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I wanna get a dog... q's..

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    #62
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    DBB wrote: »
    Hi whitelightrider,
    I don't know what age your kids are, but if the little one is younger than 8ish, I think you're stuck in a bit of a bind here. I'm very concerned about your hopes that the fear your youngest has of dogs will be overcome if you get a dog.... it might, but I've seen this exact situation many times in my line of work, and alas, I'm afraid more often than not, it does not work out.
    It also creates terrible tension in the home, trying to manage a child who's not comfortable in their own home any more, and a dog who doesn't understand why this little person screams every time she sees him, and then, why he has to be got out of the room any time she's about, and then, why he has to be out in the garden on his own when she's about. And then, why he's being rehomed. This situation is way, way too common amongst families who get dogs to see will it heal a child's fear, for me to not comment.
    If your little one is frightened dogs, and you're determined to go ahead and get a dog in the somewhat small hope that she'll learn to love it, then in my opinion, the very, very, very worst thing you could do is to get a puppy. There is simply no quicker way to convince a frightened child that an unstoppably and painfully nippy, bitey, clothes-ripping, foot-chasing, toy-stealing, pissy, poopy, pukey pup that she was right to feel scared of dogs.
    Puppies are VERY hard work at the best of times... they are, quite frankly, a pain in the bum that turn even the most experienced owner's life upside-down for several months until they calm down and learn how to get on in the world. Seriously... throw a screaming child into the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster.
    So, I would appeal to you, if you insist on getting a dog in the hopes that your little one will learn to love it, please, please get yourself a steady, adult dog that has already proved itself to be good with children. Talk to local rescues and be very much prepared to wait for the right dog. By-pass that stressful puppy stage, and do your daughter a favour by not having her forced to live with a walking set of sharp, needle teeth that thinks the sound of screaming must mean she wants pup to keep approaching her to bite some more. Honestly. Seen it far too many times, and rarely seen it work out well for the puppy. It's not fair on the child either.

    Hi DBB,
    And thank you for your comments. I just wanted to respond as I know this is a sensitive topic, and its not one that my family or I have taken lightly.
    So my youngest is almost 5 and has a fear of animals in general, whereas my eldest, almost 9, has an insane love for any animal with a heart beat :) For the last 4 years she's asked for a dog and we've always said we werent ready, especially as the youngest was still a baby.
    Just forward 2 years and we gave in on the pet scenario and we bought her a Guinea Pig. This proved so beneficial for both girls that now we have 4 of them :) But dogs were still the main issue. Our next door neighbour has a beautiful rescue dog called Lilly and we spend almost every evening over there. My youngest has gotten so much better around dogs since this and 5 weeks ago Lilly had her first litter. I havent seen my eldest in 5 weeks :) Well I take that back, we spend an hour every evening over stalking our neighbour. F, my youngest, has come out of herself so much and is now playing with the pups, being chewed and jumped on, and has even completely dropped her guard around Lilly, the mother.
    So, the decision to get a dog is to continue to foster that relationship for F, but to also add to our home. I love dogs and have always wanted one. My eldest is the same. The decision around getting a small dog, is to literally fit into our house and be easier to manage for the girls.
    We're still so new to this, which is why I came on here and am taking in all the advise people will give me. I dont believe in this being a Christmas present. I want both girls to help choose the pup or young dog, one that suits our family and life style.


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    #63
    Justin Credible Darts
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭Justin Credible Darts


    em_cat wrote: »
    I’d say there’s a fare few ‘nutters' on here tbh myself included :) our Pom tosses her ball into the shower with me, jumps in to get it & then flys through the place like a fluffy little ginger nut. Drives my OH mad.


    if me caring more about my dog than 99.9999% of humans in this planet makes me a "nutter", then I am proud to be a nutter :D


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    #64
    bertiebomber
    Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭bertiebomber


    I have another suggestion i am a member of irish therapy dogs i take my berneses to nursing homes to visit the elderly as a volunteer and they love her the smile they have for her the sitting there petting her is amazing. We spend time with brain damaged younsters and alseimhers patients. I have visited an elderly man who talks to no one and after about 6 weekly visits he started to tell my dog about a dog he once had, opened up t her not me - he looked forward to her visit and kept her meat from his dinner every saturday. Sadly i am not allowed to do these visits due to Covid and i am sure the old folks miss her terribly but there are lots of us with therapy dogs maybe contact them and ask for a visit to your home to get your daughter used to calm dogs which these most definately are justt a thought maybe one of the members lives near you you never know. What part of ireland are you living in ?


