An 'old-style' dog....

kippers

We may be welcoming a new 3 year old rescue dog into our family, provided the RSPCA find us suitable when they carry out their home visit (which i'm sure they will as they said it is just to make sure our fences are ok and what we wrote on our form is correct).

Anyway, I had a dog a long long long time ago when I was a teenager at home but things have changed so much since then....I have noticed that there are loads of rediculous things you can buy for dogs now - from really expensive food bowls to halloween outfits?

I wondered if any of you level headed oldstylers out there could tell me what really IS useful to buy nowadays, so I don't go out and waste any money on needless items for our new dog.

Also, if you have any 'oldstyle' tips for me re feeding, grooming etc I would love to hear them.

Thank you for any replies.

danih

Buy a good quality dog harness - not a cheapie! Both my dogs do at times pull on a walk. The harness gives me more control over them then a collar, and means they don't choke. My Max went through 6 of the cheapies from £stretcher in as many weeks - all broke when he pulled. Then bought a Rogz harness from the vets, cost just under £20. 5 years later, its still in daily use and looks in great condition. Has gone through the washing machine dozens of times too.

Buy a good quality dried food, with a high meat content - meat should be the first ingredient. These are better nutritional value, Dog needs to eat less volume then a lesser quality brand as for food is more concentrated. Poops will also be more solid and less often, as the food is easier for the dog to process.

And the most expensive isn't necessarily the best quality.

Those silly mats for under your dogs bowl are a waste of money IMO

Don't buy plastic feeding bowls - too easily knocked over, chewed and played with by your dog. Go for metal, ceramic (my personal preference) or old soup bowls from your kitchen cupboard that you no longer use.

Best of luck with new dog - rescues are the best way to acquire one, both of mine are rescues.

fairy_lights

My local butchers sells pet meat, it's basically all of the offcuts and offal that humans don't really want minced up. It's about £2 for a huge, human head sized bag.
I don't know if all butchers do this sort of thing but it's definitely worth investigating.

lostinrates

I feed raw food to my OS dogs. With any dog safe kitchen trimmings or LOs but if you have doubt about balancing a diet a branded food is best, though, its debate able if dry food / wet food is best. My opinion is it depends on circumstances

And metal bowls, I agree with poster above about plastic, but our metal bowls go through the dishwasher beautifully. Incidentally, two of the metal bowls we have are as old as me, as they are from my parents first dogs as a couple, and have lasted generations of dogs.

After years of oldstyle ing only with dog beds we splashed out on a very luxury bed from the seconds shelf at orvis. Its the only thing our dogs have ever chosen over the sofa, but did cost as much as our ( second hand) sofas! But the right bed for a non destructive dog is a one off purchase. I'm glad we did it.

dingdongsaving

How exciting! We have a lab/springer mix and a little terrier/Westie combo...so not alike in size, appetite or behaviour at all! What type of dog are you getting? Rescue dogs sometimes need a little time, but you're giving such a gift to a loyal, loyal friend.

I'd say a quality lead/collar/harness is essential but depends on your dog size/character. Our little lady has a click/stretch lead that extends/retracts as she wanders (she never pulls and stays very close to us) but our larger (and far more rambunctious!) madam has a tightening cord lead so that if/when she tugs she gets a tight collar. She had a harness but it drove her nuts and she wouldn't walk in it. It only took her 3 or 4 walks with this on for her to learn not to tug (essential for us as our 7 year old son loves to hold her when we go out).

Collar and tags need to be good quality too - we always put our tags on "real" key-ring rings as they little thin loops that come on them are flimsy and we've lost tags on walks/jogs before.

You'll also need good bowls for food & water. I prefer ceramic as the prev. poster does (plastic ones get chewed & metal ones are noisy as they get "shoved along" because they're lightweight).

As for food, I def. reiterate to buy the best food you can afford - highest meat content you can do. Not only is it best for them, it will be worth it in terms of scooping in your garden and will reduce the chance of your friend (sorry, this bit's disgusting!) re-eating it (warned you!) :eek:

If it's a larger breed you may want to invest in a "step" or raised bowl holder to stop them stooping to eat too. We've not done this, but we feed our lab-mix-up outside with her bowl on the back door step unless it's raining.

Then it's all your choice...toys, chews as needed & depending on if you're out for long periods/have a "chewer". Our retriever had a tendency to chew when we left her for over an hour or 2 so we invested in a "kong" container toy & used it when she was under 3...we'd fill it with a few of her dry food biscuits and as she played with the toy the biscuits would fall out. Our vet recommended this and it kept her occupied until she got all of the biscuits out and by that point she was tired enough to refrain from removing our skirting boards in the porch (well, all bar 1!:rotfl:)

Good luck and enjoy your new addition.

