Researching dog ownership (breeds, cost, general advice?)

In My Humble Opinion
41

I don’t think you should get a dog at all.

Reasons: you don’t mention anything whatsoever you really want to do with a dog or why you like dogs or how a dog would enrich your life. Just the opposite, in fact – why you don’t like dogs, how a dog would be a bother and an expense, and how little you want to interact with it.

Here are some very common things that happen to people with dogs – any dog:

It snaps at a child who held it down and frightened it. Everyone freaks. You are blamed.

It is afraid of thunder, and during a storm it chews through a screened window and escapes. Only after enormous effort on your part is it found.

It gets into the garbage and gets deathly sick from pancreatitis and has to be in the ICU for three days, costing you about $2000.

You have to move and you can’t find a rental apartment which allows pets that is within a reasonable commute distance of your place of employment.

For some reason you can’t get home in time to let it out and it is forced to pee on the expensive carpet, causing a permanent stain.

Does any of this cause you pause? Then don’t get a dog. Please. PLEASE.

I don’t understand why you would want a dog, and frankly I don’t understand why a dog would want you, either. If you want a pet, get one that is by nature fitted for what you want to get out of it. You are trying to find a dog who isn’t a dog. If you really want a pet I suggest you look into other species which have fewer or easier requirements.

42

After reading the OP, I’d say get a cat. Since that’s not an option, how about being a foster owner. It’s almost like leasing a dog and then, if it’s a match, you can adopt the dog yourself. Most groups will pay for the vet bills, but you will get to see how much things cost, how much work the dog is, etc.

As for breed, while some are typically more hyper than others, it’s really up to the individual dog. I had heard pugs were low energy and happy to just chill with you on the couch. My pug (obligatory pic) is a complete and utter loveable spaz. He loves to run around the house, he plays super well with dogs 4-5 times his size (his partner in crime is an olde english bulldogge who weighs 96 pounds, he’s 16 lbs). If I tell him to sit, he will but he’ll also drum his front paws on the floor until he gets the verbal release. He also loves to watch TV and alerts us when a dog/horse/possum/cat appears on screen. The bulldogge is younger but more mellow and will put her paw on top of him to stop it. Since dogs are pack animals, I really can’t see just having one.

We’ve got them both on the vet health plan through Banfield (found in most PetSmart stores) and we pay $30 a month each which includes the basic vaccinations, free office visits, and discounted prescriptions and surgeries and other vet stuff. The bulldogge is on Rimadyl for her hips (congenital dysplasia) which is $60 a month, plus prescription food at $55 every three weeks. After the $600 vet visit to find all that out, the pug and bulldog had some fun and were able to open up the Rimadyl bottle and had a little feast eating half of its contents. That bill was about $600. So not cheap at all. And that doesn’t include any of the costs brainstall mentioned either which would also include things like city dog licenses, dog baths, and car cleanings.

You also mentioned that you don’t want to tie-out or crate the dog. Well, what if you can’t leave the dog alone in the house? Our bulldogge is great, she’ll find a spot and sleep the day away. The pug will probably poop in a room he doesn’t like and chew up a pen, get on the kitchen table, tear up toilet paper, etc. I used to crate him and now we keep them both in a small room with their foot and water and toys.

43

There are several dog breed selector tools online, you should search them out and take the quizes or work through the options. They match the breed temperament to your lifestyle. I have always selected my dogs according to breed (then I find the breed through rescues, but the breed is the most important).

The other think I wanted to post about is that I have had to put down a Husky mix because the dog was aggressive to other dogs (he actually tried to kill the neighbor’s dog). When I explained the situation to the vet, the vet said that he has had to put down a lot of Huskies because they started attacking other dogs. So, you should be very certain that your roommates visiting Husky is safe with other dogs and that (even if safe), the two dogs won’t be left alone together. The dog I put down was entirely safe, then just switched gears for no apparent reason. The vet said that he’d seen that several times (usually the Husky/mix had killed the other dog in the same family). Now, that could be something in this area or I don’t know.

44

I don’t think a dog is right for you at all. No dog is perfect and quiet and low-energy and non-messy and as absolutely free from problems as the imaginary dog you say you want. Even a middle-aged lab can be high-energy, barky and my lab sheds like crazy. Every time we sweep the floor and amass a pile of hair, we joke that Buddy has just made another puppy. Retrievers and boxers are also high-energy even when middle-aged.

