First time dog owner
Discussion
Looking for advice or things I should be considering.
My son has wanted a dog for a while now (he is 9) and we have always put him off as we did not have the time to look after one.
We appreciate that it would be a family dog rather than his as I'm sure as he grows older he will lose interest. We now have the time to look after one as we will always have someone at home during the day and we also have a family member who will dog sit when needed for us. Givin we all like pets it now feels that we are in a position to go for it!
We have a house already that is fairly dog friendly with hardwood floors and a conservatory etc plus the back garden is large and secure. We already go out for regular walks so adding a dog into the mix would not be an issue there.
We are considering a Labrador as they seem to be well regarded as family pets, like exercise and seem to be good for first time dog owners. Are there any other breeds that would be worth considering? Where should we look to get the dog from?
I'm about to change my car so will make sure that is dog friendly
but what other things would you or recommend but I start to look at now?
I'm conscious this is a big commitment and I don't want to rush into it until we have got things fully sorted.
Thanks in advance for any help.
My son has wanted a dog for a while now (he is 9) and we have always put him off as we did not have the time to look after one.
We appreciate that it would be a family dog rather than his as I'm sure as he grows older he will lose interest. We now have the time to look after one as we will always have someone at home during the day and we also have a family member who will dog sit when needed for us. Givin we all like pets it now feels that we are in a position to go for it!
We have a house already that is fairly dog friendly with hardwood floors and a conservatory etc plus the back garden is large and secure. We already go out for regular walks so adding a dog into the mix would not be an issue there.
We are considering a Labrador as they seem to be well regarded as family pets, like exercise and seem to be good for first time dog owners. Are there any other breeds that would be worth considering? Where should we look to get the dog from?
I'm about to change my car so will make sure that is dog friendly
but what other things would you or recommend but I start to look at now? I'm conscious this is a big commitment and I don't want to rush into it until we have got things fully sorted.
Thanks in advance for any help.
What the above two said. Personally I really rate Dogs Trust and Blue Cross (where my last two have come from)
Actually, that's a lie, our last one is from Balkan Under Dogs, a Romanian rescue, as they're treated as scum over there, worth a look - https://www.balkanunderdogs.org.uk/
I'm not sure tips wise, dogs are fairly easy to look after with common sense. Daily walks, don't let the dog push past you through doors (he's not above you in the pack) feed them after you (ditto)
If you get insurance make sure it's lifetime, IE if something comes up as a long term problem it isn't capped.
Actually, that's a lie, our last one is from Balkan Under Dogs, a Romanian rescue, as they're treated as scum over there, worth a look - https://www.balkanunderdogs.org.uk/
I'm not sure tips wise, dogs are fairly easy to look after with common sense. Daily walks, don't let the dog push past you through doors (he's not above you in the pack) feed them after you (ditto)
If you get insurance make sure it's lifetime, IE if something comes up as a long term problem it isn't capped.
Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.
I'm in Leeds and did look at rescue centres but most of the dogs were for adult families or older children which seemed to rule us out. My son's 9.
My preference would be a puppy/younger dog to allow us the experience of training/bonding with it but flexible on this.
I'm in Leeds and did look at rescue centres but most of the dogs were for adult families or older children which seemed to rule us out. My son's 9.
My preference would be a puppy/younger dog to allow us the experience of training/bonding with it but flexible on this.
Whippet!!!!
As a vet nurse I would never feel comfortable when people asked me for tips on a suitable family dog until I had whippets (I have two children now 8 and 3) as long as your children understand the basic rules with dogs (no hugging, grabbing tails etc)
Labradors are lovely but can be very energetic/boisterous and that can be hard work but can't fault their character otherwise.
Whippet rescues are a great place to look, we took on our second whippet through one called Just Whippet Rescuea she was 8 months old, she has been fantastic with our two children (though personally I think males are slightly easier to have!)
Staffies make great family dogs believe it or not, known as the nanny dog. Brought up right they are a loyal family dog.
Good luck with finding a four legged family friend. It is nice to see that you know your son will need help, in fact the law states that legally a child cannot be held accountable /responsible for a pets wellbeing /welfare until they are 16. The parent/"guardian is the one with overall responsibility. (TBA the doesn't mean they can't have jobs re the animals welfare obviously.
As a vet nurse I would never feel comfortable when people asked me for tips on a suitable family dog until I had whippets (I have two children now 8 and 3) as long as your children understand the basic rules with dogs (no hugging, grabbing tails etc)
Labradors are lovely but can be very energetic/boisterous and that can be hard work but can't fault their character otherwise.
Whippet rescues are a great place to look, we took on our second whippet through one called Just Whippet Rescuea she was 8 months old, she has been fantastic with our two children (though personally I think males are slightly easier to have!)
