Dog or no dog?

Question

My husband and I, are buying a house. He wants to buy a dog to protect the house. But the thing is that dogs scare me. I dont know what to do.

Answer 1

get a puppy, how can a puppy scare you? Then you'll find out how wonderful they are and you won't be affraid anymore. Please, please, please, don't make it an outside dog. Dogs need to be close to their familys, be a part of the family. They get ignored outside and lonley and it causes them to bark all the time! If you talk to a puppy like you would a person they will learn to understand you, they give you unconditional love and will be your best friend if you let them!

Answer 2

Well you shouldn't buy a dog to protect your house, you should buy a dog because you want a dog. I guess you should figure out why dogs scare you and if you can work around that. Besides even if dogs scare you, I am sure you could find a dog out there that you really connect with that doesn't scare you. You should go to your local library and check out books on dog breeds, (The Good, The Bad, And The Furry is really good) and find a breed that both you and your husband agree on. Then find a qualified breeder (not a pet store, dogs there are not always healthy) and see what they can do for you.

Answer 3

I like the idea of the poster above, try a test run. Dogs (and cats and other animals) react to nervous energy the wrong way. If you get a dog, you must both be the pack leader (check out Ceaser Millian - The Dog Whisperer, oh and there is nothing mystical in what he does). A big dog is better for protection but that isn't always true. A little dog gives you more of a warning. Technically a mixture of the two gives a better result. The little dog warns them away, the big dog makes sure it happens. However, big dogs typically need a lot of exercise (treadmill at the least). They both need strong leadership or they get weird.

Answer 4

It's okay to be a scared but sometimes you have to go with what is best. I suggest a puppy so you can get used to it. There are also big dogs a little dogs. Little dogs probably won't do so good for protecting the house but will help you learn to love dogs. Large but loyal dogs include German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and believe it or not but the Great Dane. Of course there are others. I suggest you do a little reading on the different breeds.

Answer 5

You two shouldn't buy a dog off bat - try spending some time at a friend's house w/a dog and get used to it. Start with a puppy so that the characteristics are the ones that you two have influenced on him/her, not by some abusive owner. Watch some of the dog-whisperer shows too, they're quite amusing and would guide you towards the right direction to act around dogs.

Answer 6

we have a male pit, and he does great in protecting the house. pure pits, not pits bought off the street, but from a real breeder are very mild tempered. Mine will not act aggressive towards anyone, he is actualy a wimp. There are some other dogs out there that are good protection dogs and will not hessitate to take a bite out of crime, but one dog will not protect a house, they are a good visual deterent, but any experienced criminal that wants into the house for whatever reason will most likely have a pocket full of doggy treats, and if your dog is immune to flattery then their back up treat is a can of oven cleaner, a spray of this stuff in the face will suffocate your dog before he can bite or bark. So if you want to protect the house, get a shotgun, if you want a companion then get a dog.

Answer 7

When your scared, your body releases an odor that comes out of your pores that dogs can smell as fear. If a dog knows your scared, he will not treat you as a leader (Alfa) because you won't be behaving like one.

Consider going to a dog training class to observe before you get a dog (if you do). There are a couple of books that are well respected by the Monks of New Skete that can really help you understand about dogs better. Best do something like this before you get one. Once a dog knows your afraid of him, its a lot more work to fix that then it is to do it right from the beginning. Remember that a dog is a wild animal and you can't expect him to think human like just because he lives in your home. You have to understand them, they're body language, the way they operate in general.

The other thing to consider is the fact that dogs are highly dependent, like a child is. Can you handle that?

Answer 8

owning a dog is a big commitment. dogs need a lot of attention and maintenance and depriving a dog of its needs is not fair. first things first, why are you afraid of dogs? is your fear is going to out weigh the joy in owning a pet? and if so, is that going to affect you taking care of the dog? my advice is to sit down with your husband and make a list of pro's and con's of having a dog. also, tell him how you feel and listen to his views. part of marriage is compromise so if you do get a dog just set some ground rules and im sure your dog will grow on you. i am a dog owner and i love my 1 1/2 year old pom. but sometimes i think i wasn't ready for a dog.

Answer 9

Get the dog as a puppy and it will grow up to love you and you it. My house was broken into, cleaned out a couple years ago. At the time the police told us that the best alarm system was a dog.

We now have a golden retriever, who we always figured would show a robber where the jewelry was if one came in. A few months ago, someone tried to break into our house, broke a window with a rock, but they never came in. I suspect it was the dog that scared them off.

Answer 10

Tell him a security system is better than a dog. A robber can always shoot the dog, then break into your house. They can poison the dog, and still get into your house. You don't have to walk the security system. The security system will call the police when someone breaks into the house, the dog will not.

Answer 11

Get a dog.Even though they scare you,they take care of the house.Is your husband talking about a big dog?Or are you scared of all types?If you are only scared of the big types,get a toy breed!They are protective too because any breed can be protective as long as they bark a lot.If you are scared of all types,try dogs anyway.They are very loyal.That`s why they`re called "Man`s Best Friend!"