|
So I'm getting a puppy this week. I'm a little nervous that I won't be the best mum, but that's because I'm a worrier. I've got the time, and a job that will allow me to bring my dog with me since I work 8-9 hour days - The perks of working for your parent, I guess. I've also got a giant yard, an awesome roommate who loves dogs (so although she won't be responsible for the pup, he'll be getting loved by her too), and various animals in my life that my puppy can be friends with once he is thoroughly vetted and allowed to be around other dogs. I do have a few questions though... -My dog will be coming with his first round of vaccinations. Does that mean he is immediately able to hang out with other dogs, or do I have to wait until all the vaccinations are done? How far apart do I space the vaccs? -I'm aware that taking a dog outside constantly and being extremely excited/supportive is the best way to housetrain, but does that mean I have to get up in the middle of the night to take the puppy outside? This isn't a problem at all for me, but if it is the case, should I be getting up at regularly spaced intervals, waking puppy up, and then going out for a pee? -I plan on crate training, but I do want my dog to sleep in bed with me. Can I crate him during the day, if necessary, and let him stay in bed at night, or will that hinder his recognition of the crate as "his" place?
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 02:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 22:10 |
|
|
It's okay to hang out with dogs that you know are up to date on vaccines and stay away from places that could have poop from other dogs. It's especially important to socialize him with all kinds of different people, especially kids, in that first month and you can do that right away. Usually the paperwork from their first vet visit will have the dates for the follow-up shots. Our puppy could make it through the night in his crate from midnight to about 6am no problem. Our dog sleeps in the bed too but we're really glad we crate trained him. He was crated every night until he was about 6 months and during the day when we weren't home. It makes it way easier when we need someone to look after him for the weekend and when we took him to new places. I think having him sleep in bed with you right from the start could be a disaster and you would probably wake up in a puddle more than once. We tried to follow Ian Dunbar's puppy advice (minus the indoor turf, I work from home and it was very easy to bring him outside regularly). The socializing/bite inhibition stuff was especially useful. Starting at 8 weeks, I would bring him to a coffee shop, sit outside and let strangers give him food. They're so moldable at that age, it was great watching him like people more and more everyday and now we have a dog that loves everybody. Start here and go through the training textbook section, it's a pretty good read. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/your-education-about-puppy-education-0
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 04:40
|
|
|
Any thoughts on keeping a 7 month old from being so nippy? My dad has this habit of blowing at my dog's nose to play with her, and she snapped forward and nipped his lip. Regardless of whether he should or should not be doing that, she has been getting kind of nippy lately when she's excited and I'd like to give her another outlet for that that doesn't involve the intersection of people and sharp puppy teeth.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 06:06
|
|
|
Also, because I didn't get an answer in the other thread, I'd value your collective thoughts on thisIncredulous Red posted:I have a redbone mix of some kind, about 7 months old, spayed. Here's a pic so we all know what we're dealing with:
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 06:21
|
|
|
Incredulous Red posted:Any thoughts on keeping a 7 month old from being so nippy? Our (now 7 month) year old pup is still a bit nippy too. It's the very tail end (sorry pun) of teething and mouthing on stuff is still how they interact with the world. Best thing you can do are 1. have a chew toy on hand and give it to them when they start gumming you too much and 2. yelp REALLY loud when they do nip you too hard and stop playing with them. They will grow out of it in another month or so once they get used to their new teeth 
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 13:36
|
|
|
I think their problem is the puppy's dickishness toward the other dog, not people rude people. (still useful to know how to handle that though I'm sure) I'm not exactly sure how you'd effectively train that out (repost your question in the training megathread, they'll probably have some ideas) but hopefully it's just a case of no dog manners and too much energy. Does the puppy know a "leave it" command? I think that would transition to leaving another dog alone. If not make sure you do training for it both indoors and in the yard. Dogs are pretty dumb and don't generalize well. Have you tried wearing out the puppy on its own first with a good walk before bringing him out to fetch with the older dog? (Walking before training exercises will also help him focus a bit better) It seems like some sort of a "time out" situation would work in theory, but you'd have to immediately catch the bad behavior, so I'm not sure how that would work. Kerfuffle fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Jul 10, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 14:08
