I am looking to get a dog?

Question

I have had a dog before, we got as an adult when i was younger and she was a Alsatian. I am looking either to rehome a dog or get a young puppy. Could anybody please give me any advice on what puppies are the easiest to rear without very much experience. Obviously a rehoming centre would know more about the dogs they have which would be more suitable so any info on puppies would be helpful. Thank you.

Answer 1

If you are looking for another dog then firstly decide if you want a puppy or an adult. If you wanted a puppy then you will get no finer animal than an Alsation and if you were looking to re-home one from the local dogs home then once again go for an Alsation because in my view these are the finest animals out and i've had them all my life. Just make sure as best you can that if you get one from a rescue home that it has not been subjected to anything that would make it turn nasty at a later stage. I rescued two from our local dogs home last year and they were as nasty as anything which I put down to their previous owners. Sadly the long haired one only lasted 4 months with us and his back end went. The other one we still have and he has gone from a nasty vicious animal to the most loving obedient dog you could ever wish to have mainly because of the way we have retrained him. He guards our house with the utmost agression but will let people in if we want them to come in and not hurt them. His best friend by the way is our long haired cat. Nice to see you calling them Alsations. Most people who are snobbish refer to them as German Shepherd Dogs as it makes them sound Posher.

Answer 2

You have to decide if you want a puppy or adult dog. Be aware that rescue centres don't have many puppies because people spay their female dogs. They will not have purebred puppies becasue breeders don't tend to pay out for stud fees, vet bills, feeding the mother, feeding the puppies etc and then hand them over to a rescue for nothing.Purebred pups sell for good money.
If you have no puppy experience, I would advise you to get some books out of your local library on puppy care and traininig. You'll get lots of useful info from books. If you were to get a young adult dog from a rescue centre, you would always have back up and be able to ask advice from the rescue centre which may be useful if you are a novice. They can advise you about diet, training and the like so you are not completely on your own.
Certain breeds like the german shepherd dog (why do people call them alsations?) are not an easy first breed to own as they have strong guarding instincts and require a lot of exersize when they are adults. They also shed hair all over the place (my car is still full of hair after fostering one for a couple of months).
One type of dog which is often in rescue is alurcher. They are very nice dogs. Extremely affectionate, naturally obedient, and just willing to please. They don't need masses of exersize either contrary to what some people bnelive. I have always had at least one lurcher. I call; them the lazy persons dog because they are just so easy to own. My present one lives with 6 tiny dogs, 12 cats, and free range rabbits and guinea pigs. He goes out in the morning for a trot around the land, then back indoors and settles down. They are happy with as much or little exersize as you want to give them. I recommend them a lot when people phone my advice line to ask about dog breeds and if they go with my advice they phone me back all full of praise because they are so pleased with the dog and didn't realise just how great they are. Most rescues have lurchers in.

Answer 3

As you say, the staff at a rehoming centre would know about the dogs they have, so it's certainly worth looking in a few of them. Look on www.dogpages.org.uk for details of your nearest one.

As for advice on puppies, your best bet is probably to speak to the kennel club:

The Kennel Club
1-5 Clarges Street
Piccadilly
London W1J 8AB
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Check the kennel club's website for advice on what to look for in a breeder (and what to avoid). www.thekennelclub.org.uk

And DON'T just trawl the free ads for a dog! Responsible breeders wouldn't advertise this way.

Answer 4

Sport breeds are the easiest to train and the least to turn aggressive, they also need the most exercise. Labs, retrievers, setters, these guys are in the sporting group.
Terriers are the most boneheaded--I'll do it but in my own time and my way too.
Working dogs, or herding--shepherds, collies these guys need lots of exercise and train easily but--everybody yell at me--they can be very protective and if not trained properly turn aggressive. It's what they were bred for, protecting flocks, think about it.
If you go on the AKC or CKC websites you'll find the breeds and their categories outlined. Listen carefully to what the dog has been bred for. There is one breed that was bred to chase down lions--pet material? I'm skeptical.

