Dog Owners

boldaslove

What dog do you have?
7 year old border collie called izzy (as in "izzy whizzy lets get busy" - she's a lunatic!)


Why did you get your dog?
our previous dog had been put to sleep and we were really missing having a dog around. plus she just turned up on our doorstep and we didn't have the heart to send her back!

Where did you get it?
a friend of a friend adopted her from manchester dogs home, she'd just had a baby and decided a cute little puppy would complete the family. she got bored of her after 1 day :mad: and gave her to our friend, who rang my mum and asked her to look after the puppy as the dog's home was closed all weekend. we were told she'd been rehomed 4 times (she was only 12 weeks old) because she was so lively. we never returned her to the dogs home. well, how could you? :rotfl:

What does it eat?
she has half a tin of butchers and some dried food twice a day, sometimes with cooked veggies. we give her chews to clean her teeth and the occasional bone.

How much does it cost you weekly?
i'm not working so my mum foots the bills for her at the moment! she's insured at around £5 a week, her food costs around £3.50 for 6 tins (just over a week's worth) and the same for a bag of mixer which will last her around a month. along with the weekly costs you have to bear in mind vet visits, vaccinations, microchipping, flea/worm treatments, equipment eg collar and lead, tag, car harness, poo bags, toys, bowls, brushes, shampoo... dogs are expensive!

Do you leave it alone?
we never leave her for more than 4 hours, we're lucky to have neighbours and a local dog walker so we have backup if it's a long day or we get caught up in something. we take her with us whenever possible.

Work/holiday arrangements?
as above we have people to check in, walk and feed her (and the cat). holidays are difficult as we won't put her in kennels, we've previously got a friend to stay in the house while we're away, and rota'd in friends and neighbours for walks and company. this means we never have any duty free allowance left for ourselves :rotfl:

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)?
i trained her from an early age as collies are very intelligent and need stimulation or they get destructive/depressed. she has at least two 45 minute walks a day, off the lead, with a frisbee or ball. we take her to the beach/countryside whenever we can so she doesn't get bored of her walks. she's starting to slow down a little now and we've been told by the vet to be careful about strains and sprains so i don't plan to do agility or flyball with her.

Anything else you'd like to say.
please consider a rescue dog! if you're not convinced go and have a look at the hundreds of rescue organisations online, it'll break your heart we've had 4 rescue dogs and they've all been amazing. and don't be put off by older dogs, we've had 2 'oldies' and they've both been wonderful pets

galadriel

LizD wrote: »

What dog do you have? A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Why did you get your dog? DD had him for her 21st birthday, she left - he stayed -think I got the best of the deal.

Where did you get it? Breeder

What does it eat? Mainly dried dog food - plus anything else he can steal - he finished off DS curry and rice yesterday as the fool left his plate on the floor, luckily he doesn't seem to suffer with tummy problems.

How much does it cost you weekly? Food and treats included in grocery bill, but not too expensive, DD pays his insurance £15 per month, I pay his booster, worming and flea stuff.

Do you leave it alone? Yes - have to go to work to keep a roof over his head. Don't go out in evening though so spend plenty of time with him.

Work/holiday arrangements? Go camping or cottage/static which accepts pets - also stays with DD if I am away overnight

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)? Lots of long walks - good exercise for me

Anything else you'd like to say.

A lot less trouble than kids - wish I'd had a dog first :rotfl:

moomin5

What dog do you have? 2x Greyhounds

Why did you get your dog? Liked the breed & suited my lifestyle (gentle, laidback, low exercise, easy to groom)

Where did you get it? Retired Greyhound Trust

What does it eat? Wainwrights salmon & potato dry food, often suplimented with tinned sardines/mackeral or leftovers

How much does it cost you weekly? Food £6.25 Insuance £4.25 per dog (not included worming/flea treatments etc)

Do you leave it alone? Yes upto 8hrs, they usually sleep nearly all day when i am home

Work/holiday arrangements? They cope fine with us being out at work and i'll sometime pop in at lunch if working locally. We usually take the dogs with us on holiday and stay in pet friendly cottages/hotels. If we were going abroad then we'd probably put them in boarding kennels.


Anything else to add? Greyhounds often come straight from a kennel environment so need more initial work as will of never experienced living in a home enviroment, being alone or met other breeds of dogs. My dogs picked up housetraining within a weekend and i think this is common and generally adapted very quickly considering it was a very alien environment. There are sometimes ones that have been returned that will of already got used to living in a home. Some greyhounds can live with cats & other small animals

Its usually recommended not to let a greyhound offlead if not in a fenced in area, but some people do let their dogs off and i presume needed to do quite a bit of recall training for it to be safe. My pair have quite a high prey drive so i wouldn't trust them not to ignore me.

