Getting a dog

[Mark]

Hi,

I turn 42 this year and have never owned a dog. Actually, I've never wanted a dog, not even when I was a kid. In fact I despised dogs. When I saw other dogs, I never pet them, I never looked at them or nothing. Well, never say never.

My 11-year-old son and wife finally convinced me to cave in. So perhaps today or tomorrow we'll get a cross lab breed from the humane society. We did spend the weekend putting up a kennel and getting ready for a dog.

For most people, getting a dog is no big deal. For me it it's a huge deal and I'm nervous as all heck. For this to work for me the dog will need manners. No jumping, barking or digging. Obviously I expect some training time to get to that point. The dog we're eyeing at the humane society is 8-10 months old.

Once trained I'm sure I'll warm-up to it fast. I can see it jumping in the pickup with me to run errands. My son Ryan can see grabbing his baseball bat, jumping on his bike and heading with dog in tow to the baseball diamond for batting practice. This weekend he saw one guy doing batting practice, and the dog retrieved every ball hit. Ryan's eyes got real big seeing that!

Anyway, we're new to this dog stuff. Been reading and watching training videos. What kind of dog do you have? Any good training tips? The barking makes me the most nervous.

Mark

[Greg]

Mark, I'll give fair warning right now, once you adopt a pet, they become a part of the family and you will spoil the hell out of him

You will soon learn how to read him(her), We can tell by the bark if there is a problem, if someone is here, if someone is walking by or they just want to make noise, an so will the neighbors. never hit him for barking.

Our yard is fenced in so they are free to run & "patrol" their territory. Plus we have a doggie door.

As for training I personally think a lab is one of the easiest to train, Use common sense, ask often if he has to go out, and go with him to make sure is did or did not go. before you go to bed, let him out and be prepared go get up in the middle of the night to let him out again. You will soon learn his time frame for potty breaks, and learn his signs.

Just be a responsible pet owner, and you will be fine. Greg


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Watch dogs hard at work!!!

[DigitalDreams]

Once you have one they are like more kids,you love them, you worry about them, and when the kids grow and move away they become
your replacement kids.

Just remember when they poo poo where they aren't suppose to that
like a young child they probably tried to tell you, you just were not listening .

But if you read them and teach them like you did your children they will grow to be well mannered ,loving and sometimes even usefull
new members of the family.

And if our pets are any example they are your best friend , they will
act like you have been gone for weeks , even if you only left for a
hour.

I have had every pet imaginable growing up and weather it be a dog or a raccoon they all have their own personality and tend to take on the traits of the owner , so if your pet develops a bad trait
first look inward.

Good luck and may you have many happy memories for years to come.

[WildIrish]

You can get lots of good tips by watching "Dog Whisperer" (on the Natl. Geographic channel) and "It's Me Or The Dog" and "Dogs 101" (on Animal Planet).

I'm a dyed in the wool cat lover, but even I've warmed up to dogs since viewing those shows regularly. I still couldn't own one, due to my lifestyle, but at least I'm not afraid of dogs (as much!) anymore.

In my defense, I was attacked by a dog as a child...thank God that bell-bottom pants were in style then, or my ankles would be scarred to this day!

[Greg S]

Training a dog is not always as easy as some make it sound. Yes the dog does need to train the owner. If it does something wrong you missed the signal.
You have to use simple one word commands and use the same commands consistently. Always be firm with your commands. Multiple people interacting with the dog can be confusing. It is best to have a specific person in charge of training.

A out of control or unmanageable dog is the owners fault.

Good Luck.

[texasprairierose]

Anyway, we're new to this dog stuff. Been reading and watching training videos. What kind of dog do you have? Any good training tips? The barking makes me the most nervous.
Mark

Hi Mark,

Congratulations on getting a new family member! Like Greg said, it will soon become just like a member of your family. I can't ever remember a time that I didn't have a dog...I've had all kinds...a doberman pincher, a German Shepard mix, a wire haired terrier, a Schnauzer, a greyhound/dachshund mix (the smartest dog ever; he looked just like a whippet), an Italian greyhound and several other mixed breeds and several Rottweilers. Currently we have a black lab that we've had for eight years and a Rottweiler that we adopted from the Humane Society about a year ago.

