My first dog - Advice needed.

SoupyNorman

Hi,

Im really excited to say that I’ll be moving into my own house next month, with that comes one of my most wanted things…A dog. Both me and my girlfriend are huge dog lovers but we’ve been constrained to Apartment living for the last 3years. The house we’re moving into has a lovely 50-60ft garden so whatever pooch (looking at Bicon Friese or similar) we get is in for a treat.

My query is, I’m worried about the fact that both of us work full time so we’d have to leave the dog alone during the day. I don’t think we could do this while it was a puppy, that would be a given. Secondly I’d be afraid of it being stolen.

Is it unheard of to leave the dog somewhere to be looked after during the day or any other solutions out there?

Cutie18Ireland

Not sure where your located but there is a doggy day care in blanchardstown and one in cork not sure where else they are. Other option would be a petsitter.

micheleabc

Dog day care is what you are looking for. Pet sitting is a good idea if you don't mind to have people going into your new house. A pet sitter anyway will visit your dog at your place a couple of times per day and for the rest the dog will be still alone. In a dog day care facilities your dog will be looked after and socialised all the time.
Where are you located?

Zapperzy

Is the garden fully enclosed? What kind of hours do you work every day? Depending on where you live there is doggy day care, there is also dog walkers who will pick your dog up while your away and bring him for a walk for an hour or two and then drop him back. Have you relatives nearby that could look after him during the day either or bring him for a walk half way through the day?

Most older dogs do perfectly fine being left all day (well your average 8 hour working day) so long as you make up for it in the evening with a walk and loads of attention, a walk in the morning before you go helps also. You just need to pick your breed and particular dog carefully. As far as I know bichon frise are very clingy dogs and may not do well with long periods alone.

As for being stolen well unfortunately that's becoming more common now. All you can do is do your best. If possible keep the dog inside when your not there (but there have been a few cases of houses being broken into for dogs), keep him out of view of the road and passersby (and avoid those radio fences as they offer no protection against dog theft), if anyone you don't know asks you questions be sure to tell them he's neutered and make up a few health problems and complain about how expensive medication costs are, and when getting a tag for his collar add in neutered & microchipped to it.

trio

Unless you're completely sold on the idea of getting a puppy, I'd get an adult dog.

Give it a walk first thing in the morning so it snoozes, but still - a high activity dog would not be suitable.

Have you thought about a Lurcher? They are greyhound crosses. They vary in size of course, but they are smaller than greyhounds but like greyhounds, are usually very chilled out.

Greyhounds are reknowned for being really happy lying on the couch. They're one of the lowest energy dogs.

Most rescues will have a lurcher in them, they're very common. I want one myself!

(Bichons/Westies/Jack Russells - all have crazy amounts of energy, btw)

meg3178

I have a Bichon Friese, he's nearly 16yrs old now and a great dog. They do require a lot of grooming as they don't shed any hair (great for anyone with asthma) and they do need to be socialised. I would recommend you get a dog that is 2-4 years old and past the chewing stage. Perhaps try try the dogs trust, they are very good and find homes for dogs who are often coming from loving homes that just cannot afford to keep them.
If there is no day facilities near your home, perhaps try near your work as well.
Good luck

Winston79

You should probably also look at getting a dog that doesn't require as much attention and companionship as a bichon frise, they are active dogs that like company and lots of playing, either with humans or dogs.

Would you look at getting 2 dogs? We have 2 dogs that keep each other company when we're out.

SoupyNorman

Thanks all, some great suggestions and advice!

It’s a tricky situation, I think a Bichon is what we really want. My relations have one and we love their temperament and the non-shedding.

Although I would love to get a puppy, I think it would be more sensible to for a dog a couple of years old.

It’s all very exciting but there are still so many considerations to take into account.

DjFlin

I've a Bicon Friese, hes in the house most of the time, but my family are away for the summer, and I'm only home in the mornings and at night, so I leave him in the back garden.
He seems to be fine, hes got plenty of toys and sticks to play with, and a kennel for when it rains. My garden is square, about 30-40ft and theres loads of trees and bushes that hes constantly hiding it. He does have a tenancy to dig up the flowers though.

trio

OP, are your relations at home a lot of the time? Cos that could account for their dogs well-balanced temperament?