Staffies make great family dogs believe it or not, known as the nanny dog. Brought up right they are a loyal family dog.
Good luck with finding a four legged family friend. It is nice to see that you know your son will need help, in fact the law states that legally a child cannot be held accountable /responsible for a pets wellbeing /welfare until they are 16. The parent/"guardian is the one with overall responsibility. (TBA the doesn't mean they can't have jobs re the animals welfare obviously.
I may as well chip in.....Rescue Centre!!!
We were slightly nervous about getting a seriously abused Rescue Dobermann from Serbia as we didn't know what issues she may have had. We never met her, only seen various horrific pictures of a 14kg bag of bones with skin issues (Demodex), x-rays of broken things, a badly docked tail and a missing ear, proper RSPCA advert material.
When she arrived (covered in her own crap), we took her in to the garden and gave her a wash. She just stood there and let us clean her and dry her off. Once she was dry, within minutes she literally just layed across my chest, cuddled up and slept on me with her head under my chin. I know some people say that rescues can come with issues and in this case, it was a dog that I really did think she would, but she's the most loving, gentle creature there is.
Her constant licking drives me mad and I wash my hands 100 times a day (she just sneaks up on you and if your hands or arms are in reach she just goes on a licking frenzy), but amazingly there have been no issues with her at all.
Because of her, I'd only ever get a rescue dog as her and the various fosters that have come to stay have all been lovely and appear to be genuinely grateful for being taken in. Some have issues, but most have all been such gentle loving creatures.
We were slightly nervous about getting a seriously abused Rescue Dobermann from Serbia as we didn't know what issues she may have had. We never met her, only seen various horrific pictures of a 14kg bag of bones with skin issues (Demodex), x-rays of broken things, a badly docked tail and a missing ear, proper RSPCA advert material.
When she arrived (covered in her own crap), we took her in to the garden and gave her a wash. She just stood there and let us clean her and dry her off. Once she was dry, within minutes she literally just layed across my chest, cuddled up and slept on me with her head under my chin. I know some people say that rescues can come with issues and in this case, it was a dog that I really did think she would, but she's the most loving, gentle creature there is.
Her constant licking drives me mad and I wash my hands 100 times a day (she just sneaks up on you and if your hands or arms are in reach she just goes on a licking frenzy), but amazingly there have been no issues with her at all.
Because of her, I'd only ever get a rescue dog as her and the various fosters that have come to stay have all been lovely and appear to be genuinely grateful for being taken in. Some have issues, but most have all been such gentle loving creatures.
bexVN said:
Whippet!!!!
As a vet nurse I would never feel comfortable when people asked me for tips on a suitable family dog until I had whippets (I have two children now 8 and 3) as long as your children understand the basic rules with dogs (no hugging, grabbing tails etc)
Labradors are lovely but can be very energetic/boisterous and that can be hard work but can't fault their character otherwise.
Whippet rescues are a great place to look, we took on our second whippet through one called Just Whippet Rescuea she was 8 months old, she has been fantastic with our two children (though personally I think males are slightly easier to have!)
Staffies make great family dogs believe it or not, known as the nanny dog. Brought up right they are a loyal family dog.
Good luck with finding a four legged family friend. It is nice to see that you know your son will need help, in fact the law states that legally a child cannot be held accountable /responsible for a pets wellbeing /welfare until they are 16. The parent/"guardian is the one with overall responsibility. (TBA the doesn't mean they can't have jobs re the animals welfare obviously.
On a similar note, Greys are great dogs, gentle personalities, and they don't actually need much exercise. Mum and dad have two, and had another before these. All three have been food stealers mind, mum once returned to her kitchen to find a family sized apple pie gone from the worktop! As a vet nurse I would never feel comfortable when people asked me for tips on a suitable family dog until I had whippets (I have two children now 8 and 3) as long as your children understand the basic rules with dogs (no hugging, grabbing tails etc)
Labradors are lovely but can be very energetic/boisterous and that can be hard work but can't fault their character otherwise.
Whippet rescues are a great place to look, we took on our second whippet through one called Just Whippet Rescuea she was 8 months old, she has been fantastic with our two children (though personally I think males are slightly easier to have!)
Staffies make great family dogs believe it or not, known as the nanny dog. Brought up right they are a loyal family dog.
Good luck with finding a four legged family friend. It is nice to see that you know your son will need help, in fact the law states that legally a child cannot be held accountable /responsible for a pets wellbeing /welfare until they are 16. The parent/"guardian is the one with overall responsibility. (TBA the doesn't mean they can't have jobs re the animals welfare obviously.
We have a 8 month old Black Lab. We went down the route of getting a puppy as we have 6 year old twins so didn't want any surprises (my cousin had a rescue greyhound and had some major issues).
