Thinking of getting a dog (1 Viewer)

sleepy

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Myself and my wife are thinking of getting a dog. We've both cut back a little in work lately, we're home more and the kids are past the baby stage (5 and 7 now). We've gotten in touch with the dogs trust about adopting but do any of ye have any advice.
 
Two of my best buddies got dogs recently, and took completely opposite approaches. One did a load of research on breeds, went to see a few different dogs, made sure they were suckled by their mothers and socialised early with humans, made the whole family go on a dog training course, and followed it to the letter. Loads of work, but now they have an extraordinarily well-behaved black lab.

The other heard of a dog for sale, asked someone if that was a good breed and was told "yeah", and went and bought it. The kids totally spoil the dog, and it pretty much does what it wants, but it's a tiny little meek thing, so I don't suppose it matters much
 
Two of my best buddies got dogs recently, and took completely opposite approaches. One did a load of research on breeds, went to see a few different dogs, made sure they were suckled by their mothers and socialised early with humans, made the whole family go on a dog training course, and followed it to the letter. Loads of work, but now they have an extraordinarily well-behaved black lab.

The other heard of a dog for sale, asked someone if that was a good breed and was told "yeah", and went and bought it. The kids totally spoil the dog, and it pretty much does what it wants, but it's a tiny little meek thing, so I don't suppose it matters much


We're getting a dog soon and I'm 100% with with the first guy. Go to a trainer early, probably earlier than you think, and you will save years of exasperation. The dog will be happier and your nerves won't be as shot.
 
Myself and my wife are thinking of getting a dog. We've both cut back a little in work lately, we're home more and the kids are past the baby stage (5 and 7 now). We've gotten in touch with the dogs trust about adopting but do any of ye have any advice.

maybe foster one for a few months first?
 
Under a lot of pressure from kids to get a dog here. Not happening.
Ours would love a dog too, but I've been pretty successful using the cat as an excuse not to. Pretty much every house with a mile of here has a dog

Before I started working at home Mrs. egg_ (who's been working at home for 20 years) declared "I think when the kids leave home I might get a dog, just for company". I was like "the poor kids have been asking for a dog their whole lives, and you're planning to get one when they leave???". Looks like I can never go back to commuting now, lest I arrive home some day to find a dog sitting in my chair
 
I may get another dog and it'll be getting trained.

A well trained mongrel is a beautiful thing
 
One thing I've realised recently with dogs, having seen it first hand (and this is going to sound shit), but dogs need to know who's in charge, they have to consistancy to help them understand where they stand.

Some people are naturally able to... I dunno, magically emote energy which makes life clear and consistent to the dog. And there's some people who just don't, and the dogs go apeshit. Even if it's not a bad dog, even if it's good natured and so on, unless you make it clear in the dog's head that you are in control it's going to get into trouble.

This isn't the same as training the dog so that it does special things or anything, it just needs to be at a level that if something bad is happening, or about to happen, the dog sprints off across a road with traffic, jumps up on someone and "bites/mouths" them, the owner of the dog must be able to stop this with a command.

I see this a lot with Americans for some reason. Owners are desperate to please the dog and keep it happy, they basically equate any kind of control or rules as "being mean", and dog goes completely wild. Then the poor dog needs training, which is nothing more than someone else stepping in and telling the dog they are in charge. The animal gets it, starts acting normally around that person, gets returned to the owner who is completely inconsitent and still feels guilty about meanness, and the dog goes berserk again.

This is a bit of a rant, but it really sucks. It's not fair on anyone. Part of the deal with having a dog is feeding it, taking it out, and so on. But part of the responsibility is make sure the dog knows that the human is in charge.

Rant over. Apologies.
 
Yep, that's spot on and perfectly articulated.

All I can add is that sometimes you've got to be

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I see this a lot with Americans for some reason. Owners are desperate to please the dog and keep it happy, they basically equate any kind of control or rules as "being mean", and dog goes completely wild. Then the poor dog needs training, which is nothing more than someone else stepping in and telling the dog they are in charge. The animal gets it, starts acting normally around that person, gets returned to the owner who is completely inconsitent and still feels guilty about meanness, and the dog goes berserk again.

This is a bit of a rant, but it really sucks. It's not fair on anyone. Part of the deal with having a dog is feeding it, taking it out, and so on. But part of the responsibility is make sure the dog knows that the human is in charge.

Americans were the first people I ever heard using bullshit terminology like being a dog's mommy and daddy and their animal as being their fur-baby. Dogs are the best, but they're hard work and very rewarding if you put the effort in, a child is probably similar but what would I know.? But a dog is a dog and a child is a child, and none of the creatures involved benefit in any way from getting confused about that. They have to know who is the boss or they'll walk all over you (probably also true of kids, but they're not kids, they're dogs).

If you put in the effort with housetraining from day one then there's a good chance that as soon as it is capable of holding it in it will do its best to do so. Mine pissed and shat everywhere for a while because he was 6 or 10 weeks old when I got him but at the same time when I was around as soon as I saw him making toilety moves I had him in the garden so he knew that's where he was to go, or I'd bring him out every hour regardless of what he was up to and encourage him to do something and then I took him inside right away.

They need to be exercised regularly and in a way that's in proportion to the size and energy levels of the animal so I'll back up what ann post said @sleepy, don't get a dog that is too big for your home or will require more exercise then you're capable or willing to provide (on the flipside, there are days when I might not feel like going for a walk but I do it for Edgar's benefit and I never regret it once I'm home)
 
Pretty much spot on flashback.

They're pack animals. The family is the pack. The dog is the second or third most important member of the pack, in its own head.
They need to know who the alpha is.

You act like a dick, then either a) the dog will follow your lead and go mental
or b) the dog will instinctively realise you're not really in control, and so it'll take charge of the pack and go mental.

I think dog psychology is pretty straightforward, but hugely hugely important. And a good lesson for the younglings in their formative years.

Sleepy, you've got two kids. You can probably handle a dog.


edit: what unicron said.
 
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you watch the first three series of game of thrones and then decide you need a wolf to live in your 2 up 2 down townhouse. that worked out great for loads of people.
Never got into GOT and I think keeping massive dogs in a small house is a terrible idea so should be grand
 
don't get a rottweiler. my parents in law have an 18 month old rottweiler that they haven't trained properly, and covid 19 was a blessing, because it was actually beginning to cause tension where i was actually going to start refusing to call around to them.
it's not the dog's fault, to be fair.
 

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