Pet dog

Yaskojames

VonVix wrote: »

You'd be better off getting a puppy who's 8-10 weeks. And that's the joy of a commitment to a dog lol, do you have someone you could trust to come over and check on the pup? Will you/your family have time dedicated to socialisation and training of the pup along side crate training?

Yes! Of course, that's the whole fun! Unfortunately our relatives are situated some where else and cannot help. Family friends are at work during the day.

borderlinemeath

Yaskojames wrote: »

Im a bit paranoid over the crate training because i am willing to buy a puppy at a young age (7-8 weeks) and people state that i will have to let the dog out every 3-4 hours. I would be able to get up twice a night to let him out but there is nobody home for 7 hours (from 8am-3pm). Don't know how it will work out

Why don't you just wait a few months until the school holidays? You'll have plenty of time to do research on breeds, you may even have to put your name down with a reputable breeder anyway. You'll be off school, you'll have plenty of time for house training and obedience training and your pup will benefit hugely from the company. During the initial puppy phase, you will probably have to get up just once during the night to toilet with a pup and during the day to do effective toilet training you should be going out at least once every hour or so. And it's so much nicer to do in the summertime when the weather is hopefully better.

Oh, and no reputable breeder will let any breed of pup go at 7 weeks, 8 weeks is the minimum age that a pup should leave their mother, and depending on breed a few extra weeks can be beneficial. Some dodgy breeders will dupe a potential customer into thinking a pup can leave it's mother from anything as young as 5 weeks, as they are weaned at that age, but it's far, far too young, and the pups will end up with behavioural problems aplenty.

Yaskojames

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Why don't you just wait a few months until the school holidays? You'll have plenty of time to do research on breeds, you may even have to put your name down with a reputable breeder anyway. You'll be off school, you'll have plenty of time for house training and obedience training and your pup will benefit hugely from the company. During the initial puppy phase, you will probably have to get up just once during the night to toilet with a pup and during the day to do effective toilet training you should be going out at least once every hour or so. And it's so much nicer to do in the summertime when the weather is hopefully better.

That very smart and im thinking about it myself but unfortunately in this situation my family books a holiday to my relatives in a different country for ALL of summer. But i think that in this case i might be able to stay back in Ireland with my dad for the summer holiday. But what if i can't...

VonVix

I have to say, I love your enthusiasm for doing this as correctly as possible for your future dog, wish I got this much info when I had my first! It would have made a world of difference for me.

tk123

VonVix wrote: »

Ah, golden retrievers, I've met loads of them, but I personally never want one as a pet (personal opinion, they just don't really suit my lifestyle). I think they would be excellent in an active family environment. To sum up a golden retriever in three word... sweet, lovable and nuts lol.

They're a very busy dog from my experiences, they always want to be doing something or involved with what you're doing. If you want a dog that makes itself involved in and apart of your family, it's definitely a good one.

I have 2 retrievers and they sleep most of the day - one is 4 and one is 8 months. They get a short walk in the morning and longer one in the evening but they're not hyper or wound up with excess energy like a lot of dogs we know which I put down to their diet (BARF). They're easy enough to train and love to learn and do love to play but they're happiest asleep on a couch each! . OP I'd advise contacting the breed club to find a good breeder.

Yaskojames

tk123 wrote: »

I have 2 retrievers and they sleep most of the day - one is 4 and one is 8 months. They get a short walk in the morning and longer one in the evening but they're not hyper or wound up with excess energy like a lot of dogs we know which I put down to their diet (BARF). They're easy enough to train and love to learn and do love to play but they're happiest asleep on a couch each! . OP I'd advise contacting the breed club to find a good breeder.

Did you get them as pups?

