The wife/family wants a dog. Please advise

Macker1

My wife has been talking to me about the possibility of getting a dog for the family. We live in a typical house with medium sized garden in Ballivor. There are 4 children actually ones not a child but only acts it (18,15,13,11) in the house that would love a pet dog. At the moment we have a rabbit which is adored but would like to get a dog. The dog would always have company as the wife does not work, the kids apart from school are always around and I spend a great most of my time at home when not in work. It would be great to have a companion to bring on long walks down here in the country.

The plan would be for the dog to live mainly indoors with free rein of the back garden when required. He/She would get plenty of walks each day and lots of regular attention from the family.

Looking for a medium sized dog that would be well mannered around the house. I may have the opputunity of a 10 month old Female Beagle that a colleague in work may have to get rid of due to neighbours complaining about noise. Althought this sounds like a negative comment I feel that given the amount of attention the dog would get she might quieten down a tad. At present my colleague and her partner both work shift so the Beagle is left alone for periods of time so she gets lonely.

Just wondering if any of the dog-lovers / experts on the forum can offer some advice/opinions of what would be the best course of action I should be taking. Also are ther any factors that I should be considering before moving forward.

PS... The Beagle may not be even available as the owners are quite attached so I may have to look elsewhere. If so are there any other breeds I should look out for.

Apologies If I have been to long winded in my post. All comments appreciated

lorebringer

I would highly recommend going to a rescue because you will have an idea of how the dog is before you take it home. Many rescues assess their dogs to make sure they are going to really good homes suited for them (for example, it is madness to rehome a very active large breed with someone in their 80s so rescues won't do it if at all possible). You can explain exactly what you are looking for and they will try to help you find the perfect dog. You will have support and advise if needed from the rescue and they will help you do what is best for your new dog. Also, you will have the satisfaction and feel good aspect of rehoming a rescue dog. Always worth looking into.

Here are a few:
www.dogsindistress.org
www.dogstrust.ie
www.ispca.ie

Whispered

That sounds like an ideal home for a lucky dog.

With regards to the beagle, I have absolutely no exp with them but I think they are known to be noisy when left alone. He may be in a habit now, so just be aware it could be a bit of work to break the habit and please don't take him unless you are prepared to deal with that little problem (you do sound like you're prepared to deal with it).

mymo

Sounds pretty idyllic for any dog:)
If you have no preference try a rescue as they'll give great advice and tell you which dogs would fit in with your family.

Beaten to it, must type faster:)

Sigma Force

Avoid a dog with any hunting instincts or that likes to chase cats etc. as the rabbit saftey is priority. With a rabbit in the home a more calm dog would be best. Rabbits can be stressed out and shoved aside when a dog comes into a home so make sure the bun has a safe place to go and still gets the attention and freedom he/she needs.

A rescue would be the best place to start and explain that you have a rabbit and see what dog they could recommend.

juanyjuans

Look at this: http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-health-advice/your-right-pet

Also research the different dog breeds here:
http://www.pedigree.com.au/breeds/
http://www.pets.ie/blog/dog-breeds

Its good to see your arent rushing into getting a pet.

Macker1

Thanks for all the replys. All advice is kindly welcomed.:)

shona79

i have only one idea for you and thats a king charles....
thay are the best family pet going,great with kids of all ages,and very loving.
to all those people saying rehome a dog,yes that is a very nice idea,but in my opioion you are only talking on someone elses problems.yes i no its a nice thing to do,but for a 1st time dog owner you are best to go with a pup and get it trained from the start to get good behaviours from the start.
so go with the king charles:o

Esroh

Re the Beagle. I have had experience with 1 and now own a labrador/beagle cross who is a beagle at heart . They are hunting dogs and their natural instinct is to follow any scent so obedience training is vital.
He would also see the rabbit as natural prey.

namurt

I would definitely go the rescue route. We rescued a lab/Gsd cross and a dalmation, neither of which were breeds we specifically went out looking for, they just happened to be the ones we fell for. The lab/Gsd is very independent, he's happy enough to be left on his own (goes into the garden sometimes and wants to stay out to potter around for a while on his own). The dalmation is much more affectionate....sometimes bordering on needy. Not sure if they are specific breed traits though or just due to their lives before we got them. Both are full of energy.

