what would you get?! first doggie!

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hannah87

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Hi, my boyfriend and I are looking into getting a dog when we move house at the end of april. We will be living in a 3 bed bungalow with another couple. We have a reasonable sized garden which is fenced doggie proof. I and the other girl are students whilst our boyfriends work full time. This means there will pretty much always be someone at home. The doggie will come with me to the yard morning and evenings also. What sort of breed do you think? my friend and her boyfriend already have a lab puppy so will also have company of another dog.
We are happy to get a rescue as well.
Any thoughts on breed greatly recieved!e both had dogs as children but this will be our first dog!
 
I would go for the one with the most pleading eyes in the rescue centre
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I would say with it being a bungalow you are moving into you would probably be best with a little dog, especially as you already have a labrador living there, but as you have a reasonable sized garden you could probably go for a medium sized dog if you didnt want a little dog.
If there is going to be someone in the house most of the time you could have a puppy but as a first dog I would suggest an 'older' dog, as he/she will probably be house trained and part of his obedience will have already been taught.
I would suggest getting a dog from a rescue centre. I don't think breed is particularly important, just go for a dog you like, be realistic about size and personality though. For a first dog I would go for something quite calm and well mannered.
Good luck.
Nickie
 
I would say do just what we did. Have your 'must have' criteria written down, have a sensible, realistic picture of the dog, ie size, temperament, breed, age etc, and then go harmlessly to your local rescue centre and go home with the complete and utter opposite. Erm, maybe that was just me lol, but over 16 years I have done that three times and we've all lived happily ever after. Very best of luck with your search and keep us posted.
 
TBH if you dont have your heart set on a partiular breed pop down to your local rescue and have a chat with them.
They will be able to give you great adivce on what would suit you and your circumstances
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I would say do just what we did. Have your 'must have' criteria written down, have a sensible, realistic picture of the dog, ie size, temperament, breed, age etc, and then go harmlessly to your local rescue centre and go home with the complete and utter opposite. Erm, maybe that was just me lol, but over 16 years I have done that three times and we've all lived happily ever after. Very best of luck with your search and keep us posted.

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Haha! I was all ready to quote the 1st part of your post and say we did exactly that when I was younger - and came back with the complete opposite! Then read the rest of your post and turns out so did you!
My mum wanted a female, medium size, not black (can't remember why this was??!) over 18 months old - we got a huge, black nutty flatcoat retriever x, pulled like a train, male, 11 months old! So didn't really stick to any of the criteria! He is still going strong at 15 years old now though
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OP - I'd definitely go for a rescue
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Remember there are other rescues apart from the RSPCA too. Then you can see a wide variety of dogs, see what might fit into your home, maybe let the labrador meet it first etc
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Good luck!
 
I agree with what most people have said already - ie a rescue.

Sorry to be a bit negative but the other thing I would suggest you consider is will the dog be yours or your boyfriends? Worst case scenario and you split up what would happen to the dog? Are you prepared to have the full responsibility? How much longer will you be a student for? And finally dogs can be expensive to keep.

I'm sure you have probably thought all this through but I know that the majority of my friends are not still with their partners they were with when a student. Apart from that good luck with your search.
 
Thanks for all your comments..we have decided on going to the local rescue centres and rehoming a pup or dog. The dog will be mine offically and if we were to split it would remain with me. Although this will be our first dog, we have both been brought up with dogs and around them our whole lives so fully aware of training/expense etc etc. i shall keep you posted!!
 
What do you and BF want to do with your dog? Do you have any interest in agility or obedience? Do you want the dog version of a happy hacker (walk the walks, basic obedience and gnaw bones at home)? How much time out walking per day would he/she get per day? Or would the yard time be walking time, if so would you want something that you might be able to take with you out riding? Do you have any desire to brush something on a daily, weekly basis?

What breed, type of dog did you and BF have when you were children? Is there something you would want similar or something you know that you definitely doesn't want?

Personally I'm one of those that when I've written short lists, with a few things that I want most and a few things that I really didn't want, actually have followed what I wrote and ended up with something that suited me (the one time I didn't write a list and got a crossbreed I got "burned" so for me it's nothing but pure breed since). Anyway, the questions I've mentioned, is questions that I think is general and relevant regardless if you go for pure breed or not pure breed dog.


Actually ever since I got to know the Finnish Lapphund-breed, I've said I think it's an ideal average, suitable for most people sort of medium sized breed. They're in general happy as a "happy hacker" and if you want agility or obedience they're happy with that. Though they usually prefer and perform best with the encouraging, "softer" training techniques, if you're to harsh with the reprimands, they quit. At the same time they're not that fragile, they come from being herding dogs to Sami peoples herds of Reindeers.

Otherwise general advise number one choice of small breeds is usually Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, second maybe Bichon Frise, when I read that Happy Go Lucky suggested the medium sized Whippet I thought why not. If nothing else it can prepare you to move up a size, if you in the future decide to get a second dog a Greyhound would probably be a great company for a Whippet... (Nobody tell Acolyte that I mentioned Greyhounds, please.)

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ETS Bramble87, I've had this post open writing a little now and then, when I had time, since before you posted your answer about what you've decided, so I'm just editing to say good luck at the rescue. /ets
 
Id defo say small-medium sized mongrel.
Rescue centre!
And definetly sort out who;'s dog it is. My boyfriend bought me a dog for my 21st, and even though he is really "our" dog, he is registered etc as mine, and will always be mine! So if anything happened to the relationship (hoping not) it will mean that we know where beau stands!

GOOD LUCK! let us know what you choose!
 
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