OK, friends....talk me in/out of getting a dog.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Re: Leaving a pet home all day.

I was at the vet once and overheard him having a hilarious conversation with a woman who had just lost one of her two full-sized poodles. This woman was amazingly annoying, even though I felt quite sorry for her about the death of her pet. She was contemplating getting another pet to keep hers company all day, but nothing the vet mentioned quite suited her outrageiously spefic taste. The woman was literally whining and the vet was clearly getting annoyed with her.

Woman: But what will my dear sweet doggie DO all day by himself!
Vet: (annoyed, sharp tone to his voice) He’ll stay home and wait for his owner like every other dog on the planet. That’s what they DO.

The dog needs time alone to sleep. As long as his bathroom needs are met, I don’t think it’s cruel at all.

Though, I do have to admit, keeping my lab puppy alone in the kitchen all day turned out NOT to be an option. He has to be crated (which is better for you and for the dog anyway). He jumped over every gate I put up for containment. He ate a corner of my cabinets. He ate the garbage can. He ate the garbage.

He’s worth the trouble.

22

One thing: I don’t understand the whining lady/funny vet encounter story at all. I would be worried about what my dog would do all day if my other one passed away. They have been together for years and keep each other company. I think the vet was dismissive in saying “That’s what they do” especially when you just said :

“He has to be crated (which is better for you and for the dog anyway). He jumped over every gate I put up for containment. He ate a corner of my cabinets. He ate the garbage can. He ate the garbage”

A lot of dogs do that because they are anxious that their owner is gone and are bored/lonely. I personally believe (and have had the experience) that dogs do better in pairs/packs and should not be left home all day by themselves.

To each his own, but I don’t see how it’s funny that this lady was concerned about her dog being lonely. I guess you had to be there.

Zette

23

As one who works in rescue (with Dachshunds), I wanted to agree with several previous posts.

If you love dogs, you’ll do whatever it takes.

Adult dogs will sleep most of the day, and if they have something to entertain them the rest of the time, they’ll be fine.

Getting two is not a bad idea. In the house, they don’t take up that much more space and they will be much happier together. However, your costs will go up: twice as much dog food, vet bills for vacinations, bills at the kennel, etc. Anywhere you can take one, you can take two, (if they are well behaved, but you were planning on being pro-active with behavior, right?) and when you can’t take them, they won’t be lonely.

I agree that the dog should be crated, or at least not given the run of the house. People think of crates as cruel, but they aren’t. Dog’s prefer to sleep in a den, and a properly sized crate (one he can stand up, turn around and move a few steps in) is actually very comforting for a dog. If you don’t have room for a crate, at least don’t let the dog wander the whole house. This has to do with pack dynamics. Where he is all day he will think of as his area. The house is yours. If he’s visiting, he’ll be well behaved.

Adopting an adult dog is a wonderful idea. They are housebroken and calmer. Sadly, many shelters put dogs over 5 to sleep automatically, because it is so hard to place them. Rescue groups know their dogs, and will keep them rather than place them badly. Sadly, many dogs are given up for reasons having more to do with owner behavior than their own. Moving is a big reason, for example, so you have a really good chance of getting a dog without major behavioral problems. In any case, the rescue people will let you know.

Dachshunds, despite being often smaller than cats, can look upon cats as animated games of tag. What we often recommend is a two-tier system. Let the cat have some high places (say, the tops of several bookshelves with some strategically placed two-by-fours, a comfy bed, a scratch pole, etc.) where he can hang out without having to worry about the dog. I realize that Boxers are taller dogs, but the principle is the same. If the dog isn’t cat-agressive, they will work out a way to live together.

Also, a friend who is a dog-trainer tells me that male Boxers are the undiscovered treasures of the canine world: sweet, intelligent, loving, eager to please, and well-behaved by nature. You could do a lot worse!

E-mail me privately if you want information on training or have any questions.

24

Congrats on your decision to let a rescue adopt you. Every dog should have the chance to adopt a family before they die :slight_smile:

Okay, enough of the hokey stuff. Seriously, boxers are a wonderful breed that I am certain will make you very happy.
As the neighbor of a couple that owns a 4-year old boxer I’ve been witness to many of the issues that have been brought up here. Boxers are neither too high-strung or too lazy, but they do need a lot of exercise.

Boxers are very social, and will want to spend a lot of time with you – they don’t like being left alone for too long. A workday is fine, but after that they need company. Do you know someone you could call to come take the dog for a walk if you’re running late/stuck in traffic/insert other random emergency here?

Boxers are also prone to some pricey health problems – they’ve had a few tumors removed (benign, thankfully), some skin allergy issues, some ligaments strains. Nothing you might not find with other breeds, but they’re not totally maintenance free. You’ll want to check the dog about once a week for lumps – in places such as between their toes, around the their “armpits” and “legpits” (I guess that’s what you call them, around their neck, etc.

Rescue groups are very particular about whom they choose to give a dog to. The fact that you don’t have a fenced in yard may become a very big issue. It was required for us to get our rescued bulldog.

You won’t regret your decision, I’m sure. I was lucky to obtain my bulldog approximately 3 weeks after my wedding day, when Bulldog Rescue finally called with a dog that they felt suited our situation the best. I wasn’t about to let that opportunity go by, so even though we were mildly in debt, settling into married life, and still trying to settle into our new house it was the best decision we made and I don’t regret it for a moment, ever. We’re actually about to invest $2,000 into our bully for a torn ACL – that’s dedication :slight_smile:

Best of luck to you – there’s some very good advice in this thread and I hope it helps you come to the best decision for yourself.

25

I have three rescued dogs inside (although my airedale puppy stays outside during the day because she’s not good with my two rescued siamese cats). My cats are locked up in their room when the puppy is loose in the house and have the run of the house all night and while I’m at work. Luna, one of the cats, isn’t particularly friendly with the dogs, but she’s not afraid of them, either. I think Papi (the other cat) loves my german shepherd Mike more than she does me. Mike just tolerates her, but she’s always trying to suck up to him. Sometimes Simon the doberman babysits Ruffian the airedale outside, but I don’t really have housebreaking issues unless one of them has a gastric upset, which isn’t pleasant! After work I go to the barn to feed and sometimes ride my horse, so it’s usually about 10 hours total that they’re in my 1000 sq ft house. They don’t seem too traumatized about it. And in the evenings I’m at my computer and all three dogs are lying at my feet.

Does anyone have suggestions on how I can train Ruffian not to chase the cats?

StG

26

Jadis, my situation is almost exactly the same as yours, and I’ve had a happy, healthy Norwegian Elkhound for almost 8 years. I live in a 3 bedroom condo, have 2 high-strung cats who hate everyone except me, and have no private yard at all; Gizmo always goes out on leash. I could not always get home early, so I hired a dog walker to take him out. This was absolutely necessary when I got him as a puppy, and later just made my life and his easier, since I could then go to the health club or run errands after work without stopping home first. One of the reasons I picked the breed was that they have a repuation for being fairly independent, which I thought would mean less chance of separation anxiety. I was wrong, as he used to bark continuously when I was gone, but luckily I was able to eventually break him of the habit.

If this is your first dog, I’d strongly suggest finding a good dog training class; these generally focus as much if not more on traning the owner. Even if you’re not a first time dog owner, probably a good idea.

So good luck, and kudos for getting a rescue. My next dog will likely be a Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue.

StGermain, my suggestion for breaking your dog of the cat-chasing habit is to put him on a leash, keep a close eye on him, and when he starts to go after the cat, grab the leash and stop him. I assume this is play and not aggression - if it’s aggression, you have a bigger problem.