AlwaysAllie

Good quality food. - but don't change suddenly from what is currently being fed

Safety in the car - either a crate, dog guard or harness

Insurance - might not seem OS but vet bills are high

Love - very old style as it's free

From someone who works in animal welfare - thank you for taking a rescue dog

AA

kippers

dingdongsaving wrote: »

How exciting! What type of dog are you getting?

Thank you so much all for your help. We are getting a Jack Russell Terrier cross and she is really nervous with humans at the moment-but loves other dogs. I have been twice a day to walk her since I reserved her and I am so excited. She doesn't seem interested in play yet but she has now started to sit on my knee when I am waiting to hand her back...and today she actually rolled over so I could tickle her belly which is a big break through.....she is lovely, but I do realise that she is going to be very hard work...but I can be with her all day so i have the time for this.

I wondered, would I be better to find a washable bed or would I be better to give her a plastic bed with blankets which is what she has at the RSPCA at the moment?

Pls keep your advise coming, I am very grateful

ladymarmalade222

As others have mentioned, a good quality dog food is a good idea. I have a terrier cross and she is the most faithful old girl I have known. I feed skinners chicken and rice food as she has a few skin issues and dodgy tum.
With regards to a bed. I use a plastic dog bed with one of these:

http://www.doggiesolutions.co.uk/Soft-and-Snug-Bed-Insert.html?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=price_comparison&utm_content=UK&utm_campaign=product&gclid=CMfW-dL1s8ECFenHtAodthkAog

It is fab and washes well. It has a padded bit in bottom and looks snugly.

Good luck

Xxxx

dingdongsaving

We've had all sorts of beds (as our very own "Chewy" has enjoyed plenty of them as overnight fun!)...but we were warned of this habit when we got her. :rotfl:
All of the varying types have seemed comfortable enough for both of our little ladies so I'd say get what you think's best & can be washed easily as & when needed.
We only use beds in our utility room for night time sleeping as when the dogs are in the house they're usually snuggled up on or by the sofas.
Touching wood here, it's been 5 months since we lost our last bed! :T

LameWolf

My Penny-Dog always had a plastic bed, which was easy to wash out if needed, with washable blankets/towels (old ones no longer used for humans) as bedding. You'll also want towels for drying the dog if she gets wet while out, and certainly for paw-wiping (part of our ritual on returning from walks was "pause for your paws":D ) but again, any old towels will do as long as they're big enough.

I agree a good quality harness and lead is a must; I no longer have my own dog, but am a host for a dog-sitting service, and a lot of my guests have extendable leads, which are very good as you can give the dog some freedom, but still have hold of her. The webbing ones seem to be very good.

Food-wise, I'd take advice from her current home and go with something like she's used to; stores "own brand" foods are fine. @ld! seem to do very good wet dog food; I haven't any experience of their dry food (my guests bring their own food with them).

Other than that, in no particular order:
Basic hard-wearing toys, if she seems like she'd enjoy them - she doesn't need loads, two or three at most (one of my guests brought nine toys with her);
a brush and comb;
insurance (as has been mentioned already, vet bills can be horrendous);
regular flea and worm treatment and of course an annual trip to the vet for her boosters;
food and water dishes - the aluminium ones are of course hard-wearing, but anything large enough to contain a decent drink and her dinner will do - my grandmother's dog always had an old casserole dish the lid to which had been broken for his water;
a decent coat - the little chap I have at the moment has a nice coat, it's waterproof, fleece lined, and just a basic slip-over-the-head-and-velcro-under-the-belly job. It also has a little zip in the top so that if a harness is used, the zip can be undone and the lead attached to the harness.
And, of course, poo bags!
You may want a bottle of dog shampoo if the dog is going to get dirty; and I'm personally in favour of tooth care implements - Penny-Dog had a thimble-style toothbrush and poultry-flavoured toothpaste, but these days there are treats like D£ntasticks that claim to act as tooth cleaners.

You don't need things like mega-expensive toys, special towels with the dogs name embroidered, fancy porcelain bowls with the dogs name on, diamante collars, fancy clothes - it's a dog, it has it's own integral clothes, and only needs an extra coat if the weather is cold or wet.;)

HTH - and good luck.:o

ETA: As she's coming from dog rescue, I assume she's already micro-chipped.;)

Molly41

I actually don't think you can be OS with a dog and be a good dog owner.
Dogs cost money as already stated - vets fees, flea and worming, good quality food (which is far more expensive than tinned food off the shelf)
Toys which stimulate such as Kongs
Bedding - I go for washable but each of my dog beds cost 60 pounds plus but have lasted 5 years
Leads - we use the extendable ones - about 18 pounds and they do wear out eventually.

Only today we had a bill for £431 as Pops our wetstie had to have a lump removed and they cleaned her teeth whilst under anaesthetic. We don't have insurance as it is too restrictive - we save the money.

However you can't put a price on the unconditional love they give you and the joy and companionship.