How do you choose a pet?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I still have a dog- ( I have had rabbits, hamsters, fish, cats and mice through the years also) albeit she is fifteen which is ancient for a Labrador & I admit that after she passes, I will be too sad to think about getting another for a while.</p>

<p>It goes without saying she is a well-loved member of our family, and still gets a great deal of enjoyment out of life, even if she sleeps twenty hours a day.</p>

<p>However- in the back of my mind, I am thinking about in the future when I will be ready to get another dog. ( or two).</p>

<p>While I love labradors and she obviously came from healthy stock, she also required lots of exercise through her first five or so years and I don’t know if I could do that again, particularly since it is now basically just my husband and I.</p>

<p>We had, had two cats when we got her, when my older daughter was 12 and my younger daughter was 4. While we live in a safe neighborhood, the eldest noticed that she was followed by a man when she was walking to the corner store & I decided a dog would be a good deterrent to garden variety weirdos.</p>

<p>( It was- it is interesting the way that people see a big black dog and freak out- I was thinking * she is a labrador*, she is more likely to run you ragged throwing a tennis ball, than bite)
That isn’t why we got a black dog, she just happened to be black, and I hadn’t had labs before, but the neighborhood had several while I was growing up & they sure make good family pets.</p>

<p>I had thought about rescuing a dog, but because I had small kids, I didn’t want any unpredictable tendencies & I found a local breeder that I liked.</p>

<p>However for our next dog- I may consider it.</p>

<p>I do like sizable dogs, but while I like the personality of a friends English Mastiff, I am not keen on having a dog that weighs more than either my husband or I. ( she is 170lbs!- but sweet)</p>

<p>I also like Jack Russells they are hilarious, but a tad on the barky side. </p>

<p>What kind of pet do you have and how did it come to live with your family?</p>

2

<p>Growing up we had rescue Collie’s and Weimaraners … odd combination, I know. Our Weimaraners were wonderful. As adults we moved to German Shepherds. They were wonderful also, but one of our recent neighbors is deathly afraid of shepherds (think Primal Scream scared) and so we’ve moved to Lab/Shepherd mixes. We don’t leash or fence, so we do spend considerable time training.</p>

3

<p>EMK - I just reread your OP. I may have missed your main point:</p>

<p>Re: unpredictable tendencies, in my experience small dogs are the worst. Don’t take my word for it though … ask your mailman! I do believe untoward behavior is animal-specific (rather than breed-specific). For example, I’ve known Corgies that were unbelievably nice, and Corgies that would bite EVERY TIME a stranger approached … no fun walking that dog obviously.</p>

<p>Re: healthy long-lived dogs, you may want to avoid breeds known for cancer vulnerability (e.g., in our area, Golden Retrievers commonly develop “hot” tumors that kill the dogs at an early age). And as you probably know, large breeds are more likely to have both health problems and shorter lives. If your small dog develops hip problems you can carry it … but what do you do with a Newfie?</p>

<p>Our family wants our dog to be a family friend … happy, healthy, well-behaved and long-lived. That’s what we try to select for. YMMV.</p>

4

<p>I’m a Humane Society volunteer dogwalker, and I encourage you to consider a shelter dog. Just about every breed imaginable comes through the shelter sooner or later, as well as many mixed breeds–and if there’s a particular breed you can’t find in a shelter, chances are very good there’s a rescue agency for that breed that can help you find one. </p>

<p>Today I walked a beagle, a sheltie, a huskie, a boxer pup, a rat terrier, a rottweiler, an English setter, a black lab, a golden lab, and a dachsund mix! All of them wonderful dogs that would thrive in a good home.</p>

<p>At the shelter where I volunteer, the staff are very good at helping identify which breeds fit what kind of lifestyle. But there are also good online tools to help you find which breeds fit your activity level, amount of grooming you’re prepared to do, other pets in the household, etc. Here are a couple of them:</p>

<p>[Breed</a> Information: Find The Right Pet For You](<a href=“http://www.iams.com/iams/breed-information.jsp]Breed”>http://www.iams.com/iams/breed-information.jsp)
[Animal</a> Planet :: Guides :: Dog Breed Selector](<a href=“http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselector.do]Animal”>http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselector.do)</p>

