Any dog experts out there?

[paco]

CarWeenie,

Thinking of getting a new pup eh. Here's some advice:

1st. Get yourself a very thick book covering all the breeds.

2nd. Establish what your FAMILY are and are not looking for in a dog
Low Energy or High Energy
Small/Medium or Large Breed
Pure Breed/Mutt/Designer Mix
Grooming/No Grooming
Do you want to breed or not
Rescue or Puppy
Cost (How much are you willing to spend upfront?)
Maintenance (How much are you capable of spending monthly?)
3. Then pick something like 20 breeds and start the narrowing process based on the list above.
4. When you down to a 2 or 3, then look in the Dogs Annual for a local breeder and visit them to see the breeding stock and puppies and talk to them to get the absolute low down on the breed.
5. If you go the mutt route, make sure to buy from a loving family.
6. If you from a shelter, they'll provide you with a tonne of information.
7. REMEMBER, there's a big movement now with companion animals. They are one of the family and as such, you need to ensure you are ready for the life long commitment to them and treat them as a member of the family. Go to any store these days you find fancy dog bowls, treats, clothing (Gap now makes dog sweaters :-)). The days of keeping a dog chain linked to a fence are very quickly disappearing. You can go to jail if a neighbour complains and you found to be neglectful.

Note: Visit a lot of breeders and please and really consider long and hard before buying a dog from a pet store. If you do, research the store and their policy surrounding the dogs they sell and try and meet the breeder that is selling through the store.

PLEASE DO NOT BUY A DOG FROM A PUPPY MILL! Do everything you can to educate and complete an informed purchase. Not all pet stores are the same. Make sure you know what you are buying.

By the way, PUGS ARE GREAT!

Paco

[JBM]

I have 2 chinese cresteds.

There are 2 flavors, hairless and ones with a coat.

They have a great personality, and dont shed.

My male will snuggle with me and fall asleep on the couch, while the female will fall asleep on my wifes blanket while she is watching tv.

My boy is 9 lbs, and the female is 8. Perfect size as they dont scratch the leather couch.

[Sarcazmo]

Look for local rescue groups out there as well. There are many good dogs waiting for great forever homes. In addition, most serious rescues have already started a dog w/ minor obedience, and can give you loads of info.

[Way2SSlow]

The last three dogs I have had have been rescues. Patches was 18 yrs old when we finally had to put her down (she couldnt hold food down anymore). The two that I have currently (the two this thread is about) are both GREAT dogs. I really enjoy their company. We've had our share of purebred as well as mutts. I guess we've just been really lucky and gotten great dogs. They are definitely some work though....and its totally worth it! I'm 24 years old and in ALL of my 24 years (from newborn until now) I have had a dog. The longest we have been without one is like a month or two...they really do add that much to the family. We recently had a family photo shot and Jinx is front and center....We hadn't adopted Murray yet at the time of the pic.

[CarWeenie]

Thanks guys for all the good info!!!

Personally, I would also prefer a rescue.
My older daughter would not have any problem with it (she has a lot of empathy
for those dogs at the pound).
However, my younger daughter and my wife really want a puppy.
(they want this "puppy" experience thing - I am not sure they know what
they are in for.)

Yes, we are staying away from pet store/puppymill. Horrors!!!

Yes, the dog will be treated as one of the family - not an outside dog chained to the fence 24/7.

We did locate a breeder who seems to be good (she has a life-time rescue guarantee - Of course, I am NOT planning to go that route).
However, I want my family to think long and hard about this.
Personally, I am not too worry about the financial commitment (either up front or up keep). I am more concerned about the emotional commitment.
This is an 15-18 years commitment. This is going be like your kid and you can't just say
"too bad, it did not work out - we are dropping you off at foster home/juve hall".
Wish us luck!

[Accumulator]

Originally Posted by CarWeenie

... my younger daughter and my wife really want a puppy.
(they want this "puppy" experience thing - I am not sure they know what
they are in for.)...Wish us luck!

Heh heh heh, puppies are a lot of work all right. Enjoy those 3AM potty breaks And you *do* have some kind of extractor, right

Way2SSlow- You're lucky to have always had (good) dogs around.

[CarWeenie]

Yep, the breeder did warn me about the 3am potty run fpr the puppy.
Man, it is about 30 degree out during 3am (yes, it does get that cold even in California).
Guess who is going to wake up at 3 to service the puppy?!
Yes, I do have a Bisset Big Green Machine. I also have a Hoover carpet cleaner (with the
rotating brush thingie). These machines are monstrous, though. Perhaps, I should get that Bisset spot cleaner gadget that has been advertised heavily on the TV.
Most of the house is hardwood floor, though. Hopefully the puppy will "do it" on the wood floor (I guess all the nice rugs need to be rolled up and put away for a while).

I guess this is going to be a major life style change for me. I guess I have to start
driving to work (instead of biking) so I can come home during lunch hour to walk/play with
the dog. I think I want to re-incarnate as a dog (American dog, that is) in the next life.

[JBM]

We have always crate trained our puppies, and they are house broken pretty shortly.

[Accumulator]

JBM- Yeah, crate training has all sorts of benefits. We even put a pen in the media room for the then-puppy and she was housebroken in no time. Heh heh, we still have the pen in that room too she likes having "her space" so OK, even if it doesn't look too great. She likes her crates and travels in one in the MPV.

CarWeenie- The mess can do a number on the finish of hardwood floors too We kept the good rugs covered for a few weeks (and took the covering off just in time for our friend's adult, supposedly housebroken dog to go on one of the valuable ones ). With the cost of pro cleaning it pays to just take them up.

The small extractors are handy, and yeah, they beat lugging the big ones around. If I were doing it over, I'd get a *good*, heated mini extractor and use it for not only the pet messes but also for detailing.

Since you have hardwood floors (we do too), be sure to get the pup used to having its nails trimmed. We do it *every* night, even if we just "pretend" (we say "pseudo" to the dogs now and they know that means we're just playing at it on those nights). By doing it every night right before bedtime, the dogs quickly get used to the clipping, and you'll get used to doing it too. Have some styptic powder on hand for the inevitable "oops", which won't happen often once you get the hang of it. Keeping the nails well trimmed is a lot easier than people make it out to be, and is good for both the dog and your floors. Our friend with the rug-soiling dog doesn't clip its nails, and the poor thing's gait is all messed up from the long nails. When the dog used to stay with us (at the previous house) it'd take nearly a week to get the nails trimmed back to where they oughta be, taking off a little at a time.