We're going to get a dog!

[G5052]

Mine are in college, but live at home. I currently work at home.

 

My youngest has wanted one for a very long time, and this is a good time in many ways. We are looking at several rescue organizations. We are thinking a labradoodle, something along that line.

 

So...

 

First we need a fence in the backyard. How do we figure how big an area and what kind of fence?

 

Then any websites or books you recommend for someone who has never owned a dog. I grew up with cats.

 

Thanks...

[Pawz4me]

Type of fence is really up to you, as long as it's sturdy and and as escape-proof as you can make it. If you live in an HOA there may be restrictions on what type and height you can have. Otherwise consider what looks good on your property and fits your budget. If you're considering medium to large, active dogs then fence is as much as you can. They need to run!

 

Books/websites -- Read everything you can by Ian Dunbar and Patricia McConnell. 

[kewb]

Type of fence depends on whether or not you have a jumper. Part of our fence is 3 ft. We had to run chicken wire to make the section taller. Our dog sailed over that portion like it wasn't even there.

 

I know where I live there are town rules about fencing, how tall, where, etc. Start with the town.

[Selkie]

I agree with Pawz4me that you should fence as big an area as possible.

 

We have two fenced dog yards. Our back yard has a 6' tall chain link fence with a concrete trench poured along the perimeter (below ground) so they can't dig out.

 

In our front yard, we have an aluminum fence that looks like wrought iron. It has puppy panels along the bottom, with the pickets closer together so puppies and small dogs can't get out. Instead of concrete, we have slabs of rectangular cut limestone embedded in the ground along the perimeter.

[ktgrok]

Type of fence is really up to you, as long as it's sturdy and and as escape-proof as you can make it. If you live in an HOA there may be restrictions on what type and height you can have. Otherwise consider what looks good on your property and fits your budget. If you're considering medium to large, active dogs then fence is as much as you can. They need to run!

 

Books/websites -- Read everything you can by Ian Dunbar and Patricia McConnell. 

 

 

What she said! Love both of them as far as training goes. 

[OrganicJen]

Fence as much space as you can, and if you want some areas off limits like a garden area fence it off too. Our dogs eat absolutely anything we grow in the veggie garden if they can get to it. In one home we also had a smaller area fenced off right where they went out to do their business and had tbat separated from the larger fenced area where we let them in to play and run around. I really liked that arrangement.

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 14, 2017 by _______

[Liz CA]

Congratulations! Can't imagine life without a dog.

 

Post pics when the time comes.  :)

[cave canem]

Lucky!

[Laurie4b]

What everyone else said: Depending on the size of your property, fence in your whole yard or the whole backyard. They need to be able to run and exercise. For a big dog, the fence should be 4-5 feet high. What kind of neighborhood do you live in? 

 

I would visit a lot of people with dogs, and ask them about the positives and difficulties of the kind of dog they have.  

 

Rather than a designer breed, I would encourage you to look at a dog who's a mix. They are often hardier and less likely to be adopted anyway. 

[Laura Corin]

We have a labradoodle and a fenced garden. We don't base exercise on garden time, however. At least two miles of brisk walking a day, more at weekends.

[Pen]

We currently have a Labramatian (Labrador X Dalmatian). Neither he nor 2 prior dogs would go out if a fence and gate is there at 3 foot high and gate shut. They are capable of,  but simply not interested in digging, jumping, or even pushing open something that is basically closed.  

 

1 prior recent dog would jump out if he really wanted to (which only happened once), but would open any gate that did not have a locked lock and would go under fencing if not close enough to dirt edge. He got into racing another dog for speed in removing unlocked locks on gates it seemed, though only when I was out myself, and they would arrive by me all wagging and happy as if they had done something marvelous.  I ended up with a kennel within the fenced area where they could be confined more reliably when needed.

 

1 dog in my childhood (Irish Setter, male) would jump nearly anything and otherwise escape from nearly anything--break fencing, climb, jump, dig--he was totally determined. One dog in my childhood (cockerpoo, male) would dig under nearly anything. 2 dogs in my life (1 Rottweiler, 1 English Cocker Spaniel, both females) would not leave the porch or immediate near yard on their own even with no fence or gate at all.

 

We have a fairly large area fenced, but all our dogs have still needed exercise beyond that.

 

Ian Dunbar, and Brian Kilcommons Inot sure of spelling} books.  Great Dogs, Good Owners, I think was a title that went through many things including housebreaking and so on.  

 

Also helpful is to find websites for the breeds you are interested in where there are forums like this one, but to ask questions about dog health, training, etc.  If you are looking at a mutt, look at websites for the component breeds as well as the combined if it is a common mix like Labradoodle.

 

For our Labramatian, I found a Dalmatian site more helpful than Labrador, because his quirks seem Dalmatian related more than Labrador related, and also the participants were more willing to be helpful.