Just be aware it might not be the same dog if left alone all day. It might be a bit more demanding when you eventually arrive home. Bichons are lovely, but they are happy with a lot of attention.

I don't know the situation of your relations, but be careful of assuming that their dog will = any Bichon you get, y'know??

kiersm

Would you consider getting 2 dogs together? We got our Cavalier 2 yrs ago & my OH was at home at the time but when he was going back to college we got a second dog and have found that both dogs are fine now being left alone.

I think that when we got our dog initially that we should have gotten two dogs together but you live & learn

I'm lucky tho that I can come home at lunchtime & leave the dogs out & check on them.

Good luck with whatever dogs you decide to get

doubleglaze

I wish more people would ask these sorts of questions before getting a dog. The fact that OP is asking these questions augurs very well for any future dog he or she may have. So well-done OP!

Two dogs would be good, if you can afford them.

You should budget about €1500 per dog per annum.

A dog-walker in the middle of the day would be great. Budget €15-€20 per hour.

If you are planning to have a baby in the next few years, I strongly suggest you'd better hold out even longer (I know, patience, patience!) before getting a dog, as a great many dogs are f€ked out of their homes (for "unforeseen reasons" FFS) and into rescue centres and pounds after rugrats arrive on the scene.

Think long and hard of the long-term financial and practical considerations involved in having a dog and minding it properly. Ditto with a baby, if you plan on having one. Add the two together and you will see that, for most people, it proves too much.

Bichon Frise is a good dog for city estate living and shouldn't cause you problems with the neighbours.

I am also PMing you.

Little_Focker

You can give a dog any amount of space and toys but it still needs human companionship.

Have a read of this:

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/dogs-left-at-home-alone-as-traumatised-as-children-2812293.html

beagle001

Get a nice dog house,put a warm matt in it and he can have the run of the garden when your working but take him for a walk or run when you get home.
Leave a few bones and toys and he will be grand,no need to waste money on dog day care or such stuff.

liquoriceall

beagle001 wrote: »

Get a nice dog house,put a warm matt in it and he can have the run of the garden when your working but take him for a walk or run when you get home.
Leave a few bones and toys and he will be grand,no need to waste money on dog day care or such stuff.

Please dont listen to this!
I have a Basset who suffers from awful seperation anxiety, the only wa for me to feel half able to go to work is walk him before work, dog walker during the day and another walk at night. I allow him to sleep in my room in his basket because its enough that hes alone all day I dont think its fair to be alone all night as well.
I second the suggestion of 2 dogs I wish this was an option for me
Good luck!

beagle001

liquoriceall wrote: »

beagle001 wrote: »

Get a nice dog house,put a warm matt in it and he can have the run of the garden when your working but take him for a walk or run when you get home.
Leave a few bones and toys and he will be grand,no need to waste money on dog day care or such stuff.

Please dont listen to this!
I have a Basset who suffers from awful seperation anxiety, the only wa for me to feel half able to go to work is walk him before work, dog walker during the day and another walk at night. I allow him to sleep in my room in his basket because its enough that hes alone all day I dont think its fair to be alone all night as well.
I second the suggestion of 2 dogs I wish this was an option for me
Good luck!

Your buying into this crazy commercialisation of dogs,10 yrs ago a dog was generally not allowed inside the house.
Dogs were predominantly used as farm animals and would not dare go inside the house.
My father still cannot fathom our dog in the house when he is over,I remember being down the country as a young one and my cousins dog grabbed the ice cream from my hand and gave me a little gash.
My uncle shot the dog to my horror that day,now we have come a long way in Ireland as regards dogs and their care but sometimes you must remember it's an animal and they must be treated as such.

ISDW

beagle001 wrote: »

Your buying into this crazy commercialisation of dogs,10 yrs ago a dog was generally not allowed inside the house.
Dogs were predominantly used as farm animals and would not dare go inside the house.
My father still cannot fathom our dog in the house when he is over,I remember being down the country as a young one and my cousins dog grabbed the ice cream from my hand and gave me a little gash.
My uncle shot the dog to my horror that day,now we have come a long way in Ireland as regards dogs and their care but sometimes you must remember it's an animal and they must be treated as such.