We took a while to find the right one, and went for a local family who had 3 children, so from day 1 the pup has been around young children. We did weekly visits until the pup was old enough to come home with us.
My parents have always had Border Collies but these are not great with children so we went with a Lab instead. Quite a different in breed, Lab seem much more naughty, and wow they will steal food and eat everything, really anything even poo.
Labs are very very intelligent dogs, seem to have boundless energy (2 long walks a day minimum) - we combine it with walking the kids to school gets tied up outside school and gets loads of fuss from all the other children whilst sitting with 2 other Black labs.
Ours took a while to be house trained, so every morning a mess on the floor is not fun. Even now we have incidents especially after she has eaten something outside on walks. Plus we had the puppy teething so almost everything in the kitchen has a bit mark or damage scars from that time.
Although we all love the dog and she is now a full family member, personally all the hard work, commitment and expense, I am not sure I would be so keen to do it again. We should have got guinea pigs or fish which the kids ask for instead
We took a while to find the right one, and went for a local family who had 3 children, so from day 1 the pup has been around young children. We did weekly visits until the pup was old enough to come home with us.
My parents have always had Border Collies but these are not great with children so we went with a Lab instead. Quite a different in breed, Lab seem much more naughty, and wow they will steal food and eat everything, really anything even poo.
Labs are very very intelligent dogs, seem to have boundless energy (2 long walks a day minimum) - we combine it with walking the kids to school gets tied up outside school and gets loads of fuss from all the other children whilst sitting with 2 other Black labs.
Ours took a while to be house trained, so every morning a mess on the floor is not fun. Even now we have incidents especially after she has eaten something outside on walks. Plus we had the puppy teething so almost everything in the kitchen has a bit mark or damage scars from that time.
Although we all love the dog and she is now a full family member, personally all the hard work, commitment and expense, I am not sure I would be so keen to do it again. We should have got guinea pigs or fish which the kids ask for instead
SwissJonese said:
Labs are very very intelligent dogs, seem to have boundless energy
They are also big heavy dogs when fully grown. Most of them round by me were bought as puppies by terrible owners who haven't trained or engaged or been even remotely consistent with the dog as well as they should and they end up as a complete nightmare as the dog is just bored and unsure all the time.If you plan on getting a dog just make sure you do a decent dog training course with the dog as a first time owner.
I also agree with a rescue dog, all mine have been rescues. All the hard work with house training is done, if you choose the right dog, and you get to see what the dog is like as an adult. Puppies are like babies, they don't stay that way for very long and soon the puppy has changed into a teenager and you have to start again with them.
Black standard poodles are incredibly robust. Very smart and incredibly long lived. Superb temperaments for a family dog. Last one I had lived to almost 15 and never had a sick day till last two months. Very easy to train.
I got this tip from my vet after I had lost a beloved Boxer to cancer at 6.
I got this tip from my vet after I had lost a beloved Boxer to cancer at 6.
I had a Welsh Springer Spaniel.
Lovely nature, not too big, looks like a dog should with ears and a nose.
Expensive and a bit rare.
Another vote for rescue.
HOWEVER
Why not get him on www.borrowmydoggy.com and see if he really, really does want one!!!
They're lovely, but they are a TIE!
He's nine, what about 15 years when he's 24 and you've had the dog all to yourself for the last 8 to 10 years.?
Is he really giong to want a dog at 14, 16, 18 and beyond?
Is he taking it to Uni?
Lovely nature, not too big, looks like a dog should with ears and a nose.
Expensive and a bit rare.
Another vote for rescue.
HOWEVER
Why not get him on www.borrowmydoggy.com and see if he really, really does want one!!!
They're lovely, but they are a TIE!
He's nine, what about 15 years when he's 24 and you've had the dog all to yourself for the last 8 to 10 years.?
Is he really giong to want a dog at 14, 16, 18 and beyond?
Is he taking it to Uni?
Thanks for all the suggestions and thought provoking ideas.
We wouldn't have agreed to get the dog just because my son wanted one. My wife and I wanted one as well though up until now work would have not made this fair on the dog. I fully expect it to be a family dog and it will stay with us if my Son leaves home. I'm also under no illusions that we will do the bulk of the walks.....well my wife will as she walks every day now anyway
Training is something we have considered. As part of the journey I'm keen we all learn what to do and my son is busy learning about dogs as well in anticipation. This is a good way of getting him reading!! Given our complete lack of dog knowledge we will need time with people who know what they are doing as we want to be responsible owners. Before my son was born I knew nothing about children either but part of the fun is figuring things out and we've done ok with him.
I will look again at rescue dogs. I have looked previously and none of the dogs were suitable for younger children (my son's age). Not sure if that is a hard rule but everyone I looked at was for adult only households or older children.
