Talk to me about having a dog or not

[JadeOrchidSong]

I am so drawn to the idea of owning a dog as a pet. Even though I had a dog before I was 7, I don't remember much about it. My boys are 10 and 8 and they like the idea, too. Dh is not so passionate.

 

What is it like to own a dog, responsibility wise?

What are the benefts of owning a dog?

Dh is allergic to cats. So we can only have a hypoallergenic dog.

I would like to have a small or preferably medium sized calm dog.

We have a small house and a fenced in yard.

We have a park by our house where people are seen on a daily basis playing fetch with their dogs. We live 2 blocks from the nice greenway and Mississippi River parkway.

So please talk to me about dogs and share your breeds and experience.

Thank you!

[Remudamom]

Just pretend you're going to have a baby. That some relatives won't like.

 

I've never been without a dog that I can remember. Ever. But I'm wondering if the one I have now will be my last. Everytime we leave town it's such a hassle to find someone to care for the dog. Dh thinks it's mean to board her. It does traumatize her every time. I can't find anyone dependable enough to care for my animals. If you travel a lot you should keep that in mind.

[brookspr]

We have one dog and we absolutely love him. It does take time, especially in the beginning, to train a dog. We paid a trainer to work with us for 12 weeks and our dog is very well mannered. We have watched several friend's dogs while they were away and are always thankful after our time with them that we spent the $ and took the time to train Barker. He is a Brittany, medium size (40lb), 7 years old now, and a great companion to us. An untrained dog can be a real PITA, and that is one reason so many dogs end up in rescue or at the pound. We fostered a couple of dogs when we were thinking of getting a second dog. They were just too unruly and had learned too many bad habits. At this point I don't have the time or patience to re-train another dog. It is WORK.

 

We don't travel much, but we do board him when we go on vacation, and that is also expensive. Plus vet bills and shots, it all adds up. I wouldn't trade it for the world, though. My kids (10,12) love him and he loves us right back. He needs daily exercise and attention, but it's all worth it to us.

[Pawz4me]

I've never not had a dog(s), so take this FWIW.

 

Dog ownership does involve responsibility. You've got a creature who depends on you for food, water, shelter, companionship, training, health care, etc., etc. But after the puppyhood (or acclimation period for an older adopted dog) it really doesn't take all that much time. If a dog lives in the house with the family, as he should, then most get enough companionship just hanging out with their people. Pet feeding is done in our home along with people feeding, so it's just a part of our meal time routine. If you need to be away from home during a pet's meal time then you do have to work something out. But an adult dog isn't going to starve if it's dinner is a couple of hours late. Many people free feed (leave dry food out all the time) to avoid that problem. I'm not a fan of free feeding for several reasons, but I understand it could work well in a busy family.

 

Financially, you have to think about food, vet bills including routine health care and monthly flea and heartworm preventative. As with people, it's not uncommon for the medical needs of dogs to increase as they age. For a hypoallergenic dog you'll also need to factor in grooming costs every six weeks or so. Or you can buy the equipment to do it yourself. It's a pretty good outlay to get quality clippers, scissors, nail trimmers and shampoo/conditioner, but grooming a calm dog isn't difficult. If you travel much you need to figure in the cost of boarding or a pet sitter.

 

As far as breeds -- A lot of the hypoallergenic breeds tend to be . . . not calm. I'm a huge fan of Shih Tzus. We have one who is 18 months old and he has the best personality of any of the (many) dogs I've owned and fostered. He's not barky. He likes to go for walks and play for short periods of time, but doesn't need exercise to maintain his sanity.

[dirty ethel rackham]

We got our first dog 18 months ago and have learned a lot from people on this board. Owning a dog has been a big change in our lifestyle. It is like having a perpetual toddler in the house - one who is not welcome whereever we go:).

 

Some things to keep in mind:

Food: One thing I was told was to feed the dog the best quality food you can afford. This can go a long way toward preventing problems down the road. We feed our dog a reputable grain-free food - he is poodle/lab so allergies are a concern for us.

Exercise: Dogs need exercise and a backyard is not always enough. We like higher energy dogs, so that means a commitment to exercise to keep all of us sane and prevent behavior problems (like chewing!) As we've been told many times ... A good dog is a tired dog.

Training: IMO, it is cruel to not properly train/socialize a dog. My daughter and I volunteer at a shelter and often see dogs surrendered because an owner has not taken the time to train their dog and then they become overwhelmed by inappropriate behaviors. We work hard with these dogs to work on their behavior issues to help them become adoptable, but it can take a long time. Training can help the dog be a positive addition to the family. It is also good mental exercise. The whole family should be involved in training the dog (actually dog training is just as much about training the human.)

Grooming: How much energy/expense are you willing to put toward grooming. Many "hypoallergenic" dogs have higher grooming needs (more brushing - trips to the groomer which can add up, costwise.) Actually, there really is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. There are some that can be less reactive, though. The only way to tell is to interact with the dog. I am allergic to cats (some breeds give me asthma), but can work with dogs at the shelter.

Temperament: Interacting with the dog can give you a better idea of temperament. However, how a dog behaves in a shelter is not a true indication of how the dog is in person. We fostered our dog before adopting him. We had to bring him back to the shelter for evaluation before the adoption was final. He was a very hyper dog in the shelter (a highly stimlulating environment), but is an absolute sweetie in our home.

Vacation planning: What will you do with the dog if you have to be gone all day? If you have to go out of town? Vacation? These have all changed for us once we got the dog. We have had to cultivate a network of people who can help us out in these situations. Our travel plans definitely center around the dog. Since he is a big dog, fewer people are willing to take him and, due to his shelter behavior, we don't feel that boarding is in his best interests.

[Mama Geek]

Just because someone is allergic to cats doesn't mean that they will be to dogs, unless he has been around dogs and has problems don't assume that it is a problem. I am very allergic to cats and not to dogs. Since I was young my family has had miniature poodles, a cocker spaniel, a siberian husky, a bischon, a sheltie and we now have a standard poodle.

 

Poodles aren't bad dogs, they are territorial dogs though which means that bark anytime anyone or anything comes into their territory. They are smart, friendly, easy to train and generally you don't have alpha dog issues with them. Obviously the large poodles need more exercise. They don't shed but they do need groomed on a regular basis like every 4-6 weeks.

 

I loved our Husky to death, but wouldn't recommend a husky to someone who hasn't spent alot of time around dogs.

 

Cocker spaniels have a reputation of nipping and biting, but there are ways around that if trained right. I don't remember much shedding, but it has been awhile.

 

My IL's have a bischon, they have spoiled her beyond rotten, but she is a nice friendly dog and I think could be easily trained if given the effort. They are in the smaller size range. They shed very little but need to be groomed regularly as well.

