Clueless about dogs -- what type to get as our first pet?

[Anonymous]

We are completely clueless about pets because neither DH nor I has lived with a pet since we were in elementary school (30 years ago).

Now our kids are school age (ages 7, 11, 13). They have been begging for a pet for years. Because both DH and I work full time, we had always figured it would not be practical or kind to leave a dog home during the day.

Now that the kids are older, we thought it was time to say "yes" to a pet.

I am reluctant because I feel like it's a challenge to keep the house neat and clean with 5 of us living there, and I know it will be even more effort once we have a dog.

Having said that, we see how much people love their pets, and we figure it would be good for the kids to have a pet to love. They were so happy when we said "yes." (My daughters love cats, but the majority voted for a dog.)

The question is what type of dog? We live near a nice trail for walking. We are fine to do a lot of dog walking because I think it is always good to be out and about.

We have a fenced yard, but a small Cape Cod house. Not a lot of space.

I hope this doesn't sound bad, but I hope to get a dog that is really cute or adorable. My heart melts when I see a cute dog (like a Corgi or a Golden Retriever). But I don't want to rule out less cute dogs, and I think all dogs are lovable.

I welcome any advice on what type of dog to get, and where! Thank you!

[Anonymous]

It's not stupid to get a dog that you think is "cute." I absolutely love my dog and a great deal of his endearment to me is how darn cute he is.

I would get a medium sized dog that's semi smart. Too smart and they get into trouble. Too stupid and they are harder to potty train. The larger the dog, the more exercise it needs and training. I have a small dog and the things he does aren't annoying at all (pawing at your legs- he only comes up to my knee. A big dog would push a person down), but can be exceptionally annoying in a large dog, so larger dogs must be trained more.

Oh and with regards to keeping a house clean- our dog basically has zero impact on our house cleanliness. Dog gets a bath 2x a month and doesn't smell. There's occasionally one of his toys left around, but nothing compared to the messes humans make. A shedding dog might be different though.

[Anonymous]

Good for you for giving this a lot of careful thought ahead of time! I would definitely recommend an adult dog for your family (at least one year old), because puppies are SO much work and SO difficult, plus you never know what you are going to get in terms of temperament. There are a lot of really great shelters in this area, with thoughtful adoption counselors (I'd recommend the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, and the Washington Humane Society/WARL facilities specifically) - go there, be candid with the volunteers/adoptions staff about your needs and expectations re: energy level, grooming, size, etc., and see what they recommend. All dogs really are individuals - as a volunteer, I've met giant formerly-stray dogs who couldn't have been more gentle and laid back, and tiny pedigreed dogs that I didn't want anything to do with because they wanted to eat my face

The other thing to ask about, since you are new to pet guardianship, is foster-to-adopt opportunities - this gives you the chance to "try out" having the animal in your home before committing to adoption. Most shelters don't necessarily advertise it as an option, but it never hurts to ask, especially if you are doing it as a good-faith effort as part of the process of adopting. It may take multiple visits, but I'm sure you can find a dog that's perfect for your family!

[Anonymous]

Definitely an older dog -- I'd say between 2 and 5 -- given that you're not experienced dog owners and you work full-time.

And a mutt is probably better for a non-experienced dog owner, as each breed usually comes with its own particular quirks. If you don't mind a bigger dog, something that is mixed with some retriever usually has a good temperament. Some of the small dogs can be territorial or snappy. The breeds that were bred as "sporting dogs" are usually less neurotic than the ones that were bred as rat-catchers; less movement-oriented than the ones that were bred as sheep-herders, and less territorial than the ones that were bred as lap dogs. Sporting dogs have to be human focused, to follow the hunters' commands, but also have to be willing to just lie around for a while, as most people don't hunt every day and there's a lot of waiting in hunting. So try to get something with at least some sporting dog in it. I don't agree with PP's post about bigger dogs being hard to train -- the sporting dogs were bred to be easily trained, and if you get one that's older, you can easily check to make sure he was trained to have proper canine manners (like not jumping up on someone).

I would get your kids to promise -- in blood -- that they will walk the dog every single morning before school and every single afternoon after school and every single night after dinner (unless you want to take 1 of those). If they won't agree to this now, they never will once you actually get the dog. You have leverage now, and make them really promise. If you can dog sit for a friend/neighbor for a week, so they realize the commitment, that's not a bad idea (and your friend will be happy you save them hundreds in boarding fees while they go on vacation!).

[Anonymous]

I love golden retrievers, but they're not going to help the cause of keeping your house clean and neat. Lots and lots of hair! (even with regular grooming).

As others have said, maybe you'd do well with a retriever/sporting type mixed with a smaller dog? I've seen plenty of lab mixes at the dog park that were a nice manageable, yet athletic, size - looked like really nice dogs.