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    #65
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    bertiebomber wrote: »
    I have another suggestion i am a member of irish therapy dogs i take my berneses to nursing homes to visit the elderly as a volunteer and they love her the smile they have for her the sitting there petting her is amazing. We spend time with brain damaged younsters and alseimhers patients. I have visited an elderly man who talks to no one and after about 6 weekly visits he started to tell my dog about a dog he once had, opened up t her not me - he looked forward to her visit and kept her meat from his dinner every saturday. Sadly i am not allowed to do these visits due to Covid and i am sure the old folks miss her terribly but there are lots of us with therapy dogs maybe contact them and ask for a visit to your home to get your daughter used to calm dogs which these most definately are justt a thought maybe one of the members lives near you you never know. What part of ireland are you living in ?

    When I was teaching crafts at an old people's home I used to take at least one of my Siamese in with me. Adam was blind from kittenhood and more devoted to me than even the others. Siamese are dog-like in their devotion..

    The old ladies would call him and call him, and he would ignore them, then they would look to me and I would whisper his name and he would leap on me. The engrossed looks on those old faces.. and when I took kittens in.... oh my !


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    #66
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    If considering a Westie get in touch with poster ButtersSuki by pm, who is involved in their rescue organisation and would be an expert on their suitability for you. For a usually robust and very intelligent small dog consider a Papillon with a good pedigree. See IKC website for registered breed clubs where lots of advice is available. Border terriers are robust and neat, but maybe not fluffy in such a cute way. Yorkies have great longevity, with the correct pedigree. Greyhounds are not big barkers and quite lazy between ordinary scheduled walks, and traditionally quite patient and laid back, even if they are big and not deemed cute. A whippet is an alternative smaller version. Mini Schnauzers are delightful in personality but tend to be enthusiastic barkers. A Japanese spitz is a nice little dog but they like to bark. One small dog that hardly barks is the Silky-fluffy Japanese Chin, very docile and you don't see many. Italian greyhounds are delightful quiet little things but are highly prone to leg breaks. A Tibetan Spaniel is a great choice for an easy robust small dog, with a good temperament and easily taken care of by a stranger. Pugs are quiet but suffer breathing issues. Puggles have a nice quiet intelligent personality, not ones for chasing balls but like to do little climbing games and go through tunnels. The IKC website will give you loads of ideas & reliable information: https://www.ikc.ie/


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    #67
    bertiebomber
    Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭bertiebomber


    its a nice thing to go to a rescue where an older dog has been surrendered cos his folks passed away and he is lost being out of a loving home and suddenly in kennels heart breaking worth a look too. All the house training is done they are like a ready meal all they want is a home and family to indulge them there are soo many too.


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    #68
    Choc Chip
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,442 ✭✭✭Choc Chip


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    So my youngest is almost 5 and has a fear of animals in general, whereas my eldest, almost 9, has an insane love for any animal with a heart beat :) For the last 4 years she's asked for a dog and we've always said we werent ready, especially as the youngest was still a baby.
    ...
    Our next door neighbour has a beautiful rescue dog called Lilly and we spend almost every evening over there. My youngest has gotten so much better around dogs since this and 5 weeks ago Lilly had her first litter. I havent seen my eldest in 5 weeks :) Well I take that back, we spend an hour every evening over stalking our neighbour. F, my youngest, has come out of herself so much and is now playing with the pups, being chewed and jumped on, and has even completely dropped her guard around Lilly, the mother.
    So, the decision to get a dog is to continue to foster that relationship for F, but to also add to our home. I love dogs and have always wanted one. My eldest is the same. The decision around getting a small dog, is to literally fit into our house and be easier to manage for the girls.

    This is almost identical to the scenario i had a foster pup go into at the start of lockdown. Pup got bigger and wilder, bit smallest kid a lot, found squeaking hilarious. Inexperienced family didn't have the timing or experience to cope, puppy upset rest of family. It traumatised the older child when he had to be moved on. Pup ended up with 3 homes in the space of a couple of months after that until he came back to me and needed a pile of work to get him back to an adoptable stage again. I've no where near DBB's experience, but it's really put me off nervous kids and baby dogs. :(

    Can I clarify the comments about your neighbours' rescue dog having pups? If the dog was a rescue was it not neutered, or was the dog pregnant when your neighbour adopted it?


