What kind of dog, if any?

littleredhen

We used to have two rescue cats, sadly one was found dead a few weeks ago in my neighbours gardens:(
I have been back to rescue centre but can't decide on another cat, the one we have still is 5 year old girl, very gentle, quiet and a gorgeous girl.
My daughter would like a dog, I am not sure.
Looked at rescue websites, can't decide if it's the right thing.
I work school hours and have all school holidays off
Daughter comes home at lunchtimes.
I would like a dog when I get near retiring, about 10 years time, but not sure if it's the right time now.
The rescue centres are full of dogs but I am not sure which breed I should be looking at or even if I should.
Any advice please

SensibleSarah

If you aren't 100% sure then my advice is not to go ahead. You don't say how old your daughter is but I'm assuming she's an adult and therefore probably won't be living with you for the whole life of a dog. The chances are that any dog you adopt will be mainly your responsibility, so unless you're fully committed to that idea, waiting a few years might well be best.

If you do decide to go for it, I would definitely advise that you use a rescue organisation that uses foster homes and look for a dog who is already in foster with a cat, so you can be more sure of the chances it'll be a good fit with your existing pet, as well as knowing more about its behaviour in the home and how used it is to bring left whilst fosterers are at work etc. Nothing is ever guaranteed but at least this way you stack the odds in your favour.

I had 3 cats who had never lived with a dog, lived alone & worked office hours 4 days a week (and 5th day from home) and it took around a year for me to find a dog which seemed a good fit. She was in a foster home with a cat and her fosterer had left her for a few hours regularly with no issues. I was able to bring her home for a weekend at first just to see how things went & that was great. Took the cats a couple of weeks to realise the dog wasn't interested in them in the slightest and since then everything has been peachy.

Don't get too stuck on breed. It's more down to the individual dog.

krlyr

Thinking slightly outside the box - how about reading up on fostering for a dog rescue? Some rescues need people to look after dogs, even just for a weekend or a few days while they find a placement foster home, or others have kenneled dogs who appreciate a break now and then. Plus there's quite a few 'normal' dogs without issues who need fostering just for a few weeks or months until a home comes up. Or, if you can deal with the heartbreak, there's often elderly and/or terminally ill dogs in need of a loving home for the last few months of their lives.

Might be a way to test the waters with a dog - obviously whilst trying not to 'fail' at fostering and keeping the dog (but that might not be a bad thing anyway!)

littleredhen

Thanks, my youngest daughter is 15 and eldest is 18, I get the kids won't be with me for too much longer but i did want a dog myself anyway, I would not get a dog and expect a teenager to take responsibility. I have looked at fostering but they mostly say they want people who are at home most of the time

zaxdog

Maybe I'm biased but I'd suggest a lurcher. There are lots that need rescued and in general they are placid dogs who like to sleep a lot and go for one really good run a day which might fit in well with your situation.

Ours was raised with cats and we were told he would be a problem but the cats are very much in charge of him.

The only thing to watch is to make sure they are completely trained not to chase sheep if you live in a rural area but again with the right training it isn't hard to do :T

sheramber

firstly think about what will be involved in having a dog.

Somebody will need to get up early to walk the dog before going out and leaving it.

Somebody to let it out at lunchtime

Somebody to walk it in the evening

Everybody to be involved in training the dog. How much do you know about training a dog?

Somebody around in the evenings and at weekends. A dog left alone during the day shouldn't be left again on the evening.

what will be the house rules that everybody must stick to. Where will the dog sleep?

Do you have a secure garden? Many rescues insist on a 6 foot fence.

What type of dog do you want? laid back, energetic etc

You need one who is okay being left alone for hours so a puppy , young dog probably not suitable.
Are you willing to spend time grooming a dog- this will determine what type of coat it should have.
Could you cope with 6-8 weekly trips to a groomers?

Be aware that some rescues will not rehome to full time working homes but there are others who will consider them for the right dog so don't be put off by being told no.

Lots to ponder.

ohreally

You may not be a suitable fit for a dog at this point due to not being at home most of the time. They are part of the family and dog may noit take too well to being left often on his own.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

How does your gentle cat feel about dogs or other cats?

Even my cat, who was perfectly happy to come into a house already ruled by two of them, feels completely differently about the cat that joined after her. Her reactions to a dog, even a puppy she could slap into shape (rather than the previous instances before she came along, where I found the promise of 'oh, he's absolutely fine with cats, grew up with them' actually meant 'he loves them so much that he wants to play chase with them until he can use them as a chew toy and small fluffy snack') would be considerably stronger.

Fosterdog

There is an awful lot to consider before making the decision to get a dog, well done for thinking it through first though, too many people rush out and get a dog and it's not long before the dog is in a rescue or offered free to a "good" home.

Firstly, does everyone in the family want a dog or just your one daughter as a yes and you as a maybe?
What size dog? Tiny chihuahua to fit in a bag, Great Dane or something in between.
Any particular breed? Have you had a specific breed before that you'd love to have again or one you've always wanted to have.
What type of fur/coat? Can you cope with shedding and clothes and furniture being covered?
How active are you? Do you want a high energy 100 miles an hour dog zipping around or a more relaxed calmer dog?
Do you want a puppy or an older dog, both have their good and bad sides.
Have you considered costs? What if your dog has a medical condition that can be very costly ongoing?
What will you do when you go on holidays?
Is your house and garden suitable for a dog and would you get too angry or upset if the dog damages things?

There are so many more things to consider, some have already been mentioned but I'm sure others can think of a lot more.

Please don't rule out fostering, some rescues are more open minded than others about individual circumstances. I'm a fosterer and both me and OH work full time, we get around it by working different days and shifts meaning the dogs are rarely left for more than 4-5 hours, when they are left for up to 8 hours we have plenty of relatives who call in to check on them and give them some garden time to break the day up. We in turn help them out with their dogs when they need it whether due to work or holidays.

Three rescues have been happy for us to foster under these circumstances, one turned me down as a fosterer, if that had been my first I may have been disheartened but the others are more than happy with the dogs they have trusted to my care.

littleredhen

Thanks for all your things to think about
We do have an enclosed garden with a high fence
I would be happy to walk the dog morning and night, am around evenings and weekends and long school holidays.
My thought would be it is my responsibility, I would not be buying a dog because my 15 y/o wants one!!
It would be a rescue dog and not a puppy.
No I haven't done any training or had a dog before.
There is a lot to think about, thanks for all the replies.
Fostering may be the way to go

hollydays

Also consider the amount of excercise you are prepared to give a dog and choose a breed accordingly .