 

We have other family that have had shelties since before dh and I were married. I don't think they are as affectionate as the other dogs I've been around, but they have been well behaved so I assume they are pretty reasonable to train.

 

We got our std poodle as a puppy when dd was only a few month old. The first year it was like having to new babies and the first 6 months were hard. Now they play really well together and often entertain each other.

[jujsky]

Everything DirtyEthelRackman said. They are a lot of responsibility, but give you so much love in return. You have to weigh out whether or not it's worth it for your family and your situation.

[Mom in High Heels]

I cannot imagine not having a dog. When we had to put our 14 year old dog down 3 years ago, I cried for weeks and weeks. We'd had her since she was 8 weeks old and she was part of our family. We currently have a Pekingese, who is almost 13 (the grieving he did over the other dog was almost painful to see). Dogs are a load of responsibility. You have to give them attention, love, food, water, walks, baths, etc. Having a puppy is really like having a baby. They wake up several times at night to go potty, are constantly getting into things they shouldn't, and chew on everything they can get in their mouths. Once they are trained though (which is also a lot of work), it gets much easier. The amount of love you get back though is worth every second of the responsibility. We can walk out the door for 5 minutes and come back and our dog acts like we've been gone a year. It is a pain (and can be expensive) when you go out of town to either get someone to watch the dog or board it, but that can be done.

IMO, dogs bring love and life to a house. When our dog is at the groomers, our house seems empty. It's not a responsibility to be taken lightly. It is a commitment that lasts years and years.

[Brilliant]

...But I'm wondering if the one I have now will be my last. Everytime we leave town it's such a hassle to find someone to care for the dog. Dh thinks it's mean to board her. It does traumatize her every time. I can't find anyone dependable enough to care for my animals. If you travel a lot you should keep that in mind.

 

 

ITA. I adore my dog, but we travel a lot. He gets sick almost every time we board him. (He will frequently go on a hunger strike and it's days before he's back to normal).

 

Also, he sheds SO MUCH. It's overwhelming. When he goes to the big dog park in the sky, I'll miss him a lot, but I don't know if I'll be in a hurry to replace him. I might just enjoy the dog-hair free house for a while.

 

OK, that's the bad stuff. The good stuff is that he is so sweet and cute and friendly. I was sick in the middle of the night one time. Who snuggled up to me? Not dh or the kids! It was the dog. He does bring joy & laughter to our lives.

[RoughCollie]

I have a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and I used to have a Wire Fox Terrier. Terriers are very smart, very funny, very alert, and very lively. That's a lot of very's because terriers are All Very Everything. In general, they have high prey drives and are stubborn. They have minds of their own to the max, in my experience. It takes a lot of exercise to tire them out if you prescribe to the theory that a tired dog is a good dog. I can predict my dog's behavior about 75% of the time. The rest of the time, he surprises me, and it's not always a happy surprise. Already today, I've removed him from the dining table (someone left a chair pulled out) and have taken my library book away from him (a first). Our house is not cluttered and everyone has been trained to leave the bedroom and bathroom doors closed because if Aidan can get into something, chances are he will. If Aidan can think of it, he can usually find a way to do it, whatever it is. Right now, he is trying to figure out how to unlatch his crate from the inside, now that he can do it from the outside. He is also working on figuring out how to open the kitchen drawers and cabinets.

 

A large terrier (a medium-sized dog) is more difficult to manage than a small terrier is because they can get into more stuff, they are heavier and stronger, and they require more exercise.

 

Aidan is a hypoallergenic dog. He sheds, but it forms mats in his hair, so I have to comb him through 3-4 times a week. Everything sticks to his hair: Mud, burs, seed pods, pinecones, sticks, you name it. So if something is in his hair, it requires a lot of time to get it out. You haven't lived until you've walked a dog through the woods and over 100 tiny green burs are stuck in his hair.

 

We spend a lot of money on Aidan: Vet bills, heartworm meds & Frontline, high quality food, supplies (leashes, collars, harnesses), training fees, toys, treats, apparel (coat, sweater, boots), and pet health insurance (which I am buying today). Last year, I spent an average of $205 a month on him. This figure includes vet bills last year for Lyme disease and a raisin eating incident, routine vet bills, and having him neutered. It includes bully sticks and pig ears, training treats, 4 obedience courses, several harnesses (he can get out of every one of them), a snazzy new collar, lots of high quality dog food, a new wool sweater and boots, a clipper, various shampoos and conditioners, and new toys.

 

Unless it is an emergency, I will never board Aidan. Where I go, he goes. Aidan would not do well in a boarding facility because he (typical of his breed) is a dog who needs to be around his people.

 

Not everyone is a terrier person. I tell Aidan practically every day that he is lucky I am and that, where he is concerned, I have the patience of Job. :001_smile: I wouldn't trade him for anything, plus he supplies me with lots of good stories. People ask me all the time to tell them the Aidan story of the day! So I'd say that having a terrier is never boring.

[SailorMom]

Seconding the dog allergy info. Most people I know who are allergic to cats do fine with dogs.

If you decide to get a puppy, go before the puppy can come home, rub a pillowcase all over the mommy dog, and have your DH sleep on the pillow for a night or two. That will tell you if he's allergic to that breed of dog.

We have a 4 yo Great Dane and a 3.5 month old Great Dane right now - love love love them. We've also had labs, and family members and friends have had many other breeds

Obviously Danes aren't small (or medium) dogs, but they are really quite the couch potatoes once they are past the young puppy stage.

All puppies are hyper - so no matter what breed you get - be prepared to have a toddler in the house getting into everything while you potty train it :)

If you get a dog - meet its parents. Both of them. You can tell a LOT about what a dog's future temperament will be like by meeting its parents. You are new to dogs, so this is even more important.

IMHO - the best breeds for families (who do not live on farms) are Danes, labs, and golden retrievers. I would be cautious about Danes only because you have to be VERY good about training them or they are a pain to deal with when they are full grown. If you feel comfortable training, or taking the pup to an obedience class, you'd probably be fine :)

So - a lab or a golden I'm thinking? Labs are more hyper as puppies, but they both end up in about the same place as adults.

Truly, golden retrievers are about the easiest dog to own :)

I DO NOT recommend a rescue dog or a 'pound puppy' for a family not familiar with dogs and training.

 

As for "fair warning"s and tips ....

An untrained dog is a very sad thing. Train, train, train!!! It isn't hard, just time consuming.

Just as with toddlers - re-direction from bad behavior and consistency is the best form of discipline.

