Help me decide! Puppy or guinea pigs?

[myfatherslily]

The kids and I are considering a pet.

 

Their cousins' dog next door just had puppies. I'm not convinced that I want a dog. I know I don't just want some stinky, dirty outside-only dog who mostly gets ignored but costs money to feed. I want something to love and who can be a part of the family. I don't really want it doing it's business all over the floor while we house-train it - I've never done that before and have no idea how difficult it will be? But then, I'd like to potty train my 2 year old soon, so maybe I could just get all the poo-on-the-floor over all at once!! :lol:

We live in a very rural area of the south, loaded with fleas and ticks. I don't want fleas all over my house and ticks dropping off the dog every time it comes inside.

But the kids would love having a dog for a buddy, especially DS4. Also, it's going to be very hard for BIL/SIL to find homes for their puppies in this area, where everyone already has too many dogs, and there's a very high chance they'll end up keeping them - meaning they'll be in my yard anyway!!! Or if they might need to take them to a shelter, where they may never find a home.

 

But it's all those fleas/ticks I can't deal with. Are there truly successful ways to keep them away??

 

Because of that, I'm seriously considering guinea pigs. I'd build them one of these awesome Cavy Cages. They wouldn't have fleas and wouldn't poo on my floor (much!). They are adorable, friendly, and soft.

 

Yet, they don't provide the close companionship that a dog can.

 

But I'm not a huge fan of dogs. Never have been. Guinea pigs are way cuter. I would get a cat if it didn't have to be indoor-only (too many other dogs around here. it's not safe for cats. I don't think I want an indoor cat).

 

Any suggestions or ideas to help me decide? Either way, I would be overseeing the animals care, not leaving it up to the kids to take care of it.

 

Sorry for the long rambling post! I'm being as indecisive about this as I am about 1st grade math!!! :D

[AK_Mom4]

I vote for the pigs. Cute. Cuddly. And totally great pets.

 

You can always get a dog later on if the pigs aren't enough! LOL!

[Samiam]

If you are thinking about the poo problem...the GP we had poo-ed everywhere he went. If we took him out of the cage, he just pooped as he walked, drops everywhere, even on us as we would hold him. It was yuck! At least the poo problem with dogs is temporary, and after a month or two, it's not even an issue.

 

As far as fleas and ticks, there's drops or pills you can give the dog that totally eliminates this problem.

 

IMHO, once the dog is trained, they are barely any work at all. A first year of a puppy life is like a human newborn to age 5....meaning they are alot of work at first, but quickly get to the point where they are pretty smart, and you can "almost" trust them anywhere.

[myfatherslily]

To anyone who knows: Are the drops effective? How do the pills work? How expensive are they?

I think that if I could eliminate the fleas/ticks problem (without it costing a huge fortune - my budget is pretty limited), I would be far more open to having a dog.

[Erica in OR]

Well, take what I say with a grain of salt, but from your post it sounds like you've already decided you'd prefer to not have the dog. There are multiple difficulties attached to having one, and you'd be the one dealing with all the difficulties. If I went forward with that particular situation, I would probably become resentful over it. I feel your pain though - our family has been talking about getting a dog too for awhile. The kids and I saw some super cute animal shelter puppies at the local Petco last week. The kids wanted one immediately, but my focus was on the continual chewing, high energy, and peeing all over. We'll probably get a dog eventually, but one that's past the puppy stage.

 

Good luck in your decision!

 

Erica in OR

[PollyOR]

I'm going to sound like a party pooper. ;)

 

I love our dog, but it is a looooong term commitment. Flea treatments are about $20 per month and not just any dog food will do. Cheap dog food makes our dog's toots stinky :D, so we have to spend extra money for better quality food.

 

One thing we never considered...day trips are cut short because we have to get home to let the dog out to go potty. Overnight trips mean we have to make arrangements for a dog sitter or pay to have her kenneled.

 

When we adopted our cat from the humane society we were shown the estimated cost for caring for an animal. Our cat exceeded that amount within less than two years. He survived a broken leg but eventually went through an amputation. That was eleven years ago.

 

I would definitely consider life span. You may want to borrow a dog for a few days and see what you think about the time commitment.

[mom4him]

When my older three were young my oldest son had a gp. I. Hated. THAT. ANIMAL. I am not at all sure that it's feelings for me wasn't the same as every time my ds would bring him to me to hold, under duress I might add, he would swing his bute off the towel that was placed on my lap to help catch any unforseen incidence and ......... up, you guessed it, he would peel:banghead:

We have three dogs and I love them. They are so personable, lovable, sweet. Yes, you do have to go through the training period but if you are diligent it is a short period.

