NFT: Getting a Dog

I would canvass some rescue groups in your area. You never know, they may have some breeds you are looking at.

As a multiple greyhound adopter, I would be remiss if I didn't recommend at least giving them a look. While they do have fur (not hair, like some of the breeds you mentioned), their coats are very thin, so they shed very little, and many of my friends who are sensitive to dander don't have a reaction when with my grey. They're not for everyone, but if you want to give them a look, most rescue groups have meet & greets that allow people to interact with them.

by the monks of new skete (skete skete!). it really helps with the first few months, including great tips for day you get him/her. also watch as much dog whisperer as you can.

good luck- dogs are amazing creatures.

that I was allergic to cats, but not to dogs. If you don't know for sure, it may make sense to get tested.

but our issue: We both work.

While someone would be home four out of the seven days, the other three we are both away from say 7am until 5pm.

Puppy hotel? Dog walkers? Does anyone else have an issue such as this.

"Crate is Great!"

Read up on crate training...The crate is a great space for the pup, NOT a punishment. Make sure you section off the crate initially and increase the space within as the pup grows.

Also, research and learn how to properly walk your dog. For God's sake do not use a retractable leash. I highly recommend getting a front clip harness. (at least initially). Constantly remind yourself that you're walking the dog, not the other way around.

They aren't the only factors. A big one is their energy levels. Some peopld get dogs based on looks but quickly realize the dog's personality, for lack of a better word, doesn't mesh well with their personality. This is particularly important with dogs that need to burn off a ton of energy. Let me phrase it this way, get a dog because it is in the best interest of the dog and not the other way around. This is a good first step to dp research.

In comment 13475076 BillKo said:

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but our issue: We both work. While someone would be home four out of the seven days, the other three we are both away from say 7am until 5pm. Puppy hotel? Dog walkers? Does anyone else have an issue such as this.

Sort of. My wife and I both work, but she can get home at 3:30. Our dog gets very anxious when left alone (we have to crate her when we leave, even if for a few minutes), so we take her to day care twice a week. Two days in the crate, and I work from home on Fridays.

Although I have never had a Goldendoodle, I know for sure they make amazing dogs and hypoallergenic. My family is part of this service dog foundation and they raise money to fund service dogs (Goldens and Goldendoodle's) for disabled kids. It is an AMAZING foundation. The Goldendoodle's are popular and make a great family dog.

I've had Goldens, a Collie, Sheppard and now a Lab. All fantastic dogs. Goldendoodle's I've heard typically have more energy, but my Golden and Lab prove that wrong.

Also, as someone mentioned above, I would check out rescue's first. It's a great way to get a pup and your doing a great cause at the same time.

In comment 13475085 Section331 said:

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In comment 13475076 BillKo said: Quote: but our issue: We both work. While someone would be home four out of the seven days, the other three we are both away from say 7am until 5pm. Puppy hotel? Dog walkers? Does anyone else have an issue such as this. Sort of. My wife and I both work, but she can get home at 3:30. Our dog gets very anxious when left alone (we have to crate her when we leave, even if for a few minutes), so we take her to day care twice a week. Two days in the crate, and I work from home on Fridays.

Hehe...day care for a dog. Love it!!!

They are family members for sure, and you hate leaving them unattended for extensive periods.

I have known crate training is the best way to go.....

In comment 13475080 BigBlue2112 said:

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"Crate is Great!" Read up on crate training...The crate is a great space for the pup, NOT a punishment. Make sure you section off the crate initially and increase the space within as the pup grows.

This. I was very leery of crating our grey (we never did it with our first), but it has worked out wonderfully. She goes in the crate without any trouble, and often goes there to lie down when we are home with her.

Check out the rescue group in your area. They are 22 hour couch potatoes. No barking, and very gentle. Get a retired racer if possible.