<p>Edited to add: Another consideration with a large dog is length of life. Sadly, the bigger the dog, the shorter the lifespan.</p>

5

<p>What a lovely dog you have! I hope he gets to share many more years with your family.</p>

<p>As for your next pet, if you want a dog, I suggest deciding what type of personality you prefer. Wile any individual dog may differ, members of a particular breed typically share personality traits. For instance, Irish setters are not known for brains, and chows are not generally a great breed for children. (Note I say chows - some people get chows confused with Samoyeds, and they’re not the same at all.) I suggest you get a book which describes the personalities, and choose based on that, before even looking at the pictures. Do you want a watch dog, or do you need a guard dog? Do you like a lively, fun-loving dog, or do you prefer a quieter, more serious pup? Once you decide on that, you can narrow the choice down based on which dog “look” you prefer. </p>

<p>I really respected your approach to the rescue dog. When people have small children, taking on a dog that isn’t suitable to children is more possible when you don’t know the dog’s exact breed or past history. (edit: I just read lunitari’s post, and it’s a wonderful post.)</p>

<p>My own preferences lean to the Working group. They’re people oriented, and biters have been bred out of them for centuries, so they’re typically safe to have around any ages. Even if you don’t have small children, you may have neighbors who do. </p>

<p>As for exercise, most people think that the larger the dog, the more exercise it requires. That is not necessarily the case. A beagle, for instance, needs more exercise than a collie does, yet the beagle is not even close to the size of the collie. </p>

<p>When my last beloved pet passed on, I waited a while. You need time to grieve. But dog lovers need to have a dog. My current “puppy” is 4, and we’re rarely more than 3 feet away from each other. It’s so satisfying having a friend like her.</p>

6

<p>If wife and d had there way, we would be knee deep in canines of all shapes, sizes, and lineage. </p>

<p>I grew up with big dogs. There are DOGS and there are dogs. Wife and I are basically of a similar mind. While I love and enjoy most canines, I wanted a DOG. So we looked at the giants breeds. Great Pyrs, mastiffs, St. Bernards, Newfs. All that we read and saw led us to the newfoundland. Temperament, size, longevity, adaptability, level of intelligence, trainability, health/genetic breed issues all suited our needs and lifestyles.</p>

<p>By design we had the dog before the first child. We also wanted a breed that gave a reasonable assurance that we would not have issues introducing an infant “down the road”. The newf in our mind satisfied that requirement, and the Great Pyr was an acceptable substitute. Slight differences in temperament favored the newf in our view</p>

<p>We looked at various breeders and did our research. While we looked at various dogs within breed rescue, those that were available were not suited for any number of reasons… health issues, questionable breeding standards, learned behaviors all of which we were ill or in-equipped to deal with or correct precluded that avenue.</p>

<p>Three dogs and thirty years later, we’re still with newfs. On the third now. One at a time.</p>

<p>It works for us. </p>

<p>D came home from school with a retired racing greyhound. I was reluctant to bring a second dog into the household, but I was overruled by the female contingent.</p>

<p>You could not ask for a better companion. The “boys” get along marvelously. No issues at all. For a breed that spends most of its life in a kennel, confined environment, they are remarkably adaptable and I would strongly urge anyone considering a rescue to examine the greyhound as an option.</p>

<p>My take is choose what’s right for you. Do your homework on the various breeds. Know the health issues, temperaments, trainability and exercise requirements. If you go purebred, the breed specific organizations are wonderful sources of background info. Buy from reputable established breeders. A good breeder will make your acquisition fairly easy and can provide much support, and you might be subject to an interview/background process that makes Ivy admissions look easy.</p>

<p>If you prefer the mixes, then the numerous shelters are excellent resources for so many fine and wonderful animals just waiting for a second chance and loving home. </p>

<p>Be prepared to treat the animal as a family member. Do not abandon an animal for frivolous or questionable reasons. Be prepared to train (or retrain) the dog to be a good companion and citizen. Be prepared to provide proper food, shelter, and medical care for a lifetime.</p>

<p>Added: you may also need access to breed knowledgeable vets. Certain breeds and issues require a level of knowledge or care that may not be locally available. Something else to consider.</p>

<p>There are really few truly bad dogs. There are untold numbers of marginal or bad owners.</p>