BabyKat

What dog do you have? I have 1 bearded collie (9), 1 red collie (6), 1 lhasa cross mini snauzer (2)and 1 lhasa apso puppy only 11 weeks old

Why did you get your dog? Because i love animals
Where did you get it? 2 in the papers and 2 online
What does it eat? Snedysns light and arcrwright complete
Do you leave it alone? not alot but they are in crates when they are for safety
Work/holiday arrangements? at home all the time

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)? no
Anything else you'd like to say. i love them all to bits and the collies have their own kennel outside and own garden the lhasas are inside. Lhasas are lovely, so laid back and the collies are very intelligent and very protective



How much does it cost you weekly? no idea a bag of food does the collies 3 weeks and the little ones about 6

bestpud

LizD wrote: »

I have some questions:

What dog do you have? Jack Russell

Why did you get your dog? We've always had dogs in our families so can't imagine not having one! We didn't have one for a couple of years as our labrador went to live with my fil when circumstances made it difficult for us to give her the care she deserved. Our situation improved but she was already settled and we decided it was better for her to stay put (we saw her at least twice a week anyway). We got a cat to try and fill the gap but it was futile and a year later we buckled and got another dog!

Where did you get it? A family who had an accident when their LO let the carefully seperated male and female together 'because they looked lonely'!

What does it eat? Dry dog food (no particular brand) and a little bit of cat food in the morning.

How much does it cost you weekly? I have no idea! We buy food with our shop. I guess a few pounds if averaged out over the year. He is costing us a bomb at the moment though as he is not well (around £150 this week! :eek: ).

Do you leave it alone? Yes, but it varies a lot! The most he is alone would be around 7 hours but that is not a regular occurance. He's quite happy being alone.

Work/holiday arrangements? He lodges at my fils.

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)? No.

Anything else you'd like to say. I don't think I'd ever be without a dog but beware it is very painful when something happens to them, or they get ill like mine is now. Whenever I have lost one I have always questioned whether the joy of having them is enough to outweigh the terrible loss when they go. They really do become part of the family! Don't want to be negative but it is worth considering, especially if you are thinking of getting an older dog, or a less robust breed.

Have we convinced you?

olibrofiz

What dog do you have? Doberman biatch called Fizzy who's 8 on 5th Sept and will get her own birthday cake

Why did you get your dog? Cos I'm a grown up and I could:D

Where did you get it? Kennel Club breeder, she was 6 weeks old (too young)

What does it eat? Anything except onions and cucumber (we sometimes call her Dyson). Pedigree dried plus treats, toast and peanut butter for breakfast - she has the blackest shiniest coat you've ever seen.

How much does it cost you weekly? Probably about £10

Do you leave it alone? 5-6 hours, Mon-Fri, she just sleeps all day when we're out, usually on my bed. If it's any longer she goes to my mum's and gets spoilt rotten

Work/holiday arrangements? As above. We take her with us if we go away

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)? Walks, training

Anything else you'd like to say. It IS hard work at puppy stage, she was a nightmare and sometimes I despaired of our future with this demon we had, but all the training and being firm and consistant paid off. We absolutely love her to bits, she is the most laid back, easy going and good natured dog I've ever known.

gemmaj

What dog do you have? 1 Greyhound (down from 2 :-(

Why did you get your dog? 1st because loved dogs and greyhound fit my criteria (low inherited health problems, loads in rescue, friendly, laid back dogs), 2nd for companionship for 1st, and as an emotional fall-back for me as 1st was getting elderly. I couldn't stand the thought of going home to an empty house - I couldn't have coped at the time.

Where did you get it? Local rescue centre got both dogs for me from UK rescue centres.

What does it eat? Pedigree Complete to begin with until I realised that was rubbish. Then Nutro - huge improvement! then Arden Grange - just as good but cheaper! 1st was also on Hills TD for dodgy digestion.

How much does it cost you weekly? Arden Grange for one is £25 per month. Insurance around £200 a year. Vets depends on whether dog behaves or gets into mischief! 1st was costing me £40+ a month for arthritits meds alone at one point, and Hills TD was £40 a month too.

Do you leave it alone? Sometimes. At one point was leaving 1st dog alone for 4 hours in the morning and another 4 hours in the afternoon. He got a bit miserable until I got Dog2.

Work/holiday arrangements? Parents take dog, or friends house sit.

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)? Nope. Just regular walkies.

Anything else you'd like to say. Greyhounds make greyt pets! Although my 2nd is a bit of a handful at times!

almond

LizD wrote: »

I have some questions:

What dog do you have?

staffie cross

Why did you get your dog?

long story but my dog died and i rang a rescue home to see if they wanted jays food toys etc and it turned out it was the same women i had got jay from 12years ago, she worked for another home. Told me about nobody wanting lucy cos she was a black dog and asked if i would take her.
I said no but would have a think and the family said it was meant to be
cos the chances of that happening 12 years later and she even remember jay because they had to go to court since the women that lost her wanted her back.

