Topic: thinking of getting a dog, advice please

[spudsmummy]

hi there
i am moving to a house in the near future and have been thinking about getting a dog once we are settled. i have a 2 1/2 year old who is very active. we lead a active outdoor lifestyle.
i would love a Weimaraner but i am not sure the breed is right at the moment. i was thinking of a rescue dog/cross breed.
i really just want to get as much info before i make any decisions.

thank you

[Flighty]

Why not contact a local dog rescue centre as they are usually very helpful.

[Hector]

Best family dog we have ever had is our Whippet :) Greyhounds are also super. Here's what I mean

[flowerofshona2007]

Most rescues dont rehome to familys with young children.
A few things to remember dogs should not be left alone more than 4 hours a day max and as puppies only an hour and then in a safe dog crate.
Dogs live 15 years plus and you willneed to thnk about holidays ect.
You must never leave ANY dog with a child alone as this is when bad things can happen which may not be the dogs fault but the dog will get the blame.
Cross breeds are less highly strung and tend to be good dogs :)
I have 3 labs 2cross breeds and love them all i have no childen and im with them all day.
Weimaraners do have some heath problems so do some resurch and take your time:)

[spudsmummy]

yes i have seen that they wont place with under 5 which is really annoying. so many dogs missing out.
 i am at home all day and dont holiday out of the country  tent to go camping so the dog can come too.
like i said i dont think Weimaraners would be a good idea untill my son is older although i would love one.

what are costs like? i mean true costs of food, insurances, vets bills and any other costs.

thanks again

[kt.]

Rescue homes where we live in Teeside will not re-home if the owner would be out of the home over 4hrs per day.

[Barnowl]

You might take a look at Vizslas. Smaller than Weimarana and I understand rather more gentle.

[twins 59]

yes i have seen that they wont place with under 5 which is really annoying. so many dogs missing out.
 i am at home all day and dont holiday out of the country  tent to go camping so the dog can come too.
like i said i dont think Weimaraners would be a good idea untill my son is older although i would love one.

what are costs like? i mean true costs of food, insurances, vets bills and any other costs.

thanks again

[Old bird]

It depends on what size of dog you get!

I have a lurcher and a labrador and they cost me - foodwise about 8 per week that is a tin of chappie a day and 3 handfuls of mixer.

I have insurance for both and that works out at about 9 - 12 a month.

Vets bills vary round the country but you need to think of annual vaccination and worming and de-flea-ing 3 monthly.

I would suggest that a smaller less powerful dog would be ideal for your children's first dog and you may then be able to add your weimerana at a later stage!

If you decide on a breed you would like - look up that breed rescue on the internet - most of them have people in most areas rehoming dogs.  I would suggest for an easy, portable "steady" dog a border terrier would be hard to beat.

I can understand rescue homes being iffy with young kids - as if the kids get hurt by the animal - they will come in for a load of flack!

Good luck anyway.  I could not live without my dogs - they are constant companions - always happy - and always pleased to see you!

Old Bird

 :D

[skyblu]

I know it's frustrating when a kennel won't rehome to somewhere with young children but unfortunately they are often the reason why the dog gets returned or 'bounced' back to the kennels, often through no fault of their own.  The dogs simply don't understand children if they haven't been raised with them and can be fearful of them and their fast and unpredictable movements.  Or the dog may just be too boisterous or bouncy and run the risk of knocking a toddler flying by accident.  Having said that, there are places that will rehome with young children or have a flexible policy and state what age the child should be as a minimum.

Greyhounds (any sighthound) always get my vote.  They are very gentle natured dogs and not very demanding of attention in the way that more active breeds such as spaniels, retrievers or collies are.  I have 2 greyhounds now and had a lurcher for 10 years.  I also have a 7 year old step daughter who adores my dogs and they adore her.  We introduced them when she was 4 years old and with some guidance from me on the correct way to treat dogs and how to behave around them, we have never had a problem.  

However...there are some drawbacks as with any breed.  They are often retired racers with very high prey drive and may never be allowed off lead.  They may never be able to live with 'small furries' or even allowed to play with other smaller dogs.  They have very fine skin and cannot handle the same rough and tumble that a dog with thicker skin and fur can (their coats often bear old scars in testament to this).

But all in all I would still rather have a sighthound/sighthound cross any day.  Their temperaments are wonderful, greyhounds don't smell as strongly 'doggy' as other breeds due to the single coat (other dogs have a double layer coat) and minimal oils that their skin produces.  There are also so very many of them looking for homes as they are still abandoned by the racing industry who use them as a commodity.  There are greyhound rescue centres all over the country and all have different adoption criteria, so definitely worth asking.

