New Here - Investigating Getting Dogs For Companionship And Advice Wan

[Ruin Maniac]

Okay, let's get this reply on the go. :)

Everyone has given me so much to consider. Definitely I'll have to be sure I have all the right resources available and that my living situation is right for, or can at least be adapted without a complete overhaul, for my future dog.

I am renting at this point, and likely will be renting in the same area at least until I complete my masters, I'm thinking around 5 more years. Once that's complete, however, I will probably move interstate or (potentially, but not definitively) overseas for work. Another reason I hope to bring my dog with me on my shorter legs of travel is so that I won't be throwing them off the deep end if I decide to move a considerable distance away. My intention, however, is to take the dog with me. That said, I understand that this may raise red flags for breeders, and I respect that. I want to make it extremely clear that I too want what is best for the dog and I do not want to end up being someone who abandons a pet. Not when I chose to be responsible for its entire life. If the breeder thinks being that mobile would be too much, then I would be grateful for their honesty and respectfully withdraw.

I imagine that if a breeder is willing to give me the opportunity to care for a dog, it would be good to set up a means of keeping them updated frequently for both the purpose of reassurance and so that, should they recognize anything about the dog's physiology, behaviour or environment that may an issue, I can make sure I'm making the right changes or seeking help from the right people to remedy it. Would that be going too far?

I'm not so much worried about being pulled around by a dog. My aim is to leash train them properly before they reach their adult weight. My thought was if a large, heavy dog was in the line of or was hit by a car (heaven forbid that ever happens), or got stuck, or was being threatened by another dog, I may not be able to physically remove it from the situation at my size. It may be an irrational fear though, since those scenarios should be unlikely if I'm training the dog properly and keeping the property secure. Can anyone comment there? Am I being crazy?

Some other breeds that would otherwise be suitable worry me due to public perception of them, and the ridiculous ways in which Victoria has been dealing with so-called "dangerous" breeds. I had a friend with a German Shepherd back in my homestate whose neighbour was terrified of her dog, despite the fact that it was extremely well trained, friendly and quiet. The dog would just lay there and watch her through the fence, and she flipped. She went over to their home demanding that the dog be removed, called the police and RSPCA multiple times and even threatened to have someone come and shoot the dog. When that didn't work, she threw things at it from over the fence. All because of a completely irrational fear. A very similar problem happened to a friend with a weimaraner, which ended up having rocks thrown at it by local teens, and was destroyed when it managed to escape through the door while one of the culprits walked by and bit them. People are just awful sometimes :/

Grooming I'm willing to pay for. It's another expense I need to be prepared for along with vet appointments, training, keeping registration up to date and such. The cost of a dog is a big and ongoing one and I'm prepared to take the bills on. The priority would be to ensure I'm not damaging the coat by making a mess out of it (I agree that bushland is no place for a long haired dog) or clipping it fully, and keeping the dog comfortable temperature-wise. It sounds like a smooth or short haired dog would be the best option.

Regarding cost, is insurance a logical thing to invest in? Or is it better to keep money aside and pay up front if something unexpected occurs?

I've been checking out Pat Hasting's stuff and it's fantastic. Very informative. Thanks for suggesting it :)

[minimax]

I am renting at this point, and likely will be renting in the same area at least until I complete my masters, I'm thinking around 5 more years. Once that's complete, however, I will probably move interstate or (potentially, but not definitively) overseas for work. Another reason I hope to bring my dog with me on my shorter legs of travel is so that I won't be throwing them off the deep end if I decide to move a considerable distance away. My intention, however, is to take the dog with me. That said, I understand that this may raise red flags for breeders, and I respect that. I want to make it extremely clear that I too want what is best for the dog and I do not want to end up being someone who abandons a pet. Not when I chose to be responsible for its entire life. If the breeder thinks being that mobile would be too much, then I would be grateful for their honesty and respectfully withdraw.