One of our labradoodles so the sweetest thing. He never comes to my lap and forces himself, he always comes and sits about a foot away and looks at me, well, he actually stares at me. When I speak to him he comes and lays his head on my lap to get an ear rub. This is something he just seems to know I like. Last week when I was so sick I could hardly move from point A to point B he came for the first time and laid his head on my lap and just sat there for about 5 min. I think he knew I didn't have the energy to even rub his ears but wanted to have the contact with me anyway.

Well, have you guessed that I vote for the dog?

[myfatherslily]

Aww, see this is why I can't decide! I read the negatives and think, "Oh, they're so right! Dogs are nasty!" Then I read the positives and think, "Oh, that would be great! Wouldn't the kids just love a dog?!" Same with the guinea pigs.

 

Thanks for the good doses of reality, both good and bad! I don't want to make the decision lightly and end up hating the poor creature.

[Evergreen State Sue]

Before I was married I had a yorkshire terrier. I had her for about 14 years. She was small, so poos are small, doesn't eat as much as big dogs, can pick her up easily to get her out of situations, and she loved me. She was always happy to see me, and slept right next to me.

 

After she passed and I had kids, I didn't want to deal with an animal. Now after about 20 years of not having a pet, we got a guinea pig. We adopted her, so she is about 3 years old. She is cute. We built one of those cages so she has plenty of room. However, she is not a loving pet. You can hold her and pet her. She doesn't run away once in our lap, and she will almost go to sleep, but it isn't like a dog that can really show you affection.

 

As much as a love our guinea pig, she just makes me miss having a dog.

 

YMMV!

[homeschoolally]

I'm going to sound like a party pooper. ;)

 

I love our dog, but it is a looooong term commitment. Flea treatments are about $20 per month and not just any dog food will do. Cheap dog food makes our dog's toots stinky :D, so we have to spend extra money for better quality food.

 

One thing we never considered...day trips are cut short because we have to get home to let the dog out to go potty. Overnight trips mean we have to make arrangements for a dog sitter or pay to have her kenneled.

 

When we adopted our cat from the humane society we were shown the estimated cost for caring for an animal. Our cat exceeded that amount within less than two years. He survived a broken leg but eventually went through an amputation. That was eleven years ago.

 

I would definitely consider life span. You may want to borrow a dog for a few days and see what you think about the time commitment.

 

:iagree:IMO, you need to really like dogs in order to put up with the puppy phase---and you are far more 'tied down' with a dog vs the pig. We have to carefully plan our outing days in order to accomodate our dog. I LOVE dogs, madly in love with ours--but I do resent the inability to take off for a day-trip. Despite my love for him, I admit I do resent the expense and hassle of boarding (not to mention the guilt about leaving him) and the inability to be spontaneous with family outings. If you aren't sure....I'd absolutely hold off on the dog. I will NEVER EVER have a puppy again--and as I mentioned, I love dogs!

Edited February 28, 2010 by homeschoolally

[Shelly in IL]

She is as sweet as can be. WE got her a couple years ago in a weak moment. But, she has renewed my strength of conviction never to have anything that poops in my house again. Go dogs!

[mama2cntrykids]

I would say that if your heart isn't into getting a dog, then you DON'T want a pup. They're a lot of work. They're also a lot of fun, more fun than a g.p., I think. That being said, I've never bought flea treatments for my dogs and only buy tick drops at the beginning of the Spring season. My oldest ds9 would love a pup, but...we're trying to sell our house and we already *have* two dogs. Someday. Not sure if that helped or not, just my .02!

[Tani]

Anyway, we just got our 3rd dog as an eight week puppy. He has been great. Our other 2 dogs are outdoor farm dogs but Cowboy is our family inside pet. The first couple of months we did have "accidents" in the house but now he never has problems, even when left for 10 - 12 hours at a time. He loves being outside as well, so he doesn't have to be in all the time. He is a small dog, not quite 20 lbs. For fleas and ticks we use drops and pills together plus outside we have chickens to eat the extras ;o) He is soo much fun, he loves to go places with us and is very well behaved. If we can't take him with us for a trip (which is rare), we leave him with a friend who loves dogs as well. At night he sleeps in his kennel in the house, this is "his" house and once my husband lets him out in the morning, he comes back in and immediately goes to my dd bed to sleep. Also, sometimes he comes in smelly so we rub him down with baking soda water or vinegar water so we don't have to bath him constantly. Works great.