I can't personally recommend Weimaraners as it was one of them who launched an unprovoked attack on one of my greyhounds and caused horrific damage to her thigh.  Of course this doesn't necessarily reflect the breed as a whole but it has left me extremely wary of a dog that can turn and be so out of character (according to its owners).

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.  

[wetandcold]

My only advice would be to try and get a cross-breed rescue dog. We have had one for 9 years and she is so lovely that three of our friends have followed suit and they all now have happy mongrels of their own!

As far as I can tell (don't quote me on this) a lot of cross-breeds are less prone to illness and genetic problems than some pedgree dogs. Ours, and our friend's dogs are just great!

Leaving them alone regularly shouldn't really be done (this was why ours was in the rescue centre in the first place - apparently she was mad and ate their house). Costwise - as it has been mentioned already, this will vary loads depending upon the dog and it's luck. I reckon we spend about £50 a year at the vets and about £4 per week on dry dog food (bakers) but this is supplemented by anything suitable we have left from dinner (rice etc.). She loves egg but never gets is as it has disastrous consequences of the gaseous kind...

[Sinbad7]

I expect I am going to be the only one to give you this advice but if it was me I wouldn't get a dog, that includes all breeds, until your son is older.

I

[cocopops]

You might take a look at Vizslas. Smaller than Weimarana and I understand rather more gentle.

I was just about to say the same.  I have a Vizla x and another bitza.  I was unsure about having a dog but Vizlas are brilliant.  They are known as 'velcro dogs' as they love their owners so much.  My children, 9 & 5, are the bosses.  There is not a melicious bone in him, the tom cat rules!! Look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizla

I few pic of mine:

God forbid I should lose one, it's a Vitzlas again.

[betula]

Just thought I would give them a mention to people in that area.

http://www.rainrescue.co.uk/

[debster]

we have rehomed a rescue dog in the last 3 weeks, and he is a darling. i would do some serious research there are websites for pretty much every rescue in Britain.
Our little fella Charlie is the size of a corgi, he eats a tin and a half of dog food a day (small tins are just around 50p) with a handful of mixer in it this is set by his weight the heavier the dog the more food it will need.
they need de fleaing once a month worming once every 3 months (if like mine it eat everything it can lays its teeth in) and vaccinations every year, then there are the sundries collar,lead, bowls, toys, poopy bags, bed and bedding, dog guard for the car, crate (if you use one) etc etc then insurance for him is around £7 a month

rescues ask a fee for the dog we paid £120 for Charlie and for that he was castrated, vaccinated and microchipped,

i dont claim to know much about dogs but cos i have just gone through the process its all fresh in my cheque book lol

http://www.dogpages.org.uk/  this site is well worth a look as is this one which tells you the average cost of vet bills etc should you have to  pay for them
http://www.whatprice.co.uk/pets/prices.html

hope this helps

[davyw1]

DONT  I was 7ft 6 before we got ours now i am 5ft 4

[Mr Smith]

We have a local Greyhound rescue near by and having had Lurchers, Greyhounds and Whippets in the past and knowing that they make good family members I would go for a retired Greyhound, :)

[Theplotthickens]

......i would love a Weimaraner but i am not sure the breed is right at the moment......

...nor will it ever be, they are rangey dogs and need/crave distance and space to move about in.
IMHO get a Heinz57 preferably collie/lab bred for intelligence and laid back temperament and finally get to training lessons.....for you not the dog.

[woodybrown]

hi we have a rescue rottweiller and she is a darlin she slotted strait in with our other rottie and lab . have you considered a staffy there are a hell of a lot of them in rescue , hope you get what your looking for . One point to think about is that no two dogs are the same and reputation counts for nothing good luck

[Paulines7]

There is no doubt about it, dogs are expensive and the older they get the more it costs.  We now pay over £20 a month insurance for our ten year old springer spaniel.  I have looked around for a cheaper deal but haven't found one yet despite the fact that we have never made a claim. 

Vet bills are very expensive and always just under the insurance claim level.  Wormers and tick/flea treatment add to the costs and must be done regularly.  I would estimate our dog costs us at least £1000 a year;  £250 + food, vets £150+, wormers, tick/flea treatment £70, insurance £250.  Fortunately we don't have to pay kennel fees as we take our dog with us in our caravan.  We take her to France twice a year and that costs £40 for her rabies jabs, another £100 to pay the vets bills in France to get the passport completed and £60 for two return trips on the ferry or Eurotunnel.  There can be additional costs at some camp sites.

My son has a greyhound and it is very docile but as Skyblu says, they cannot be let off the lead as they will chase and kill other furry creatures.  They are also very big and take up all of the boot in an estate car.