7

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<p>Same goes for feeding. Many assume the giant breeds eat more than a college linebacker.
The reality is that most of the adult giants need about the same or less than an average lab or golden of similar age. Feeding quantities are breed specific. The average newf will gain 100 pounds in the first year, but then level off to about 150 or so for an average male. Maintaining optimum weight is an issue in helping to alleviate joint and hip issues in the larger breeds.</p>

<p>My d eats more than the dog. ;)</p>

8

<p>The only dog I ever had was a lab. My first husband was a metropolitan police officer in London and did a 6 month stint at Buckingham palace. All the police dogs at the palace were labs rather than the usual Alsations (what we call german shephards in the UK), supposedly because the Queen did not want Alsations there. My ex fell in love with labs so we ended up getting one. I adored that dog. Actually everyone did - when we went on vacation people would be offering to look after her while we were gone, and when we took her with us to Ireland once the bed and breakfast owner would ask if they could take her off to feed her. We found out she was getting steak while all we could afford to eat was egg and chips (french fries). Sadly she did die young - she was only 9 and died of cancer. I used to always think I would only ever want another lab if I got another dog. But as I get older I think I would go for a smaller dog now. I fancy a King Charles Spaniel because they have friendly disposition. But the price tag might be a barrier there. A moot point as my husband does not want a dog :frowning: . I would love one.</p>

<p>I do have cats. My current 2 - one was a stray that showed up 15 years ago. He is mostly an outdoor cat as he does not have good house manners. He was a mean little blighter when he was younger but has mellowed with age. The other was born to another stray who showed up starving and pregnant. We let her in the house and she had 2 stillborn kittens and 2 live ones. She was quite placid while she was pregnant then went back to being pretty wild after giving birth. She ate one of the live ones (we never knew if she ate it because it died, or it died because she ate it - we just found half a kitten). She almost killed this one and the vet told us to throw her out and bottle feed him or she would kill him. He is very clumsy, probably because of a bit of brain damage, so is a complete indoor cat. But quite endearing and entertaining and a little bit strange - jumps at his own shadow and shoots about 2 feet vertically into the air when anything startles him. Like an armadillo. He adores my husband and just tolerates me, which is odd (and annoying - to me) because I have always been the one the cats love on. Other cats I have had have been a mix of ones I fell in love with at the pet store or strays that have shown up at the door. I have a fancy for a rag doll cat because of their lovey temperaments but it will probably not happen.</p>

9

<p>*Even if you don’t have small children, you may have neighbors who do. *Thats a good point- we have many young families in the neighborhood & I would like to be able to take the dog in public.</p>

<p>As for exercise, most people think that the larger the dog, the more exercise it requires. That is not necessarily the case. </p>

<p>I know, but our lab was bred for hunting & I didn’t know at the time, that they are higher energy than the average bear.</p>

<p>Ive seen lots of dogs on our neighborhood walks, lots of big dogs in the city, even Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds. There are even a pair of Pekingese who are very appealing, they always want to know what I have done in my yard.
I know more about what kind of dog I don’t want.
I don’t want one that will fit in my pocket- I don’t really want one that is bigger than me ( our house is <1000 sq ft) and I don’t want one that is smarter than me.</p>

<p>( my daughters former roommate had a Blue Heeler, who probably needed to go to college and try out for the Olympic team to get enough intellectual and physical stimulation</p>

<p>She also just went through training to be a foster parent to dogs waiting to be adopted/just had surgery etc, perhaps she will have some ideas.)</p>

10

<p>emeraldkity,</p>

<p>It’s funny someone mentioned a Samoyed, because we have a Sam and they are not that common. This is a dog that is so beautiful he stops traffic, BUT they definitely have their downsides. I know I would get a Samoyed again, but that’s because I kind of know what to expect. We were warned that they retain “puppy-like” behavior, but didn’t know what that meant! This dog was my full-time job for the first 2 years of his life, and were that not the case we would not have him today, but he is a wonderful dog now. He rarely barks, is very calm, kid- and cat-friendly (he coexists peacefully with 3 cats), he travels well, and is not a fussy eater.</p>