|
|
|
uptown posted:-My dog will be coming with his first round of vaccinations. Does that mean he is immediately able to hang out with other dogs, or do I have to wait until all the vaccinations are done? How far apart do I space the vaccs? 1 - You don't schedule these, your veterinarian does. Typically every 4 weeks starting at 8 weeks. If you have the first round of shots, you're generally safe to be around other dogs. Historically vets have recommended until the end of the round of shots to be super-duper sure, but these days the training advice is that you are just as safe after the first round as the last, provided they're coming on schedule. The socialization window that you miss out on between 8 and 16 weeks is enormously critical, so your best bet is to enroll in puppy kindergarten ASAP. 2 - Housetraining guide is in the OP. Getting up in the middle of the night is a judgement call. I did it, and I would do it again -- I think the "where to go" is more critical early on than the "when to go". 3 - Yes this is fine. Just make sure you properly introduce the crate and do a bunch of crate training games. Tiny Faye posted:mouthing/nipping issues Yelping doesn't always work with all dogs, especially if they didn't spend the first 8-10 weeks with their mother and siblings -- this is where and when the most important bite inhibition is learned. It's also important that you allow them to mouth and train this behavior so that you can actually teach them bite inhibition. Although our long term goal, as owners, is not to have them mouth us at all, if we jump straight to that cold turkey and are successful, our dogs haven't learned how hard to bite a thing to get a reaction. This means that when your dog is 12 and your 3 year old niece jumps on it because she thinks it's a warm fuzzy bean bag, she gets 15 stitches instead of a rude correction (this is a totally hypothetical but entirely plausible fabrication). Make sure that when you get mouthed, redirect to a chew toy or give yourself a time out (this means you remove yourself from the situation, you never crate or pen the dog -- this is how you poison the crate). Start with hard bites or mouthing and steadily lower the criteria for the situation, giving time outs for more and more gentle mouthing over several weeks. If you're working on mouthing issues, I strongly recommend you work in an area that's puppy safe and keep your dog tethered to something sturdy so they can't continue the game as you leave the room. Incredulous Red posted:Rude puppy problems It's hard to tell from the brief description, but this sounds like a typical energetic puppy who is slightly under-socialized. If you haven't taken any Puppy Kindergarten classes yet, I would encourage you to do so. In the mean time, focus on more exercise -- tired puppies don't have the energy to be assholes, but you also need to do some training. Pure exercise will just up her capability to be a prick. Check out Control Unleashed -- if you can find a class, fantastic, but if you just get the book, what you want to focus on are the mat work exercises by Karen Overall. These sound crazy, and you will feel crazy doing them, but I promise these are fantastic for teaching your dog some self control, you just have to drill them and be diligent about practicing.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 14:44
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:Make sure that when you get mouthed, redirect to a chew toy or give yourself a time out (this means you remove yourself from the situation, you never crate or pen the dog -- this is how you poison the crate). Start with hard bites or mouthing and steadily lower the criteria for the situation Does this apply to our puppy barking incessantly at the cats when he wants to play? It is the perfect storm of variables that lead to it. He never barks except when he is incredibly hyped up and desperately wanting to play. He always approaches them first and gets submissive in front of them to try to coax one into playing. When that doesn't work (they just stare at him or turn away), he gets in front of them, butt still in the air with front towards the ground, and barks. And barks. And barks. One of the cats occasionally gives in and gives chase which I know reinforces Bran's behavior, but the other just walks away or stares at a wall which doesn't work at all. We thought they may paw at him and he would eventually learn, but after a month that doesn't seem to be the case. So: remove the cats from the room, let him bark it out in the hopes that the cats will teach him that it doesn't work, or remove him from the room the cats are in?