Answer 5

If you live in the UK. Then I suggest that you go to one off the Battersea Dogs & Cats Homes, they have a web sight where they have pic's and info about dogs up for adoption. The web address is www.dogshome.org/index html. As you are not sure what type of dog/puppy then they can help. As for dogs/puppys that are easy to keep/raise then a mongral can be the best as they can have the traits of both parents. In reality no breed of dog is easy to raise/keep. All you have to do is give them lots of love but also be firm with them when training them, don't be affraid to tell them of when naughty, and praise them when they have done somthing good that you want them to learn. I hope this helps you

Answer 6

I have a Papillon which is a very easy dog to have and they look great. They stay very clean and are very intelligent and eager to please. The only draw back is, like a lot of the smaller breeds, they can be difficult to house break. And by housebreak, I mean be trained to go outside. My dog is paper trained to go on puppy pads, and if we take her for a long walk she will also do her business outside. However the reason we decided to paper train her was her reluctance to go outside in the grass even after being crated. I believe it was because she is so small she feels uncomfortable in the grass or snow. Even now she will look for the clearest spot to go in. That being said, once we decided to paper train her she took to it very quickly and we have not had any problems with her eliminating in inappropriate spots in the house. If you are looking for a delightful little companion dog I would recommend the Papillon.

Answer 7

Try a shelter dog, many times they have volunteers there to help you with any type of training and caring for a dog. They will answer any questions that you may have. And you would be saving the life of a great animal. Mixed breed puppies usually have a great temperament and they have less health problems than pure breeds. Good luck to you and I hope you find a great dog.

Answer 8

Hiya
Please if your looking for a dog ring your local rescue centre. They have all the puppy's checked out for you and also the 1st injections are free. i got a fully breed westie and shes a sweet heart. So easy to look after in fact she sleeps most of the time. She loves to play and really great with kids. It was the best £100 i ever spent in my life. Good Luck

Answer 9

If you go with a puppy of a specific breed, this will depend alot on your lifestyle as to what breed to choose.

We have a Border Collie puppy (5 months), um, so this makes me biased, but she's sharp as a whip and learns SO FAST. But a BC isn't for everyone, as they are really active and need more than the daily walk. They're very smart and really need a "job" to do to keep them happy. Unfortunately, not enuf mental stimulation for these wonderful dogs can lead to boredom, which can result in destructive behavior.

We decided to persue Agility and Obedience with our puppy to give her a job, it's great excercise and will be fun for her and us to compete.

Answer 10

if you dont have alot of experience with a dog getting a young adult or adult dog would be alot easier...older dogs are easier to housebreak than puppies are..puppies are like having babies...need alot of care and supervision...also with an adult dog you dont have to go through the puppy stages...

you are the one who knows your situation and whether or not you have the time and energy for a puppy

when housebreaking a dog do not spank them for going to potty in the house...when you see them starting immediately take them outside and while doing so say lets go outside..when bringing them back in say lets go inside...it doesnt take a dog of any age to catch on to this.
you will also need rawhide chews especially for a puppy/young dog as they love to chew
we have 3 dogs currently..was 4 but had to put my kitana to sleep in sept cause of illness and pain..she was 11...2 of our current dogs were just under 1 yr old when i found them and took them in and they were the easiest to housebreak because they were used to going outside to potty

when thinking about getting a dog just consider all the things of adult vs puppy...talk to someone at your local shelter who can be a big help or someone with the humane society
you can also talk to your vet to help you out

there are many pros and cons of getting a puppy and an adult dog but all the obstacles of either can be over come with time and alot of patience on your part
having animals is alot of work but at the same time very rewarding...

in the long run you will be rewarded with a lifetime of companionship that is unmatched by any other living thing..dogs can be the most faithful, loving companion ever