We're Gonna Get a Dog - My First

Kintarō Hattori · 15-11-2011 11:53am #1

My good lady has had a lot of dogs over the years when she lived in Poland but this'll be my first. The only animal I ever had growing up was an amazing cat who we were lucky to have for a whopping 14 years.

So as I say, this is going to be our first dog and I'm nervous as heck. I don't really know where to start. Whatever dog we get will be loved to bits and walked regularly- so don't worry about that. I simply have little idea of what type of food, what quantity etc to get.

We began looking last weekend after having talked on and off for ages about getting a dog. Now that we have a house with a garden the time is right. We'll be getting the little whippersnapper from a rescue centre and we don't care about breed or anything like that. As long as the little scamp has a personality that's all that matters really. We will of course take a dog that is suited to our working lives.

So I guess I don't know what I'm asking from you guys as I don't know what's involved in making sure we're set-up for his/her arrival. I know I'll need stock of food (what types), water bowls, a basket (it'll sleep inside), a leash, toys and other stuff. Where do I begin in making sure that I'm ready for the scamps arrival. What should I know to have a dog.... training etc.

Taytomal · 15-11-2011 12:01pm

Fair play to you for getting a rescue - there are do many people that STILL buy dogs out of the boot of a car and it makes me sick... Lots of times you are just supporting another puppy mill. Make sure all their shots are up to date and seriously consider spay or neuter if you are not going to breed at a later date. Give them lots and lots of love and you will have a friend for life!
Best of luck.

littlebug · 15-11-2011 12:06pm

Make sure your garden is secure or you have a secure place within your garden for the dog. 5/6 foot walls/ fences and mine still isn't secure enough for my escape artiste :rolleyes: but to an extent it will depend on the type of dog you have.

kylith · 15-11-2011 12:15pm

Get the best quality food that you can afford. Avoid things like Pedigree or Bakers (and most other stuff you get in Supermarkets) like the plague. I like Whites, other people prefer Burns or James Wellbeloved. The first ingredient listed should be 'meat' not cereals or meat derivatives. Some dogs have a sensetivity to wheat so you're better off going with a meat and rice/potato based food.

Other than that you'll need 2/3 bowls (1 for water and 1/2 for food), tags (I like to have two on the collar; one on the buckle and one on the ring you clip the lead to, in case one falls off). I also recommend getting the dog microchipped (putting this info on the tag can deter theives too), and definitely pet insurance for any unexpected trips to the vet. For beds I usually use a cheap duvet folded up. They love to dig into it and they tend to be a lot cheaper than dog beds. Toys like Kongs are good because they can be filled with food and they'll keep the dog entertained and happy for hours.

As for training, if you get an older dog from rescue they may already have basic training like sit, stay, and know to go outside to toilet. In all aspects of training I find that praise and reward is better than punishment every time. Work on things like recall at home and in an enclosed garden first, and don't let your dog off lead until you're 99.9% certain that he'll come back. I let one of mine off too early and the little minx went down a ditch, across a river and into the woods beyond, with no way for me to follow her. She came back eventually, but it was a really stressful experience for me.

tazwaz · 15-11-2011 12:31pm

kylith wrote: »

Other than that you'll need 2/3 bowls (1 for water and 1/2 for food), tags (I like to have two on the collar; one on the buckle and one on the ring you clip the lead to, in case one falls off). I also recommend getting the dog microchipped (putting this info on the tag can deter theives too), and definitely pet insurance for any unexpected trips to the vet. For beds I usually use a cheap duvet folded up. They love to dig into it and they tend to be a lot cheaper than dog beds. Toys like Kongs are good because they can be filled with food and they'll keep the dog entertained and happy for hours.QUOTE]

+1
definately get the pet insurance if you can afford it, it costs me E16 a month but its a godsend if anything major goes wrong.
as for the dog bed, kylith is right, dont spend money on the dog beds yet. i went through so many dog beds with my puppy, there'd be fluff everywhere in the mornings, in the end i got a plastic bed and put a few blankets in it.

op, theres nothing quite like the love a dog gives you, enjoy it :-)

Kintarō Hattori · 15-11-2011 12:37pm

Can anyone recommend a place for pet insurance? €16 a month is certainly very affordable. I thought it'd be a lot more than that.

aisher · 15-11-2011 12:43pm

I took out insurance with Tesco.ie - only the cheapest option and it was only approx. €65 for the year.

