Advice for a potential first time dog owner

Kat

Kat

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DH and I have been talking about getting a dog. Neither of us have owned a dog before so we are looking for some advice and most importantly some idea of the costs and how much we need to budget.

I would hope to get a dog from a rescue rather than buying a puppy. We would very much like a whippet but are open to advice.

Although I work 9-5 with a long commute DH works from home and even when he has to go out would be able to take the dog most places. I think our family would be up for occasional dog sitting but if not we know a couple of professional dog sitters and dog walkers.

Any advice, tips or suggestions?

Thanks
 
i cant imagine life without a dog.
my only comments are a sighthound possibly would not be allowed off lead (i know many are) but on the plus side love a sofa.
i think my 2 dogs (41kg and 19 kg )cost less than a tenner to feed a week and is just absorbed into the weeks shopping.
i have money set aside for medicines /vets.
a reputable rescue with help you with back-up
 
i have a rescue whippet, the most loyal girly I have ever had. She is perfect off lead in what ever situation, her recall is perfect. She exercises herself as soon as we hit grass and her lead is off, but never goes far away, just runs figure of 8s round me flat out. Shes a great ratter, but will happily live with a cat. She is great with the horses, runs for as long as I let her, and will happily curl up and sleep for as long as she can. She doesnt care about the weather, goes through water, mud and loves the sun. She is a real tomboy, doesnt like wearing outfits. is so so gentle with children and will take herself to bed when shes had enough. doesnt seem to know how to growl, either that or she is always happy. She loves raw food and is never happier than when she finds a raw chicken neck in her feed bowl. She travels like a dream, you never know shes in the car. And she adores my bedlington boy.
 
Both you and OH should read everything you can find on dogs and dog behaviour. Read everything you can on specific breeds and their characteristics and requirements so you are able to make an informed decision on the type of dog that would suit your life style.

What ever dog you decide to get, go along to a training class weekly. It's great fun and will help you learn how to teach your dog at home correctly. Depending on what type of dog you choose, most will require at least twice daily regular exercise, unless you want problems. You must decide if you or your OH will be able to do this day in and day out, regardless of the weather and whether or not you feel like it. dog training and daily exercise with other dogs helps with socialisation.

You should insure the dog in case of illness/accident as veterinary fees can mount up very quickly. Be prepared to treat regularly against fleas and ticks. Ensure dog is micro-chipped and vaccinated. If dog is young be prepared to spay/neuter if required to prevent unwanted litters.

Your garden must be completely secured with suitable fencing to prevent any escape routes by the dog. Remember some dogs are great jumpers so fence height may have to be taken into account.

If you have kids, (if of suitable age) they should be included in dog training and exercising. Teaching them to respect and to be gentle with the dog is paramount. Do not leave them with the dog unsupervised. You must ensure their safety at all times around dog.

Having a dog should be great fun but you may have to put in some hard work by training it correctly to live with you harmoniously. The more you put into the relationship the more you'll get out. Keep in mind that your dog could well live to teenage years and your circumstances may change a lot during that time. Ask yourselves if you are willing to do everything to ensure your dog leads a happy, healthy life with you, come what may, so rehoming it at the first obstacle won't be your first thought. If you have any reservations, please think twice. Owning a dog is a big responsibility for it's entire life.

Food wise, depends on the size, breed, type of dog and what a breeder/animal home/vet recommends. It really is the last issue before all the above and the dog food industry is huge. You will have a lot of choice.

Finally, if you decide to go ahead and get a dog, it is compulsory to post photos of it on the forum immediately and at regular intervals. Wishing you good luck. :)
 
No children to account for so that isn't an issue. Insurance and regular daily exercise are something we're prepared for from horses. So walkies even in horrible weather would not be a problem.

We're prepared to commit to any animal we take on for its life, I really hate to hear of people giving away pets.

Training classes is a great suggestion - thanks!

Any recommendations for rescues to contact in the East Midlands or books to read?
 
babbington rescue is in Nottingham they get the strays picked up by dog wardens and have a lot of staffie crosses. Jerry green is in Nottingham and I think Leicester. If you fancy a whippet why don't you contact whippet rescue the kennel club website has breed rescue details
 
As a first time dog owner the most important thing for me (after a healthy, happy little dog) was a well socialised dog. We did a few puppy training classes, but gave up and went to adult classes when she was 10 months instead. However in the meantime Daisy was out and about meeting people and dogs every day. Invaluable!