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    #69
    Redkite200
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭Redkite200


    Redkite200 wrote: »
    Would I be correct is thinking it'll be impossible to adopt an animal until lockdown ends at the earliest?

    Bump.


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    #70
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    whitelightrider wrote: »
    Hi DBB,
    And thank you for your comments. I just wanted to respond as I know this is a sensitive topic, and its not one that my family or I have taken lightly.
    So my youngest is almost 5 and has a fear of animals in general, whereas my eldest, almost 9, has an insane love for any animal with a heart beat :) For the last 4 years she's asked for a dog and we've always said we werent ready, especially as the youngest was still a baby.
    Just forward 2 years and we gave in on the pet scenario and we bought her a Guinea Pig. This proved so beneficial for both girls that now we have 4 of them :) But dogs were still the main issue. Our next door neighbour has a beautiful rescue dog called Lilly and we spend almost every evening over there. My youngest has gotten so much better around dogs since this and 5 weeks ago Lilly had her first litter. I havent seen my eldest in 5 weeks :) Well I take that back, we spend an hour every evening over stalking our neighbour. F, my youngest, has come out of herself so much and is now playing with the pups, being chewed and jumped on, and has even completely dropped her guard around Lilly, the mother.
    So, the decision to get a dog is to continue to foster that relationship for F, but to also add to our home. I love dogs and have always wanted one. My eldest is the same. The decision around getting a small dog, is to literally fit into our house and be easier to manage for the girls.
    We're still so new to this, which is why I came on here and am taking in all the advise people will give me. I dont believe in this being a Christmas present. I want both girls to help choose the pup or young dog, one that suits our family and life style.

    I hear you and understand.

    But spending evenings with a puppy in someone else's home is very very different from a puppy being in your home 24/7. You see only one small part of it.

    It really is. And like others here I feel that an older, calmer dog would be wiser and of greater efficacy in what you are aiming for. Which is a wonderful aim.

    And I also feel that letting the children choose needs to be tempered with adult wisdom and care,


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    #71
    Dubl07
    Registered Users Posts: 1,801 ✭✭✭Dubl07


    DBB wrote: »
    Hi whitelightrider,
    /...
    Puppies are VERY hard work at the best of times... they are, quite frankly, a pain in the bum that turn even the most experienced owner's life upside-down for several months until they calm down and learn how to get on in the world.

    I remember a few nights and days when I was so sleep-deprived that I was almost ready to re-home my girl. That was after about three or four months though and we'd bonded, so it was train, train, train until she understood where to 'go' and other requests like settling. It's so much hard work when you can't send the pup to doggy Montessori or pop a dodie in their mouths. It's faster and more concentrated than little humans. Toilet training, teething, brushing their hair and teeth, clipping their nails, exercising. Thank goodness I'd bought a puppy playpen as well as her crate.

    Honestly, OP, with two young children, please take all the advice on board. This is shaping up to be a hard winter with all the berries on holly and acorns on oak. Training or walking a young pup will be torment if we've snow or even deep cold. If you need a dog, find a bomb-proof adult one and put the baby-gates back up to give nervous child and dog space away from each other.


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    #72
    DBB
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,732 Mod ✭✭✭✭DBB


    Redkite200 wrote: »
    Bump.

    I can't speak for all rescues, but the ones I know are only rehoming to homes that have already had their home visits, whether they were done prior to lockdown, or whether it's to home that have already rehomed a dog from that rescue and been through the process already.
    I don't think there has been an avalanche of dogs into rescues in recent months, it seems that it has actually become quite difficult to source a dog through rescue, particularly smaller dogs.
    I must say, I kinda saw this coming a while back, when the price of puppies and even adult dogs went through the roof. I feel that people will be less likely to surrender their unwanted youngsters to pounds or rescues now, because they paid so much money for them. Whilst they may have been prepared to lose the €300ish quid they'd have paid for the same pup a year ago, they're not so quick to lose the €1500+ they've paid since March.
    As a result, I feel people are selling their unwanted youngsters now, and they're having no trouble selling them for just as much as they paid for them either, such is the mania for owning a dog right now. I've even seen multiple examples of, say, lab x collie adults that you couldn't give away a year ago, being advertised for €300+... none of which is good for the dogs themselves.
    I know it's hard when the decision has been made, but now is a terrible time to be looking for a dog. I don't remember a time like it, and I hope I never see it again. It's also a terrible time for dog welfare, as a direct consequence.


