baifra Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 + 8 years for us. I love the oldies. I will always go for the older dogs. I love their grey bits and their quirks. My only concern now that we have a young son is the shortened time he will get to spend with these dogs he adores. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. We will also have to take into consideration how the dog will respond to a very lively boy. The quality of life a senior dog gets is of most importance and I will never compromise that for my own selfish reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) + 8 years for us.I love the oldies. I will always go for the older dogs. I love their grey bits and their quirks. My only concern now that we have a young son is the shortened time he will get to spend with these dogs he adores. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. We will also have to take into consideration how the dog will respond to a very lively boy. The quality of life a senior dog gets is of most importance and I will never compromise that for my own selfish reasons. Another great post. :rolleyes: Whether about puppies or middlies or seniors, they just keep coming. ;) I agree that the seniors are gems. So mellow. And I totally agree that lifestyle & conditions must be checked to make sure they get quality of life. I've just seen one of the older dogs that tempts me....because they've proven so wonderful when adopted. AWL Qld has a surrendered 10 yr old tibetan spaniel boy, Simba. Lot of retired people in that area, so likely an age-related surrender, like going into nursing home. Simba's got all the signs of his breed in full flower. Affectionate, confident, good with children & other dogs, loves a walk. This breed ages well. I'll bet Simba, in person, is more like a 6-7 yr old. Shameless plug for Simba. Enquiries (07) 5509 9000 [email protected] Edited February 20, 2011 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 You had to only pick one option so I didn't pick any of them. My next working or competition dog will preferably be anything up to a year old when I get them. I don't mind getting a pup, it's nice to be able to raise your own puppy, but it's a lot of work too & things can go wrong - I'd be just as happy to get an older pup or young dog if it had the temperament & attitude & drives I like. Any older than a year or so though & you're eating into the dog's working years. If it were only a pet, I'd be happy to get an older dog too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubiton Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Our dog was a 2yo when we got her. Came housetrained and obedience trained (well the basics she didnt get to teh stage where they teach stand). You just had to reinforce a few commands such as heel (heel was pparently optional to respond to). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfsie Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 So I guess my questions are- does raising a baby puppy result in a stronger bond between dog and owner? - are some breeds, less work/less intense as baby puppies or is it individual dogs? Missed answering these questions. I think the bond between dog and owner is depends on if they just "click" or not. Even though I prefer to raise my own puppies I don't really get bonded to them until they are about 8-9 months, and I have a stronger bond with some than others. I always bond closer to males more than females, but not every male has the same bond with me. Some breeds are definitely a lot less work than others. I am always intrigued to see breeders of other breeds with a litter sitting quietly in an open basket, at the vets for the 6 week vaccination. If you tried to put a litter of Border Collies in a basket like that the first one would be out again before the second one was in. Basically, as puppies Borders are never still unless they are asleep. They have to be doing "something". They never just sit there and look cute like some other breeds. If you tie up any sort of fence or barrier with occy straps or cable ties, Border babies just chew through them. They are very, very demanding as babies, constantly climbing, digging, chewing and running and activity starts at about 10 days when they start escaping the whelping box. On the plus side though they are extremely easy to toilet train, so there is a trade off sometimes. I missed those questions too....i would say the strongest bond i have out of my present dog is my Newfie rescue, who was people and dog aggressive. we did so much training and work together and I think she knew I was the only one who believed she could be what she is now. The newfie I have had from pup is a gorgeous and happy dog, but just that happy and content and she knows she will be cared for. She is very confident and happy, but even though i adore her, she is not my Heart Dog. Annabelle is, we were connected from the moment I saw her sad eyes. I think hubby is getting the same connection now with our new newfie rescue, Lukey. Lukey has decided we are it. he has bonded in a week and we can go for walk and he stays with us and has a great recall already. Annabelle and Lukey are like they are on lead when off lead. Unlike our dogs from pup, who are having a whale of a time and full on ahead, they know we will not leave them behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I will be getting an 8 week old lab pup later in the year, purely for the reason that I want to compete in obedience with him and would like to train him from scratch. I love my husbands cat more than anything and have only known him for nearly 4,5 years now, I also had a rescue horse who was my heart horse from when he was +-12 had him for 13 years and I still cant get another horse or even go riding because no horse matches up to him so I think you can bond with older animals too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayreovi Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I adore puppies, I love training them and just the silliness of their antics. I've raised all my three dogs from 8 week old puppies, and wouldn't do it any other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I would always get puppies. Even though they are hard work, I wouldn't want to miss out on a crucial part of my dog's life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Q Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I say puppy. Though likely not for AT LEAST 2 years, probably a lot longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothieGirl Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Well with a 9 week old in the household I'm in seventh heaven because I LOVE the puppy stage, especially the baby puppy stage. Unless I take on any rescues/fosters in a few years time, I'd say I will always start with them at 8 weeks. This the most wonderous time to own a dog, they are so fresh and shiny, little sponges just ready to soak up everything you can offer them. Watching them blaze up the learning curves just amazes me. No new puppies for another 3-4 years for me though, I'm now all about focusing on these two for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Im only 18 and ive had 2 dogs one which i can only just remember mum had her from a pup but sadly passed at the age of 7 from a paralysis tick and Max my dog now we rescued when he was 3-4yrs old and i think older dogs bond just as good as a dog you have had from 8wks old but really i havent had a puppy before so im not sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now