In comment 13475080 BigBlue2112 said:

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"Crate is Great!" Read up on crate training...The crate is a great space for the pup, NOT a punishment. Make sure you section off the crate initially and increase the space within as the pup grows. Also, research and learn how to properly walk your dog. For God's sake do not use a retractable leash. I highly recommend getting a front clip harness. (at least initially). Constantly remind yourself that you're walking the dog, not the other way around.

Crate Training is the way to go!! No question. Make sure he doesn't have too much room in the crate too (sounds mean, but its really to train them to not piss in it). Dogs like tight spaces generally, especially when they want to feel safe. They sell adjustable crates and as he grows, you make the size bigger for him and he won't piss where he has to lay/sit.

We eventually took the crate away and he only had his dog bed. Whenever I say "Go to your bed", he sprints to his bed. When we go camping, we bring the crate and he sleeps in it.

Also Harness definitely.

for allergies, while they claim to have hypoallergenic breeds, there's really no such thing. It depends on the persons specific allergy and the type of dog.

I'm allergic to some hypos and not others and when I asked an allergist about them he laughed and said the term is made up

In comment 13475111 JayBinQueens said:

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for allergies, while they claim to have hypoallergenic breeds, there's really no such thing. It depends on the persons specific allergy and the type of dog. I'm allergic to some hypos and not others and when I asked an allergist about them he laughed and said the term is made up

Interesting. I guess anyone could be allergic to anything. It is an actual word though and not a made up term at all- definition "relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction."

In comment 13475132 GuzzaBlue said:

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In comment 13475111 JayBinQueens said: Quote: for allergies, while they claim to have hypoallergenic breeds, there's really no such thing. It depends on the persons specific allergy and the type of dog. I'm allergic to some hypos and not others and when I asked an allergist about them he laughed and said the term is made up Interesting. I guess anyone could be allergic to anything. It is an actual word though and not a made up term at all- definition "relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction."

I didn't mean it was a fake term/word. More that people say it's hypoallergenic and it won't cause an allergic reaction which isn't something that can be said for everyone

In comment 13475158 JayBinQueens said:

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In comment 13475132 GuzzaBlue said: Quote: In comment 13475111 JayBinQueens said: Quote: for allergies, while they claim to have hypoallergenic breeds, there's really no such thing. It depends on the persons specific allergy and the type of dog. I'm allergic to some hypos and not others and when I asked an allergist about them he laughed and said the term is made up Interesting. I guess anyone could be allergic to anything. It is an actual word though and not a made up term at all- definition "relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction." I didn't mean it was a fake term/word. More that people say it's hypoallergenic and it won't cause an allergic reaction which isn't something that can be said for everyone

Didn't mean that to come off in a smart-ass kind of way. You're right. I found it interesting that so many people just assumed no-one could be allergic as did I. You were spot on with the definition.

Labs are the most loyal, lovable dogs - period. They have short hair so minimal shedding and minimal care.

Females are easy going compared to males and easy to train, incredibly obedient, great with kids, cats, strangers, and most stay below your 65 lb threshold.

You can never go wrong with a lab for a family dog.

And they come in different colors, white, black, dark cocoa, cinnamon chocolate, and yellow.

In comment 13475195 mavric said:

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Labs are the most loyal, lovable dogs - period. They have short hair so minimal shedding and minimal care. Females are easy going compared to males and easy to train, incredibly obedient, great with kids, cats, strangers, and most stay below your 65 lb threshold. You can never go wrong with a lab for a family dog. And they come in different colors, white, black, dark cocoa, cinnamon chocolate, and yellow.

Labs are great. I have a white English Lab right now (5 y.o.). He's the most loyal dog I've ever had. I don't even keep him on a leash (without people around) most times, he stays right by my side. He loves people and other dogs. I take him swimming and fishing, he loves it.

Very easy to train him too. You are right about the male/female comment. He has so much energy even at his age now. My neighbor has a white female and she is calm as anything (most breeds are similar with this though). One thing to say about the color, if you plan on bringing your dog hiking, swimming or outside in the woods a lot. I would highly recommend a white or lighter color because it is so much easier to find ticks on him. My friend has a chocolate lab and says he has trouble finding them. I see them right away on him.