Now to our GP: She is adorable, fun, and poopy. We have to clean her cage every couple of days, she likes to hang with us but she can't wander the woods and play with the kiddos like Cowboy can. We did get a cute little leash for her and can take her out but it isn't the same. She does poop whereever she is, couch, floor, our lap. We have tried to potty train but it hasn't worked yet. We love her dearly but if we could only have one animal I would definitly go for our dog

This was long and rambling but hope it helps. Good luck on your choice.

Tani

[cougarmom4]

Our piggies poop A LOT more than I ever dreamed possible. It's my kids' jobs to scoop it up everyday--as they were the ones wanting a pet in the first place. Yesterday we were changing the cage out (first time I was helping with the process) & I found some of the poop on the floor (near the cage)...I freaked. You can't even hold them without them pooping. They are kinda cute, but if the kids ever balk at their taking care of the piggies, they are outta here! (free to the next caller...) I have had fun researching about them, finding what foods to feed, fixing up the cage, etc...but the poop takes all the fun out of it for me. I just feel like they are dirty. One day we saw our little Patches EAT his poop. Umm, since that moment, I haven't cared much for them. (My kids love them...and we care for them properly, but I'm not very involved except for reminders).

 

In many ways I think, man, we should have just gotten a dog. We'd have to feed him, scoop poop, care for them, etc...but they are a lot more loveable and playful. But then I think of the vet bills, how expensive food is, etc.

 

Good luck in your decision! Give us a few weeks and maybe you can have ours! :001_smile:

[LBC]

We have a wonderful dog, and I still wouldn't do it again.

 

Before getting our dog, I spent a lot of time deciding what breed to get. The breed we chose (Bernese Mountain Dog) was expensive, and we wanted to "do things right" and go with a reputable breeder, so there were even more costs (hip & elbow x-rays). Our kids saved their Christmas and birthday money for over a year in order to purchase the dog. Although the kids love her, the novelty wore off years ago. So now I have a huge, hairy animal in my house for the rest of her life. I don't like the way dogs smell, so I need to pay for a bath once per month (we've tried doing it a home, but the hair gets everywhere). I need to vacuum the house constantly to keep the hair under control (my research said they shed twice per year, but that was referring to the entire undercoat! She sheds constantly). I can't keep her outside, because dogs are pack animals, and they need to be with their family. Thankfully, money isn't a major issue for us, but dogs are expensive. She needs to get shots, de-worming meds, and more. The last time I took her to the vet, they suggested that we should bring her in for a tartar cleaning on her teeth. Since they'd need to put her to sleep for that, it would be about $400! We decided that we wouldn't bother, but bad breath is now one of the doggy smells I have to put up with.

 

Anyway, I thought I'd be honest about my dog owning experience. I'm not a huge animal lover, and got the dog because I thought it would be a good experience for my kids. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't get a dog. I probably wouldn't get a guinea pig either.:D

 

Lori

[Just Robyn]

What about a hamster? Just throwing it out there. I don't own one, but I believe they have an area of the cage in which they poop, rather than pooping everywhere like guinea pigs. Perhaps that also means they wouldn't poop when you hold them?

[LBC]

What about a hamster? Just throwing it out there. I don't own one, but I believe they have an area of the cage in which they poop, rather than pooping everywhere like guinea pigs. Perhaps that also means they wouldn't poop when you hold them?

 

Someone once told me that they can actually make their pee land outside of the cage, and onto the floor by the cage. I'm not sure if this is true or not. One homeschooler told me that rats make good pets.:eek::ack2:

 

Lori

[myfatherslily]

Thanks everyone, very much!!

 

I've had hamsters before, as a teen. I wouldn't put it past 'em to be able to pee out of a wire cage! Mine were always in a glass tank. I don't think they'd be good for my little ones. I know guinea pigs require a tender touch as well, but they would be more likely to sit quietly on a child's lap, with adult supervision.

 

An adult dog would definitely be easier, wouldn't it? It's just those puppies next door that are making me consider it. I'm sure if I waited, another stray would show up at our door within a year :glare: (I never keep them, but everyone else around me does.)

 

Now here's a question I've been wondering... These puppies are outside dogs. What difference will it make to bring a puppy INSIDE, when it's been outside up until the time it's weaned? Would it be easier to house train, harder, or make no difference?

 

Maybe we should get a goldfish.

[cylau]

I never have dogs before, but I had a boy and a girl guinea pigs. When the boy tried to show affection toward the girl, the girl would lift up her butt and shoot pee at him. Their cage had to be cleaned often. The cage can be smelly after a few days. This was years ago.

