dog advice

jasmine33

At present we have two cats which are 4 and 5 years old. We both work although I am self employed. Kids grown up and most flown the nest, you know the story.................Well I would like a dog. I would be able to take it to work with me so long as it was well behaved.

I had a dog when I was a young girl and my hubby had dogs as a lad but his dogs were terriers and according to him were smelly and yappy. I don't ever remember my dog being smelly but just loved very much and missed terribly when he died. So after that, we never got another dog but got a cat and so since the age of 13 (and I am 50 now) we've always had cats.

However, lately, really since a friend got a pup I've been thinking more and more about a dog. I think a pup would need more time than perhaps we could give (I'm thinking about trying to toilet train a pup if I had it at work) but have thought about a rescue dog.

I really just wanted your opinions and advice. Although my husband has never really wanted a dog, I find him showing a bit interest when I browse the rehoming websites.

I worry that the cats will go in a huff and also, because my job is clothing alterations, I wonder if some customers may take offence to a dog being in my workroom. I do have a large walk in cupboard which could be used as a temporary enclosure if any customers didn't take too kindly to a dog being there. I was told if I kept a cage in there then the dog could be put in it as and when needed although I would prefer it to be in the workroom with me most of the time. I go home at lunch ime, so if the workroom idea fell flat, then what do you think about leaving a dog in the house for 4 hours in the morning and then again 4 hours in the afternoon?

I would really appreciate your comments. Thanks very much.

suki1964

There are so many dogs in rescue that I think that given the time, you will find the correct dog for you

Sounds to me you need an "older" dog, One thats settled in its ways, one that doesnt "bounce" everywhere, one thats happy to be a couch potato whilst you work and one that is easy clean and is short hair

After writing that - GREYHOUND shouts at me

However there are many singular dogs that would suit the wants list

As for cats. Most people find that cats and dogs sort themselves out. Many of my friends have a no dog upstairs rule which means the cats do have a bolt hole. I think that yes for the first few weeks/months your cats could find it difficult but given the time they will find a way. And you know I usually see cts rule the roost when it comes to a mutli animal home

Dogs do smell sometimes. Wet or sickness are the usual culprits. However diet plays a major part. I find the more natural a feed the less of a stink about them. My lad stinks to high heaven if I feed any of those pedigree denta sticks or rasks

I think you and OH need to sit and talk some more, iron out concerns then go do the round of the rescues. I would try to go on a few quiet days so you can get the time to talk to staff more indepth.

As I say, you have waited over 30 years, so a few more months while you do your searching will soon fly

Good luck xxxx

foreign_correspondent

yes, it sounds ideal for a nice steady dog! Many dogs will be ansolutely fine being left for four hours at a time, seeing as you can let it out for a wee and to stretch it's legs at lunchtime!

So, it looks like your requirements are:

Cat friendly

Happy to meet lots of new people and relaxed (in case it comes in to work with you!)

Not smelly or yappy! (to please the hubby! short haired breeds tend to smell less IMHO!)

Steady and able to be left for four hours at a time

- a cat friendly greyhound may well work, but they are quite big dogs - people tend to think greyhounds need a lot of exercise, but they do not- they are sprinters that can have a quick burst of energy, but love to snooze. You probably want to avoid breeds that have been bred to work and run all day, so maybe collies, springers, terriers etc may not be ideal.

Having said all that, although that is the overall temprement of the breed types, individuals do vary a lot, and I used to have a little terrier that was incredibly chilled out! Staffies for example, whilst a terrier, tend to be very people -friendly, and whilst a youngster may want a fuss from every customer, older ones can be very steady!

Maybe if your husband comes and looks at a few dogs with you, he may find some he likes! Make sure he is onboard with having a dog though, otherwise it can lead to tensions later - it may be worth while deciding on who will pay for things like insurance, vets bills, walk the dog, etc before the dog comes along so you are both clear about this!

If you look at dogsblog (www.dogsblog.com) you can select dogs that are 'cat friendly' - if you scroll down on the right hand side you will see a box with a blue bar, one section of which is headed 'search by criteria' - you can then select 'suitable to live with cats' from the drop down menu - this is todays list:
http://www.dogsblog.com/tag/suitable-to-live-with-cats/

Lots of pups on there today though, which would probably need more attention that you can give if you are working - do either sign up for updates though or pop back and look again as it changes on a daily basis! - there is a very strking lurcher lad on there though :-)

You could also think about posting a 'homes offered' ad on dogpages, as lots of rescues read it and may be able to suggest suitable dogs http://www.dogpages.org.uk/

eta - re: smelliness - my old terrier had a wiry coat, and tended to smell a little doggy, but not too bad. My current dog has a smooth, very soft collie type coat, and does not smell at all! My mum has a smooth lurcher, she does not smell, however; my uncle has a westie and it smells doggy, I almost always find that things like shih-tzu's smell - I think it is a combination of the sort of coat they have and the fact that their face fur etc always seems to collect muck. I think it is more about this than how much you wash the dog, as I only was mine about every 6 months unless she has rolled in something and she normally does not smell at all!

