I Want To Get A Dog Too And Would Like Some Advice

[RPMgirl]

Hi everyone. I am new to the forum but have been searching for information on various dog breeds as we are hoping to provide for one or two dogs in our family.

Here's my situation and requirements:

I am an extremely active stay at home mum with 2 girls (10 and 7 - the seven year old is dog crazy - loves all animals and the 10 year old a little shy) - I usually go for a walk every day - and can go twice a day. I raised our Border Collie X from puppy hood to old age when I was at University so have some experience with dogs.

We have just built a new home on a good sized block of land which is fully fenced (and ready for a dog). We are also having a kennel made. The breeds that I have been considering are Golden Retriever, Labrador and Dalmatian. I like the idea of a rescue dog or puppy. Do many of these breeds come up. The dog would have housing in his/her kennel on a very protected deck and be allowed inside if weather was inclement or dog was ill. But we would prefer an outside dog. Happy to spend time grooming and will be home with it most of the time.

Would these breeds be suitable. I'm also willing to take the puppy to obedience training and am financially able to look after such dogs. I am after a desexed rescue dog or desexed puppy .

Thanks

Liz N

PS if these questions are too basic can you point me in the direction of some good reading

PPS - I notice a lot of Husky rescues - they also appeal to me but may be too much work for someone that hasn't raised a dog for a while)

[The Spotted Devil]

Obviously I think Dalmatians are a WONDERFUL breed but they're not for everyone. Athletic dogs that make really lovely family pets with an easy care short coat. They shed like mad but it doesn't worry me at all, even with a dog that is inside all the time. They do feel the cold and Ziggy loves his warm coat....especially if he's inside, lying over a central heating vent in the morning sun My personal preference is for an only dog to be inside with their family, at least when you are home, as they really thrive on the social contact. Zig was a little destructive as a youngster but is so tired from all the exercise and training that he gets, that he happily snoozes the day away with the cats when I'm out. They are probably more of a challenge to train - in my experience they are intelligent, independent dogs that need a darn good reason to do as you've asked. They need LOTS of positive reinforcement - yes, he gets verbally corrected at home for general manners but I only use food and tug toys in training. If you don't make it fun they will give you the doggy equivalent of "the finger" and bugger off. We are competing in obedience, jumping and agility and having an absolute ball.

Make sure you have a rescue Dallie checked for health and temperament - there are some dodgy BYB out there and Dallies need to be well socialised and BAER tested for hearing. It might also be possible to get a dog from a reputable breeder that has been retired from breeding/showing.

A couple of links for you:

The Dalmatian Chat Thread (ask questions here)

Dally info here

[GoldenGirl85]

There seems to be a lot of LabXKelpies come up in shelters, thats what I noticed when I was looking at shelters for my Golden, but there is always rescues dedicated to a specific breed as well

Is the 10yo just shy in general, or shy of dogs? you will need to keep that in mind when picking the breed

[Nevafollo]

What about a Pointer? great breed, my girl is full of energy so likes walks ect but also very gentle with kiddies. She isnt too crazy or over the top, well she can be but she tends to just no how to act around certain people, they are also a dog friendly breed so great to take to parks and doggie beaches without too much worry!

I thinka few of the different gundog breeds would suit! labs, goldens, pointers, some of the spaniel breeds? There have been a number of pointers in need of rescue lately!

Edited March 31, 2010 by sammy_ballerina

[Longcoat]

There seems to be a lot of LabXKelpies come up in shelters, thats what I noticed when I was looking at shelters for my Golden, but there is always rescues dedicated to a specific breed as well

Is the 10yo just shy in general, or shy of dogs? you will need to keep that in mind when picking the breed

I am thinking if the 10 year old is shy of dogs, a puppy may be best.........starts off small, non intimidating easier to handle perhaps. Labs and Goldens are similar in personality, similar to look at, one short coat the other longer, either make great pets

[16Paws]

A note that lab pups can be very boisterous, they also shed a lot. We have a lab and a golden and I would not say they have similar personalities at all but that's just my experience

http://www.rescuealabrador.com/

http://www.luv-a-lab-rescue.com/

http://www.petrescue.com.au

[kirst_goldens]

A note that lab pups can be very boisterous, they also shed a lot. We have a lab and a golden and I would not say they have similar personalities at all but that's just my experience

http://www.rescuealabrador.com/

http://www.luv-a-lab-rescue.com/

http://www.petrescue.com.au

I agree but both are fanastic pets

I would agree with all of the above i love a gubdog though so i think a springer would be great but i also would like to see a gundog allowed inside as they really do need social time with the family they are a real family type.

[Bindii]

A note that lab pups can be very boisterous, they also shed a lot. We have a lab and a golden and I would not say they have similar personalities at all but that's just my experience

From my experience, I agree.

Labs are often much more boisterous as pups/adolescent dogs. Pretty much all Goldens appear more docile from a young age. Just my experience from the vet clinic!