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 14:58
|
|
|
Asnorban posted:Does this apply to our puppy barking incessantly at the cats when he wants to play? It is the perfect storm of variables that lead to it. He never barks except when he is incredibly hyped up and desperately wanting to play. He always approaches them first and gets submissive in front of them to try to coax one into playing. When that doesn't work (they just stare at him or turn away), he gets in front of them, butt still in the air with front towards the ground, and barks. And barks. And barks. One of the cats occasionally gives in and gives chase which I know reinforces Bran's behavior, but the other just walks away or stares at a wall which doesn't work at all. We thought they may paw at him and he would eventually learn, but after a month that doesn't seem to be the case. Sounds like you nailed it. One cat is doing the right thing, the other is eventually reinforcing it, which is going to make it progressively worse. I don't own cats, but I would imagine that removing two cats from the room is significantly more difficult than removing the puppy, but if you can manage it, it's what I would recommend. If you need to remove the dog, instead, I'd have him drag a short (4-6 ft) leash around the house, otherwise you're likely to get a game of chase instead, which isn't helping your problem.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 15:04
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:Sounds like you nailed it. One cat is doing the right thing, the other is eventually reinforcing it, which is going to make it progressively worse. I don't own cats, but I would imagine that removing two cats from the room is significantly more difficult than removing the puppy, but if you can manage it, it's what I would recommend. The cats are fine being picked up and moved, so it isn't an issue to move them if that is the better option. Just don't want to remove Bran and accidentally poison whatever room we remove him to. It's a dumb frustrating problem because it is evident that every party involved except the one having to listen to the barking is fine with it. I would love for them to play without the barking. Thanks. I will try to always remove the situation once the barking starts for the next few weeks and see how that goes. My wife and I haven't exactly been strict with sticking to one strategy here, which it sounds like it needs.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 15:35
|
|
|
Another puppy question! I forgot that I need to teach my roommate how to deal with a dog, even though he isn't hers and will not be her responsibility one bit. I feel the need to emphasize that, just because I know the dog is my pet, and thus any behavioural issues would be consequences that I needed to deal with. So here's what I have to talk to her about... Please add to my list if there are things I've forgotten. She has never had a pet before living with my cats and I, so she has no idea what to expect besides omgcutefluffypuppyyyyy!!!! -The benefits of crate training and why not to give him attention if he whines -Not to treat him like a cat; his bones are fragile and he can't jump around like a kitty, can't drop him like a cat, if she puts him on furniture like my bed, she has to pick him up and put him on the floor after -If she wants cuddles, to do it in my room on my bed, as I have a waterproof sheet and don't want to have to be responsible for her mattress if there's an accident -Bathroom break if she lets him out of the crate when I'm at school -Bite inhibition Thanks to Ikantski and MrFurious for the responses to my first query!
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 16:04
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:It's hard to tell from the brief description, but this sounds like a typical energetic puppy who is slightly under-socialized. If you haven't taken any Puppy Kindergarten classes yet, I would encourage you to do so. Is this the book you're talking about? http://www.amazon.com/Control-Unlea...ntrol+unleashed She's gotten better since we started doing training classes- I started with a private class so I could figure out how to manage her better around other dogs, and now we're doing a group class at PetsMart which I'm actually pretty happy with. She's smart, and she takes well to training, she's just bratty as hell. She's a little too big to do puppy kindergarten- I did a drop in with her and she went bonkers, though she did respond to yelping (she's also a little too big to be around most puppies- she's like 50 lbs). I have a friend with a couple more active and assertive dogs who aren't 11 year old labs, so I might start scheduling some playtime with them to see if I can either wear her out more, or get her to realize some dogs push back, or both.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 18:46
|
|
|
Yep -- She's got the relaxation protocol by Karen Overall in there. We practice that where I volunteer with a lot of the dogs in our behavior modification program that are just really impulsive little snots. I've seen this do an incredible amount of good, but you have to work the program. EDIT: Found a google hit: http://www.dogdaysnw.com/doc/OverallRelaxationProtocol.pdf So you don't need to buy the book if you don't want to (although it is a fantastic book in its own right as well). MrFurious fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Jul 10, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 19:45
|
|
|
Just one thing about the protocol for relaxation, my vet behaviorist warned me that if you aren't paying attention to your dog it can actually make them more stressed. Don't rush through all the steps just because that's how its laid out. If you dog seems stressed (looking away, lip licking, yawning, etc) or is repeatedly breaking their sit go back and do an earlier "day" for a few days before progressing again.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 20:06