[Anonymous]

I actually think a Corgi/Corgi mix may be a great bet for your family! As other PPs have mentioned, mutts really are the best and if you go the adoption route, you can talk to them about size and temperament and they do a great job matching you up. We did this exact thing - busy lives, husband has mild allergy, wanted a dog <50lbs - and they found us a great one that was 1.5 years old at the time and 46 lbs! She is our perfect little mutt!

Golden retrievers and border collies are great dogs but quite hairy and it sounds like you're wanting to go as low maintenance as possible on this, so I would steer clear of fuller coat dogs (also, you'll have the added expense of grooming). A smaller lab would be a wonderful pick for you as well.

[Anonymous]

Yout family should start reading Leerburg site has a lot of info/videos and tutorials. I especially enjoy Michael Ellis videos. Even though their site is geared towards working dogs, there is a lot of practicle advice that is relevant to all breeds.

Take a look at Basenji - wonderful breed.

[Anonymous]

Stay away from the long haired breeds or the longer shedding dogs (labs). And I say this as someone who has a dog with a floor length show coat. It's time consuming and expensive if you're unable to do it yourself (it's taken me years to learn how to groom properly and isn't easy).

While certain breeds to have specific characteristics (like terriers are known to be mischievous and independent), any dog can have any temperament. Easiest dog I owned was a larger Chihuahua (10lbs). She was mellow, easily potty trained, loved human company, always smelled clean and barely shed any hair.

Look at your family needs first. We've always had small dogs because we travel often, don't have time for walks and are basically looking for lap dogs. Would your family want to run around and roughhouse with a large dog like a lab? Run outside with the dog daily? Think about grooming requirements (my dog is beautiful, but takes a few hours a week, plus needs weekly baths) and shedding. I also find large dogs to be really annoying in a way that little dogs aren't. When a little dog follows you around the house nonstop, you barely notice it. Not so with a 60lb dog. i don't mind my dog laying on the couch with me, but my inlaws large dog takes up the whole couch and damages it.

[Anonymous]

Get a small dog that doesn't shed. A dog with hair, rather than fur. Maltese, Cockapoo, Westie, etc.

Get a dog two or more years old. They'll already be housebroken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a small dog that doesn't shed. A dog with hair, rather than fur. Maltese, Cockapoo, Westie, etc.

Get a dog two or more years old. They'll already be housebroken.

My Maltese is at least $80 every time he goes to the groomers, and that's at the cheap groomers.

[Anonymous]

We got an adorable mutt from Lucky Dog about six years ago. She was two years old so housebroken and they knew her personality. We did spend some money to have a trainer help us with the basics and it was perfect.

However, when we said yes to the dog I knew that despite all the promises most of the dog responsiblity would fall on me. So if you are depending on the kids to feed and walk the dog for the majority of the time I would get that fantasy out of your head!

[Anonymous]

Get a puppy, from a reputable breeder. If you're not experienced with dogs, you aren't prepared to deal with the nonsense that comes with rescues. You can maybe get a pup from a rescue, but I advise a lot of caution. Corgis can be a little hardheaded, btw. Get a decent sized dog: golden, lab, a show bred Aussie, Brittany.....no doodles or such nonsense.

It's easier to train a pup, you can hire a dog walker who will help you train the pup, and you know what you're getting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a puppy, from a reputable breeder. If you're not experienced with dogs, you aren't prepared to deal with the nonsense that comes with rescues. You can maybe get a pup from a rescue, but I advise a lot of caution. Corgis can be a little hardheaded, btw. Get a decent sized dog: golden, lab, a show bred Aussie, Brittany.....no doodles or such nonsense.

It's easier to train a pup, you can hire a dog walker who will help you train the pup, and you know what you're getting.

Yeah, totally disagree. The best you can hope for with ANY puppy, from a breeder or no, is one that is well-trained. No guarantees that it will grow up to enjoy kids or other dogs, for example. With a good breeder, you might have an idea of looks, energy level, and basic predilections (like, a herding dog will likely herd; a terrier will likely chase 'prey'), but temperament and long-term health are basically the same as with people...they're going to be different for every animal and depend on both nature and nurture.

[Anonymous]

I adore our German Sheperd. We have always had GSDs and think they are the best dogs ever. But, they are very, very, very heavy shedders year round. I use this as an example - If dog hair bothers you (it drives me insane!) be sure to check on how the breed sheds before you bring home a dog. Short haired dogs can be heavy shedders as well.

[Anonymous]

Get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are sweet, obedient, loving, not big lickers, they will go on a long walk but be happy with a short one. They shed but they are small (though not too small) so they don't make a huge mess. They are easy to care for, willing to let you brush they fur, their teeth, etc. They are great with kids of all ages and aren't so huge or willful that a kid can't handle them on a walk. We got ours from a breeder in OH. The trip to get him was fun and he was fairly inexpensive. Good luck.