What dog do you have? And advice

[jenbleep]

Hello all

What breed of dog(s) do you have? Would you like to post photos? Also, do you live in a town or the country? Small or a large house? Garden?

I'm interested because I'm hoping to get my first dog this year and I am unsure which breed to get - there are so many I love!

My first choice would be a German Shorthaired Pointer, but whilst I live in the country (a mile from the beach, lucky me!) I do live in a small house and have a small garden. I'm not sure of this would be suitable Although if I was to get a gundog it would be exercised for 2 hours a day. There isn't any chance of me moving

Any ideas? I'm open to suggestions!

 

[CinnamonChristmasCookie]

Go for the pointer. Mine don't have free access to the garden as they just pretend the four and five foot fences aren't there. They are exercised lots and play together at night.

All three creatures are in my sig.

 

[galaxy]

Whoop! GSP!!!!

I have a 2 yr old. I live in a new build 2 bed end of terrace in a housing estate! So far from a big house, but he goes up the yard with me twice a day and the estate backs onto countryside so no issue getting the exercise. 2 hourse a day exercise is fine for a GSP.

We don't have a tiny tiny garden, but it's not big by any stretch! But he doesn't use my garden for anything other than sunbathing in the summer! There's no way you can exercise a dog in a garden, so the only time it was needed was for toilet training as a small puppy, but he has since been trained not to toilet in the garden (OH likes his lawn green and not patchy!) In the winter he pretty much never goes out there. He is exercised when up the yard/walks then comes home and sleeps. No need for a big house/garden!

We do want another, but realistically we'd be falling over each other, so that is going to wait for a slightly bigger house! lol!

 

[quirky]

We have GSP's.

They are great dogs but the sort that you could run them all day and they'd still be bouncing about!
Ours are now 11 and have quietened down.

Health wise, they have been great. Vet visits have been limited to being stitched up after cutting themselves when running through woods/streams etc.
One had inturned eyelids which only presented itself as she grew bigger. Breeder refunded us some money and she was operated on. No problems since op.

We used to have a dog flap and let the dogs have free run of the garden but they no longer have that. It doesn't seem to bother them.

Good luck in whatever you have

 

[Bossdog]

mine probably isn't going to be of interest but i love him so i have a cavalier king Charles Spaniel called Barnacles (pics in signature), previously owned a wonderful German shepherd and whilst they are completely different breeds i wouldn't hesitate to recommend either! My gsd has lived in a big house with small gardens and big gardens and whilst the big garden kept him fitter, the small garden had a good they me goings on in neighbouring houses which if loved!

 

[echodomino]

I live in a town in a mid terrace and have 3 JRTs, next door has a GSD. My mum lives round the corner in a semi with a fairly big garden but the dogs only have access to about a third of it, she has HWVs, my other JRT (doesn't get on with her mother who lives with me) and we had GWPs until about 4 or 5 years ago.

I think so long as they're given enough exercise daily, mine and mum's get an hours free running, it doesn't really matter. As long as you have the space to accommodate the dog i.e it can move around without having to climb over you - though mine do that any way lol.

Jimmy, Millie and Mouse (before Millie and Mouse decided to hate eachother)

Dora - not brill but the only recent one I have

Stanley, is mine but lives with my mum

Bridget, also mine but currently living with my mum

 

[CorvusCorax]

We have a tiny house and although we have land, it is not all fenced and we live beside a very busy road and in the middle of sheep country so my dogs (2 German SHEPHERD DOGS ) live in runs during the day.when not being exercised and one is in at night, he sleeps at night in a crate.
It's not so much the room, it's the time you spend with them and the exercise you can give.
Mine hike in the mountains, walk in the forest, run on the beach and I drag my sorry fat ass out on a bike with the young one a couple of times a week.

If you have the time and the energy then a GSP should fit in fine. The only time I really appreciate having a crappy little field is when it was snowing recently and when I was ill over the last couple of weeks, meant at least I could stand still and chuck a ball and the young dog still got exercised (my older dog is keeping my Mum fit these days!!!)

 

[Megibo]

I've got a 9 (10 in may) year old Labrador see here:

And a 1 year old Rottweiler (2 in Oct) here:

We lives in the middle of nowhere, tiny village if you can even call it that. Medium sized house, fair sized living room and huuuuge kitchen where they live. Garden is a big enough size IMO! Doglets like it anyway.

 

[echodomino]

A friend of mine used to live in a council flat with a small shared garden and she had a Weimy and he used to go down the yard with her once or twice a day and he was very content

 

[blackcob]

I have two Siberian huskies, a breed I wouldn't recommend to anyone. Just wanted to post to say that space, garden, house etc is no object if you are willing to put the time in with exercise. I have a pretty small house - three floors but only two rooms per floor, no garden at all - but we live in some amazing countryside and are out for hours every day. The dogs have lots of jobs to keep them busy, whenever they're in the house they're flaked out and fast asleep.