I think the most important thing if you go to a rescue is to look at the personality of the dog rather than to look for a specific breed.

Magenta

shona79 wrote: »

i have only one idea for you and thats a king charles....
thay are the best family pet going,great with kids of all ages,and very loving.
to all those people saying rehome a dog,yes that is a very nice idea,but in my opioion you are only talking on someone elses problems.yes i no its a nice thing to do,but for a 1st time dog owner you are best to go with a pup and get it trained from the start to get good behaviours from the start.
so go with the king charles:o

And if you take on a King Charles, you are taking on heart disease and the vets bills that go with it, not to mention the strong possibility of syringomyelia.
I think referring to rescue dogs as "other people's problems" is incredibly ignorant.

theghost

I agree you should go down the rescue route. Avoid any dog with terrier in him, though. Terriers and rabbits definitely don't mix

Magenta

theghost wrote: »

Terriers and rabbits definitely don't mix

Ha ha terriers are so fiesty!

Whispered

Magenta wrote: »

I think referring to rescue dogs as "other people's problems" is incredibly ignorant.

+1

Macker1

Esroh wrote: »

Re the Beagle. I have had experience with 1 and now own a labrador/beagle cross who is a beagle at heart . They are hunting dogs and their natural instinct is to follow any scent so obedience training is vital.
He would also see the rabbit as natural prey.

Well that puts paid to any thoughts of getting the Beagle. What type of medium sized dog would mix/not harm the rabbit. I would hate for an incident to happen which would in any way endanger Thumper.

Magenta

Macker1 wrote: »

Well that puts paid to any thoughts of getting the Beagle. What type of medium sized dog would mix/not harm the rabbit. I would hate for an incident to happen which would in any way endanger Thumper.

Hello OP, you couldn't really say for definite what breeds would harm a rabbit and what breeds wouldn't, because it depends on the individual dog. I am sure there are plenty of rescue dogs that were raised with rabbits and won't pay them much heed, the same as there are many dogs that are good with kittens and cats.

TooManyDogs

You can also train pretty much any dog to live with rabbits, When I got my rabbit I already had a lab x, a spaniel x JRT, and a collie x terrier. It takes time but you can train the majority of dogs to ignore the rabbit at least. Having said that I'd never trust any of my dogs alone with the rabbtit, at the end of the day it's still a mix of preditor and prey.

If you find a dog you like I'd say to the rescue straight away that you have a rabbit, and that the rabbit has first priority, if the dog doesnt mix with the rabbit could you bring him back. You'll know if the dog is going to be a permenant threat to the rabbit cos he'll be relentless in watching it, will try and damage the hutch/cage to try and get it out and won't be persuaded away with food or won't really react if you give him a sharp 'No'.

Pups are normally fine with small animals, you just have to teach them either not to play with the rabbit or play gently. 2 of my current dogs were pups and arrived after the rabbit so they don't react at all when the rabbit jumps or runs across the room.

adser53

Magenta wrote: »

And if you take on a King Charles, you are taking on heart disease and the vets bills that go with it, not to mention the strong possibility of syringomyelia.
I think referring to rescue dogs as "other people's problems" is incredibly ignorant.

Personally I don't think the post about "other people's problems" was meant to be insulting or ignorant. In fairness a lot of first time dog owners won't go the rescue route because they want to know what they're getting themselves in for and what to expect from a particular breed. In an ideal world there wouldnt be any dog rescues but they exist because of irresponsible owners not being able for them/wanting them anymore etc so I can see why the poster called them "other peoples problems". Everyone here is advocating a resuce, it's not a criminal offence to recommend to the OP to go out, do their research and buy a well bred dog of any breed.

I also found your comments about Cavs to be ridiculous. Yes there are health issues with the breed (as a result of bad breeding) but not every Cav is riddled and spends it's life at the vets. By your reasoning no one should get a boxer because the all have epilepsy, a GSD cos they all have wonky hips, a staffy because they'll eat your children etc etc etc it's sensationalist remarks like that that lead to ill informed people getting the wrong idea about a breed.