|
|
|
Would someone please so kind as to point me to a good how to groom your dirty poodle site/video? I only recently learned about pulling out ear hair which has helped out a bunch, but I haven't figured out what needs to be cut/tripped/ripped.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2012 20:50
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:1 - You don't schedule these, your veterinarian does. Typically every 4 weeks starting at 8 weeks. If you have the first round of shots, you're generally safe to be around other dogs. Historically vets have recommended until the end of the round of shots to be super-duper sure, but these days the training advice is that you are just as safe after the first round as the last, provided they're coming on schedule. The socialization window that you miss out on between 8 and 16 weeks is enormously critical, so your best bet is to enroll in puppy kindergarten ASAP. I don't think this is really true. The reason puppies need extra sets of vaccines is because we're waiting for the maternal antibodies to decline. If the levels of these antibodies are up above a certain value, the vaccines don't really work. It varies between puppies exactly when these go down, but they generally happen between 8 and 16 weeks. Once the maternal antibodies have declined, it makes them really vulnerable, which is why the sets of vaccines are done 4 weeks apart, to minimize this susceptible period. One puppy might be susceptible right at 8 weeks, and then we vaccinate and she's ok, but then the other one might have had too many maternal antibodies for the 8 week vaccines to be effective yet. So no, they're not just as safe after the first as they are after the last.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 00:07
|
|
|
Braki posted:I don't think this is really true. The reason puppies need extra sets of vaccines is because we're waiting for the maternal antibodies to decline. If the levels of these antibodies are up above a certain value, the vaccines don't really work. It varies between puppies exactly when these go down, but they generally happen between 8 and 16 weeks. Once the maternal antibodies have declined, it makes them really vulnerable, which is why the sets of vaccines are done 4 weeks apart, to minimize this susceptible period. One puppy might be susceptible right at 8 weeks, and then we vaccinate and she's ok, but then the other one might have had too many maternal antibodies for the 8 week vaccines to be effective yet. So no, they're not just as safe after the first as they are after the last. Obviously I am not a vet, and perhaps I chose my words poorly. I realize that the reason for the iterations is waiting for the mom's antibodies to wane, but my understanding is that this is only the case in puppies who haven't been weaned by 8 weeks and are still nursing, which in my experience is few even from a breeder, and almost never in the case of a shelter or rescue adoption. I also understand that there is a very small, but tangible window there where, if the stars aligned, the animal can be susceptible to a disease vector. The argument I am making is that the long term health risk of the animal due to poor socialization at the critical life stages far outweighs the minor risk of disease in a young puppy, provided that the owner is properly supervising their animal and structuring it's outings. I am by no means suggesting that after the first round of shots you should turn the dog loose off leash on open hiking trails, simply that they should begin to meet other dogs and people in various, but safe, surroundings and begin attending puppy classes.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 01:43
|
|
|
I have gotten a lot of mixed messages about this topic. The breeder has said that puppies are fine to go outside while supervised, but that places frequented by many dogs regularly should be avoided until the puppy shots are completed. Other people have told me that a puppy should stay in the home until the shots are completed. A handful of people have said that it's fine to take a puppy out, but not to let them on "strange lawns" until the shots are completed. You're saying it's okay to take them out, within reason, right? So I don't need to be ultra-paranoid-new-puppy-mom about this? Better to give it a shot and see how it goes, than to avoid it at all costs? Sorry if I'm forcing anyone to repeat themselves. I've read so much about the needs of a puppy, training, care, shots, etc. Now I've got one week until mine comes home and I feel like I've forgotten everything, nevermind that I used to work with dogs all the time. I don't want to ruin this puppy by doing something stupid. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 02:53
|
|
|
Don't let your puppy romp around in other dog's poo until she's got all her shots is pretty much what strange yards and supervised and places frequented by many dogs regularly should be avoided means.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 03:02
|
|
|