UKTigerlily

I second a Staffy, but when you look round rescues you'll find the one that's meant to be. I came up with a CKCS as the breed best suited to me, so asked for something similar in character (Good with cats, not a big barker etc) & ended up with a 5yr old Staffy! She'd be perfect for you, not too big, 100% clean inside, happy to be left for 4hrs, doesn't chew or destroy anything, never barks (Even when the door goes or the post comes), loves people & is now a Pets as Therapy dog! I'm sure there's something just like her in rescue that'd be perfect for you. Keep us posted on how the search is going!

(I also have a cat who was 10 when I got the dog & is now 11, there's been no trouble at all because I knew the cat isn't the type to attack things, she hisses & walks away, so I knew even if she hated the dog she wouldn't try to harm it, got a cat happy dog & they've been fine!)

annie_cardiff

I volunteer for a dog rescue organisation and we would not home to anyone who would leave the dog for more than 3 to 4 hours per day max.. So if possible try to sort the workplace out , good luck .

Fire_Fox

The only thing I'd add to the excellent advice you've already given is you might consider rescuing from a breed which tends not to cause problems with allergies, as this might be one reason your clients would not want a dog in your workplace.

Lobell

Fire_Fox wrote: »

The only thing I'd add to the excellent advice you've already given is you might consider rescuing from a breed which tends not to cause problems with allergies, as this might be one reason your clients would not want a dog in your workplace.

There is no such thing as a breed that will not cause allergies as it is dander rather than fur that is the most common trigger for allergies and all dogs produce dander regardless of coat type.

I have to say that I was thinking along the same lines as Suki as I was reading your post...a rescue greyhound would seem to fit the bill quite well. Some rescues will test their compatibilty with cats before rehoming so it shouldn't be too difficult to find a cat-tolerant one. Cats are generally fine with dogs after a time...just make sure the cats always have an escape route (child safety gates can be useful as cats can go through/over to escape while the dog remains contained in one room) and a dog-free place to retreat to.

Personally, I think 4 hours is ok to leave a dog alone for (at a maximum) as long as they have had the opportunity for exercise and toileting before being left.

jasmine33

Well folks, you have come up trumps again. Loads of advice for me to read through. One thing I didn't mention is that although we have a back garden which is fenced on 3 sides, there is no gate and so it is not a secure space. The reason for this is because we have a caravan pushed up the drive and it goes part way into the back garden and so that part needs to be open to allow getting the caravan in and out. Do you think this would be a problem?

ali-t

I would second a rescue staffy. I have a 6 year old staffy who is a total gem,doesn't smell or bark BUT isn't great with other dogs. I also have a rott pup and he smells doggy has a major woof and would probably scare your clients.

Go for it, your life will change for the better with a poochy in tow! Good luck.

foreign_correspondent

jasmine33 wrote: »

Well folks, you have come up trumps again. Loads of advice for me to read through. One thing I didn't mention is that although we have a back garden which is fenced on 3 sides, there is no gate and so it is not a secure space. The reason for this is because we have a caravan pushed up the drive and it goes part way into the back garden and so that part needs to be open to allow getting the caravan in and out. Do you think this would be a problem?

most rescues are very keen on you having a secure garden area - but it may not be that hard to achieve - could you put a gate on, or a fence across behind the caravan?

My mum's garden opened onto her drive, so when she started looking for a rescue dog she got some relatively cheap bamboo (I think) fencing and fixed it in place by screwing it to batons attached to the fence and the house.

Some resues will home to houses without a secure garden if you can show you are commited to taking it out for a wee every time it needs to go, but as a dog owner, I would say you would soon find a fenced garden is a godsend, as sometimes the dog will need to go out when you do not feel like standing in the garden waiting for it to pee!

Lobell

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

most rescues are very keen on you having a secure garden area - but it may not be that hard to achieve - could you put a gate on, or a fence across behind the caravan?

My mum's garden opened onto her drive, so when she started looking for a rescue dog she got some relatively cheap bamboo (I think) fencing and fixed it in place by screwing it to batons attached to the fence and the house.

Some resues will home to houses without a secure garden if you can show you are commited to taking it out for a wee every time it needs to go, but as a dog owner, I would say you would soon find a fenced garden is a godsend, as sometimes the dog will need to go out when you do not feel like standing in the garden waiting for it to pee!

I agree...it would be better to have it fully fenced or gated but there are ways around it. You could perhaps fence a smaller area that the dog could have safe access to (maybe like a patio area that is acessed directly from the house?) when you can't be with it for the whole time.