Puppies - help!!!

allwildgirl

allwildgirl

Cathlete
Okay, I'm planning to get a puppy for DD for her birthday, which is in November. I've been advised that I may want to get it earlier, because training when it's cold and snowy doesn't always work out that well:)

So, I need some input from the educated dog owners and, of course, anyone who works with animals.

We want to get a medium sized mixed breed dog. Something around 60 lbs full grown. Most likely female. What should we look for? What should the dog have in the way of shots, etc. when we get it? What should we avoid?

Any help would be much appreciated. I don't want to rush into this.
 
AVOID puppy stores. I learned that one the hard way. :(

Why female? Just wondering!

I got one of my dogs in the summer and the other in the winter and training was about the same. It's just the hasssle of you having to dress up to go out there pretty often that stinks!
 
I was just thinking I wanted to get a Golden Retreiver. I saw one the other night and they are my absolute favorite dog. But I will have to wait until we get a bigger place.

When you go looking for a puppy you should play with it for awhile. Lay it on its back, rub its belly, play with his ears. This will tell you if he is aggressive or easy going. If you are going to get a mixed breed, keep looking at the pound and maybe you can save one. I would check with your vets office too, they always have signs in their offices for people selling puppies.

Have fun looking.

Kathy
 
Shelly, you will get a thousand responses as to what breed to get so I will leave that part alone.

The thing I will say is that puppies have three HUGE needs: chewing, sleeping and going potty. Just about everything makes them need to "go" so when they wake up take them out, when they run around, take them out, and when they eat or drink, take them out.

I also had my dog in a crate and crate trained. They will not usually go in their bed unless it is too big and there is room. As soon as you take them out of it, take them outside. If my dog stirred in the night, I would take her out....and it was the middle of winter with lots of snow. That didn't seem to matter to her, but I was shivering at 2 am in my jammies!

It is the most brutal couple of months but if you are aggressive with the housebreaking it will be done and over with in a short time. Also clean up any messes they make quickly and quietly. Don't rub their nose in it, it doesn't work.

It is impossible to have enough toys for them to chew on. Buy all kinds, squeaky, stuffed, ropes, hard chews etc. They will have their favorites that you can continue to buy more of. When they are chewing something they shouldn't you can trade them.

I also play with their food when they are eating. I will have them eat out of my hand and will take food out of their mouths and give it back. This teaches them that everything comes from you, and they aren't territorial. We all hate the dog that snaps at you when you walk past their food bowl! Especially small kids.

Have fun picking a puppy, and the best part is that wonderful puppy breath!
 
Oh,we won't be going to a pet store. There's a place near us that sells mixed breed pups.

Females have been recommended to me by several people.
 
Yeah, Shelley training in the snow sucks. But keep in mind, I think training is an ongoing process and depending on the dog could take a while....and don't expect 100% before it gets cold. I have 3 Labs and I adore 'em, but they are on the large size, so that doesn't help you...but you can't beat them for their sweet, family loving personalities. And I love my males....they are so much more likely to follow me around the house(if you like that sort of thing)than my older female.....they are just soooo sweet. You need to decide what kind of personality you are looking for, and what you want out of the dog....do you want a peppy personality, or something to just cuddle with that is pretty chilled out all the time?? There are so many breed with so many different character traits.....low maintance or lots of grooming??? Lot of exercise or someone who will be happy with a couple walks a day??? And there is a whole school of thought about how to pick a puppy.....Your best bet whould be to research some breeds, then look for puppy selection, so you don't overwhelm yourself with info. I will always be a Lab lover, we have purebreds, but if I were to do it all over again...I would head down to the SPCA and get a puppy, looking for a mixed breed that had all the personality traits I had in mind. But you are right to take your time and really put some thought into the whole thing.....it is so important to find a good match for your family.
Take Care and good luck,
Donna
 
Thank heavens! Someone who is doing research about owning a dog BEFORE she buys one!!! You'll do well.

