Which Puppy Breed Should I Get?

[Animal House]

Hankodie, a cat would be fine with that arrangement, though keeping them confined to the yard is a tough one, unless you build a cat run coming off the garage as well. :laugh: One of my cats is quite aloof, she doesnt like company too much, very happy to just sleep in the sunshine (in the enclosure) eat, sleep, poop, eat, shed hair, poop, sleep, occasionally accepts a pat on the head. :laugh:

[westiemum]

Excellent discussion - Eddie I hope we haven't scared you off but as an owner of three westies - the advice here is sound.

I'm in a house-sit at the moment while I rebuild. And at the house-sit despite sleeping in my bedroom at night, having toys, bones and a doggy door installed and access to the small courtyard outside and the kitchen and laundry (while I'm not there), I still ended up with a barking problem. And these are westies for whom I had never had one complaint about their behaviour before in the old house in all the years we were there. Managing them here has been really tough on them and on me.

So think this through carefully. As Perse (?) said, dogs are pack animals and are happiest and best adjusted when they are occupied, well socialised, and part of the family which becomes their 'pack' (which is why you need to become their 'pack leader' - but thats a discussion for another time).

Good on you for asking the difficult questions and please take the advice in the way its intended - you'll find so much help here even if sometimes its a bit direct .

Oh and about a cat - I'm not so sure that this arrangement would suit most cats either - all the cats I've had would be desperately unhappy living away from the house and family - probably because they were handled and spoilt rotten!

Edited March 20, 2014 by westiemum

[eddie123789]

Oh, now I feel like a monster for even considering getting a dog. Do other dog owners stay home 100% of the time at home and not work?

With regards the the garage, it is connected to the house, it's warm and free from drafts, it would only be in the garage during the day when un-unsupervised.

This is how we have kept dogs in the past when I was young, and in my opinion they were happy dogs.

It / he / she would be fully welcome in the house hence a dog that wouldn't get hair everywhere. A little amount of hair is ok.

A was thinking of a German Shepard, as we have had one when I was really young, which was happy with the above situation, but I guess from your previous comments you are all going to slate me and saying it's cruel.

The main issue I can remember with a GS was the hair problem.

The exercise was just a rough guide, as I go for a 20-30 mins run each day. It would get as much as was required.

[Salukifan]

Eddie I appreciate that these are probably not the responses you were wanting or expecting.

I agree with other posters that this is not an ideal situation for getting the pup you want to develop into the dog you want to own.

You want a biddable, trainable, people focussed pup who looks to you and that will be, with appropriate training, very obedient. But you propose to give it access to you for how many hours a day? I guess you work? You want the dog to live in the garage?

Thats mostly social isolation and that's not a good recipe for any people focussed breed, selectively bred for generations to want to be with people. Garages are also quite unsafe places for dogs to be, if you keep a car or other garden related things in there. They also tend to be damn cold. A kennel would be better.

Is compromise possible? Can you allow a dog inside, into a restriced area with you, or even crated at night and when you are home? If not, I'm incllned to agree with other posters that you and your chosen dog are likely to be unhappy. Unhappy dogs express themselves through barking, destruction and escape. Not an ideal situation for you or your dog.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[minimax]

Oh, now I feel like a monster for even considering getting a dog. Do other dog owners stay home 100% of the time at home and not work?

With regards the the garage, it is connected to the house, it's warm and free from drafts, it would only be in the garage during the day when un-unsupervised.

This is how we have kept dogs in the past when I was young, and in my opinion they were happy dogs.

It / he / she would be fully welcome in the house hence a dog that wouldn't get hair everywhere. A little amount of hair is ok.

A was thinking of a German Shepard, as we have had one when I was really young, which was happy with the above situation, but I guess from your previous comments you are all going to slate me and saying it's cruel.

The main issue I can remember with a GS was the hair problem.

The exercise was just a rough guide, as I go for a 20-30 mins run each day. It would get as much as was required.

Hell no, you'll find a large number of us work and have dogs, and have well adjusted dogs (and many will argue we are cruel for having dogs and working) but my dogs don't live in the garage and backyard and spend "a little time with me inside", when I am home they are with me inside. Yes, they shed. That's why god invented vacuum cleaners and brooms and mops.

How young were you when you had your GSD? Every GSD I've known sheds like ... well, like a dog that sheds a lot :laugh:

[JulesP]

I have to admit I was a bit horrified when I read Eddie's post but then I realised it isn't much different from how I keep my dogs. My dogs have always been outside during the day regardless of whether I am home or not. They don't like being in the house. I've just had them in due to some work being done outside and they were hanging to get back out.

