Getting a dog - rescue or puppy?

girlybags

Hi all! I'm thinking of getting a dog in the summer (we are flying out to Spain for a week in June so will have to be when we get back) and want some advice because I've never been a dog owner before! I have a 6 year old son, 3 cats and lots of fishtanks with various creatures in them I'd really prefer to give an abandoned dog a home but as I have a young child and cats will this really be possible? My son has his heart set on a puppy but I'm sure a trip to some local dogs homes will change his mind We have decent sized gardens front and back - they're not huge by any stretch of the imagination but not tiny either and we're very close to fields/woods/rivers/canals so ideal for dog walking. As we have a small house and gardens we would want a smallish dog - Am I asking too much here?? Any advice would be appreciated, as I said I have never owned a dog before although my parents have had dogs when we were younger.

rising_from_the_ashes

TBH for a first time dog owner with a young child - personally, I'd not recommend a pup.

They require huge amounts of time spent with them - from the initial housetraining / extra feeds / lots of short bursts of exercise .... to "proper" training, socialising them, longer walks etc.

Have you got time to do this with all your other commitments? (Please don't underestimate how much time it does take - not saying this would happen but Gum*tree etc are full of 4 to 12 month old dogs where people have admitted defeat and finally admitted they can't cope and this is just not fair on the dogs who've done nothing wrong).

An older dog from a rescue will provide just as much love and affection as a pup - yes, it may need a bit of work but it should know the basics which helps a lot.

Mrs_Huggett

I would say rescue every time, we are on our 3rd now, a weimeraner which we homed at ten months.so still a youngster really, we go thim through the breeds club rescue service, and we had to be vetted by them before hand, we had a house visit and the lady who came met our children and the three cats we had at the time, she was not too happy with the cats situation, but we assured her that they could handle any dog as we had two cross breeds prior to moving, sadly they had died at the ages of 14 and 15, He has been a wonderful dog over the years, now thirteen and arthritic, he survived those three cats and had to put up with a new kitten two years ago, she runs rings round him just like the others used to. Any rescue centres worth thier salt should, IMO vet you at home and take into account the ages of your children etc. Most breeds clubs will have a rescue and rehoming service online, but bear in mind the reason why certain breeds are given up on, poor health, behaviour issues, with ours it is and still remains seperation anxiety, better a crossbreed maybe? Places like battersea will do a lot of work to ascertain a dogs mental state before rehoming them too.

girlybags

I really don't want a puppy tbh, I've considered that a rescue dog should be toilet trained etc as well so that's another bonus (I don't for one second think there won't be any accidents though - I'm not kidding myself!). I've also been told that a puppy is best as it will get used to the child it grows up with but I don't really want to be dealing with a scratched up, bitten, knocked over child when the pup gets too excited!

I'm prepared to put in the time, I'll only be working part-time so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm aware that owning a dog is a lot more responsibility than cats and don't mind taking the time to train a rescue dog, the time involved and whether I'll be able to 'cope' with a dog isn't really an issue. I'm more concerned with whether I'll be wasting my time with the rescue centres, will they really have anything suitable for us? Obviously there will be work to do, I know I'm not going to get the perfect dog straight off

Dollardog

I'd agree with Rising, an older dog would probably be better in your situation. The rescue might be able to tell you if they have any dogs in which are good with cats and children too. Never leave the child alone with the dog though until you are very sure its ok and that your child can be trusted not to torment the dog.
Hopefully, if the dog has lived in a home before, it will understand the basics like being housetrained etc. Some dogs end up in rescue through no fault of their own, marriage break ups, change of owner's circumstances etc. Also the rescue would be able to help you if you need any advice after getting the dog.

krlyr

Just point out it doesn't have to be puppy or rescue - you can get both! Many rescues have young dogs or even puppies as young as 6 weeks (often not rehomed until a couple of weeks later though as rehoming a pup at 6 weeks can be stressful for them)
However, I do agree that puppies are hard work - I was definately not a first time owner when I had my pup and I found her a real challenge despite a lifetime of experience with her breed! Constantly getting up in the night to give pee breaks, constant needle-sharp teeth ruining clothes and digging into bare arms or legs, the odd accident around the house, the socialisation you have to do, puppy classes, the expense of vaccinations, spaying, microchip etc..it can make rescue dogs definately seem the more appealing option!
Bear in mind that many dogs in rescues are indeed the "perfect dog" - as perfect as a living animal can be, because the very nature of something with it's own mind means nothing is 100% guaranteed. But dogs with good lead manners, having grown up around children, being totally toilet trained, used to being left home alone, good with dogs and other pets, etc. do crop up in rescue. People may rehome their dog due to a change in circumstances. Losing their job (which is a common reason given the recent recession), relationship breakdown, having to move to a house that doesn't allow/suit dogs, increase in working hours, serious health issues, etc. are all reasons why a perfect, well-loved dog might find itself looking for a new home.
My advise would be to contact local rescues and aim for a dog that has been assessed in a foster home, to get a good idea of its behaviour (can be more accurate than assessing a dog in kennels). Do your homework on the rescue - you can get unscrupulous rescues - and perhaps look at smaller rescues who may be more flexible than the larger ones like RSPCA etc. (you may face some issues with wanting to rehome with a young child)
Sit down and think about what kind of traits you want in a dog and compile two lists - one of what you want in a dog, and one of what you can offer a dog.
E.g. list one
- must be safe to let offlead (may rule out breeds with high prey drive like terriers)
- must be safe around livestock (e.g. if there are animals grazing in the local fields)
- must be under 30kg (if you feel you don't have room for or don't feel able to control a larger dog)
- must be fine with cats (some breeds are less likely to get along with cats, e.g. Huskies have a high prey drive even in the house, though it can vary from individual dog)
- must be safe with children (can't think of any breeds that are less suitable than others but individually, some dogs may not be happy around small children)
- must be OK with being left alone up to 4 hours a day
- would prefer short-haired/low maintenance in terms of grooming
- would prefer a young, active dog

