Help me pick out our first pet!

[Hally]

I know so many people who get a dog for the kids but end up caring for the dog almost exclusively. It is great to give the kids chores like changing the water/feeding/walking etc. but your new dog may end up bonding more with you, especially if the kids are at school all day.

Also, be realistic about how much exercise you will be able to give the dog. Bored dogs without appropriate exercise can be a nuisance so be careful choosing a breed. A dog will be part of your life for years so choose wisely.

Happy dog hunting.

[Green Zebra]

Originally Posted by sillykitty

LOL LL....my impression exactly.... As far as all the advice to go to the pound or shelter, although it is really the best, most responsible place to get a pet, I don't know if I would suggest it for a starter dog for someone wo a lot of breed knowledge. There is the risk of falling in love w an unknowingly inappropriate breed, kwim? I would suggest instead doing research, finding a breed that fits your lifestyle and then going to a breed specific rescue. It's the best of both worlds. I do agree though that an adult dog is the best choice. Puppies and a lot of work, and I guarantee even the most devoted dog lover has at some point (or two or three) wondered if thier pup was returnable!

Ha ha!! Yes!!! I admit I was overwhelmed by my puppy!!! (she's a mixed breed...golden retriever/yellow lab mix)

Now she is almost a year old....and amazing if I may say...but it was a lot of hard work to train her to this point.

I think a mixed breed, from a shelter, would be the best choice...

[kasmom]

Thank you so much for all your advices! After all the warnings, I'm taking the beagle off the list of consideration. I would love to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue group . So far my kids have their eyes set on a pug at a pet store, it was hard for us to leave the adorable puppy :-(. I am very against pet store so that will not be an option, only reputable breeder, shelter or rescue group!

sillykitty - I might be wrong about the Shih Tzu, I read that they could develop small dog syndrome and become nippy on Dog Breed Info Center.

[babieejae1101]

Please look into shelters. If you don't want a puppy, there are older dogs that need homes. Also, its important to look into the breed temperments, medical conditions, etc. Good luck.

[LSnyder]

Originally Posted by kasmom

I will have to look into Greyhound. Shih Tzu are not tolerance of younger children and might snap that is why I didn't even consider it.

My mom has an 11 month old Shih Tzu - Maltese Mix. whenever my neice goes over there they are just best buds. My neice is 1 yr old. However they got "Mindy" when she was 7 months old and came from a home with a 5 yr and a 7 yr old.

[lionlaw]

Originally Posted by kasmom

sillykitty - I might be wrong about the Shih Tzu, I read that they could develop small dog syndrome and become nippy on Dog Breed Info Center.

Just be aware that ANY small dog can develop small dog syndrome. It is more common in some breeds than others, but any small dog can develop it because of their size. I have seen a Maltese in feisty fidos training, lol. The key is to establish yourself as the alpha from the beginnning.

[m1nime]

kasmom - I have not known a shitzu to be snappy. Although, there is the issue that you have to get their hair groomed regularly so not low maintenance.

I may be biased now but how about researching a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? Great with kids, dont need much exercise, excellent temperant towards other animals and strangers, fearless but not aggresive.

They are prone to heart murmers though, among other conditions so you would have to find a registered breeder that does health testing on the parents hearts.

Go and research now!!!! Go go go...

[CoffeeAddict]

I second the suggestion for a rescue Greyhound. They are usually very easy going, sweet dogs. They are on the low maintenance side when it comes to exercise and often happy to lounge on the sofa with you after a walk.

They do have high prey drive though, so if you have a cat or other small animals they may not be a good addition.(though some can be fine) For this reason they should also never be off leash in an unfenced area.

Low maintenance coat. No extensive grooming needed!

Quote:

I will have to look into Greyhound. Shih Tzu are not tolerance of younger children and might snap that is why I didn't even consider it.

Any dog has the ability to get fed up with children and snap. If it has teeth, it can bite. Looking for a tolerate breed is a good idea, but I would also be focused on teaching children to respect the dog.