Crate train the puppy as soon as you get it. It is not cruel, and it makes everything about owning a puppy/dog so much easier.

Feed high quality food. You can either spend money on food or vet bills - cheap food = more vet bills and a sick dog.

We have an electronic pet door now, I wish we had gotten it years ago :)

Difficulties to think on:

Puppies can't really "hold it" for more than about 2 or 3 hours, tops. So - if you have any long days away from home, you'll have to plan around that for quite a while.

As another poster mentioned - vacations, overnight tips, or even just really long days need to be considered.

Costs to consider - food, vet, spay/neuter, flea and tick control, heartworm protection, etc.

 

I know an awesome method of potty training that works for everyone who uses it. If you get a dog, let me know and I'll email it to you :)

[HollyDay]

What is it like to own a dog, responsibility wise? If you get a puppy, you need to train it and be very patient. Puppies take a lot of care. If you get an older dog, you still need to adapt the doggie to your home and have lots of patience. You need to be financially responsible for vet care, heartworm preventatives, flea/tick preventatives, food, brushes, leashes, etc. If you area requires county or city tags, you need to get those. If you have a yard as opposed to a larger field/farm, someone needs to do "poop patrol".

 

 

What are the benefts of owning a dog? love, affection, companionship, added security, fun

 

Dh is allergic to cats. So we can only have a hypoallergenic dog. Not necessarily. I'm REALLY allergic to cats, but have no problems with dogs at all. If you have a pollen or grass allergy, then you might need to wash the dog more frequently and not allow him/her to sleep on your bed

 

I would like to have a small or preferably medium sized calm dog.

We have a small house and a fenced in yard. Again, somone will need to pick up after the dog. If it is a small dog, then the doggie might be able to escape under the fence or through slats (if it is not a privacy fence) or gate.

 

We have a park by our house where people are seen on a daily basis playing fetch with their dogs. If you can see the other dogs, then your new dog can to and might be a barker.We live 2 blocks from the nice greenway and Mississippi River parkway.

 

Also, I wanted to add that you need to always be aware of the pet. You can't just pick up and go on a weekend trip unless the dog goes too. You can't be gone all day and into the evening without making sure someone can let the doggie out. Boarding/kenneling fees can be quite high.

[Laura Corin]

We have a fifth generation labradoodle. The generation is important because only by continuous careful breeding can you get a low-allergy labradoodle. If someone offers you a first generation, the allergy status will be completely unknown. She has a fleece coat that I brush out every week or two. I wash and clip her myself every six weeks.

 

She comes up to my knees (must be a toy or miniature poodle cross), is very low key and affectionate, but not very playful. She sleeps a lot but loves walks. She can easily go on five mile walks with us, but most days gets taken out for five minutes in the morning and evening, and for between 30 and 60 minutes during the day. The latter includes some running off the lead time.

 

She's very easy. She had to have an operation for a bladder stone, but otherwise, she has barely been ill. We all love her: she's particularly good for stress reduction on a bad day.

 

Laura

[NoseInABook]

I grew up with dachshunds and had one dachshund who passed away a year ago. I'd recommend dachshunds any day but they are slightly difficult to potty train.

 

Right now, we have a 5 month old Husky/German Shepherd mix. She's a bundle of fur and energy. We adore her but holy smokes, she's a lot more high maintenance than my dachshunds ever were. Look into quality food, make sure you have the time to carve out to play with your dog every day and take the for walks, check into obedience training if you've never trained a dog before.

 

We had about nine months between our dachshund's death and our new puppy's arrival and I missed having a dog around every single day. So, they are most definitely worth it if you are willing to put the work in.

[gingersmom]

I agree with what everyone else has said but be prepared for crazy vet bills. I have pet insurance so it only cost me $100 but my puppy had a $2000 operation for eating a sock.

 

My mothers toy poodle is 11 and has had a $5000 operation for kidney stones. The dog is now on prescription food, kidney medicine and medicine for high blood pressure.

[Mama Geek]

One more thing just because several people mentioned it, we travel with our dog so it is doable. We have used a kennel but on a very limited basis. There are hotels that allow dogs, there are dog parks all over the country, so it is doable. We do end up with white pick up trucks with white caps for vehicles. That allows us to ability to leave the dog in the back in a crate if needed for a time even when it is hot.

[Swimtaxi234]

We have had our dogs for over 2 years and not a single day goes by that I don't wish we were a dog-free family because every single time we leave the house, we have to consider how long we will be gone because we only have a 6-8 hour window until the dogs will need a potty break.

 

With that said, I will say that while I refer to our dogs as the "Stupid Dogs", I love them so much and I care deeply for their well being. The most important reason the dogs are still with us is because of what they have offered to our children. In addition to learning pet responsiblity, my son, aka the baby of the family, had a chance to learn how to nurture something and that alone is priceless.

 

My blog is full of puppy training ideas - mainly what my daughter did while training our dogs in the first year especially.

[Jerico]

We adopted a dog from a rescue and I highly recommend this for a few reasons. He is older so he was trained and not hyper. We knew his temperament before committing (we needed a dog good around kids). We have a German short haired pointer. Typically these are very high energy (everyone we talked to said it would be a good fit for our family) but our dog is the biggest couch potato. They are usually used for hunting but any loud noise scares our dog to pieces. So he lays on the couch but will run 8 miles with my husband if he gets the chance. He doesn't like to go outside much so we snuggle on the couch. He only uses the bathroom 1-2 a day and will go upwards of 24 hours if it is storming. he is about 54 pounds but only eats once a day. I budget $40 a month for his food and Medicine and at least one vet visit (more if he gets sick/injured) per year which u save about $400 from our taxes as his fund, if needed.

I am very, very, very allergic to cats and bunnies and certain dogs. My in laws have 2 dauschounds (I know i spelled that wrong) and a chewheenie (sp?)- I can tolerate the chewheenie an the short haired dauschounds but not the long hairs one. I can only tolerate my parens lab for a little bit and if the house is vacuumed well. Our gsp is short haired and shed a ton when we first got him (nerves) but barely sheds now and I have no issues. So you may not be stuck with hypoallergenic, it all depends.

I also love how he cleans up any food the baby drops :)

[Stayseeliz]

We got a beagle right after we got married almost 13 years ago and that was a wonderful experience. He passed away in September after a brief illness and we miss him deeply. We now have another 7 month old beagle and I'm about to lose my mind. Our house is too small and we have too many kids to have a dog right now in all honesty. I'm really, really struggling with this.

[Elinor Everywhere]

I am animal lover by nature, and have always had pets. After my sweet Lab died (at 14) 3 years ago, and we had to put our last cat down, I decided to be kind to my dh ( :D) and go animal-free for a bit. Two months later my neighbor's cat walked in through our cat door and switched residences. Pippin the Wonder Cat is fantastic - being chosen sometimes makes for a really great pet!

