In general: yes, a puppy is a ton of work. Housetraining is the least of your worries: you’ll have to teach this creature, well, everything he or she will need to know about how to get along in a human world. A puppy is a project. The last time I took in a puppy, I lost 18 pounds.
You’re off on the right foot by inquiring before you obtain the cuteness rather than right after. My number one rule about animal companions has gradually become: the more you, the human, invest in learning about and working with the animal, the better everyone’s lives will be, and it starts with lots and lots of reading.
Almost forgot! If you do get a puppy, do not take her home before she’s old enough (a lot of unscrupulous breeders will try and get rid of the litter ASAP, and either falsely assure you the pup is ready to go when it’s not true, or actively lie about how old he or she is). 10-12 weeks old is usually ideal. Anything under 6 is not just unhealthy (the more time bonding with mom and the littermates, the better socialized the puppy will be), it’s illegal in some states (unless, of course, there are complications, like the mom died, won’t nurse, etc). Fully research the breeder as well as the breed, so you know you’re not dealing with a puppy mill. I also do not recommend buying from pet stores unless it is an adoption center (lots of health/behavior issues when a quick turnover rate for more money is involved, and the parents are often not of very good breeding quality). If at all possible, go to the breeder’s home to meet the litter–do this a couple times, if you can–and meet the pup’s parents, and check out the facility for anything wonky. Reputable breeders will welcome this (some may even expect it as part of their contract) and will be a great source of puppy and breed-specific information.
When you do get the pup, do not turn its first day with you into a shopping spree. Buy what you’ll need in advance (food, water bowls, toys, collar, leash, crate, puppy pads, etc). Dragging the pup to the pet store when its already stressed out because he’s away from mom for the first time is no fun. If you absolutely must do this, DO NOT SET THE PUPPY ON THE GROUND IN THE STORE to let it walk around. Puppies are not fully vaccinated at this age and are extremely succeptable to catching something that might be lurking on the floor. Carry him or put him on a blanket in the buggy instead.
Oh! And food! Cheap = filler. Really. You get what you pay for. Make sure you get a puppy-specific formula (same deal for any treats you buy at this period), and either stick with what the pup was eating before, or wean them off of that and on to the new stuff slowly (over a week or so). Blue buffalo, Royal Canin, and Nutro are excellent dog foods and well worth the extra money. Stuff like Alpo, Little Cesar’s, Dad’s, and Kibbles n Bits are full of wheat, corn, and processed meat. Your pup will love it, but in human terms, it’s like feeding your kid off the dollar menu at McDonald’s every day, forever. Plus, more filler = more waste going directly through the digestive tract = more poop. In addition, too much wheat, corn and other filler can lead to allergies, skin problems, and dull coats. In short, go with the good stuff, or at least the pretty good stuff (Iams, Eukanuba, Purina One are usually somewhat cheaper, and while not quite as nutritious, still pretty good)
Despite breed-normal behaviors, there are exceptions, and each dog will have their own personality. Border Collies, fer instance, are know for their high-drive, prey drive, obsessive focus, and high energy. But myBorder-Mutt is medium/low energy, has nearly no prey drive, obsesses over nothing and couldn’t care less about any ball, frisbee, or chuckit. All she wants in her life is to be somewhere fairly near to one of the family, and to smell every scent ever created. And no, her ‘cross’ component wasn’t a hound, either.
Also, when getting a rescue, be aware that the first personality you see is not the real one - only a rough approximation. Rescue dogs are under tremendous stress, no matter how well cared for - They’re in a strange place, with strange dogs and strange people, and they’ve got no surety in their lives. Their whole world has been turfed and is upside down. Under those conditions, you will only see part of their personality. It could possibly take a year, maybe even more, for all aspects of their personality to emerge. The surface approximation you first see is a good guide, but be aware that there’s more lurking under the surface. I’ve had Suka with me for 14 months, and she still manages to surprise me on occasion.
Captain, have you or your girlfriend had much experience with animals? You mention your childhood dog, but only vaguely and you said you were too young to remember how it was trained.
Do you have any friends w/dogs that need a housesitter for a while?
What if you and/or your girlfriend volunteer at an animal shelter, even if it’s just for one weekend? They always need people to help walk the dogs, and you’ll get a sense of what a canine energy level is … particularly the energy level of a dog that is cooped up and alone for long periods of time <ahem>. Plus you’ll interact with different breeds. Plus you’ll see what happens to dogs that are not properly socialized and cared for <ahem>.
I dunno, though. One walk in the morning and “maybe” at night? A one-bedroom apartment with NOBODY in it all day, every day? I hate to break it to you, but I can’t think of a worse situation to bring in a puppy. It sounds like a Really Bad Idea.
