# So I'm Thinking About Getting My Son A Dog For Christmas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326 "2011-12-15T19:39:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/81 "2011-12-26T03:56:37Z")
Sounds like you guys will be great dog owners. You know, it’s funny, because you wouldn’t think that apartment dwelling would be perfect for dogs, there’s the whole “you need a backyard” meme there, but I think that’s actually wrong, or at least misleading. People are more likely to get lazy when there’s the easy backyard option. Dog doesn’t necessarily get taken outside on a fixed schedule, doesn’t get his obedience training reinforced in daily walks if he’s getting his exercise solely from running around a backyard. And people who live in an apartment but choose to get a dog ANYWAY are probably much more committed and realistic about how much work a dog really is. Anyway, Milo is adorable, and looks like he’ll be a great pal for your boy. It’ll be awhile til Milo’s a “grownup” and you’ll have to put up with baby Milo, toddler Milo, kid Milo, and teenager Milo in the mean time. Time passes quick. Nobody ever regretted spending the time and money to teach their dog solid obedience training, housetraining, etc., while he’s still young and impressionable, but lots of people regret NOT doing it! I’m glad to hear that your boy is happy, and has a great new friend. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/82 "2011-12-26T03:58:35Z")
Thanks, guys! ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/83 "2011-12-26T11:16:34Z")
Another good deterrent for biting/mouthing you is to squeal REALLY loudly when you feel even the slightest bit of mouth on you. Seriously like you are another puppy yipe-ing in pain. Big praise when he stops and looks at you, even if it’s for a second, and then give him something else to chew or chase. Even at this age they can (and must) learn self control. It may only last a minute at a time, lol, but it will get better. You might want to investigate clicker training too. It’s fun, and it gives their brain something to work on and can be ‘exercise’ even in a small space. Even small puppies can learn the basic stuff 🙂 Good luck and have fun with the little guy! ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/84 "2011-12-26T12:23:45Z")
Milo sounds like a normal, active, fun puppy! All of mine have been little pirhanas 😃 and “puppy zoomies” are normal as well. Are you making plans for group obedience classes with him and your son? I seriously think that would be an excellent idea. Clicker training is a very good tool as well, and easy to do. > **[Mary Woodward's Clicker Lessons](http://www.clickerlessons.com/)** > > Gentle and Effective Obedience Training for Your Dog ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/85 "2011-12-26T13:05:36Z")
Not sure if you’re still looking for a crate, [but I just checked the Tucson craigslist and saw these for $30](http://tucson.craigslist.org/for/2721946334.html). A couple other things, NOW is the time to socialize the puppy. You want him to meet as many new people as possible so he’s good around everyone and not just the family. Also, we took [our puppies](http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/696/img4028cm.jpg) (requisite picture) to training through Minneapolis’ community education which was 1/3 cheaper than PetSmart and 1/5 cheaper than the AKC classes. ($35 per dog). It was very much worth it, especially since we had a great instructor. One more thing, although PetSmart is expensive when it comes to classes, the pet care at Banfield (operated at most, if not all, PetSmarts) is worth it. Sign up for their puppy care plan which is about $30 a month and sooooooo worth it. All the standard shots and check ups are included as well as unlimited free office visits. The office visits pay for yourself even if you’re not a hypochondriac like we were with the dogs. “He’s got a limp? Let’s got to Banfield!” Ours know our dogs by name. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/86 "2011-12-27T03:33:35Z")
There are some more [pictures](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v731/trublmakr/Milo/) in the album. Freshly washed (for the third time since we got him!) and dingleberry-free! (Ew.) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/87 "2011-12-27T13:40:41Z")
I always say that puppies are Nature’s cutest critters for a good reason…you’d murder them otherwise. Hang in there! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/88 "2011-12-27T15:10:22Z")
That FACE. He’s adorable 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ballardfam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@ballardfam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ballardfam)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/89 "2011-12-27T15:23:19Z")
> [@Phoebestar](#): > > If you’re worried about the dog being a good fit for your family, I would go through a non-shelter rescue organization (that often get their pets from shelters!) that fosters dogs in homes. They may have a better idea of what would fit with your lifestyle, your son could meet it and significantly interact with it beforehand, etc. Some shelters also have foster programs that might be able to match you with the appropriate dog too! > > (If you get a dog, please rescue! :)) This is a good idea. You & he will get a good idea of what dog ownership really means & if you get a good match with fostering you can adopt him/her. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/90 "2012-01-09T23:04:38Z")
**Alice-** - How’s Milo doing? StG ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/91 "2012-01-09T23:18:29Z")
He’s doing great, thanks for asking! He sleeps all night, is doing much better with going for walks, and now has a crate to call his very own. We’re still having issues with him biting (mostly playing but he has bitten in anger) and messing with the cats, but we’ve found that tugging on an ear is very effective in getting his attention and he’s getting better about it, slowly but surely. He loves to play, of course, being a puppy. Sometimes he just tears through the house over and over like a wild man- I wonder if he got that from the cats? 😃 He is definitely the cutest puppy ever. My son has been pretty good about taking care of him, needing only occasional reminders from me, mostly in regards to taking him out every hour or two, and making sure he always has water. I’m glad that I made the decision to get him. