[quote]LiftingStrumpet wrote:
Please make sure you have the financial resources to pay for good medical care for your future pups. Hopefully nothing bad will ever happen and they’ll die in their sleep in a couple decades, but good vet care can be very expensive.
Just one of many anecdotes, my sister’s Labrador suffered from severe hip displaysia and needed a $5,000 surgery to fix it. They just couldn’t afford that and the dog lived in pain the rest of her life. You don’t want to be in that position.[/quote]
^yup. One of my cats just cost me $1000 for a simple urinary blockage (Procedure + hospitalization). Vet says it’s likely to happen again, possibly once a year.
[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
Get a purebred from a reputable breeder.
[/quote]
Definitely do not do this. Purebreds have way more hereditary issues and cost way more to purchase. There are tons of great shelter dogs that might be put down if you don’t rescue them.
[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
Get a purebred from a reputable breeder.
[/quote]
Definitely do not do this. Purebreds have way more hereditary issues and cost way more to purchase. There are tons of great shelter dogs that might be put down if you don’t rescue them. [/quote]
[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
Get a purebred from a reputable breeder.
[/quote]
Definitely do not do this. Purebreds have way more hereditary issues and cost way more to purchase. There are tons of great shelter dogs that might be put down if you don’t rescue them. [/quote]
Not true.
[/quote]
You must have spent considerable time on that rebuttal. Which part is not true?
Oh man this is turning into a “pictures of dogs” thread. I think you all will be impressed with the swagger and sexiness of Dodger the Labrador. Visit his facebook!
Not sure how old a dog you’re considering, but I think raising a puppy is more work than most people expect. Could just be my experience though. We got Cookie from a shelter when she was just a few months old (rescued from a fighting ring) and had her for over two years now. I never raised a puppy before, so I thought it would be a good idea and a new experience.
It’s tons of work training everything from scratch - to crate or not to crate, housebreaking, basic commands, the whole nine. And with a stubborn and/or dumb dog, it’s even more challenging. I’m pretty sure our next dog, if/when we’re due for another, will be a senior dog (at least a few years old) from a shelter. Sure it’ll come with its own baggage and established personality, but I think saving an older dog in general is a good way to go.
[quote]polo77j wrote:
You had dogs your whole life, but did YOU do everything for that (those) dog(s)? Did you wake up early to let them out because they needed to? Did you feed them every day as needed? Did you foot the bill when one got injured or sick or just had a routine visit to the vet? Did you take them for walks? Did you clean up after them when they had an accident? Did you keep your patience when training them?[/quote]
These are huge basic questions that shouldn’t be overlooked.
[quote]Aero51 wrote:
I would also probably get 2 dogs instead of one so they can keep each other company and play. Also more dogs = more fun[/quote]
More dogs = more work, too. They’re not like cats where taking care of three is like taking care of one, just add more food bowls. And anyhow, it sounded like you were going to be around the pup 24/7, so why would he need even more company? Start with one.
[quote]En Sabah Nur wrote:
There are several times where I just want to be close to my girlfriend and we’ll start to snuggle in the bed, on the couch, etc. and the dog will whimper and whine until we pay attention to it. Or we’ll hug for a bit in the kitchen, and the dog will whimper and whine. Or we’ll let her get in bed, and instead of just chilling at the foot of it or on the sides where there’s plenty of space, she’ll try to get in between me and my girlfriend.
[/quote]
My understanding is this isn’t an attention thing, but a dominance thing, and one of the two of you is seen by the dog as lower on the chain of command, if not both. This can cause trouble for you if your dog ever ends up acting like the animal it is and not the human people pretend them to be.
I can’t recommend NOT letting the family dog on the couch enough, and certainly, never, under any circumstance on your bed.
But I’m no expert. Not trying to lecture you, but rather offer a different perspective.
I will add to those thinking about a dog… It’s been almost 3 years now since I had to put my pup down, and I’m still not emotionally ready to introduce another into my life. There is a lot that goes into a dog, and a bond that can’t really be appreciated until it’s gone.
[quote]En Sabah Nur wrote:
There are several times where I just want to be close to my girlfriend and we’ll start to snuggle in the bed, on the couch, etc. and the dog will whimper and whine until we pay attention to it. Or we’ll hug for a bit in the kitchen, and the dog will whimper and whine. Or we’ll let her get in bed, and instead of just chilling at the foot of it or on the sides where there’s plenty of space, she’ll try to get in between me and my girlfriend.
[/quote]
My understanding is this isn’t an attention thing, but a dominance thing, and one of the two of you is seen by the dog as lower on the chain of command, if not both. This can cause trouble for you if your dog ever ends up acting like the animal it is and not the human people pretend them to be.
I can’t recommend NOT letting the family dog on the couch enough, and certainly, never, under any circumstance on your bed.
But I’m no expert. Not trying to lecture you, but rather offer a different perspective.
I will add to those thinking about a dog… It’s been almost 3 years now since I had to put my pup down, and I’m still not emotionally ready to introduce another into my life. There is a lot that goes into a dog, and a bond that can’t really be appreciated until it’s gone. [/quote]
Your first paragraph made me laugh. Did you get that information from a “60 Minutes” interview with Putins black lab? She is quite the intellect.
[quote]En Sabah Nur wrote:
There are several times where I just want to be close to my girlfriend and we’ll start to snuggle in the bed, on the couch, etc. and the dog will whimper and whine until we pay attention to it. Or we’ll hug for a bit in the kitchen, and the dog will whimper and whine. Or we’ll let her get in bed, and instead of just chilling at the foot of it or on the sides where there’s plenty of space, she’ll try to get in between me and my girlfriend.
[/quote]
My understanding is this isn’t an attention thing, but a dominance thing, and one of the two of you is seen by the dog as lower on the chain of command, if not both. This can cause trouble for you if your dog ever ends up acting like the animal it is and not the human people pretend them to be.
I can’t recommend NOT letting the family dog on the couch enough, and certainly, never, under any circumstance on your bed.
But I’m no expert. Not trying to lecture you, but rather offer a different perspective.
I will add to those thinking about a dog… It’s been almost 3 years now since I had to put my pup down, and I’m still not emotionally ready to introduce another into my life. There is a lot that goes into a dog, and a bond that can’t really be appreciated until it’s gone. [/quote]
Your first paragraph made me laugh. Did you get that information from a “60 Minutes” interview with Putins black lab? She is quite the intellect.
[/quote]
Laugh all you want.
I really don’t give a shit. I’m right, and you look like a dipshit to anyone who knows what they are talking about. Enjoy that.
Keep the dog off the couch and off the bed. Give it boundaries just like kids and it will be more content, and of course, disciplined. A content, disciplined dog is a pleasure to be around and what most everyone is ultimately looking for in a canine pal.
[/quote]
It also eliminates stress and anxiety. Two things that break dogs, ruin training, and why you read about “but I never thought fluffy would maul my kids” in the paper.
The dog doesn’t want to be your leader.
Learn the signs of stress, anxiety and alert. Act accordingly.
I will add to those thinking about a dog… It’s been almost 3 years now since I had to put my pup down, and I’m still not emotionally ready to introduce another into my life. There is a lot that goes into a dog, and a bond that can’t really be appreciated until it’s gone. [/quote]