Where did you get it?

rescue home

What does it eat?

tinned dog food only in jelly, loves liver and rice try and make it once a week
custard and loves a ice cream with wafers
sunday dinner - no sure about my yorkshire puds

How much does it cost you weekly?

a fortune ! not really sure

Do you leave it alone?

no work from home, when i go out she sits on window sill waiting for me to come back, most of the time i just put her in her seat belt and take her with me in the car

Work/holiday arrangements?

daughter comes to live in our house, we tried kennels but she cried and laura had to bring her home after two day

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)?

no, lucy loves her balls and we play football with her,
use her as a model when i made some dog coats for dogs trust(they were on tv) she loves to be dressed up in clothes, when she had a period my daughter put her in red knickers (we were on holiday) and when i got home i made her some nappies - if anybody has the same problem pm they really work

Anything else you'd like to say.

as you can tell our lucy has turned into a spoilt child my partner has never had kids and i can tell, she may not be beautiful like jay was but , we have gave her a good home and she has give us so much love and pleasure we just treat her as one of the family, i have to take her to bed every night
she has her own bedroom, its just because the crate was taking up to much room in the kitchen.
she hates the thunder, sits under my desk, shakes when the fireworks go off, she is very nervous, loves sitting on the seatee looking out of the window,
she wrecked a new carpet the week after we got her, eat watches phones, shoes you name it, lucy eat it, then pinched a big bar of cardburys choc, that could have been the last straw!
But we love her, this thread has made me so happy seeing all the wonderful stories about our dogs:T

shelley_crow

What dog do you have? A staffie dog called Bear who is 17 months old. i've never had any other breed so there was only one choice

Why did you get your dog? Because my last dog died about 4 years ago. Then my son was born and i wanted to settle down with him before getting any more. We decided we were ready and along he came.

Where did you get it? A friend of my other half, she had a litter and we fell in love with him. I would have adopted one from a rescue centre but we wanted a puppy our son could grow up with.

What does he eat? He was on Pedigree Chum. We moved him onto Proplan just after getting him and there's been a marked improvement in coat condition and number 2 production. My son ends up sharing his food with him too )

How much does he cost you weekly? Not much. Insurance works out to £3 a week. Water is next to nothing. We worm and deflea him every 8 weeks which costs £7 for both. Food is bought in a big 15kg sack, which costs £30 but lasts 3-4 months.

Do you leave him alone? He isn't alone much, if we do go out he's alone for upto 4 hours max. If wego out, generally we take him with us.

Work/holiday arrangements? We don't go anywhere on holiday where we couldn't take him. We stay in UK which suits us due to my son being young. We rent a caravan/holiday house in UK and all go wherever we fancy.

I'm at uni and my OH works shifts around me, so if i'm not in then he is and vice versa.

Do you do anything with him (agility/flyball etc)? We take him on regular woodland walks/swims in the forest. I have been looking into doing agility with him, he's very athletic and would enjoy it. If anyone knows of any agility classes in the midlands please let me know.

Anything else you'd like to say. He's a mass of love and cuddles. He sleeps on our bed sometimes (most of the time). My son and him are inseperable, they curl up on the sofa together before bedtime and Bear sees him off into bed with me before coming down and cuddling on the sofa. They both enjoy summertime hosepipe washes (i have a hard time getting them in the house)! I haven't worked out whether my son thinks he's a dog or the dog thinks he's a child! on the odd occaision that i find him being naughty he sulks when he's told off. He takes himself off into his bed and won't come out...just like my son

Samantha1985_2

What dog do you have? King Charles Cavalier & German Shepherd

Why did you get your dog? Cavalier - Always had a dog in the family and when I moved out it didn't feel right without Loup (my parents dog). GSD - we moved into a bigger place and with work (cavalier being alone) & my OH working nights I felt a new addition to our family was more than welcome.

Where did you get it? both from bargain pages; sally (gsd) was 10months old and came from a split home (husband & wife split up moving to rented accomodation with no pets!! when I got there they had already sold sally's mom ( )

What does it eat? Dried food I have today switched them onto Arden Grange but previously it was Royal Canin

How much does it cost you weekly? about £10/week for food + vets/toys/bags/treats probably £20.00 for the pair of them

Do you leave it alone? Well alone together, I used to leave them the run of house/garden but Sally destroyed my N95(mobile) when I forgot to take it with me.. *waves at £200* so she is outside & conservatory for now at least.

Work/holiday arrangements? as above

Do you do anything with it (agility/flyball etc)? basic training, walks

Anything else you'd like to say.

My dogs are such a major part of my life and I would never ever be without them.

I feel very strongly about doggy discipline - I would never tell mine off them unless I caught them in the 'act' (and certainly NEVER EVER hit/smack) I really hate the idea that someone would make a dog cower when they don't realize what it is they did wrong. I'm very pro positive reinforcement