 

[jenbleep]

Thanks for your replies - keep them comng! I love hearing about everyones dogs.

I really would love a Pointer, but I just want to make sure it'll be happy! My friends have a GSD and a Rottie cross and ones has a tiny garden and the other no garden and they seem to do fine and are not stressed.

I just to make sure I'm doing the right thing! I've even got a name for it and everything hehe

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

I have a Gsp and a Boxer.

Mine our at the yard most of the day, playing together walking out with the horses and sleeping in a stable. My Gsp will go and go all day long, but the second he is home hes sleeps and doesnt move. He loves people and interaction. He would love to live near the beach.

 

[MiCsarah]

Can't post pics as on phone but have 2 springer spaniels. 1yr old and 17weeks. Have tiny garden but they get enough exercise. Puppy gets alot of mental stimulation with training which knackers him out. I love the breed but alot of people can find them a little nutty

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

Also we have a small garden but only goes in the garden for first wee and last wee of the day as at the yard the rest of the day. As long as they get the exercise they are wonderful dogs. Very loyal, and soppy dogs, I'll try and post a pic but on my phone

 

[Luci07]

Why not volunteer as a walker for a local dog rescue? get an idea of what you do/don't like in dogs. Everyone has their favourite breeds and you do need to work out if you prefer a smaller dog or medium size. I do have staffords, all are rescues, short coated and family clowns, but high energy dogs who need their exercise. My oldest bitch is 12 years old and never ever turns up her nose for a walk. Her only concession to getting older is that she will probably go back to the car at the yard in between runs! Youngest one now hacks out with me as well which she loves too. (I have 3 btw!)

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

S

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

 

[jenbleep]

Why not volunteer as a walker for a local dog rescue?

It's funny you should say that, because half a mile up the road there is a rescue centre! You can hear the dogs barking at dinner time I will go up there in the weekend and volunteer my services!

I have only just moved here but I am so in love with the place - I'm just out of town and have two good beaches within walking distance, and all of Newquay's beaches within a slightly longer walking distance, so save those walks for the weekend There are also fields around me where I can throw a stick for a run about in case I am unwell or something else prevents me from going for a long long walk.

I've been on walks with my friends and their dogs, and am so envious!

 

[Alexart]

I love pointers they're always so sweet natured! I have 4 ridgebacks - daft as a box of frogs but very loyal dogs, 2 JRT's - one is 14yrs old now and grumpy and creaky the other is a year old and totally nutty as a fruit bat - very sweet dog but sooooo high energy and very hard to tire out!! I also have a mutt - his mum was a dogue de bordeaux x bullmastiff and dad was a GSD x husky x mal - good guard dog but not the sharpest crayon in the box!! And my last addition to the pack, after my old lab x rottie died earlier in the year, is Bear who is a Caucasian Ovcharka, he's 5 months old and already nearly the same size as my ridgebacks, lovely dog and is already proving a good guard dog, but has the subtlety of a herd of gorillas in a china shop - his enormous paws are useful for squashing anything from cats to JRTs and if you can't eat/chew/slime on something then you just plonk your titanic fluffy mud covered rear end on it!!!
A few pics of Bear 2 months ago - we have had such crap weather for the last 2 months I haven't got any newer pics of him - he now takes up and entire setee!! And a few of my other nutty mutts!

 

[hunting mad]

I have a ten year old westie and a 4 year old papillon.
Both love to curl up in front of the fire and dream the day away!
We live on a 200 acre farm.........maybe i should of got something more energetic!!!

 

[The Original Kao]

I live in a 2 bed semi detached house with a fairly good sized front garden (big enough for a great dane to run around daft in comfortably) and a small back garden.
I have a border collie x dalmation x whippet and she's 6 months old. She gets most of her exercise off lead on walks so it wouldn't really matter if all we had was the small back garden.
Here she is at 4 months old with her mum:

 

[keeperscottage]

Large Munsterlander! Fab gun dogs - fab pets - just adore my one! Here he is a few years ago (he's four now and I'd never be without a Munsterlander - ever!!!)

And after a long, windy walk on holiday in the West Country...

And with daughter's boyfriend....

I used to look after a German Short Haired Pointer and also went to Gun Dog classes with it- beautiful dog, but it was such a handful! Sadly, it died when only two years old due to liver cancer. Stunning lookingl dog, but crazy despite endless exercise!

My Large Munsterlander is PERFECT! Adorable pet, brilliant "nose", a bit daffy with me but spot on perfect with my daughter! (That's MY fault - I'm a tad soft!).

Cuddles up on the sofa, loves everyone....daughter is moving in with long-term (adorable!) boyfried at the end of the month and there is an on-going custody battle over Munsterlander (she's taking Golden Retriever and Springador, they're her dogs) but Munsterlander is staying with ME! She can have him for the occasional weekend!!!! Seriously, cannot recommend a dog highly enough - they are FAB!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Also Jenbleep, hope I am not getting you confused with someone else, but you're a bit of a gym bunny? I've been to the gym and I did every class going, NOTHING has made me lose weight and keep fit better than dog walking, and it's FREE! and there are tonnes of cool doggy sports like Canicross etc, reckon you would be an ideal home!