 

But last year I was minding my own business at PetSmart, when I saw puppies for adoption that had been abandoned. I could't resist, and now we have a dog again. A very different experience from my past - this dog is only 10 pounds full grown. She's part dachshund, part chihuahua, and part scruffy terrier (Cairn or something along that line). She's fantastic!! I'm obsessed.

 

What I like:

She goes everywhere with me. Easy to travel with, never gets carsick, fine with hotels, boats, and even on our motorcycle! She just wants to be where I am.

She's low-maintenance. If I don't feel like taking a walk or if it's raining, I can just throw toys from the couch and after playing fetch for 10 minutes she's tired.

She eats the cat food from a continuous feeder. We use grain-free dry food, and just fill up the container once a week or so. Dog & cat eat from the same container.

She's sweet and funny, and we think the she's adorable.

If I'm sick in bed for 18 hours, she's with me, snoozing away under the covers. If I'm up and want to take a long hike, she's good to go. She's my perfect companion.

She lets me put clothes on her.

 

What I don't like:

I have to use the furminator on her regularly or she sheds a lot. That scruffy terrier fur!

She's stubborn. Or stupid. Or both.

She doesn't really like other dogs. She does like cats, though, which is good. She loves people.

 

That's it - she's a great dog!

 

[JadeOrchidSong]

Bookspr,

Does your dog shed much? How much exercise do you provide him every day? I looked at Britany pictures. They are very good-looking and a nice size.

[briansmama]

I am so drawn to the idea of owning a dog as a pet. Even though I had a dog before I was 7, I don't remember much about it. My boys are 10 and 8 and they like the idea, too. Dh is not so passionate.

 

What is it like to own a dog, responsibility wise?

What are the benefts of owning a dog?

Dh is allergic to cats. So we can only have a hypoallergenic dog.

I would like to have a small or preferably medium sized calm dog.

We have a small house and a fenced in yard.

We have a park by our house where people are seen on a daily basis playing fetch with their dogs. We live 2 blocks from the nice greenway and Mississippi River parkway.

So please talk to me about dogs and share your breeds and experience.

Thank you!

 

 

My advice would be to check your local humane societies daily for a size/type/age of dog you are looking for and jump on it once one comes up. Then, when you go to meet them, see if they tend to be more aggressive or more submissive. For those of us without the need for a working dog, and for a home without acreage, submissive is the way to go (others may feel differently, but I've always had a dog and to me, it makes a huge difference).

 

I hope you get one- I think homeschoolers are in the unique position of being able to offer a dog exactly what they need: time with you.

 

We picked our puppy out of a litter born at the humane society. She was the most mellow one. She is now 2 and I can't say enough about how much she has added to our lives. We absolutely LOVE her. And my boys adore her. My oldest especially has a very special bond with her.

 

If you go for a puppy, just remember that the chewing phase really does end. I'm ALL about crate training the first year. And a routine. Our girl learned right away to rest when we put our dc to bed and to have a special place that is all hers to relax and not be bothered. She still uses it, even though she has free reign to our downstairs.

 

I don't agree that all puppies are like babies- we couldn't leave our boys in a crate and go out to dinner. From the beginning, we gave her lots of our time, but we made sure to put her away every day in her crate for downtime when I couldn't watch her.

 

Also, I look at any expense for her as an educational cost. Our boys have learned and asked so many questions about animals since we brough her home. The questions still come over 2 years later! They are learning a lot about zoology from their interest in knowing more about her.

 

If you end up adopting from someone who can no longer keep their dog instead of the humane society, labradoodles are awesome dogs! I'm not into going through a breeder though, nor would I ever recommend it.

 

ETA: our dog is not a labradoodle. She is part lab/part something else (husky probably).

[jenL]

I echo the sentiments of everyone else since you've received excellent advice. We rescued an Australian Shepherd/Lab mix puppy the day after Thanksgiving, and she has changed our lives for the better. She picked us out of the litter, and it is very clear that we are her people and she is our dog. So, if you can let the dog pick you, please do that. We have always been a firm believer of this with our animals, and it has served us well over the years.

 

We thought rescuing a puppy that was abandoned was a noble thing to do; however, we had NO idea of the medical issues they can have. We have had to treat Marcy for hookworms, coccidia, giardia, and a UTI. At one point, they thought she had parvo and she needed to be admitted for a day to be rehydrated because she was so sick. Between her rescue adoption fee and all the medical bills (including vaccinations), in 6 weeks we spent $2K. Potty training her was very difficult because she was so sick; for a good 3 weeks, we were dealing with diarrhea all the time. It was awful. She is 6 months old now, and she will be spayed on Monday. We are hoping this is our last big bill until her yearly check-up. Despite all of this, we love her dearly. My dh who was hesitant about getting a dog (he said no for YEARS) is completely enamored with her. She has completed our family, but it has been A LOT of work. We are still training her in some areas, but she is smart and actually likes to please us, so that part hasn't been as bad as the medical issues. I don't think we would do a rescue puppy again, but we would definitely consider an older rescue dog. I wish someone had laid all the pros and cons out for me before we got her. This thread is invaluable advice!

[Pawz4me]

One more thing just because several people mentioned it, we travel with our dog so it is doable. We have used a kennel but on a very limited basis. There are hotels that allow dogs, there are dog parks all over the country, so it is doable. We do end up with white pick up trucks with white caps for vehicles. That allows us to ability to leave the dog in the back in a crate if needed for a time even when it is hot.

 

We bought an RV (in part) so our pets could travel with us comfortably. :)

 

Bookspr,

Does your dog shed much? How much exercise do you provide him every day? I looked at Britany pictures. They are very good-looking and a nice size.

 

We have a Brittany who is now 12.5 years old. Shedding is in the eye of the beholder, but in general I think they're considered medium shedders. I would NOT recommend the breed to anyone who states they want a calm dog unless you're interested in adopting a dog at least six or seven years old. The words "calm" and "Brittany puppy" are an oxymoron. Brittanys are the endurance athletes of the canine world, bred to cover many miles a day while hunting birds. A typical young Brittany needs several miles of running (not leash walking) every day for the first few years to maintain its sanity and to even begin to meet their exercise needs. Once they hit six or seven they start becoming more normal. ;)

[brookspr]

Bookspr,

Does your dog shed much? How much exercise do you provide him every day? I looked at Britany pictures. They are very good-looking and a nice size.

 

I would agree with Pawz4me that Brittany's are medium shedding dogs, although at our house it's hard to tell because we also have a cat. There is hair everywhere!

