Puppy adoption

[FireCrystal]

My roommate and I are considering adopting a puppy. I have had no experience with dogs before and I would like to inquire some information from the pet owners here. How does the process usually go? How much should I be expecting to pay? How much does cost to keep a puppy alive and healthy each month? Our apartment is small and my roommate said she'd like to adopt a small, fun dog; so which breeds should I consider?

[pohibaba]

I know there's a company that lets you have a dog for like a month or something that has been trained to be a seeing-eye dog (they need to get it used to different people, thus why they do it). My roommate and I were considering it, but I can't find the website again for the life of me. You might wanna try that and see if you even like having a dog.

[killerx]

http://www.guidingeyes.org maybe?

[Mysterio]

Terrier and Pomeranian are popular lap dog breeds.

Take your roommate to the local pound and you could get one of their strays for free, since those dogs need homes too.

[Elesirdur]

I'll say this up front - a lot of small dog breeds don't work well when left alone for hours at a time. Any kind of terrier, or breed that has come from terrier stock, are serious trouble unless you can be very strict and regimented with their training early on. A lot of people don't know that terriers were bred to catch mice, rats, and other pests out in fields and hay stacks. They were designed to be more of an 'area defence' compared to cats, and they also hunted in absolutely vicious packs. The reason you see so many yappy and poorly trained terriers is that the owners haven't been able to, or are just too lazy and/or spoiling, to break them out of their basic genetic desires. Again, as a working dog of sorts they are not happy when they are cooped up in confined spaces without a master or companion. Not only will they wreck your shit it's really bad for the dog too as they get all stressed out and anxious.

I highly recommend crating just about any dog you'll have in an apartment. If you do it from when they're a puppy and make that their usual resting place then the crate becomes a place of comfort, not the 'bad dog' prison. Crating into adult dog life is also helpful as you can put your dog in the crate when you're at work or out of the house and they'll hopefully just relax or go to sleep as they've been raised to think of the crate as a restful place. Also, crating creates dominance and can be useful in pack dogs so they don't get all nervous in the master's absence and try and become the leader themselves.

The real bitch about many small dogs (pardon the pun) is that, because they have been bred over time to be companion dogs, they often suffer from separation anxiety making them ill-suited to new owners or homes where there will be no other occupants for more than 2 or 3 hours a day. Working dogs like collie breeds aren't much better. Without 'work' to do they get restless, become sullen, and can become aggressive, lash out destructively on furniture or their surrounding, or do funny things like herd small children into the corner or a room or the yard. Seriously, it can happen and as funny as it is to me it's probably not much fun for the kids. On the flip side, big dogs like Mastifs, Huskies, Irish Wolfhounds, and the like can easily be left alone as adolescents and adults for hours at a time with proper training. Then there are stubborn breeds like bulldogs, dauchands, or the great pyrenees that without very careful, dominant, and structured training just won't respond to commands or generally give a fuck what you think. My girlfriend's mother has an English Bulldog that they raised when she was living with her and, while a total sweetheart, just does NOT respond to commands. Talking it for a walk can be a trying experience as for the first 200 yards she will go sprint about 10 or 15 feet, stop, refuse to move until you forceably drag her by the collar, sprint another few feet, repeat. However, this female bulldog seems to respond really well to men, and in particular ones who treat her with some authority instead of making smoochy noises and cooing about her cute wrinkles like her 'master'. Not that my girlfriend's mother is a bad owner, the dog just wants to be commanded.

I suppose that's the biggest thing really with any type of dog. As the owner you are not only the master but the leader of the pack, the alpha who provides order and leadership in the dog's life. Some breeds need this way more than others, and some breeds will become neurotic and suffer serious anxiety if it's not there because the dog then tries to be the leader. They then see the owners and family as their responsibility, to provide food for and security - no wonder some dogs just go nuts to get out of the house. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who think that smacking your dog as a reprimand for bad behaviour is akin to torturing it. A firm hand is needed, often much more with bigger or physically dominant breeds, but only coming from love and authority. If you strike out with anger or malice your dog will begin to fear you instead of respecting you; fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate...well you see where this is going lol. Don't try and talk and reason with a dog either. Some breeds are exceptionally intelligent but they don't fucking understand human speech like we do. I worked pizza delivery for a while to pay the bills a few years ago and poorly trained dogs were not only annoying but downright dangerous. I began to hate taking deliveries to the pets-allowed apartments because my walk down the hallway or knocking of the door would invariably be met with frenzied yapping and then a few shouts of "shut the fuck up you stupid dog!" from the owners who likely molly-coddled of just outright didn't train their now unruly and likely nervous and unsettled dog.

