Just bought a house. Want to get a good inside dog... (clean, vet)

[hamlin6969]

Originally Posted by Zimbochick

I don't think it's too young at all, as long as you take the dog to classes. We sought out a program geared towards families with kids, and I would highly recommend that. Small dogs can be a bit snippy, so perhaps that is what others were referring to. I will say getting a puppy, and leaving them locked up alone for long stretches can be problematic. I think that is when they get bored and into all sorts of mischief. If you really want a puppy think about getting it when you can spend more time with it. Just my opinion.

Yea, it kind of puts me in a tough position because I definitly do not want the dog to be unhappy all day while we are at work, even though I will come home halfway through the day to let the dog outside.

I am not sure what to do because I love my childhood dog dearly and when I moved out a year ago I missed him coming to the door and welcoming me home. I just want our son to have that experience.

[no kudzu]

Regarding Bichons. They will die of a broken heart if left alone for long periods of time. They are velcro dogs and most rescues will only let one be adopted if somebody is home full time.
Did you know you can adopt from anywhere? There are transport groups and you can fly one home.

[mrs1885]

Originally Posted by hamlin6969

Thanks for your replys;

Both our parents have dogs, he is only allergeric to the dog that doesnt have human like hair. He is good with my moms shih tzu and her moms poodle. He gets red eyes with the black lab.

Unfortunitly we cannot adopt a dog from a shelter here. I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario and the rescue dogs here are either german shepherds or labs..which he is allergic to.

We live a block away from a lake which has a walking/biking path that goes fulling around it so excerise will not be an issue for the dog.

I am also confused about the "he is too young" thing. My parents got a dog when I was about his age and I was fine with him. (was a small dog)

Rescues in the states will adopt in Canada. Look into a rescue in the northern part of the states. A friend of mine runs a rescue in IN and she even adopted one up there. Just because you live in Canada doesn't mean you can't adopt.

Having a puppy and a young child is possible. I had four very young kids and a puppy. But I've also always been around dogs and had experience raising, training and socializing one. That's very important. If you don't have much experience with that and are dead set on a puppy, find a good trainer. But keep in mind just because you get a puppy DOES NOT MEAN an adult dog won't bond with you and your family. It's a total BS old wives tail. I've got a house full of dogs and I've bonded with every single one of them, and they with me, and not a one came here as a puppy.

I don't DO puppies. They take way too much time, effort and energy and I just don't have it. They destroy the house if you turn your head for a second. They're more likely to bite your child - out of being a puppy not for aggression reasons - etc. I realize some people want puppies. For puppies it's great, but make sure you're being realistic about what YOU can do and what you can handle.

Puppies and young kids are a TON of work. You will spend all your time training and housebreaking and cleaning. It's not going to be a cute little picture all the time of the child on the floor playing with the cute little puppy and toys. It's going to be cleaning up pee and poo of the floor of your new house, your child accidentally stepping in that mess before you can grab the papertowels and get back to it, your furniture chewed up, and always standing over the puppy to make sure it doesn't chew through an electric cord and get electrocuted, and it's going to be your child with scratches from sharp puppy nails and crying from a puppy that bites.

My daughter is visiting right now. She and her husband and their six month old daughter are here with their four dogs. One of them is a three month old shih tzu. Because of the puppy they can't put their daughter on the floor to play. The puppy is a puppy - she bites. So she's stuck in a playpen to play. I realize your child is older, but it's an example.

I've never worried about people getting exercise for small breed dogs. They can run around in the house and get all that energy out. That's why they're also good apartment dogs. Try letting a 120 pound mastiff puppy run around the second floor apartment to get out it's energy. Doesn't work. But a 2 pound shih tzu - no problem.

Anyway, for what it's worth, those are my thoughts.

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by hamlin6969

Thanks for your replys;

Both our parents have dogs, he is only allergeric to the dog that doesnt have human like hair. He is good with my moms shih tzu and her moms poodle. He gets red eyes with the black lab.

Unfortunitly we cannot adopt a dog from a shelter here. I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario and the rescue dogs here are either german shepherds or labs..which he is allergic to.

We live a block away from a lake which has a walking/biking path that goes fulling around it so excerise will not be an issue for the dog.

I am also confused about the "he is too young" thing. My parents got a dog when I was about his age and I was fine with him. (was a small dog)

Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder .....

transports travel ALL THE TIME from the states into Canada.....

[Hopes]

My youngest was 4 years old when we got our 15 year old labrador as a puppy. My husband and I both worked full time that year too. Our lab did just fine. They key is to make sure you spend time with the dog when you are home. A puppy isn't something you can walk into the door, let out to pee, and not bother looking at again until the next time it needs to eat or go out. You have to spend time playing and training. If you don't think your live is calm enough to devote the time, you should adopt an older dog that is already house trained and has less energy.