I rescued a Pomeranian a couple of years ago, and I love him dearly. That said, if you are looking for a non-barker, you may want to look at something else. Most Poms are pretty high strung, yappy little creatures. My Jordie is in fact very low key for a Pom and he still will gets yappy every once in awhile. Also, unless you plan on using training pads for the life of the dog while you are gone all day, you will want to get a bigger dog. Tiny dogs have small bladders and probably won’t make it all day without being let out. The grooming is also more then I ever knew it would be. I have to brush him with three kinds of brushes everyday just to keep on top of the mats.
Thanks for asking this question, I have also been contemplating getting a canine companion for a while and the itch is strong. These responses have been helpful.
I’m going to add my own question into the mix - Is there any significant reason to choose a rescue over just going to animal control? People keep telling me to use rescues, but all the ones in my town I’ve contacted so far, I find to be rather insulting in what they demand. (One even wanted a copy of my bank statement proving that I had at least $5,000 set aside in a special account for dog emergencies. :dubious: ) Should I just keep looking for less strict ones, or is this par for the course?
I suppose if you had your heart set on a particular breed, going through that breed’s rescue agency would be helpful.
I know they try to be diligent about thoroughly vetting the potential new owners (heh) but your example does seem … excessive. Good Lord, bank statements?
Thanks for all the input and responses so far. This isn’t something I want to dive right into without doing the research.
To answer a few of the repeated points: My girlfriend just got her B.S. in pre-veterinary medicine and is applying to vet schools. She’s worked with animals her whole life and knows a heck of a lot more about this than I do.
Thanks for the advise regarding some of the hurdles of raising a dog in an apartment. I grew up in a rural environment, so we just let the dog have the run of the yard and surrounding corn fields. She came back when it was hungry or bored, and slept inside at night but otherwise didn’t take much effort in terms of maintenance.
I’m surprised at this notion of having to pick up it’s waste though. As long as it is on grass wouldn’t it decompose? Or are there generally city ordinances against that? (yes, I realize after typing that how naive it sounds)
As for reason to get a dog: I’m 26 years old and an only child. I’ve never actually had to take care of anything and want to give it a trial-run before I have children. Also, it would be nice to have something excited to see me when I get home. I miss that feeling of having my dog bound across the yard when I’d get home from school. I guess I could say I’m looking for a companion and friend to spend time with when my girlfriend isn’t home.
I’m allergic to cats and not a fan. No cats.
I like the sounds of these mellow golden retrievers, but that just seems a bit too big. I’ve had experiences with large dogs jumping all over me excitedly and it wasn’t pleasant. I’d much rather have something I can pick up easily if necessary. Are there any small breeds that are fairly mellow that someone could recommend?
If you’re in the US and in a town of any significant size, you very likely are required to pick up its waste. The dog’s waste will decompose eventually, but in the meantime people still need to walk where it pooped.
Well, first a correction - you’ve had experience with owners who didn’t train their dogs to not jump up.
Secondly, there should be some good breeds of small lazy/mellow dogs. A friend has a pug that’s mellow - but I’m not sure how consistent that is for the breed.
In addition to city ordinances, I’m sure the management at your apartment complex has a rule requiring you to pick up your pet’s waste. Not only can people step in it, but it can carry diseases that can make people and animals quite sick. Parvovirus in particular is a quite nasty infection that is spread through contact with dog feces. It is especially severe in puppies, whose immune system isn’t completely developed. If another dog has had parvo, your puppy could easily develop it from that dog’s feces. Or, if your puppy picks it up, he could transmit it to other dogs. So, cleanup of pet waste is particularly essential.
Seriously? People in the UK don’t… work? I wouldn’t leave a puppy home all day when I was at work, but have never thought twice about leaving an adult dog home for 8 hours.
Speaking of consistent for the breed, I’ve never met these “mellow” golden retreivers, and I’ve met a few goldens.
In general, Captain, breeds that were originally created to do a demanding job were bred to have a lot of energy. Duh, I know. But it means that most of the hunting breeds - and that includes little guys like, oh, say, the entirety of the terriers - are pretty high-energy.
Retreivers will want you to throw something so they can run after it. For hours.
FWIW, I’ve often heard that bloodhounds are low-energy dogs (a comparison to houseplants keeps coming up ) but I’ve never met any and can’t vouch for that personally. They are pretty tall, though.
Also, on the subject of breeds: poodles are very intelligent and trainable, and both the miniature and the toy are quite manageable in size. I may be a teeeeensy bit biased b/c my childhood dog was a miniature poodle but most of the other poodles I’ve known have also been quite smart. (And, as requested, they do come in white.) Also, they don’t shed much.
