I will be getting a dog in the future...

[quench]

im making plans already =P, i consider my self a good pet owner, i have a happy cat and used to have a turtle, but i know they arent as much of a responsibility as dogs. but its a start. back when i was little i remember my grendma having 2 amazing dogs, they would run around jumping at me wanting to 'dance' and play fetch, sleep with me, sit by me, get petted, etc.. so thats where my love for dogs really started. As a job when i finish collage, id love to work with animals overall, cats , dogs rabbits etc... etc...

Im not too familiar with the breeds other then dobermans, huskies, chuwawas (sp) =P , but i really want to learn, im not too sure how to care properly for them , but i WANT to learn... and i will.

so anyway i made this post to see what people have to say about owning a dog, careing for a dog, and what types of dogs are good for beginers... and some cute ones too =P

 

[quench]

also if you could list some breeds that you guys like i would apriciate it

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

Having a dog is a big responsibility. They depend on you to stay alive. Before you get a dog, you should think about your lifestyle so you can find the dog that fits you.

 

[tessa_s212]

Well, for you I woudl suggest a dog that will not be too much of a challenge to train.

Are you in collage right now? If so, I'd suggest getting a dog that won't require you to spend ALL of your tiem excersizing it.

 

[Mordy]

3 things you should keep in mind are:

1. don't pick a breed of dog just because you like the look. judging from your post, i think you know that already, but it bears repeating - pick a breed that matches your lifestyle and expectations. for example don't get a herding dog if you don't want a barker, because most of them are very vocal, don't get a terrier if you don't want to deal with a dog digging up your back yard, because that's what they were bred to do. here's a great profiler that will help you find a good match:
http://www.k9country.com/perl/dogBreed.pl

2. if you decide to get a purebred dog, please buy only from a responsible, ethical breeder or adopt from a rescue or shelter. stay away from so-called "designer breeds" (this covers mixes with made up names that mostly end in -poo or -doodle but also others) and don't buy from a pet shop, the puppies they sell come from puppy mills, no matter how much the staff claims they are "from local breeders". don't buy into those lies.

3. no dog comes well behaved and trained. you only get as much out of your dog as you put work into it, but this kind of work is very rewarding.

good luck on your search!

 

[Saje]

good for you for looking into it first! I wish everyone would do that.

There is tons of information on the forums here. You should browse around. lots of good tips (and some not so good )

 

[quench]

http://www.k9country.com/perl/dogBr...pert=1&state=10&submit=Continue&.cgifields=q1

^ thats what i got from the test. i dont really feel atracted to any of them exept for Beagles and retrivers... im in love with these two

 

[quench]

yes i know , i would never buy anything from a pet store... never

 

[Pug Heaven Kennels]

Pugs are a good suggestion

 

[Saje]

^ slight bias

 

[quench]

Pugs look ugly for me =P

 

[AmberwayGSD]

I dont recommend a terrier for a newbie either.A Beagle would be a good choice if you can deal with howling.Or maybe a Golden Retriever.

 

[Saje]

I think you should volunteer at a shelter to get some experience with dogs and learn more about different breeds...

 

[panzer426]

my honest opinion is that no one on this or any other forum can give you a really good suggestion/suggestions without knowing more. tell us more about your activity level, what activities do you enjoy every day, every few days, every weekend etc? how much free time do you have and how much non-free time (partying, going to movies, etc) are you willing to give up now and/or when you are ready for a dog? what do you want from a dog? what I mean there is...do you want a high energy dog that will enjoy 5 hours of intense frisbee competition or sheep herding etc every day, a dog that is content and healthy with a 1-2 hour walk every day and a little ball playing (with you) in the back yard every day and other than that content to lie around the house?
do you want a big dog (over 80 pounds?) a medium dog (30-80 pounds) a small dog (10-30 pounds) or a toy dog (0-10 pounds)? do you want a dog who loves everyone and aat first sight wants to run up to them and kiss them all over and get a belly rub? or a dog that will accept new people once it knows they can be trusted (you say they are alright) but is a little stand off-ish at first and would (probably) defend you against a bad guy?
are you sure you can afford a dog? lets see, heres a few rough estimates of initial and annual cost... $0-$1,000+ to buy the puppy/dog. $25-$100 for a crate. $10 for a leash. $10 for a collar. $5 for tags. $25 for food and water bowls. $50 for a dog bed. $25 atleast for toys. $30++ for dog food (unless you do raw, or crappy cheap stuff). annual vet bills (just shots) $100+/-. emergency vet bills $0-$thousands and thousands depending on emergencies. boarding $ I dont know but bet it isnt cheap. obedience training $100-$thousands.
so you are looking at $280-$1,455+++ I think most of us spend a LOT!!!! more each year (some each month) than $280 on our dogs.
tell us more about yourself, your time and what you want and we can give you better recomendations as to which breeds might fit nicely into your life.