DBB

Yaskojames wrote: »

Im a bit paranoid over the crate training because i am willing to buy a puppy at a young age (7-8 weeks) and people state that i will have to let the dog out every 3-4 hours. I would be able to get up twice a night to let him out but there is nobody home for 7 hours (from 8am-3pm). Don't know how it will work out

Under no circumstances should a young pup be left in a crate for 3-4 hours. That is the very longest they could be left in a crate for overnight before being brought out for a toilet break, but the crate is certainly not meant to be used for the dog to be in for multiple periods of 3-4 hours each, let alone 7 hours.
If your pup is to be left alone for 7 hours so regularly, you are going to have problems with the housetraining. A pup of 8 weeks needs to get out to toilet every hour at least... if it doesn't get out, it will go inside, which means that it is peeing/pooping inside just as often as it is peeing/pooping outside. 7 hours is a long time to leave such a youngster, so I'd suggest that you either
(a) go for a slightly older dog that has already been house-trained, say 6+ months old.
(b) wait until you're on your summer holidays. If you're not going to be in Ireland for the summer, then no matter what way you look at this, you're looking at getting your new puppy, or young adult dog, minded by a new handler for what.. 2 or 3 months? It's not ideal at all. Your pup will only just have got into the routine when the whole shebang will be turned upside-down on him.
On your breed choice, yes a lot of Retrievers are fab. But they are one of the breeds that features very high on the "aggression towards owner" category due to rubbish breeding. So, again, back to finding yourself a very reputable, capable breeder or rescue group to source your dog.
You've a lot of thinking to do OP.

Yaskojames

DBB wrote: »

Under no circumstances should a young pup be left in a crate for 3-4 hours. That is the very longest they could be left in a crate for overnight before being brought out for a toilet break, but the crate is certainly not meant to be used for the dog to be in for multiple periods of 3-4 hours each, let alone 7 hours.
If your pup is to be left alone for 7 hours so regularly, you are going to have problems with the housetraining. A pup of 8 weeks needs to get out to toilet every hour at least... if it doesn't get out, it will go inside, which means that it is peeing/pooping inside just as often as it is peeing/pooping outside. 7 hours is a long time to leave such a youngster, so I'd suggest that you either
(a) go for a slightly older dog that has already been house-trained, say 6+ months old.
(b) wait until you're on your summer holidays. If you're not going to be in Ireland for the summer, then no matter what way you look at this, you're looking at getting your new puppy, or young adult dog, minded by a new handler for what.. 2 or 3 months? It's not ideal at all. Your pup will only just have got into the routine when the whole shebang will be turned upside-down on him.
On your breed choice, yes a lot of Retrievers are fab. But they are one of the breeds that features very high on the "aggression towards owner" category due to rubbish breeding. So, again, back to finding yourself a very reputable, capable breeder or rescue group to source your dog.
You've a lot of thinking to do OP.

Say i do stay home for the summer holidays and let the puppy out every 1-3 hours, and in three months leave him in his cage while i go to school BUT i get my mom to come home and let the dog out once during those 7 hours.

DBB

Yaskojames wrote: »

Say i do stay home for the summer holidays and let the puppy out every 1-3 hours, and in three months leave him in his cage while i go to school BUT i get my mom to come home and let the dog out once during those 7 hours.

Of course, you being home for the summer would make a huge difference.
Leaving a dog of any age in a crate for 7 hours a day, even with a break in the middle, wouldn't be for me.
If I had to contain a dog for any length of time, I'd be using a puppy playpen, so that the dog can have room to move about a bit. Crates are a great bit of gear, but there's a fine line between them being useful, and them being a welfare issue.

Yaskojames

DBB wrote: »

Of course, you being home for the summer would make a huge difference.
Leaving a dog of any age in a crate for 7 hours a day, even with a break in the middle, wouldn't be for me.
If I had to contain a dog for any length of time, I'd be using a puppy playpen, so that the dog can have room to move about a bit. Crates are a great bit of gear, but there's a fine line between them being useful, and them being a welfare issue.

I don't know why but no body has ever mentioned kennels in the garden. I mean this is ideal for a dog if i amen't home for 7 hours. This dog grows big and will be able to defend himself from an intruder.

DBB

Yaskojames wrote: »

I don't know why but no body has ever mentioned kennels in the garden. I mean this is ideal for a dog if i amen't home for 7 hours. This dog grows big and will be able to defend himself from an intruder.