They’re smart enough to get neurotic if bored, isolated, poorly trained, etc. just like border collies.
I’ve known a few poodle crosses, and they seem to get the smarts from the parent, too. Though the cutesy names for the crossbreeds have gotten to be a little much.
Still not seeing many good reasons to get a puppy instead of an adult, though. Though of course, with puppies, you do get more of a “blank slate.” Somewhat.
Creating a separate post to recommend the OP watch a couple episodes of “The Dog Whisperer” on Nat’l Geographic. Or the similar shows on Animal Planet or the other channels. Any of the ones where they show unruly dogs and then work with their owners - who created the problem in the 1st place for the most part - to remedy the situation.
Sometimes it can help a decision-making process to witness the potential worst-case scenario and then work backwards from there.
Plus it’s a handy way to absorb basic lessons about discipline (what works, what doesn’t) and how to communicate with your dog.
And on that note, if you do get a dog, pleasepleaseplease don’t become one of those people who gives commands in full sentences (“Now you please sit down right here, okay?” Dude, it’s “sit”) or in inappropriate tones. I know someone who tries to discipline her young dog when she jumps up on people by singing “nonononono” in the sweetest tone imaginable, almost *cooing *at the dog. Who does not, naturally, listen. Drives me up the friggin’ wall, it does.
This is just from my observation, but there does seem to be a bit of a difference in attitudes when it comes to dog ownership between the US and the UK. Most people I know would not think getting a dog and leaving it at home all day for 8 hours (or probably more, once you figure in commuting) was a good idea. We’ve not got one for exactly this reason, and because we can’t afford a dog walker.
Certainly all the rescues that I’ve looked into so far (breed specific, like for greyhounds, and national rescue organisations) won’t rehome a dog with you unless you can guarantee that it won’t be left on its own all day. That’s one of the few stringent rules they have (and no, they’ve never asked for bank statements!). See this FAQ from the Dogs Trust - a very large, national organistion.
Maybe this is just the way I was raised, but my brother lives in the US, and I have seen a difference in attitude towards this very topic. I wouldn’t say it was a total no no, and will probably work okay for some dogs, but I wouldn’t do it personally.
There is a big difference bewteen a Rescue and an Animal Control shelter. They key differences is that Rescues are run for the benefit of the dogs, whilst the shelters are run for the convenience of people.
Rescues put prolonged work into the dogs, and are generally staffed by breed-knowledgable volunteers. They work very hard to identify all serious issues with each dog and correct them, be they health or behavioral. They catalogue the dog’s personality traits, and sort through their stacks of applications, trying to make not a placement, but a correct placement. This is all hard work. If there’s an adoption failure, they have to start over, if not quite from the begining. They don’t want adoption failures. They don’t want to see the dog surrendered back to them, or to another rescue, or (heaven forbid!) to a shelter. So they set the entry barrier high, and they take close and personal interest in you, your character, your abilities, and your resoucres. If you don’t measure up, or are unwilling to cooperate, well, there are other people whom do and/or will.
Don’t be insulted by this fact - Rescues work for the dog’s benefit. They consider it their duty to the dog to place it in a home that is proper. Along the way, they actually wind up serving the people, too, in that a properly-placed dog is one that will fit into its new home and family neatly and with a minimum of fuss.
Don’t be too shocked by the inquiry into your finances, either. It’s a rare organization that goes to quite the level you report, but financial distress is a common enough reason for surrender. I personally have met and handled a number of dogs that were surrendered into Rescue because their owners were faced with vet bills they could not afford, including one unfortunate pup whom had both front legs in casts - He legs had suffered multiple open fractures and were partially de-gloved when he was hit by a car - Why was he hit? Becaue his owners didn’t have a fence - A home visit before they’d been allowed to buy him would’ve disclosed this - That’s one of the reasons Rescues do home visits. Why did they surrender him? Because if they hadn’t, he’d have been put down - There was no way in hell they could pay his bills. Happily, he eventually made a complete recovery, but we’d be damned to hell before we’d put that much work, money, and love into a dog and NOT check out his prospective adopters very carefully!
Shelters, OTOH, are basically warehouses for unclaimed pets. Some are better, some are worse, and the very best begin to come close to a Rescue, but most do not. You basically pay your money and takes your chances with most shelters. This is not tos say that every Rescue is a well-run operation - indeed, there are some very poorly run Rescues. It’s up to you which way to go - there are some very fine dogs in Shelters, but you need to know more, yourself, to pick them out on you own. Or, you can spin the wheel of fortune, and hope to come out a winner.
) but I’ve never met any and can’t vouch for that personally. They are pretty tall, though.