In comment 13475195 mavric said:

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Labs are the most loyal, lovable dogs - period. They have short hair so minimal shedding and minimal care. Females are easy going compared to males and easy to train, incredibly obedient, great with kids, cats, strangers, and most stay below your 65 lb threshold. You can never go wrong with a lab for a family dog. And they come in different colors, white, black, dark cocoa, cinnamon chocolate, and yellow.

BTW. My dog is named Maverick

In comment 13475230 GuzzaBlue said:

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BTW. My dog is named Maverick

That's funny. When I signed up for this site a few years ago, I tried that spelling of the name, but was already taken. I had to try several versions of spelling to get one that wasn't taken. And in all the time I've spent on this board, I've never seen a post by the people who already own the name.

and see if they match your lifestyle, activity level etc. Don't get dog because it looks cool. If you work all day you don't want to lock up a high energy dog. Or if you do, you should be prepared to wear it out in the evenings. I get really annoyed when people get big, high energy dogs and then hardly exercise them. That will also lead to behavior problems.

Also consider adopting. Sure, you don't get the cute little puppy, but you can get a great dog and skip all the house-training and puppy destruction. Lot of great dogs out there to be adopted without the high price of specialty breeds from a breeder.

Also research the breeders if you go that route. There are a lot of people who over-breed, inbreed, or just do it wrong in order to make money. Learn about who you are giving money to.

In comment 13475111 JayBinQueens said:

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for allergies, while they claim to have hypoallergenic breeds, there's really no such thing. It depends on the persons specific allergy and the type of dog. I'm allergic to some hypos and not others and when I asked an allergist about them he laughed and said the term is made up

The degree of shedding and allergy resistance can vary within a litter. For both behavior and the allergy aspects make sure you get to know the parents.
Doodles can be expensive; the better breeders are $2500 and up.
Don't forget Labradoodles. I'm on my 2nd, and use it for Therapy work.

Any thoughts on labrodoodle vs goldendoodle? Know of any bernedoodles in the NJ area? We definitely want a female dog.

you almost can't go wrong.

Having had my different breeds, Yorkies are the one I have settled in on.

Pick a breed that fits your lifestyle and character. Makes it easier on the dog and easier on you.

Vizslas are great. They may even have a rescue near you, that's how we got ours. Velcro dogs, short hair, low shed, loyal and hilarious.







Vizsla - ( New Window )

.

DO NOT get a Golden Doodle or anything doodle.

Get a Poodle if you want one. THe cross only cause health issues and why ruin the greatness of a poodle anyways

In comment 13475457 tator said:

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DO NOT get a Golden Doodle or anything doodle. Get a Poodle if you want one. THe cross only cause health issues and why ruin the greatness of a poodle anyways

If you care about dogs??? Golden Doodle's have an average lifespan for dogs (10-15 years) in terms of the health. Poodles are show dogs for the most part. Depends on your lifestyle however. If you like fashion then maybe a Poodle is the right fit.

I have had dogs my whole life and this breed was my favorite. Very little shedding and well behaved. Have a australian shepherd and she is way to hyper.

starting are the new trend as use for service dogs. They can have a lot of energy as puppies, but they supposedly are easy dogs to train and well behaved as they age. Not much shedding and very gentle tempered dogs.

In comment 13475242 SimpleMan said:

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and see if they match your lifestyle, activity level etc. Don't get dog because it looks cool. If you work all day you don't want to lock up a high energy dog. Or if you do, you should be prepared to wear it out in the evenings. I get really annoyed when people get big, high energy dogs and then hardly exercise them. That will also lead to behavior problems. Also consider adopting. Sure, you don't get the cute little puppy, but you can get a great dog and skip all the house-training and puppy destruction. Lot of great dogs out there to be adopted without the high price of specialty breeds from a breeder. Also research the breeders if you go that route. There are a lot of people who over-breed, inbreed, or just do it wrong in order to make money. Learn about who you are giving money to.

