy mills. Not all young adults at shelters are spayed or neutered either. Animal insurance is not mainstream yet and most are looking at $400 per year for it per animal for coverage that would be worthwhile. You will still have costs to cover on your own and then get reimbursed. Also pet insurance has pretty low limits, read the policy before signing...they may tell you you are covered for up to $100k per year, but in the fine print each INCIDENT has a much lower limit.

Also since it works differently than human insurance and you have to pay and then get reimbursed. You need to have the funds available upfront....It's nice to get some back, but many don't have the cash to begin with to lay out. For the most part animal insurance is a very profitable sell.

If you are going to have a pet you should always have some funds available to cover emergencies esp. those that happen after normal vet hours. Getting pet insurance isn't harmful, but many don't understand it fully yet alone their own health coverage.