What kind of dog are you getting? By far, the best dog we've ever had that was good with all people...kids, older people, etc., has been the black lab. Labs are just naturally docile and love everyone. However, labs seem to be the worst chewers...until they turn two and then it seems a switch goes off in them and they stop chewing. Our lab barked a lot when we first got her so we trained her by putting a muzzle on her for several hours during the night. She still barks...sometimes at the moon...and sometimes at the wind blowing, but she doesn't bark when she should...like when someone is at the gate! Now, when the Rottweiler barks, we get up and go investigate because he doesn't bark unless there is something wrong.

As far a training goes...don't be nervous because dogs pick up on that. Also, dogs are so loyal and they just want to please their master, so they don't require a heavy hand when it comes to training...just be gentle but firm with them and it won't take them long to figure out what you want from them.

Looking forward to pictures!

Diane

[Mark]

We picked out a dog at the humane society. It looks like a chocolate lab, but it's also crossed with a sharpay (sp?) so it's smaller than the normal lab (one of our desires). Today it's getting spaded at the vet along with its rabie shots. Perhaps this afternoon or tomorrow we'll get to bring it home. Depends upon what the vet thinks.

We'll post pictures soon!

In our studying and talking to people with dogs, we've been told that a dog can become what an owner makes of it. If we want our dog fetching baseballs or hitting soccer balls into the net, I'm sure we'll accomplish that (or at least my son will!) But first we got a whole lot of snow that needs melting, and its only February!

8 years ago we did adopt a cat from the humane society. We still have the cat. It's always been kind of an ornery thing, but it earns its keep as it likes to come cuddle at the foot of the bed at night. Otherwise it has cost me dearly over the years in chewed cords and fried equipment. How it hasn't fried itself I'll never know. At least with a dog, there's hope of training it not to chew on things like that. Plus the dog will be outside a lot.

Mark

[Greg]

The dog will be outside alot??? Only if you are!! Remember that dogs are a pack animal, they want to be where the rest of the "pack" is. Both of ours try to stay within 10' of us and within eyesight. Greg

[Harry]

Hi

I've had lots of dogs. Dogs are the greatest.

The mutts from the humane society were the best. The pure breds always seemed to have mental problems I associated to inbreeding. JMO

I've had dogs that trained easily and some I couldn't train much at all.....other than house breaking them...that was easy.

Sometimes a dog will "attach" to one family member more than others. My first wife always wanted a Great Dane. She shopped and reseached and bought a female Geat Dane. It never left my side. This pissed the wife off.

Harry

[lefties]

Dogs truly are mans best friend,,they are what you make of them.

[Arlo]

Texasprairierose is SO correct about labs. They do chew as pups and then a switch goes off. I'm on my third lab. One lived to be 15 .5 and the pure bred only lived 10.5 years. Present dog is 5.5. They are truely the kind of dog that will hang out on the front porch or follow your son around with no leash. After age two. Mine even "helps" with yardwork. Never put them out on a chain or in an outdoor kennel. They are very social. Get a large dog crate and put a comfy bed in it. When he's going to be left alone and at night have him "kennel up" and lock him in it. They are den animals and love their crates. After about age two my dog does not need to be closed in the crate but she sleeps in it. We laugh because on rainy or gloomy days she stays in it as if she doesn't trust the ceiling to keep the rain off her. I know crates are huge but you can make them into tables and Simplicity used to sell a pattern where you could sew a decorator cover for it. I'm not saying I ever did that. An XL crate is just the right size to be a not very attractive bedside table. An added bonus is that bad guys do not like to break into homes with dogs. They are better than any alarm system.

[Greg]

OK Mark, where's the pictures????

[bilbar25]

[quote="Greg"]OK Mark, where's the pictures????[/quote]


The Dog ate them !!!

[Yanita]

ROFLMAO Bilbar! Great to see you post, been awhile.

Yanita