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This may still sound stupid to most people but I do understand that as a college student my life will be hectic, especially during the day. I currently balance my life with a job, doing my A a levels and an extra law course while looking after my dads dog full time.
I have terrible sleeping patterns so I go to sleep around mind night every day and wake up at 4-5 so I can spend LOTS of time with the dog.
Since you have not even decided which breed of dog you want you must not be in contact with any breeders yet. If you intend to purchase from a truly reputable breeder than you may be in for a bit of a surprise. In America many breeders have wait lists for their puppies even before a breeding is done. I would be surprised if things were not much the same in the UK.
I hope you're not considering getting one from some backyard "breeder" or puppy miller that sells dogs on the internet, no questions asked.
I think you really should wait until you have finished your schooling and will be back living in England.
Willow Wind speaks the truth and obviously is very knowledgeable.
If you are hellbent on having a dog why don't you wait till you are over there and find a rescue dog instead of trying to take a puppy from here. Believe me there are rescue dogs of every breed all over the world.
I googled Are Irish Setters dumb dogs and I found several entries. I think you need to do more research on breeds. This link is for irish setter owners and has some interesting information. Almost every entry under irish Setters talks about their reputation for being less than intelligent.
Since you have not even decided which breed of dog you want you must not be in contact with any breeders yet. If you intend to purchase from a truly reputable breeder than you may be in for a bit of a surprise. In America many breeders have wait lists for their puppies even before a breeding is done. I would be surprised if things were not much the same in the UK.
I hope you're not considering getting one from some backyard "breeder" or puppy miller that sells dogs on the internet, no questions asked.
I think you really should wait until you have finished your schooling and will be back living in England.
I have no interest in getting a dog for backyard breeders, I think the whole ordeal is disgusting, but I fail to see how in your eyes it is impossible for somebody to be in touch with breeders without having decided on a certain breed? Your statement was poorly thought out. I've contacted reputable breeders for each breed and have even been to see the older dogs to see if I click with any of them.
And Who ever said I will be living back in England ?
Willow Wind speaks the truth and obviously is very knowledgeable.
If you are hellbent on having a dog why don't you wait till you are over there and find a rescue dog instead of trying to take a puppy from here. Believe me there are rescue dogs of every breed all over the world.
I googled Are Irish Setters dumb dogs and I found several entries. I think you need to do more research on breeds. This link is for irish setter owners and has some interesting information. Almost every entry under irish Setters talks about their reputation for being less than intelligent.
I also googled are irish setters intelligent dogs, and got many positive results, so you may want to look at both sides. I've adopted and rescued dogs all of my life (7) in total, and we foster dogs aswell. I've never once had a dog from a puppy, all of our dogs are from abused home, fighting rings or they were abandoned. So I feel like I should be able to handle a puppy. One side of my family trains all sorts of puppies from a young age to be guard dogs for a security firm or even for the police force. So I've picked up a few things.
But...you're still in high school. A levels, correct? I am not saying that people in their late teens (assuming that applies to you) can't be responsible adults. I was one myself. But you're about to embark on one of the grandest adventures of your life! Being on your own, a student in Paris! Don't do it to yourself--don't add a concern for another living being, at least not the first year. Then reevaluate the situation and if you feel lonely, or you still need doggie company, and you think you can give a dog a good life, get yourself a French chiot. You say you have adopted and rescued dogs, but given your age, I would assume you are referring to joint family projects. Having the sole responsibility for a young dog, for the first time in your life, while spreading your own wings for the first time--very, very bad idea!Take it from someone who has been in a somewhat similar situation, back in the day. There are so many adjustment issue that your mind will be spinning for the first 6 months or more. You will be having the most exhilarating, memorable identity crisis . Don't add a puppy to the mix! (What do your parents suggest, by the way?)
There is a certain charm to deferred gratification. We don't all need everything at once. Some things have their own time. Right now it is your time to live and grow as a young person in Paris. Enjoy it. Later will be your time to raise great dogs. And I wish you all the best.
I'm the OP and I am fully aware of the quarantine and all of that, my family has an apartment in Paris, close to the university I will be going to (I already have a conditional offer) that we rent out to students and naturally, I will live there.
Please think this through. This would not be good for the dog. Even a small dog will be anxious and bored cooped up like that. A large breed needs to run! needs exercise more than you will be able to give it. Needs a lot more care, food, area to defecate in, and human company. You will end up with a lonely destructive and frustrated animal.
People should not consider getting any dog unless they can properly care for it, train it, and have the proper environment for the dog. Unfortunately, the dogs have no say in the matter of who chooses them.
But...you're still in high school. A levels, correct? I am not saying that people in their late teens (assuming that applies to you) can't be responsible adults. I was one myself. But you're about to embark on one of the grandest adventures of your life! Being on your own, a student in Paris! Don't do it to yourself--don't add a concern for another living being, at least not the first year. Then reevaluate the situation and if you feel lonely, or you still need doggie company, and you think you can give a dog a good life, get yourself a French chiot. You say you have adopted and rescued dogs, but given your age, I would assume you are referring to joint family projects. Having the sole responsibility for a young dog, for the first time in your life, while spreading your own wings for the first time--very, very bad idea!Take it from someone who has been in a somewhat similar situation, back in the day. There are so many adjustment issue that your mind will be spinning for the first 6 months or more. You will be having the most exhilarating, memorable identity crisis . Don't add a puppy to the mix! (What do your parents suggest, by the way?)
There is a certain charm to deferred gratification. We don't all need everything at once. Some things have their own time. Right now it is your time to live and grow as a young person in Paris. Enjoy it. Later will be your time to raise great dogs. And I wish you all the best.
thanks so much for the advice! Well, you are right the adoptions have been a family project, but several of the dogs have been left to solely my responsibility (I trained, walked, fed and cared for them) mostly in the past few years (my boy tibetan mastiff got put down last novemeber) and I can't stand being dogless. I take care of my dads TM because he works abroad in the USA but she'll be going to live with him soon. During my first or second year, my older brother (who goes to uni in England) might be staying with me while he studies a year in Paris, so his help would probably relieve a bit of the stress. I've been pretty privileged in the fact that my parents will be paying for most of my schooling and catering and everything. Our apartment is quite big and sometimes either parent, or both might come up and stay with me for a while, so if I needed their help I'm more than positive they'd be willing to help. But I've been dependant on them my whole life, I'd rather try and handle the situation on my own.
I prefer big dogs just as you do, but possibly because of your lifestyle in the next couple of years a smaller dog may be more manageable. Get an athletic breed that tends to be a big dog in small dog clothes. A Jack Russel, Beagle, several Spaniels..... a dog the size of a Newfie is going to make life a tad bit more difficult than Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would. There is always time in the future for the big breeds.
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. Don't add a puppy to the mix! (What do your parents suggest, by the way?)