 

As a puppy, Brittany's do need lots of exercise, but ours was fine with a few walks a day. I didn't run with our pup until he was at least 18 months old. Now, at 7 years old, he gets one or two walks a day and has a wonderful temperament 99% of the time. He can be a little spazzy if someone comes over, if he sees a squirrel outside, etc...but most of the time he is laying upside down on our couch as happy as a clam. When we have company he gets in your space until you pay attention to him, then he is back on the couch.

 

There are days (single digit temps, snowstorm, pouring rain) when he may not get a walk and he is fine. They are hunting dogs, so they are very smart and must be trained or they will find mischief. They like to work, so if you can find ways for him to have to work for his treats (using a Kong treat dispenser is Barker's favorite) it can keep them occupied for a while.

 

They are a great size, and we were lucky enough to have a breeder right in our town when we lived in CT. We got to pick out our puppy from the litter and we got him when he was 3 months old. Getting an older dog is always an option, but unless you know what circumstances they are coming from, it can be difficult. Most people don't give up good dogs for rescue. They usually have issues and will say they didn't have time for them, or they are having a baby, or they have to move. I am not opposed to rescue dogs, I think it's wonderful that someone would give a rescue dog a home, just know what you are getting into before you adopt a rescue dog of any breed.

[laundrycrisis]

They bark. They shed. They fart. Your dog may occasionally poop or pee in your house, perhaps even a giant puddle, or wake you up at times you would much prefer to sleep and then demand company for hours, barf all over the place, eat poop, kill wildlife in your yard, destroy many of your child's toys or other valuable things, chew through the TV cable where it attaches to the house, or a power cord to an expensive appliance, or even the gas hose that connects your new grill to the propane tank. Your dog may eat a potted azalea you were given as a gift by your co-workers after your dad recently passed away - and after spending $50 to speak with the veterinary poison control hotline, you learn that consuming an azalea bush may very will kill your dog, and spend the next two hours in the yard with a bottle of peroxide and a big syringe, helping your beloved furball to barf up the azalea. Your pooch may eat the face off of the teddy bear your had as an infant, that you were hoping to be able to show your grandchildren one day. Your dog might eat *all the charcoal* out of the mini-grill you cooked chicken on last week, and then come inside and vomit a huge black puddle onto the light-colored couch, which is then truly beyond saving. Your dog may eat a hole in the drywall somewhere in your house, in a remarkably short period of time, for no reason you can ever figure out. What else - escaping and causing hours of utter panic while you try to get the wayward pooch found and safely back home, eating non-food garbage anytime the opportunity presents itself....oh, on a day you make special trip back home just to let the dog go potty before you have to go out again for another 4 hours, the dog may choose to spend his only 5 minutes in the yard for the day, instead of relieving himself, barking his head off so loudly that your neighbor calls the police. Your dog may prove to have such an appetite for crunching things he is not supposed to crunch that you give up and just give him his own gated room in the house (formal dining rooms are so overrated anyway). Did I mention expensive yet ? Dental cleanings under sedation, but there is no insurance for this. If it's a hairy beast, professional grooming, and burned up vaccuum cleaner motors. I could go on.....

 

These are no exaggeration - all real ! (Shenanigans of four different dogs, over 18 years.) If you can embrace events like all of these, and still love your dog, honestly say you wouldn't give him/her up for any amount of quiet, cleanliness or convenience, and still want to spoil him rotten, or still think it's sweet when your canine wants to co-sleep with you (not everyone gets to this extreme, but be warned, it happens to some of us), then get a dog.

 

If you are thinking you want a dog that is quiet, clean, never destructive, etc, you may be much happier with a different kind of animal companion. Dogs can be like really energetic, loud, destructive, or clingy, 2 year olds who never grow up.

 

If one of the adults in the household is not ready to put up with this kind of stuff over many years, chances are high that the dog may end up surrendered to a rescue.

[RoughCollie]

If you don't want a puppy:

 

You can pick some breeds you like, find reputable breeders and ask if they have a retired show dog they want to sell, or if they know of a reputable breeder who does. I found two collies that way -- unfortunately, both were the same color as Teddy, which I did not want.

[5wolfcubs]

I am so drawn to the idea of owning a dog as a pet. Even though I had a dog before I was 7, I don't remember much about it. My boys are 10 and 8 and they like the idea, too. Dh is not so passionate.

 

What is it like to own a dog, responsibility wise? Mom is responsible. She just is. Even if it was 100% dh's idea. Initial costs are high (vet, license, training, leashes, toys, crate, etc) but then not so much. In fact we buy one bag of food every six weeks or so, and usually a new toy & treat bag at the same time. So other than the year shots/license ($$$) it isn't expensive.

What are the benefts of owning a dog? I get exercise walking her 3-4 times a day. She barks when something is really wrong. She love us and we love her.

Dh is allergic to cats. So we can only have a hypoallergenic dog. No help here. We got an Akita. Dh takes Zyrtec. A dog was his idea.

I would like to have a small or preferably medium sized calm dog. Our Akita is only 75 lbs, based on her parents we thought she'd be bigger.

We have a small house and a fenced in yard. Small house is okay because dogs don't get their exercise in the house (at least, ours doesn't). We don't have a fenced yard but do let her chase a ball in the yard or in a large grassy (now muddy) drainage area near our house. Her primary form of exercise is being walked. By me.

We have a park by our house where people are seen on a daily basis playing fetch with their dogs. We live 2 blocks from the nice greenway and Mississippi River parkway. That sounds great! Although I don't recommend letting your dog romp with others freely without training (to come when called, stop when told, etc).

So please talk to me about dogs and share your breeds and experience. The first year with our puppy is now a blur...it was like suddenly having a very large, very fast, playfully aggressive toddler with teeth. I was on constant alert because I had a small, slow, real toddler. But the puppy grew up (with training!) into a calm, pleasant, tolerant, SHEDDING, enjoyable one year old dog.

She sleeps on DD15's bed. DS10 does his best school work with his head resting on her back. And not one of my kids will ever be afraid of a big dog. And I get daily walks. Multiple daily walks. But only 3-4, not the 8-10 I took when she was a puppy!!

 

Now I must read if my experience matches other peoples! :laugh:

 

Thank you!

[Trillian]

I've seen a few people recommend an adult dog vs a puppy. We have always adopted adult dogs, not gotten puppies, so I can't speak to puppies, but I will say there is still a lot of training that goes not adult dogs. Frequently, you are training out bad behaviors that have been learned or allowed at a previous house.