Braki was just clarifying a misunderstanding about how the vaccine works. Immunology is a complicated field but the basic gist is that because we don't know how many antibodies puppy got from mom in the colostrum, we don't know how long they'll last. We do know that they are all gone by about 4 months, but they are sometimes all gone well before that and so we start vaccinating earlier. In puppies with tons of maternal antibodies, those early vaccines don't do anything, but in puppies who don't have them, the early vaccines help them start to produce their own antibodies so that an illness hopefully will be able to be overcome. This graph shows (in horses, obviously) how there is a trough in between mom's antibodies wearing off and the foal's antibodies kicking in. This trough is a vulnerable time for any young animal because their defenses aren't at a maximal level. We don't know where this trough is for each animal.  Anyways, fun immunology thoughts aside, just use your noodle with your new puppy. Take your puppy to meet all your friends and their vaccinated dogs. Have the puppy play in the fenced yards with all the dogs. Take the puppy to meet lots of people. People in wheelchairs, people with umbrellas, people with hats. Should you take your young puppy to the dog park? Probably not a great idea. Should you walk your puppy on the sidewalk in a low income area where people probably don't vaccinate? Also, probably not a grand idea. To puppy kindergarten where all the puppies are required to show proof of vaccinations or field trips to get cookies at the vet's office? Of course! The idea is that your puppy can't be in a bubble at this time in his life. You should attempt to minimize risk but the odds of your puppy dying from parvo are much much less than the odds of your puppy dying due to a behavioral problem. This socialization window is really important for having a dog that will be safe to be around.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 03:19
|
|
|
Thank you, I really appreciate that. I've had so many people tell me that I won't be able to take him anywhere until all of his shots are finished, complete with horror stories, that I started to believe it and get paranoid. Now I feel relieved, and less worried that I'm going to break my puppy.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 03:48
|
|
|
^^ well stated guarded by bees the idea is that if socialize your dog around other vaccinated animals, you are at very low risk. If you want to know more about appropriate socialization exercises take a look at Dunbar's free books linked in the OP.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 03:49
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:Obviously I am not a vet, and perhaps I chose my words poorly. I realize that the reason for the iterations is waiting for the mom's antibodies to wane, but my understanding is that this is only the case in puppies who haven't been weaned by 8 weeks and are still nursing, which in my experience is few even from a breeder, and almost never in the case of a shelter or rescue adoption. This isn't true. The puppy is only absorbing antibodies for the first days, if even that. Afterwards, all it's getting from the milk is nutrients, so it doesn't matter if the puppy was weaned at 5 weeks or 8 weeks or whatever. But yes, everything enelrahc said too. It is fine to take the puppy around other vaccinated animals, but avoid dog parks and areas where there could be unvaccinated animals.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 04:38
|
|
|
Braki posted:This isn't true. The puppy is only absorbing antibodies for the first days, if even that. Afterwards, all it's getting from the milk is nutrients, so it doesn't matter if the puppy was weaned at 5 weeks or 8 weeks or whatever. Now I'm confused -- in your first post you indicated the presence of maternal antibodies. Where else would these come from if not the milk? Are the present at birth and stick around that full 8 weeks?
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 13:50
|
|
|
gowb posted:They are super cute, good protection (we live in a bad part of town), and I just like the whole "ancient dog breed" thing. We also live in an apartment, but regularly exercise, so from what I have read a Chow would be a good companion. I helped my dad train a dog and I'm very diligent when it comes to animals, so I think I could handle a somewhat difficult dog (nothing like a collie or a crazy working dog, but from what I've read Chows aren't THAT bad). I have 5 crazy working dogs and I still think Chows are very difficult and more dog than I would want to own. They may not be as high energy, but their temperaments are quite challenging. I used to pet sit regularly for three of them. As another poster said, they don't really have that desire to please that a lot of other breeds have. They can also get seriously territorial and aggressive, particularly if you are encouraging that behavior in any way. They have a tendency to be people and dog aggressive, and the ones I knew weren't good with small animals but I'm not sure if that is a breed tendency or not. Having helped your dad train a dog doesn't really give you the experience for a dog like that in my opinion. It's a lot different when you're solely responsible for the training and when you're dealing with a difficult breed like a Chow. I'd second the recommendation that you go with a shelter dog with a known personality for your first dog. Regarding the protection, I also agree that it should't factor into your choice of dog. I got my first dog in part because I was living alone in a bad area of town, and I wound up with a 30 pound Border Collie cross and he was still a significant deterrent. I knew this because there were a few creeps who harassed me and they stopped once I got him. The thing about having a dog for protection is that you need to either seriously train it for that and then it is not really a pet but rather a working dog (and it's a significant investment of time and money that most people are not willing to spend), or you have a friendly pet whose very presence will deter a lot of people. Criminals of any sort are generally looking for an easy and low-risk opportunity. A barking dog that may bite them for all they know is usually enough to make them pick someone else who doesn't have a dog. You really do not need a dog that has been bred for protection to deter most crimes. If you buy a protection breed and encourage aggressive or territorial behavior, you will wind up with a dog that bites when you don't want it to and likely get you sued and your dog put down.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 17:22
