15-08-2009, 11:20 AM
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Pet Forums VIP Member
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 4,610
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Re: Want to address my concerns about getting a dog to get experienced owners perspec
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blitz
With those many concerns I do wonder if you really want a dog. Nothing you are saying is a major concern. I have never heard of anyone failing to house train a puppy yet. Very few dogs bite children and certainly not if the child is under control. Is your child well behaved or does he run riot. If you can train a child you can train a dog, if your child runs circles round you so will your dog. Of course your dog can be left while you go shopping. My dogs have always been left from day 1 for as long (within reason) as I need to. No one wants a barking dog so make sure that doesnt happen by keeping the dog happy and well balanced and building up the time you leave it for.
It does sound like you might be happier with a rescue dog that is already house trained, used to children and cats and fairly obedient. I am sure they are out there. It might be an idea to choose the breed you want and contact the breed rescue.
From what you say about your life style there is no reason at all why you shouldnt have a dog, and if you do things right the dog will fit into your family and your life and enhance it.
But if you are going to worry about it changing things or being a problem then maybe a dog isnt the right pet for you.
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I don't really agree with the above. I think you're doing very well to articulate what concerns you have about the committment in taking on a dog. It can be a bit daunting launching yourself into the world of dog ownership, there is so much to learn, and it really does change your life. Before I got mine, I had the same worries (apart from it biting kids; I don't have any), and there was the anxiety about messing it up and finding myself out of my depth. The practical things like holidays are easy to sort out, dogs can be trained not to bark much particularly if you choose the right breed or type. Cavalier King Charles spaniels are generally reckoned to be the easiest first dog, are too small to knock your son over, don't tend to like the sound of their own voices too much (avoid shelties, spitz breeds, pomeranians - noisy). With a 3-year old you may not be able to get a rescue easily as many won't rehome to families with kids under 5. Choose your dog by its temperament rather than looks.
I got a nice-natured young rescue collie-cross after 5 months of looking for an easy first dog. I joined a training club so I could learn from others, and found it easy to train my dog despite the worries I'd had.
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One is 2 years another is 4 they are both great with other animals and children. So I think I will enquire about them (not both - one or the other!) and also there is a local dogshow coming up at the end of the month I will go to to meet different breeders & trainers.
but I sorted that out in a matter of weeks... too late for my little fluffles though, he wrecked her coat so no more shows for her for a while lol but she loved him like the rest of us, you'd think he was her pup the way she mothered him. Time goes quickly in this house though, he's now 8 months old and 29 inches to the shoulder and weighs 90 lbs 
and such a gentle giant... he goes to dog class down the road and lies down on the floor when little pups come up to him... just so he's the same size as them 
and as you can see in the photo, despite being 3 times the size of Coco now, he still likes to snuggle up with her.
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