Getting a dog, puppy or older dog?

victory

We all want to get a dog, OH wants an older dog and son wants a puppy.

We have looked in the dogs home/dogs trust/Gumtree for months now and they all seem to have pit bulls, mastiffs, lurchers, greyhounds, staffs, bulldogs, pit bull terriers, collies, rottweilllers, labradors, alsatians, dobermans, german shepherds.

We want a small dog none of the above are suitable so there is beagle but that is a pedigree and £500 plus so no to that one, basset hounds the same, cavalier spaniels the same and have heart problems.

So back to wanting a small dog, not as small as an air dog or poodle or chiwawa(sp) but a small docile friendly with kids dog that we can love being with.

Any ideas?

Caroline_a

I would post this on the Pets board, you'll get advice from some very experienced dog owners. Most will tell you don't look on Gumtree though...

tea_lover

Your husband turned up then?

Tropez

It really depends on your experience with dogs.

Puppies can be very difficult to train. They cry, they whine, they make a grab for everything, they want to chew everything they can, they'll pee on your floor, they'll poo on your floor, they tug on the lead and they will bite. All of these things need training out of them which requires a lot of attention and consistency that every single person in the house and every single visitor needs to understand. There's no point training your dog not to behave in a certain manner if a friend comes over and lavishes attention upon them for behaving in that manner.

You also need to be aware of the breed and its needs. For instance, Beagles are hunting dogs and are not suited to small homes with small gardens. They're also prone to separation anxiety and the associated howling that comes with it which could annoy the neighbours. Take a look at what is available to you - do you have a large or small home? Large or small garden? Are there a lot of country walks available or are you in the inner city and only have small parks? Do you live in a high traffic area (some dogs have high chase instincts and will sometimes fatally chase cars)? Will you be able to meet a natural sprinters needs? How many hours can you dedicate to walking? Nobody can really recommend a dog breed to you until they know what type of environment you have available to you.

Also bear in mind puppies have high associated costs. Vaccinations can cost up to £30 depending on where you live. Similarly, spaying or neutering can cost up to £200, possibly more, once again depending on where you live?

But on the flip side, older dogs cost more to insure and unless you know you could have access to thousands of pounds on a moment's notice you'll need to take this into consideration.

Older dogs that have already received training are usually better for novice dog owners. Reputable and well run rescue homes will recommend specific dogs to you based on what they learn about you and what they have learned about the dog. Most of them will check your home to make sure it is safe and suitable before letting you take a dog. They will also have usually taken care of spaying/neutering and will also be able to help you with advice after you have taken a dog. Whilst most reputable breeders will also do the same if you take a puppy, buying a puppy can be a minefield if you've never done it before due to the amount of poor breeders out there. Also, you're probably best avoiding Gumtree as some (not all) dogs could have come from puppy farms and these types of breeder prey upon the naive and inexperienced that are generally found on such sites.

heartbreak_star

Hope your home life has improved now Victory.

Consider a labrador - they may not be that small but they're loving, loyal, and clever (thus easily trainable). In my experience, small dogs are not child friendly and bite quite a lot.

HBS x

nonnatus

Hi Victory,

Some great advice from the previous poster!

Sounds to me like a Cocker Spaniel would fit your family perfectly, but again they tend to go for around £400-500

Do you not have a rescue centre near you where you can go and spend some time with the dogs and get a feel for different breeds?
A small cross-breed would be ideal, and not as expensive? There are quite a few F1 crosses ending up in rescue centres, having been impulse buys by people who haven't done enough research and aren't prepared to spend the time that a puppy needs in its first year to become a great, responsive dog.
And as you have kids, a young adult dog would be good, getting past that stage where they chew everything and everyone.

Good luck in your hunt...

PuppyLove_2

If your worried about paying £500 for a pedigree dog that has had health checks etc then maybe you shouldnt be getting a dog. Any dog will cost you way more than £500 when you think of buying beds, food, toys, lead, collar, injections, flea and worm treatment, insurance etc.

I have a beagle puppy, hes the best! 6 months old now and although he has been hard work i wouldnt change him for the world. Hes so friendly with humans and other dogs and has a lovely nature. Beagles are also known as having little health problems and being great with kids.

Alikay

I really wouldn't bring a dog into your lives right now: You've got a lot going on as a family, and something that needs walking, grooming, feeding and cleaning up after is not going to enhance your quality of life IMHO.

ognum

we got our little terrier cross from an animal shelter, he is a mutt but he is lovely and certainly didn't cost £500

j.e.j.

I'm not sure how much they would cost, but you could go for a 'bitsa' instead of a pedigree. My brother used to have one, bought from a rescue place. They weren't 100% sure what kind of cross-breed the dog was, but they thought she might be part collie, or alsatian and/or greyhound! The dog did have a very nervous temperament, due to being mistreated by previous owners, so that might be something you'd need to look out for, too.

jumpedtheshark

Haven't read every reply, but you can search here by breed: http://www.dogsblog.com/

The various breeds are listed on the right-hand side. If it were me, I would get an almost adult/adult dog - perhaps 1-2 years old. They're a little older than the puppies that everyone will want so you're giving a home to a less 'desirable' dog, but you've still got many years of good health left with them.

When we got our two, one was 7 months and the other 2-3 years old, and we were much more concerned about temperament than age.