My dogs travel a lot with me, you'll find a lot of people do! Probably not a lot of plane travel because it's expensive, but road trips are popular with doggie owners. My guys love the car (they just sleep mostly), and we stay in dog friendly hotels/motels because I like mod-cons and don't like nature (so camping is definetly out :laugh: )

However, short trips on planes, or longer ones occasionally, aren't the end of the world, most dogs are happy as long as you are there at the end to meet them.

I can't imagine many breeders turning you down just because you like travelling with your dog(s). And a lot of breeders fly dogs interstate to new owners, so they go on planes anyway from very young ages (my pug was 8 weeks old when she flew from Melbourne to Sydney to me).

I rent with two small dogs, although my lease only permits one the owners of the house live across the road and are fully aware we have two and don't have an issue with it. Renting with dogs can just take a bit of compromise, but it's not really that much harder. People who say it's hard are the ones looking at modern newly renovated houses advertised as "no pets" and complaining when their pet is knocked back!

Gah, can't multi quote.

Pet Insurance is a personal thing and it's really up to you. Personally, I prefer it because I never have money saved away for emergencies, but can easily stick a few hundred dollars once a year on a credit card for the insurance. But I'd be unable to stick a few grand of emergency costs on a credit card. Some people have backup credit cards for emergency pet costs (low interest/high limits), some put money in an account each week for emergencies.

I have both my pups from different breeders, once I keep in contact with regularly and am friends with (which came about from when I first started looking for a pug - I didn't get my first one from her because she didn't have any litters due for quite a while, but she helped me find a suitable breeder, and when she had her litter I got a pup from her). The other pups breeder I send photos too occasionally but she's a lot further away and I've never met her in person. Most love hearing about their pups and what they are up to, and you can usually go back to them for help/advice etc.

Haha, I just wrote a novel. Ooops, sorry

Edited October 5, 2012 by minimax

[dancinbcs]

Lots of dogs travel a lot for shows with no issues at all but a breeder would want to know where you might be moving to overseas in the future. Nth America, Europe and a few other countries should all be fine but a lot of breeders would seriously object to many Asian countries where there are no dog welfare laws. There is also the issue of being able to find suitable accomodation with a dog overseas. Keep in mind that if you want to bring the dog back to Aust it may have to go through expensive quarantine and also consider how old the dog will be by then.

As to breed size, too small will not be suitable to jog with and too big will cost a fortune in flights as well as needing bigger than average crates. I suggest you stick to the 8kg-20kg range of mid sized dogs. Long whispy coats or curly ones would need to be clipped for the lifestyle you describe but longish double coats would still be ok as a lot of dogs don't grow much coat when exercised a lot. Go to shows, look at the dogs and talk to the breeders, after they have been in the ring.

[Purdie]

Would you consider fostering dogs through rescue for a time.This will give you experience and help you decide what qualities you like in a dog as well as helping a dog find a great home And breeders would see you are responsible and commited when you come to get a pup later....There are probably quite a few breeds that would suit you.It is hard to decide as there are so many wonderful breeds to choose from.

As i'm a quiz fanatic i would be interested to know what were the 100% matches on the k9 one.

[Ruin Maniac]

No worries about the long post, Minimax. I appreciate your input :)

Yeah, the house we have now is not modern but it's large and it's lovely, in a quiet area about an hour out of the city. I'm not the kind of person that enjoys living in the inner city and apartments feel cramped to me even when they're larger than normal. I prefer being a little further out, a little more down to earth. I also love the smell of grass and eucalyptus :)

With everything I've been offered as food for thought, I do still think one dog would be best at my experience level, but I'm really glad to hear it worked out so well for you. I'm also pleased to hear you've kept in touch with their breeders - I just feel like that's a good idea and a token of respect. I can't imagine it would do any harm as long as it doesn't border on stalking them. lol

Dancinbcs, absolutely agreed, regarding welfare in some countries. I've been travelling in the Middle East on holiday before and witnessed the conditions of animals there. Not to mention that I only ever encountered one vet in any major city, and that was Istanbul. I cried in Konya because a friendly, rake thin retriever puppy had a badly damaged leg and I was told there was nowhere I could take him by our guide. Just horrible

My intention if I moved overseas would be to live there permanently, and thankfully my field is dog-friendly. It wouldn't be right to put a dog through quarantine more than is absolutely necessary. America, France and Germany look like viable options with the direction my studies are taking, but my specialization (when it's finally complete) won't limit me to any particular area of the world. I could stay here as long as long as employers continued to offer work.