 

Until this last dog, I had always been in charge of the dogs, including training. This last one, I didn't have the energy. Luckily, DH stepped up. But, someone has to commit to the training (IMO), even with an adult dog.

[gaillardia]

I am so drawn to the idea of owning a dog as a pet. Even though I had a dog before I was 7, I don't remember much about it. My boys are 10 and 8 and they like the idea, too. Dh is not so passionate.

 

What is it like to own a dog, responsibility wise?

What are the benefts of owning a dog?

Dh is allergic to cats. So we can only have a hypoallergenic dog.

I would like to have a small or preferably medium sized calm dog.

We have a small house and a fenced in yard.

We have a park by our house where people are seen on a daily basis playing fetch with their dogs. We live 2 blocks from the nice greenway and Mississippi River parkway.

So please talk to me about dogs and share your breeds and experience.

Thank you!

You determine whether you are a responsible dog owner. There are many irresponsible dog owners around us, I'm really baffled by it.

You sound like you would be like most of us here, responsible enough.

Our daughter, 13, wanted a dog. We tried a 3 year old mixed Rat Terrier/chihuahua, small and cute. She was well behaved at the adoption place, rode fine on the way home. They told us she was used to cats and house trained. We kept her for almost a month but took her back because we couldn't get her to calm down in the house. She slept on the bed, that was fine. She chased the cat if she could. She jumped up on the sofas, I didn't like that. She would pee right there if we reached down to pick her up even after having been outside. She hated being outside, we couldn't convince her otherwise. She had issues! She had been abused it was obvious because of the way she flinched and cowered when we would reach for her, plus the peeing issue. She was hyper, very hyper and barked a LOT. She came from a foster home. We weren't prepared to deal with that.

I irrationally kept looking for puppies. Unfortunately the people here do not feel obligated to hold puppies til they're 8 wks old. They sell them at 6 wks which is really too young. We got a 6 wk old (supposedly) part Blue Heeler/Border Collie. She's actually part Australian Kelpie (another herding dog) and has all the characteristics of the breed.

What was I thinking? Shepherding dogs love to herd whatever, they love to run, run, run. We had never been herded before. She is full of energy from sun up to sun down. She was born with mange which wasn't evident until 4 months. She had pinworms really bad. She needs the acre we have. We're looking to getting her to an agility training place because it's the only place I can find that offers obedience training (to prepare for agility -- oh boy!).

We haven't socialized her enough so when someone new comes to the house she pees and flees. She's a leaker when freaked but she is house trained now.

She looks like a mixed Doberman and has enormous ears that flop and stand. She is a smallish medium sized dog and very athletic form, thin. She looks quite menacing.

We're into it now, but if I'd have been thinking better I'd have gotten a lab mix, our last dog that we had for 8/9 years. I seem to have forgotten the trouble she was when she was a puppy though! That dog was very good at guarding us.

Key to potty training....every hour on the hour take dog out. And when they are babies....they still have to go out once or twice at night.

I had a poodle for 15 yrs. Loved him so. He was a good dog, protective of me. No shedding.

I'm sure that eventually we will love the dog we have now. She constantly bumps me with her nose and has to lick my toes as quickly as she can.

She sure does stink like a dog.

[laundrycrisis]

This is pretty accurate:

(beware of possibly offensive language)

 

http://theoatmeal.co...ics/dog_paradox

[Stayseeliz]

I have to agree that Mom will be responsible for the dog. Getting a puppy was DH's idea and the kids swore up and down that they wanted dog and would help with him. Who walked the dog very early this morning even though I'm sick? Me. I'm too overwhelmed to be taking care of another living thing.

[Frances]

Although I grew up with dogs, my husband never had one, but my son always wanted one. We finally got one four years ago from the local Humane Society and I would highly recommend this route for first time dog owners. At least at our shelter, they thoroughly screen the dogs and grade them on all of the important behaviors based on information from the previous owners and behavioral testing. Due to my husband and son's lack of experience with dogs, we decided that we would only consider dogs with straight A's. Like you, we initially wanted a small to medium sized dog, although calmness was the most important thing to me, as I already had two hyper men in my life :) We ended up with a six year old female yellow lab/golden retriever mix (about 65 pounds) and she is the easiest dog ever. All of the shelter volunteers we spoke with highly recommend her if we were willing to consider a bigger dog.

 

As she spent the first six years of her life either chained outside or sleeping in a garage, they couldn't officially rate her as housebroken, but didn't think it would be a problem, and they were right. She loves being a house dog and has never had an accident indoors or chewed anything. When we first brought her home my son was out of town for several weeks and my husband and I were both working, so we decided to use a crate for her while we were at work. She immediately went in to it the first time we asked and never whined or barked. After three days of this, we realized she didn't get into anything or chew anything while she was out of the crate when we were home, so we packed it up and later sold it. Four years later she is still an incredibly easy dog. Really, the only difficulty with her is that she sheds like crazy!

 

We have friends that take her when we go out of town. They have three children, a dog, and three cats, so the fact that she is so mellow is what makes this arrangement work. Our friends always joke that they hope their dog will pick up some of our dog's good habits during these times, but it hasn't worked so far. Another great thing about her is that she doesn't bark when people come to the door or walk in front of our house. We live in a very pedestrian friendly neighborhood near the city center and get lots of foot traffic during the day. It simply wouldn't work if she was the type that barked at everything that went by. We don't have a fenced yard, but she has never tried to run away, and will not even go down off our front porch until we tell her to. A few times we have accidentally left her outside alone for short periods, and she simply laid down facing the door and waited for us - no barking, whining, or scratching.

 

We will absolutely be getting our next dog from a shelter. Knowing what her disposition would be based on the shelter's evaluation and the volunteers' comments made everything so much easier as first time dog owners.

 

PS I just wanted to add that she fit into our lives seamlessly and now I can't imagine life without her. She's always up for any adventure - a long walk or jog, playing in the park, a hike in the mountains or a trip to the beach, a car ride for errands, a swim in the creek, etc. At home she hangs out with us wherever we are and a simple "that's enough" sends her to her nearest bed when we're done paying attention to her. Although she loves long walks, on the occasional very nasty weather day she's fine with just being let outside to do her business, and is just as calm as always once she comes back inside.

[shanvan]

Lots of good advice here. Definitely your first year will go by in a blur. I agree that a routine and training are key.

 

One of the benefits I haven't seen mentioned--dog training has taught our Dc a ton! Our latest addition is Dd's English Springer Spaniel which her grandmother bought her for 4H. She had been borrowing dogs from the leaders. Ds had been and still is working with our cocker spaniel (in my avatar). Both dogs are smart and good at everything. They compete in 4H and AKC agility, obedience, rally obedience, and showmanship. Both Dc and dogs have a lot of fun and have learned a lot, and Dc have built some wonderful relationships with adult mentors.