And what kind of crappy dog owner walks a dog only 20 minutes, twice a day? Maybe some kind of toy breed can get by with that little exercise, but toy breeds are yippy and loud, which you already said you don’t want.

You sound like all in all you don’t really like dogs that much and probably wouldn’t be willing to put in the training and work required to rehabilitate a rescue dog. They usually need a little work before they’re good dogs. If you got a dog, you sound like you’d just spend all your time wishing that your dog was a cat. It would be like me getting a cat and then wondering why it’s not playing Frisbee with me and licking my face and not walking properly on a leash.

45

Lots of great responses, thank you guys so much! I appreciate all the advice, even if I don’t reply to every single post.

That is really interesting! I looked at the list of canine-alities (cheesy name, but it’s a good concept) and saw a couple that would suit me.

It’s kinda funny, I was thinking of asking “What’s the most cat-like dog?” when I made this post. Pugs do sound pretty neat, but I would worry about breathing problems later in life.

Thanks for the honesty. I know, I *do *have a lot of conditions. I haven’t made a concrete decision yet, but inertia will probably compel me toward inaction on the dog front. Because I really *really *want a cat (a few cats, actually). I’ve wanted cats for years, but could never have one. My sister sometimes calls me a crazy cat lady without the cats (she has three cats, so it’s all in good fun)… it sucks! Now that I can *get *a pet and can *afford *a pet, (even if it isn’t a cat), my brain is all, “GET ANIMAL. NOW.” But, if I save the money I was going to spend on getting a dog (and scrimp elsewhere in my budget to save up for a security deposit and moving costs), I might be able to afford to move within the next year. And THEN I could get a cat.

There’s an extreme contingent who only think people who are passionate about dogs should get a dog (hey, it’s the Dope). I don’t necessarily subscribe to that; if I were in a long-term relationship with someone allergic to cats (like my last boyfriend), I would rather get a dog than no pet at all. But, given that’s not the case, it’s not really optimal to get a dog as a substitute cat. Even though I would take good care of it, the soul-bonding (or whatever you want to call it) would *probably *not be there with a good dog as much as it would be with a good cat.

I know I could take good care of a dog that suits my lifestyle, which would be good for the dog, but *I *would be happier in the end with a cat. Much happier. Also, it’s not reasonable to assume I’ll be living in the same house for the next 5-15 years. Moving is stressful on an animal, and pet deposits are expensive. I would rather pay a pet deposit because my pet is a companion I couldn’t possibly live without (more likely with a cat), as opposed to merely feeling obligated to continue providing a good life to a nice animal (more likely with a dog).

Thanks again :slight_smile:

46

Vets are often a font of misinformation regarding breed qualities. It’s not their job. I’ve tried a few of those online dog breed selectors and my conclusion is that they are 100% crap. There are a lot of obvious generalities about breeds (some breeds need expert grooming, terriers like to dig and to kill things, guard dog breeds need a strong experienced leader, tiny dogs are fragile and usually high-strung, etc.). These are common sense. The important things to know are not in those breed selectors.

Some important things to know include:

  1. how sickly is the breed? The vast majority of AKC registered breeds are extremely inbred populations. Many have inherited problems, some known only in that population. So, what are those problems? How common are they (some affect every single individual). What does the breeder of this litter know about the mode of inheritance of the problems, and what is the determinable genetic health status of the parents?

These problems range from minor to debilitating to incredibly expensive chronic tragic suffering. It is VERY HARD to find out the truth about this stuff, because purebred breeders for the most part are in nearly total denial about it, for complex reasons. Rescues, mixes, and “hybrids” are not at all exempt from these issues, by the way.

  1. The primary cause of behavior problems in dogs is simple lack of exercise. Are you really going to commit to providing enough exercise for your dog for its lifetime?

  2. Are you willing to make a substantial effort to understand dog behavior from a dog’s point of view? Because that is the only way you will be able to influence its behavior other than accidentally.