I will definitely begin to investigate shows and am planning to head to a picnic with a club later this month. I'll write up a list of questions and observe and interact (where permitted) with the dogs. Get a feel for them. Even if it doesn't work out, I'll have the pleasure of meeting some stunning examples of dogs :)

[Ruin Maniac]

As i'm a quiz fanatic i would be interested to know what were the 100% matches on the k9 one.

I still have the tab saved for reference. Let's see :)

Border terriers

Italian greyhounds

Portuguese water dogs

Standard schnauzers

I think the schnauzer is probably the more suitable of the four :)

[Purdie]

I love Schnauzers of all sizes.My neighbour has a Standard and he is super smart and very well trained.Portuguese water dog is on my short list as i have allergies.

[toshman]

As i'm a quiz fanatic i would be interested to know what were the 100% matches on the k9 one.

I still have the tab saved for reference. Let's see :)

Border terriers

Italian greyhounds

Portuguese water dogs

Standard schnauzers

I think the schnauzer is probably the more suitable of the four :)

Was wondering if a Border Terrier would pop up in this discussion I think they'd be pretty good in the circumstances....bred to run for miles, sturdy and tough, handy size (5 - 7.5kg), great companions...coat needs some attention a couple of times a year (unless you're showing, when it's more) - great sense of humour, too!

[RubyBlue]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned whippets yet or papillions?

Personally I associate terriers with a lot of barking (particularly as I sit here listening to my partners neighbours JRTs nonstop noise and know I have my own neighbours Westie to contend with when I get home) - I'm in the same situation as you (early 20s and renting) and given the instability of my housing arrangement, barking is something I'd be really conscious of.

Where abouts in Vic are you? Have you checked out the local dog clubs yet? Are you thinking of doing something competitive in the future (probably best to find a club that does these things from the outset) and a breed that can do them :)

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

If you want to meet lots of different kinds of dogs at once, consider going along to obedience or agility competitions in your area. Most people will be happy to talk to you - after their turn in the ring. Just ask.

I think it's a similar deal for the conformation shows, you just ask when the best time is to talk to them about their dogs. You're more likely to meet breeders here.

I think you'd be more likely to get rental permissions for medium to small dogs that don't shed much (but will need clipping every 8 weeks or so), like poodles, or lagottos or portuguese water dogs or SWF (small white fluffies) and maybe girl dogs who don't cock their legs (but you can train boy dogs not to cock their legs if you want).

I've got a friend who has border terriers, and I'd like to borrow them to deal with the rodent population in my back yard. They're very efficient.

I probably wouldn't get a Staffordshire bull terrier if I lived in Victoria or was likely to. In Vic, it's probably best if you want any kind of bull breed or scary looking dog - to get one that has ANKC papers ie from a responsible ANKC registered breeder. Note a "registered" breeder - could just mean "registered with the local council" and "papers" sometimes means Vaccination papers and a "breed" certificate made up by the breeder not ANKC so you need to check - important promises from the breeder - are in writing.

You might want to read these too. RSPCA has a huge amount of info on how to choose a puppy wisely, starting with this...

http://www.acma.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_312091

and

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/digital-dog-training-textbook

When you do finally choose a puppy source - it may pay to come back here and ask for opinions on your choice. Sometimes it's very hard to tell when you're dealing with a puppy farm.

[Purdie]

Border Terriers sound interesting ;another breed for me to research..

Edited October 5, 2012 by Purdie