What Do You Wish You Knew Before You Got Your Dog?

[pip1981]

eta. Just thinking, if you think the 20 min play at the end of your classes is causing you probs you could always take her home before that or cut the play time down slightly. Say 5 mins play rather than 20....??

Oh, sorry if I wasn't clear, Dakota's well and truly finished puppy classes, she's 26 months old...lol, this was 2 years ago

and most of the hour, was chatting and questions with the pups just sitting/laying down, but on lead, with learning the techniques in between...

Dakota's case is probably a combination of an already happy-go-lucky girl by nature and playtime with other pups I guess.

She may have been as excitable as she is without puppy school, but we'll never know...lol...nevermind, we love her to bits!

:D

[Cuchulain]

Now you guys have got me thinking...Max's puppy school encouraged off-lead play. Usually when all of us had managed to complete a specific task. Since our class was only 3 (a springer spaniel, my ridgie and toy pom) there was a fair amount of play. I also thought this was "good" socialisation however, having read SK's posts I'm now wondering if my issues with Max at the beach are linked? He also just wants to rush over and play with anything furry on four legs. I'm struggling to control him sometimes.

[Leithy]

I wish I knew that:

- How crappy dog food from the supermarket really is;

- That I would end up with two long portable electric blankets;

- That even though my girls can sleep all day, they still want to go for walks at 44 degrees (not that I ever have lol)

- You need to be firm with obedience and training (I'm a sook and only got firm after four pairs of shoes were destroyed... silly me)

- The unconditional love I get them from them, especially after a hard shift at work, can never be replaced

[Tapua]

What I wish I knew when I first had a dog

• Dogs thrive on routine
  They know when dinner should be and dance about if its 5 minutes late.
  They know when I pick up the keys for work and they dont follow me to the car - when I pick up the keys on Saturday morning - god help me if they cant come in the car for a drive!!
  That pups go through different stages of confidence and timidness and the routine established as a youngster helps them get through it.
  That dogs also learn well from the other dogs - they copy the good and bad habits if not given direction
  That the dogs are a part of my life but are not here to meet all my emotional needs
  They dogs deserve to be accepted as they are too and they can just chill out and be dogs without having to 'perform' in the ring, at obedience, agility, stockwork or whatever I like to do with them to be loved.
  To cherish the young and the old - they all have character and love to give so freely.
  Dogs have filled my life with love and joy and occassionally tears for the last 20+ years ... and I wouldnt change a thing!
  

The new kids on the block - 12 - 1 week old baby Labradors!

Edited January 9, 2010 by Tapua

[kritta]

What Do You Wish You Knew Before You Got Your Dog?

-How wonderful my dog would become over the years.......

[Bindii]

Mine is crate training.

Definitely think Fletcher is way more 'chilled out' about being put outside/in another room/in a cage because he slept in a crate by my bed from the day he came to us at 8 weeks until about 7 months of age. Now he sleeps in a crate with the door open - he loves his crate!

Hugo is the opposite... little stress head about being separated from us. We have worked heavily on it and i just getting to the stage where he is okay. But it really stressed him out for a long time.

[westiemum]

I wish I'd known what an absolute joy it would be.

1. 2 dogs are better than one

2. that older and senior dogs are fabulous

3. what a fantastic community DOL is (I can't thank DOLers enough for the help they've freely given me over the years)

and lastly, just how valuable a good vet who you trust implicitly is - and to never begrudge them their fees.

[Kelly_Louise]

I wish I'd known about the full repercussions of back yard breeding. I wish I'd not been young and impulsive when I wanted a dog, although in saying that - I wouldn't change my Chloe for any dog in the world or any amount of money - health issues and all.

I wish I'd done alot more research before adopting a rescue dog. Not for me, but to have been a better mum for Sasha at the start. I had idealistic views, and whilst I had some knowledge - I just kind of thought she'd slot in and off we'd go. I just didn't understand all of her special needs, I didn't understand that some dogs can be scarred by their pound or previous experiences, I didn't understand her language or what she was trying to communicate. Since Sasha came into our lives, I've learnt so many new things (things I didn't know I needed to know - I've had dogs my whole life and trained them from puppies so I grew with them and knew them intuitively), especially about dog behaviour and 'language'.

I wish I knew just how fantastic adopting a rescue dog would be - I would have done it much sooner. It wasn't always easy - and it was a learning curve - however, it changed my life. I went into adoption thinking I was helping to save a life and doing a good deed - and that made me feel really good inside, and I was determined to make Sasha's life with us the best possible. However, what I didn't know - is that she would turn my life around, she would give me more than I could ever give her - and sometimes I wonder who really did who a good deed... We now take every opportunity to promote pet adoption, because I'd like others to experience what I have.

For the other things, I have now learnt that crate training, and toileting on cue can be a metaphorical lifesaver, that training is more important that I ever thought and can be a literal lifesaver... but the one thing that I know now - which is most important, is that no one knows your dog like you. If you feel something isn't right - regardless that others might blow it off - go with your gut and persist with it until you find the problem. When you have a bond with a dog, you just know when something isn't right - and they rely on you to see it and help them.

