Having a dog with working hours and other questions

[Deleted]

I haven't had many dogs in my life, but did have a springer spaniel when I was married for 7 years.  It's been about 5 years now that I have been dog-less.  I promised my son a dog this year but we are both out of the house from 8am to about 5:30pm every day.  Is that do-able?  I know we did it when we had the springer and I am definitely not getting a puppy.

I'm also trying to figure out the best breed to get and how to go about getting the dog.  Should I just go to the SPCA and see what they have or go through like a rescue group?  I'm more of a cat person so this is kind of new to me.  I thought a lab would be good but he really wants a small dog.  But I've heard small dogs aren't always great with small children (he's 9).  I also don't want a dog that barks all the time.

And, am I crazy to get him a dog before our backyard is fenced in?  We are getting a fence in March but I am thinking about getting him the dog from Santa next week.

[cmeon]

Please don't do the Santa dog. He should be involved in picking out his pet. Christmas is a horrible time to bring home a new pet, chaotic, loud, lots of visiting/visitors, it's just not good. If you want to do a dog over holiday break because you'll be home, do it now, not as a surprise.

Small dogs definitely aren't a bad thing for careful, kind kids- toddlers can be a problem, but, a 9yo? He knows not to pick up a dog by it's leg, throw a toy at him, or chew on his ear.

A good rescue group is a wonderful place to start if you're nervous about finding a dog that works for your situation. With the right amount of exercise and time before and after those "away from home" hours, most adult dogs will be fine. You do need to be honest with yourself about how much time you're willing to invest, though- the dog will need attention as soon as you get home, and that is tough sometimes, particularly with kids who need attention, too.

The selection of dogs and older puppies will be fabulous in a few months (as all those Santa dogs get dumped), you'll have had time to really think it through, research breeds together, prepare the house/yard. And having a fenced yard absolutely makes life with a dog easier.

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2014 13:46:53 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Please don't do the Santa dog. He should be involved in picking out his pet. Christmas is a horrible time to bring home a new pet, chaotic, loud, lots of visiting/visitors, it's just not good. If you want to do a dog over holiday break because you'll be home, do it now, not as a surprise.

Small dogs definitely aren't a bad thing for careful, kind kids- toddlers can be a problem, but, a 9yo? He knows not to pick up a dog by it's leg, throw a toy at him, or chew on his ear.

A good rescue group is a wonderful place to start if you're nervous about finding a dog that works for your situation. With the right amount of exercise and time before and after those "away from home" hours, most adult dogs will be fine. You do need to be honest with yourself about how much time you're willing to invest, though- the dog will need attention as soon as you get home, and that is tough sometimes, particularly with kids who need attention, too.

The selection of dogs and older puppies will be fabulous in a few months (as all those Santa dogs get dumped), you'll have had time to really think it through, research breeds together, prepare the house/yard. And having a fenced yard absolutely makes life with a dog easier.

He's not as "bad" as a toddler but he has autism so he can be a little erratic at times.  He'll sometimes yell at or chase the cats and they are a little unsure about him.  I don't want the same thing to happen with a dog, I've heard that small dogs can be a little more "unforgiving".

[cmeon]

We had 6 miniature dachshunds when our kids were babies/toddlers (and yes, my eyes roll out of my head when someone dumps their pet because "We're having a baby!")- they did really, really well with them. We only have one left, but, he's very attached to our 7yo DS, follows him around, lets him pick him up, cuddles on his lap.

Now, dachshunds probably aren't the breed for you- sure, there are quiet ones out there, but, they're hounds and hounds are noisy.

You might find that something in the 25lb range works well for you- most dogs that size won't need a ton of exercise (while, a lab will need multiple walks a day+ fetch and fetch and fetch), they will be small enough to fit on a lap, won't knock anyone (unless you trip over them), should be able to go all day with their bladder (the tiny breeds probably won't).

We have two enormous Pyr/Lab mix puppies now, and I will say they are so great with the kids. DD is 5 and she gives them a lot more attention (stranglehugs!) than most dogs would like, they eat it up. DS loves to play fetch with them, and they LOVE to play fetch.

[dr.girlfriend]

Also, you might consider a dog walker during the day.

[katietornado]

I don't feel comfortable leaving my dogs 9.5 hours. Seems like way too long.

We have an older (in his 60s) neighbor who drops by every day at lunch for a few minutes to let the dogs out into the yard to relieve themselves. We pay him $5 a day and it's totally worth it.

I think your best bet is a rescue group that has a dog in a foster home. The foster can tell you if the dog is a barker, and how it does with children.

You're not crazy to not wait for March; I had an extremely active dog (a herding breed) in an apartment for the first two years we had him. Of course, that was California, so taking him out on leash in the winter was no problem.

As for the santa thing, most rescues aren't going to let a dog to home without it meeting all the family members. And there's often a home visit involved where all family members must be present.

[caz1221]

I agree with the PPs' advice - take your time to consider the kind of dog that would be a good fit for you (temperament, size, energy level, etc.), and work with a rescue group to find a good match. They will be able to tell you which dogs have been tested with kids and cats (as it sounds like you have 1+ cats in your home as well).

Small dogs aren't automatically a bad fit for kids. I have a 16-month-old daughter and a 7.5-year-old pug (~19 lbs.). They are fabulous together, partly because my pug is super mellow and laid back, but mostly because I have trained both of them very well, monitor all interactions closely, give the dog a safe place to get away from the child (a crate or dog bed in a quiet place works well), and enforce the rules I have set - no touching the dog when he's eating or on his dog bed, only nice petting (no poking, tugging, prodding, hitting), no stealing toys (that goes for both of them!), etc. Best of luck with your decision!

[redheadbaker]

Forget the notion of finding the "best breed" for your family. All dogs are individuals. Any dog of any breed (or mix) can be good for a family with kids and cats, or not.

Think of the qualities you want in a dog (non-barky, "good" with kids, good with cats) and think of how much exercise you're realistically able to provide, how much grooming you're willing to deal with (or pay for). Then choose a few rescues and shelters, tell them the qualities you're looking for, and let them match you up.