She's rarely on a lead as we're lucky enough to have fantasic, safe walking - so again from a puppy her offlead training started immediately (at that age they're taking they're cues from you, rather than other distractions).

I could go on, but don't want to bore you. But essentially it's the best thing I've ever done. I love her to the moon and back and she's completely changed my life!

Go for it!!!!!
 
In general puppies should be with their mothers and litter mates until at least 6wks old and then they have a crucial socialisation window until 14wks. Puppies that miss out on these early experiences are more likely to have behavioural problems.

Training classes are invaluable especially for first time owners as well as being a lot of fun. I would look for a trainer who uses positive, reward based methods and sit in on a class before deciding. Puppy parties are opportunities for puppies to socialise with other puppies and also worth thinking about.

The early days can be a bit tough, expect disrupted nights, toilet training, chewing everything in sight and general mayhem. On the other hand puppies are super cute so they can get away with it all.
 
The earliest and the most vital lesson that you can teach any puppy, is to be left alone. Ignore this stage and you will end up with a dog which suffers from what's now known, as 'separation anxiety'. Puppies should stay with their siblings until AT LEAST 8 weeks (at this age the bitch will have no input of any value), even longer's better, and then when your new acquisition arrives, start as you mean to go on!

Considering 'rescues', there are those who consider that it's better to start with an empty canvas than pick up on and try to correct the failures of others, and I'm amongst them!

Alec.
 
My advice would be - don't listen to advice from an internet forum :D :D I know you will be doing this anyway, but the best thing to do is go along to a few rescue centres, speak to a few charities, listen to people who actually already own the sort of dogs you are interested in - they can give you real hands-on help :) A good charity will provide an excellent back up service for any rescue dog you adopt, so will be on hand to answer all your questions before and after your new arrival comes home.

Agree with Satinblaze, JR whippet rescue are great, also try Just Whippets Rescue or Adopt a Dog North East if you are prepared to travel for the right dog - Cayla (AADNE) is fantastic, has some gorgeous dogs in at the moment, and will provide fab advice!

Look at the lovely Wallace on here :)

https://www.facebook.com/Adopt-a-Dog-North-East-507743896013228/?fref=ts
 
At the age of 47 I became a first time dog owner in July. It is a huge learning curve and even now 5 months down the line I still worry about her. If you take on a rescue dog that isn't a puppy be prepared to have a few issues to deal with. Maye is a rescue dog and at 2ish years old came with issues but with time you can get through them (not sure how long I need to wait). I thought I know what dog ownership was about having dog sat for friends and family over the years but the only way to really know is to do it. When you start looking for a dog use the expertise of the staff at the rescue centre to find a dog that would suit. Go for it, I couldn't of imaged what a dog could bring to my life.
 
Whippets are great little dogs - one of my 13 and a half stone Caucasian Ovcharka's best mates is a Whippet bitch called Daisy, although he can't work out why she corners so easily and why he corners like a lorry.

The only thing I will say is you have to watch the prey drive with a Whippet whilst many are good off lead it can just take a small movement to spark that hunting instinct and then they're off like a shot. It's therefore better to exercise them away from roads.

The best people to contact would be the Whippet club and I know they have a rescue associated with them so that'd probably be your best port of call :)
 
Following this ^^

While I have had a dog for 14 years, I had my parents help (money, knowledge and time!) the whole time.

In a couple of month I will be going it alone!! Thankfully the breeder is very good at keeping in contact and helping with any questions anyone might have. I am still extremely nervous (though very very excited! I can't stop thinking about it!) because I don't want to get anything wrong!

I have no real experience of whippets, but there was one at the yard and he was really good 99% of the time, but once in a blue moon, he would run off and be found miles away! It wasn't too much of an issue where he was, as he was usually found in one of the many fields!

Like someone else said, you get out, when you put in!
A friend of mine does the bare minimum with training and has badly behaved dogs. A lady at the yard rescued a very naughty dog, but put hours and hours and HOURS into his training and now has a very good dog!

Though to be honest, if you can handle a horse, you can probably handle a dog!
 