If you've got the space here's a wicked breed some friends of mine who are married and have a house have raised from a puppy to now just over 2 years old: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_German_Shepard It's an absolutely beautiful breed of dog, and while it was pretty rambunctious as a puppy (as most big dogs are) they have trained and socialized it very well. The husband had dogs as a kid but the wife never had. They were really committed to training it well and found some very good schooling in town. It also works for them since they both run at different times of the day - the breed loves to run, go on long walks, and have lots of vigorous exercise. I remember visiting their house every month or two as it was growing up and where as other guests would just try and ignore the big puppy when it got in their faces or tried to jump up I would just be commanding with it, grab it by the scuff of the neck, and make it sit or lie down - just as a way to assert dominance over it and try to calm it a bit. Now when I visit them it still comes up to visitors and sniffs about and is very friendly (but not doing anything bad like jumping or anything) but it comes over to me, sniffs me once or twice and usually just sits down or stands at attention in front of me - just like it does for its masters. I'm not out here to brag or anything, just an anecdote to show that dogs appreciate good-natured authority and dominance. They find themselves in a comfortable place as the happy member of a pack where they can enjoy their lives and be content.

Anyways, that was a pretty epic tl;dr but I hope it was useful. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.

[Cephius]

Recommending against the seeing-eye dog thing. Don't get me wrong, it's a great cause and everything, but being given a cute little puppy, raising it on your own and loving it, and then having it taken away from you after a month or two is equivalent to having your heart ripped out. Unless you're 100% prepared for this, don't do it!

My family and I have rescued two dogs from shelters, and it's not that bad. One dog was abused but after being with us for some time is a great family dog. The other has turned out to be a perfect companion dog, he never runs away from us, plays fetch, basically does anything to get your approval. I'd recommend going to a kill shelter, not to support them but to save a dog from being killed. It's unfortunate but you're not likely to find many puppies at shelters, I'd say its about 75% pitbulls that no one ever adopts because people these days equate "pitbull" with "attack dog". Chances are theres a sweet dog somewhere that needs a home, so just look around until you get it. Most shelters are so desperate, at least in my area, that they charge about 25-50 dollars and cover all the shots and immunizations for you. You'll have to get it neutered if it isn't already, but it's not expensive overall. Monthly costs usually aren't much more than the cost of dog food and the occasional vet checkup.

As for breed, I wouldn't lock yourself into any specific type. Take your roommate around and you'll find a dog, don't worry about breeds.

[jmc]

I'll say this up front - a lot of small dog breeds don't work well when left alone for hours at a time. Any kind of terrier, or breed that has come from terrier stock, are serious trouble unless you can be very strict and regimented with their training early on. A lot of people don't know that terriers were bred to catch mice, rats, and other pests out in fields and hay stacks. They were designed to be more of an 'area defence' compared to cats, and they also hunted in absolutely vicious packs. The reason you see so many yappy and poorly trained terriers is that the owners haven't been able to, or are just too lazy and/or spoiling, to break them out of their basic genetic desires. Again, as a working dog of sorts they are not happy when they are cooped up in confined spaces without a master or companion. Not only will they wreck your shit it's really bad for the dog too as they get all stressed out and anxious.

I highly recommend crating just about any dog you'll have in an apartment. If you do it from when they're a puppy and make that their usual resting place then the crate becomes a place of comfort, not the 'bad dog' prison. Crating into adult dog life is also helpful as you can put your dog in the crate when you're at work or out of the house and they'll hopefully just relax or go to sleep as they've been raised to think of the crate as a restful place. Also, crating creates dominance and can be useful in pack dogs so they don't get all nervous in the master's absence and try and become the leader themselves.

The real bitch about many small dogs (pardon the pun) is that, because they have been bred over time to be companion dogs, they often suffer from separation anxiety making them ill-suited to new owners or homes where there will be no other occupants for more than 2 or 3 hours a day. Working dogs like collie breeds aren't much better. Without 'work' to do they get restless, become sullen, and can become aggressive, lash out destructively on furniture or their surrounding, or do funny things like herd small children into the corner or a room or the yard. Seriously, it can happen and as funny as it is to me it's probably not much fun for the kids. On the flip side, big dogs like Mastifs, Huskies, Irish Wolfhounds, and the like can easily be left alone as adolescents and adults for hours at a time with proper training. Then there are stubborn breeds like bulldogs, dauchands, or the great pyrenees that without very careful, dominant, and structured training just won't respond to commands or generally give a fuck what you think. My girlfriend's mother has an English Bulldog that they raised when she was living with her and, while a total sweetheart, just does NOT respond to commands. Talking it for a walk can be a trying experience as for the first 200 yards she will go sprint about 10 or 15 feet, stop, refuse to move until you forceably drag her by the collar, sprint another few feet, repeat. However, this female bulldog seems to respond really well to men, and in particular ones who treat her with some authority instead of making smoochy noises and cooing about her cute wrinkles like her 'master'. Not that my girlfriend's mother is a bad owner, the dog just wants to be commanded.