 

Now I have 2 kids and they want a pet. I decided to get them a cockatiel. Birds are not as smelly. The lining has to be change once a week, food every day. I had birds when I was young. Taking care of birds are quite easy. When I go on vacation, my friends are more likely to take care of my bird than other pets. The cockatiel I got is different than the little birds I had when I was young. This cockatiel sings and whistles for attention, goes anywhere in the house with us, licks us on the face, preen my hair (it's kind of weird), sits quietly on our shoulders and follow us around and jumps on us whenever he has a chance. He cannot talk, but some cockatiels can. This is just another choice for you.

Edited March 1, 2010 by cylau

[rootsnwings]

Definately do not get a dog unless you are 100% positive its the right decision for you and your family. Puppies are a LOT of work (like a newborn!!!) I just can't do inside animals like hamsters or guinea pigs (or cats for that matter)... What about a bunny hutch? You can make one fairly cheap and the bunnies can stay outside so they aren't as messy. Still TONS of fun for the kiddies!! :) We're starting a worm farm next week! :D

[Jenny Piaaree]

That's a tough one. My mom was never fond of the dog we had, but I loved her almost like life itself. I preferred that dog to some of my friends. But she was not well-trained, so to my mom she was a pain.

 

Which leads me to my only piece of advice.... If you do decide on a puppy, please just be sure to meet it on its own level. Meaning, don't expect it to not act like a puppy, but do what you can to mitigate that. It will chew things, so make sure you supply it with lots of chew toys. It will have accidents, but truly, these can be infrequent if you follow a good routine of house training. Training is essential! Probably your library has several books on puppy care and training. If you can, take the puppy to obedience classes. (Check to see at what age - I think around 6 mos old.) These are wonderful, because they train the owners how to work with the dogs. If only we could train them not to shed! But even then, there are some "non-shedding" dogs. Also, some breeds are easier than others. My vet's office had a book that explained the character traits and temperaments of various breeds. I can't recall the title, but I bet you could find it on google.

 

Basically, the more you educate yourself pre-puppy, the more comfortable and successful you are likely to be if you decide to go that route. (Caveat: Like kids, no puppy ever goes exactly "by the book"! Oh well. :))

[Pip]

We have both.

 

We love our dog but we are not getting another one. We have owned several dogs during our marriage. At one point we had 3. But this one is the last one. All of the dogs shed. Grooming is expensive. They throw up. They poop and pee in the house at times, no matter how well trained they are. As they got older, all of our dogs got incontinent. We had to replace carpet. We are picky about kennels and the one we found that we trust our dog to is 20 miles away. Add another $150 to a weekend away because they need to be groomed after spending time in a kennel. The neighbor kids are not always the best to pet sit. We just spent $400 on a check-up and medicine to help our aging dog with his stiff joints. We need to get his teeth cleaned. He has heartworm medicine. We've had dogs have to go on special diets for kidney problems. Yeah, we could have put them down, but our philosophy is we brought these animals into our home. They are not in pain or maimed, they just have conditions that need treatment and they give us so much joy and love. But they still cost. OUr dog freaks out during the 4th of July.. We've tried everything. He makes a mess of the back yard and the inside with the fireworks. He freaks out in thunderstorms. Not good in the midwest.

 

I love dogs, but they are work, especially as they get older.

 

I love our guineas. They are affectionate. They are intelligent. The mess is contained to one room. The bedding is cheap at WalMart. You just need good food, timothy hay, vitamin C drops and a decent sized cage. They live for a long time. Yeah, they can pee and poop, but we hold them with a towel. Their poop is hard. (Try getting up dog poop when they have tummy trouble.)

 

I will not fight dh not wanting another dog. I can definitely see getting another guinea.

[mindygz]

I have 2 dogs now, and we will be adding a third. Dogs can be a TON of work, but if you start off on the right foot, you will have a dog that your whole family will enjoy. Puppies are hard because you have to socialize them as well as train them. But adopted adult dogs can be hard, too, they just have better bladder control and all that. If you DO decide to go the dog route, PLEASE read Ian Dunbar's book Before & After Getting your Puppy. He has a lot of it on his website, too. http://www.dogstardaily.com/ Read through the training textbook. Honestly, a big thing about puppies is they don't give you a break. Adult dogs are happy to chill and nap a lot of the day, and only need a few potty breaks. And, if you do get a dog, ABSOLUTELY crate train it. Honestly, as much as I love my dogs, there are days when I just can't handle them (especially our basset hound who does not "chill" well) and I'm so grateful that I can just put them away in their crates for a while and not worry about it. They are happy to snooze and relax in their own little space. Dr. Dunbar talks a lot about how to crate train and make it a happy place for your dog.