Then list 2 may be
- can offer 2x 1 hour walks a day in fields, woods and along rivers
- will not be out of the house longer than 4-5 hours a day
- am prepared to take on a dog that cannot live with other dogs (think about whether you're likely to want another, or if you have friends/relatives you want to be able to walk with/visit with your dog - if not, are you prepared to take a slightly harder to home dog that cannot tolerate other dogs? May not be best if you're a newbie to dogs though)
- have a local class offering agility and would be happy to do a doggy sport with an active dog

If you can narrow down what you do and don't want in a dog, and what you have to offer, it will help a rescue match you with the right dog regardless of breed (because personality can vary greatly even within a breed)

girlybags

There are 3 rescue centres nearby that I know of. I think all of them do home visits, which I'm not worried about and one of them requires that if you have kids that you take them along when you visit the centre, which I'm planning on doing anyway as I want us to choose a dog together. My son is desperate for a pet that he can interact with - the cats are not really 'sit on your knee' types and they won't tolerate being picked up or 'hugged' as my son likes to do ocassionally! Obviously he can't do much with fish and mudskippers and I don't think guinea pigs or hamsters are really good pets for young children. My sister got a puppy about a month ago and my son has fallen in love with her, he's smitten, lol! I must admit I've never been a dog person but spending time with the puppy has made me really want a dog and I think they are probably the best type of pet for kids (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in thinking this). Obviously I don't want to end up with a dog who's going to terrorise my son or cats and have to end up taking it back but my mind has been put at rest by all your replies so thanks! I'll definitely make a list of things we want and can offer and I'll make sure we explain exactly what we want when we go and visit shelters. I'm not bothered in the slightest about breed but rather more interested in personality. Another plus point in rehoming I suppose is that more will be known about it's individual personality.

I would never leave my boy alone with a 'strange' dog, for the dogs sake as well as my son's. He needs to learn how to behave around a dog so I'll be keeping a close eye on both of them!

krlyr

Not sure I would say a dog is necessarily the best pet for a a 6 year old - I would only get a dog if *you* wanted it (which it sounds like you do) and it's a perk if your little one enjoys the benefits of growing up with a dog.
Small furries can be a good choice for younger kids - one benefit is the shorter lifespan can mean it's less of a commitment than a dog (though guinea pigs and rabbits can live 7-10 years+, and chinchillas up to 20! So not every small furry is less of a commitment than a dog), because children do get bored or gain other interests in time.
House rabbits can a have the personality of a dog, with the convenience of being shut in a cage when needed (though they do need a decent sized one - a 48" dog crate serves well as a cage) - and no walks in the rain or snow either! Guinea pigs can be quite cuddly and robust enough to deal with petting from a young child (sat on the floor to prevent accidents/dropped piggies!). Hamsters may not be cuddly but some can get pretty tame. Rats, although not to everyone's taste, can be fantastic pets for children because they can be taught tricks, male rats can be quite cuddly, and they're just as entertaining to watch in their cage (a lot more active and agile than hamsters).
If you want a dog, stop and think about the things you'll have to do - you'll be the one walking it, come rain or shine, you'll be the one cleaning up pee/poo/vomit, you'll be the one doing the training classes so make sure you're just as committed to it as your son (and make sure it's not a case of you being smitten with a pup either too - it's a bit like babies, lovely to hold your niece/nephew/cousin/friend's baby but you do appreciate being able to hand them back when they start crying!)

girlybags

We've had guinea's, my son couldn't handle them properly and he was hurting them so I rehomed them. I don't think small furries are good for him and they're something that I personally have no interest in so the cleaning out of a 5 foot cage every couple of days was getting to me and they weren't getting the attention or floor time they needed. They are now with someone who is guinea pig mad (who has no kids) so I know they will be happy. They came to us as rescues originally as the lady who owned them died and her hubby didn't want to take care of them. I made the mistake of getting them for my son, knowing that I wasn't particularly interested in them myself, which is a mistake I certainly won't make again as it's me who obviously has to take care of whatever pets we have!

A dog is something that I'm definitely interested in and not just as a puppy, I love kittens but I prefer them when they grow into cats as they're more predictable! I don't have the energy for a pup and would be paranoid about my son getting nipped and scratched (my sister's puppy's teeth and claws are like little pins!). I like the idea of being able to take a dog out with us for walks and even on our annual Haven holiday

Sagz_2

Rescue every time! If needs be a rescue pup, but I think an adult dog that is good around children would suit you better. Let the rescue centre help you choose the best dog for your family.

Personally I would go without your child first and make a short list of possible dogs. It may take a couple of visits before you find the right dog and there will be nothing worse than showing you son all the dogs and then trying to explain that the one he has his heart set on (probably the biggest and baddest!!) is not going to suit your lifestyle.

Good luck x Please come back and show us your new dog x

girlybags

Sagz wrote: »

Personally I would go without your child first and make a short list of possible dogs. x

I know there's one centre that requires I take him with me but maybe they mean when I'm ready to actually choose a dog and take it home? They obviously want to vet him and see how he is around dogs before they let us take one

I've more or less made up my mind that it's going to be an adult dog, too, I'm just not sold on the puppy thing and I know my son will forget all about puppies when he comes with me to choose a dog