Loads of newbie questions about getting a puppy!

kjmtidea

We are considering getting a puppy sometime in the future. I have been reading, reading and reading even more trying to learn as much as possible because I have never had a dog before. As soon as I think I have got my head round something, I read something else that completely contradicts what I have previously read!

I have read a lot about house breaking on here which was very helpful. So taking the puppy out every 30 minutes at first, loads of praise, treats etc but is that used with crate training as well? I like the idea of having a safe place for the puppy at night and whilst we are out.

My partner works but I don't, we do have 4 children though so I want to make sure that we are prepared and know what we are doing. The last thing that I want is an out of control puppy on my hands. I have been reading about westies, cavalier king charles spaniel, minature schnauzer, cairn terrier & jack russel cross. Some websites say they are good family dogs, good with kids etc, other websites say the opposite.

So any advice at all about any of this would be brilliant thanks!

UKTigerlily

Hiya! Well, first off a Puppy isn't a good idea for a first Dog, could you consider a Rescue? Maybe slightly older? Yes, for toilet training you'd take it out every half an hour/hour & say a word when it's in the process of going, such as busy & then tons of praise/treat when it's gone & if it goes inside by accident (Which it will!) you just clean up with bio washing powder out of sight of the Dog & don't say or do anything, definitely no 'punishments'

How old are the kids? Westies are generally not known to be so good with kids, a Cavalier generally would be as would a Staffy of course, but if the kids are young you might not want to have them crawling in the Dog's pee & poo! Also, can you guarantee you'd never need to leave the Dog & kids together? They can never be left unattended even for a minute!

Would you be able to walk it 2/3x a day for a good hour at least? (Pups can't be walked much but when older they need to be!) That's you &/or Partner *not* the kids (If old enough), if the kids are younger & too young to leave, are they gonna be ok with being dragged out on Dog walkies in the pouring rain?

Weekly training classes will be needed whether adult or pup, a good quality food, insurance, Vet bills (Which can get huge), kennelling/pet sitter when away (Unless you have family/relatives/friends to look after it)

Can you cope if it turns out to be a 24/7 barker? Remember a Pup *will* go through a chewing/destructive stage when it's abit older, would you be ok with your fave bag/shoes/tv remote chewed?

I'd seriously consider a Rescue, you can get Dogs of all ages & many are in Rescue through no fault of their own at all, such as their Owner having died, the family moving somewhere that won't accept Dogs, divorce & neither partner willing/able to take the Dog etc. You get Pups born in Rescue also. Many have a full history & will have been thoroughly temperament tested & you'd be matched to a suitable dog, you can never guarantee a Pup will grow up to be child friendly

I got a Rescue Dog in December, age 5 who looks much younger, is 100% house trained, doesn't ever bark (Even if the post comes or door goes), loves people & kids & came vaccinated, microchipped & with six weeks free insurance. If you get a dog from a breeder, you'll have to pay out for second vaccinations, microchipping & neutering yourself on top of a few hundred to buy it.

Anyway, I could rabbit on all night but now i'll shut up as I know there's tons of others here who will add to this & give advice! It's great you're looking into it, but don't get a set idea, I was thinking a CKCS but got a Staff in the end as it was the right Dog for me & i'm very glad I did! Good luck!

endure

If you want a family dog this is the answer:

Kimberley

Mine has plenty of chews and toys and if you crate train the pup then there will be no chewing or destruction. You just have to watch them when you are present. Just remember not to get a puppy through impulse because as cute as they are, they are hard work.

foreign_correspondent

Kimberley wrote: »

Mine has plenty of chews and toys and if you crate train the pup then there will be no chewing or destruction.

can you pop rond and tell that to my mum's dog please? :rotfl:

She has almost grown out of it now (or been trained out of it), aged 2, but she had been a little !!!!!! for snaffling anything that is not nailed down and having a secretive nibble at it - the best one was her carefully and silently stripping all the mahogany veneer off the pedestal of a rather valuale antique table! (when my mum was sitting in the same room watching TV!)

Lots of pups go thorugh two chewing stages, one as a pup, and the second as an adolescent when the adult teeth are bedding in... if you are not careful it can become habitual, and the dog can resort to it when bored... unless you keep the pup in the cage for the majority of the time, which is obviously not realistic, or fair, or a good idea at all, it can be hard to avoid!

OP, how old are the kids? Much as I love terriers, I woulnd not advise a westie with small kids, and I would be cautious about a JRT - they are smashing but a lot of work, and feisty too.

Kimberley

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Lots of pups go thorugh two chewing stages, one as a pup, and the second as an adolescent when the adult teeth are bedding in... if you are not careful it can become habitual, and the dog can resort to it when bored... unless you keep the pup in the cage for the majority of the time, which is obviously not realistic, or fair, or a good idea at all, it can be hard to avoid!

A dog should only be crated at night and when left in the house alone. I have never since I was a kid had a pup who chewed the furniture or was destructive even into adulthood. If you train a dog properly from a puppy then they will not chew or be destructive.

foreign_correspondent

kjmtidea wrote: »

The last thing that I want is an out of control puppy on my hands.

I think, if you are not an exerienced dog owner, and assuming that you are already pretty busy with four kids, especially if they are quite young, that an older, steady sensible dog who is past the 'out of control' stage is probably worth investigating - they are all out of control as pups, it is training that makes them under your control, and this is not an immediate, simple or easy process.

Kimberley

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I think, if you are not an exerienced dog owner, and assuming that you are already pretty busy with four kids, especially if they are quite young, that an older, steady sensible dog who is past the 'out of control' stage is probably worth investigating - they are all out of control as pups, it is training that makes them under your control, and this is not an immediate, simple or easy process.

I agree with that, it just sounded that you were mocking my way of doing things which I have always had good results in the pups and dogs that I train when in my care. We all have our own different ways of training.

slummymummyof3

Border terriers are excellent with kids.

kjmtidea

Thank you for all of that. I did look at the rescue dogs but the local website said no children under 6 and mine are 2,3,5 and 7. I thought a puppy would be best because it would grow up with the kids and wouldn't have anyone elses bad habits! I will definitely look into an older dog though.

We are not going into this lightly, we have dicussed it for a long time. I know that it will be more hard work than having another baby but that still doesn't put me off!

MRSCARNEY

Another thing to consider is how much time you have to exercise the dog. All dogs need to get out and about but different breeds need different amounts and types of exercise. Do you want a dog that is happy to go for a walk on the lead or one that needs a good run across the fields.

Puppies are hard work - do you have the time and patience to train the puppy and clean up after it? If you do then you can have lot fun with the training and reap the rewards later.

I think it is great that you are taking the time to think this through and good luck in finding your new family member, dogs are just brill :j