Thinking carefully about getting a dog

bluep

We're thinking very carefully about getting a dog. I work a day or two a week from home, my husband is a teacher so at work 8-4 in term time (he can often come home at lunchtimes) but around in holidays and we have a 9 year old daughter as well as a 3 year old cat. There is also a choice of dog walkers locally who we could pay to come in once a day and we have a large secure back yard (we could put a dog flap in the back door alongside the cat flap!).

We are an active family at weekends and walking before and after work isn't an issue, we live opposite a recreation ground so popping out last thing at night for a walk isn't difficult either. I am more concerned about the time during the day that we are at work.

Ideally I'd like a german shepherd as I grew up with these as family dogs or a german shepherd labrador cross. Is this completely unrealistic given our lifestyle? I'd prefer a mid sized rather than a small dog.

krlyr

Just to quickly say I wouldn't advise a dog flap. There are risks to leaving a dog unattended in the garden - theft, injury, poisoning and so on. The dog could also be a noise nuisance to neighbours, develop bad habits like fence running/becoming reactive through the fence, or possibly escape too (my GSD climbed our 6' fence a couple of times! We had to add some chicken wire at an angle on top, prison fence style!)

Not just that, but a GSD sized dog flap may well invalidate your house insurance!

pawsies

I don't see any issue. I mean there are a lot of rescue dogs who get a lot less attention than this in a kennel so I would be surprised if you were refused!

suvla_2

I think you'll be alright just get on those two days a week the dog walker to come get him lunchtime . A lot of them usually are crb checked and will take a dog for a hour walk then settle him before leaving and locking up there's one in our area who does it for £10 or you can drop the dog off for £15 a day and it has a mass amount of space and two hours worth of walks a day ,leaving him quiet when you go to pick him up ideal if you've had to work a ridiculous shift because someone at work has seen you off but as pawsies says a lot of rescue dogs don't even get that much attention

arbrighton

krlyr wrote: »

Not just that, but a GSD sized dog flap may well invalidate your house insurance!

Yup- OH's brother climbed in through dog flap (largeish terrier, nowhere near GSD size) at MIL's when he'd forgotten his key......

yorkshire_terrier_owner

From what you have said, you seem to have thought it through and have thought about how the dog will fit into your lives and how you will care properly for he dog.

I would agree with others about not having a dog flap though. But that is the point of coming on here - to do your research and ask advice from others.

bluep

Thanks guys - thats my feeling too. When I was a kid, the rest of my family owned GSDs (my aunt didn't work so was at home) but my mum (who worked 7 days a week) got me a rescue dog from Battersea Dogs Home - it turned out to be an Australian Cattle Dog and was a fantastic dog but chewed stuff, was full of energy and jumped over the garden wall whenever no-one was around to play with it....Great fun to have as a kid but looking back, madness to get that kind of dog given our lifestyle and the hours it would be left alone. However, he definitely had a better life than being left behind at the Dogs Home - he was loved, I took him for long long walks when I was home from school and he died very peacefully curled up asleep under his favourite tree in the back garden after many years of adventures and escapades.

I do think though, as we have a 9 year old daughter, that I would want a puppy if we were getting a rescue dog (particularly as I'd like a cross breed) rather than a grown up dog - I feel I'd be able to control how they are socialised and trained and trust them around her more than a dog that was say 1-2 years old. Particularly as the dog is a family dog but intended as a companion for her. Any tips on what age I should look for - very young? Or are under 1 years old still impressionable enough?

There's a lot around if you are buying a puppy check health records of parents / home etc... but if going for a rescue dog, none of this is possible. Do people find this a big risk or are all those genetic problems far more likely in pedigree breeds anyway?

con1888

Other than the dog flap it sounds perfectly good for your family to get a dog.

I have a GSD, he is now 20 months. We both work, I work nearby though and pop home on my lunch break to walk him. He gets 20-30 mins in morning, 10-20 at lunchtime then a big walk when home from work. I don't work a Wednesday so that's a little different and on a Tuesday he goes out with a dog walker ( as I can't take long lunch).

Atm I am off on maternity leave so it's all different but our routine will be the same when I return to work as baby going to childminder and I will still be coming home on lunches to pooch.

I have a cat too - dog is fine with cat.

If you are going for a rescue, there are no set rules, a lot of centres won't rehome certain dogs with younger children but it will depend on the age of dog and dogs history etc - where is it you live ? There are the larger rehoming places such as dogs trust but also a lot of breed specific rescues which may have GSD crosses. I help with a few GSD rescues so can send you some links if you let me know where you are.

We have rescued one GSD and the one we have atm we got as a pup from a breeder( reputable breeder after a LOT of research as there are lots of unreputable ones out there).

katglasgow

We rehomed a 5 year old lab, he is a lovely dog who was only seeking a new home due to change in circumstance - divorce. When we first got him, we had a dog walker come in on the days i work, but now we don't - 3 days a week he is left 9-3. He has toys, water and run of 2 rooms but to be perfectly honest i dont think he moves from his bed! He loves walkies though and playing with the children. My 10 year old son comes with me to a dog training club and he really enjoys it!