I suppose that's the biggest thing really with any type of dog. As the owner you are not only the master but the leader of the pack, the alpha who provides order and leadership in the dog's life. Some breeds need this way more than others, and some breeds will become neurotic and suffer serious anxiety if it's not there because the dog then tries to be the leader. They then see the owners and family as their responsibility, to provide food for and security - no wonder some dogs just go nuts to get out of the house. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who think that smacking your dog as a reprimand for bad behaviour is akin to torturing it. A firm hand is needed, often much more with bigger or physically dominant breeds, but only coming from love and authority. If you strike out with anger or malice your dog will begin to fear you instead of respecting you; fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate...well you see where this is going lol. Don't try and talk and reason with a dog either. Some breeds are exceptionally intelligent but they don't fucking understand human speech like we do. I worked pizza delivery for a while to pay the bills a few years ago and poorly trained dogs were not only annoying but downright dangerous. I began to hate taking deliveries to the pets-allowed apartments because my walk down the hallway or knocking of the door would invariably be met with frenzied yapping and then a few shouts of "shut the fuck up you stupid dog!" from the owners who likely molly-coddled of just outright didn't train their now unruly and likely nervous and unsettled dog.

If you've got the space here's a wicked breed some friends of mine who are married and have a house have raised from a puppy to now just over 2 years old: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_German_Shepard It's an absolutely beautiful breed of dog, and while it was pretty rambunctious as a puppy (as most big dogs are) they have trained and socialized it very well. The husband had dogs as a kid but the wife never had. They were really committed to training it well and found some very good schooling in town. It also works for them since they both run at different times of the day - the breed loves to run, go on long walks, and have lots of vigorous exercise. I remember visiting their house every month or two as it was growing up and where as other guests would just try and ignore the big puppy when it got in their faces or tried to jump up I would just be commanding with it, grab it by the scuff of the neck, and make it sit or lie down - just as a way to assert dominance over it and try to calm it a bit. Now when I visit them it still comes up to visitors and sniffs about and is very friendly (but not doing anything bad like jumping or anything) but it comes over to me, sniffs me once or twice and usually just sits down or stands at attention in front of me - just like it does for its masters. I'm not out here to brag or anything, just an anecdote to show that dogs appreciate good-natured authority and dominance. They find themselves in a comfortable place as the happy member of a pack where they can enjoy their lives and be content.

Anyways, that was a pretty epic tl;dr but I hope it was useful. Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.

You pretty much hit everything on the nose with this post. I would just like to comment, on the german shepards. I myself have 3 currently, 2 I raised since they were puppies (currently 3 & 4 years old), and I have a 7 year old, who is a retired ballistics K-9. They are very smart, and loyal breed. Trained early, and they will easily be your best friends and if you ever for some reason get more than one they also "roll like a pack". The 2 younger dogs, were very well trained on basic commands.... the older "retired" dog was trained on command, and body motion/reactions. Certain stance/movement by the 'master' would result the dog in reacting as well (as in, just walking he stays walking next to you....once you stop, he sits at attention) stuff like that. About 1-2 months after I brought the older dog home, I noticed the younger ones would often do the same things the the older dog does, in which I mean responding by movements without any commands. I didnt train them to do it, its just something they naturally observed/picked up from watching the newer dog.

Just a warning though....they dogs are not 'active' like one may think. However, they like jobs....activities. Even if its running, or simply patrolling the large yard, to protecting his/her family (they are simply the best at the last 2 IMO). Without any type of job....or activities, they can get depressed and no one wants a emo shepard lol.

[Remyo]

never been a fan of ppl keeping dogs in an apartment, my dogs run free.

[Shuemue]

never been a fan of ppl keeping dogs in an apartment, my dogs run free.

Dog needs a garden fo' sho'

[Lexa]

I second everything Elesirdur said. If you're still set on a small dog, however, check out the Miniature Pinscher. I'm a hoooge minpin fan, but they - like other small dogs - can be stubborn, so be prepared to take control. I also agree that http://www.petfinder.com is a good place to find a dog.

[*Shinzon*]

Small dog, go with a Pug. Have had mine nearly 7 years, so friendly to just about anyone and when have never had problems with mine. I personally hate terriers and other variants of that breed.

[skurlover]

PeTA

I know that some of the stuff they do is a little far-fetched for media attention. And yes, I do believe some of them are bat shit crazy, but they have a wonderful section on adopting pets.