[foxywench]

firstly, i dont think any kid is too young for their first dog, as long as your willing to supervise, never let dog and child be alone together, socilize puppy liek crazy and teach child acceptable behaviour around the dog (no hugging, not too much roughhousing ect...)

secondly...

a dog of any kind would do fine with that kind of work schedual...
do NOT let the fact you both work put you off or anyone make you feel bad about having to work, MILLIONS of dogs of all breeds live happy lives with "working parents"
most dogs will sleep while your not home then be ready to play when you are, they are adaptable creatures, and while i do agree some dogs are more "velcro" than others unless you get a dog with server seperation anxiety, being alone for a few hours a day is NOT going to break its heart.

however housebreaking a puppy is going to be tough...puppies have tiny bladders SOO my suggestion to you, especially since your looking into smaller breeds would be to litterbox or puppy pad train...
during the day you would have puppy in a small area, a crate with a small playpen attatched or something similar, or in a pinch a kitchen or bathroom, bed goes in the crate, dogs dont like to potty where they sleep, then you put out a wee wee pad the pads are treated with an attractant...
when your not home puppy has acess to the wee wee pads 24/7...when you are home however puppy gets taken outside to potty every hour to start off with...
the idea being you 1: want to teach him that the pads are for emergencies only
and 2: you may want to eventually wean him off the pads as he becomes better able to hold his bladder, so by teaching him outside is also for potty (rather than ONLY using the pads) puppy is goign to be less confused later on...

our chihuahuas are all pad trained because my father owns a boat, ts impossible to find grass when your out on the ocean lol....
but its great for cold winters, apartments and working families...

in terms fo breeds, you say baby does fine with other family members poodle and ****zu...
so this is a good start, NO breed is truly hypoalergenic, (only hairless breeds are considered even close), but if hes not sensitive to the hair coated type breeds, its a good starting point...

personally i wouldnt do a toy poodle, they tend to be too delicate for kids and prone to a napoleon complex...
a mini however (next size up) might be a good choice if your not worried about grooming, poodles require ALOT of grooming...
infact, ALL "low allergen" tend to be higher maintence in the grooming department.

****zu typically make wonderfull family pets, keep in a teddy bear or puppy cut for ease, still some grooming involved but a little easier than the poodle.

bichon is a good choice, again typically good with gentle kids, considered a low allergen breed, not too tiny as to be breakable but still a small breed. less grooming than a poodle, more than a shi-tzu.

maltese are nice dogs, though ive found they can be very energetic, very sweet, about the same grooming requirments as a shi-tzu

i HAVE to suggest the chinese crested (a powderpuff could be a perfect match, hairless need more skin care and certianly arnt for everyone) great size, not bad on the grooming (powderpuff a bath twice a month and comb through every day and a trim around the eyes is all thats realy needed)
i have cresties, never thought about them as the breed for me untill i fostered ruby...well ruby never left and now i have 2 and am plannign to add a third in the next year or so...
they are amazing little dogs, very sweet, very athletic, very bonded to their people. and both the hairless and the puff are usually good for allergy sufferers)

Havanese, about the same size and upkeep as the maltese very cute, very sweet

lhasa apso, another "hair breed" simialr to the ****zu and maltese in terms of upkeep

lowchen, cute, tend to be higer energy than some of the typicall "low allergen" breeds the few ive met are wonderfull with kids...and no there not born with a nekkid butt so you dont have to have them clipped that way lol.

American Hairless Terrier (like hairless cresties, truly hypoalergenic) less skin care upkeep than the cresties, but also no fancy furnishings (though many have mohawks) the hairless breeds deifnatly take an aquired taste, but if you want tryly hypoalergenic, hairless is the way to go...no coat = no sheeding, no hair means nowhere for dander to hide...so it cant buld up and agrivate allergies either...

the AhT is the ONLY terrier i perosnally would suggest for a younger family first time dog owners, they are typically more mellow than the rat terrier (their coated cousins, the aht is actualy a mutation in the rat terrier, but for some reason the hairless seem to be much more mellow overall)
terriers i would ruel out completly, high energy, high drive and not typiclaly good with YOUnG kids...

of all those suggestions id say a crestie, aht or shi-tzu might be the best bets...
i also suggest finding breders of any of the breed syour interested in and having meet and greets with your kid, something that doesnt bother 1 persons allergies might bother anothers...

also i am NOT anti breeder...if you want to rescue, rescue, if you want a puppy from a breeder use a breeder but please get a GOOD breeder, if youd like help figuring out if a breeder s good or not, dont hesitate to ask...
do nOt buy a puppy from a pet store, do nOT buy a puppy off craiglist, do NOT buy a puppy out of the local classifeids or that guy selling dogs in the walmart parking lot...
and just because they say "akc/ckc" ect doesnt mean they are good breeders...akc is a registry not a policing system (same goes for ANY registry, they are simply people who keep track of lineages, nothign more nothing less...)

many good breeders often have slightly older pups available too (in the 4-8month range) puppies they held back in hopes of show prospect or returned for a reason not its own fault (divorse is common) because good breeders take back any puppy they produce for any reason... these puppies are often already started on training housebreaking and well socilized, so this might be an excelent path to follow for your first dog, youd still get a young puppy from a good breeder but might already be passed the most difficult puppy stages

if you need any help, dont hesitate to ask!

