Talk me out of getting a puppy

[blackkitty]

Okay, I'm probably not going to get one right now but I seriously came very very close this weekend!! They had the freaking cutest lab/ pit bull mix puppy for adoption this weekend (shameless blog plug: check out my blog in siggy for picture!)

So I live on the 3rd floor, with carpet (that was just cleaned last week)and I really have no business getting a puppy right now b/c of this (plus the expense, in March my debt will be paid off but focusing on that right now). We'll be moving into a house in May 2014 so I know I should wait...

But my son wants one so bad (his dad gave his dog away after we moved away!) And he has autism so it would be good therapy for him (I plan to have him trained as a therapy dog). PLUS, my son and I would take the dog to local hospitals for visits too... So how can I NOT do it?

Plus, the shelter has a golden retriever about to have puppies that would be ready RIGHT IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!! AND
I met a woman and her dog there and it was a golden retriever and a therapy dog!! (It's a sign no?)

I have no idea about dogs, I've had one but not one on my own (my XH was primary caretaker). I know nothing about breeds, but I'd want one that isn't crazy high energy and that isn't prone to health problems (we had a springer and he was nuts, plus had a lot of ear problems). I also want a medium size dog (like the Springer was around 55 lbs).

[bullygirl979]

Puppies are wicked cute but A LOT of work. For real.

Think potty training going outside every few hours when you are home to make sure he goes outside and stopping home on your lunch break to let him out. Think that puppies CHEW on stuff and need pretty constant supervision unless you want to be cleaning up accidents and finding your belongings chewed to bits. Think going to obedience classes to make sure he is well behaved. Think $$ cause you need to make sure he is UTD with shots and is neutered. Think daily walks to get the energy out. Oh, and forget about making long plans after work cause you have to stop home to let the dog out first.

Don't get me wrong, I would trade my dog for the world but dogs are a lot of work and puppies are 20 xs worse.

[blackkitty]

thanks Bully! Mission accomplished!!

[bullygirl979]

Oct 15, 2012 11:22:44 GMT -5 @blackkitty said:

thanks Bully! Mission accomplished!!

Lol. I wasn't trying to talk you out of it, per se. I just want you to be aware of what's involved. It is a HUGE pet peeve when people adopt puppies "cause they are SO CUTE!" but then bitch about how much work they are. Um...yeah. It's a damn puppy, of course it is work, lol!

[doriswe]

We got a puppy once....it has horrible! He ate my shoes, pooped in the house, dug up the yard, barked at everything and nipped at the kiddo (even after we did obdience training). We recently got a 6 year old black lab and she's awesome sauce! She can be left alone for hours and I don't worry about her getting into trouble. She loves the hell out of the kids and spends most of her day following them around the house and napping.

[blackkitty]

Oct 15, 2012 11:25:12 GMT -5 bullygirl979 said:

Oct 15, 2012 11:22:44 GMT -5 @blackkitty said:

thanks Bully! Mission accomplished!!

Lol. I wasn't trying to talk you out of it, per se. I just want you to be aware of what's involved. It is a HUGE pet peeve when people adopt puppies "cause they are SO CUTE!" but then bitch about how much work they are. Um...yeah. It's a damn puppy, of course it is work, lol!

I think that honestly people like me that have never been responsible for a puppy just don't realize what is involved. I really think that right now the best thing is to not adopt a puppy. At least until we get into a house and I can just let it out in the back yard. Don't you think? And I couldn't let a dog out on my lunch break but I would imagine I could hire a dog walker right?

[bullygirl979]

Oct 15, 2012 11:28:23 GMT -5 @blackkitty said:

Oct 15, 2012 11:25:12 GMT -5 bullygirl979 said:

Lol. I wasn't trying to talk you out of it, per se. I just want you to be aware of what's involved. It is a HUGE pet peeve when people adopt puppies "cause they are SO CUTE!" but then bitch about how much work they are. Um...yeah. It's a damn puppy, of course it is work, lol!

I think that honestly people like me that have never been responsible for a puppy just don't realize what is involved. I really think that right now the best thing is to not adopt a puppy. At least until we get into a house and I can just let it out in the back yard. Don't you think? And I couldn't let a dog out on my lunch break but I would imagine I could hire a dog walker right?

Oh, yeah, if you've never had one, then you don't know. But you ARE being responsible in that you are researching how much work it is and not just doing in on impulse, kwim?

Personally, I would wait. I had a small dog in an apartment (under 10lbs) but I think for bigger dogs a yard is preferable. Also, consider getting an older dog like Doris suggested. I adopted my pitty girl when she was 5 months old. She was already somewhat housebroken so she wasn't AS much work. And if you get an even older dog, chances are they will be a lot less work. Make sense?

To answer your question, you could totally get a dog walker. Keep in mind though, if you get an "adult" dog or once it becomes an adult, you wouldn't necessarily need to do this. My pups are now 1.5 and 2 years old and they go out at 8am and then when I get home from work around 5p.

[naeljun]

I'm not a pet person at all. Never, ever will have one. don't do it. they shed and smell and go to the bathroom outside and then come in and rub their ass all over everything. Just the thought of it grosses me out. If I go to someone's house who has a dog, I won't sit on the furniture.

[katietornado]

I actually just wrote an admissions essay on the experience I had getting a dog from a shelter on an impulse. He was full grown but OMG what a disaster. I didn't know anything about anything...I didn't do any research, I didn't know anything about him (I just thought he was cute), and he hadn't been prey drive tested, temperament tested, etc. FTR, we worked it out...three trainers, thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours of training, and 5.5 years later. I've had inhuman amounts of patience with this dog, and I've had over 60 other foster animals through my home in the past 5 years, and still...I will never, ever, EVER get a puppy.

