Thinking of buying a dog....advice needed please

joylikes2shop

My husband wants to buy our 16yr old daughter a Shitzu puppy as a surprise for working hard for her GCSE's.

I have never had or wanted a dog so have NO idea of where or what I should be looking for, so ANY helpfull advice would be most welcome.

I already know it's going to be a nuscience,expensive,time consuming etc etc so please don't remind me of these things. As I've said above...I've NEVER wanted a dog BUT it's because I know that I'll be the one worried about it not eating properly, not getting enough fresh air, looking unhappy, not having enough friends etc

So...any advice about where to look for a puppy,prices,condition,parents,things to be warey of etc etc would be very much appreciated.

Bigcammy

Can't give you much advice on buying the dog itself, but in no time you'll be completely entranced by it and you'll find owing it a real pleasure, good luck

caz2703

Dogs aren't that hard to look after. We've grown up around them and now have our own dog together after adopting a mad lab cross from Assisi in Bangor.

Pedigree dogs are a slighty different matter though as being pedigree especially in a country as small as this, their genetic make-up is restricted and as such *can* suffer from more hereditary problems than a mongrel. Insurance will cost more for a pedigree as well plus the initial cost will be quite high. I'm not sure specifically about Shitzu's but there are puppy farms about so do your research about breeders before you buy and make sure you see the pups with their mum before you commit.

As for what you'll need .....

• At least 2 bowls (one for water, one for food). We use metal as they're lighter and can be stuck in the dishwasher.
• A mat to put the bowls on to stop your floor getting ruined
• A lead & collar
• Dog license (mandatory in NI)
• ID Tag (not sure if mandatory but useful if your dog gets lost)
• A bed or bean bag for the dog to sleep on but if like ours, furniture will be treated by the dog as a suitable bed!
• Dog proof the garden to ensure the pup won't escape
• Food - each to their own. Ours has problems with his rear end (TMI?!) so he eats Chappie as recommended by our vet which is one of the cheapest foods packed full of cereal. He used to eat Pedigree Natures Best (or whatever its called). Dog treats are good for training as well but I tend to stick to Pedigree as some other brands make some very plasticy treats.
• If you need to board your dog while on holiday I can personaly recommend Dogwood Pet Resort. It's past the Clandeboye hotel in Bangor heading to Ards. Expensive but the dogs are well looked after.

SnowyOwl_2

OMG this is utter madness on your husband's part. A dog is a living sentient creature - it will live for possibly as long as 15 or perhaps more years. And your husband wants to give this to a 16 year old as a surprise?!? It is going to be her dog - so if she goes away to university will the dog be going too? When she moves out, goes away for a gap year - she'll be bringing the dog as well?

A dog is a totally and utterly unsuitable present. Please please please put your foot down and say no to this madness. Get your daughter something very special from the jewellers - spend about £1,000 - that will only be a fraction of what this dog which you have already admitted you don't want in the house will cost you.

If you must - and I say this with a very heavy heart - get a dog as a "surprise" then please consider a puppy from a rehoming centre. Rehoming centres are full to bursting with unwanted dogs and pups. But whatever happens please be sure that as your daughter grows to adulthood she will take the dog with her wherever she goes - if you can't be sure of that then whoever the dog will be dumped with must be prepared for giving this creature the care and attention it requires and is prepared to dip into their pocket for for vet fees for 15+ years.

david39

If you do decide to buy a dog, and not from a homing centre, then make sure that you buy it from a reputable breeder and not a pet shop or multiple chain.

Most dogs sourced from these start off from puppy farms, where the parent lives in an enclosure and is used just for breeding purposes. It is an outrageous misuse of dogs and does nothing to further the development of the breed.

If you do not know of a reputable breeder, Google the breed and find the UK web page of the particular breed society. They will have pages of expert advice on bringing up your specific breed of dog, together with the plus-points and shortcomings of the breed and advice on what to look for when choosing a puppy. There will also be some form of forum where you can ask specific questions about that particular dog.

Finally there will be a list of reputable breeders and probably a list of those who have puppies for sale at that time.

If you want to help an unfortunate puppy, go to a rescue centre - if you want to buy a new puppy, go to a reputable breeder.

joylikes2shop

SnowyOwl I know where you're coming from and agree with most of your comments.

I should have mentioned that both my daughter and husband have been longing for a dog for YEARS and although my husband prefers the idea of a Boxer :eek: to a Shitzu he has finally 'brainwashed' me that I would love a Shitzu.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that ( unfortunately ??) my daughter would far rather have a dog than a piece of jewellery.

I'd like to reassure anyone reading this that if, and when, we do get a dog, I WILL look after it, and worry about its welfare...100%because as Bigcammy has already stated I know that I'll be completely entranced by it.