[flashy.stems]

low maintenance shouldn't be in the same sentence as 'dog'
cats are lazy, get one of those.. hehe

[JennMSU]

we have an 5.5 month old shih tzu and he's excellent! very easy going, not a barker, he learns fast (house training him wasn't bad), and he has a great temperament. we got lucky, for sure! he can be eating or sleeping and if someone picks up him or messes with him, he doesn't get mad. very rare in some dogs! most would nip! now growing up i had a shih tzu and he grew to be cranky around some ppl, but i found out later that it was probably my brother's jerk-wad friends messing with him. i know, how awful! so i recommend a shih tzu. i love that they don't shed -- a must in our house. we have a good groomer in our area too and it's pretty cheap. he loves spa day! oh, and we live in a residential area and have a smaller yard so he's perfect. anything bigger would probably need more space, but he works well with our setup here. just let him out and he runs around (fenced in yard). we walk him once a day around the neighborhood too, and play with him in the house.

i regards to a pug, i think they are adorable! friends of ours have one and say that he's disobedient and crazy, but i think it's because they didn't spend a lot of time training him. my advice to you is consider the activity of the dog. my friend has a beagle-terrier mix and he needs a lot of exercise. if he doesn't get it, he chews things like furniture. he is almost a year old and has destroyed her couch. he has a few playmates at home (another beagle-terrier mix and two cats) and they are calm as cucumbers and he needs to be run around so be careful of that. if you don't have a big yard or a lot of time to run him, consider something smaller or less active. i have another friend with a bull mastiff and she doesn't require a lot of walking at all. he still walks her anyway, but if he forgets one day, she can get by with roaming the yard or house and not get agitated.

hope my info is helpful and good luck! i'm sure anything you get will be great.

[stellamaried]

Originally Posted by kasmom

Thank you so much for all your advices! After all the warnings, I'm taking the beagle off the list of consideration. I would love to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue group . So far my kids have their eyes set on a pug at a pet store, it was hard for us to leave the adorable puppy :-(. I am very against pet store so that will not be an option, only reputable breeder, shelter or rescue group! sillykitty - I might be wrong about the Shih Tzu, I read that they could develop small dog syndrome and become nippy on Dog Breed Info Center.

I know that there are a lot of pug people, and they love their pugs. :)

Do some research on the health issues, because the breed does have them. I love that you are going the reputable breeder or rescue route! Just be aware that with their popularity comes increased backyard breeding, so definitely follow Sharkbait's advice and get to know the members of your local breed club. Are your kids little? I've read that pugs may not be a great choice with very young children because of their protruding eyes.

Puppies are a *ton* of work. If you really do want a lower maintenance dog, please think about getting an older one (you can sometimes get older dogs from breeders, too). I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't really, really wanted my dog when he was a baby, lol.

Sharkbait, I'd love to know more about your Ridgeback and what you do with him. :)

[luvprada]

I love dogs and rescue them. They are part of my family. I think it is wonderful that you want a dog for your daughter but my first concern with your note is that you are not aware of the amount of work a puppy requires or dogs need in general.

Dogs are a 24 hour responsibility. They need to be able to get out for a potty break every 4-6 hours. They need to be fed on a regular schedule. They are not like cats where you can leave a litter box and a dish of food and be gone for the day. They also need exercise, love and your company. I think the first thing to do is consider if you have the time in your life to be caretaker for your dog as it sounds as it will fall to you.

Puppies are a whole new experience in themselves as for the amount of care and training they will need. It can be like having a small child in the house. I agree children can be given small chores but you will need to be the one to make sure that they really get done.

House training is a time consuming ongoing task. Some dogs learn quick, some take longer. That is not breed specific as much as dog specific. Some dogs from one breed may bark alot, some may not. A breed known for not barking is no guarantee your specific dog won't bark.

Here are three books to read:
Choosing a Dog (by Baer)
Choosing a shelter dog
PAWS to consider


I would also recommend going to your local shelter where they can introduce you to the dogs and discuss the different breeds and needs of each dog you have an interest in. I think a mutt would be a great addition but you should let the shelter help guide you with a decision. I would also suggest an adult dog to alleviate the hours of training and clean up a puppy requires.