I wouldn't think so, no. I know several dogs that are bigger, and with a feistier reputation than the Retriever, who got the crap kicked out of them by burglars, or were killed. If a career criminal wants to break into your house, a dog won't stop him. Neither would I be putting my next week's wages on a Retriever being a good barker. Some are, many aren't. They're not bred to bark.
Leaving a puppy alone in a garden for 7 hours is not on either, in my opinion. It might be an option when he's older alright, but not a pup. If, as an adult, the dog is to be left alone for 7 hours in the garden, I'm hoping you intend to have the dog inside as a house dog for much of the rest of the time? Dogs left alone in the garden for long, long periods are right up there with being the most problematical, welfare-compromised dogs. 7 hours per 24 is right at the top of the acceptable limit deemed okay by behavioural experts for dogs to be left alone for on a regular basis without being at high risk of developing behavioural problems.

Yaskojames

DBB wrote: »

I wouldn't think so, no. I know several dogs that are bigger, and with a feistier reputation than the Retriever, who got the crap kicked out of them by burglars, or were killed. If a career criminal wants to break into your house, a dog won't stop him. Neither would I be putting my next week's wages on a Retriever being a good barker. Some are, many aren't. They're not bred to bark.
Leaving a puppy alone in a garden for 7 hours is not on either, in my opinion. It might be an option when he's older alright, but not a pup. If, as an adult, the dog is to be left alone for 7 hours in the garden, I'm hoping you intend to have the dog inside as a house dog for much of the rest of the time? Dogs left alone in the garden for long, long periods are right up there with being the most problematical, welfare-compromised dogs. 7 hours per 24 is right at the top of the acceptable limit deemed okay by behavioural experts for dogs to be left alone for on a regular basis without being at high risk of developing behavioural problems.

Can you see any solution behind this? I really want a dog and will do a lot to achieve this goal. Don't other dog owners have to go to work too? By the way how much would an average month food supply for a puppy cost?

BetterThanThou

One thing you neeed to be aware of is, golden retreivers do make fantastic watch dogs. But dogs have fantastic hearing, I have a golden retreiver, and at times, if there's someone walking by the house on the other side of the road, he barks to alert us. Be prepared to have a dog that barks alot, if they feel there could be a possible threat, they're going to bark. Secondly, keep in mind that dogs do not always live up to their breed's reputation. I recently got a new puppy, an Alaskan Malamute, if you didn't know, Alaskan Malamutes are known to be very independent, unloyal and hard to train. My puppy is extremely loyal to me, hates being left alone, and I had him potty trained fully in about 2 weeks and I've thought him a good few tricks. So be prepared for surprises, don't assume all golden retreivers act the same. And of course, do a lot of research on training the dog and make sure you and the rest of the family have absolute dedication in training the dog. I know people who let their dogs do what they want, most of the time, the dog ends up thinking he/she owns the owner, rather than the other way around, this can lead to many behavioral issues, including aggression, which can be dangerous. And another thing I'd suggest is try feed your dog on high quality food. Too many dogs are fed on supermarket brands like Pedigree, Iams and Bakers. These brands of dog food do not supply the dog with the nutrience it needs to thrive to their fullest potential. I'd suggest feeding your dog on a food such as Real Nature or James Wellbeloved just to name two, though there is many other brands of dog food which are great. I'd suggest looking on Zooplus.ie to find a food you can afford, my general rule is, always feed dry, wet food isn't very nutritious, avoid food with corn as a main ingredient, and some kind of meat should be one of the first ingredients.

ShaShaBear

Yaskojames wrote: »

I don't know why but no body has ever mentioned kennels in the garden. I mean this is ideal for a dog if i amen't home for 7 hours. This dog grows big and will be able to defend himself from an intruder.

The dog might never get to defend himself from an intruder outside. He could easily be stolen, subdued or even killed if someone wanted to break into your house which, for some reason, is obviously something you are drastically concerned about. You will likely not get a well bred golden pup from a reputable breeder for a few months at least anyway, highly unlikely you will get one right now. And you are looking at a sizeable price, well into the hundreds of euros. You are aware of that, right? And monthly food costs for a large breed could be in and around 50 euros. Not to mention neutering and booster shots. And even if you did get a pup now, 7 hours a day outside in a kennel is nothing but cruel. It is freezing cold, sometimes literally and it is soaking wet. Never mind the fact that locking a dog outside doesn't make it toilet trained, he will still need to be taught not to go in the house.

