Life with a dog - Advice please!

In My Humble Opinion
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I am considering adopting a dog, and I am looking for advice from people who own dogs. What is it really like? What are the good/bad points? Was it difficult to make the transition to owning a pet that you need to be home for every day? Is it possible to have a happy dog (and intact house!) if you work full-time?

I know there are lots of websites out there that answer the question, “am I ready for a dog,” but it seems like many of them are attempting to weed out the faint-of-heart by only discussing the bad points!

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First off Welcome to the SDMB.

As for the OP - (Original Post) the biggest thing that you will need to know, especially if it has been a long tim since you have lived with a dog, or maybe you never have, is that there will be another being in the house. Something that will need some of who you are to take care of them. Keep them alive. After the first few weeks of orientating yourself to the pup and visa versa, you will pick out it’s charactoristics, and so will they of you.

Do not be afraid of saying NO to the dog, and above all show your loving emotions, and they will be reciprocated. And finally, training, training, training!!

I have a yearling Rhodesian Ridgeback - which can be very domineering if not trained properly. However, with proper training they are the best companion dogs and family dogs.

I studied and did my research for my dog. And I’ll tell you the day we got Grissholm home we were training. And the training did not stop until the dog exhibited the desired behaviours over a period of time. For instance, I did not want a dog in the kitchen or dining room begging for food. I hate that. So we immediately started target training with Griss, and eventually with a stern voice and repetition he learned not to come into the kitchen. As a matter of fact he does not even go upstairs, or in the living room. He stays in his breezeway and walks around the lower house i.e. family room, finished basement or outside casing out yard…Ridgebacks are great security dogs. He never barks either. But that is part of the breed…

So training, training, training. Especially if you do not want a dog that begs for food, or jumps on people coming in, or any other behaviour you do not like!

Why type of dog may you be getting?

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There’s a reason a lot of sites try to weed out the faint-of-heart. There are already too many dogs in shelters. Many were given up by people who didn’t realize/weren’t ready for the level of commitment needed to have a dog.

A dog is a lot of work. A lot more work than a cat, for example. Dogs have to be fed, let outside, picked up after, groomed, socialized, trained and entertained.

If you’re ready for that, you have to make sure to pick the right kind of dog for you. Don’t get a border collie if you live in an apartment in the city unless you’re willing to spend a LOT of time outside with the dog every day and on weekends. Don’t get a cute but barkative dog (e.g., Sheltie or beagle) if you live in an apartment, or your neighbors may come to hate you.

Don’t get a dog at all if you live in an apartment unless your lease permits it AND you have paid whatever pet deposit is required. Otherwise you could end up losing the dog.

If you go on vacation, you can have a friend stop by and check on the cats every day or so. You can’t do this with dogs. We don’t got on vacations much because boarding the dogs is so expensive. (Note, however, that we have 4 dogs, and 3 of them have health problems and are on medications, and 2 on special diets.)

It’s a lot like having a kid, really.

But there’s good stuff too. Watching my #1 dog Sasha do almost anything she does lightens my heart. She has so much joy and enthusiasm for life, it’s infectious. My Bouncer dog is lying just in front of my feet as I type this. He gives me hugs and kisses.

Dogs are the best. But they’re a handful.

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Yes, you can have a happy dog and work full time. You have to get up early to give the dog attention & a walk before work. And then, when you get home from work, you have to give the dog some real exercise. Mine needs to run for at least 15 minutes everyday pretty much.

Also, if you’ll be leaving your dog along for long periods of time you should consider two things: 1. don’t get a puppy, but rather a dog 1 or 2 years old at the youngest. Puppies don’t have the ability to hold it for more than a few hours at a stretch. 2. Please consider crate training. My dog needs to be in a crate when I’m not there because she likes to eat thing I don’t define as food. This kind of behavior is harmful to the dog. I can control it when I’m there, but if I’m gone, she may very well eat the remote, batteries & all, or an entire roll of toilet paper.

Dogs are great. If you’re open to the experience of having a dog, which basically means constantly being aware of another being that can’t care for itself, then you’ll enjoy it all. If you think you might resent having to get up to walk the dog every morning, then you might want to wait.

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Also, consider adopting an adult dog first. That way, you already will have a good idea of their personalities and they will probably already be neutered/spayed and housebroken so that’s a bit less work for you. They are also less likely to chew your furniture.
Puppies are a lot of work.
I am fostering a keeshond mix who is absolutely the best companion dog I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He stays close to his person (me for now) and doesn’t chew or make messes in the house. He hardly ever makes any noise. He would make a great apartment dog since he doesn’t need a lot of room to run around.
He’s a people dog though and doesn’t play with my other 2 dogs. If he did, I’d have adopted him for myself already.
The organization I volunteer with is a bit strict on applicants and requires a previous animal history.

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Puppy proofing is a must.

Set up your home environment so that there’s no trouble for the dog to get into, that way you don’t have to tell him “No” so much.

For every “no” the dog should have two “yesses” be success oriented.

petsmart.com had some good articles on training.

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Thanks for the advice, and the welcome! I would most likely be adopting an older dog (1-3yrs), and I wouldn’t be opposed to using crate training, or at a minimum limiting the area of the house the dog has access to while unsupervised.

As far as type, it will probably be a medium-to-large mix. I am looking for a dog that can be mellow in the house, but has the energy to go for long walks, maybe some jogging, games in the park, the beach etc… He/she (most likely she) would have to be able to get along with my 2 cats as well. I think Rhodesian Ridgebacks are gorgeous, but I get nervous with dogs with high prey drives around the kitties. Personally, I am partial to Boxers, but I am not set on owning a purebred dog.

