Puppy Advice (merged)

foreign_correspondent

oh that's lovely - she sounds super - I love collies, I had three collie crosses at various times as a child and they are super if given enough training and stimulation - well done on choosing a rescue dog, I hope you all have a lovely time together and I am sure she will be a great pal for the kids :-)

MrsTinks

Lorne have you thought about fostering for a while? It will allow you to have a few different dogs through your house (and you might find the perfect dog!!) and get used to the routine to make sure that a very active breed is the type you want

mizmir

She sounds gorgeous. And great to have an adult dog with history - you know what you are getting - important for you. Bet you can't wait till Saturday. Good luck with her and hope you all enjoy your holiday. What is her name?

foreign_correspondent

Hello,

Labradors can be lovely, or they can be a pain - much like any dog. My friend has one who does bark a bit - she is a little nervous and territotrial, whereas we had one when I was a kid that was a lovely big chilled out dog.

If you go for an adult dog you will already know its personality - when you get a pup you get potential rather than the finished object and it can be harder to tell if he or she is a barker or not.

I would always recommend rescues (who often have both pups and adults to choose from) and there are so many breed rescues for labradors it is probably better for you to google them yourself, although many non breed specific rescues will probably have labs in as they are such popular dogs...

Anyway, good luck in your search, you sound like you could offer a dog a great home!

fc x

Trollydolly_2

Hi there
Id just like to add my tuppence worth....
Its great to see people thinking about the pro's and cons of taking on a pooch before just simply going out and getting one. Well done to you!
I help out with various rescues and understand that rescue dogs are not for everyone, however I they do come in all shapes, sizes, colours, personality, pedigree and not, young or old!
Id def reccomend that you take a look at https://www.dogspages.org.uk this is primaraly a rescue site but the forums on there are full of people who will be able to give you as much info a you could possibly ever want, all a really nice bunch of people!!
Who knows, you may even find a dog on there to adopt you
I wouldnt worry too much about the garden, as long as it is secure and you can offer the dog long walks, time, love and patience then im sure it will be fine
As for barking while your out, thats another good reason to pick a rescue doglet as generally they have been assessed by the rescue and this would be one of the things they may have found out already!
Maybe you could even take on two dogs to keep each other company he he he or maybe that could be double the trouble haha!!!
If its def a lab your after I would reccomend you read the book "Marley and Me"

f1re_cr4cker

Debussy wrote: »

Also, did you know that the breed responsible for the most bites to people in this country is (no, not the staffie) : the labrador.

id guess thats cos its the most common dog owned myself....

sammy_kaye18

congrats rev - i hope she settles in quickly - what is your new baby called??

My mothe rin law has a collie x whippet (we think) she was abused and runs for cover if you even twitch your leg near her wrong - she is a fab dog and a loving companion - ive never had one bit of trouble with her and my son and they have known each other since my sone was 1 year old (or around that) -

the only thing i would say when she does arrive home is that i would keep an eye on the kids. If the dog is a bit 'disorientated' (thats not the word i want but you get what i mean) because of her new surroundings the last thing she may want is the kids constantly on her - i know my 4 year old is always wanting the dog to sit with him,lay with him,play with him and sometimes he tends to crowd hima bit too much. Im sure she will be fine but jsut incase - best to keep an eye on her and them for a bit.

Also dont forget when you go on holiday take a blanket etc with you that you have cuddled for her to have in the kennels - might help her settle in the nights when shes away form you - my mother in law use to sit cuddling a blanket for hours and we would wrap Ben (my son) up in it when he napped, then when my in laws decided on a dog they gave the blanket to the RSPCA kennel keeper who put it in wiht her new doggy to be - helped her get her 'new familys' scents. Think that is why shes so tolerant and happy with my son - except when he stands on her tail! :rolleyes:

rev229

I have told the kids and hubby just to leave her alone until she finds her feet. My mother:eek: :eek: is coming to stay for 2 weeks the day the dog arrives she will be more bother than the new dog (she will compete with the kids and dog now for my attention!!) We have been given a really good package with information about helping the dog settle in her new home. Although she is house trained I have warned my husband that she may go indoors because it is all new we will keep her out of the lounge for the time being as it is carperted but free to roam around the rest of the house. My son has put her a bed in his room as he wants her to sleep in his bedroom and dosen't want her to be lonely!! But she may decide that she wants to sleep elsewhere! We will put another bed in the playroom downstairs so she can choose!! Really looking forward to her coming on Saturday. I am shocked that my husband has even agreed to having a dog but he did spend last week reading up on dog care etc not that that will make any difference to who will end up feeding and walking it as I am fairly sure that will be me:rolleyes:

Tan007_2

I have a 4 month old puppy, this weekend on two seperate occasions he was attacked by other dogs. What is it with some owners, they let their dogs run round off the lead, with no discipline. Most owners we come across are really friendly and have control of their dogs. However on speaking to other dog owners this happends all to often. What is wrong with some people! My husbands attitude at first was people wouldnt let their dogs off the leads if they were a problem, he now knows that is not the case. I personally dont like dogs running towards me, if they are nice or not. My dog will remain on the lead until his recall is 100% and if there was any agression in him he wouldnt come off. Sorry just had to get this off my chest.

Chesnut1

I agree with you, it is not a pleasant experience!