Getting a dog

[Diabeetus]

I still haven't made the decision to get one, but I thought I'd ask people on here if they have one and what advice they'd give me before I did get one. Are there any things you didn't think about beforehand that you should have? Regrets? Difficulties? Good experiences? Let me know. Thanks!

 

[txsportsscribe]

if you live in an apartment and don't have a lot of time/energy to regularly take fido out for exercise (and i don't mean take him for a 5-minute walk to do his business), don't get a big dog or even a smaller one that likes to run. kinda cruel to keep him inside all the time.

 

[Ace]

Yeah, all dogs aren't the same. You've gotta figure out what your wants and needs are. Some dogs you can keep outside in a fenced yard, some you can't.

Some dogs can go on long runs/bike rides, some can't.

Some are good with other people, some aren't.

Dogs are great, though. Much better than cats.

 

[Diabeetus]

Just to help steer the discussion: the dog I'm looking at is a puggle (half pug, half beagle). Supposedly they've got the quiet, relaxed side of a pug with the friendly, sometimes playful qualities of beagles. Also supposed to be good apt dogs.

 

[Tom Petty]

I still haven't made the decision to get one, but I thought I'd ask people on here if they have one and what advice they'd give me before I did get one. Are there any things you didn't think about beforehand that you should have? Regrets? Difficulties? Good experiences? Let me know. Thanks!

owned a rottie for 12 years. breeders made us review like 100 pages of documents concerning the breed and (basically) gave us a verbal test a week later before they took our money and handed over the 8-week-old pup.

the best thing i ever learned about raising a dog came from my best friend, though, an anger control management therapist (yes, let the jokes begin). while in college, my boy and i rolled into my apartment to learn my new pup had just shredded the arm of my couch.

pissed off, i kinda start yelling at the dog. my boy, the anger control dude, simply looks at me and asks: "tom, why in the hell are you so pissed off?"

tom: "look, that ****ing dog just ruined my couch."

peace lover: "look tom, your dog just shredded your sit station. but who's smarter in this whole situation, you or your dog?"

tom: "ugggh, me?"

peace lover: "ok, so YOU'RE smarter than your dog, and YOUR dog just shredded YOUR couch. really, whose ****ing fault is it YOUR dog shredded YOUR couch? ... again, in review, you are smarter than the dog, right?"

tom: "hmmm. ... (tom thinking to himself) ... (still processing words of wisdom) ... (bolt of light) ... go **** your mother, peace lover."


getting to the point, don't ever strike a pet. if a pet ****s up, it's your fault. it learns everything in its world from you.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Labs shed. And unless you want to do some dogfighting, I'd avoid pit bulls and rotweillers.

We have a mix of a cocker and asalapsa. She's 12 pounds of fur, but a good dog, and a little aloof. And I feel REAL manly walking her down the street, et me tell you.

Puggles are cute dogs. And I've heard they are good.

 

[Tom Petty]

Yeah, all dogs aren't the same. You've gotta figure out what your wants and needs are. Some dogs you can keep outside in a fenced yard, some you can't.

Some dogs can go on long runs/bike rides, some can't.

Some are good with other people, some aren't.

Dogs are great, though. Much better than cats.

yeah, cats kinda suck.

 

[JoelHammond]

Tom took much of what I was going to say right from my mouth. I told my parents, shortly after getting my beagle/hound mix, Smiley, that she had peed on my floor and I yelled at her. Like Tom's peace dude, my mother (a dog expert, sort of), said much the same: Joel, it ain't her fault.

My other advice:
If you're a traveler, for the sake of the dog, wake until you're more stable. They need companionship.

If it's a pup, crate train FROM THE BEGINNING. It's essential.

If you're not willing to walk it, don't get it. Just because a fenced-in backyard offers you a simple solution, it does nothing for your dog.

Any other questions/help/advice, PM me. I thought having one would be all fun and games. It's not, but it's also very rewarding to watch them grow up and learn from you.

 

[buckweaver]

And unless you want to do some dogfighting, I'd avoid pit bulls and rotweillers.