OP I have 2 cavs, 4 years old each (give or take) and both are in perfect health and have never been to the vet for anything other than their shots. They are also fantastic pets, family dogs and companions and I couldnt recommend them enough. BUT, make sure you get one from a responsible breeder IF you decide to buy and not rescue. That choice is yours

LadyLee

Only listen to peoples opinion on a certain breed if they have or had one from that particular breed. I have a bullmastiff which I am fed up of hearing people call them devil dogs etc. My one is huge does look fieresome but is an absolute slob. If you have a particual dog you want to get just start a thread asking does anyone have one and ask for the pros and cons.
Other places to rescue dogs- Your local vets notice boards, local paper...

xoxyx

I know it's been said a lot in this thread, but if you could at all go down the rescue route, it is an amazingly rewarding thing to do - for both your family and the pet. Your choice in dog isn't going to be limited, as, sadly, not only do older family pets get abandoned and left there, but also, many puppies. We have had a few rescue dogs that we got as puppies from the pound. Two of them were the "runts" of the litter and given up because of that. They have turned out to be the most loving and adorable companions. You probably will be better off getting a pup so that it can get used to your rabbit from the beginning.
Regarding breeds, ours were all of indeterminate breed (a nice way to say it!), but you can ask the rescue worker about the dog's parentage. As was said, avoid terriers and hunting dogs, because, although many of them will be fine, it might be too big a risk to take around the rabbit. Look for something with a gentle nature in it like part-lab.
You're so lucky to be in a position to be getting a dog and I bet you anything, within a week, you're going to be asking how you ever lived without one!

Magenta

adser53 wrote: »

I also found your comments about Cavs to be ridiculous. Yes there are health issues with the breed (as a result of bad breeding) but not every Cav is riddled and spends it's life at the vets.

Actually, approximately 95% of them have malformations of the skull according to this study. I don't know about you but I think that is a significant amount.

http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2007-0320-201201/index.htm

In addition, their rate of mitral valve disease is 20 times that of other breeds, and about 50% have a heart murmur by the age of 5, with the statistic rising by 10% every year.

http://www.cavalierhealth.org/mitral_valve_disease.htm#What_It_Is

adser53

Magenta wrote: »

Actually, approximately 95% of them have malformations of the skull according to this study. I don't know about you but I think that is a significant amount.

In addition, their rate of mitral valve disease is 20 times that of other breeds, and about 50% have a heart murmur by the age of 5, with the statistic rising by 10% every year.

http://www.cavalierhealth.org/mitral_valve_disease.htm#What_It_Is

Im not disputing there are health issues but your comments instantly condemn the breed. Every breed has health issues. Your own SM link says that at most 50% MAY have SM and of that 50%, 35% may show clinical signs. So, overall, that works out to be around 17% of Cavs may have SM. Yes thats high and yes cavs are vulnerable to heart issues but that still does not mean that if you own a cav your destined for a life of vet bills and heartache. Going to responsible breeder who has done the relevant health checks would lessen the odds of these issues. Like I said, would you advise against a boxer because so many have epilepsy or diabetes? Or a GSD for hip dysplasia? Or so many other breeds that have their own health issues? If the OP rescues a dog, fair play to him, if he buys a dog it's his choice as is the breed. Comments like yours are'nt helping him decide what to do.

I apologise to the OP for his thread being hijacked

Magenta

adser53 wrote: »

Im not disputing there are health issues but your comments instantly condemn the breed. Every breed has health issues. Your own SM link says that at most 50% MAY have SM and of that 50%, 35% may show clinical signs. So, overall, that works out to be around 17% of Cavs may have SM.

If you read my post you will see that I was referring to chiari-like malformations.

adser53

Magenta wrote: »

If you read my post you will see that I was referring to chiari-like malformations.

I don't getcha?
I got the figures and info I posted from your Link which states c-l malformations causes SM

Macker1

Apololgies as I'm only getting back to the computer this evening. Out for the day with the youngest for his football.

I do appreciate all the replies here. All have been well intentioned but the thread is somewhat going astray. Just to get it back on track I will pose the following queries.