I also agree that dogs love to be inside with their families.. but i did grow up with outside dogs that were walked frequently and we spent a lot of time with them and they were very happy. I just remember that when the dogs were allowed inside for whatever reason - extreme temperatures etc - they were quite silly as it was such a rare and exciting experience. My dogs now.. they sleep the whole time inside

[juice]

i have a dally, who is outside 24/7, but he does have 2 other dogs , not sure i would ever have a dog out 24/7 on its own.

we have a similar setup, enclosed area, lots of beds, and 3 big kennels on palets with warm beds in, he does wear a really good coat in winter at night.

i have kids too, he is a great dog, very solid temp, however that hasn't been the case when i have met other dallys, some i find a bit snappy.

a gr would be a good choice too, much calmer than a lab.

dally rescue would be worth a look, maybe a calmer older dog would suit your nervous child, i know kids love dally's, they all run up to see mine, my poor bully and catlle don't get a look in

[Hetzer]

Why not try to enter your requirements into one of the online breed selector resources? For example: Puppy Finder Breed Selector

You might be able to make some kind of short list and do research from there by asking owners about their experiences specifically in their breed's subforum.

[labsrule]

Hi RPMgirl - I would not recommend that you get a Lab as you prefer an outside dog. Labs are extremely closely bonding dogs and need to be included as part of their family and be allowed inside. Labs left outside tend to be ignored in far too many cases and they end up being left to their own devices, getting up to all sorts of mischief and then become out of control and unmanageable for their owners. Despite families best intentions of interacting with their outside Lab, it fails to happen enough and the odd time it does, the Lab is too exciteable and boisterous, which can be frightening for children and overwhelming for adults, so they tend not to want to interact with the Lab more and more, to the point that the poor Lab is then ignored and excluded from family interaction.

So many Lab youngsters find themselves in rescue, pounds or being privately rehomed because their families have failed to meet their social and training needs. It never fails to amaze me how many people have totally unrealstic and unreasonable expectations that their adorable Lab puppy will develop into a happy, well trained and well behaved Labrador when it has had minimal family contact and interaction and minimal or no training .

Also some Lab owners who do keep their labs outside majority of the time, may allow them inside the odd time and then have this very unrealistic and unreasonable expectation that this poor Lab who has spent the majority of its time outside is going to be this perfectly behaved Lab inside They get frustrated and angry with the poor dog because it is highly exciteable and running around inside, jumping on people and furniture, chewing kids toys, shoes, etc and possibly toileting inside. The dog doesn't know any better as it hasn't been brought up inside and doesn't know the rules of proper inside behaviour as it has never been exposed to them and shown how to behave inside. Needless to say, the poor dog doesn't get to experience much inside time after shocking and frustrating the family with its unsastisfactory behaviour when it has been allowed inside.

In my personal experience of being a lab owner of many years and knowing of too many instances of families not meeting the needs of "outside" Labs, I do not believe the Labrador will be a suitable breed for you.

[RPMgirl]

Thank you so much for the information. The dog that I raised (Border collie x ) was crossed with a Short Haired Pointer, I am sure and he was a lovely fellow. He was an outside dog, but as he got old and then got sick (poor fella had throat cancer which we couldn't fully get with surgery), we had him inside and in winter, in front of the fireplace.

I am definitely thinking of two dogs as I think being so gregarious, would be good company for each other. The deck where they will be housed is right off the main living/kitchen area, so the dogs will always be in the thick of family life and we do a lot of outdoor living.

I noticed there is a Golden Retriever Rescue in Brisbane, close to where I live (Milly's Mum?) so I'm going to get in touch with her. I could perhaps go puppy and Rescue dog, so many choices.

In the meantime, I'll keep reading and asking questions, I'm really looking forward to having a dog in the family again.

Thanks

Liz N

[RPMgirl]

Hi RPMgirl - I would not recommend that you get a Lab as you prefer an outside dog. Labs are extremely closely bonding dogs and need to be included as part of their family and be allowed inside. Labs left outside tend to be ignored in far too many cases and they end up being left to their own devices, getting up to all sorts of mischief and then become out of control and unmanageable for their owners. Despite families best intentions of interacting with their outside Lab, it fails to happen enough and the odd time it does, the Lab is too exciteable and boisterous, which can be frightening for children and overwhelming for adults, so they tend not to want to interact with the Lab more and more, to the point that the poor Lab is then ignored and excluded from family interaction.

So many Lab youngsters find themselves in rescue, pounds or being privately rehomed because their families have failed to meet their social and training needs. It never fails to amaze me how many people have totally unrealstic and unreasonable expectations that their adorable Lab puppy will develop into a happy, well trained and well behaved Labrador when it has had minimal family contact and interaction and minimal or no training .