I would recommend a crate also if you want the dog to live indoors - especially if you are going to leave the animal alone if you are out - if the dog is not house trained it will help training it and also until you know the habits of the dog re. chewing etc. best to be on the safe side. Good luck!

seefin · 15-11-2011 12:48pm

I insure mine with petinsure.ie , about 9 a month. Also can pay 120 to sunbeam vets in blackpool ,that covers all flea,worming, vaccinations and checkups for de yr. De supermarket flea powders are useless.def microchip and get a tag with your number on it. Best of luck

tazwaz · 15-11-2011 12:49pm

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a place for pet insurance? €16 a month is certainly very affordable. I thought it'd be a lot more than that.

i have my dog (terrier) insured with allianz, its 16 euro a month because he isnt a pedigree dog. I had a springer and he was a few euro dearer but not too much dearer. i only have experience of allianz and i can highly recommend them, had no problem with the claims i put in and the cheques were fast coming back to me.

Kintarō Hattori · 15-11-2011 1:49pm

Taytomal wrote: »

Make sure all their shots are up to date and seriously consider spay or neuter if you are not going to breed at a later date. Give them lots and lots of love and you will have a friend for life!
Best of luck.

The first place we visited was the DSPCA in Rathfarnham. If you get a dog from there they have their shots, are neutered and micro chipped so we'll make sure all this is done no matter where we get him/her.

kylith wrote: »

As for training, if you get an older dog from rescue they may already have basic training like sit, stay, and know to go outside to toilet. In all aspects of training I find that praise and reward is better than punishment every time. Work on things like recall at home and in an enclosed garden first, and don't let your dog off lead until you're 99.9% certain that he'll come back. I let one of mine off too early and the little minx went down a ditch, across a river and into the woods beyond, with no way for me to follow her. She came back eventually, but it was a really stressful experience for me.

I will keep this in mind. I'd certainly like it if the dog we get has some training as I know nothing about how to train a dog- so it'd be a huge help. Most of the dogs we looked at on Saturday had basic training so that's something we'll look for when making our decision.

Zapperzy · 15-11-2011 8:20pm

Don't get too hung up on memorising exact step by step care instructions, a lot of this you learn through experience. When I got my first dog I didn't really know how to train a dog exactly, I had an idea that you reward the good stuff but didn't know what I know now about positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement or anything like that, within half an hour I had inadvertedly taught him to sit just by playing with a ball out in the garden (to throw the ball each time I waited until he was sitting and then threw it as I didn't want an annoying dog covered in muck jumping all over me when he wanted me to play with him

). You could also go to a dog trainer either one to one or group sessions in the beginning, they mostly train you to train your dog, I believe the dspca has a good trainer.

As for food, when you get the dog ask the owner/rescue what he was already being fed on and keep him on that for at least a couple of weeks. Chopping and changing food can upset some dog's tummies and with a big move added on top of that it can really upset the balance. If you want to change after that then some good dry food brands to look for are whites, burns, james wellbeloved and orijen. There are a few good wet foods such as naturediet, real nature and applaws. If you get a weight for the dog and then look at the back of the bag it gives a guideline as to what quantity to feed. Basically avoid anything that has cereals or meat and animal derivatives as a first ingredient which rules out most foods that you buy in a supermarket such as pedigree and bakers. Another area that a lot of people are looking into is making your own dog food from fresh meat, raw bones (only raw and NEVER cooked) and veg.

As for what to buy you will quickly find yourself wandering around pet shops picking up loads of little extras, but in the beginning the basics are a collar, lead, food dishes and a kennel/crate/bed depending on where you plan on keeping the dog most of the time. Look up crate training, it's a handy thing to have if you need to confine him/her for any reason. Don't go buying a fancy expensive bed for a while just in case you come in one evening and find that your dog has decided the expensive new bed is a much better chew toy! As for toys you can pick those up as you go along and figure out what your new dog likes, some like cuddling teddies others prefer shredding them, some are ball mad, some go mad for squeeky toys and I know one dog who is terrified of squeeky toys for some reason! And of course a good pair of walking runners and a good waterproof jacket!