[cashew]

I wish I knew how bonded one becomes with her dog. I think half of me will die if my dog leaves me. But I am just going to enjoy the time we have and not worry about that for now.

[westiemum]

Yeah cashew - i know exactly what you mean - I dread the day... but prefer not to think about it. So I suppose I wish I'd known truly how incredibly important my guys would become to me....

[Adele]

The no 1 thing I wish I had known was how much damage a bad puppy school can do... I doubt I will ever attend another one I wish I had known more about nuetralising my puppy to other dogs rather than over-socialising him. It has caused me so many problems since and I recently heard from a local trainer that a lot of puppies who went through the same puppy classes are now showing up at obedience classes with similar issues

This was also a problem for me. Having a bull breed I was very conscious about socialising her but think we over-did it and our puppy pre-school was a bit of a free for all. What resulted was her getting highly excited around other dogs and having no manners which took a long time to train her out of.

I also wish I knew about crate training. Sooty isn't particularly good in new situations and can take awhile to settle but I think if we were able to take the crate along to places with us in over-night stays she would settle a lot quicker - thinking that this could still be done, just need time!

[Beth.]

I also wish I knew how amazingly wonderful dog ownership is - and that how utterly in love with my little girl (even though i've only had her about 7 weeks) I am and how much you think about them when you're not with them, and the first time you've think they've run away or something how your heart stops!!!

I do, however, wish I knew that the first couple days are hard and that alot of thoughts run through your head (like WHAT have I done, I am now responsible for this precious life that WON'T STOP CRYING)

It's up to you how you raise it and how you want it to be when it's GROWN UP and not just a cute little puppy - I did go in thinking this though, so I have set the foundations I want for Lottie from Day 1 and she now knows that it's ok to by alone, that outside is FUN and the inside is quiet time, hehehe, i'm a mean mummy!!!

Oh, and I taught her to wee on command - made toilet training VERY easy, now i just have to say the word and she'll do a wee - even if she's just done one and I didn't see her, she'll squat and try and do another, bless her little heart, hahaha.

A DOG IS LOVE!!!!!! OK, i'm a new dog owner can you tell

[kritta]

I wish I knew how bonded one becomes with her dog. I think half of me will die if my dog leaves me. But I am just going to enjoy the time we have and not worry about that for now.

Me too! Well said

[Kayann]

I wish I knew the extra issues to look out for in having two litter sisters at the same time. In hind sight not a good idea and would not do again. As our breeder who only new to breeding she didnt think to warn us about it and cause us dramas until this forum highlighted that was the route cause of many of their issues.

Kayann

[dancinbcs]

I wish I had read the book "Think Dog" by John Fisher before obedience training my first competition dog. This book is so logical and gives you a real understanding of the world from the dog's point of view. It opened my mind to new ways of training and communicating with dogs. Since then I have learnt a great deal more from some wonderful trainers, found the best puppy pre-school and discovered the benefits of positive re-enforcement, leadership skills and the use of body language.

I made so many mistakes with that first dog but despite me, he still managed to become a show Champion, win a Best In Show, gain his CDX, did some agility and herding, and became a successful stud dog. He changed my life but I often wonder what we could have achieved if I had known then what I know now.

[Czara]

One thing I never knew before getting my first dog, was how much time, energy, and just how much of my life they would take up! I'm not complaining, it's great, just something to be aware of before making the commitment

The other thing, is that dogs and dog breeds are so very different, and how important it is to choose a compatible one with your personality and lifestyle (not just now, but what you expect in the next 10 years).

You are doing the right thing, exploring and learning before making an informed decision.

[altheau]

I think the one thing I realised was that there is a massive diffrence between growing up with dogs, compared with owning a dog. There are lots of things that my parents took care off that I did not think about.

[Cosmolo]

I should have realised just how filthy a white dog can get I also wish i had known that you can have a great garden and dogs- then we would have done our garden earlier!

Just with regards to puppy school- long periods of off lead play can be a problem. Ideally IMO- short periods of play followed by teaching the pups to calm, settle and focus would be ideal and can definitely be done within a pre school. I usually find that by the end of the course, all of the pups whose owners have been consistent were able to play and then focus on their owners when asked without a problem. We teach a conditioned recall command separate to this too.

[jr_inoz]

That they would chew everything in sight until they were 18 months old.

she may not chew everything in sight - but I wish i kept my bras out of her way....

I wish I'd known that I would always feel a tad guilty for leaving them when walking out the front door!

ditto

I also wish I had read "Before you get your puppy" before I got my puppy. Really worthwhile. Free download on internet - lots of different websites have it.

Crate training - best thing ever.

[Cazwah]

Very new owner here, so not much wisdom from me, BUT in the 12 days I have had Chestnut I have seen a different mood, energy level and personality every day. I got really scared and thought he mnust be unwell or sad or angry with me when he was just sleepy, and weirded out when one day he was a ferocious biting machine and the next day a lovely lap dog. That's all I've got so far, but now I'm ready for anything in the mornings and I'm not freaking out so much about it