As a first time dog owner, I had my terrier pup from a well known local breeder, she (the dog) has relations all over the place locally as people are very keen to have one of the puppies as they have great temperaments.

Having a puppy is just like having a baby, all those early morning trips out doors!

Must, must, must go to training classes. As our dog trainer said, your dogs have just completed the Puppy Classes, but they have probably had more training than most dogs. It is nice to have a well behaved dog, but it must be a strain and no joy to have a naughty dog.
 
Alec Swan said:
The earliest and the most vital lesson that you can teach any puppy, is to be left alone. Ignore this stage and you will end up with a dog which suffers from what's now known, as 'separation anxiety'. Puppies should stay with their siblings until AT LEAST 8 weeks (at this age the bitch will have no input of any value), even longer's better, and then when your new acquisition arrives, start as you mean to go on!

Considering 'rescues', there are those who consider that it's better to start with an empty canvas than pick up on and try to correct the failures of others, and I'm amongst them!

Alec.
Click to expand...

Alec you are so anti rescue, I dont know why, did you take on one and it didnt work out?

I have a little JR foster bitch at the moment, I took her in the day before Christmas Eve, she is an ex breeding bitch of 18months to 2 years old, the vet reckons she could have had 2-3 litters, nails so long they were bent over, now sorted. Spay booked for this coming Thursday and I have to say she is a delight, a little bit nervous but has come out of her shell and loves every dog she meets and people. This little poppet isnt house trained yet so confined to the kitchen and lots of opportunities to go in the garden. Someone is going to get a cracking little dog when she is ready for adoption, someone saw her on the website when she came in and has contacted me, they are a first time dog owner and she would be entirely suitable for them.

OP contacted a good rescue, Levier has put up a few, not all dogs that end up in rescue are because of owner failures and a good rescue will have ironed any problems if there are any.
 
If you find the right rescue you would get everything you need and more in a first time dog. For instance we have a litter of 3 pups now 11 weeks ( kept in longer as we don't rehome over xmas) used to dogs, cats, noises and kids, fully crate trained and fully toilet trained ( DON'T MOUTHE) as have been handled to the extreme and they are little terriers too. Lead trained ( so no wild first time lead antics) and used to car rides. So you get a puppy that is up to scratch in the training stakes and from a rescue. On the other hand we have a 6 month old bedlington x whippet. Walks beautiful on lead fab recall. Used to cats now. Fab with dogs and very placid and also toilet and crate trained. Win win :p both would make PERFECT first time dogs. And their first night in your home would be heaven as you would not hear a peep which to me is bliss. Just an example of what you can get from a rescue. We do of course have dogs unsuitable for 1st time ownership but we also have the perfect matches. Good luck. Where ever you chose to go look for a good back up system and somewhere willing to give advise and support.:)
 
Dobiegirl said:
Alec you are so anti rescue, I dont know why, did you take on one and it didnt work out?

…….. , not all dogs that end up in rescue are because of owner failures and a good rescue will have ironed any problems if there are any.
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At no point have I ever 'tarred all with the same brush', to quote another poster. I've no doubt that there are also those Rescue Centres which operate in a clear, correct and ethical manner and I'm equally happy to believe that Cayla is involved in such a manner. The simple fact is though, that just as with far too many Equine Rescue groups, there are those who from the stance of the person handing in the animal concerned, they have made an unholy mess of the care level and the early learning (which is vital) of the animal concerned and there are also those who set themselves up as 'rescue centres', and far too many who haven't a clue what they're doing, and at the bottom end of the list will be those who are downright negligent in their approach be that through either lack of experience or simply a careless approach.

The other and sad facet of Rescue Centres, is that they provide the vital safety net for both the inexperienced breeders who buy in bitch pups with the eventual plan to make money and breed from them and their equally ignorant customers, with both operating on the basis that 'If it all goes wrong" which it so often does, then 'We'll dispose of the dog' by passing it on to the unsuspecting Centre, many of whom do exactly the same thing by accepting a donation from a well meaning but often ill-informed new owner, pass on what is effectively 'damaged goods', and so the cycle repeats itself. It's the 'Safety Net' aspect which supports the irresponsible breeders and buyers which troubles me most.

