My family is planing to get a dog.....and i have no idea what kind i want.?

Question

All of my friends are suggesting those really small, cute puppys, but i'm still not sure what kind of dog i should get.

Answer 1

I suggest, taking the entire family to your local shelters & rescues, to see what dogs are available, and are in dire need of a loving home.

Don't be set on an 8-12 week old puppy, or purebreds. You may miss out on the best dog for your family, if you have too many ''preferences''. Meet & greet the dogs, and you'll know when you found the right one.

Answer 2

I urge you to adopt a young, adult dog of mixed breed from a shelter. Puppies, while cute, won't stay puppies forever. An adult dog will have reached his full size, be temperament tested so as to get along with all your family members etc.

Forget that myth about puppies and bonding. Rubbish. Your adopted dog will love you forever. I promise.

But make sure that everyone knows that y ou are welcoming someone into the FAMILY - and as such it will be the ADULTS responsibility to care for him - not the children. That's not to say they shouldn't be involved - but training, feeding and cleanup - are the adults responsibility.

Speaking of training - while at the shelter, ask about a good citizen course (obedience training). A well-trained dog is a delight to be around. A poorly trained dog is a pain in the neck.

Answer 3

Consider breeds before just getting 'a puppy' there are many high energy dogs that won't fit into a quiet family life style. However if you are an active family that dog would suit you perfectly. You might consider an older dog from a rescue too, their are many that are given up by the owner because of a death in the family or moving regulations that would prevent them from going with them.
These dogs cost a lot less than a puppy, no chewing, whining, fixing or getting the shots that is all taken care of by the rescue people, head over to petfinder.com and put in your zip code for rescues in your local area.

Answer 4

You need to do your homework first before you rush out and get a dog since it's obvious you haven't a clue.

Think what your lifestyle is, and the lifestyles of the rest of the family. Are you in school or at work full-time? Is everyone gone during the day? That wouldn't be much of a life for a dog.

What do you do when you come home at the end of the day? Go out jogging every night -- or flop down in front of the TV?

Are you in a house with a yard? Or is your family in a tiny condo/apartment? Do you have neighbors that will object should the dog bark or howl continuously for hours? Would your family dislike having shoes chewed, or furniture clawed, or carpeting scratched? Is anyone in your family allergic to dogs?

And last, but certainly not the least question: Can you AFFORD to properly care for a dog? Don't be like the morons who come on this site asking for cheap "home remedies" for something like kidney failure or brain surgery or broken bones because they refuse to take their pet to the vet.

Answer 5

Dogs are require a large commitment for a basic training and also very
Important is to know how to house brake the animal. Also you have to
Consider if you could physically afford to have a large dog, if not then
You should have to consider getting yourself a medium size dog (up to 60 lb)
Or a small size dog (up to 40 lb).Very important also grooming.
Short hair dogs require a minimum effort for grooming in money and time.
Long hair dogs require brushing of their fur at least 2 times a day, and usually long
Hair dogs do a lot of mess, because a lot of visible hair shed off around your place, and it
Requires of cleaning. Also very important to consider if you want to get a pure breed dog, or a mutt .Usually pure breed dogs have more health problems then mongrel dogs.
For example pure breed German Shepard dogs have more problems with their hips.
So in this situation you have also to do a some research ,not only for the size of the animal ,but also for their physical evaluation.
Less care ,and less travel to your veterinarian is very important .Veterinarians are very expansive .Hair cut is $40.00 and up depending on the size of the dog.
Some breeds are easy to train ,some not .Some breeds are good with kids ,some not.
So ,research ,and research more ,for less problem relationship .And you will have a very rewarding and thankful friend for a quiet a long time.
Also I would like to mention ,that smaller breeds life span is a lot longer that larger breeds.


Good luck.

Answer 6

Start by purchasing a dog book on all the different breeds. Both the Canadian and US kennel clubs have books for about $10 giving a brief description on the dogs. Once you narrow it down, then go to a shelter or breeders and see the dogs in person. If you go small, you might as well go with a non or low shedding dog, since they usually end up being allowed on furniture and beds..

Answer 7

First of all, some young girls will suggest the small dogs, because their "cute" and they can be stuffed in purses.. :rolls eyes:

Please dont take offense anyone, I did say SOME girls, not all.

A dog is a lifelong responsibilty and this decision isnt something to be decided by your friends. it will be YOUR dog therefore its YOUR decision. Think about the things you would want from it, and the kind of person you are. And then start doing research on breeds that you already are interested in and go from there.

Answer 8

I feel it's nice for the children, however rough to achieve for the adults. Most cut up dad and mom are doing well to find the money for to transport out on their possess, and more commonly this does require three residences. Although, presuming one dad or mum is continuously going to be within the nest with the children, the dad and mom is also competent to determine a compromise on sharing an extra house within the identical method, no less than within the quick time period. They wont be there in combination, but when they may be able to get alongside it would paintings.

Answer 9

My only advice is think about how much time you will be able to devote to walking and caring for it: there are some dogs that require a LOT of work: walks, attention e.t.c. and there are some dogs who are happy to lie around the house being walked once/twice a day and getting attention when you want. P.s. deffo get one: they're really good friends and play mates!

Answer 10

A lot depends on you and the rest of the family's needs in a pet. You need to see how much time and energy you can HONESTLY commit to spending on the animal, the temperament of the breeds in the size you desire as being compatible with your desires in a pet, etc. etc. etc. Can't suggest anything with no information to base an opinion on. Feel free to contact me through Answers with more info, I'll try to give useful suggestions.