Remember also, dogs are part of the family and need to be in the house with you. As for smell - have you also thought about shedding and the work that is required to keep the hair cleaned up? Some dogs like poodles require trips to the groomer.


Please take this all into consideration before making your decision. A dog you choose should be going to its forever home.

[kasmom]

Originally Posted by luvprada

I love dogs and rescue them. They are part of my family. I think it is wonderful that you want a dog for your daughter but my first concern with your note is that you are not aware of the amount of work a puppy requires or dogs need in general. Dogs are a 24 hour responsibility. They need to be able to get out for a potty break every 4-6 hours. They need to be fed on a regular schedule. They are not like cats where you can leave a litter box and a dish of food and be gone for the day. They also need exercise, love and your company. I think the first thing to do is consider if you have the time in your life to be caretaker for your dog as it sounds as it will fall to you. Puppies are a whole new experience in themselves as for the amount of care and training they will need. It can be like having a small child in the house. I agree children can be given small chores but you will need to be the one to make sure that they really get done. House training is a time consuming ongoing task. Some dogs learn quick, some take longer. That is not breed specific as much as dog specific. Some dogs from one breed may bark alot, some may not. A breed known for not barking is no guarantee your specific dog won't bark. Here are three books to read: Choosing a Dog (by Baer) Choosing a shelter dog PAWS to consider I would also recommend going to your local shelter where they can introduce you to the dogs and discuss the different breeds and needs of each dog you have an interest in. I think a mutt would be a great addition but you should let the shelter help guide you with a decision. I would also suggest an adult dog to alleviate the hours of training and clean up a puppy requires. Remember also, dogs are part of the family and need to be in the house with you. As for smell - have you also thought about shedding and the work that is required to keep the hair cleaned up? Some dogs like poodles require trips to the groomer. Please take this all into consideration before making your decision. A dog you choose should be going to its forever home.

Sorry if I caused any misunderstandings! When I said LOW MAINTENANCE, I didn't meant dogs are low maintenance, I simply meant a dog as low maintenance as can be. Our neighbor have a frenchie that have to visit a vet to have his anal glands express every other week and not to mention a long list of health issues, that's what I call high maintenance. I never expect the dog to take care of itself! I could use a daily walk myself and a grooming session or obedience class is not even a problem.

What makes you think I'm not aware of the amount of work a puppy requires or dogs need in general? It's no rocket science, it's just common sense that dogs are living being so they will have needs! My intention to get a dog for my daugther doesn't mean it won't be love and become part of my family. I am making a very careful decision with the best intention for my family and also the well being of the future dog. I went as far as babysitting a friend's pug for a week and see how we adjust. Please don't be too quick to preach although you did gave me some very good advices.

[yeliab]

Hi there! I happen to have both breeds!! I have 2 pugs and one beagle!

Our beagle was a feisty puppy but all dogs are feisty as a puppy! We did have to create a fence around our home for the pups - but had to also lay additional cedar planks in the ground under the fence itself to prevent our dogs from digging and escaping.

Our beagle does have a mind of her own... she likes to pick up a scent wherever we are and if there's a really juicy scent (squirrel, etc) she'll start the "sonar" sounds - where her jowls vibrate as she sniffs vigorously... we get such a kick watching her do this!

We did Crate train all the pups so potty training wasn't an issue... all were easy to train.

The pugs are just pure LOVE... they are lap dogs and will want to be with you at all times. The beagle will too but they do have their independence. You'll be able to take the beagle out for walks without worrying too much about their well being.

Pugs have a hard time regulating their body temperature - so we keep them pretty much indoors during really HOT warm days. We never walk them in full sunshine bc they start to pant vigorously. They can't cool down as quickly as other dogs due to their flatter faces.

So this is another consideration - but this issue is really a non issue for us bc we walk the pups when the sun starts to set and the temps cool down... if we feel that the outside temps are still warm - we skip walking them for the day and let them potty outside in the backyard.

We also installed a central a/c for the pugs when we moved into our new home. But depending where you live - perhaps a simple fan would do the trick.

Our pugs do need to be cleaned a lot more than our beagle. They have folds in their face where eye goop, etc will travel into. This will create a smelly goop in between their folds - but if you clean them daily - it shouldn't be a problem.