No offense, Bob, but I really hate that ****. Anyway, all snark aside : ... Pits can be terrific pets, if you treat them right and are a smart, conscientious owner (don't feed them meat, keep them away from small children and mean dogs, train them not to bite/snap, give them lots of TLC.)

Owning a pit is not for everyone, and I can't stress that enough. I can cut up a piece of leftover steak for my family's dog any time I want to give him a treat, and it's not smart to do that with a pit. But there is nothing inherently bad or dangerous about owning a pit -- you just have to train yourself as much as you have to train your dog.

 

[Tom Petty]

And unless you want to do some dogfighting, I'd avoid pit bulls and rotweillers.

No offense, Bob, but I really hate that ****. Anyway, all snark aside : ... Pits can be terrific pets, if you treat them right and are a smart, conscientious owner (don't feed them meat, keep them away from small children and mean dogs, train them not to bite/snap, give them lots of TLC.)

Owning a pit is not for everyone, and I can't stress that enough. I can cut up a piece of leftover steak for my family's dog any time I want to give him a treat, and it's not smart to do that with a pit. But there is nothing inherently bad or dangerous about owning a pit -- you just have to train yourself as much as you have to train your dog.

i missed that, and i hate that **** as well. had a rottie for 12 years. raised her with the intent mrs. petty and i always would have kids. dog loved those kids, and was protective as hell of the heartbreakers although she never bit anyone. she sure put herself (body) between strangers and those kids until the day i had to put her to sleep, though, and she used her presence to keep strangers at arms length.

saying any breed of dog is psychotic is ridiculous

FWIW - my peace-lovin' friend owned a pit. our dogs grew up together and played together like any other pair of dogs ... without bloodshed.

 

[Bob Slydell]

And unless you want to do some dogfighting, I'd avoid pit bulls and rotweillers.

No offense, Bob, but I really hate that ****. Anyway, all snark aside : ... Pits can be terrific pets, if you treat them right and are a smart, conscientious owner (don't feed them meat, keep them away from small children and mean dogs, train them not to bite/snap, give them lots of TLC.)

Owning a pit is not for everyone, and I can't stress that enough. I can cut up a piece of leftover steak for my family's dog any time I want to give him a treat, and it's not smart to do that with a pit. But there is nothing inherently bad or dangerous about owning a pit -- you just have to train yourself as much as you have to train your dog.

i missed that, and i hate that **** as well. had a rottie for 12 years. raised her with the intent mrs. petty and i always would have kids. dog loved those kids, and was protective as hell of the heartbreakers although she never bit anyone. she sure put herself (body) between strangers and those kids until the day i had to put her to sleep, though, and she used her presence to keep strangers at arms length.

saying any breed of dog is psychotic is ridiculous

FWIW - my peace-lovin' friend owned a pit. our dogs grew up together and played together like any other pair of dogs ... without bloodshed.

You know I've heard all of that, but 99 percent of the dog attacks I've read about have been pits and rots. Our animal control officer I worked with at my first paper told me the same thing you all did. But I still wouldn't have one.

I can just seem my little boy playing and getting al ittle too rough like kids do, and the dog biting back.

I've never heard of a labradoodle going buckwild and chewing off a kids face. Why take the chance, but to each his own.

 

[buckweaver]

Oh, I don't know if I'd recommend that a family with young kids get a pit. Like I said, they're not for everyone. You can't treat a pit roughly -- as kids are wont to do -- or there's a good chance they'll get mean. They're sensitive dogs, and have to be treated with sensitivity by their owners.

But to insinuate that all pits and rots are dangerous, because the local news likes to scare people with reports of attacks! attacks!, is just as misguided, IMO. Blame stupid owners, not the dogs.

 

[Tom Petty]

And unless you want to do some dogfighting, I'd avoid pit bulls and rotweillers.

No offense, Bob, but I really hate that ****. Anyway, all snark aside : ... Pits can be terrific pets, if you treat them right and are a smart, conscientious owner (don't feed them meat, keep them away from small children and mean dogs, train them not to bite/snap, give them lots of TLC.)