DBB

Yaskojames wrote: »

Can you see any solution behind this? I really want a dog and will do a lot to achieve this goal. Don't other dog owners have to go to work too? By the way how much would an average month food supply for a puppy cost?

There's nowt to stop you getting a dog.
But getting a pup and leaving it for 7 hours a day is going to make training difficult. Leaving a young pup outside alone is a non-runner.
Getting a new dog and then heading away for months shortly afterwards is not ideal.
Leaving a dog of any age alone outside all day (longer than 7+ hours) is not fair on the dog.
You can solve these problems, by and large.
If you get a young adult, then your house-training woes are largely sorted.
If a good, warm, sheltered kennel is provided for the young adult dog, along with things to do while you're gone, and making sure the dog gets a couple of good walks and lots of indoor social interaction when you're home, then leaving a young adult for 7 hours isn't as big a deal. I personally wouldn't do it, but it's not the worst that could happen.
Staying at home for the summer obviously eliminates that problem. That's assuming you'd be allowed.
Have your folks owned a dog before, that they know what they're letting themselves in for here? If not, perhaps fostering a larger dog for a rescue group would be a good way for you as a family to dip the toe and see what the reality of caring for a dog feels like?

DBB

BetterThanThou wrote: »

I'd suggest looking on Zooplus.ie to find a food you can afford, my general rule is, always feed dry, wet food isn't very nutritious,

I can pretty much guarantee you that the wet food I feed my dogs is infinitely better nutrition-wise than any dry food you can feed yours!

Yaskojames

Yeah my parents have both owned dogs when they were children but not in these conditions. Where i am from people just tie the dog to the kennel outside their homes and feed him whatever they had for dinner. Cruel.. But when you release the dog, he is no less happier than other dogs. I guess my dream having a dog comes to an end here. Thanks for everyones replies. I really appreciate it.

BetterThanThou

DBB wrote: »

I can pretty much guarantee you that the wet food I feed my dogs is infinitely better nutrition-wise than any dry food you can feed yours!

Maybe so, though, I've always been told that wet food generally has a very high water content, though, at the same time, many dry foods have a high corn content, so, of course, there's likely some wet foods which are nutritious.

BetterThanThou

Yaskojames wrote: »

Yeah my parents have both owned dogs when they were children but not in these conditions. Where i am from people just tie the dog to the kennel outside their homes and feed him whatever they had for dinner. Cruel.. But when you release the dog, he is no less happier than other dogs. I guess my dream having a dog comes to an end here. Thanks for everyones replies. I really appreciate it.

There's no need to think your dream of having a dog ends here. It's just that raising a puppy is A LOT of work, and puppies can't be left alone for 7 hours straight every day. However, if you got a shelter dog who's already used to being left alone for long periods of time, I don't see why you couldn't have a dog. You'd need to be very dedicated, you'd need to get up and tire him/her out in the morning with a walk, then after school, you'd need to pay him/her a lot of attention. But it's definitely possible to have a happy dog even if you do need to leave them alone for 7 hours a day. It's just not right to leave a puppy alone for that long.

DBB

BetterThanThou wrote: »

Maybe so, though, I've always been told that wet food generally has a very high water content, though, at the same time, many dry foods have a high corn content, so, of course, there's likely some wet foods which are nutritious.

I wouldn't mind the water content so much, let's face it, all the healthy meat, fruit and veg we eat is mostly water!
The problem with supermarket wet foods is that they're full of wheat and cereals, with very little meat. For similar, if not less money, it is possible to get excellent tinned food which has no cereals at all, and lots and lots of meat. But it's not available in supermarkets.

DBB

Yaskojames wrote: »

Yeah my parents have both owned dogs when they were children but not in these conditions. Where i am from people just tie the dog to the kennel outside their homes and feed him whatever they had for dinner. Cruel.. But when you release the dog, he is no less happier than other dogs. I guess my dream having a dog comes to an end here. Thanks for everyones replies. I really appreciate it.