 

We guinea-pig sat for a few weeks before Christmas. I loved that little GP. He was very fun to snuggle and feed. But if that was our ONLY pet, I think I'd be kind of disappointed. Honestly, of all the little pets, the one with the most personality is rats, I think. I've owned over a dozen, and they are great. They have a short lifespan, though (about 2 years is a long life) so that can be good or bad. Good for people who aren't into long term commitment. GPs can live 8+ years, I think.

 

Let us know what you end up deciding! And sorry to ramble on. I'm just passionate about people taking good care of their pets, and that means knowing what you are getting into!

[fishmummy]

My kids say Guinea Pigs Rule! We have all sorts of pets, but the pigs ..my children actually care for...food,water,cages,excercise....they can learn tricks and it is so much easier to find a sitter............ they come in all varieties...just be warned, learn to not be squeemish about cutting nails and bathing them. If they do have to go to vet, it can be pricey. Also check craig's list for cages etc...they cannot have the metal wire mesh in the bottom..it does something to their feet......

 

Happy pet hunting!

 

wendy

[hornblower]

Monthly flea & tick treatments for a dog will range from 10-20/month depending on size of pet & which product you buy.

http://www.1800petmeds.com/ sells them at a pretty good price

 

If $ is an issue, think hard about this. You'll need to spay or neuter the dog because you don't want any more litters, right? RIGHT? You've said these puppies will have a hard time finding homes and your state has a very high euthenization rate for shelters. So I know you'll want to spay or neuter any dog that comes to live in your home.

 

So - a spay, even discounted will probably be around 200. Neuters often come up cheaper as they're much easier.

 

The puppy shots series and deworming (MUCH more important IMO than obsessing about fleas and ticks) is going to be another 100 or so.

 

You should deworm regularly (like at least once a year) - again this is something you can order online and do on your own if you educate yourself.

 

You'll need leashes and collars and maybe a crate, lots of paper towels, some training books, + lots of time.

 

If you feed crappy cheap food, you run the risk of health problems & more expense down the road in vet bills.

 

If the dog gets a cut, injures itself, becomes sick, eats your socks and gets a bowel obstruction etc, you'll need a bank account which you can draw on to pay for treatment.

 

 

Guinea pigs - well actually they deserve vets too if they get sick and if nothing else, when they're old and failing, they deserve a vet's kindness in helping them pass on painlessly. They are smaller and cheaper. I'm not sure about them being that much less work. The ones I've pet sat have been IMO a lot of work for a lot less reward than I get out of having dogs in my life......

 

Rats now - fancy rats are great pets :)

[Leola]

I would get a puppy!

[myfatherslily]

Oops, I actually forgot to check this thread!

 

I'm still giving it serious consideration. We went over to visit the puppies, who are 3 weeks old now, and my goodness, they are sooo cute! I have to keep reminding myself that they grow into DOGS!:)

 

I do have some advantages here, in that we have lots of land and the other dogs just run free (in-laws dogs). If we go away, I know my MIL would take care of it, as I help feed her dogs when she is gone. I don't know the cost at a vet's office around here, but there's a local spay/neuter clinic that does them for $60ish, according to their frequent ads (and YES, I would definitely NOT let there be more homeless puppies! I was rather disappointed that these puppies allowed to happen).

 

But, anyway, we still thinking about it and talking about it. And I really, really, really appreciate everyone's advice!!

[mycalling]

Since you're still considering, I'll add our experience. We will never get a puppy again. As far as a dog goes, we use amazing flea and tick stuff on him and we still get ticks and fleas inside because of him. We live rurally and have tons of ticks around. I found one on my baby last year because of our dog! My kids have tons of flea bites because of our dog last summer and he got flea dipped weekly on top of the meds. Also, he gets stomach upsets because of eating things he shouldn't and has accidents in the night when we don't know he needs out. Besides that he's an amazing dog. Follows the kids everywhere outside protecting them.

 

One more thing to consider: we used to have a dog that knocked our little ones over, nipped at them, stepped on them, and even flipped them in the air by ramming into them at full speed!

 

We also have 3 GPs. My kids, by far, spend more time cuddling with them. Only one poops outside the cage, so not every GP will poop on you. The cage has to be cleaned 2-3 times a week, but even my 4yos can do it. Plus, if each kids wants their own, it's still just one cage to clean...maybe a bit bigger, but just one. Plus, bathing a GP is easy...our German Shepherd takes a long time and only my 8 and 12yos can manage that.

[JFSinIL]

You need an indoor cat :-)

 

 

I vote for the g. pig - doesn't need walkies.