This. 100% This.

So many people have a bad dog experience because they chose based on looks alone.

My wife and daughter are both allergic to dogs but have no problems with our Wheaten. A little on the small side for what you're looking for, they average about 40 pounds. Probably the most friendly of all the terriers. They love everyone.

Other than puppies they don't need any training. We've got a Newfie-Flat coat retriever mix and she is amazing. We'd never had a female before, males since 1063, and it's a whole new experience. A Positive experience. Also, we've had Lab mixes and they're wonderful dogs.

In comment 13475195 mavric said:

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Labs are the most loyal, lovable dogs - period. They have short hair so minimal shedding and minimal care. Females are easy going compared to males and easy to train, incredibly obedient, great with kids, cats, strangers, and most stay below your 65 lb threshold. You can never go wrong with a lab for a family dog. And they come in different colors, white, black, dark cocoa, cinnamon chocolate, and yellow.

100% agree. Only downside to a lab is your wife getting jealous that you love the dog more then her.

and doesn't mind that my lab is the favorite in the house!
Also have a yellow english lab (and shes the best dog I've ever had) but Mavric doesn't shed much? Some days I can knit sweaters for the whole Giants offensive line. and that includes backups!

King Charles spaniel

We are on our second - 16 months old. Great personality, loves his family, smart as any. Athletic - most graceful runner I've seen. Loves to swim. Big hugger and adorable. Some bloodlines to the first one we had. Show dog looks but that's not why we have him. Good luck with yours. Don't think they aren't work but so worth it.

and found one of my kids was allergic so had to bring it back.

Allergist said test showed no dog allergy or no prominent one at least, because every breed of dog is different.

the shelter gave us some good advice.

they suggested we bring my daughter to multiple breeders and have her pet different dog breeds and really get her hands all over the dog and then rub her face and eyes immediately.

huskies were the least reaction, no reaction really. Golden retrievers the worst, she immediately had blotchy skin and runny nose.

Labs too.

anyway I still couldn't justify a pure bred, so we went back to the shelter/rescue place and I asked, won't this same thing work with your dogs which are mostly mutt/identified breeds? They thought about it and said it should.

So we found a rescue where my daughter did this and had no effect, we've had the dog for 4 years now, never one reaction.

Dog is a mutt, part Jack Russell and part border collie.

Just some advice.

Do your due diligence and then pull the trigger.

Great dog. Hypo allergenic. Maybe not as big as you're thinking but not a small dog at all and really terrific dogs. My buddy has one, great with baby, toddler and teenager alike. Really terrific dog. His is a rescue from down south somewhere I think.
Basenji rescue - ( New Window )

In comment 13475629 Rich on LI said:

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and doesn't mind that my lab is the favorite in the house! Also have a yellow english lab (and shes the best dog I've ever had) but Mavric doesn't shed much? Some days I can knit sweaters for the whole Giants offensive line. and that includes backups!

My yellow English Lab sheds a ton as well. He's such a great dog though. Does yours love to swim too? Mine swims for hours and loves it.

In comment 13476078 GuzzaBlue said:

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In comment 13475629 Rich on LI said: Quote: and doesn't mind that my lab is the favorite in the house! Also have a yellow english lab (and shes the best dog I've ever had) but Mavric doesn't shed much? Some days I can knit sweaters for the whole Giants offensive line. and that includes backups! My yellow English Lab sheds a ton as well. He's such a great dog though. Does yours love to swim too? Mine swims for hours and loves it.

That's a good point that anyone should know if they consider a Lab. They love, love, love water. So it's nice if you have a pond or lake nearby as that is where they will want to go.