The pound, the paper and rescue groups are probably your best bet. The rescue groups will rescue pure breds, but they will also rescue mixed that have their breed in them. So, if you kind of have a breed in mind but really want a cute ol' mutt, then consider them as well.

It's not a bad idea to research the breeds anyway. If you are looking for a calm, even tempered dog, who will lay around and let you pet her, you probably want to avoid a border collie mix. If you want an active, playful, frisbee catching (over and over and over) dog, that border collie mix might be right up your alley.

I own an Australian Shepherd and he's a sweetie - kind of a Border Collie with an off switch (he will lay down and relax). He's smarter than I am, though, and I have to make sure he stays busy (mentally and physically). My DH has perfected the technique of tossing the ball while sitting with a glass of wine - it helps a lot.

Lab and retriever mixes tend to be good bets - they are the sweet "dumb" dogs (I say "dumb" because they are smart, they just have that dumb dog expression), who love people and are generally good with kids. But they are also fairly energetic.

That's just a sampling, but they are the mixes you'll see most often.

Shots - well find a good vet and he/she will keep you up to date on what shots are required - if you adopt from the pound, chances are the shots will be given before you pick her up.

Find a good trainer. One who uses a clicker and food as reward - positive reinforcement - if you practice diligently, you will have a dog who is thrilled to listen to you because every time she does what you want her to do, there's a chance for food. Plan to spend 1/2 an hour a day training at first. Believe me, the effort is worth it. People tell me I have such a well behaved dog. It's the effort I put into his early years. I think this point is the most important one - if you trainer her right and give her a positive experience while doing it, you will have a wonderful companion.

Oh - yeah - crate training - consider it. You'll both be happier.

And if you like to read - read Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson - great book and helps you understand dogs and how they think and relate to us better.

Okay, I'll shut up now... Good luck Shelley!
 
This site has a questionaire that gives results based on your answers:
http://www.petnet.com.au/selectapet/dogselectapet.html

Boxers are great with children and very sweet in general. They do need quite a bit of exercise though, don't know how you feel about that. I'm glad to see you're considering mixed breeds. We have a Chesapeak Bay retriever / ? (we think he has some Doberman and terrier in there) and he's really smart, too smart actually :) And he's very handsome and sweet although he can be protective when leashed, which is true to Chessie characteristics. The AKC website is also really great, they explain the pro's and con's of each breed.

Good luck!
~Shannon
 
Thanks for the replies. We will definitely be crate training any puppy we get. I'm planning to check out the pound first for puppies, but I know their puppies tend to go much more quickly than their older dogs.

I have owned a dog before. We got her from the pound when she was about 4 months old, but she came with some serious issues from her previous home, which included her not liking women very much.:( When I came home, she'd ignore me. When DH at the time came home, she'd leap all over him.

Anyway, I digress. I'm aware of all the things I have to do once I get one. I just need to know what to look for when getting one. The ideas someone gave about playing with them first to see if they're submissive/aggressive are the kind of thing I'm looking for. Also, I see ads for "first shots" and "dewormed" and am assuming those are good things to look for?
 
If you get a pup who has had his first set of shots then that's less $ and time you have to spend doing it...that all depends on what age the puppy is. Our dog was 3 months when he got him so he had his first set of shots.

De-wormed...yes! Not sure when that would first get done but if it was due make sure it was taken care of!

You can always ask what breeds the pup has in her. That can help you with what to expect personality-wise from the dog. Even a pound should have some idea of the breeds...

HTH!:)
 
Shelley-

Here is a good site with lots of good, trustworthy veterinary info. Might answer lots of your questions before you call your veterinarian (after you get the puppy). It also might have some info on selecting puppies and what to look for.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com

My basic advice - crate train it, have it dewormed at least 3 times, have a series of at least 4 puppy vaccinations (especially parvo), have it spayed or neutered, take it to a puppy socialization class as well as a formal obedience class and most important, love it lots!!!:+ :+ :+ :+
 
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