Does anyone have any advice about getting a medium sized dog Post Reply

[Larapru]

Hi everyone, i wonder if you can help.
We are thinking about getting a dog when the time is right. I have 2 year old twin boys and a cat so I wondered if anyone had any advice as to which dog they would recommend and what age you think children are ok with dogs. When to get one, thats the question!? I am not working but hope to part time next year. I'd also be interested to know what your thoughts are about a rescue dog and anything else I should consider. I want to get it right as i think its a huge shame when families get dogs then get rid of them.
Thanks so much
Larapru.

[Adventure Dad]

Hey Larapru,

I think it all comes down to your lifestyle. Are you big outdoor, high energy people or do you prefer your creature comforts etc? The question is what type of dog will fit your lifestyle? I think this is the really important one as there are often issues where people pick the wrong breed that doesn't fit with their lifestyle! Another issue is that people often leave their dogs home all day or get people in to walk them so the fact you will be part time is a huge step in the right direction (dogs can get very sad when left alone as they are pack animals). This could even lead to destructive behaviour, barking or bad toilet habits again which will make you resent the dog - especially if it chews out your best Jimmy Choos!

The other point is that with a busy family, a poorly trained dog will be a burden and you will resent it. The dog needs to be trained to the extent that it will obey you, wait outside shops, not jump up on your children or your children's friends etc. and there are ways to train and reinforce good behaviour so this also needs to be thought of and crucially you need to invest time in this. Not just you but the whole family.

Personally, I think a dog can fit in at any stage although it's easier when you know you have time to spend with it. Also you should have your partner commit to activity with it so everyone does their fair share.

Breeds? Big question. There are lots of great dogs out there but they suit different lifestyles. From my side, I am an active outdoor type. I run and bike in all weather conditions so am happy to go with the high energy dogs the bigger hounds like Wiemeraners, dalmations etc. My mum on the other hand has a big garden and is quite lazy so her King Charles Spaniels are perfect for her!

Just some food for thought! I love animals. I think dogs are a crucial part of a child's education and that they help the child build self esteem and confidence. I think it's a fab idea!

AD

[Larapru]

AD, thank you so much for your post, this was exactly the type of advice I was looking for. I want to be more outdoorsy. my husband is and I think it's important that my twin boys are encouraged to be so too. I don't own any jimmy choos unfortuantely but I do have a beautifully newly decorated home!
You have given me much to consider and as I thought I don't think we are ready. Getting the boys dressed to go to nursery is absolutely exhausting at the moment therefore the prospect of a needy dog too wouldn't work. I think maybe in two years time then, when the boys are 4 will be a good time.
Thanks again for your help, hopefully others will read this thread before they take the plunge and buy a puppy for Christmas!

[coffeelovingmum]

Hi Larapru - we got our family dog - a labrador when my eldest child was 3 and my middle one was a one year old. Whilst he was initially a bit bouncy they very quickly all found a way to live and play together. Having the kids around helped him to calm down quite quickly as he didn't want to hurt them and loves their cuddles and fuss.

We also got our dog in the spring months when they could all pile outside and play for hours in the garden before heading off to the park for a walk.

We've since gone on and had another child who is now much more boisterous than the dog who is calm, patient and kind with a crawler / toddler who's now 14 months.

To answer your question about breeds and rescue dogs - I would go for a puppy and a labrador / golden retriever type dog. They're very loyal and happy to walk / play for hours and are excellent with kids. I haven't had one moment of doubt about leaving the kids in a room with the dog on their own. I would have with other breeds.

My sister got a rescue puppy before she had her daughter and the pup had been abused since birth so had real trust issues. If he ever felt threatened he would flip and bite. It wasn't his fault, but he needed a quieter life style than my sister could offer. Even though she got him when he was very little (perhaps only 15 weeks old) the damage was already done and he couldn't trust. In the end she had to have him put to sleep because he was becoming dangerous and unpredictable. So I would always find out the full history of any dog before taking it home.

But like Adventure Dad I think dogs are great and really help the kids to enjoy an active outdoors lifestyle.
CLM

[Larapru]

Thank you coffee loving mum, great advice and a good point about the rescue dog. My parents had rescue dogs and both had their issues. It was fine for my parents as it was just the two of them but with little ones you don't want to be worried about them and your family dog. Umm maybe next spring then or the spring after!

[Surreymum]

We have recently got a rescue dog which had lots of benefits - ie that he was already house-trained, we could be very specific about the type of dog we needed (ie good with children, happy to be left for short periods of time). He has been fantastic and my daughter, aged 8, is absolutely besotted with him. The only negative that we have found is that we are not able to let him of the lead as yet as due to the trauma he has encountered in the past he is always looking for the quickest escape route.

I hope this helps - I worried endlessly before gettting a dog but in the event he has slotted very easily into our family life.

[Larapru]

Because of the number of lovely rescue dogs out there that need homes, I'd prefer to rescue, if that makes sense! Thanks for your advice.