a debate

Originally Posted by cococat

I would take the dog to doggie daycare, hire or know someone to come in during the middle of the day, take your dog to work, or other arrangements, I would not leave your dog alone outside in a yard with access to a garage. I would also wait for your dream dog...if at all possible. An older rescued Great Dane sounds lovely.

Click to expand...

Yes an older great dane sounds lovely to me. Not to Gary. Until he is okay with the idea of a large dog, I would not do that. We both need to be on board with the idea to not cause strain in our relationship!
I am hoping to mostly take it to doggie daycare. Right now work will not let me take a dog with me, although I am working on changing that.

I dunno I guess its just the area and the way I have grown up. I have always had dogs that have stayed outside while we were gone. So I dunno what I will end up doing. We will be getting a fence though for times when we will only be gone for a little while, or on Sundays when there are no daycares open around here.

I think we have decided on looking into a 6' vinyl privacy fence in our back yard with a gate for the cars and inside of that a long section of chain link to divide where to put the dog in to keep it out of the driveway. Plus this way we have more privacy when we are enjoying the patio (which we are hoping to expand and possibly put a hot tub in the future sometime)
Right now we already have a shed out there that has electricity so we can make a doggy door and room onto it for shelter when its outside. And once we build the new garage we can do the same!
Its hard to describe. I may try to sketch it out sometime today! We have a large backyard (very large for our area) and the dog would have plenty of room! Plus we live about 5 minutes from an off leash dog park, the boy loves going disc golfing and I usually go just to be out in the sun with him. And we autocross and its actually dog friendly in the spring and fall! And we rarely every travel anywhere the dog could not go. Once a year we go to the beach, and while I would love to take the dog, the condo and beach are both not all that pet friendly. But the dog could either stay at a local kennel or at the one I used to work at no problem!
Also trust me I know about my dog breeds! I have studied dog training and was an Association of Pet Dog Trainer member! I am a big believer in crate training when not home! And when we arent home if the dog is inside it will be confined to a crate or a room.
I'm so excited! We have narrowed the breeds down a bit. I have a larger lists of dogs I dont want, than dogs I do! LOL!

My DIL always wanted an Alaskan Malamute. They have 2 cats and brought Cheyenne into the home as a puppy.

One day I was babysitting and she went after one of the cats. I think my life flashed before my eyes. Then she was never allowed near the cats again.

Then came the day she was outside. She had an invisible fence. A barn cat from across the street wandered in and I witnessed her killing it. The most horrible thing I have ever experienced.

Not long after, they had her pts due to health problems because of inbreeding that could not be cured.

Just our experience. You never know....even when they are raised from a pup.

I don't have any suggestions, but I hope getting a dog works out for you two!

I've been following this thread but haven't posted because I really know nothing about dogs. Just have to ask one question. What are JRT and IG?

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

I've been following this thread but haven't posted because I really know nothing about dogs. Just have to ask one question. What are JRT and IG?

Click to expand...

Jack Russell Terrier and Italian Greyhound

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

I honestly think that is a possibility with any dog that was bred to hunt small game, which is most dogs. Wishbone (yes, that's her name

) has lived with cats for the last 14+ years and never showed any aggression. You can't lump all JRTs as cat killers... that's no better than saying all pits are man-killers

Click to expand...

Ditto ...

I regularly sit a JRT who is awesome with the cats .. he is one of several I have had in my home with my cats... plus I have sat for many others who have cats for "siblings"

I really feel great to join this discussion board,exactly the place where i can share my love for Lucy! mine cat.Although i have an female Labrador,really intelligent.

I wouldn't leave a dog outside while I'm at work, but that's just me, I'd also just keep the dog inside the majority of the time, especially if it's a small dog, I'd just want to be with it 24/7 lol ... and go for a walk at a park and play together every day, if you do that there won't be much need for other entertainment, except for while you're gone you could get a friend to come in or hire someone. I don't know I just feel like the connection and friendship is much closer when the doggy is living inside, can always jump in your bed and give you kisses, etc...

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I wouldn't leave a dog outside while I'm at work, but that's just me, I'd also just keep the dog inside the majority of the time, especially if it's a small dog, I'd just want to be with it 24/7 lol ... and go for a walk at a park and play together every day, if you do that there won't be much need for other entertainment, except for while you're gone you could get a friend to come in or hire someone. I don't know I just feel like the connection and friendship is much closer when the doggy is living inside, can always jump in your bed and give you kisses, etc...

Click to expand...

It sounds really adorable! you said well ut0pia,if some time spend playing with your pet there won't be much need for other entertainment.Mine stuffy(labra) is so crazy for ball,today i got her another new one....that must be the sixteenth one for her.

You must be so excited! CKCs are notorious for being great with cats, although their hair is on the longer side, but I can't imagine the grooming would be any more than an eskie. How about a (well bred) Cocker? They've been some of the sweetest dogs I've met. Pugs are great too, but maybe not if you're looking for a running partner! Boykin Spaniels are great too and if you're in the south, they're much easier to find down there too. There are so many mutts out there too, you just might find the perfect combination! Good luck!

Originally Posted by capt_jordi

We have narrowed the breeds down a bit. I have a larger lists of dogs I dont want, than dogs I do! LOL!

