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Decisions, decisions (dogs)...
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03-05-2012 10:27pm#1Hello everybody,
Thanks for taking the time to read this, it's a bit of thinking in text so I greatly appreciate any who make it through the other side of the wall of text and offer some advice
After much thought, patience and more thought, I've decided to get a dog. I've had a number of dogs previously in life and grew up with them around me and would consider myself very good/comfortable with them.
The problem is, I can't decide on a breed to go with. I know a huge amount about dogs, their varied traits, pros and cons, etc. However, i'm struggling to match them to myself and my situation and thus would love a bit of help.
A bit about myself/my situation:
I'm a mature student, deferred final year and am currently working full time. I'll be back in college from September to May 2013. I live beside work so come home for lunch most of the time and the commute is short so I'm out of the house a pretty minimal amount of the time for a full time employee.
I've planned to take time off to introduce the pup to the house, then after that until September it will be by itself from 9am until 12:30, then 1:30ish until 5:30ish. From September onwards, I'll be around most of the time as the college schedule is fairly relaxed, the average amount of time the dog would be alone would probably be 4 hours per day.
The daily plan would be to get up, exercise the dog for 45 mins to an hour, go to work/college, come back during the day and leave again, chill out and in the evening the dog would get another stretch for anywhere between 45 mins and an hour 15 mins. Obviously the amount of time spent exercising will be tailored to the breed and its age. The point is, I'll tire it out before I leave and then tire it out in the evening with play time and stimulating exercise.
I've a decent sized house with a 600sq foot back garden. Ideally the dog will initially spend the day in the house until it has its full set of vaccinations, then be out in the garden / in a wind proof kennel until I come home for lunch/come home from college/etc. It's completely secure, dog can't get out and it'd be a struggle for someone to get in. It would be left by itself probably an average of 4 hours per day, 4 days per week. I intend on crate training also.
The weekends will be spent going to the dog park, going for stretches up the mountains and more fun stuff for me and the dog alike, so the dog needs to be able to get up and go but also chill out and watch tv in the evenings. It'll be brought to training classes, socialised, etc. All the good stuff dogs enjoy.
This being said, I'm still extremely undecided about exactly what type of dog to get! I need something that fills the above i.e able for fun time out and about but also chill out in the evening but most of all I want something that will be tired enough from morning exercise to not get anxious by itself in the garden during the day. I don't care if it digs, the garden has no value, I just don't want it developing issues as a result of being alone for a few hours most days.
To summarise the above:
I'm looking for an able dog that can relax and not develop separation anxiety, while also having the energy to enjoy past times. I'm willing to give it the exercise it needs morning and night and all the other good stuff, I just want to ensure it remains happy when I'm not here.
Long term plan is to put it into doggie day care or employ an afternoon walker/companion when I'm working full time again after college is done next May.
Where I'm currently at:
I originally was going for a Boxer. I'm friendly with some very, very well reputed breeders who I'm confident would give me a great specimen of the species. However, a vet recently told me that almost every Boxer owner they know has had big, expensive health issues with their dog, along with behavioural issues due to it freaking out with separation anxiety. I've the commitment to give a boxer the exercise it needs, however the worry over their health issues and separation anxiety have driven me away from the breed. Thoughts on this?
I'm now considering three breeds mainly - golden retriever, labrador and dogue de bordeaux. What are your thoughts on this? I can't even make my mind up between the three as they each fit the bill quite well. Probably leaning towards a Golden or lab although the DdB is certainly a big player in the game.
I'm open to other suggestions though and certainly appreciate any you have to offer. Some things I'm looking for
-Medium sized+
-Not a terrier preferably
-Don't mind about hair, although don't want anything with a wire coat, curly coat or anything with extremely long hair that knots to the extreme such as an Old English Sheepdog or Newfie
-Fits the above with regards to activity
-Will tire out after the mornings exercise sufficiently that it won't be going nuts while I'm out
-HAS to get along with other animals and won't go and snap when I turn my back. I've a very nice little cat that I intend to let rule the roost so to speak and I don't want to come back to its corpse being used as a toy some day.
Apart from that, I don't mind. So long as it's relatively trainable, I can sort out a good dog (temperament, health, etc) and fits the above.
A note: My SO is one of those who automatically does not trust anything on the Restricted Breeds list. No amount of arguing about it will change her mind on it, as ridiculous as it is, so preferably no breeds that are directly on the list.
It would also help if they were relatively available in Ireland. I'd love a bernese personally but they're €1000+ from anything resembling a good breeder. I'd prefer to spend <=€600ish on the dog so I've money left over for fun stuff for it and insurance. Do not mind travelling up North/out of the way to get it either, just not over to the UK.