 

Dd got her puppy when she was 9 and she did quite a bit of the housebreaking and training, with some reminders and supervision from me and Dh. Her dog is absolutely focused on her in a way most dogs don't focus on adults. It is amazing. She works with him every day. This morning she put him on the treadmill before class so he would be a little less energetic. Like Brittanys, Spaniels can be overly enthusiastic. In his first year we made sure he had long walks and many training sessions throughout the day. Now Dd has a great time setting up agility courses in the back yard and training him. Agility is just so much fun. Keep in mind no serious jumping should be done before around 18 months or so.

 

My Dc started with 4H and then began taking classes. The wonderful thing is that we can go to class at any time of day. This morning we had an obedience class and Dd also worked with an English Setter whose owner would like her to show the dog.

 

Anyway, if you get a dog, you may end up with an extracurricular, if your Dc are interested. Then you could end up like us, with another dog! If you give a kid a dog....

 

But seriously, it can be a great learning experience, and as another poster mentioned, as homeschoolers, most of us are in the perfect position to spend time training a puppy or dog.

[Joker]

We got our first dog 4 years ago. He was supposed to be for the girls but he is my dog. He crowds me and never leaves my side. I'm sure it is because I am the one that sees to his needs most of the time. I'm also the one that is home the most.

 

One thing I was not prepared for is how much he sheds and his medical issues. He has always shed and it drives me crazy. His medical issues didn't pop up until year two but he is allergic to just about everything. We spend $100 month on just his food and prescription meds. When I try to get him off the expensive meds (and before he started them) we were dropping a few hundred every other month for vet visits, injections, and steroids because he would hurt himself with the scratching and licking.

 

Our dog also seems to be untrainable in regards to how excited he his to see any dog or human. We've done classes (repeatedly) and he just can't contain his excitement. He's fine at home but he is too difficult to take out in public.

 

It is also so very hard to board him when we travel. We have to leave him at the vet, which means he his crated, instead of a doggie spa type place where he can have more room because everytime we've tried the other he has come home ill. The vet is the only place that is able to properly care for him and where he won't come home sick.

 

All that said, I love the stinker. I can't wait to pick him up when we've been on vacation and I can't imagine him not being here. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: It's also been amazing to see him with the girls. They dress him up and he doesn't care. They have also trained him to sit, lay down, high five, speak, and twirl in a circle on his back legs. He does it all by their voice commands and he receives a marshmallow for his effort. They enjoy him immensely.

[JadeOrchidSong]

We have had our dogs for over 2 years and not a single day goes by that I don't wish we were a dog-free family because every single time we leave the house, we have to consider how long we will be gone because we only have a 6-8 hour window until the dogs will need a potty break.

 

With that said, I will say that while I refer to our dogs as the "Stupid Dogs", I love them so much and I care deeply for their well being. The most important reason the dogs are still with us is because of what they have offered to our children. In addition to learning pet responsiblity, my son, aka the baby of the family, had a chance to learn how to nurture something and that alone is priceless.

 

My blog is full of puppy training ideas - mainly what my daughter did while training our dogs in the first year especially.

 

Thank you for the insight. I wonder if I'm ready to lose my freedom of leaving the house with no worries about a living thing in the house.

 

I am animal lover by nature, and have always had pets. After my sweet Lab died (at 14) 3 years ago, and we had to put our last cat down, I decided to be kind to my dh ( :D) and go animal-free for a bit. Two months later my neighbor's cat walked in through our cat door and switched residences. Pippin the Wonder Cat is fantastic - being chosen sometimes makes for a really great pet!

 

But last year I was minding my own business at PetSmart, when I saw puppies for adoption that had been abandoned. I could't resist, and now we have a dog again. A very different experience from my past - this dog is only 10 pounds full grown. She's part dachshund, part chihuahua, and part scruffy terrier (Cairn or something along that line). She's fantastic!! I'm obsessed.

 

What I like:

She goes everywhere with me. Easy to travel with, never gets carsick, fine with hotels, boats, and even on our motorcycle! She just wants to be where I am.

She's low-maintenance. If I don't feel like taking a walk or if it's raining, I can just throw toys from the couch and after playing fetch for 10 minutes she's tired.

She eats the cat food from a continuous feeder. We use grain-free dry food, and just fill up the container once a week or so. Dog & cat eat from the same container.

She's sweet and funny, and we think the she's adorable.

If I'm sick in bed for 18 hours, she's with me, snoozing away under the covers. If I'm up and want to take a long hike, she's good to go. She's my perfect companion.

She lets me put clothes on her.

 

What I don't like:

I have to use the furminator on her regularly or she sheds a lot. That scruffy terrier fur!

She's stubborn. Or stupid. Or both.

She doesn't really like other dogs. She does like cats, though, which is good. She loves people.

 

That's it - she's a great dog!

 

She is adorable! Your post makes me want to have a dog.

[JadeOrchidSong]

Dh and I just watched The Artist. Does anyone know what breed that loyal little dog is?

[Night Elf]

Mind the potential cost factor. My biggest recurring expense is nail filing every 2.5 to 3 weeks. This costs $15 per dog. I bathe them at home to save the rest of the grooming costs. The vet fees can add up. We do a yearly physical where they get shots and blood work, and teeth cleaning, though I'm not sure how long in between those visits. I just wait for my vet to tell me it's time to do them again. We only go on vacation once a year and we have to board them. That costs about $500 for a week and my beagle mix comes home quite stressed. It takes several days to get them back into a calm routine. We don't have anyone to care for them. Well, we also pay a pet sitter to come and feed the cat but she'd have to visit several times a day to make sure the dogs are getting out. Hiring her for that would be more expensive than the kennel.

 

Costs alone, I love having my dogs.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Dh and I just watched The Artist. Does anyone know what breed that loyal little dog is?

 

It's a Jack Russel Terrier, the same type of dog that is in the show Frazier. And most JRTs that I meet in real life are no where like that dog. The ones I see in the neighborhood and in the shelter are barky dogs with a Napolean complex. They are high energy dogs that can be destructive without enough exercise and mental stimulation.

[J-rap]

I've rarely been without a dog, and when I don't have one I miss them intensely. That said, we are a pretty easy-going family that doesn't mind dog hair, muddy paws, and various chew toys under foot. Dogs we have soon acclimate to just being part of our group, going where we go, hopping in the car to run errands, lying on the floor with us to watch movies. We have a really sweet Aussie now who is incredibly smart. Usually they are a high-energy dog, but ours is pretty mellow. The hardest part by far is going out of town for even just a night. You always have to plan ahead. Do you bring him? Can you leave him? We are fortunate in that ours is from a "farm family" that lives just outside of town. Anytime we go out of town we drop him off there, and he runs free with the other dogs and kids.