Yes they are an animal, but the way that we live has changed a lot, and so must the way we interact with animals. 10 years ago my dogs lived in the house, 20 years ago our family dog lived in the house, 30 years ago our family dog lived in the house, but then as a family we have never just let our dogs out to wander which is what was very common in those times here, and unfortunately still is in a lot of areas.

It would have been the norm for the mother of the family to stay home and not work outside of the home, nowadays most families have both parents out working if they are lucky enough to be in that position, so dogs may be left with no company, whereas they wouldn't have been previously. Man and dogs have a very close relationship and have had throughout history, that relationship has flourished because of the time they spend together, not because a dog is left to its own devices for an entire day.

I am absolutely shocked that 10 years ago, still in the 21st century that your uncle shot a dog like that. Why did the dog go for the ice cream I wonder? Maybe if the human owners had spent more time with the dog, training it, it wouldn't have happened. Why on earth would anyone expect any animal to know how to behave if not socialised and trained properly, which only comes from spending time with that animal.

beagle001

ISDW wrote: »

beagle001 wrote: »

Your buying into this crazy commercialisation of dogs,10 yrs ago a dog was generally not allowed inside the house.
Dogs were predominantly used as farm animals and would not dare go inside the house.
My father still cannot fathom our dog in the house when he is over,I remember being down the country as a young one and my cousins dog grabbed the ice cream from my hand and gave me a little gash.
My uncle shot the dog to my horror that day,now we have come a long way in Ireland as regards dogs and their care but sometimes you must remember it's an animal and they must be treated as such.

Yes they are an animal, but the way that we live has changed a lot, and so must the way we interact with animals. 10 years ago my dogs lived in the house, 20 years ago our family dog lived in the house, 30 years ago our family dog lived in the house, but then as a family we have never just let our dogs out to wander which is what was very common in those times here, and unfortunately still is in a lot of areas.

It would have been the norm for the mother of the family to stay home and not work outside of the home, nowadays most families have both parents out working if they are lucky enough to be in that position, so dogs may be left with no company, whereas they wouldn't have been previously. Man and dogs have a very close relationship and have had throughout history, that relationship has flourished because of the time they spend together, not because a dog is left to its own devices for an entire day.

I am absolutely shocked that 10 years ago, still in the 21st century that your uncle shot a dog like that. Why did the dog go for the ice cream I wonder? Maybe if the human owners had spent more time with the dog, training it, it wouldn't have happened. Why on earth would anyone expect any animal to know how to behave if not socialised and trained properly, which only comes from spending time with that animal.

It was 25 yrs ago when he shot the dog and the man is a farmer a person who truely knows animals better than the general populous.
I didn't like it but those were his ways

**Vai**

Something to be learned from this OP, dont shoot your dog. Disgusting.

Getting 2 dogs seems like the best idea. I know mine wouldnt be without each other.

Cherry Blossom

beagle001 wrote: »

Your buying into this crazy commercialisation of dogs,10 yrs ago a dog was generally not allowed inside the house.
Dogs were predominantly used as farm animals and would not dare go inside the house.
....
now we have come a long way in Ireland as regards dogs and their care but sometimes you must remember it's an animal and they must be treated as such.

This statement is very flawed I'm afraid. I had a lab for 14 years, he was a farm dog, he didn't come in the house because he was an ex-puppy farm dog and went into an unbelievable panic if he couldn't get out. However as he lived on a busy farm there were people outside with him from 6am to 11pm, he just tagged along with whoever was out at the time. He slept in the stables with the horses at night as he preferred that to the customised home that was made for him in the garage attached to house. So he actually had company of one sort or another 24 hours a day as was how farm dogs were 'traditionally' kept. It is the most basic need of any social species (including humans) to have companionship, and when you get a social animal as a pet it is your responsibility to provide this in one form or another to ensure that they remain sane!