I AM open to cross breeds, however don't want this to descend to a pedigree vs rescue thread. I've rescued all my dogs previously and will certainly do so again, however for now lets just discuss available breeds and popular/available cross breeds (such as the GSD/Lab cross that the Irish Guide Dogs use).
Thanks for any and all advice on the matter, I'll answer any questions you may have and I look forward to engaging with you on this 0
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I just PMed you with some links. There is a lovely 6 month old boxer cross on one of them that could be perfect.
I would say that each dog irregardless of breed is different. I have a retriever spaniel cross, so she should be mad energetic and eat everything around her. Nope she's a lazy slob, who does like to run for about 15 minutes then is happy to just lie in the shade, and she is a notoriously fussy eater
A dog that has been in foster care would have a lot of your questions answered for you, before you committed.
Best of luck and enjoy your new addition.0 -
@meolmrk91: Thanks for the reply. I too thought the boxer would be perfect in terms of personality, I'm just worried about the potential for separation anxiety. Insurance is the number one priority for indirect expenditure, have it planned with Allianz and know how much it'll cost for the various breeds so am certainly budgeting with that in mind
@barbiegirl: Thanks a lot for the pm, I've had a look through the links and there's certainly some beautiful dogs there. It'll be about 6-8 weeks before I can home any animal though for a few reasons, but I've bookmarked those pages and will consult them before I make a definite decision nearer the time
Thanks for the feedback so far guys, very much appreciated.0 -
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Thanks for the replies and kind comments guys
@nemo, that's my concern about DdBs - that they're great during the week when the extra lie in is appreciated but would they get knackered fairly quickly on a decent stretch at the weekend?
@sigma force: that sounds like a good suggestion, although I've heard of them refusing to home dogs to people who are out during the day like myself and my SO are, despite the fact that I'd make the effort in the morning/evening/lunch times/etc to ensure it was sufficiently knackered and would chill out while I was out.
I know the <snip> have such a policy anyway...I still donate quite a bit to them every year despite it though...!
Boxers are definitely mad, which is what draws me to them!0 -
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I would be surprised if a rescue turned you down for being out during the day once you explain your circumstances. People have to work! I can understand if they turned you down for a young pup but certainly not for a older pup or dog.
I'll certainly look into it but having talked to volunteers in certain rescues, I think I get the impression I might be setting myself up for disappointment due to the policies some of them enact...quite strictly too.
I can totally understand it from their point of view however it does tar all of us who can't be around literally all day with the very same brush. I'm also kind of intent on getting a pup if possible in terms of introducing it to the cat/bringing it up around a cat because I absolutely cannot have anything happen the little guy.Just to throw my 2 cents in about boxers, all of them I have met have been absolutely bonkers until they reach about 8!! What about a springer spaniel?
Well, the madness is what I really like about them It's also just plain madness, as opposed to destructive madness or madness turned aggression. In fact, if I'm ever looking for a quick pick-me-up video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hly0vuXPG-M does the job nicely
With regards to a springer, I'm kind of hoping to get something bigger and ... sturdier(?) I suppose.By the way what's an SO? Never heard that abbreviation before!
Significant Other, thought it was a fairly common one myself! A similarly common one is OH for Other Half, a more rare one is BH for Better Half.moving_home wrote: »OP I was also going to suggest a cocker or springer spaniel. Very trainable, love exercise but happy enough to hang on their own for few hours. Need brushing and grooming though so higher maintenance coat wise than a short haired dog.
As above, I've had med-small dogs in the past and am kind of hoping for a bigger one this time around...just for a change I guess?I think to stick to a dog breed is the wrong way to go.
Especially dogs from specific breeders because its focused on the perfect look etc. The best way to find your perfect match is to look at a dogs individual personality.
<snip> do personailty tests and pick dogs for you.
Also <snip>, which help rescue pound dogs, are quite good at suitable re-homing. They also require a lot of fosterers which could help you settle into owning a dog before commiting years of your life.
Hi Debs,
I actually follow <snip> on Facebook and have done for quite some time. They've had some really great dogs pass through them in my time of seeing their updates, however their rehoming policy is aligned with the issue I mentioned above.
The other part about looking for a particular breed, well, as I said, I'm certainly open to suggestions myself I've narrowed down a list that I personally have thought would suit my needs well and have been having a tough time deciding between them. Am always open to other breed suggestions that fit relatively well with the description in the first post though.Is you decide against this I would recommend puppy socialisation classes. They let off a lot of energy and also will ease your weekend walks..
Oh absolutely. I'm fully intending on bringing it to weekly classes and up to the dog park to play with the other dogs. I'm quite lucky in that I have these amenities quite close by.