Bearing in mind there is a rabbit already in the family what should I be looking for in a pet dog.

The criteria being it is medium to large, well mannered, good around kids and the rabbit. Whatever we choose will be living in doors so I would like to keep the house in one piece. As previously stated he/she will get a lot of attention from all the family.
Finally without wishing to come across heartless I would like to take into consideration the costs of having a dog. Food, Vet/shots, Microchipping. I do not want to make a mistake of getting a breed of dog that will have pre-disposition for incurring regular vet visits/costs.

Just wondering are there any rescue centres that people could recommend around Meath. We would be travelling from Ballivor.

All comments appreciated

namurt

I would definitely recommend going to Dog's Trust. www.dogstrust.ie
They will take into account all your requirements and advise you on what suitable dogs they have available.....not just try to offload any dog on you.

Also, in relation to the cost, they only charge €85 to rehome a dog, which is brilliant because that includes neutering, microchipping, vaccinations, a full exam from their vet, a lead and collar, and a bag of food to get you started.

I can't recommend a specific breed but at Dog's Trust they encourage you to visit the dog as many times as you'd like so you'll be able to get a good feel for how it is reacting to all members of the family. We brought our first dog out several times to meet dogs they had....not sure if you'd be able to bring the rabbit but I guess there's no harm in asking.

Macker1

namurt wrote: »

I would definitely recommend going to Dog's Trust. www.dogstrust.ie
They will take into account all your requirements and advise you on what suitable dogs they have available.....not just try to offload any dog on you.

Also, in relation to the cost, they only charge €85 to rehome a dog, which is brilliant because that includes neutering, microchipping, vaccinations, a full exam from their vet, a lead and collar, and a bag of food to get you started.

I can't recommend a specific breed but at Dog's Trust they encourage you to visit the dog as many times as you'd like so you'll be able to get a good feel for how it is reacting to all members of the family. We brought our first dog out several times to meet dogs they had....not sure if you'd be able to bring the rabbit but I guess there's no harm in asking.

Thanks for replying. We took your advice and paid a visit out to DogTrust earlier today. We registered our details and had a look around. Unfortunately although there were some cute dogs there, we couldn't find one that we liked. The staff did say the the turnover was quite regular so we plan to revisit in the near future. In the meanwhile I can keep an eye out on their website which is quite good. The professional setup of the facility did impress us and hopefully we can add a pet dog to our family without too long a delay.

Magenta

Macker1 wrote: »

Thanks for replying. We took your advice and paid a visit out to DogTrust earlier today. We registered our details and had a look around. Unfortunately although there were some cute dogs there, we couldn't find one that we liked. The staff did say the the turnover was quite regular so we plan to revisit in the near future. In the meanwhile I can keep an eye out on their website which is quite good. The professional setup of the facility did impress us and hopefully we can add a pet dog to our family without too long a delay.

Have a look at www.irishanimals.com too, loads of dogs in their Homes Needed section

namurt

It's a pretty impressive place alright. It's a pity you didn't see anyting you liked today. The first time we went we didn't find a suitable dog but the second time we went we fell in love with a gorgeous dalmation so you're right to plan on revisiting.

Keep us posted on how the search goes.

bookerboy

Three pieces of advice for you.
1.Don't get a Beagle
2.Don't get a Beagle
3.Don't get a Beagle

The one you are looking at will break you heart and upset your neighbours.There are plenty of breeds around that you all can enjoy.
Retrievers,Labs, etc etc

Do yourself and your family a favour.Don't take the Beagle.

Macker1

bookerboy wrote: »

Three pieces of advice for you.
1.Don't get a Beagle
2.Don't get a Beagle
3.Don't get a Beagle

The one you are looking at will break you heart and upset your neighbours.There are plenty of breeds around that you all can enjoy.
Retrievers,Labs, etc etc

Do yourself and your family a favour.Don't take the Beagle.

The Beagle is already not an option due to the Rabbit already being at the house. It was only mentioned initially as a work colleague may be looking for someone to take their one due to problems with the neighbours over noise.

Not entirely certain what the wife wants but as soon as she spots it I will be the first to know.