Main thing is stop worrying, you won't kill the dog if you use common sense, you'l learn as you go along. None of us started out as experts (and I'm certainly still no expert) but you just pick it up as you go along. Good luck, and glad to hear your rescueing a dog, the rescue should give you good info and back up help.

Tranceypoo · 15-11-2011 8:41pm

I have 2 rescue dogs and they were both already housetrained when I got them which was very handy, also the younger one had been taught to sit and give the paw and lie down (you wonder why people go to the bother and then tie them to some railings and abandon them). So you might get lucky on that score, especially if you get a dog rather than a puppy.

Good luck and well done on getting a rescue, as another poster said, don't get too hung up on the rights and wrongs of owning a dog, as long as you give it lots of love, exercise, boundaries and good food you're not going to go too wrong!!

saa · 15-11-2011 9:10pm

I can see how super market dog food wouldn't be as good as others but how does it affect the dog (symptoms, wellbeing lifespan, health?) if you fed them bakers or even tesco value dog food.

I would like to get a dog in a few years, helpful info with the food, I would love to walk it everyday for how long 30 mins? more? bit worried about how much the initial shots and neutering would be.

But that wouldnt be a majour issue, I will definitely go to a shelter.

kylith · 15-11-2011 11:06pm

saa wrote: »

I would like to get a dog in a few years, helpful info with the food, I would love to walk it everyday for how long 30 mins? more?

This very much depends on the breed. Greyhounds, I've heard, don't take a lot of walking, despite appearances. On the other hand most breeds of terrier will happily walk for hours. I've seen people walking Chihuahuas who have walked miles, too.

anniehoo · 16-11-2011 1:35am

The only advice ill give you for now, is keep an open mind

with regards to whether a pedigree,crossbreed (mix of 2 pedigrees) or mongrel/heinz 57(a.ka. a mix of anything) will be good for ya.

If you've decided you dont like a certain breed or temperament e.g Greyhounds/Springer Spaniels/Jack Russell/Great Dane (which all have completely different requirements) or are willing to "hope for the best" with a Mongrel, have a read about the breeds and you'll be surprised.Dont believe the stereotypes especially when it comes to Greyhounds and Staffies for example. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

I had a Mongrel (with a capital M

) for 14 years and she was brilliant.Im an advocate of Mongrels, only because the majority of dogs i see regularly in work are pedigree ones with their breed related illnesses (along with their devastated owners) and if its a mongrel its due to a road traffic accident or cancer, a non breed related illness.Generalising across the board with that one, but its pretty much 80:20 pedigree:mongrel. Whether thats due to the owners finances or animals health id love to know.:p

Kintaro...when you imagine your dog what dya see?

Cherry Blossom · 16-11-2011 2:13am

anniehoo wrote: »

IGeneralising across the board with that one, but its pretty much 80:20 pedigree:mongrel. Whether thats due to the owners finances or animals health id love to know.:p

Kintaro...when you imagine your dog what dya see?

Looking at my neighbours, acquaintances, friends, family, dogs I see out wandering/walking etc, the ratio of pedigrees : mongrels that are owned generally is closer to 95:5 these days (well around here anyway) and I would put the 15% difference down a proportionately high no. of people owning mongrels who have rescued them and a proportionately higher no. of people owning 'pedigrees' who couldn't care less about them. Whether or not crosses are healthier than pedigrees depends on the cross IMO. They still inherit the genes of their parents, it's whether or not the cross of two particular breeds dilutes the gene or enhances it eg. border collie x rough collie that both or one of have collie eye gives a high chance of offspring with collie eye, but border collie x labrador - pups will be less likely than either of their parents to have hip dysplasia or collie eye as the genes are diluted, but the unfortunate minority will have both, these are still much more likely to have problems than a pedigree from parentage that has been fully tested (and passed). I'm assuming the dog comes from questionably bred parents obviously, since we're on the topic of rescuing here not sourcing from health tested parents, so in summary as long as the dogs don't share genetic health issues and the genes are diluted the offspring would be much healthier than either parent - in theory anyway.