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:Now I'm confused -- in your first post you indicated the presence of maternal antibodies. Where else would these come from if not the milk? Are the present at birth and stick around that full 8 weeks? It's species dependent but animals like dogs get 10% of their antibodies through the placenta and the other 90%ish from the colostrum which is only produced by the mother during the first 12-24 hours of lactation, more or less. After that, the composition of the colostrum changes to be just milk, without the immunoglobulins, and what the neonate now has for antibodies is what it has for the next 2-4 months, barring human intervention with plasma. This is because during the first hours of life, the gut of a neonate doesn't behave like a normal mature gut. It pretty much takes whatever you drop in there and gulps it straight into the bloodstream, which is great in the case of immunoglobulins - they're big and the baby can't make them on their own yet. After the body takes in those antibodies, the gut closes off and begins to behave like an mature gut, there to absorb nutrients properly. Any colostrum given at would be broken down into its amino acids at this point and just absorbed as nutrients, not as something to protect its immune system. However, animals like horses and cows get zero antibodies from across the placenta so they absolutely require colostrum. If the neonate is too weak and doesn't get this colostrum, the gut will still gulp and stick in the bloodstream whatever the neonate has swallowed (ie dirt, fecal matter) whole. That's a bad situation because bacteria love blood and with no antibodies to fight off the infection, the neonate doesn't last long without serious interventional care. Interestingly, humans transmit 100% of their antibodies across the placenta and that's why babies do okay on straight formula after birth. Evolution probably figured we'd gently caress it up even more than horses do, which is saying something.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 17:22
|
|
|
Fascinating, thank you very much for the clarification. Consider me properly learned. I believe we're all in agreement about how we handle the first 16 weeks though, correct?
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 17:37
|
|
|
Enelrahc posted:Interestingly, humans transmit 100% of their antibodies across the placenta and that's why babies do okay on straight formula after birth. Evolution probably figured we'd gently caress it up even more than horses do, which is saying something. Evolution doesn't figure, it's a reaction.  Unless you're a horse. Then it doesn't want anything to do with you.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2012 18:05
|
|
|
This is my first time posting in PI, and first I just wanted to say that I read through most of the this thread and found it to be a great learning experience. I have decided that I am ready to own a dog. I never considered myself a dog person, but spending more time around the my friends and family that own dogs have warmed me up to the idea. Unfortunately I have also learned, from reading this thread and other resources on the internet, that most of the dogs I've been around are not properly trained and I am determined to do it right. We have two kids, a twenty-month old and an eight-year old, and we live in a two-story house with a medium sized fenced in grass yard. My youngest son has been around dogs since he was three months old. My father-in-law watches him during the day and he has an older Shih Tzu. My oldest son has a Basset Hound at his mother's house (his mother and I have both divorced and remarried). I am looking at getting a smaller dog that we can take on walks and play with a little in the backyard, but for the most part I want it to be able to hang out around the house with us and be a part of the family. My first concern is that my wife and I work 9-5 jobs, although we are both able to come home for lunch. For that reason, I was planning on adopting an older shelter/rescue dog because I have learned that we do not have the time to dedicate to a puppy. However, this thread made me worry that we will not be able to spend adequate time with the dog, even with both of us coming home mid-day for a potty break and quick play time. I have seen a couple of Pugs and Boston Terriers available and I think they would be a good fit for our lifestyle and living situation. I don't know if it's common everywhere around the USA, or just because of where we live, but 90% of the dogs available at the shelters are some type of Pit Bull mix or Chihuahuas, neither of which seem like appropriate choices. My second concern is that we currently have baby gates on the stairs to keep my toddler from killing himself, and I think they'll work just fine for the dogs. Once my son is older and the gates come down, would either breed I'm considering have trouble with the stairs? I want to get a smaller, lower activity dog, but I worry that they'll have to be carried up the stairs or potentially injure themselves on them.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 00:36
|
|
|
Kimasu v2.0 posted:This is my first time posting in PI, and first I just wanted to say that I read through most of the this thread and found it to be a great learning experience. You guys will be fine. You're right, most people don't train their dogs at all, and it's really frustrating, but there's very little you can do about it aside from serve as an example. Dogs can adapt to the 9-5 work day, just make sure that they are getting appropriate amounts of exercise for the time that you are around. The stairs are not a concern at all, I wouldn't worry about it. Lastly -- I think you're making an assumption that a smaller dog is going to be a less energetic dog, and I would not agree with this (nor would anyone who has ever owned a Jack Russell). I'd just shoot for a low energy dog and not worry about size unless it's a concern for some other reason.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 02:48