 

[jenbleep]

Also Jenbleep, hope I am not getting you confused with someone else, but you're a bit of a gym bunny? I've been to the gym and I did every class going, NOTHING has made me lose weight and keep fit better than dog walking, and it's FREE! and there are tonnes of cool doggy sports like Canicross etc, reckon you would be an ideal home!

Ah thanks! You're right I do like to go to the gym, but am much happier exercising outside and I think 2 hours walk a day will be very good for me Longer on weekends!

Another question for all you doggy people -

Are your dogs left alone all day? Or do you make sure they are seen to at least once? (Are they let out, etc on your lunchbreak?)

Also, how do you find walking them in the dark? In the Winter that's all I'll have to do and like I say I live in the middle of nowhere with no street lights, and surrounded by country roads! I could take a head torch and high viz?!

 

[Oenoke]

I live in the Essex countryside in a bungalow with 6 acres. I have 4 Border Collies.

Bertie is now 13 years old, he competed in agility, a couple of HTM freestyle show, a couple of starters flyball comps, he was also a registered PAT dog and did 2 visits weekly, he's now retired.

Teagan is now 10 years old, she competed in agility, does veteran and allsorts classes now, a couple of HTM freestyle classes and may do a couple of flyball starter shows this year.

Skye will be 6 years old this Friday 13th (and she was born on a Friday as well!), she competes in agility and competed in Novice agility at Crufts last year, flyball competitions (runs 4.4 secs), she's done HTM training, she was a registered PAT dog and did 2 vists a week, but I've had to stop this year due to work commitments.

Star is 21 months old, she is Skye's daughter, she is in training for agility and flyball and hopefully will be competing this year, she had started doing 1 of the therapy visits that didn't require her to be PAT registered, but as above I've had to stop because of work commitments.

 

[PolarSkye]

We have two collie (border) crosses (both rescues):

Daisy - she's 2 (will be 3 in May) and we are not sure what she is crossed with - she is very loyal, laid back, sweet and uncomplicated - she doesn't herd at all, and doesn't do the collie stalk either but she will run after anything you throw for HOURS and is a fab swimmer.

Freddie - he just turned 6 and we know he is a border collie/jack russell cross. He has alot of typical collie traits - hyper sensitive to noise, likes to herd/stalk but incredibly sweet and affectionate. He has been unbelievably easy to train (he's ridiculously clever) in that he is eager to please, but he has way more quirks than Daisy so in some ways is a more challenging dog.

We did live in a tiny cottage in the heart of a village with a large, enclosed back garden with no traffic (foot or vehicle) past our front door and recently moved to a larger, more suburban house with a smaller garden and people actually walking right past the house (shock horror!).

Both dogs get a decent, off lead run every day and have company most of the day but being collie types they do need intellectual stimulation or they get bored - and a bored dog can either be destructive or neurotic.

As much as I love collies (and they really are marmite dogs), I wouldn't say they are for first-time dog owners - despite being very bright and therefore easy to teach basic obedience (sit, stay, down, etc.) they are also fairly easy to ruin.

Hope that helps.

P

 

[Hedwards]

I have a Jack Russell and a Lurcher - I live in a small terrace house (2up, 2down type), i have a relatively large garden although its very long its also very narrow. Both dogs are quite high energy, but fit in well with my life style.

here they are, Millie (JRT) Suzy (Lurcher)

 

[millitiger]

I have a GSP and he is extremely high energy and would not cope in a small house with a small garden with an owner who is at work all day.

Mine seems to be an extreme example but GSP's are known as very high energy dogs who tend to need more than the 'normal' dog walk.

Boris actually lives with my mum as she doesn't work and has a house in the middle of the countryside- he would definitely not cope with being kept in all day, even if he had a walk at lunchtime.

It may be because he was brought up in quite a rural setting with a lot of outdoor time but he was a bundle of energy from the day we picked him up and in 8 years I can only remember 1 day when he has actually been tired!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Mine go outside in a dog run when I am out/at work.
I used to walk at night with all the headtorch/hi viz etc but we live on a very fast road and it was miserable weather this winter so I just pop them in the car and take them somewhere well lit

 

[floral]

I have a hungarian viszla and a border collie. My V was one of the easiest dogs I have ever had to train as they are a sensitive, wanting to please breed and gentle. My rescued border collie has a very active brain so we do agility with her. I dont live in a big house so dont consider space to be the most important aspect of having a dog really but do think that you must be able to exercise them frequently and regularly. Mine have a dog door so can come and go if I am not around but as I'm usually around we have about 3 hrs each day across the fields on my doorstep. I'm in love with wirehaired viszlas too so will be considering them for my next dog perhaps!