[Coachgns]

My partner is very allergic to dogs - even the hypoallergenic ones.
We recently got an AHT, and she is one terrific, mellow dog. And gorgeous, too. Most AHT's are not the best looking dogs, but this one is an exception.

[Honeycrisp]

AHT - American Hairless Terrier - it's not the most common breed (or abbreviation) - I googled images and at a quick glance, they remind me of a bigger version of the Chinese Crested (hairless) - good info (coachgns and foxywench)

[foxywench]

they are similar, there a little more terrier bodieid (the crestie is a usually a little more sighthoundish in body) and alot less furnishings...

the biggest difference though is the AHT still has "dog skin" 9the crestie has skin more akin to human) so the hairless crested needs a more intensive skin care regime than the aht, aht needs a bath in milkd shampoo every couple of weeks, a little sunscreen or a t-shirt in the sun, and a little moisturizer when the weathers dry (winter)
whereas the cresti needs more regular baths, moisturizing daily, and are prone to clogged pores...


both have great personalites though and will 100% stop traffic no matter where you take them

[NJGOAT]

I'll tell my story on getting a dog for my three kids; 6, almost 3 and 18 months. We had promised my son (the oldest) for many years that we would get him the dog he desperately wanted. Everytime we went to do it, it just wasn't the right time. My wife was pregnant, we had to relocate for work, we were living in an apartment, etc. My wife and I had both grown up with dogs so we wanted him to have the experience as well. Also, since my wife is a SAHM, we felt we could handle it.

Dog 1 - We felt adoption was the right way to go and went to a highly regarded local AWA shelter. We spoke with the behavioralist, we spoke with the trainer, we took a few different dogs out for a test drive and my son (and I) fell in love with Rufus, a one year old lab mix. We brought Rufus home and everyone was happy for about 3 weeks. One day my son was playing with a toy and Rufus was lieing down about 3 feet away from him. The toy made a noise Rufus didn't like and he jumped up and proceeded to sink his teeth into my son's arm. My wife ran to pull him off and he turned on her as well. Suffice to say, Rufus (the bahvioralist and trainer checked out OK for kids dog) went back to the shelter.

Dog 2 - After that experience we decided to hold off on a dog for about a year and a half. We moved and settled into a larger permanent home and decided to try again. We still thought adoption was the right thing to do and so we went back to the same shelter to look at dogs again. This time we spent much more time getting to know the dogs, going back for several visits, etc. This time we settled on Jake, a beagle coonhound mix who was as sweet as sweet could be. Jake was with us for about 5 weeks, before an underlying food issue began to creep up. One day he tried to take a cookie from the 2 year old and when she pulled it away, he bit her. Knowing that he was otherwise a good dog and would probably benefit from a quieter adult home (again despite his behavior and trainer good for kids certification from the shelter) my in-laws graciously agreed to adopt Jake. Since being there, he still has his food "issues" that they are working on but is otherwise a very happy and well adjusted dog.

Dog 3 - About 6 months after Jake went away, the kids were again heart broken and wanted a dog especially after they would visit my in-laws. My wife and I also wanted a dog and were incredibly frustrated with our past experiences. This time we decided we would buy a puppy. We researched pet stores and thanks to NJ's rather strict laws governing pet sales most of the stores in business are very reputable. We went to one of the stores that had a litter of ****-a-poo puppies. They had the entire litter together and the breeder and parents were available to be seen by appintment. So, as positive of a puppy buying experience as one could get. We spoke to the breeder on the phone who gave us a lot of sound advice and came to the store to help us select a puppy.

The kids (and my wife and I) fell in love with a little red/rust colored girl. My son wanted a boy dog, the girls wanted a girl dog, the girls got their way, but we let him pick the name....Princess Leia Chewbacca. Leia was an instant hit at home and is just about to turn 1. We took Leia and the family to training classes and the kids have a blast teaching her new tricks and showing off what she can do to their friends. She is the perfect size, being big enough she can handle playing with the kids, but small enough that she can't hurt them. She doesn't shed, but does require a lot of grooming. She is also gentle as a lamb and docile with even the youngest who can get a little rough at times.

I guess the moral of my story would be, that while I think adoption is a wonderful thing the experiences we had adopting from an extremely reputable shelter left us with a bad taste in our mouths for adopting a dog when there are young children involved. I could see my wife and I in the future adopting a dog, but it wouldn't be until the children are much older and able to handle any "issues" that might not come out while the dog is in the shelter. No matter what the shelter people tell you or whatever tests they do, they cannot make any guarantees about the dogs behavior or issues.

I think the best option is to either adopt the kind of puppy you want or track down a reputable breeder to purchase one from. I would personally recommend a ****-a-poo as they are an excellent mix of attributes that meld well with young kids. My final thought would be, do not overlook getting professional help with the training. It will make the overall experience much better for everyone if you have someone to help you to train the dog correctly and correct any issues that come up.