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Yes, you should be nervous about this. There is often nothing you can do to control something like this, and even a dog who has had desentization training to the cats (or even just “accustomed” to them being around) may “forget” one day. I’m extremely nervous about my Weimaraner and cat. I think he just wants to snuggle and play with her (he tends to follow her around and play-bow a lot), but you never know. She’s definitely not into it. I would absolutely never trust him in the same house with her unsupervised.

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Make sure you can afford not only the medical costs to maintain your dog’s good health (vaccinations, flea control, etc.) but also any medications, surgeries, treatments, hospitalizations, etc., that may occur. He/she will be with you for the next 15 years or so and elderly canines often need the same kind of medications as elderly humans. My “free” chihuahua cost me over $3,000 when she poisoned herself with a sago palm seed. That’s another thing, be sure and familiarize yourself with what may be poisonous around your home and area.

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When you start your search, try to find a dog whose personality is a good match with yours. If you don’t have a lot of time for consistent training, you may want to avoid a dog who seems to have dominance issues.

With puppies, a good test for this is to roll the puppy onto his back, and gently hold him down. (Showing the belly is a sign of submission for dogs, so this tests how willing he is to submit.) If the puppy gives up immediately without a fight, the dog is submissive natured. A dog who refuses to give up is one which has a more dominant personality. You would probably want a dog which struggles briefly, then gives up.

Watch how the puppy reacts when you release him. Ideally, he should try to “make up” to you by wagging his tail and trying to engage you in play. A dog which wants to continue to “fight” or one who runs or cowers is probably not a good choice.

Play a game with the puppy to find out how alert he is. You can somewhat test his intelligence by trying to teach him to sit. A smart puppy will catch on pretty quickly, but don’t expect miracles. If he seems to be grasping the concept after a few minutes, it’s a positive sign that he’ll be easily trainable.

Once you’ve made your choice, be prepared for the same interruption to your life as you would have with a new baby. I would strongly suggest bringing him home when you have a vacation week or long weekend to help him become acclimated to your home. He’ll need time to learn the rules, and you’ll need to observe him closely for the first few days to find out what areas need work.

Be gentle and patient. Remember that your dog wants to be good, he just doesn’t know what you want him to do. Praise him lavishly when he behaves well. He’ll learn what earns him a treat very quickly and be eager to do those things. Praise is much more effective a training tool than punishment.

You will have occasion to punish him, unfortunately. In doing so, remember that dogs’ understanding of cause-and-effect is pretty weak. Punishment must be IMMEDIATE for any rule-breaking. Even a delay of just a few moments can cause the dog to disassociate what they did with your reaction. Long-term punishments, such as locking him in a cage, don’t work either. He’ll quickly forget what he did, and instead focus on the fact that you’re rejecting him.

Temper any punishment with directing him to do the correct thing, and then praising him for behaving. For example, if you catch him chewing on your shoe, it’s best to tell him “NO!”, take the shoe away, give him one of his own toys, and then praise lavishly when he chews on it.

Once your dog is trained, he will bring you much joy. Good luck on the search for your new friend.

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I lived in an apartment with an afghan hound, which is quite a large dog. It can be done and both dog and owner can be happy. What you may want to do is offer to pet-sit for a co-worker or friend, or borrow a dog for a while. Try the whole thing out for a week and see if you mind being tied down to a dog. If that works out well, start looking. Don’t feel guilty if you want a purebred - there’s nothing wong with that. I presently have three rescues, two of which are purebred dogs. People sometimes spend a great deal for a dog and get tired of the work and responsibility. Sometimes owners die and the family doesn’t want to keep the dog.

There are many good sites to help you choose the right breed for you. I can trust my doberman and my german shepherd around my cats without any misgivings at all. I can’t trust my airedale. That prey drive is too strong in her. BTW - you may well have to hide your litterbox if you get a dog. many dogs can’t resist eating cat poop. Disgusting, but there you are.

StG

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Auuugh! This was mine, for a while. Was constantly having to watch what he was digging for when we were outside on walks. Fortunately, he’s moved on and now likes grabbing acorns from the driveway to try to bring inside with him to eat.

coffeebuzz – I was asking myself the same things last January. “Am I ready? Can I handle this?” I adopted this perfect little shih tzu through the Humane Society in February, and couldn’t be happier with the choice. Not completely sure of the age, but I think he was between 1 and 2 when I got him, so I agree with the advice above (on getting a dog about that age).

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There is a book called “Paws to Consider” about different breeds and their characteristics especially for anyone thinking about getting a dog. It’s an excellent book. I think the author is Brian Kilcommons.

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A happy dog and an intact house are a tall order if you work full time and are gone all day, to be honest with you. And the bigger the dog, the more destructive they can be while you’re gone. You’d truly be amazed at what a dog will eat/destroy if he’s bored enough. And a dog left alone all day gets pretty bored.

A lot of shelters/rescues have dogs that come in “pairs,” that is, they are devoted to each other and need to be adopted together. If you’re looking for a grown dog, and you work a lot and will be gone for long periods, I’d suggest finding a pair. Dogs get intensely lonely and very mischevious when they’ve got no one to keep them company; my own dog has mellowed considerably since he got a brother, and isn’t nearly as destructive or prone to doing things he knows he shouldn’t be doing.

This isn’t to say that no one who works full time should have a single dog; I’m just warning you that it’s something to think about, because a dog is a big commitment and they are social animals who need interaction to be happy.

And yes, those vet bills can be unexpected and very ugly at times; just a check-up and routine vaccinations/heartworm meds will run $80 to $100. And remember, too, that good dog food isn’t cheap if you have a large dog. (Don’t ever feed your dog cheap food; what you save on the front end, you’ll regret on the back end. TRUST ME.)

But they are wonderfully rewarding pets, and I wouldn’t give mine up for the world. He can be a handful, and as a puppy he was a nightmare, but I love him to pieces. He’s family.