Thinking about getting a dog,...

[Syntex]

Anyone thought about it and got one?
Is it worth the trouble of dogfood, shots, cleaning maintence ect?
Do they smell that bad, are they messy?
How much on average does it cost to maintain them a month?
What breeds are good for a new dog owner?
What breeds are more trouble or have more maintenance then others?
Is there any way to train easily?


I been watching a lot of the Dog Whisperer and been thinking about getting a dog to play with help excercise and like pick up chicks but in all realness I have wanted one for a while and after getting a cat about a year ago I have been thinking about getting a dog, something small to medium breed nothing really large.

I ask the questions above as there are some of my friends where their dog is dirty, doesn't listen and just feels like its a not worth having one, but today my coworker brought his into work and it made me want one really bad and was wondering the the BG people know about em, if you have had one your whole life, just got one, or are even thinking about getting one.

[Kwijiboe]

Don't get any pets, you'll regret it.

Find a friend that has a cool dog, and visit it for your fix.

Do the same with children.

[Syntex]

Don't get any pets, you'll regret it.

Find a friend that has a cool dog, and visit it for your fix.

Do the same with children.

I have a cat, its not that bad and I hear dogs can be good if you pick the right breed. I know someone on here has one and could give some advice :/

[Kwijiboe]

Well, honestly, it's a gamble.. and if you've been watching Cesar Milan you'll understand that a dog is born with a certain personality and moreover, you determine the kind of dog it will grow up to be.

I know some people with some horrible dogs, and on the other hand, I know some dogs that are fucking awesome. The other thing about dogs, is if you are going for a purebred-- they can be very expensive. Adopting a dog from the pound can be difficult as well because it will have developed it's own habits.. and once again, you've seen Cesar Milan's show; so you know. Depending on breed, and how often the dog is outside, it will vary with how much it stinks. If the dog starts sweating, that's usually another reason why they smell.

If you're a responsible person, and don't spoil your dog you may just get lucky and have one of those awesome dogs.

Find out what kind of dog you like (big dog, small dog) and narrow it down to a certain breed-- research it's price, maintenance, etc.

PS. Cesar Milan owns.

[Syntex]

Well anyone knows any good websites for dogs before I search?

Was thinking a small/medium size dog, if I get a small one its easier to maintain, no 100lb bags of dogfood needed to get on a weekly basis and I can just keep up after it easier. A bigger dog you can do more with, play fetch and what not but harder to clean bigger shit piles and more money on food. If I did get a bigger breed it might be a husky or a golden retriever.

Dunno, will have to do some looking, anyone else in my position or was a little while ago and now owns a dog?

[gt_killa]

Something like these?
http://www.arkansascorgis.com/GirlP3B.jpg
http://www.pups4sale.com.au/welsh_co...mbroke_03a.jpg
http://www.bigelbach.com/puppies%20166.jpg
http://www.gotpetsonline.com/picture...corgi-0017.jpg

They are friendly

[Delekii]

Anyone who says dont get a pet either doesn't have a pet or doesn't have a heart!

[Taera]

Ein! <3

[Akiyama]

I thought that exact thing, Taera D: Eiiin. I love that dog.

[Belipo Jones]

golden retrievers are a very good breed of dog

one of the best dogs ive had was one

altho the best dog ive had is a mut i found outside my house that i still own

[The Stig]

/kneel Cesar Milan

He's awesome. No one knows who the fuck he is in the UK, but we have a channel called "Sky Three" which does his show at 6pm everyday. I watch it if I'm free, enjoyable. The only thing I hate is the people that go all emo (women) over their dog.

If you're unsure, take up a "job" of looking after people's pets (dogs specifically) for maybe like 1-2 weeks or up to 4 weeks (holidays don't last that long). During this time you can judge if you'd like a dog or not.

[Dolmen]

Is it worth the trouble of dogfood, shots, cleaning maintence ect?

Based on the phrasing of that question, you shouldn't get a dog. However, if you're going to get a dog don't get a purebred dog, get a mutt. Don't go to a pet store either, as those often come from puppy mills. Hit up a shelter that does euthanize the animals, you'll be directly saving a life. A lot of people only get their animals from no-kill shelters, which doesn't make sense seeing that the dog/cat/whatever isn't going to be put down. Donate to no-kills, adopt from kills.

Regardless, having a dog is about partnership, so don't adopt one if you're not in it for that.

