First time dog owners
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Anonymous
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We are debating a puppy vs older...
prefer older and trained but also don't want to deal with rescue issues are we have no experience and I need a family friendly breed. Are puppies as much work as I hear? I love the idea of experiencing that cuteness and molding the dog but at the same time--seems overwhelming and my kids are teens in HS.. |
Anonymous
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Forgot to add- no rescues ever approve us- cause we have no fence and no experience. Time is ticking. the breeds we have considered are:
Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Mini golden doodle or mini bernese mini bernese mini golden Cavalier (but DH and DS aren't into that small) Cavapoo (also too small for them) I want low to medium energy and no aggression, and friendly... no pit mixes or anything of the sort. |
Anonymous
| So you want one of the current trendy breeds? Got it. Not all rescues require fences or experience. Look at the petfinder website. You can put in the breed and age you are looking for in your radius. If the dogs are in fosters they can tell you their needs quirks. If you don’t want to do that then Google breeders for the breeds you want bit for the love of God don’t buy a dog online or have it shipped. And do your homework. Although most people who want those breeds don’t bother. |
Anonymous
Yes you got it. Not about trendy but about cute, friendly and good with kids and other dogs. Bernese, Golden and Cavaliers all have great temperaments. The doodle thing I don't care about but obviously tons of breeders. We wouldn't get a dog without meeting it. |
Anonymous
| We were first time dog owners last year and we went the rescue route. We have older children, so that was a factor. I believe our agency would approve a non-fenced applicant, but they really prefer you have one. Also, we got really lucky with our rescue, who turned out to be 50% Golden Retriever and that comes through in her disposition: very friendly, eager to please. Agencies have fairly detailed bios on their web page, and we zeroed in on one we thought would be a good fit, and it was. |
Anonymous
For someone with zero experience I would not get a puppy. I got one after getting an older dog (2) and it is so much more work. Just because you get an older dog does not mean they are trained. Think about it. Who would train their dog and spend all their time and money and then give it up? Not very many. Also, all dogs can be aggressive so don't think that your dog will be immune because they are a lab. So if I were you I would get an older dog around 2-3 years old and one that has been in a foster so they can tell you their personality. A lot of rescues do have pit in them but, again not all pits are aggressive. Can't go wrong with a lab, poodle or golden |
Anonymous
| 13:43 here, and I saw your requirement about being able to meet your pet. A year ago, it was only through Zoom, where the foster had us see the dog that way. I don't know if they're doing in-person visits yet. |
Anonymous
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Yes, puppies are a lot of work. It takes about 2 years for most dogs to fully outgrow puppyhood, and many don't have full brains until around 5.
You have a very specific want--a purebred, older, trained dog. I would either a) Reach out to breeders and see if they are rehoming any retired show dogs (won't necessarily be trained obedience wise, but should at least be house trained!) or b) contact a service dog organization and ask about purchasing a failed guide dog (will be trained!) If you're open to looking at other breeds/mixes, check out petfinder and find a rescue that doesn't have requirements you can't meet. Then stalk them. |
Anonymous
My neighbor's Goldendoodle bit my daughter. The dog is a complete asshole Our rescue, who is 1/8 pit bull, is the sweetest, friendliest dog in the neighborhood. |
Anonymous
| Puppies are tons of work... but I would go with a puppy. The trained adult non-pit bull mix you are looking for is not very common. |
Anonymous
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Easiest route is to get one from a breeder and pay extra for the board and train option. No yard inspection etc either.
As someone else said, an older dog is not necessarily going to be trained (highly varies) so don’t assume. But a trained older dog would be great, absolutely. |
Anonymous
| I don't know where you think you'll get a "trained" older dog unless you mean the places that sell for $20k and there's no real guarantee they'll remember the training in your new home. |
Anonymous
| There are cons to each, but I'd rather the cons of a puppy that keeps me up for half a year at night, and I train myself and can be sure has no trauma. |
Anonymous
| With a puppy you really have to be committed, its like having a toddler in the house. That said We got a puppy a few months ago and are very happy. Yes he is a ton of work but he is becoming more chill now. I know you are not interested in rescues, but momma dogs that have recently had a litter tend to be very sweet. Not in as high demand so you can meet them. |
Anonymous
| How will you contain the dog without a fence? |