Hi all

So now that I am settled into my house and 95% unpacked (still got the sewin room to do), I want a dog to complete the little happy family.

I am thinking of getting one that is not a puppy, but a year or so older and house trained. Trevor and I are out of the house working at the same time 2 days of the work week, so the dog will be on his/her own for 8 hours during that time. Besides those two days, someone will always be around. Come the Fall season Mum will be retired, living in my basement apartment (actually her moving day is this Monday), so someone will be around all the time then.

I want to get the dog early Spring/Summer so he/she is used to the garden and lots of walks.

Any other advice?? all is greatly appreciated. I am thinking of getting the dog through the local SPCA.

Cheers

How about waiting until Mom is settled in, too, before getting the dog?

Getting an older dog is an excellent idea... no annoying puppy stage with teething and toileting issues! :-)

And best of all, you're giving a dog a second chance at a great life.

My only advice is to give the dog time to settle in, and be realistic about what you expect at the start. We see a lot of people here who take on a dog and expect it to instantly fit in and "gel" with everyone, and that's not particularly fair.

Wait, I've got one more bit of advice, research the breeds you're interested in, even when getting a mixed breed there is often a "dominant" gene, so find out what traits are common.

Good luck :-)

Congratulations on your decision to save a furry life.

Have you watched or read the Dog Whisperer? Cesar Milan is very good at explaining about bringing a dog into the pack. I would recommend that you check him out. He does have a great website with good info too.

We have two pound puppies and it is AMAZING how well they play together. That way they are not lonely when we are not at home. Both are Lab/Hound mixes (about 70 pounds now) and both were adult when we adopted them. Heidi was over 2 and she has treat aggression that we have to work on. (Make sure you get a good read on your dog's temperament before you pick)
Sadie was a little over 1 and she had not been well socialized. (When you don't get a puppy, you take on whatever baggage the dog carries with it. The good news: they learn fast and they want to do the right thing. Praise works, and sometimes treats.)

I think that the right dog (or dogs) will speak to you and you will know. (At least that is the way it was for us)

How exciting. :!: :!: :!: :!:

Oh how happy you are going to make some critter! What size are you looking for? I have 2, and 60 pound male and a 15 pound female. I prefer females because they are not as prone to lifting their legs to mark their territiory. The big male also is a husky type dog with lots of thick fur, that sheds in the warm weather. He actually needs to be clipped because his fur keeps him so warm here in the summer. The female is a rat terrier, who needs sweaters in the winter because her fur is so fine!
I had always had smaller dogs, because they eat less, thus mess less! The bigger dogs are more intimidating, and need more exercise! Tundra, the big dog, is very friendly, but LOUD, and scares people. Kids LOVE him. Susie is more timid. Both love to ride in the car. I can take them both with me when I visit some people, but have to board them when I go other places. When they are home, they have the run of the house. ! do have a fenced back yard, but Tundra can jump the fence, so he has to be inside or tethered when I am not home.
I would go to the pound and look, but it is hard to leave without one, so be prepared for that!
Bigger dogs are more difficult to walk, only because they are stronger.
Obedience training is a must, but so is consistency!
Mine are a mess, but I love them both. They get along well with the cats. They all give each other plenty of room. Playing can get rowdy, but whatcha gonna do!

Bless you for adopting. I will never get an animal other than adopting, and right, they do come with some baggage. But so do we. And they do want to please. I adopted my Nemo cat at 6 months. I was looking for a female kitten, so much for that. At bedtime he is now like one looooong strip of Orange velco attached to my side. We have our issues but by adopting you are saving an animal that didn't deserve the first few months of its life that it got. Can't wait to see some pictures!

We rescued two dogs, both about 2 yrs. old when we got them. Best way to go as far as I'm concerned. I found them on petfinder.com. It's a site sponsored by Petco. They list from pretty much all local shelters and you can search by zipcode, size, age, sex, even breed. Will probably go this way again when/if we ever get another dog.

Good for you, we are dog lovers, and ours runs this home!

Adopting is the way to go!

Ninnie

I have a helper dog and love her. She is at my side and will not leave when I am having an off day. She is OLD, and we are thinking about what if when she is gone.

Good luck with your choice of breed, size and age. Sort of like Ice Cream cones.. Too many choices.

The horror to me was the "crate" training.. I did not agree but when we trained puppies for the Pilot Dog program - when I was healthy, young and had 13 plus year old kids in the house to help... that was the introduction. It was a "had to agree" or not be in the program. Could not believe, when we were gone they were in thier "crate"... cage... and eventually we kept the door off because it was the puppy's bedrooms! Amazing. The "Crate" kept the dogs out of finding things to eat when board. These puppies were on a waiting list and an accidental death woudl be a longer wait for those on the list.

So, dust off books on when you are alone.. 8 hours is a long time. We always had TV turned on or a radio..

The pup/dog will be great for your mom too.
Good luck !

Ellen

I love my Yorkiepoo. Sort of high strung but so small it is just cute. On the other hand we saved a Redbone Coon hound from the pound. I don't recommend it. Hunting dogs are usually outside for a reason. This one is settling down now. She will be 10 next month. Beautiful dog but lord the Anxiety!!