[Shuemue]

Dog Whisperer is a fucking douche, you do not need to intimidate or scare an animal to train them.

[Fhqwghads]

Just be prepared for their inevitable death. I've had 2 dogs that have both lived long lives, but the pain you go through when they die is pretty harsh. Well, harsh if you're not numbed to someone close to you passing away. I don't think I'd ever get another pet again, although my fiancee and I have 2 cats (not by my choice.)

[Shuemue]

Fuck you, my dog will never die.

It's funny, I only got the dog because my gf wanted one, but now I love the little shit, who is coincidentally giving me puppy dog eyes because I just ate lunch and he wants a snack.

[Isiolia]

I've had dogs growing up, but don't have one now. A big part of that is because I live alone, and a dog is a lot more hands on than many other pets. I mean, assuming you don't just lock it outside to bark all day. It becomes easier to manage with other people, since there's a greater likelyhood of -someone- being there to let the dog out, feed it, walk it, etc.

As with any pet, a dog isn't just there when you feel like spending time with it. Like you've probably seen on TV, a big part of having a well behaved dog is paying attention to it and maintaining discipline. You can't leave a dog at home alone from 8am to midnight or something if you decide to go catch dinner and a movie after work. It's not like a cat where you can leave them food out and just scoop the clumps when you get back.

I mean, it's not like a dog is going to up and die of starvation if you're a few hours late getting it some food or something. However, you shouldn't plan on that being a normal thing, and if it would be, I would consider that before getting a dog.

Is it worth the trouble of dogfood, shots, cleaning maintence ect?

That's up to you. Personally, I think it is, but it's also not -just- that.

Do they smell that bad, are they messy?
How much on average does it cost to maintain them a month?

They don't tend to smell bad, 'specially if you give them baths regularly. Messiness, well, there are things you can avoid and things you really can't. A well trained dog won't usually be crapping on the carpet or chewing stuff they shouldn't. Doesn't mean you won't have toys strewn about. You can't exactly train a dog not to shed or something either, so consider what sort of coat they have when looking.
I haven't seen a dog that doesn't occasionally throw something up or otherwise make a mess on a carpet occasionally, but for most healthy dogs it's not common.

Cost per month depends largely on what you feed it, since medical expenses are usually irregular. You're probably looking at $30-40/mo at least for food.

What breeds are good for a new dog owner?
What breeds are more trouble or have more maintenance then others?
Is there any way to train easily?

Well, it does depend some on your living space. You can look at lists of popular dogs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...lar_dog_breeds and see...they're popular for a reason. Articles on wikipedia about each breed tend to list some of the pros and cons as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_breeds

Personally, I would probably look at a retriever, lab or a golden or something like that. Or a mixed breed with one in 'em, as mutts tend to have fewer health problems.

One thing about training is that some of the smartest dogs in that regard ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs ) may not be suitable for everyone. Lotta working type dogs are very trainable, but need some task to do so they don't get bored/depressed/etc. Other dogs, like your typical terriers, are very smart, but they're also stubborn >.>

[Shuemue]

Also, if you get a cute dog, women will totally hit on you when you walk it.

[Azalee]

Keep keeping offering up labs but he said he wanted a small to medium dog. >.>;

As a person who has never been without a dog, I say you sure as hell want one. My mother has been breeding Pugs for over 25 years, and there has never been a time where we didn't have at least one in the house. They don't get very big, but they have a lot of health issues with breathing and such later in life.

I currently have a French Bulldog puppy(see avatar) and I am absolutely loving her. She will get a bit bigger than a pug, putting her in the medium sized dog category. They are sturdy, fun to play with, and have enough energy to go and go for hours.

[Syntex]

Dog Whisperer is a fucking douche, you do not need to intimidate or scare an animal to train them.

Probably the same kind of person who thinks that spankings are abuse to children but you know what it works and doesn't leave any permanent damage much like his methods.

Anyways thanks for all the input guys some good info so far, if you guys got any more info on breeds or anything like that keep the posts coming, this isn't something I am going to spend 20 minutes thinking over this is a big decision and I need to get my facts straight as you can't just unadopt a dog(you can but why do it if you got neck deep into it in the first place ya know?).

[Shuemue]

Probably the same kind of person who thinks that spankings are abuse to children but you know what it works and doesn't leave any permanent damage much like his methods.

There's a vast difference, if you're unable to see that, you've got some growing up to do.