 

[quench]

^ sounds good man!! ok here it is

I go to school 7 am - 2-3 pm, get back sit down on the computer to talk to friends over AIM/ play some video games, then i usually go outside and play basketball/hang with friends till 7-8 pm, then get back home and do home work 10ish go to sleep 12 ish

on weekends i sleep late, go on the PC, go outside , parties... like any other teenager lol. i have alot of free time.

i think i would rather have a low energy/lazy dog rather then one who would jump on stuff when im sleeping, bite walls =P etc. but not too lazy to the extent that all it does it eat,sleep,and poop. i would love a friendly dog who would lick you sleep by u and follow u everwyehre, of course any dog will do that if you love it and it'll love you back, but i dont want a dog who will bark/bite strangers since i have alot of friends... money, im sure i have enough since iv been saving since i was like 3 years old haha . but seriosuly money shouldnt be an issue, but im not too happy about spending TOO much, if you know what i mean. now. i would want a big dog, but i live in an apartment so im guessing small/medium at the most.

 

[panzer426]

okay, well first are you prepared to give up some of that basketball, video game, party time? a dog takes a lot of energy, effort, time and responsibility. a puppy takes a heck of a lot more.
if the answer is yes then I would look into some of these breeds and do a lot of research on them and breeds that others recommend (Im talking months or more of reading, asking questions, searching for info ((not pictures)) on the net etc)... golden retriever, newfoundland, saint bernard, lab, great dane, greyhound, schnauzer, cocker spaniel, dachshund, beagle, whippet, chihuahua, english mastiff, bulldog, bichon, poodle, maltese, shitzu, pekinese...having a hardtime coming up with more off the top of my head. all of those have different excercise and grooming requirements. great danes, saint bernards, english mastiffs and greyhounds do suprisingly well in apartments as long as they get daily excercise. go to the book store and buy a book or two that give descriptions of most/all dog breeds...read about each one and narrow it down. then use the net to learn a lot more about each one and narrow it down even farther, once you narrow it down to 2 or 3, or even 9 or 10 start contacting the national breed clubs to have them send you info packets, buy books about those specific breeds, and all along feel free to ask questions on here no matter how stupid you think they will sound.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

I agree with Panzer. You'll have to give some of that up in order to properly care for your dog. Your dog will need to be fed, walked, played with, groomed, and trained. Saje suggested you volunteer at an animal shelter - I think that's a great idea. You'll get some experience with dogs, the care of dogs, and different breeds. I suggest you check out your local shelter and www.petfinder.com. I think a certain mixed breed from a shelter could fit you well. Maybe an older dog, since they tend to be calmer and are usually housetrained. A lot of people pass them by because they want a puppy, but older dogs can make great companions! I have an older lab (got her when she was young), and everybody who meets her loves her.

 

[panzer426]

I agree, volounteer for a shelter and get some experience with caring for a dog. a puppy is hard for a 1st time owner, get a dog that is already housebroken and atleast partially trained and is done with the chewing phase.
before you start trying to select the individual dog you will get, learn more about the breeds that you like and which fit you. you dont want a lab/rottie mix if rottie wouldnt fit your lifestyle, because a mix could have more personality traits of one breed or the other. decide which breeds you would enjoy living with for 10+ years and find a rescue dog (either from a shelter like humane society or petfinder, or from a breed rescue) that way you will be more likely to get a dog you can live with.

 

[Bowowee]

^ sounds good man!! ok here it is

I go to school 7 am - 2-3 pm, get back sit down on the computer to talk to friends over AIM/ play some video games, then i usually go outside and play basketball/hang with friends till 7-8 pm, then get back home and do home work 10ish go to sleep 12 ish

on weekends i sleep late, go on the PC, go outside , parties... like any other teenager lol. i have alot of free time.

i think i would rather have a low energy/lazy dog rather then one who would jump on stuff when im sleeping, bite walls =P etc. but not too lazy to the extent that all it does it eat,sleep,and poop. i would love a friendly dog who would lick you sleep by u and follow u everwyehre, of course any dog will do that if you love it and it'll love you back, but i dont want a dog who will bark/bite strangers since i have alot of friends... money, im sure i have enough since iv been saving since i was like 3 years old haha . but seriosuly money shouldnt be an issue, but im not too happy about spending TOO much, if you know what i mean. now. i would want a big dog, but i live in an apartment so im guessing small/medium at the most.

- I think the right breed for you is the Shih Tzu. They're perfect for apartment life, a little bit lazy, and you'll get to show your friends how good you are at brushing your dogs hair and what an expert you are in making hair ribbons.

 

[Mikey27X834]

Read loads of books and websites. You'll learn loads, I promise.