Again, thanks for all the input so far folks. On the one hand, my fears about taking a boxer have been put to rest but ... I'm still as undecided as ever! Perhaps even more so 0 -
TehDagsBass wrote: »Thanks for the replies and kind comments guys
@nemo, that's my concern about DdBs - that they're great during the week when the extra lie in is appreciated but would they get knackered fairly quickly on a decent stretch at the weekend?
!
Well we were talking to a breeder from the rds pet show a couple of years ago and they did say they would quite happily lay around your feet all day and not go out for a walk so i am guessing that they might struggle on a long stretch0 -
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adrenalinjunkie wrote: »Breed is largely irrelevant for the most part as regards cats unless your considering a sighthound. I have two breeds that are supposedly cat chasers and I have no problems with cat they live with. Cats that are not yours or dogs are not familiar with are a different story, any dog can bark at/chase cats that they are not familiar with.
Well yes, I agree, although I would argue that the prey drive in one breed may be very different to the other. I'm largely only concerned about my own cat because it's the only one that has the propensity to get stuck in a room with the dog. It's why I'm eager to get a pup to teach it early to respect the cat and to only engage it when it engages him/her.
With that in mind though, I'm fortunate to have the facilities to have the house sectioned in a way using baby gates to allow the cat to have his own area with undisturbed access to his cat flap, and an area for the dog to call his own. The only issue would be if the cat decided to cross the bar and antagonise the dog. He's a friendly and dignified cat though, so I'm relatively sure he wouldn't stoop to such behaviourThere is a poster here called 'Taltos' who has 2 of these, I would suggest reading their posts in this forum.
Will check this out, thanks.The one piece of advice I can give is to get out there and meet other peoples dogs, strike up conversations with the owners and ask them plenty of questions.
I'll go lurk at the local dog park and see what appears. thanks for the suggestion
Although a little more confused with regards to what direction to go in, if nothing else this thread has certainly reaffirmed my self-assurance about the plans I have in place for the dog, which is great.0 -
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Older sighthounds may be untrainable with cats, but the same would apply to a labrador or terrier that was already aggressive with them.
Yeah I would assume this to be true of any breed, which is why I'm quite eager to get a young pup, in order to mold it into a cat respecting pooch
Apparently it's not all that difficult to do, in terms of getting the dog to leave the cat alone.I've had him off leash a handful of times with other dogs (once the other owner has given it the nod) and he's just so playful and happy. I meet 2 other Huskies regularly... And another 2 every now and then. They certainly know their own and I've never heard a peep from any of them.
All just mad for fun and playing.
Now, being a bank holiday and seeing as Hugo was fed at 7.30, it's time I got off the couch and we hit the roads. Or maybe UL? I wonder what the weather is like in Kilkee or Lahinch? Or maybe Curraghchase?
If you get my drift...
If you do consider one... Please steer clear of backyard breeders and 'done deal'. You get what you pay for!
And on the noise front. Hugo howls like a mad thing... ONLY when myself and my OH do! And he barks. When we say: Speak!
Other than that... A well exercised Husky is a happy (and very quiet) Husky.
But again... Maybe we got very lucky?
It sounds like a combination of luck but primarily just a good, loving home If considering one I certainly wouldn't be going down the route of backyard breeders or done dealers.borderlinemeath wrote: »Our first setter (from active working stock) actually came from a breeder with cats. When we were down collecting her as a puppy she happily pottered about their house and yard with the cats. It's only when we brought her home that she became a bit territorial about her patch as our neighbour had 4 cats that used to travel through our place to get to the farm down the road. Her natural hunting instincts have her chasing birds and rabbits in the surrounding fields but the local cats just pissed her off:D
Our rescue boy came from a rescue that had plenty of cats and he didn't mind them at all! However since he came to his forever home, Coco has been his 'mentor' and he follows her lead when it comes to defending his territory.
That's very interesting that she'd turn like that. Having a dog raised with cats is obviously ideal, but one would have thought that the positive influence and relationships with cats early in life would have stuck despite an environmental change.
We've a fair few cats who come into the garden, either to hang around with our own cat or pass through. I don't expect any dog to be perfect, barking at cats or whatever is fine when outside but I'll have to ensure it's conditioned not to attack them. I'm pretty confident that one of our neighbours fosters for one of the rescues as there's constantly new cats/kittens around and I would absolutely hate to infringe on that by having a dog attack one of their foster cats/kittens.
It won't stop me getting my own dog, as is understandable, I would just want to minimize the possibility.But it's all down to what you do about it. Very few dogs are going to be naturally friendly with cats, that was my point to the OP - you have to shape their behaviour, whatever dog you get. But people with cats shouldn't be put off getting a sighthound, most are trainable.
