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General => Pets Corner => Topic started by: spudsmummy on April 26, 2009, 22:16:55
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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
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Why not contact a local dog rescue centre as they are usually very helpful.
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Best family dog we have ever had is our Whippet :) Greyhounds are also super. Here's what I mean
(http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1098/4708695/20441985/355714290.jpg)
(http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1098/4708695/9812569/362589840.jpg)
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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:)
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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
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Rescue homes where we live in Teeside will not re-home if the owner would be out of the home over 4hrs per day.
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You might take a look at Vizslas. Smaller than Weimarana and I understand rather more gentle.
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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
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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
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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.
(http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj149/skyblupoo/Sky%20and%20Jet/050619004.jpg)
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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...
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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
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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.
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Just thought I would give them a mention to people in that area.
http://www.rainrescue.co.uk/
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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
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DONT I was 7ft 6 before we got ours now i am 5ft 4
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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, :)
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......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.
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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
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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.
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greyhounds and whippets are great - they are intrnsically lazy though but have the instinct for the chase.
they are very good with people and as long as you apply the exercise, discipline affection model ala caesar the dog whisperer - then there will be no probs
good luck!
dax
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Definately recommend a greyhound, ours adores our one year old baby. Have learnt that Greys come in two varieties, keen and timid, in our experience a timid grey will stick with you once they have gained your trust, the advantage here is they are less likely to chase small furries, are generally less boisterous so wont knock little one over, and can be let off the lead with confidence of a return to you. Keen ones tend to be the otherside of the coin.
A friend has a keen grey and they are now unable t let it off as it bolts from Caistor to Yarmouth and they have to keep getting it from the caravan sites!
They only need two 20 minute walks a day or even if pushed in your lifestyle one good mad dash! Feeding wise you will not have any scraps left over ever!!! With her greyhound food and scraps ours costs out at about 35p a day for two meals.
If you do go down the greyhound route don't leave food at nose level i.e. on worktops etc it will be gone!
Good luck with your choice whatever you end up with. ;D
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We have had a rescue dog since March 2008. She cost €150 and this included a chip, vet's examination, collar, feeding bowl and a toy. - http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/Obelixx_be/Rasta/ She was 11 months old when we got her, filthy and with a 3" layer of felted wool under a shaggy top coat. She was very shy and quiet initially but has blossomed into a confident, playful and exceptionally loving and affectionate member of the family.
She is thought to be a Tibetan terrier cross but I think has some Griffon in her. Either way, she has wool rather than fur so needs regular grooming and clipping sessions every 2 or 3 months at the doggy hairdresser at €50 a throw.
Once she'd got over kennel cough and been clipped we started on training sessions which cost €15 a go but we needed to learn how to handle her properly as much as she needed to learn to obey basic commands like sit, down, heel and come. We were also advised to buy her a cage (€100) to sleep in at night and to have her own place of quiet if she feels the need.
I haven't costed her food but she gets complete food biscuits and no tinned meat plus chews, pigs ears and other treats plus a dental hygiene chew per day. She does not get leftovers but does get an occasional poached egg if I'm doing one for me.
Additional costs are toys, worming, flea and tick treatments, annual jabs and her rabies jab. Training sessions are as and when we need them and can vary but have been a great boon. We can now trust her with children, other people, other dogs, in any public situation such as towns, villages, markets etc and also let her off the lead on walks in the country. She’s a demon pheasant chaser which we haven’t cured but leaves other creatures, including cats, alone because we ask it of her. She loves long walks and needs a minimum of one hour a day but will happily do 11 or 12 kms or more if we go out for a day.
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I would not advise any pet with a toddler in the house. A friend got a beautiful kitten last year to "teach her 3 year old about animals". The child screeched whenever it came near, or chased it and threw toys at it, and the poor cat is now scared of all humans and spends its time hiding under furniture and messing on the carpet.
I'd wait til the child is 7 or 8 and don't get a dog that is so large the child cannot safely take it for a walk. IMO a Weinmaraner, Rottweiler or Staffie is a big no-no!
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I think that's a parenting failure and they mustn't have taken enough care when introducing the kitten to seethat both kitten and toddler were comfortable. Toddlers can easily be taught how to handle pets with the right approach.
We already had 3 cats when Possum was born and got a new one when she was 2 or 3 and there were no problems at all. In fact one of the cats used to come shouting to tell me when Possum was crying and would get very agitated if I didn't respond fast enough.
Having said that, I wouldn't introduce a new dog near a baby or toddler. Possum was 13 when Rasta arrived and had been clamouring for a dog for several years. Nevertheless we waited till she was old enough to be responsible which includes respect for a dog's needs and behaviour and also being able to cope with the training, walking and playtime.
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We have had a rescue dog since March 2008. She cost €150 and this included a chip, vet's examination, collar, feeding bowl and a toy. - http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/Obelixx_be/Rasta/
What a beautiful dog!
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Thank you. We think so too and so do many other people who wander up and ask us what she is and even if they can have a puppy.
Most important for us though is that she's well behaved and very funny and a great asset to our small family. We love her to bits and it's reciprocated.
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Thank you. We think so too and so do many other people who wander up and ask us what she is and even if they can have a puppy.
Most important for us though is that she's well behaved and very funny and a great asset to our small family. We love her to bits and it's reciprocated.