<p>So, in our opinion, Samoyed pros:</p>

<p>A GORGEOUS animal
Highly trainable (when he wants to be, lol)
Not a fussy eater
Not yappy or barky
Does not bite or nip
Very people-friendly and loves to be with his family
Small poo-poos (well, it is a consideration for some!)
Does not eat much
Does not chew on stuff (as an adult)
Does not drool
Is SUPER-funny
Good company, and travels well in car or airplane
Excellent with children, lies down for toddlers to pet him
Has a pleasant, happy, energetic personality
Good stamina and good size for walking
Excellent health, no hip dysplasia or eye problems</p>

<p>Samoyed cons:</p>

<p>Sheds a LOT
As a puppy, high-pitched yapping/barking and chewing
Slow to house-train (took our dog 10 months!)
Gets separation anxiety
Will chase squirrels if I let him</p>

<p>Rescue Samoyeds can be found. Our vet’s assistant has 5 foster Samoyeds right now. I think that they wind up in rescue because people get them as beautiful puppies, not realizing how much work they are as puppies!</p>

<p>Anyway, good luck with this, emeraldkity, but here’s hoping your pooch lives a good long while yet.</p>

<p>p.s. No one in the family has shampoo and conditioner as expensive as our dog’s shampoo!</p>

11

<p>Jack Russels are very high energy. I work at a shelter and they are hard to get rid of-- people adopt them because they are cute and then bring them back because their energy is too much trouble. We have to keep them in the large dog kennels because they can and will happily jump six feet in the air ALL DAY LONG. There aren’t a whole lot of low energy breeds but there are certainly enough for you to find one you like, but if lots of exercise isn’t on your agenda you will not be able to just go pick out any dog that looks cute. You need to research breeds and should check out shelter adoption counseling to see what information you can get. That’s what everyone should do anyway, but you especially since you have specific desires and are not necessarily open to changing your lifestyle right now to accommodate a dog.</p>

<p>If you went to a reputable shelter they should be able to help counsel you to determine what the best breed for your situation is. I work at a Humane Society and that is part of my job. Even if you end up working with a breeder instead, the counseling may help you determine what breeds to look for. </p>

<p>Another thing to look at is health issues. My friend nearly adopted an Irish Wolfhound a few weeks ago only to find out that bone cancer is the number one cause of death-- that would be heartbreaking and expensive.</p>

12

<p>Our current breed (min pin) is a compromise dog between H and me, and we’re on our second dog (first was snatched out of our backyard–human or animal perp, we don’t know).</p>

<p>I grew up with indoor chihuahuas (my parents gave then all the same name–is that usual?). H grew up with medium sized outside dogs. So we compromised with the min pin–bigger than a chihuahua but smaller than a medium sized dog.</p>

<p>Dog is an indoor dog that has access to the outdoors through a doggy door. </p>

<p>We both agreed that we wanted a short haired dog.</p>

<p>We’ve always had male dogs, but I was getting tired of the marking problem. The current min pin is a female (all the males were sold), and I have to say that I love her dearly!</p>

<p>Loves to cuddle, loves to play, cute face…a little barky, though, and I’ve read that sometimes their knee can blow out to the tune of $1,000. She did chew through my friend’s bottle of sleeping pills and ate about 20 of them (another $1,000). She got a little woozy–I told my friend that she needs to get stronger sleeping pills if taking 20 of them can’t even put a 12 pound dog to sleep! </p>

<p>I think I’ve found my kind of dog. We considered Jack Russells, but we weren’t ready for THAT much energy.</p>

13

<p>"We considered Jack Russells, but we weren’t ready for THAT much energy. "</p>

<p>I have to add a story here. When I go to walk the JRTs at my shelter, you bend down to attach the leash, right? They literally will jump OVER your back, and you have to whip around and try to catch them in the air. Granted these dogs are locked in kennels for a good part of the day, however they get 2-4 20 minute walks a day (more than many dogs with forever homes) and the kennels are nearly dorm room sized. :P</p>

14

<p>Another thing to keep in mind is if a breed is prone to prey drive, if you have (or want to have) pet cats. I know several people with Jack Russells who are cat-killers. A lot of the terriers are like that, I think. Also a surprising number of daschunds!</p>