They generally aren't barkers, are happy to laze about in bed while you're out, and might be the ideal dog for the OP:D
I'm not put off by any breed that fits the kind of description, RB or not, shame the same can't be said about the SO though!I really, really wouldn't recommend a siberian husky if you have a cat in the house, unless you can keep them seperate when you're out, and I mean totally seperate. We have 2 cats who live in one end of the house, with a locked door between them and the dogs. Unfortunately I have heard too many stories of people who have had sibes and cats who have lived together happily for years, then one day the dog kills the cat.
Thanks for the input ISDW, any idea what would have triggered the attack in such incidences? Presumably, dogs and cats that have lived together for years would be used to respecting boundaries and the consequences attached to them, so it's bizarre that what was a good relationship could lead to such a snap.
Thanks again for all the input to date guys, it's great 0 -
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TehDagsBass wrote: »
Thanks for the input ISDW, any idea what would have triggered the attack in such incidences? Presumably, dogs and cats that have lived together for years would be used to respecting boundaries and the consequences attached to them, so it's bizarre that what was a good relationship could lead to such a snap.
Thanks again for all the input to date guys, it's great
Huskies have a very, very high prey drive. Consequences? Dogs don't understand consequences, they may have kept their prey drive in check for years, then one day, its just too much and the cat is a goner:( What consequence is there for a dog when that happens? They get told off? Unfortunately the consequence for the cat is much worse.
I can sit in the same room as some of my huskies and our cats, and we'll all be fine, but I would never, ever leave them alone together. And some of my other huskies, the ones I haven't raised from a pup, no way could they even be in the same room as the cats.0 -
borderlinemeath wrote: »Check with your neighbour, although if she was a fosterer for a local rescue she's not being very responsible in letting the cats in her care roam freely... no judgement intended on cat owners who do this but if they are fosters she really should be keeping them in as they technically aren't hers and there's always a chance for them to be killed on the road or wander away.
Yeah I would have felt this myself, but nothing else explains the constant arrival and departure of new cats from this part of the area other than fostering. It's literally a new cat or group of cats every few weeks so one can only conclude she's fostering I suppose. When we first moved in here a number of years ago, we were told she was living with 10 indoor cats herself.
She's a little cat mad to say the least and to be honest if I were to approach her regarding her behaviour with the cats, it would be to report her to the rescue that's currently letting her foster. There are dogs in the area, some of which have fairly free access to the road near their house and some of the cats you see coming and going are tiny and are very slow in terms of their running speed compared to that of an adult cat.
She also has bird feeders in her back garden, the garden of a house over flowing with cats, that regularly end up as meals for the local cats. It's bizarre to look on upon but she knows who our cat is and I'd be fairly worried about something happening him if we pissed her off to be honest.
When she was a pup we made sure to socialise her with plenty of other dogs, but never bothered with cats as we had no intention of getting one. Setters can be territorial, just very vocal towards anything that passes by (or through). Cyclists and the odd pedestrian that go by also get the vocal treatment but any visitors are welcomed with exuberance!
Yeah that certainly makes sense. Ideally we'd be getting a pup and kitten together, but unfortunately we have a fully grown little Lord in the house now and we'll just have to deal with it when we bring a pup into the house. I think it should be fine though although he has gotten hilariously territorial before when I've had dogs over to the house for short periods of time.Huskies have a very, very high prey drive. Consequences? Dogs don't understand consequences, they may have kept their prey drive in check for years, then one day, its just too much and the cat is a goner:( What consequence is there for a dog when that happens? They get told off? Unfortunately the consequence for the cat is much worse.
I can sit in the same room as some of my huskies and our cats, and we'll all be fine, but I would never, ever leave them alone together. And some of my other huskies, the ones I haven't raised from a pup, no way could they even be in the same room as the cats.
I suppose it's like children in that regard so, it just takes one bad incident and it's off.
Now, in saying that, the dog would be in the garden all day and there's plenty of escape routes for a cat, and when it's in the house it would be sectioned off from the cat, the cat who has his own room with access to his own cat flap. I don't think there would ever be a case where the dog and cat would be in the same place without an escape route for the cat.
I just don't know how fast a dog can move compared to a cat, i.e given the freedom to do so, would the cat manage to make its escape with time to spare?0 -
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Ok guys, once again thanks for all the input you provided in this thread.
After lots more consideration and researching, I've narrowed down the list of potential breeds to Lab and Golden Retriever.
Both breeds fit the bill very nicely although I can't really see much of a difference between the two, barring the fact that Goldens tend to be slightly shorter and have more hair so I suppose that brings up its own issue in choosing between the two!
I appreciate all the input and having researched the suggestions I've reaffirmed my intention to rescue one of the many poor greyhounds that our pounds and rescues get every year, hopefully this time next year. I'd certainly go for one now only that I'm specifically looking for a pup as young as possible (8 wks) to train it up to respect the cat in the house.
Thanks again for all the responses and I'd certainly welcome some opinions on Lab vs Golden if at all possible 0
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