Just how many have come on here and pointed out that they were the third or fourth owner of a rescued animal, and that not only has the animal been a nightmare, but all so often the issues have never been truly resolved? Over the years I've taken in a few dogs, considering that I can turn them around and produce a dog which will be a worthwhile companion and/or a useful work dog. With every single one of them I've always wished that I'd had the dog from a pup as I've been certain that the outcome would have been different. I no longer take on the mistakes of others, preferring to start with a pup and correct my own mistakes as I go along.

I accept that my views on this subject are rarely popular, but they are my views and I see so much, near daily evidence, to support them.

Alec.
 
Wow! Such a lot of responses! Thank you all so much!

Interesting considering rescues vs breeders. Ethically I would feel better about taking on a rescue rather than buying from a breeder but I am unsure whether they would be happy with our small garden and I worry about inheriting issues (I know a few rescue dogs with phobias and issues). On the other hand as a first time owner I am unsure about coping with a young puppy and doing the best job with it in the same way that I would want to buy a foal as my first horse.

CAYLA your young dogs sound perfect, they have been given the right start in the basics but hopefully not too much baggage!

Any recommendations for essential reading? We won't be in a position to take on a dog until at least March due to planed holiday so we can spend time doing some research!
 
Kat said:
……..

Any recommendations for essential reading? …….. !
Click to expand...

Yes, and despite the apparent contradictions, this Forum. Being aware of the risks or the possible contradictions, and which ever route you take, you may well be better informed!

Alec.
 
FWIW, my first dog was a very large 3 year old Rottweiler from a rescue, & I spent a LOT of time on here for the first few weeks, & got some very good advice. He is 10 now, no trouble at all & I love him to bits. Then nearly 5 years ago we got a puppy as I'd stopped working from home permanently so couldn't get another rescue, & that was quite a learning curve as well, esp the chewing stage. There is little that survives the determined attentions of a Rottie puppy.

I read several training books & a 'Rottweilers for Dummies' book & tried to apply common sense...and asked if I was stuck.

It sounds as if you're prepared to put in the time, effort & research, which will really help you to get a good result. And *everyone* at some stage has had a first dog, & will have learned from it. No-one is born knowing everything.

Good luck - and we want pictures!

T x
 
OP - there will probably be a lot of puppies handed in to rescues over the coming weeks if that's what you're looking for (though I'd be a bit wary as I imagine a lot of them came from back yard breeders if they were Christmas presents!). I would highly recommend a rescue dog. I'll admit that some *do* have their issues, but a lot of animals are handed in because of circumstance changes (moving country/moving to a flat/divorce/etc.) and will be really lovely dogs who were handed in through no fault of their own. My parents got a pup from a rescue after a bitch they had rescued had puppies. The bitch was so underweight when they found her that the rescue had no clue she was pregnant until the pups arrived! Also instead of going to a pound/one of the *SPCAs, once you've decided on a breed you could go the route of a specific breed rescue. My parents went that route with a German Shepherd rescue society. All of their dogs were fostered prior to being put up for adoption so the foster "parents" were able to learn a lot about the dog and how it interacted with other animals and children and then could be paired with the appropriate home.
 
We don't mind the size of the garden as long as secure. Your garden in our eyes is a space for early morning/ late night toileting. I'm sure most rescue look more at security than size :)
 
This rescue might be worth a try. They are based in Birmingham, so not too far away. They have dogs of all shapes and sizes and lots of youngsters (9 to 12 months) without having to go through the puppy stage. Most of their dogs are already in foster homes so they can give you more accurate information about how they are with other dogs, cats, kids etc.

http://www.dogwatchuk.com/


We got my gorgeous Ava from them and she is a total superstar...any excuse for a pic of my girlie...

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No advice to add, everyone has given you plenty already! I just wanted to say that from how you come across as a horse owner and knowing you walk a lot anyway (I remember you walking across th moor for the tour de France!) I think that you'd be a great dog owner.

I'm another rescue fan. We've always had rescues and they're lovely. Most don't take any more settling in than a pup does anyway, and often you miss out on the peeing and chewing stages! Our horse sharer has a lurcher cross greyhound and she daren't let her off the lead as she's off on a mission every time!

Can't you go up the road and get Cayla's dog!!?
 
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