I don't really understand why you've concluded that you shouldn't have a dog... A puppy is not a good idea in your situation, but a young adult dog would probably be fine. That's been posted here repeatedly.
I'm not sure what else you want people to say. I'm not sure why you changed within hours from wanting a small, short-coated dog to all of a sudden deciding it had to be a large, long-coated dog, I'm just not so sure you've thought it all through tbh. But I don't think anyone has said you shouldn't get a dog, just people trying to make you aware of what it all entails, so that you or your dog don't become another statistic.

tk123

Yaskojames wrote: »

Did you get them as pups?

Yes but only because there's always somebody home.

sligoface

You sound like you could make a good dog owner but a lot of first time dog owners make the common mistake of getting a puppy they are not prepared for, because puppies are cute. But what puppies do in the house can often be far from cute. You're 15 and trust me, a puppy will be a huge responsibility, more work than you will be happy to handle on top of school and social life and your parents will have to take up a lot of the slack which can lead to arguments and stress. Puppies make a lot of mess, often chew anything any one leaves around, need more socialization and training, and picking up poo and pee gets old real quick.

Also, a breeder will charge loads. You can often find perfectly healthy adult dogs at a shelter who are already housebroken and are a bit less work, much cheaper and it feels good to give them a new home. Believe me they appreciate it too. Vaccinations/microchipping/neutering may often be included in the adoption fee as well.

Please forget about the whole guard dog bit. It's not a really good reason to get a dog. Most dogs will not attack an intruder, but may bark to alert the rest of the family. That should be enough. You don't want one that barks too much, it will annoy everyone in the house and the neighbors. And please don't leave your dog outside all the time, dogs crave company and are pack animals. Leaving a dog outside on its own is the worst punishment you could conceive of for a dog. Like you said, though, some people don't get this and just tie them up outside. It's wrong. Aim to be better than them if you decide to get a dog.

Maybe try looking up some rescues or shelter on facebook and like their page, they will have available dogs posted and will be happy to let you meet them in person if you want. They often house dogs in foster homes and the foster parent will be able to tell you everything about the dog and help determine if it honestly would be a good match for your family and lifestyle, they aren't in it for the money like breeders are. Be open minded about breeds, evaluate dogs individually and see which one captures your heart, it could be a breed you never considered or a mixed breed (who often have the best temperaments and less health issues).

I know some people on here get annoyed when people try to steer potential owners away from breeders and towards adopting from rescues instead, but I think for young first time dog owners, the responsibilities and expenses of a puppy are just too much, and the family and the dog can both suffer as a result.

Above all, don't rush. I know when I was young once I wanted something I wanted it now, and I wouldn't wait even though there was no reason to rush and force it. It's like getting a tattoo, some will get any one just to get one and end up regretting it. If you don't find the right dog on your first visit, hold off and wait until more dogs come in.

Fwiw, I have 2 border collies. These highly intelligent, affectionate dogs are often found in Irish shelters due to being abandoned by farmers, etc. I got one as a three year old adult, he was the easiest dog to take care of, already trained, learned new things easily, loves to play, needs exercise but as long as he gets it he will just curl up in his bed or next to me when at home. They are working dogs so they do need stimulation, but it doesn't have to be herding sheep. Mine love to learn tricks and play fetch with a ball or stick. They always get two walks a day no matter what the weather is, and most dogs need the same.

The other one was just barely a year when we got her, still very puppyish and was a bit more work, she would pee in her bed, and chewed loads of stuff, especially plastic - the UPC remote, my mobile, the clips from her harness twice and did the same to the other dog's harness once, meaning I've bought 5 of them in total at about 20 quid each, also CD's, pens, buttons off of my gf's purses. She also once managed to steal an entire breakfast. She ate potato waffles out of the oven when my gf left the oven door open for a minute and had her back turned. So all my gf had left for breakfast was coffee. She left the coffee on the coffee table and went upstairs to get her phone. When she came downstairs the coffee cup was still sitting there on the table, but was completely empty. That's just off the top of my head. She is two and a half now and is fully housetrained now and doesn't chew, but that's partly because I never leave stuff down for her and she has plenty of toys. So what I'm saying is, with most breeds, puppies can be nuts, and lots of work for even experienced owners, but the adult dogs are nowhere near as much trouble, as long as you are committed to walking them them, you'll have a great friend without too much stress

Maybe also consider a greyhound or lurcher, they are often found in shelters as well and despite being bred for racing are known to be very laid back and in fact downright lazy in the home. But you have to keep them on leash due to their instinct to chase.

