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

[Simply Grand]

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.

Kelly_Louise, your post nearly brought tears to my eyes - in the middle of the office too! What a lovely description of two different doggy experiences.

[dancinbcs]

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.

The puppy pre-school I use does not allow the puppies to play. It is not a play group but a real training class. The whole point of the classes is to teach the owners how to train their puppies and to get the puppies to be calm and responsive to their owners, in the presence of the other puppies.

[SparkyTansy]

I wish i had known more about dog socialisation, and what to do after a bad experience (or several!)

i wish i knew more about body language in dogs

I wish I knew NEVER to give up on crate training no matter how loud they scream!!

[luvabull]

I wish I'd known that 3 dogs was enough before I got the 4th one

[Cosmolo]

dancinbcs- the purpose of the classes i mentioned is the same as yours- just a slightly different way of achieving it. While no play would be fine for some puppies, some pups need to develop their social skills, particularly those who have not had a great upbringing from birth to 8 weeks and therefore have no social skills.

[lillim]

at the moment, that when its stinking hot, having 36 Kilos of fur lying pretty much on top me makes we wonder why even though I knew she was going to be big dog, I decided that her being on the couch would be ok.

also deciding how I wanted to train my dog and getting professional help, rather than googling so much and ending up more confused.

[Zug Zug]

Things I wish I'd known:

Clicker training - it's just so easy!

Crate training - ditto and with extra benefit of being incredibly useful and would have been perfect when my white boy was a puppy.

And that grooming is NOT for sissies. It's actually very important for their health and also good for your relationship (and not just for high maintenance breeds like mine - for all dogs to varying degrees). And I shouldn't feel embarassed about washing/brushing my dogs just because in my childhood you didn't do that sort of thing. Just do it. Anyway, they smell better and it's just nicer.

[ChristineX]

Lets see:

1. will always have a vet that takes me seriously, and does not pat me on the head when i say "something is wrong". (changed vets, experience has now taught the new vet I am always right).

2. Next rescue dog - if it has problems outside of little training, no boundaries, I will now be camped on the doorstep of my favourite dog shrink that day rather than 10 months down the track.

3. Remember that just because it's an IT does not mean they are all the same. Kate is quiet, calm and centered. Duke is gregarious, loud, and screams with excitement (about 0.00001 second from dead calm to screamingly excited) to the point of hysteria.

4. Just because it isn't a Great Dane or a Bullmastif doesn't mean that there is room on the bed for you and the dog. You have to get there first.

5. It takes 0.00001 seconds for a dog under the doona to turn said doona into a donut wrapped tightly around herself. Unwrapping takes considerabley longer. Particularly in Winter in an unheated room.

ChristineX

[pixie_meg]

I wish i knew how smart and manipulative an 11 week old pup could be. Love him but how quickly he figured out how to be dominant. Got it all figured out now.

I wish i'd gone with my gut and not got the c5 vax at 12 weeks. too much for his immune system.

I wish i knew how varied different trainers methods were.

Oh and take recommendations with a grain of salt. I was recommended a vet in town who ended up grossly over diagnosing my pup with elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia. 2 vets later and both agree it was a simple hygroma. Was also recommended a trainer whose methods were not helpful at all.

[smdent]

Don't try and grow a vegetable patch when you have a 50 kilo mastiff x who thinks that fresh dug dirt is a marvellous place to sleep!

:-D

Also, in future, try not to get a dog that weighs the same as you... ! (i get good cuddles though)

[Loving my Oldies]

I was thinking about this thread this morning as I was trying to move around the house with between 4 and 7 dogs at my heels. I apologised to them for shutting them out of the bathroom as I needed "to be alone" without many paws scratching my bare legs .

Years ago, I used to go to Hawthorn Parade (where Cafe Bones is in Sydney) and I used to see these women (always women - sorry ) coming into the park with 4, 5, 6 dogs trailing along behind them. I used to watch them in awe and a little, umm, wonderingly .... to put it kindly.

However, by the time I left the Inner West, I had become one of those women with: Danny, Jeune, Tamar, Gong Zhu and Tirra trailing behind me.

So ...... I guess I'm GLAD I didn't know that was going to happen when I got my first dog. :D :D

[Guest Kate_Summer]

That not all Registered Breeder are truly helpful.

[Guest belgian.blue]

That not all Registered Breeder are truly helpful.

I agree. Fibs are so easliy told.

My girl is pure darling and really don't think there is anything I wish I knew. Though I have learnt so much about the breed that a few minor changes will come into act when we get our Terv.

I'm very in tune with my Belgian and we both work so well together :D

Actually I do need to know how to grow another pair of arms .. how will I cope with two cuddly Belgians!?!?

[Loving my Oldies]

Actually I do need to know how to grow another pair of arms .. how will I cope with two cuddly Belgians!?!?

You won't have any choice :D . They'll just jump on your lap whether you have the room or not. You should see me trying to take a kip on the lounge or watch the tennis with six (Sari hasn't learnt yet) dogs leaping up around me :D

[Perry's Mum]

I wish I had known:

- how much my social life would change and become centred around dog things like walks, rescue and sheepdog school and how many new friends I would make

- how my rescue dogs would give me so much more than I ever gave them

- how great dogs are as companions and how good they are to talk to, travel with, etc.

- that I would never be allowed alone in a bathroom again because I clearly cannot be trusted to do anything in there without supervision

- about crate training

- that there is nothing K9 Force cannot fix.

[ozjen]

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.

I'm with you there, as each passes to Rainbow bridge over the years they have taken a part of me with them and my heartdog who is with me now will take the biggest chunk of me. The pain is a small price to pay though for the many years of love and joy we get from having them in our lives.

[ozjen]

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

Oooohhh, and an Aussie owner too, they are major heartstealers and know it. Welcome to the world of Aussies, the question is will you be able to stop at ONE?