kristi26 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 So DH and I have been married thirteen years now and in our entire thirteen years together weren't interested in owning a dog. Part of the problem (the bulk of the problem) was that we didn't have the house or the yard for it. But we have now moved AND we have older kids who can actually be a large part of caring for that dog. Here's where you all come in. I'm looking at getting a female labrador retriever (or even a mix). I'm thinking about going to a shelter and finding one there...the cost would be lower and typically includes the spaying/neutering of the puppy...there's also some breeders around us though and we could look at those as well...thoughts? What should we be looking for? How do we go about choosing the right puppy for our family? We want it to be a good fit. What do we need to be sure to do to help this puppy turn into a functional and friendly and obedient dog? We are home almost every day and even when we go out, it's not for very long- a few hours tops. My kids are kids. Sometimes loud, sometimes not. We also have two guinea pigs as pets... Thanks for all your help! :) PS- SHH! My kids don't know anything, so please don't say anything to them if you know us IRL. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 You could always get a book or two and read up on puppy ownership, etc. Or, you can do what I do. I hire a trainer to help us pick the right dog. The trainer should be able to start training the puppy (really it means training you and your family) right away as well. My dad always said, "I work very hard at my specialty so I can pay others to do theirs." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 I would like to do the puppy training ourselves, honestly. I don't have the extra funds for hiring our own trainer, though I would happily do some puppy obedience school/classes together. :) I like the idea of grabbing some books on the subject. I'm really not sure why that didn't occur to me. Lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Either option can work. As can adopting a slightly older dog whose temperament is already known.I did suggest in another thread that if you're picking from a shelter & if you're feeling confused, you may want to hire a good trainer to come with you & help you assess a dog. Some shelters also have really good adoption match programs, where they'll assess a dog's needs and take a detailed family history from the prospective adopters and make sure there's a match.Best thing you can do before hand is read.online free resources such as Dog Star Daily http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloadsThe online channel of Emily Larlham/Kikopup. Here's her website with an index to the youtube videos http://dogmantics.com/free-videos/Anything by Patricia McConnell & read her blog! If you want to shop for books or DVD's, Dogwise is the best source IMO. http://www.dogwise.com/If you want to be inspired, LoLaBuLand http://www.lolabuland.com/and her training videos and online classesIf you want to really get into competitive obedience or sport, Susan Garrett's online classes are expensive but the content is excellent. http://www.susangarrett.com/"Susan Garrett’s entire dog training foundation is built on one philosophy: You can achieve great and effective training by simply playing with your dog. It is her mission to teach the world that training can be fun, for both people and animals! Dog training shouldn’t be a chore. It should be a time that you enjoy with your dogs; and time that they enjoy spending with you!" Susan has a blog where there is lots of free info.Silvia also has tons of great free videos online & has the philosophy that everything is just a trick. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 oh & what to look for in a breeder: http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/breeder.htmwhat to look for in a rescue group http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/rescue.htmHappy dog searching :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Wilson Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 You can learn how to train your puppy from watching videos on youtube. That's what I did. I highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopupand anything my Michael Ellis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 If you can find a really good shelter or rescue group they'll help you find a dog who is a great fit for your family. The good ones will have adoption counselors who are skilled at matching people and pets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I would like to do the puppy training ourselves, honestly. I don't have the extra funds for hiring our own trainer, though I would happily do some puppy obedience school/classes together. :) I like the idea of grabbing some books on the subject. I'm really not sure why that didn't occur to me. Lol. I actively discourage anyone from hiring someone else to train a companion pet. A huge part of bonding and learning to communicate with each other comes from training. Training for me is not about teaching the dogs cues; they're a really side effect of having learned to communicate. But working WITH a good trainer is well worth it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I would like to do the puppy training ourselves, honestly. I don't have the extra funds for hiring our own trainer, though I would happily do some puppy obedience school/classes together. :) I like the idea of grabbing some books on the subject. I'm really not sure why that didn't occur to me. Lol. Someone on this board linked Victoria Stilwell's "Positive Dog Training" site and there are plenty of videos that show how to get started and what to expect. A book may not hurt either. https://positively.com/ Even if you have never trained a dog, you can easily do it with a little advice from someone like her. We all started somewhere training our first dog - and it's not unlike training children. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 oh & what to look for in a breeder: http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/breeder.htm what to look for in a rescue group http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/rescue.htm Happy dog searching :) Thank you for all of your very helpful and well-thought-out responses!!! I really appreciate it! Perusing your links now. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 If you want to really get into competitive obedience Coming soon to the next homeschool convention . . . 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I downloaded dr. Ian's eBooks from Dog Star Daily - very well done! The info at LoLaBuLand is also absolutely excellent - even though it is dealing specifically with agility, the suggestions on clear handling and communication are gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Wilson Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I actively discourage anyone from hiring someone else to train a companion pet. A huge part of bonding and learning to communicate with each other comes from training. Training for me is not about teaching the dogs cues; they're a really side effect of having learned to communicate. But working WITH a good trainer is well worth it. I have to agree with this. Because I did the training with my dog (and made my kids help) I can get her to do anything. She will listen to me. She listens to my husband grudgingly, because he wouldn't help train her. She'll do the commands he taught her and has learned he is an authority, but there isn't that relationship there. One game that my kids loved to play with our dog, and it taught her to come no matter who was calling her, is hide and seek. I gave my kids a handful of treats, hot dog pieces, or dog food and told them to go hide. They would take turns calling her and she would have to sit before she got the treat. You will have to tell which child to call the puppy, though, because if yours are anything like mine chaos will ensue. Take turns what child calls which time, too, because if you the dog is smart she will automatically go to the next person before she's called, which kinda defeats the game a little. You can kinda play this game by yourself, too, when you work off leash with them. When you notice she's not paying attention quickly hide and she will begin to kinda freak out. When she finds you make a big deal and give lots of treats. This teaches her to not let you out of her sight. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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