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    #73
    grazer
    Registered Users Posts: 195 ✭✭grazer


    We’re on Day 10 of a new golden retriever pup in our house. We said no to the kids’ pleadings for a dog over the past ten+ years, because things were crazy enough with small kids and also we wouldn’t be home enough.
    Now they’re teenagers, I’m working from home - so time is right. But yes, puppies are 24/7 work and in some ways harder than small kids. My eldest teenager said to me yesterday, “now I see why you said no to a dog all those years - you were right.”!
    It’s a huge decision and a huge commitment to bring a pup into your family. My three kids are well used to dogs, and I grew up with dogs, but the nipping and frenzy-hours can be very challenging. I see my youngest teenager a bit taken aback by the ankle attacks. And we’re all working hard to train the pup, but know it’s a long steady job.
    So OP, given your circumstances I would definitely recommend trying to foster or similar, an older dog - not a puppy. I simply couldn’t manage this even a couple of years ago when my kids were say 9, 11 and 13. My now 16 year old is my puppy co-parent and steps in to play in the garden with him and distract him when it’s all getting too much. (Pup not due second vaccinations till late November so we’re stuck in puppy lockdown till then).
    The rewards are immense but it’s very hard work!!! I’ll be posting separately on this forum for training tips / recommendations ... puppy training classes have been postponed due to covid ☹️


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    #74
    Redkite200
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭Redkite200


    DBB wrote: »
    It's also a terrible time for dog welfare, as a direct consequence.

    Firstly thanks for your reply above, secondly - why so? To your final point above?

    Do you mean in terms of people obtaining dogs from nefarious sources or the demand creating more cases of dogs being stolen for profit etc?


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    #75
    DBB
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,732 Mod ✭✭✭✭DBB


    Redkite200 wrote: »
    Firstly thanks for your reply above, secondly - why so? To your final point above?

    Do you mean in terms of people obtaining dogs from nefarious sources or the demand creating more cases of dogs being stolen for profit etc?

    I'm not 100% sure if the perceived increased incidence of stolen dogs has been borne out to be true, but that's not what I meant in any case :o
    I was more referring to the nefarious breeders, of which there are many, jumping on the bandwagon with prices of dogs having gone through the roof, and really throwing themselves into puppy production overdrive. They're one of the groups of people who this pandemic is really suiting. And unfortunately, there are lots, and lots of people only too willing to reward them for their nefarious acts by not only paying full price, but queueing up to pay it!


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    #76
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    DBB wrote: »
    I'm not 100% sure if the perceived increased incidence of stolen dogs has been borne out to be true, but that's not what I meant in any case :o
    I was more referring to the nefarious breeders, of which there are many, jumping on the bandwagon with prices of dogs having gone through the roof, and really throwing themselves into puppy production overdrive. They're one of the groups of people who this pandemic is really suiting. And unfortunately, there are lots, and lots of people only too willing to reward them for their nefarious acts by not only paying full price, but queueing up to pay it!

    Also dogs being abandoned when the owners realise the commitment and cannot cope. This has greatly increased ie into 3 figures where my extended family work with the SPCA in Canada... Dogs tied to posts and left etc.


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    #77
    bertiebomber
    Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭bertiebomber


    at the moment you can expess an interest in a rescue dog through thier facebook pages but you will not get the dog till all the checks are completed.


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    #78
    whitelightrider
    Registered Users Posts: 3,099 ✭✭✭whitelightrider


    Choc Chip wrote: »
    This is almost identical to the scenario i had a foster pup go into at the start of lockdown. Pup got bigger and wilder, bit smallest kid a lot, found squeaking hilarious. Inexperienced family didn't have the timing or experience to cope, puppy upset rest of family. It traumatised the older child when he had to be moved on. Pup ended up with 3 homes in the space of a couple of months after that until he came back to me and needed a pile of work to get him back to an adoptable stage again. I've no where near DBB's experience, but it's really put me off nervous kids and baby dogs. :(

    Can I clarify the comments about your neighbours' rescue dog having pups? If the dog was a rescue was it not neutered, or was the dog pregnant when your neighbour adopted it?

    Nope, Lilly wasnt neutered, and my neighbor got her from the pound in Galway city. She had 6 pups about 7 weeks ago, and is now being taken into be neutered.


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