Click to expand...

I am the same way. The list of breeds I don't want is much longer.. I used to be a groomer and I've done training too. I am so biased now! There is no way in heck I'm getting another long haired dog or any dog that requires anything more than a monthly bath and a bit of brushing, LOL!

Originally Posted by lauren_miller

I am the same way. The list of breeds I don't want is much longer.. I used to be a groomer and I've done training too. I am so biased now! There is no way in heck I'm getting another long haired dog or any dog that requires anything more than a monthly bath and a bit of brushing, LOL!

Click to expand...

LOL working at a dog kennel for 3 years and doing a bit of dog training has taught me a lot. I dont mind longish hair, but I hate the cost and hassle that comes with monthly trips to the groomers! The longish breeds I am looking at are Eskies and Bernese Mountain dogs. Thats about it! lol!

To be wise this section is getting more interesting! Cat care.

American Eskimos and Bernese Mountain Dogs would need regular trips to the groomer, not every month but I wouldn't go longer than 3 months. Berners tend to get matted behind the ears, in the rear end and also the groin and armpits. Both breeds can shed like crazy depending on the time of year. Also the cost of grooming the BMD would probably be pretty high since they are so big.

I knew one Bernese that shed all year round and had to come to the salon every month. He was also a basket case, I think there was some in-breeding going on with that one, he was a bad dog. The only bad Bernese Mt. Dog I've ever known, he would actually bite, scream, throw a fit and it was such a pain grooming him because he was 120lbs! He would refuse to walk and knocked everyone over all the time, rearing up on his hind legs and then flopping down and death rolling like a crocodile. It was a nightmare.

If I had to choose between the two breeds, as much as I love the BMD, I would go with the Eskimo. I have issues with giant breeds and the fact that their lifespans are so short. I have a very hard time when I lose a pet and it takes me forever to be okay when they do go.

How about adopting a mixed breed? There are so many who need homes... Maybe a shelter dog?

Mixed breed dogs are sometimes considered to be the natural dog but life is more interesting with a mixed breed dog!

Originally Posted by nevile

To be wise this section is getting more interesting! Cat care.

Click to expand...

?

Originally Posted by lauren_miller

American Eskimos and Bernese Mountain Dogs would need regular trips to the groomer, not every month but I wouldn't go longer than 3 months. Berners tend to get matted behind the ears, in the rear end and also the groin and armpits. Both breeds can shed like crazy depending on the time of year. Also the cost of grooming the BMD would probably be pretty high since they are so big.

I knew one Bernese that shed all year round and had to come to the salon every month. He was also a basket case, I think there was some in-breeding going on with that one, he was a bad dog. The only bad Bernese Mt. Dog I've ever known, he would actually bite, scream, throw a fit and it was such a pain grooming him because he was 120lbs! He would refuse to walk and knocked everyone over all the time, rearing up on his hind legs and then flopping down and death rolling like a crocodile. It was a nightmare.

If I had to choose between the two breeds, as much as I love the BMD, I would go with the Eskimo. I have issues with giant breeds and the fact that their lifespans are so short. I have a very hard time when I lose a pet and it takes me forever to be okay when they do go.

Click to expand...

Oh yeah I know that they may need trips to the groomer and need groomed regularly, and I am far from afraid of a brush! But I dont want one that needs a haircut every 6 weeks. I've done that before and hated it. I love any giant breed. I grew up with danes so even though the life span sucks, theres just something about them that they will always have my heart!

Originally Posted by Nekochan

How about adopting a mixed breed? There are so many who need homes... Maybe a shelter dog?

Click to expand...

I am up for getting a mix, but I will be a lot pickier with them. As well as almost all of the shelters here are full of pit mixes, (love pits but wouldnt own one for a few reasons.) boxer mixes, (I hate boxers....) and hound mixes. There are a lot of rescues here, but the adoption costs on them are not that much different than getting a dog from a breeder and knowing its history.

Originally Posted by nevile

Mixed breed dogs are sometimes considered to be the natural dog but life is more interesting with a mixed breed dog!

Click to expand...

True. And if I found a dog I like there is no way I would say no because it is a mixed breed. It would depend on what it was mixed with most likely. But I am not against a mix.

Sounds like you're on the right track

Before I got my first dog on my own I created a short list of breeds that I like the look of. Then I narrowed my short list by looking more into temperament, grooming requirements, vetting and food costs.

My short list included English Bulldog, American Bulldog, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Schnauzer, Dachshund, and Newfoundland.

I eliminated the EB because of high initial cost and high vetting costs, since they're notorious for health problems. The AB was eliminated because we have BSL in our area and I was afraid that they would think it was a pit or pit mix. Danes, Wolfhounds and Newfies were eliminated because of the cost of food (I was in college at the time). I got it down to schnauzer and dachshund, ultimately decided on the dachshund because they're big dogs in little bodies and I kept coming back to them.

If you like the looks and temperaments of hunting dogs, which would most likely be the best jogging partners, why not look into breeds that aren't used to actually capture or sight the prey? I would personally avoid any sighthound as they tend to chase and shake before realizing what they're after. I almost lost Sadie (my mini dach) to a rescue greyhound at the dog park, thankfully she by me and I was able to scoop her up just before the greyhound got to her.