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/92 "2012-01-09T23:39:02Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > He’s doing great, thanks for asking! He sleeps all night, is doing much better with going for walks, and now has a crate to call his very own. We’re still having issues with him biting (mostly playing but he has bitten in anger) and messing with the cats, but we’ve found that tugging on an ear is very effective in getting his attention and he’s getting better about it, slowly but surely. He loves to play, of course, being a puppy. Sometimes he just tears through the house over and over like a wild man- I wonder if he got that from the cats? 😃 He is definitely the cutest puppy ever. My son has been pretty good about taking care of him, needing only occasional reminders from me, mostly in regards to taking him out every hour or two, and making sure he always has water. I’m glad that I made the decision to get him. Awesome! The tearing around the house thing is Puppy Berserking (many terms for that) and he’ll grow out of it. The biting should resolve by the time he’s 8-9 months old and done teething, (but may take longer.) Keep your eye on the “biting in anger” thing. Puppies have little bitey temper tantrums but he should be over that now. Make it crystal clear this is NOT acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/93 "2012-01-10T16:12:31Z")
**Alice** - I’m so happy Milo has so completely insinuated himself into the family. Has it made a difference for your son’s overall happiness quotiant? Is he making school any more bearable? StG ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/94 "2012-01-10T18:11:33Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > **Alice** - I’m so happy Milo has so completely insinuated himself into the family. Has it made a difference for your son’s overall happiness quotiant? Is he making school any more bearable? > > StG Yes, he seems to be happier. He loves the shit out of the dog, for sure. As for school, I’ve ended up having to put him in a charter school, because we just couldn’t solve the bullying problem. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/95 "2012-01-10T20:53:05Z")
Late to the thread. Thank you for rescuing instead of buying. Frankly, 8 weeks of age (when you got him) is the _earliest_ dogs should be separated from their mothers. They need at least that long to learn dog stuff, so Milo may be a little behind the curve, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with training and socialization. Puppy teeth is normal. What you need is Dr. Ian Dunbar’s method for training puppies not to bite – the same way they learn bite inhibition naturally from their littermates. Here’s a post with [my experience using the method](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12126529&postcount=8) with a semi-feral pit bull. You can find versions of it all over the web; here’s one summary: [Dr. Ian Dunbar on biting pups](http://www.siriuspup.com/pop_biting.html). That is THE way to go in my opinion. It worked better (and faster) than any other random advice I’ve gotten from the Internet (on any topic); it’s humane, it’s relatively easy, and it involves your son and Milo in working together in a very natural way. Edited to add: socialization is **important** too. As soon as he’s had his immunizations – especially for Parvo – Milo should have new experiences regularly – he should go to new places with you, meet new people, walk on new surfaces, and even eat from different bowls occasionally. This will normalize these things so he doesn’t grow up to be fearful of linoleum or something. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/96 "2012-01-10T21:08:45Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Yes, he seems to be happier. He loves the shit out of the dog, for sure. As for school, I’ve ended up having to put him in a charter school, because we just couldn’t solve the bullying problem. Milo will give your son unconditional love, and that will help your son cope with other things in his life. And a charter school might have been your best choice, I don’t particularly like them, but sometimes you gotta do whatever will work. And your son knows that his mom will try to give him what he really, really wants. And that will help him, too. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/97 "2012-01-11T00:42:20Z")
Thanks, **Sailboat** - I read your post and the article, and we will be implementing that method starting now. We’ve tried a lot of different methods, and he’s cut way back on the biting of hands, but god help you if you’re walking and he’s in a bitey mood- he’ll attack the back of your legs- ow! A very disturbing thing happened today. I was gone from home for several hours and there came a moment towards the end of it when I realized that I actually _missed_ that little shit. I am not a dog person! ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/98 "2012-01-11T06:08:43Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Thanks, **Sailboat** - I read your post and the article, and we will be implementing that method starting now. We’ve tried a lot of different methods, and he’s cut way back on the biting of hands, but god help you if you’re walking and he’s in a bitey mood- he’ll attack the back of your legs- ow! > > A very disturbing thing happened today. I was gone from home for several hours and there came a moment\*\* towards the end of it when I realized that I actually _missed_ that little shit. I am not a dog person\*\*! Looks like you are NOW! Resistance is futile… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/99 "2012-01-11T06:32:52Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Looks like you are NOW! Resistance is futile… 😛 It’s probably just because he’s so cute. Not to brag, but he really is one of the cutest puppies ever born. He’s the epitome of puppy. He’s so puppy-like. His puppiness just abounds. I love the way his round little butt wiggles when he runs, oh my god, so cute! The way he rests his little head on your shoulder when you hold him, so cute! The way he turns over on his back and presents his tummy and says, in an English accent, “Here is my tummy… won’t you rub it?” Squee!! I’ll get over it when his puppiness leaves us, I’m sure! ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326/100 "2012-01-11T14:28:30Z")
Yes, I’m sure you will. It’ll be like flipping a light switch. You’ll go from **squeee!!** to meh in a moment. Face it - you’re now a dog person. StG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-about-getting-my-son-a-dog-for-christmas/606326.md?page=6)