Also some Lab owners who do keep their labs outside majority of the time, may allow them inside the odd time and then have this very unrealistic and unreasonable expectation that this poor Lab who has spent the majority of its time outside is going to be this perfectly behaved Lab inside They get frustrated and angry with the poor dog because it is highly exciteable and running around inside, jumping on people and furniture, chewing kids toys, shoes, etc and possibly toileting inside. The dog doesn't know any better as it hasn't been brought up inside and doesn't know the rules of proper inside behaviour as it has never been exposed to them and shown how to behave inside. Needless to say, the poor dog doesn't get to experience much inside time after shocking and frustrating the family with its unsastisfactory behaviour when it has been allowed inside.

In my personal experience of being a lab owner of many years and knowing of too many instances of families not meeting the needs of "outside" Labs, I do not believe the Labrador will be a suitable breed for you.

Thanks for that information Labsrule. I really want to make sure that we get the right dog for our family and do the right thing by the breed we choose!

[RPMgirl]

Obviously I think Dalmatians are a WONDERFUL breed but they're not for everyone. Athletic dogs that make really lovely family pets with an easy care short coat. They shed like mad but it doesn't worry me at all, even with a dog that is inside all the time. They do feel the cold and Ziggy loves his warm coat....especially if he's inside, lying over a central heating vent in the morning sun My personal preference is for an only dog to be inside with their family, at least when you are home, as they really thrive on the social contact. Zig was a little destructive as a youngster but is so tired from all the exercise and training that he gets, that he happily snoozes the day away with the cats when I'm out. They are probably more of a challenge to train - in my experience they are intelligent, independent dogs that need a darn good reason to do as you've asked. They need LOTS of positive reinforcement - yes, he gets verbally corrected at home for general manners but I only use food and tug toys in training. If you don't make it fun they will give you the doggy equivalent of "the finger" and bugger off. We are competing in obedience, jumping and agility and having an absolute ball.

Make sure you have a rescue Dallie checked for health and temperament - there are some dodgy BYB out there and Dallies need to be well socialised and BAER tested for hearing. It might also be possible to get a dog from a reputable breeder that has been retired from breeding/showing.

A couple of links for you:

The Dalmatian Chat Thread (ask questions here)

Dally info here

Thanks so much for this. I have a colleague at work who has a Dally and she keeps telling me that a Dally would be perfect for our family as we're all pretty active.

[16Paws]

You may also want to do a search through this forum and/or on google to arm yourself if you are considering getting 2 puppies at the same time as there are some 'risks (for lack of a better word) to trying to raise 2 pups together.

Does anyone think there could be issues bringing home 2 adult rescue dogs at the same time?

[RPMgirl]

You may also want to do a search through this forum and/or on google to arm yourself if you are considering getting 2 puppies at the same time as there are some 'risks (for lack of a better word) to trying to raise 2 pups together.

Does anyone think there could be issues bringing home 2 adult rescue dogs at the same time?

HI 16Paws, I think I would get one first, then another in maybe six months time. I just want to be sure I'm going about it the best way. I wonder if two rescues that are unrelated could be potentially traumatic, I'm not sure. Really open to suggestions!

Liz N

[mita]

I was going to point you to the Golden Retriever Rescue folk in Qld.

I popped in to their post in the Rescue Section for contact details....& guess who beat me to it!

Onya!

Edited April 1, 2010 by mita

[dee lee]

Go a rescue Goldie!!!

I did and it was the best thing I have ever done! My lovely 3 year old girl is absolutely divine!!!!

I have 2 daughters, a 5 and a half year old and a 7 year old. We had had a very sad and traumatic time with our previous DA dog which left my 7 year old nervous around dogs.

Because all puppies are naturally boisterous we finally decide to adopt a mature dog and picked GRs because they are generally a very stable and calm breed as adults.

I contacted NSW Golden retriever rescue explained our situation and a few months later Wendy called me and said she thought she had found the perfect dog for us.

She was so right .

Honey is the sweetest gentlest dog, she never jumps up or licks and will sit quietly being patted for hours if you let her!

My dog-nervous daughter is in love with her and thanks to her is getting better with strange dogs.

We ALL love her- but I'll stop now, I tend to not shut up when I get started!

Aside from extolling the virtues of GRs, I cant recommend a good rescue org enough- they will find the dog to suit you.

Very often there are pairs of dogs up for adoption, dogs who are very bonded to each other- I am sure any rescue org would be over the moon if you were to mention you were looking to adopt such a pair (if suitable of course).

Another plus is that often the dogs put up for rescue have previously been outside only so your situation wont be unusual for them.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Bubitty]

Labsrule has said it beautifully in relation to the labs and I echo her sentiments in relation to the Goldie.

I have two goldens and I sincerely think they are not suited to being outside dogs. Goldens enjoy nothing more than being around their family members and always having their nose in on the family action.

[dee lee]

Labsrule has said it beautifully in relation to the labs and I echo her sentiments in relation to the Goldie.

I have two goldens and I sincerely think they are not suited to being outside dogs. Goldens enjoy nothing more than being around their family members and always having their nose in on the family action.

So its not just Honey then? :D

That is one insistent nose!