The dogs do come in the house after dinner and seem to like that. The current dogs then sleep inside but previous dogs even used to sleep outside, again their preference but the current 2 enjoy sleeping inside.

The beds have usually been on a verandah so they can see inside whilst on them.

I also have 2 dogs.

They get about an hours walk in the morning and I do a lot of stuff with them on the weekends, beach, parks, cafes, dog school etc They also like me sitting outside with them in the arvo :laugh:

[Salukifan]

Oh, now I feel like a monster for even considering getting a dog. Do other dog owners stay home 100% of the time at home and not work?

With regards the the garage, it is connected to the house, it's warm and free from drafts, it would only be in the garage during the day when un-unsupervised.

This is how we have kept dogs in the past when I was young, and in my opinion they were happy dogs.

It / he / she would be fully welcome in the house hence a dog that wouldn't get hair everywhere. A little amount of hair is ok.

A was thinking of a German Shepard, as we have had one when I was really young, which was happy with the above situation, but I guess from your previous comments you are all going to slate me and saying it's cruel.

The main issue I can remember with a GS was the hair problem.

The exercise was just a rough guide, as I go for a 20-30 mins run each day. It would get as much as was required.

Are you saying that the dog would not have access your yard during the day? I honestly do not think you could raise a happy healty GSD pup in such circumstances and I think, if you were honest about your plans to keep the pup this way, you'd struggle to find a reputable breeder who would sell you one. You are dealing with a forum of passionate dog owners who want their dogs to thrive, not merely survive and hopefully you want the same thing for your dog.

30 minutes exercise and mostly social isolation is not what I'd call a good life for a dog. Did you spend a lot of time outside with your family dogs as a kid? Did both your parents work? Maybe that's a factor that's missing from your consideration of this.

[aliwake]

As a kid we always had 100% outside dogs, however there were always 2 of them, and I would spend a lot of time outside with them playing etc. as an adult now with an inside (when we're home) dog - I hate the mess, but I love the extra bond our dog has with us.

Don't get put off Eddie, you just need to be realistic about your expectations. If your dog doesn't feel included enough they may get bored and cause problems like digging and barking. And if you want them to respect you enough to have a good level of obedience, then once again they will need to spend more time with you than you've suggested.

It seems like your biggest concern might be the mess made by a shedding dog? I agree it sux, but it's also completely worth it, and just part of being a dog owner...

For me the muddy footprints might be even worse than the hair. But on the upside, having a dog finally motivated me to get a cleaning lady, so life is good :)

[eddie123789]

Yes both parents worked, although us as kids would be home from school earlier. TBH we was in the uk and the garden was huge, approx 80m x 30m.

[eddie123789]

Cheers ali, not even thought about 2 dogs. Could be an option.

[raineth]

Oh, now I feel like a monster for even considering getting a dog. Do other dog owners stay home 100% of the time at home and not work?

With regards the the garage, it is connected to the house, it's warm and free from drafts, it would only be in the garage during the day when un-unsupervised.

This is how we have kept dogs in the past when I was young, and in my opinion they were happy dogs.

It / he / she would be fully welcome in the house hence a dog that wouldn't get hair everywhere. A little amount of hair is ok.

A was thinking of a German Shepard, as we have had one when I was really young, which was happy with the above situation, but I guess from your previous comments you are all going to slate me and saying it's cruel.

The main issue I can remember with a GS was the hair problem.

The exercise was just a rough guide, as I go for a 20-30 mins run each day. It would get as much as was required.

Oh so the dog will be allowed in the house with you when you're home? Because in your first post it sounded like the dog would only be allowed in the house very rarely.

Ofcourse people here work. It's just that if you combine being gone from 9-5 with also then not allowing the dog in the house with you when you're home, then you end up with a dog that is alone for vast amounts of time.

Edited March 20, 2014 by raineth

[raineth]

Could you guys please let me know what breed of puppy you think would suite our situation best? I have a breed in mind, which I will reveal once I get some of your suggestions, but this choice has come from the heart, as we used to have one when I was a young kid, and I have a minor quibble about it hence me seeking further advice.

Me and my wife are recently married, not planning on having children just yet, but im certain they will come within the dogs life span, so thats important to consider.

Our first dog together, but we have both had dogs in the past as children.

We have a large extended family who visit weekly, so it would have to be good with Un familiar people.

I want a dog that would be really obediant, and would listen to my commands, with the right training obviously.

Dont want a small dog but something medium to large(ish) in size.

Would prefer that it didnt shed hair everywhere, or kept to a minimum with grooming.

Able to exersize it for 30mins weekdays and longer on weekends.

Would live in the garage and have access to a fenced yard, occasionaly allowed in the house only with us.

We both work 9-5 weekdays, so it would be left alone at these times.