<p>If you get a lab from a breeder, make SURE the parent dogs have had their hips certified by OFA (Orthepedic Foundation for Animals.) If the hips are anything other than “excellent”, run away. (Don’t take the breeder’s word for it, either, get the name of the dog and check the records on OFA’s website.) Hip dysplasia is a widespread, heart-breaking problem in labs (and goldens.)</p>

<p>Personally, I would recommend a lab mix from the pound. There are tons of shelter dogs without behavioral problems (a lot get dumped when people move.) If you get an adult, you can choose one that’s already housebroken–bonus! ;)</p>

15

<p>Guinea Pigs, FTW!</p>

16

<p>swimcatsmom, as I type this, our two Ragdoll cats, aged 8 and 9, are sprawled on the desk (and at 16 pounds each, that’s a lot of sprawl). Our first was a gift to our daughter, and she picked the breed after reading up on them. The second came along because you can’t have just one cat (you really can’t). Raggies are wonderful pets, affectionate and calm, good with the dog, and of course just gorgeous with their long, fluffy fur and blue eyes. It’s very easy to clip their claws, brush them, etc. But when they are no longer with us I plan to adopt from a shelter. I peruse the Petfinder listings now and then, and there are so many lovely felines needing homes, I find I want them all! H says I have the potential to be a crazy cat lady–he’s probably right.</p>

17

<p>he did chew through my friend’s bottle of sleeping pills and ate about 20 of them (another $1,000)</p>

<p>Scary.
WHen our dog was in her chewing anything that is within reach mode, she has neatly punctured disposable contacts in their individual packages ( almost a box worth), chewed the bottom off of a plastic bottle of Hershey syrup ( it must have been almost empty), chomped on several cooked chicken carcasses that were in the trash, the insides of several pairs of leather lined shoes, drawer pulls to my oak roll top desk, and of course her fair share of cat food and what comes after the food.</p>

<p>I quickly learned that sticking your finger into a puppys mouth to see what they are eating is about as smart as sticking your finger into a diaper to see if it is wet.</p>

<p>Still love labs though-</p>

18

<p>We occasionally talk about choosing a pet. It just seems though that our pets chose us before we got around to doing the choosing.</p>

<p>Proud owners of two housecats whose pregnant mother (adopted by a friend as was the rest of the litter) chose our home as her delivery site</p>

<p>and</p>

<p>one outdoor cat who arrived and defied our initial efforts to move him onward. (Great cat BTW - I can’t believe we considered not keeping him.)</p>

19

<p>We decided on bichon/maltese breeds (doesn’t shed) and preferred to find one at a shelter. They always had a long waiting list for the ones we found. Then discovered that, in our area, the public shelters work closely with the rescue groups. When certain types of dogs came through, the shelter would call the appropriate rescue group immediately.</p>

<p>So got on the list as a foster home for the rescue group. What I love about fostering is that you can “try out” the dog for a couple of weeks to see if it’s a good fit. The first dog they gave us was a puppy. Found out right away that we are not able to handle puppyhood, so returned the dog the next day. Soon after we were give another dog to foster, a 3 yr old. Perfect fit. She’s some sort of bichon/poodle/spaniel mix. Was only 14 lbs when we picked her up at the shelter; soon got up to 20 lbs. Perfect size, rarely barks, mellow, loves to chase the tennis ball for 1-2 minutes, then doze under the computer table. For grooming, just get a close cut 2x/yr. Can’t imagine life without her.</p>

20

<p>You all seem so knowledgeable about dogs, so I have a side question for you all.</p>

<p>Something I’ve always wondered about: in some breeds are females more likely to be less concerned with improving their place in their “pack” than males? Are they likely to be less territorial?</p>

<p>I am on my first dog, a rescue, cocker spaniel mix and this is all so new to me. He was a stray, but was someone’s pet at some point as he had been neutered when he was found. He was roughly a year old when we adopted him. For the most part he strongly dislikes men, and I suspect he may have been treated badly by a man in his past.</p>

<p>He is a great dog in so many ways, however, I’ve noticed that on his own “turf” he is very territorial. He’s not bad when I take him on walks away from our home. However, if people walk by our house, or come to the door, he gets quite upset. We do work with him on his response with mixed results.</p>

<p>I’ve always thought a female dog next time might help with this. Thoughts?</p>