 

Just know that no matter how much the kids say ahead of time that they'll exercise the dog daily, they won't. :) Bottom line is that he'll be your dog and you'll end up with the bulk of the work. I actually enjoy going outside and running around with our dog, and playing soccer with him with empty milk cartons, so it works out. :)

[shanvan]

Just know that no matter how much the kids say ahead of time that they'll exercise the dog daily, they won't. :) Bottom line is that he'll be your dog and you'll end up with the bulk of the work. I actually enjoy going outside and running around with our dog, and playing soccer with him with empty milk cartons, so it works out. :)

 

I'm just going to point out that some kids will---if the parent is willing to take the time teach them. I did and now Dd initiates exercising her dog, but she is maybe a rarity b/c she just loves dogs and they love her. She wants to be a dog handler when she grows up and she's well on her way--but I took the time to learn all I could and instructed her at home, made a schedule for the puppy, educated Dd about his needs and what she had to do to be responsible, signed her up and took her to class, walked with her and her dog, watched her work with him and instructed and corrected her, paid attention during dog classes, etc. Even though she did the work, I put a lot of my time into educating her so that she could do the work. And she needed supervision, like all children do, or they can make foolish choices.

 

My time was well spent. Dd has learned principles of teaching, learning, and discipline that will apply to many areas of her life. I saw a huge change in her focus and her school work too b/c of all the effort I took to carefully and thoughtfully teach her to train her own dog. And it was (and still is) a wonderful bonding experience for us. There may have been some school that got put on hold at times, but I'd say it was well worth it.

 

It's been almost 2 years since she got her puppy, but I do not do the bulk of the work--Dd does. She's in the process now of learning the more advanced grooming her dog requires. It's going to take her some time. It took me a year and I still haven't completely mastered it yet, but that's b/c he is groomed for showing.

 

Just wanted to say, as the parent, you do not have to end up doing all of the work. Imho, I don't think it is really ideal for the parent to be the only one responsible. There's too much potential learning a Dc misses out on that way. JMO

[JadeOrchidSong]

Shannan,

What breeds do you have?

 

[JadeOrchidSong]

I like the look of mini Aussies. They are adorable. I need to learn more about them.

Right now, we are interested in miniature schnauzer and American Eskimo.

[HS Mom in NC]

I have found, over the years, that two dogs are much easier than one. It's more food and more vet bills, but two dogs can keep each other company when you can't and they can get their dog energy out in a more satisfying way than one dog dependent on humans to play with him does.

 

Be very careful to research the breed of dog that best suits your lifestyle, your expectations and your environment. Don't blame the dog for bad behavior if it was bred for a completely different situation than yours. We had a book once called The Right Dog For You. I assume amazon and google searches should give you a good idea.

[shanvan]

Shannan,

What breeds do you have?

 

Ds has a Cocker Spaniel who is very energetic, also very loyal and cuddly, but shy with strangers.

 

Dd has the English Springer Spaniel who is off the charts energetic, but he matches her personality and they work well together. He was the puppy she trained with my help. He is devoted to her.

 

My dog is the old guy and he's a border collie mix. He was also quite a handful when I got him, but he is the sweetest of the three. All three dogs want to please, but Border collie is the most gentle and sensitive.

 

All were quick learners and good at everything. Overall I think the Cocker was the easiest.

[poiema]

Animal Planet has a breed selector here that gives ideas about what breeds would be good for your lifestyle. You can also watch the Pets 101 videos on the same site to get a better idea about each of the breeds. That's how we picked our dog.

 

We've had our puppy for 8 months, and as much as I love him (and his breed) I do sort of wish we had remained a dog free home. Owning a dog is a lot of responsibility, worry, cost, staying home/coming home early, and dog hair everywhere (I mean seriously, my clothes come out of the washer/dryer covered in dog hair). :cursing:

[AngieW in Texas]

What is it like to own a dog, responsibility wise?

What are the benefts of owning a dog?

Dh is allergic to cats. So we can only have a hypoallergenic dog.

I would like to have a small or preferably medium sized calm dog.

We have a small house and a fenced in yard.

We have a park by our house where people are seen on a daily basis playing fetch with their dogs. We live 2 blocks from the nice greenway and Mississippi River parkway.

 

My dogless years were 0-2yo, 15-22yo, and then one month between when our golden died in August and we got our German Shepherd puppy in September.

 

Our dogless month was really hard on all of us. Our lives are definitely enriched by having a dog.

 

I do 99% of the dog care and always have. My dh likes to watch tv with a dog, but he doesn't enjoy walking or throwing a tennis ball/frisbee or going to the dog park. I do enjoy all those things, so I do them.

 

The kids do sometimes take Kylie for a walk, but I really enjoy our morning walk, so I'm always the one to walk her in the morning. One of the kids will occasionally take her out again in the afternoon and I often have one of the kids with me at the dog park.

 

I recommend getting a dog that will definitely be at least 15 pounds and probably under 40 pounds. 40 pounds is still fairly easy to pick up. Kylie is about 55 pounds now and I can still pick her up and hold her for several minutes. Even the 14yo can pick her up as long as she doesn't struggle.

 

I would recommend getting over 15 pounds because I find the little bitty dogs incredibly annoying and yappy and often quite snappy too. I have seen the horrible behavior of small dogs referred to as "small dog syndrome".

http://canidaepetfood.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-deal-with-small-dog-syndrome.html

 

My dh is VERY allergic to cats (had to go to the ER several times as a kid due to cat exposure) and my 17yo is fairly allergic to cats. They both tolerate dogs with no problems at all.

 

You should probably get a miniature poodle, not a teacup, just smallish. Poodles don't shed and are relatively smart without insanely high energy needs.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/miniaturepoodle.htm

[I talk to the trees]

This is pretty accurate:

(beware of possibly offensive language)

 

http://theoatmeal.co...ics/dog_paradox

 

Oh.my.goodness. I haven't laughed that hard in ages! Dd just said, "Mom, are you going to pass out or something?" I could not even catch my breath enough to say that I was okay.

[JadeOrchidSong]

Angie W in Texas,

What breed is your dog now?

[Elinor Everywhere]

This is pretty accurate:

(beware of possibly offensive language)

 

http://theoatmeal.co...ics/dog_paradox

 

 

 

OMG....I just about threw up laughing so hard. I've been sick for a few weeks, and I can't laugh or I burst into a horrible fit of coughing. This was the wrong thing to read!!!