Notes on huskies:
Purebred Siberian Huskies (an AKC show breed) are generally pretty benign to other dogs. Male Malamutes (bigger husky-looking dog) are usually dog aggressive. Husky mixes, all bets off. Akitas, a related breed, are also known for dog aggression. Husky breeds are generally large so they will do more damage in a fight than an equally aggressive small dog. What all sled dog breeds are good at is predation. It is a quality that was not important to breed out of them in their native climes (no agriculture), so it is very intact. They are notorious cat-killers, and pose a danger to livestock. They may kill small dogs as an act of predation, not dog aggression.

Notes on dog fights:
Dog to dog aggression is most typical of intact males attacking other intact males. Also common are two bitches who take a real dislike to each other. Male dog fights are
usually about who’s dominant, and once settled, often the two dogs get along. Bitch fights seem to get more personal and specific, and often the hatred festers for the life of the dogs. I know a number of owners of two bitches who had to rehome one. If anyone wants to avoid dog to dog aggression, avoid bully breeds, especially pit bulls – dogfighting was and is what they are specifically bred for – intact males, and any breed noted for guardian behavior.

47

If you reallyreally want a cat, get a cat. Do not get a dog thinking that the dog will replace the cat. It does not. I did the reverse–I wanted a dog but got a cat. Turns out I am not a cat person and cats aren’t dogs. And vice versa.

So I vote “don’t get a dog” for the reasons other people stated. From your post it sounds like you don’t want to devote much time or energy to the needs of a dog.

48

shrug I was a cat person up until about age 30. Now I’m a dog person. Actually, I’m just a pug person. Pug > cats AND dogs.

49

My vet was relaying his PERSONAL experience, not advising me about the breed. I hope I was clear in my post that I was relaying what he had told me about his personal experience.

I have a Jack Russel Terrier that is worth three times her weight in gold because she does the job she was bred for here on my farm. Yet, JRTs end up in rescues all the time because people try to stuff this high-energy animal into a low-energy lifestyle.

It took me ages to find a pair of Great Pyrs that were not screwed up because someone had tried to raise them in an apartment. Every time I read about a temperament problem with a Great Pyr, the dog is in a small environment and/or doing what it was actually bred to do (be independent and smart).

I absolutely believe that pure bred dogs are more likely to follow their breeding temperament than not. It would be insane for me to bring a herding animal here and then get upset when it started moving livestock around. I had a set of spaniels for 13 years and they absolutely displayed their water/bird instincts.

Of all the factors that should influence a purchasing decision, the dog’s breed instincts are what they are and training can only suppress it for so much and for so long. Unless, you’re willing to say that you would be comfortable taking a greyhound off leash through Central Park?

50

Taking care of a dog by yourself can be difficult, especially if you work away from home. If you want to have a life, and plan on going places where the dog can’t go (depending on where you live, could be most places), then that means the dog is spending much of it’s time alone. Unlike a cat, dogs really don’t like this. And dogs tend to express their unhappiness and stress by doing things that will make you and those around you wish that you hadn’t gotten a dog – barking constantly, chewing things up, going to the bathroom inside, etc. Some dogs are more tolerant of a crappy situation than others, but this is not something that is easy to predict. And what will you do if it doesn’t work out? Dog’s aren’t appliances that can simply be sent back to the factory. You send them back and they are most often either killed or too screwed up for the next person (who probably would have done a better job) to handle.

51

I don’t “go places.” I’m not sure where people are getting the idea that I’m just going to throw a dog in my room and leave it there all day every day. In the OP, I provided the exact amount of time the dog would be left home during the week (6 hours a day, 4 days a week unless my LL goes out of town, and that’s only happened twice in the year+ I’ve been living here). Then, I mentioned that weekends will be all dog, all the time. My life is very boring and dog-friendly: I go to work and come home, and go grocery shopping once every week or two. I don’t go out, I wouldn’t be introducing strange people into the environment. It would be me and the doglet at home anytime I’m not at work, honestly. Travel is highly stressful and not a relaxing activity for me, so all my vacations from work are staycations.

But per my previous post, I’m probably going to wait anyway. Just wanted to clear up that misconception.

52

Right now: your life could certainly change in the next 10 years. Anyone’s could, but IIRC you’re still in your 20s…so, especially yours.