I foster retired racing greyhounds, and I know many who are therapy dogs. They are lazy as all getout, but happy to go for walks when you want to. They are adults when you adopt them, so out of the whole puppy chewing peeing waking up in the middle of the night phase. They're generally quite healthy (they're bred for health as well as speed),and their coats are maintenance-free. They're super stoic and are used to being poked and prodded (they are weighed/examined/nails trimmed before every race). They tend to be great with kids, because you can do anything to them. Our friends with a special needs daughter (genetic syndrome) are fostering this lovely girl: www.teamgreyhound.com/details/jas_lucky_shoe She is fantastic with their daughter and so gentle. And greyhounds are well socialized with people and other dogs (an aggressive dog isn't going to race; it's going to fight), which means you can take them lots of places. Our dog (not a grey) is terribly suspicious of other dogs he meets and usually does horribly with introductions (he assumes the other dog means him harm, so he attacks before the other dog can).

Anyway...many people don't realize that greyhounds make fabulous pets, and I thought I'd just throw it out there. If you look for greyhounds on petfinder, you will probably find a group holding meet and greets near you, where you can go meet the dogs they have available for adoption. It's so fun to stand in the middle of a crowd of greyhounds...they're so docile and sweet and calm...it's nothing like standing in the middle of a crowd of Kelpies!

This is Boomer; we fostered him this summer:

[blackkitty]

Thanks for the idea with Greyhounds, I hadn't considered them. Aren't they kind of big though? I don't want to spend a gajillion dollars on dog food.

[dakotadangerdog]

One of my good friends just adopted a greyhound a few months ago! They're tall but skinny. So maybe they don't eat a ton? haha

BUT if you ever need to be talked out of getting a dog, just text me. I will give you 9,000 reasons why you don't want a dog right now. I had a puppy in a 3rd Floor apartment with an asshole ex husband. I have a lot of fun stories.

[katietornado]

I am sitting on my couch with a 60-pound female right now (http://www.teamgreyhound.com/details/skate_kennedy). She has lost a few pounds since that bio was written because she was a fatty.

Females tend to be smaller, from 55 to 65 pounds. Males are larger (my boy grey is enormous at 92 pounds, but average is around 75). We get them Nature's Domain grain-free turkey & sweet potato food at Costco. One 35-pound bag is $30 and would last this girl 6 weeks or so. She gets 1.25 cups twice a day. By comparison, my big male gets 2 cups twice a day. If you feed a higher quality food, you can feed less than you would of foods with tons of corn and fillers (bonus: smaller poops). It's important to keep them lean, so you really should avoid feeding too much.

Let me know if you ever have questions about them...they really are wonderful dogs and I think they make great pets for anyone who isn't trying to run a marathon with a dog. On the contrary, I love my own dog (he's an Australian Kelpie) to death, but I have literally never told ANYONE to get a kelpie. They are insane. We run 15+ miles together each day on the weekends, and he gets home and picks up his ball to play. And he's SEVEN years old. I don't think he'll ever stop!

[dakotadangerdog]

Oct 15, 2012 14:17:03 GMT -5 katietornado said:

I am sitting on my couch with a 60-pound female right now (http://www.teamgreyhound.com/details/skate_kennedy). She has lost a few pounds since that bio was written because she was a fatty.

Females tend to be smaller, from 55 to 65 pounds. Males are larger (my boy grey is enormous at 92 pounds, but average is around 75). We get them Nature's Domain grain-free turkey & sweet potato food at Costco. One 35-pound bag is $30 and would last this girl 6 weeks or so. She gets 1.25 cups twice a day. By comparison, my big male gets 2 cups twice a day. If you feed a higher quality food, you can feed less than you would of foods with tons of corn and fillers (bonus: smaller poops). It's important to keep them lean, so you really should avoid feeding too much.

Let me know if you ever have questions about them...they really are wonderful dogs and I think they make great pets for anyone who isn't trying to run a marathon with a dog. On the contrary, I love my own dog (he's an Australian Kelpie) to death, but I have literally never told ANYONE to get a kelpie. They are insane. We run 15+ miles together each day on the weekends, and he gets home and picks up his ball to play. And he's SEVEN years old. I don't think he'll ever stop!

Do you know how that food is for dogs with sensitive stomachs? I would loooove to switch my dog to something cheaper! She's currently eating Evo Turkey & Chicken and it's like twice the price!

[Deleted]

I am disappointed that there are no cute puppy pictures in this thread. WAHHH.

[blackkitty]

Oct 15, 2012 15:03:13 GMT -5 doglove said:

I am disappointed that there are no cute puppy pictures in this thread. WAHHH.

go to my blog.
Cutest puppy eva!!!

[katietornado]

DDD, it's been pretty good to us so far. We've had over 30 greyhound fosters now. Before we started using this food, we were using the shit that gets donated to the rescue (Pedigree, Science Diet), and we had several dogs that did poorly on that food. So far, we've had at least 15 dogs do really well on the Nature's Domain. My Cal (the Kelpie) was on Evo and we also switched because of the price!

Also, on a completely unrelated note, I just got back from CrossFit and we did front squats and snatches and it was nothing but "rack" and "snatch" jokes the WHOLE time.

[winecat]

I love greyhounds! But what about adopting momma golden? She needs a home too. I would also never, ever, ever get another puppy again.