Arbiter of Good Taste

sligoface wrote: »

You sound like you could make a good dog owner but a lot of first time dog owners make the common mistake of getting a puppy they are not prepared for, because puppies are cute. But what puppies do in the house can often be far from cute. You're 15 and trust me, a puppy will be a huge responsibility, more work than you will be happy to handle on top of school and social life and your parents will have to take up a lot of the slack which can lead to arguments and stress. Puppies make a lot of mess, often chew anything any one leaves around, need more socialization and training, and picking up poo and pee gets old real quick.

Also, a breeder will charge loads. You can often find perfectly healthy adult dogs at a shelter who are already housebroken and are a bit less work, much cheaper and it feels good to give them a new home. Believe me they appreciate it too. Vaccinations/microchipping/neutering may often be included in the adoption fee as well.

Please forget about the whole guard dog bit. It's not a really good reason to get a dog. Most dogs will not attack an intruder, but may bark to alert the rest of the family. That should be enough. You don't want one that barks too much, it will annoy everyone in the house and the neighbors. And please don't leave your dog outside all the time, dogs crave company and are pack animals. Leaving a dog outside on its own is the worst punishment you could conceive of for a dog. Like you said, though, some people don't get this and just tie them up outside. It's wrong. Aim to be better than them if you decide to get a dog.

Maybe try looking up some rescues or shelter on facebook and like their page, they will have available dogs posted and will be happy to let you meet them in person if you want. They often house dogs in foster homes and the foster parent will be able to tell you everything about the dog and help determine if it honestly would be a good match for your family and lifestyle, they aren't in it for the money like breeders are. Be open minded about breeds, evaluate dogs individually and see which one captures your heart, it could be a breed you never considered or a mixed breed (who often have the best temperaments and less health issues).

I know some people on here get annoyed when people try to steer potential owners away from breeders and towards adopting from rescues instead, but I think for young first time dog owners, the responsibilities and expenses of a puppy are just too much, and the family and the dog can both suffer as a result.

Above all, don't rush. I know when I was young once I wanted something I wanted it now, and I wouldn't wait even though there was no reason to rush and force it. It's like getting a tattoo, some will get any one just to get one and end up regretting it. If you don't find the right dog on your first visit, hold off and wait until more dogs come in.

Fwiw, I have 2 border collies. These highly intelligent, affectionate dogs are often found in Irish shelters due to being abandoned by farmers, etc. I got one as a three year old adult, he was the easiest dog to take care of, already trained, learned new things easily, loves to play, needs exercise but as long as he gets it he will just curl up in his bed or next to me when at home. They are working dogs so they do need stimulation, but it doesn't have to be herding sheep. Mine love to learn tricks and play fetch with a ball or stick. They always get two walks a day no matter what the weather is, and most dogs need the same.

The other one was just barely a year when we got her, still very puppyish and was a bit more work, she would pee in her bed, and chewed loads of stuff, especially plastic - the UPC remote, my mobile, the clips from her harness twice and did the same to the other dog's harness once, meaning I've bought 5 of them in total at about 20 quid each, also CD's, pens, buttons off of my gf's purses. She also once managed to steal an entire breakfast. She ate potato waffles out of the oven when my gf left the oven door open for a minute and had her back turned. So all my gf had left for breakfast was coffee. She left the coffee on the coffee table and went upstairs to get her phone. When she came downstairs the coffee cup was still sitting there on the table, but was completely empty. That's just off the top of my head. She is two and a half now and is fully housetrained now and doesn't chew, but that's partly because I never leave stuff down for her and she has plenty of toys. So what I'm saying is, with most breeds, puppies can be nuts, and lots of work for even experienced owners, but the adult dogs are nowhere near as much trouble, as long as you are committed to walking them them, you'll have a great friend without too much stress

Maybe also consider a greyhound or lurcher, they are often found in shelters as well and despite being bred for racing are known to be very laid back and in fact downright lazy in the home. But you have to keep them on leash due to their instinct to chase.