Just my humble 2c

JustAThought · 16-11-2011 7:46am

Hope you have lodza energy put aside for your fab new pet!!! It'll be so exciting and fun!!!! Don't stress too much! Hope you ve got a good pair of wellies and a nice warm waterproof coat for all the walks!!!!!!

Sounds like your dogs gonna love it's new owners & home!!!
Best of luck!!!!

Absolutely get pet insurance ; Allianz is the best ; the others have hidden catches & problems ( lots of threads here on pet insurance in the past; scroll back & read!!!). Id say when you re choosing a vet ask them if they claim thru Allianz for any claim you might have & let you only pay the excess up front ; dont choose an unhelpful vet!!!

Have you chosen one ( dog!) yet!!!! Good for you fir tracing one & giving it a happy ever after!!!! There are so many just georgous dogs in shelters/ rescues.
One of the advantages of choosing a " type"/pedigree is that as someone else posted they do have particular needs and features so you have an idea of what you re signing up for!!! I'd been looking at great Dane but thought they'd eat me out if the house & need walking all the time; never knew they don't ( small meals) & 20 mins walk a day tops!!!!
( allegedly!) same with Springers; huge high energy digs with endless fun in them; ditto collies who you k iw in advance by their breed will have particular needs and characteristics!
Mind you read up on restricted dogs if you don't know about them; this includes restricted mix dogs. There are a lot of prejudices around them but also a lot of regulations that park wardens & people are quick to point out to you and enforce; including nit being allowed ( ever) to let them off the lead in parka/ beaches- local green areas; having to always muzzle them etc. Oasis.ie or citizens info sites should give you the breed lusts ; mixes of these dogs also count).

I know the dogs tryst have also a lode if dogs " our back" that arnt on their website& a pup section too ; and the DSPCA will let you see& walk them in their place. A girl from the DSPCA did the hard sell with two acquaintances of mine from abroad who didn't know about the restricted dogs act ; she wanted the dog ( 3 yr Staffie ) to go so badly that she never thought it important to mention it: so mind that; whatever your feelings it IS a bug issue for consideration.

Best of luck and loses of fun and patience

Are you going girl or boy !!!!!

JustAThought · 16-11-2011 8:06am

I know everyone has different opinions but really. The mass generalisation that the majority of people (85%) who have pedigree dogs don't give a damn for them? WTF. And all these pedigree dogs are riddled with diseases. It's really getting too much. You dont see pedigree owners on here making snobby comments about mix breeds owners not caring for their dogs etc. It's really insulting to keep reading it by the same posters here. I've NEVER met a dog or owner EVER with hip dysplacia thou agreed it exists. The scare mongereling is getting too much and is becoming absurd.

Choose whatever dog you want to have and love but this constant bashing of other peoples choices and monster generalisations is too ridiculous & too much ; regardless of who you are friends with. It is insulting in the extreme to read that " 95%" of people who have dogs ( pedigree) " don't give a damn" about them.
Take the 2c and put it in a jar instead to buy your dog something nice to eat or play with .

Pedigree dogs are just that; pedigree. And a mix is a mix. But don't say that you misuse your dog or don't care about it or that it's somehow going to end up in a zimmerframe like all those other digs in zimmerframes out there
because of the choice and selection you made.
And for the record; 85% of people who have dogs love them and care for them and walk them and would do anything to keep them safe and happy.

ppink · 16-11-2011 8:25am

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Looking at my neighbours, acquaintances, friends, family, dogs I see out wandering/walking etc, the ratio of pedigrees : mongrels that are owned generally is closer to 95:5 these days (well around here anyway) and I would put the 15% difference down a proportionately high no. of people owning mongrels who have rescued them and a proportionately higher no. of people owning 'pedigrees' who couldn't care less about them. Whether or not crosses are healthier than pedigrees depends on the cross IMO. They still inherit the genes of their parents, it's whether or not the cross of two particular breeds dilutes the gene or enhances it eg. border collie x rough collie that both or one of have collie eye gives a high chance of offspring with collie eye, but border collie x labrador - pups will be less likely than either of their parents to have hip dysplasia or collie eye as the genes are diluted, but the unfortunate minority will have both, these are still much more likely to have problems than a pedigree from parentage that has been fully tested (and passed). I'm assuming the dog comes from questionably bred parents obviously, since we're on the topic of rescuing here not sourcing from health tested parents, so in summary as long as the dogs don't share genetic health issues and the genes are diluted the offspring would be much healthier than either parent - in theory anyway.