[Noobta]

Small dog, go with a Pug. Have had mine nearly 7 years, so friendly to just about anyone and when have never had problems with mine.

Same, had my pug for 4 years and love it. Have to be careful of corners since they don't have a long noise to protect them from getting hit in the eye.

[Starfire]

Just remember that getting a puppy is like getting a child: You will need to constantly give it attention, and will need to teach it things like a child would also need to be taught things.
If you don't have the money for one, then I wouldn't suggest getting one. I've had my chocolate lab for less than 2 years and we've already spent thousands of dollars on her because of problems that came across regarding her health. So you need to keep in mind that major things CAN happen, and you'll NEED to be able to pay to get those things fixed, because it's 100% totally unfair to the dog if they can't get medical attention for what they need.
Also getting a puppy will be shots, etc, etc, which can eventually add up.
You'll also need to devote time to walking them around a lot [which is good for their and your health as well], and playing with them to keep their energy at attention.
Also, potty-training them can be a pain, but with love and patience they will learn hopefully within 1-2 months, and then there will be no accidents.

If you have any questions, please don't be afraid to ask me here or message me. I have 3 dogs, one big, medium, and small size. And I've helped raise 2 others. So I know a lot about dogs. [=

[Maguspk]

I've been wanting to get a puppy recently, it should live at least about 10 years so it'd be cool to have to grown up with me and die when I'm about 30 around the time I'll probably be settling down with a family for a new dog.

Anyway. I remember a post about those Fox-dogs that look like foxes. I want to get something badass like that. Anyone know a good place to find them, or at least the breed name so I can refine my search? Also, what are those cats that look like tigers or whatever, also posted on the forums awhile back?

[Furtwangler]

I have a white Shepard like a few of you guys have been mentioning,
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/5...0779vu0.th.jpg

He's about 9 months old now, we got him when he was 7 or so, he's pretty good minus he isn't neutered yet because my dad won't get him off his ass to do so, and I think that can be why he has a few not listening issues, he also likes to not bite but like keep his mouth open and grab hold of ppl when hes doing stuff instead of keeping his mouth closed and idk how to stop him from I guess teething ppl would be the right term.
There's just certain times of the day that he goes apeshit and wants to run all over the place and will start chewing whatever looks appealing to him and I haven't found out a way to get him to stop besides putting him in his doggie crate which I'd rather not do unless it's to go to sleep.

[Necrosis]

My mom has a cairn terrier, which is a small, ratty-but cute-looking dog. If you get a terrier, you really need to be prepared to train it well while its a puppy, or that dog will walk all over you. My mom never trained the thing, so he constantly is digging in the trash/picking on her two cats/being a mischievous asshole in general. I've walked him a few times too, but it's less walking and more trying to get the dog out of the fucking woods because he thinks he saw/heard/etc. something.

Bottom line: pain in the ass dog, unless you want to train it well.

[sexxxytaru]

Hi, I work at a vet clinic, and probably the worst problems we see with puppies are those that come from unreliable sources. Make sure you buy your new friend from a dependable, well-known breeder. Please stay away from puppies sold at mall pet shops. I know that they need a warm home too, but most come from puppy mills and have a lot of health problems. Above all, have fun.. and make sure to stay on schedule for shots!

[Artemas]

My father has a Miniature Pinscher.
Strong little bastard, dumb as a brick, and willful. He's house trained on the good days and enjoys pissing on the rug on his bad days. My father spoils the shit out of him. No one else can touch him though. He'll let me pet him but will try to bite me if I attempt to rub his stomach.

I've had a Pomeranian for about eleven years. Very sweet tempered, affectionate and smart. Didn't eat alot but I had to have her professionally groomed (about 35.00 every six weeks) to keep her from looking like a mop. Another cost was her Frontline (for fleas and ticks) which was around fifteen dollars every month.

My best friend has had two Pugs. Good with kids and got along with the cats well.

My next dog will be a Shepard. I've heard nothing but good things about them from everyone that has ever had one.

[Quixon]

Anyway. I remember a post about those Fox-dogs that look like foxes. I want to get something badass like that. Anyone know a good place to find them, or at least the breed name so I can refine my search? Also, what are those cats that look like tigers or whatever, also posted on the forums awhile back?

For the cats you want to Google "Serval Cat Breeders" or "Savannah Cat Breeders". The F1's (these have the most "Wild Blood" in them) get about the same size as their wild parents, and can jump upwards of 12ft high. They cost about $6,000 also. You can also look into going with a kitten much further into the Domestic Gene Pool and pay a lot less.

Here's a pic of a F1 Kitten I found on google:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...wildpuzzem.jpg



The fox/dog things I can't remember what the hell they were called. I'll do some googling and see what I can find.