Slightly off topic, I know, but I love border collies. Had one for years - though we had plenty of land so the dog had plenty of room to run and play. Lovely breed.

With greyhounds I would just be very careful. My aunt adopted a greyhound that was retired from racing (this was years ago) and it was the most nervous uptight dog ever. Not vicious at all, just would spend hours a day hiding from people. He would only come out for my aunt. It was probably more to do with how it had been trained and probably had a trainer that hit him, but it was like the poor thing could have done with some valium! I'm certainly not saying not to go with one, just to be more observant with dogs that have been used for racing.

Slutmonkey57b

I'm sorry OP but while you've clearly thought out what a dog needs, you've missed two important points:

1) Nobody at home for 7 hours (minimum) a day, 5 days a week.

This makes having a puppy impossible, and an adult dog will get terribly bored and lonely. Dogs need company. This is not a good environment for a dog to live in.

2) Your family goes on holiday for the entire summer.

Unless you bring the dog with you, abandoning it with friends or in a kennel for two months is just plain cruel. A dog is a family member. Would you leave your little brother behind for 2 months? Then don't leave the dog.

Yaskojames

I want to point out that i wanted a large dog in the first place but I wasn't allowed. Later i convinced my family if we were to get a dog it was to be one that we want. I am afraid if we get a dog from a shelter that isn't a pup it will be hard to teach and might be spoiled. I don't know what the dog would be like. What if he was raised to be aggressive? By the way my mom usually come back home during those 7 hours for lunch for 30 minutes or so. Can anyone name any shelters around the area of Dublin? Preferably around Town or Blanchardstown.

Yaskojames

Why is it not safe to adopt of donedeal and other websites like this. I just looked it up there and i was shocked to see how many options there is, and most of them are vaccinated and swear that the dogs are purebred. is there anyway of checking if this is true?

sadie06

A dog from a shelter is highly unlikely to have been spoiled! A reputable shelter will not lie to you about the character of a dog, so ask the important questions.

I think for your age, you have been overwhelmed with a lot of ( relevant) information on this thread.

I would say this. An older dog (6 months +) is going to suit your circumstances best. That is just a fact.

Also, you can't get a dog if you have no arrangement available to you for the summer. This should not be thought about afterwards. What do your parents suggest happens during the summer? They must have thought of this also if they are allowing you to get a dog.


Everything else can be dealt with as you go along, but the above issues are crucial.

If you go down the rescue route, a lurcher would be a great idea!

ShaShaBear

Yaskojames wrote: »

Why is it not safe to adopt of donedeal and other websites like this. I just looked it up there and i was shocked to see how many options there is, and most of them are vaccinated and swear that the dogs are purebred. is there anyway of checking if this is true?

Because backyard breeders and puppy farmers use it to get rid of puppies. If you are not experienced, you will not be able to tell a good ad from a bad one so it is not an option for you. A quick Google will show you all the rescues in your area but unless you already have agreed with your folks what will happen with the dog in the summer, its a no go again. Also you haven't clarified how much they are willing to spend on a dog. A well bred retreiver is going to set them back at least 600 euro. Forget about the 200 euro ones you've been looking at on donedeal.

Yaskojames

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Because backyard breeders and puppy farmers use it to get rid of puppies. If you are not experienced, you will not be able to tell a good ad from a bad one so it is not an option for you. A quick Google will show you all the rescues in your area but unless you already have agreed with your folks what will happen with the dog in the summer, its a no go again. Also you haven't clarified how much they are willing to spend on a dog.

In shelters there is a smaller variety of breeds. Im going to have to stick with the golden retriever. Would it be easy to pick one up at a shelter? there are lots on donedeal And i am willing to pay up to 400 euro just for the dog.