53

funny me too .. had cats and dogs my whole life … moved out when I was 19 had cats until i was 34 … my oldest Sydney was 19 and passes at christmas time last year. in 2004 I got my first indoor dog (FAMILY dog) anyway … wouldn’t know what to do with out her… she is such a joy - even more then my cats (10 years ago I would have never thought that):eek:. Swore off cats until current BF moved in and low and behold he has 2 cats… they are growing on me (very sweet kittys they are) but I am dog lover at heart… former catlover… and I guess I could say I am a jack russell person…

54

You know, if most of the people here had their way, no one would have dogs unless they worked from home, did 2 hours of obedience work every day, went to the dog park twice a day, fed an all-raw diet, etc.

The truth of it is, most people don’t have a perfect setup for pets. People have lives, and the pets are a part of it.

I have 6 dogs, 4 cats and 4 horses. I am gone from the house from 7:15 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. My animals are healthy, happy, spayed and neutered, vaccinated and sane. I do the best I can - the dogs have a dog door and can roam about an acre of yard. I feed breakfast in the morning. Mostly I bet they sleep all day when I’m at work. When I get home I feed the horses, feed the dogs, feed the cats, then feed myself. When I relax in the evenings I usually have a cat on my lap and all 6 dogs on the floor around me rotating who is getting petted at any given time.

Don’t expect any dog to be perfect. Sometimes it will have accidents. Sometimes it may chew something. Knowing up front what your real no’s are and explaining them to a rescue will help them find a dog that’s best suited to your lifestyle.

If you love them and care for them, they’ll love you back. Get yourself the dog.

StG

55

I’m 28. I’ve been employed at the same place for nearly 4 years, so things are as stable as they really can be. Of course I could get hit by a car or lose my job tomorrow, but then so could anybody.

Yeah that’s that extremist contingent. I have no truck with black-and-white thinking, so I’m not horribly bothered by it. Some people have no perspective, though. Thanks :slight_smile:

56

There’s a canine match for anyone who wants one. Just because someone isn’t bursting at the seams with enthusiasm about what a treasure dogs are to mankind doesn’t mean they would not make a great pet owner. Pounds are filled with dogs of all types that need loving homes. If you just limited pet adoption to people who love dogs like they would love their own children then many dogs would miss out. I’m sure you would make a great owner to an older mature dog that you had a chance to get to know first, which is great since many older dogs are harder to find homes for because they lost some of the cuteness factor.

Just don’t put him on top of you car:)

***Took me a while to type. Looks like StGermain pretty much made the same point I was getting at.

57

You are painting this as a black and white issue – as if people are saying that if the setup isn’t perfect, you shouldn’t have a dog. Nobody is saying that.

The point is, the situation doesn’t have to be perfect, but if it falls below a certain level, the experience will be unsatisfactory for both the owner and the dog. And it shouldn’t be too big of a leap to see that too many people get dogs. Look how many people dump their dogs back at a shelter after it doesn’t work out. Look how many people consider their dogs to be annoyances and regret getting one. Look how many dogs end up chained up where they won’t trouble the owner. Clearly, these people would have been better off not getting dogs. Surely you can see the sense in that.

I do find it amusing that you present this picture of your own situation as an imperfect one that still works, and seem to be suggesting that therefore any other imperfect situation is fine to bring a dog into. Your dogs have a big yard, other dogs for company, a rural (guessing) area to live in, and an owner who clearly loves animals. That is a far cry from situations that other posters were warning about.

58

Sorry, that’s not at all what I was talking about: I meant your reference to never going out. People change, our needs change, our lives change. And what I meant by “especially you” is that our 20s/30s are often decades of self-exploration and – in a totally non-condescending way – maturation. I was certainly a different person at 38 (or even 35) than I was at 28, and I think many others would say the same. At your age, assuming that the parts of your life that are ok for a dog now (your lifestyle, your romantic status, your living situation, etc.) will never change is unrealistic, IMO.

59

Correction: not NEVER change, but not change in the next 5-10 years.

(I’m posting via a mobile app and can’t edit my previous post.)

60

Agree.

Please do not get a lab or a golden if one of your primary requirements for a pet is one that needs little exercise. I don’t care how old it is.