I have a friend with a black lab who also lives on the shores of a quiet pond. The lab brings her a rock and the she throws it out in the pond about 20 feet off shore where it's about 4 or 5 feet deep. Her dog hits the water with a flourish and then dives under water and won't come up until he has that rock. It made me nervous because he'd be under water for such a long time. But he always found the rock and brought it back to do it all over again. Never seen anything like it and I've owned several labs. Mine loved the water, but I never saw them go underwater for a minute or so.

We rescued our Boston Terrier there, very happy!

Also, NSAL covers any medical costs for known issues, our dog had several pre diagnosed ones and they covered it, great side benefit.

Bostons are smaller than what you are looking for but they are super smart, lazy but trainable, shed almost nothing. Great great dogs. They do snore though. Would highly recommend the breed. Also have a long life span.

In comment 13476128 mavric said:

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In comment 13476078 GuzzaBlue said: Quote: In comment 13475629 Rich on LI said: Quote: and doesn't mind that my lab is the favorite in the house! Also have a yellow english lab (and shes the best dog I've ever had) but Mavric doesn't shed much? Some days I can knit sweaters for the whole Giants offensive line. and that includes backups! My yellow English Lab sheds a ton as well. He's such a great dog though. Does yours love to swim too? Mine swims for hours and loves it. That's a good point that anyone should know if they consider a Lab. They love, love, love water. So it's nice if you have a pond or lake nearby as that is where they will want to go. I have a friend with a black lab who also lives on the shores of a quiet pond. The lab brings her a rock and the she throws it out in the pond about 20 feet off shore where it's about 4 or 5 feet deep. Her dog hits the water with a flourish and then dives under water and won't come up until he has that rock. It made me nervous because he'd be under water for such a long time. But he always found the rock and brought it back to do it all over again. Never seen anything like it and I've owned several labs. Mine loved the water, but I never saw them go underwater for a minute or so.

Yes they love water and the word love might be an understatement. I bring him on the lake all the time (every day this week so far) for a quick swim at the least. Couple days I was out there and he swam for over 5 hours. Once I pull out his life vest he goes berserk.

In comment 13475630 Marty in Albany said:

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King Charles spaniel

These dudes are great little buddies. Had one in my early 20's.

are not always completely house-broken; depends on their age and where they came from. And they will likely need other behavioral training as well.

Regardless, we have had 2 rescues: a full-bred beagle and a beagle-doxon mix which is our current. Beagles are some of the most loyal, lovable dogs you can get. Yes, they are not the hyper, playful dog that a lab is but they are great dogs.

you mentioned I ditto what others have said regarding
Vizslas. Smart, great tempers and low shed.

Be prepared to be committed. A dog is a great companion and will be for many years. Make sure your lifestyle is suitable. You do not want her left alone for long periods. You will need to devote time to training. You will require patience especially in the early years. Contact your local vet for "sitters" if you travel etc. Its not always about playing catch in the back yard on a beautiful spring day. On miserable snowy wet days the dog will still need to go out or be walked. Not to be a wet blanket but if your not up to this commitment then you should reconsider.

My wife and I are part a dog rescue organization and you would be amazed with the number of owner turn ins from people who simply were not prepared for what it takes to raise a dog.

In comment 13476507 Bubba said:

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Be prepared to be committed. A dog is a great companion and will be for many years. Make sure your lifestyle is suitable. You do not want her left alone for long periods. You will need to devote time to training. You will require patience especially in the early years. Contact your local vet for "sitters" if you travel etc. Its not always about playing catch in the back yard on a beautiful spring day. On miserable snowy wet days the dog will still need to go out or be walked. Not to be a wet blanket but if your not up to this commitment then you should reconsider. My wife and I are part a dog rescue organization and you would be amazed with the number of owner turn ins from people who simply were not prepared for what it takes to raise a dog.

Well said and probably the most important aspect of owning a dog. A dog becomes a part of your family. So if you want to be an owner than you should treat it like family. It takes a commitment, a big commitment. It's obviously not like a baby, but in some ways it is similar.