I can quite understand people wanting a dog like her. Nobody has ever come up to me and asked about my dogs because they wanted one the same!
Do you know anything about her history?
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She was abandoned because the original owners claimed to be allergic - except that she doesn't shed her coat so I can't see how. She was unkempt and full of flea detritus, was skin and bone under the rug and, whenever I got out the broom or mop would back off and hide. She's still wary of anything that looks like a stick.
She's clever and has been easy to train. She has no vices, is good with other dogs, puppies, babies, children and adults. She's a treasure.
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Shes a beauty. Tibetan terrier, never heard of them before. We pick our new pup up after Tea, shes a cocker crossed with a plumber terrier. We've decided on Lola. Anytips on house training its the first pup we've both had since leaving home so its all new. I remember as a kid having a greyhound and walking barefoot into the room where she was. Stood straight on a still warm poo, all through my toes. You never forget stuff like that. ;D
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I agree with what others have said.
Wait until your child is a little older, before considering getting a dog.
I too would recommend a whippet or greyhound to anyone.
Contrary to what people still seem to think, they can live happily with small dogs, and other pets.
If you get a dog from either Greyhounds in Need, or the Retired Greyhound Trust, they make sure dogs are matched to the prospective homes.
I had a champion racing dog, and after re training, she could quite safely be let off the lead.
Another old wives tale, is that they only need two 20 minute walks a day. A greyhound will be quite happy to walk as far as you wish to go.
If you do think of getting a rescue dog, I have a list of breed rescue addresses and phone numbers in the UK.
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I love greyhounds, but all the ones I've met love to chase small furry things! A friends dog smelt guinea pig on one of their barbecue guest's clothes, sneaked over the fence and returned with the neighbour's pet in its mouth. Cue screaming children ::)
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I love greyhounds, but all the ones I've met love to chase small furry things! A friends dog smelt guinea pig on one of their barbecue guest's clothes, sneaked over the fence and returned with the neighbour's pet in its mouth. Cue screaming children ::)
Whereas our golden retriever of 30 years ago not only found the hamster that had been missing for over a week but carefully put it back in its hamster house and stood guard over it until a human appeared on the scene to close the hamster cage. Not a single hair damaged. I guess that's why they're called retrievers!! ;)
Oh he also used to take the cat for a walk on his back and pulled the kids to school on a sledge through the snow. All in all quite a versatile chappy.
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implementing the dog whisperers mantra of exercise dissiplene and then and only then affection
all dogs need to appropriately exercised to give them a healthy lifestyle.
It should be known that if you are exercising greyhounds - they will walk slowly all day and all night - you will never wear them out - jogging with them does not work either - its in the breeding.
The way to walk a grey hound is at a fast pace but not running - 20 minute bursts twice a day will suffice and the test is whether they just curl up afterwards
dax
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If you do think of getting a rescue dog, I have a list of breed rescue addresses and phone numbers in the UK.
I'd be interested in having a look at that. Is it on the inter-web thing ?
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Now that I've re-read your post and see your child is only 2, I'd also recommend waiting. Our children were in early grade school when the first dog arrived and had the joy of seeing it young and the responsibility of taking care of it.
From the work stand point, letting a dog in and out, in and out, one more body to have to plan around and for, plus sometimes they get into mischief,chew things, have the runs etc so inevitably there is more work in addition to your toddler, yes, I'd wait.
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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.
nope, I'll agree with you, sinbad7.
anyway, why do you want to pick up over 350 turds per year?
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Picking a dog.. ask yourself these questions with passion
Huge,Big , Medium, Small or Tiny..
Do you have the time, skill or aptitude to groom a lot , a little o somewhere in between..even paying someone to do it doesn't help with some breeds as it is a constant job...
As above,, but to do with exercise, some dogs are happy with a little, some needs loads and some do get enough just running around the garden.
Consider the different health problems connected with some breeds, large easily damaged eyes in Pekes, Pugs etc, kidneys in Dachshunds, hip dyspasia in some of the larger breeds, eye problems in othere etc etc.,, all breeds have their probs.
Long hair usually comes out in a seasonal molt..ok I know it is there all year but I did say usually, short hair molts continually.
My parents were greyhound breeders until I was about eight then we just kept a few pets later on over the years I bred and showed OES, pugs, pekes, tibetan spaniels and handled quite a few other breeds for friends so my advice is don't rush into it, read all you can and decide according to your own families needs.
Regarding the child. My kids were reared side by side with puppies from birth as I was , I never had a problem, in fact they showed and helped too as I did with my parents but I think you will know your own child best and know if they will be OK together beforehand. It is hard to get through to a small child that a sleeping dog should be left alone and that it is not a toy but it can be done and I don't think I would let it put me off if you have the time and patience for both.
Good Luck.
If you want to read about all the breeds to help you with your decision, go to the site of THE KENNEL CLUB you will find all the info you want there,
Re a rescue dog. it is hard to advise as again a lot depends on you. I am all for re homing BUT,, bear in mind you may not know the background, temperament etc of the animal so be cautious especially as you have a child and it may need more help and work. It works out very well for many folks though. Another consideration once you have decided on your breed consider a rescue in that one many of the breeds do have their own rescue schemes, there are many lists for these on the net.
XX Jeannine