Thinking about getting a dog,...

[Akucaen]

Just get another cat. I like dogs and all but FUCK they're a mess sometimes. :/ At least cats [mostly] clean up after themselves.

[Bardicrune]

Just get another cat. I like dogs and all but FUCK they're a mess sometimes. :/ At least cats [mostly] clean up after themselves.

I've yet to see a cat clean up it's own hairballs. Dogs will at least eat their vomit to clean up after themselves.

[Bartylby]

english bulldog for medium sized, golden retriever for big sized

[Guyverarmor]

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.

This is true about the french bulldog. I have two of them (male and female) love em to death! Very energetic, and love to play! only bad part is of course bulldogs overheat a little easier than most dogs, and they have trouble breathing sometimes as well due to their narrow airways...but other than that, awsome pets. English bulldogs are awsome as well (mine died 3 years ago )

[Zalius]

get a husky

or if youre black get a set of pit bulls, doberz or rotties

[Guyverarmor]

I remember seeing this big 280 lbs buff and cut black guy walking his dog down the block....was a damn chihuahua I was like "Wow" lol

[Azalee]

This is true about the french bulldog. I have two of them (male and female) love em to death! Very energetic, and love to play! only bad part is of course bulldogs overheat a little easier than most dogs, and they have trouble breathing sometimes as well due to their narrow airways...but other than that, awsome pets. English bulldogs are awsome as well (mine died 3 years ago )

Well I am used to having Pugs, and they overheat WAY easier than Frenchies do. Same with the breathing problems, pugs have it way worse.

I dated a guy with an English Bulldog and it was pretty rad too. =P

[Lexa]

It depends entirely on what you're like and what your lifestyle is like. If you get ie a Husky (or another breed that needs a lot of exercise), be prepared to walk it a lot more and longer than you would a breed that doesn't require as much activity. A dog is a lot of responsibility, and needs to be trained properly, 'cause otherwise you'll end up with shit piles in all the places you don't want them.

Personally, I love dogs, I think they're awesome, and I grew up with them. I want a small one when I'm able to, and if I don't go to a pound, I've been reading up about Minpins (miniature pinschers). Whether you get one from a pound or a breeder, though, I'd always recommend against buying them from pet stores, as someone mentioned further up - they're usually from puppy mills.

[Akucaen]

I've yet to see a cat clean up it's own hairballs. Dogs will at least eat their vomit to clean up after themselves.

Yeah, but a dog will piss or defecate everywhere and cats will only go in their litter-box. Yes, you can train dogs, but in all the cats I've owned or seen I've never have had "accidents."

[Faris]

get a cat, or a fuck buddie. w/e

[jmc]

I don't know what I would do without a dog.... great companion, if trained properly can be very good to everyone. I myself have a German Shepard (7 months old, and already 67 pounds lol) and he is great. Alot of work, and he got into many things when he was younger...... but if you don't bend the rules on training, any dog will be great.



Just....if you get a dog..... dont:

1) Leave the dog chained up all day/night...... dogs can't defend themselves when chained up, and most after awhile bark until they get attention (don't piss off your neighbors)

2) When walking your dog..... Pick up its mess.......ya

3) Don't let your dog roam off-leash at a park, if he/she doesn't come back to you when you call it lol

4) If you are questioning if you can afford it..... don't get one. Nothing hurts more, than for someone to get a puppy...have it for 2-3 years then have to give it to a shelter because they cannot afford it. Depending on age, sometimes those dogs don't go to good homes (if any) later in life.

[Shuemue]

Yeah, but a dog will piss or defecate everywhere and cats will only go in their litter-box. Yes, you can train dogs, but in all the cats I've owned or seen I've never have had "accidents."

I got my dog from a rescue shelter, we've had him two years and he's had 2 accidents.

[Serif]

get a husky

or if youre black get a set of pit bulls, doberz or rotties

Even though I LOVE huskies, I would not recommend getting one unless you want hair all over your apartment/house. They are one of the most shedding dogs out there.

Dogs are just like kids. So be ready for all that entails.

[Cesaria]

I'm more of a cat person myself, but my friend has the most gorgeous black lab with the coolest personality going (and a taste for eating expensive trainers).

I just like the "fuck you, I'm gorgeous, now feed me" attitude of cats better myself. Couldn't imagine living in a house without a pet though.

[Shade]

Dogs are a lot of work and a long term commitment.... And especially if you already have a cat, then that will be two things to feed, take care of, take to the vet, clean up poop, etc. Dealing with the cat/dog dynamic might be interesting also. So maybe you should think about it for a month or two, and see if you still want it then. It's like a tattoo, what's the hurry? It'll be around for a long time once you've gotten it, so take your time now.

This is my dog. He is smarter than he looks, honest.
http://spiffy-keen.com/a/boo_dec.jpg

Also seconding jmcgarrell's point #4. If you mess up and can't take care of the dog anymore, or neglect it because you realize later you just dont have time for it... its the dog that pays for it. So just, make sure you make the best decision.

[shihei]

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?

Yes, dogs are awesome and definately a mans best friend. I have a ten year old Rottweiler and getting a chocalate lab pup very soon.

Worth it, yes. Don't get one though unless you have the money for it. You never know if somthing bad happens and you will get a big vet bill. My Rotty is diabetic, needs insulin twice a day.

Basically just the cost of food and shots(which isn't often), and any luxury items you want to buy it like dog treats and toys. Could probably get away with less then $100/month easy depending on the food you buy.

Select a breed depending on your lifestyle and what you want from it, there are guides on the net to help with that. ie, guard dog, show dog, playful dog etc.

I'm not very familiar with all the breeds out there but any dog with llong hair is definately more difficult to maintain because you have to end up grooming their hair often.

Alot of training is pretty simple just try and get rid of distractions that will sway the attention of the dog when you do so. Reward them when they are succesful and they get the hang of it fast. There is alot of videos to help with training on the net as well.
EDIT: When training it helps tremendously to pick a short name for the dog and only use one word commands. So for example do not name it supercallifragilisticexpealodosious or talk to it like it fully understands more then 1-2 words together.

Just please, please, please do not get a dog if you think you might not like it if it doesn't end up how you like. Way too many dogs in shelters and the like because people don't want them anymore. Get it fixed also.

[Azalee]

Not only fixed, but definitely get it MicroChipped... I can't push that enough.

[Shuemue]

The shelter we got our dog from had already snipped & chipped him

[Unreal]

I have a border collie or a "sheepdog" and it needs a good run everyday and will not stop running until I put it back on its chain so unless you live near a park or woodland or something where your dog can run I would suggest getting something smaller and less energetic.
A Japanese Spitz is a very good breed low maintenance compared to other breeds.

Also I would suggest not purchasing a pedigree as almost every if not all pedigree dogs will have some sort of defect or disease that will effect them. Mutts generally allways live longer and are much healthier.

[Tyche]

I take my Iggy (Italian Greyhound) to the park quit a bit, and she's a chick magnet. I think because a lot of the females think she's a baby and will turn out to be huge when she's older (not the case, Iggy's get about 15 inches tall to the shoulder). Point being, Iggy's/Whippets/Greyhounds are chick magnets. You have to take them out a ton to run around, and they are notorious for being a fucking bitch to housetrain. You'll want to keep up shots, because quite frankly, these dogs are usually expensive investments. See if you can rescue a race greyhound if you plan to invest time in taking one outside a lot (most are already housetrained and have all the starter shots, but you may get one at 2-3 years old already). I have a Chihuahua (sp?) and the greyhound. Upkeep on them both is about $30 a month, and once a year we have to get them around $200 (total) worth of shots.