Thanks again for all the advice. Keep anymore coming.
We wouldn't have agreed to get the dog just because my son wanted one. My wife and I wanted one as well though up until now work would have not made this fair on the dog. I fully expect it to be a family dog and it will stay with us if my Son leaves home. I'm also under no illusions that we will do the bulk of the walks.....well my wife will as she walks every day now anyway
Training is something we have considered. As part of the journey I'm keen we all learn what to do and my son is busy learning about dogs as well in anticipation. This is a good way of getting him reading!! Given our complete lack of dog knowledge we will need time with people who know what they are doing as we want to be responsible owners. Before my son was born I knew nothing about children either but part of the fun is figuring things out and we've done ok with him.
I will look again at rescue dogs. I have looked previously and none of the dogs were suitable for younger children (my son's age). Not sure if that is a hard rule but everyone I looked at was for adult only households or older children.
Thanks again for all the advice. Keep anymore coming.
Rescue dogs can be amazing - I had a phenomenal Springer from a rescue (family emigrated) - no issues, and very loving - beautiful dog, who sadly had a stroke aged 13. But... I then had another springer from a rescue - again, gorgeous dog, beautiful character, but had no training for 2 years and was game-drive obsessed - I had him 9 months and was able to re-train all the basics - walking to heel off lead etc. but we could not sort out the game-drive and obsession with anything that moved - killed chickens / etc.
So, you can get mixed results and if you are new to dog ownership I would be very cautious about a dog from a rescue - yes, for those who are experienced, then it makes a lot of sense - but if not, I would be very very cautious.
Good breeds have been mentioned - but you can't really go wrong with a labrador / golden retriever as a first dog.
Spaniels are also amazing dogs with families - but need more exercise
Whippets and greyhounds are great - less exercise needed, but can be more sensitive / nervy
Terriers can be great - but far more likely to be snappy, so not ideal for a first dog
lots of other breeds, but they are the main ones...
personally I would go for a spaniel as they are my favourite - but would recommend a lab
So, you can get mixed results and if you are new to dog ownership I would be very cautious about a dog from a rescue - yes, for those who are experienced, then it makes a lot of sense - but if not, I would be very very cautious.
Good breeds have been mentioned - but you can't really go wrong with a labrador / golden retriever as a first dog.
Spaniels are also amazing dogs with families - but need more exercise
Whippets and greyhounds are great - less exercise needed, but can be more sensitive / nervy
Terriers can be great - but far more likely to be snappy, so not ideal for a first dog
lots of other breeds, but they are the main ones...
personally I would go for a spaniel as they are my favourite - but would recommend a lab
CAH706 said:
I will look again at rescue dogs. I have looked previously and none of the dogs were suitable for younger children (my son's age). Not sure if that is a hard rule but everyone I looked at was for adult only households or older children.
I've just had a look at Dogs Trust Leeds for you OP. I only looked at about half of their dogs profiles, and yes, I was really surprised at how many mentioned adult homes. A few things I'd consider. There are some which don't mention children, and there are some that mention older children. How mature is your 9 year old, or is he a firework? It may be that any one example of dog is unsettled, and a million mile an hour kid could distress. Maybe your kid around the house behaves like a smaller adult? In my experience of them DT are only interested in finding these boys and girls new homes, and accordingly are happy to consider 'best fit'. As an illustration my late boy Henry came from DT, and being a Dobe x Dane a requirement was must have garden. I had no garden, but 100 yards away from me had 80 acres of public woodland. All the walks and exercise in the world he could need, they let me adopt him.
Maybe give them a call and have a chat, they may have a number of dogs they'd be happy for you to home, after figuiring your set up?
Just to add...
Dogs are so much easier than kids!
Think about a dog as a very very easy to please child:
That mops up after themselves when they eat.
Mostly wipes their own bottoms to an reasonable standard.
Usually goes to bed and stops in bed.
Doesn't hog the TV.
Enjoys long journeys, mostly.
Happy with the same presents every time.
Only needs limited positive reinforcement.
Rarely has mates who fall out with them.
Doesn't enjoy facebook and the internet in general.
Wants to go to the Pub with you.
Wants to go anywhere with you.
Never gets bored with you explaining thing.
The list is endless really......
Dogs are so much easier than kids!
Think about a dog as a very very easy to please child:
That mops up after themselves when they eat.
Mostly wipes their own bottoms to an reasonable standard.
Usually goes to bed and stops in bed.
Doesn't hog the TV.
Enjoys long journeys, mostly.
Happy with the same presents every time.
Only needs limited positive reinforcement.
Rarely has mates who fall out with them.
Doesn't enjoy facebook and the internet in general.
Wants to go to the Pub with you.
Wants to go anywhere with you.
Never gets bored with you explaining thing.
The list is endless really......
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