Just my humble 2c

I got lost there with the 95:5 and the 15%.

Is it proven that mongrels are less likely to suffer from health issues?

getz · 16-11-2011 8:48am

what ever you do dont panic,reading these threads is enough to put anyone off from getting a dog,dogs have been with us since man found he could stand upright,chances are that the dog you will get will be a mongrel type,mainly a more hardy type of dog than the average pedigree type,special foods are not that important,what ever dog food he likes should be OK,as long as you worm/ flea and give him his/her jabs thats the important thing,lots of love plus walks, no chocolate or pork [both poison to canines] and the one other thing ,give him/her raw meat in the diet [important] ,now enjoy your dog i am sure he is going to a loving home,[i expect now i am going to get a lot of hate mail from doggie people]

Cherry Blossom · 16-11-2011 11:11am

ppink wrote: »

I got lost there with the 95:5 and the 15%.

95% of dogs I see are pedigree - I was attributing anniehoos 20% of dogs she sees in the vets being mongels (ie 15% higher than my 5%) to the fact that a proportionately higher percentage (than pedigrees) go through rescues, people who have a pedigree dog they don't want tend to try to flog it to get some of their money back so in general - the average owner of a mutt gives more of a hoot about their dog.

Is it proven that mongrels are less likely to suffer from health issues?

That's too general - it depends on what breeds were involved in creating the cross.

anniehoo · 16-11-2011 11:26am

JustAThought wrote: »

I know everyone has different opinions but really. The mass generalisation that the majority of people (85%) who have pedigree dogs don't give a damn for them? WTF.

Im not sure if you're referring to my post or AJs but i think you need to read mine again. I wasnt slating pedigree owners, far from it. Most of the owners i see in here would give their right arm for their pet. Its the proportion of pedigree:mongrel dogs that come in here to be treated,be in surgical or medical, that i referred to, where on any given day id walk into the kennels and out of 10 dogs, 8 would be a pedigree and 2 would be mongrel. As i said i dont know whether thats because owners look after pedigrees better or because mongrels are generally healthier, but where i work thats the ratio i see on a daily basis. Not slating anyone here.

getz · 16-11-2011 11:44am

anniehoo wrote: »

Im not sure if you're referring to my post or AJs but i think you need to read mine again. I wasnt slating pedigree owners, far from it. Most of the owners i see in here would give their right arm for their pet. Its the proportion of pedigree:mongrel dogs that come in here to be treated,be in surgical or medical, that i referred to, where on any given day id walk into the kennels and out of 10 dogs, 8 would be a pedigree and 2 would be mongrel. As i said i dont know whether thats because owners look after pedigrees better or because mongrels are generally healthier, but where i work thats the ratio i see on a daily basis. Not slating anyone here.

when i got my first staffy[some 40 years ago] very few about then,the breeder who sold him to me,believed that if you paid a lot for a dog,you would be more likely to look after it,in those days staffies would never be seen in rescue centres,looking around to day,you will not see many english bullies or the more expensive breeds in need of homes ,lots of staffies yes,because they are now being given away,

Kintarō Hattori · 16-11-2011 12:00pm

anniehoo wrote: »

Kintaro...when you imagine your dog what dya see?

Thanks for the great advice (and to everyone else as well). The main thing I want is a furry little pal. A dog that I can form a friendship with- if that doesn't sound weird. He/she would be played with a lot and taken for plenty of walks. I'm not hung up on breed. As long as the little fluffball has a good temperament that's the main thing.