All this may sound overwhelming to own a Pug but once you understand how to care for them, etc - it becomes 2nd nature like brushing your teeth and you really don't think about it. At 1st like anything that's brand new... it takes getting use to, but after the routine - it's piece of cake!!

For both pups, their demeanor is what we love... they are Sweet, Loving and Kind!! I do have to say that the Pugs are full of Intense Love.... Great for kids! And the beagles are so fun to play with!! For both breeds - just get ready for tons of puppy kisses!!

It's hard for me to pick between the breeds bc I have both!! But it really depends on the temperament of each pup that you look at. You can tell at a very young age what their temperament will be like. Watch the pups move around and how they react toward humans and other pups. This should be a good indicator.

If you have any questions - Please feel free to PM me! I'd be happy to help!!

[kasmom]

Originally Posted by yeliab

Hi there! I happen to have both breeds!! I have 2 pugs and one beagle! Our beagle was a feisty puppy but all dogs are feisty as a puppy! We did have to create a fence around our home for the pups - but had to also lay additional cedar planks in the ground under the fence itself to prevent our dogs from digging and escaping. Our beagle does have a mind of her own... she likes to pick up a scent wherever we are and if there's a really juicy scent (squirrel, etc) she'll start the "sonar" sounds - where her jowls vibrate as she sniffs vigorously... we get such a kick watching her do this! We did Crate train all the pups so potty training wasn't an issue... all were easy to train. The pugs are just pure LOVE... they are lap dogs and will want to be with you at all times. The beagle will too but they do have their independence. You'll be able to take the beagle out for walks without worrying too much about their well being. Pugs have a hard time regulating their body temperature - so we keep them pretty much indoors during really HOT warm days. We never walk them in full sunshine bc they start to pant vigorously. They can't cool down as quickly as other dogs due to their flatter faces. So this is another consideration - but this issue is really a non issue for us bc we walk the pups when the sun starts to set and the temps cool down... if we feel that the outside temps are still warm - we skip walking them for the day and let them potty outside in the backyard. We also installed a central a/c for the pugs when we moved into our new home. But depending where you live - perhaps a simple fan would do the trick. Our pugs do need to be cleaned a lot more than our beagle. They have folds in their face where eye goop, etc will travel into. This will create a smelly goop in between their folds - but if you clean them daily - it shouldn't be a problem. All this may sound overwhelming to own a Pug but once you understand how to care for them, etc - it becomes 2nd nature like brushing your teeth and you really don't think about it. At 1st like anything that's brand new... it takes getting use to, but after the routine - it's piece of cake!! For both pups, their demeanor is what we love... they are Sweet, Loving and Kind!! I do have to say that the Pugs are full of Intense Love.... Great for kids! And the beagles are so fun to play with!! For both breeds - just get ready for tons of puppy kisses!! It's hard for me to pick between the breeds bc I have both!! But it really depends on the temperament of each pup that you look at. You can tell at a very young age what their temperament will be like. Watch the pups move around and how they react toward humans and other pups. This should be a good indicator. If you have any questions - Please feel free to PM me! I'd be happy to help!!

Hi yeliab! We're on day 3 with my friend's pug and I couldn't agree more, he is just loving and sweet. We had a fist laughing at the little guy snoring on his first sleepover. I cleaned his face and ears this morning with moist tissues and he just sit still staring at me with that sweet face. He did not want to walk any further this morning after he had done his business, he had to be carried back.

My friend said he was from a good breeder that was reccommended by the PDCA and cost her a small fortune but he still has his problems. He does need anal glands expressing, the vet said surgery to remove it but other problems could surface so she decide against it. He also prone to ear infections eventhough she cleans him throughfully each morning. He also have separation anxiety when my friend left, he was barking and jumping at the door when she left.

My family adore him to bits, if he's typical for a pug then were all for pugs. Since many people here recommend Shih Tzu, were babysitting one after the pug. We'll also attend adoption fair and shelter in the coming weeks to help us look for our new family member. Lastly if all failed we'll look for a reputable breeder. Thank you so much, everyone was so helpful!