Also not put much research into the sex we should get, but I have always had females and the wife has always had males, and advice on that? Although I can probibly find info on here somewhere.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, im hoping everybody cherps in with breed I have in mind, then my dessision is easier :-)

Anymore details you think are important let me know.

EDDIE

See when I read that bolded bit, it said to me, that the dog would be spending nearly all its time in the garage and very little time with you in the house.

[Akayla]

Yeah GSDs shed ALOT :laugh: Some more than others but you can certainly expect floating balls of fluff drifting across the floor each morning. My Lapphund sheds less!

Also although sure you can work etc they love their people and want to be with them as often as possible.

As far as obedient goes, you get back what you put in. Dont put the effort in and the dog will do what it wants.

Again with kids so long as you do the work.

I do not think a 30 minute walk on its own and locked in a garage all day would work at all. These are highly intelligent working dogs. They need stimulation.

Are you prepared to put in much more work then you have mentioned here?

[raineth]

Cheers ali, not even thought about 2 dogs. Could be an option.

If you do plan on having two dogs, it's probably better as a long-term plan.

Two puppies together is asking for trouble. Better to have the first dog fully trained before adding the second one. Also two dogs is more than twice the amount of work than one dog. Well it is in my experience anyway.

Twice the walks, twice the training, twice the nail clipping, twice the grooming, twice the vet visits etc.

[eddie123789]

No, probably didn't word my original post correctly. What would the point be of getting a dog be, if when I'm at home it stays in the garage. I would be spending the majority, if not all of my time with the dog out side work and when I'm not sleeping.

[Loving my Oldies]

If you want it to live in the garage, perhaps a dog isn't the right thing for you?

Have to say I feel sorry for the dog you may choose. Not much of a life to look forward to. I think the idea of a garden ornament rather than a flesh and blood dog is a good one.

I'm glad these comments have been addressed more fully, because they could have been mine.

I'm also glad that you seem to have taken some very considered advice and opinions on board, Eddie, because your first post was very specific as to your needs and with virtually no consideration for the dog.

Don't be put off by people who say that having two puppies at the same time is a nightmare. Afterall there are two of you . I would never never never have a solo dog and be away from home for 10 plus hours a day.

[dididog]

Getting two puppies in your scenario mighy relieve some of the boredom but will more than likely just exacerbate all the problens you'd encounter with the first puppy, not to mention it will.make it a lot harder to train the pups separately and make sure they dont bond more to each other than you. There is nothing wrong with a dog being in your garage with access to your yard while youre at work as long as you provide it with things to keep it occupied.

If you could allow the dog inside when you're at home and even let it sleep in another room or in a crate, spend closer to an hour exercising and give plenty of training and play throughout the day then maybe getting a puppy will be a good idea. As some people have said I'd find it hard to believe any good breeder willing to give you a pup with those restrictions.

Getting a dog when you work full time is not cruel but it just means you have to be a lot more proactive in ensuring your dogs needs and hapiness are being satisfied. A family across the road has a dog that is kept outside all day while theyre at work. It then spends the rest of the day and night outside. The only time I see them interact with it is to tell it to shut up when it barks non stop and its quite sad really.

Im not implying at all you would treat your dog the same but I think if you want a well adjusted and happy dog you really have to put a lot of work, care and thought into it otherwise you will produce an adult dog you cant enjoy and becomes a burden.

Eta: woops while i was writing this you made it clear you would spend plenty of time with your dog sorry

Edited March 20, 2014 by Terri S.

[The Spotted Devil]

Cheers ali, not even thought about 2 dogs. Could be an option.

If you do plan on having two dogs, it's probably better as a long-term plan.

Two puppies together is asking for trouble. Better to have the first dog fully trained before adding the second one. Also two dogs is more than twice the amount of work than one dog. Well it is in my experience anyway.

Twice the walks, twice the training, twice the nail clipping, twice the grooming, twice the vet visits etc.

Agreed. Also, research suggests that human contact seems to be more important to dogs (probably as a result of the domestication process) than the company of other dogs.

My (short haired) dogs and cats shed like nothing on earth. Pretty used to it now and have hard floors that are easy to run a soft mop over every few days. It's well worth it - they spend a LOT of time indoors and I invest a fair whack of time and energy into their exercise and training. Hence they are fantastic to live with.

[LisaCC]

If the dog has access to the yard and shelter while you are at work and can be inside with you when you are home I think a lot of breeds would cope with that.

30mins/day is not a lot of exercise though for an adult dog. How much experience do you have with dog training? Do you plan on doing any regular training with the dog?

[Kavik]

I have a GSD and he sheds A LOT! :laugh: Every week I get more hair off of him than the Kelpies put together for a whole year I think!