I particularly like the idea of a Lurcher. I've read up that they are easy going, happy to laze around the house but then quite happy to go for a walk. The dog would need to be happy going for walks as my other half wants to take it on long walks. We live in an estate on the edge of town and so just a few minutes walk from our house we have lots of countryside and the beach is a 30 min walk away.

As said I'm not fussed on the breed, the temperament is the main issue for me. The dog will be loved, played with and walked a lot. I think we're both really just looking for a 3rd member of the family. Something we can make a fuss of but that is also happy to rest late in the evening.

toadfly · 16-11-2011 12:04pm

I helped set up a transport run last week for a lurcher, first time meeting one. He was gorgeous, so friendly. So great choice

It was for A Dogs Life I'm not sure what the story is with him. Maybe enquire if you are interested. His name is Reilly

Toulouse · 16-11-2011 12:05pm

Lurchers and greyhounds make fantastic pets.

If you are around at the weekend there's a sighthound stroll happening in the grounds of Malahide Castle in Saturday. There'll be lots of sighthound owners and also some dogs available for adoption.

http://www.sighthound-strolls.proboa...read=96&page=1
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sighthound-Strolls/207724022612531

PM Vel on here for more details.

Vel · 16-11-2011 2:45pm

Hi Kintaro Hattori,

As Toulouse mentions we do indeed have a walk on this Saturday and you would be most welcome to join us and meet some happily homed lurchers and a couple of ones needing homes. Part of what we do with Sigthhound Strolls is to provide advice for anyone thinking of adopting a lurcher/greyhound/whippet etc. so if you are looking for any further advice feel free to pm me for my email address and we can chat further.

http://www.sighthound-strolls.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=lw&action=display&thread=96

JustAThought · 16-11-2011 3:01pm

Aw; listen we all just love our dogs and want to do our best by them and everybody elses : ). Don't let us put you off; I'm sure it's like plumbing; there's a lode of different phoebes to connect and you can gave a bath or a jaccuzi but so long as it works and everyone stays clean and happy then whatever you decide is good : )
Love the sound of the lurcher walk ; I met a minature Italian one a while ago and totally fell in love - they are such beautiful and docile dogs. Whatever you choose I am sure you will have years of fun and friendship ahead of you.
Just make sure you get pet insurance!!! You don't want to be a poster on this thread asking what's wrong with your dog cos you can't afford to go to the vets!!! (there's been many!!) very best of luck : )
( and the jury's out on raw meat: bones can kill)

getz · 16-11-2011 3:24pm

JustAThought wrote: »

Aw; listen we all just love our dogs and want to do our best by them and everybody elses : ). Don't let us put you off; I'm sure it's like plumbing; there's a lode of different phoebes to connect and you can gave a bath or a jaccuzi but so long as it works and everyone stays clean and happy then whatever you decide is good : )
Love the sound of the lurcher walk ; I met a minature Italian one a while ago and totally fell in love - they are such beautiful and docile dogs. Whatever you choose I am sure you will have years of fun and friendship ahead of you.
Just make sure you get pet insurance!!! You don't want to be a poster on this thread asking what's wrong with your dog cos you can't afford to go to the vets!!! (there's been many!!) very best of luck : )
( and the jury's out on raw meat: bones can kill)

who said bones ? many dog rescue kennels in the UK will help with any vet bills you may have in the first year,check with your local centre to see if they have a similar scheme

Discodog · 16-11-2011 5:23pm

OP well done for not only considering a rescue dog but also taking the time to do your research - I am sure that your dog will have a great home.

Don't get hung up over breeds or what combination, in mongrels, that make the best dog. After you have had your dog a while it will reflect you & not it's breed.

Beware of Greyhounds & Lurchers. My Greyhound arrived very unexpectedly - I literally went out for some shopping & came home with an injured Greyhound. The plan was to rehome her once she recovered but within minutes I knew that she was staying. They really do have a way of winning you over & I would never be without a Greyhound now.

Kintarō Hattori · 11-12-2011 2:06am

375367_10150673920094657_533234656_11649012_2020260768_n.jpg

We went again to the DSPCA today and put our name against the little lady above. Hopefully we'll get a call on Monday to arrange a home inspection!

We're Gonna Get a Dog - My First

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