Owning a pit is not for everyone, and I can't stress that enough. I can cut up a piece of leftover steak for my family's dog any time I want to give him a treat, and it's not smart to do that with a pit. But there is nothing inherently bad or dangerous about owning a pit -- you just have to train yourself as much as you have to train your dog.

i missed that, and i hate that **** as well. had a rottie for 12 years. raised her with the intent mrs. petty and i always would have kids. dog loved those kids, and was protective as hell of the heartbreakers although she never bit anyone. she sure put herself (body) between strangers and those kids until the day i had to put her to sleep, though, and she used her presence to keep strangers at arms length.

saying any breed of dog is psychotic is ridiculous

FWIW - my peace-lovin' friend owned a pit. our dogs grew up together and played together like any other pair of dogs ... without bloodshed.

You know I've heard all of that, but 99 percent of the dog attacks I've read about have been pits and rots. Our animal control officer I worked with at my first paper told me the same thing you all did. But I still wouldn't have one.

I can just seem my little boy playing and getting al ittle too rough like kids do, and the dog biting back.

I've never heard of a labradoodle going buckwild and chewing off a kids face. Why take the chance, but to each his own.

poodles consistantly lead the US in biting humans (number of times) each year, not rots, not pits.

 

[JoelHammond]

Can I use this thread as a public service announcement? Labradoodles are cute as hell, yes. As are puggles.

But do me a favor, diabeetus and any others looking: Save $500, go to the shelter and pick up the first little rugrat that comes running to you.

You've got your new best friend, and you saved a life.

 

[User 4755]

I got a retired racing greyhound three years ago from a dog track that puts them up for adoption once their careers flame out. Cost $200. Haven't regretted one second of it.

 

[Flash]

Can I use this thread as a public service announcement? Labradoodles are cute as hell, yes. As are puggles.

But do me a favor, diabeetus and any others looking: Save $500, go to the shelter and pick up the first little rugrat that comes running to you.

You've got your new best friend, and you saved a life.

I second that. Or look at an adult dog that someone else has given up on. My boy and I have been together for three years. I can't imagine life without him in it -- no matter how much he drives me nuts sometimes.

 

[slappy4428]

Can I use this thread as a public service announcement? Labradoodles are cute as hell, yes. As are puggles.

But do me a favor, diabeetus and any others looking: Save $500, go to the shelter and pick up the first little rugrat that comes running to you.

You've got your new best friend, and you saved a life.

Yup, amen to that.
Our dog -- OK< it's Ms. Slappy's -- is a dalmatian-bull terrier mix. It was already an 8-month old rescue dog waiting to be adopted and staying at her brother's with his dogs. They got along great until the neighbor kids thought it would be fun to throw bologna in the yard to watch all the other dogs go after it. Well, the five dogs started fighting over the bologna and they started to turn on Dottie, the youngest.
They all mauled her and Ms. Slappy found her, cowering behind the central air unit, and took her to the vet -- who told her he didn't know if the dog would live. Long story short, she did live. And the two have a bond that is unique...
If you want to buy the $500-1000 purebreed, fine. But check the pound and the shelters first; you might find a mutt more to your liking and a very solid purpose.

 

[slappy4428]

I got a retired racing greyhound three years ago from a dog track that puts them up for adoption once their careers flame out. Cost $200. Haven't regretted one second of it.

Outing alert: Danny Noonan is Bart Simpson.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Well, I won''t dispute that claim. And I know any dog can bite. And I know it's stupid owners, not stupid dogs. Still, I wouldn't get one. Just me.

But, I did find this on dogbitelaw.com:

Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.

According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.

Clifton's opinions are as interesting as his statistics. For example, he says, "Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all."

Here's a link.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html#Thedogsmostlikelytobite

 

[Cansportschick]

I still haven't made the decision to get one, but I thought I'd ask people on here if they have one and what advice they'd give me before I did get one. Are there any things you didn't think about beforehand that you should have? Regrets? Difficulties? Good experiences? Let me know. Thanks!

Make sure they are potty trained and they went to obedience school. Also, if you have other pets, make sure they all get along. I have a golden lab, a black lab and a lhasa apso poo.