|
|
|
MrFurious posted:Fascinating, thank you very much for the clarification. Consider me properly learned. I believe we're all in agreement about how we handle the first 16 weeks though, correct? Yeah, I think you're fine. Topoisomerase posted:Evolution doesn't figure, it's a reaction. I just made a  face for you.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 02:58
|
|
|
Kimasu v2.0 posted:I don't know if it's common everywhere around the USA, or just because of where we live, but 90% of the dogs available at the shelters are some type of Pit Bull mix or Chihuahuas, neither of which seem like appropriate choices. Well trained and well socialized Pits are dream dogs. They're super well behaved and calm but really glad to play when it's time to. VV Ignore me then! Sorry! Hey Girl fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Jul 12, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 03:36
|
|
|
mascaria posted:Well trained and well socialized Pits are dream dogs. They're super well behaved and calm but really glad to play when it's time to. This is a honestly a very bad suggestion to a first time dog owner. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 04:17
|
|
|
Kimasu v2.0 posted:This is my first time posting in PI, and first I just wanted to say that I read through most of the this thread and found it to be a great learning experience. You're right that you don't have time for a puppy, but most adult dogs do fine with owners who have full-time jobs. As long as you don't just ignore the dog when you're home and pick the dog for temperament you'll be fine. The stairs are also not a big concern. It's possible that a very old dog will have trouble with them as it becomes more arthritic, but even then most of them make it up fine if you let them take their time and letting your dog choose to stay downstairs is always an option. It sounds like you've really thought about what kind of dog will work well in your home, which is great. What I'd recommend is visiting your local shelters and rescues and talking with them about your temperament and size requirements. Even if they don't have a dog currently that fits your needs, often they'll be willing to keep an eye out for you and contact you when an appropriate dog comes in, especially since you seem to be a very thoughtful and responsible potential owner. It's still good to keep an eye out yourself however, simply because things like that can get lost in the shuffle.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2012 17:05
|
|
|
Okay, so I was already told in this thread that waking up in the middle of the night to let my puppy out to pee was a judgement call. I plan on doing so. However, I am such an uptight person that I want to know how often to do it. He's 8 weeks old. I'm really not clear on this either - Should I, or should I not, be giving him water in his crate? It's almost midnight here in Edmonton where I am, so I doubt I'll be getting any responses tonight. As of right now, I plan on getting up once, at about 4am, and letting him out for a pee and poo. As well, he does not have water in his crate because I don't want him to pee and then sit in his pee - He's very quiet, so I doubt he would even let me know by whining. I don't know if I feel right about not providing water, though... Am I being cruel???
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2012 06:45
|
|
|
uptown posted:Okay, so I was already told in this thread that waking up in the middle of the night to let my puppy out to pee was a judgement call. I plan on doing so. However, I am such an uptight person that I want to know how often to do it. He's 8 weeks old. Not having water in the crate at night is fine. It seems to be what most people do.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2012 07:40
|
|
|
uptown posted:I'm really not clear on this either - Should I, or should I not, be giving him water in his crate?
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2012 11:33
|
|
|
I sent an email to a breeder, inquiring about her upcoming litters and the like with my usual spiel, and she replied, among other things, that "all of our dogs are sold with 1-year health gaurantees." Am I being dumb, or is that not a big red flag?
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2012 21:02
|
|
|
 There's a picture as thanks for the middle-of-the-night advice. His name is Shanti, and he's a Newfie. I lied about him being quiet btw, he... definitely isn't, once he's crated. Settles down well after about half an hour of whining, though.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2012 21:02
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 22:10 |
|
|
coyo7e posted:I sent an email to a breeder, inquiring about her upcoming litters and the like with my usual spiel, and she replied, among other things, that "all of our dogs are sold with 1-year health gaurantees." That actually sounds like a good thing, depending on the language of the guarantee. It means that they'd be willing to give up any profit they might have made if something goes wrong with the animal. http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/07/southeast_portland_man_loses_d.html quote:Sam Hanson-Fleming was overjoyed two months ago when he spotted the dog he'd lost more than a year ago. Chip your drat dogs Incredulous Red fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Jul 13, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2012 23:00
|
|