I appreciate your suggestion about the rehoming centre but am anxious that as a first time dog owner I might take on a dog with existing 'problems' which I'd not be confident or capable about dealing with. When my neighbours dog died a few years ago, they went to the rehoming unit and despite having years of experience as dog owners,they couldn't cope with the 1st (or subsequently the 2nd !!) dog which they got,and after months of perservering, they had to give the dog(s) back.They've now had a pedigree dog for about 2 years without any major problems.

Please don't worry that we're not putting enough thought into this purchase...on the contrary, I've had at least 10 years of 'drip tourture' leading up to this point. I just was looking for some general information on how to find the right breeders etc.
I've just been in touch with our local vet's to get some guidance and they've suggested I look at the Kennel Club web site for advice.

Caz2703....thanks for all your information...I'll probably be in touch for some more advice in the future:)

niceday999

SnowyOwl wrote: »

OMG this is utter madness on your husband's part. A dog is a living sentient creature - it will live for possibly as long as 15 or perhaps more years. And your husband wants to give this to a 16 year old as a surprise?!? It is going to be her dog - so if she goes away to university will the dog be going too? When she moves out, goes away for a gap year - she'll be bringing the dog as well?

A dog is a totally and utterly unsuitable present. Please please please put your foot down and say no to this madness. Get your daughter something very special from the jewellers - spend about £1,000 - that will only be a fraction of what this dog which you have already admitted you don't want in the house will cost you.

If you must - and I say this with a very heavy heart - get a dog as a "surprise" then please consider a puppy from a rehoming centre. Rehoming centres are full to bursting with unwanted dogs and pups. But whatever happens please be sure that as your daughter grows to adulthood she will take the dog with her wherever she goes - if you can't be sure of that then whoever the dog will be dumped with must be prepared for giving this creature the care and attention it requires and is prepared to dip into their pocket for for vet fees for 15+ years.

Oh for goodness sake get over yourself !!!!!! A dog can become part of the family it is not an accessory for a 16 year old girl. !!!!!! !
CHILL OUT AND JUST LET THEM ENJOY THE DOG...I said exactly the same for years and now we have our dog i could not be without him..........
go for it !!!!!

SnowyOwl_2

OK Joy - I think you've been tortured enough, I'll leave you alone! I am very very glad to hear that you have put lots of thought into this acquisition, and that you are going into it with your eyes wide open.

There are so many lovely dogs out there. My friend's sister has a Shitzu - it was sold to her as "pedigree"- for a mere £500, however now that he's adult it's glaringly obvious that there must have been an parenting accident at some point in his ancestery. Pedigrees aren't necessarily the healthiest or best behaved - however as mentioned in the advice given by David please put some research into where to get the dog from. A good caring and ethical breeder will care about where their puppies go to and what happens to them.

Good luck with this Joy - having a pet is one of the most rewarding things there is in life, I hope you find the right puppy for your family soon.

SnowyOwl_2

niceday999 wrote: »

Oh for goodness sake get over yourself !!!!!! A dog can become part of the family it is not an accessory for a 16 year old girl. !!!!!! !
CHILL OUT AND JUST LET THEM ENJOY THE DOG...I said exactly the same for years and now we have our dog i could not be without him..........
go for it !!!!!

Go shag yourself.


Joy seemed more than happy with my response, so you get over yourself, IDIOT.

niceday999

SnowyOwl wrote: »

Go shag yourself.


Joy seemed more than happy with my response, so you get over yourself, IDIOT.

I am not going to drag myself down to the level of name calling....
I can only testify that our dog adds to our family in so many ways. we just adore our dog...... Our dog is not specifically one persons pet in our family as we all care for him..... as I'm sure the OP's family would regardless of who owned the pet.......
As for vets fee's - I'm sure most people dont care they either take out Pet Insurance or foot the bill for whatever.......

joylikes2shop

OH NO !!!

I'M SO sorry that my post has caused some agro between fellow members of the forum.

I LOVE this forum and nearly run here first with my 'problems' before looking for advice from people I actually know personally. I know that there's always a possibility that I'll be told something I don't like, but as a rule I have mainly found that people contributing to this forum have some great ideas and suggestions.

I REALLY am grateful for all the advice,and am just sorry that I hadn't put some more 'background information' into my original post.

I can tell that everyone who has responded so far is an animal lover, and I'm guessing that SnowyOwl was just worried that I was not fully aware of the time, cost and commitment owning a dog involves....believe me I've been reminding my husband and daughter about it for YEARS...BUT...my daughter is now sensible and old enough to care for a dog,and my husband knows EXACTLY what his duties will be if and when we become owners of a dog.

Please don't be falling out with each other,especially when everyone clearly shares the same love of their pets.

Thanks again...I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Joy