Monday, April 20, 2009

Dog Advice Anyone???

Our kiddos are thinking they need a dog....I have mixed feelings about it. We've been trying to do research on breeds, talking to people who have dogs. Do you have any advice? Pure-bred vs. mixed breed? Puppy vs. older trained dog? Breeder vs. pound? $$$$ vs. Free? Please tell me what you think...any advise would be appreciated..... We are leaning more to a small/medium size dog, preferably that can be crate trained or already is.... I think our favorite one right now is a beagle, except they bark a lot.....What is your favorite dog?

14 comments:

Becca said...

Research Boston Terriers. Seriously. They are funny-looking little-ish dogs but are very friendly, VERY smart, and awesome with kids. Never get a dog from a puppy store, but a rescue organization or a breeder are okay. We're getting one basically the minute we move to California. :)

Megan said...

my favorite dog is actually a beta fish. they're great and you can forget about them for days on end and somehow they're always still alive. They don't bark or pee on the carpet or gnaw on the furniture. i hate dogs. ;-(

but good luck and be sure to update on how the search goes.

Maree said...

Dogs we've had that are good with kids: Boston terrier, Westie Mutt, Bassett hound. Terriers are farters. Doesn't matter what you feed them. GOOD with the kids. Like to play. Bassets are hounds, and hounds get stinky as they get older. But she was the BEST with kids. Totally didn't care what happened to her. Very protective too. My favorite was our Westie mutt. He "adopted" me but was great with the rest of the gang. Totally protective.

I'd recommend getting a dog from a rescue shelter or pound. I HIGHLY recommend a slightly older (read *potty trained*) dog and a dog door. Crate training is also good. YOU need to remember that a dog is a perpetual 2-year-old. It doesn't get BETTER than that, and if you get a puppy, it's worse than having a newborn--unless your dog wears a diaper.

Pets DO add something to your life though. Just do your research and make sure the pet you choose is a good fit for your family.

One last word: The bigger the dog, the bigger the poo--something to remember while you still have a toddler hanging around. :-)

Emily Rasmussen said...

Call Stew. He knows his dogs and would LOVE to help you! In his "spare" time looks up dogs and day dreams about which bread he would get. So I think he would like to live vicariously through you. ;) That would be really exciting to get a dog. I wish I could get one for Stew but now is just not the right time. :( I'll be waiting to hear what you decide! :O)

These might help:

1.) http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselectorindex.do

2.) http://www.petfinder.com//index.html

..Kris Naven.. said...

My parents have a beagle, and a little weiner dog. They are both great with kids (my Mom has a daycare)! Good luck on your search!

Yasmine said...

I wouldn't spend a lot of money. Dogs cost a lot of money anyway, just to feed them and keep them healthy so unless you KNOW it's going to be a total success you don't want to invest too much. We spent over 200 bucks on a lab puppy and then had it die a year later so I'm still bitter about that. (Not to mention how awful it was to try to train him and keep him from destroying everything in sight.) Needless to say we won't have a dog again for a LONG time.

kelly said...

Getting a puppy is tons of work, but when you have kids they grow up with them and are very good with them. Smaller dogs take much longer to potty train, they don't chew as bad though. I prefer them, small dogs, especially the no shed part. Also, wet food is really not good for dogs, so to save money and keep your dog healthier, feed only dry food, but get a good brand. Also, rawhide is bad for dogs, but chew toys are good!

Anonymous said...

Shih-Tzus are the best! They are very smart, cute and great with kids. Easy to potty train and.. well sort of expensive. But if you can find a good deal Shih-tzus are a great family dog. And! they dont shed.

Jaime said...

Hello,

I wouldn't get a yappy little dog and they are not the best with kids. If you want the best family dog get a lab. (yellow or black would be my choice)The best dog for a family is a lab and Shih-Tzus are not the best dog. If you want one that is trained get a one year old lab from a breeder like www.hypsire.com. You might have to spend a little more money but they come crate trained and potty trained already. Sometimes they will give you a free lab if they can't show them for show they are just looking for a great family for the dog. Plus labs are the american dog. They do shed but you can trust them with your kids at all times. I like the English lab and you will see how great they look from that site. I got two labs from them, and they are the best dogs ever. Call (831-333-1079)if you have any questions about labs and I can you refer you to some other breeders. The other dog I would suggest is a Newfoundland but you might not be ready for that breed.

Albert

Jaime said...

The website is www.hyspire.com

Bowen Family said...

Wow Becca - you are brave! My advice is to not get one! Just kidding! I think any dog will be lucky to come to your house!!

K Baugh said...

My favorite dogs are the ones who don't live at my house. :)

Harrison and Christine said...

I am no dog expert, but I always had them growing up, and i LOVED it. I suggest Golden Retrievers. They are so fun, and easy to train (so I hear). I suggest looking on craigslist, or KSL.com - I've seen people selling/giving away their dogs on there. A lot of the time they are older dogs that are already trained and have been around kids.

Pollock Palooza said...

Ok I have SUCH strong feelings about dogs... I don't like them BUT (I was outnumbered by my husband and kids and) we have a German Shepherd! He's the equivalent of a small pony. Sheds like there's no tomorrow!!! (can't stand it so he's always outside). We got him trained... we paid a lot of money for that and he only looks like a pro when Justin takes him out on walks and to Lowes. But at home... we had to train him all over (which is why he has to stays outside. I don't train dogs).

So the point is get a small dog! One that won't run over your children without even knowing it. All my in-laws swear by their miniature Schnauzers. I think they're ugly, but they don't have fur! Only hair (like people hair it's weird to me that a dog could have hair). So NO dog allergies. My MIL is allergic to every animal, but not her Schnauzer. However because they have hair you have to get them groomed all the time (or you could do it yourself like my BIL does). My kids grew up with "Lucy" and she is perfect! NEVER even tries to snip at them when they are bothering her. I don't know if they're prone to barking, but I think every dog barks. Just get a barking collar.

Don't know if that helped. Good luck!