My husband and I are thinking about getting a puppy or young dog for our children, ages 8 %26amp; 4. I just don't know where to start. Aside from a few fish this will be the first animal any of us have ever had. I know I want a dog that has very short hair or doesn't shed a lot. He/she needs to be great w/ kids, obviously, and can be left alone for long periods of time. Our workday has us out of the house for about 10 hrs a day.
I also am interested in getting a dog from a shelter; as long as its an animal that fits well with our family.
How do you know which pet to choose?
As far as shedding goes it depends on the dog. Most dogs shed heavily when getting their winter coats or when shedding their winter coats. But for your situation a short-haired dog would probably best, and by the looks of it you don't want something like a newfoundlander or a golden retriever. As well, before you buy a dog you should probably contact someone you know who owns a dog or ask the pet store about it. Were you wanting a small dog or a medium-large dog? My personal favourites are medium-large dogs. Here is a list of dogs that are generally known for beeing good with children: Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Standard Poodle, Irish Setter, Boston Terrier, Collies, Beagle, Bichon Frise, Pugs, Bassett Hound, Springer Spaniel, Burmese Mountain Dog, Standard Schnauzer, Newfoundland, Bulldog and Boxers. It is not a complete list, many dogs can be good with children and if you want a large dog - Great Danes are gentle giants but sometimes hard to come by. As for being out of the house, that can sometimes be problematic for dogs as they may get lonely or restless and need out to go to the washroom during the day, and you need to factor this in and see if your family is ready for a dog. Maybe in a few years when your family is stable for it? Whatever you do, don't rush into it without considering everything, getting a dog is a big deal. It is a living creature and you have to have responsibility for it. I would not exactly think of getting a young dog for your first dog because you need to have LOTS of time for a puppy to train it. If you're going to be gone for 10 hours a day, you can't leave a young dog or puppy who isn't potty-trained or has good ground manners alone with no contact - it's not natural. I'd suggest getting an older, well-trained dog from the shelter with experience with kids because if you ever get a puppy it shouldn't be with really young kids (puppies are energetic and like chewing things - nibbling on little kids fingers!). Once you've owned a dog it'll be easier with the second. Also make sure you have a big enough house and backyard for the dog. You need to think about all these things before you buy a dog.
Good luck
How do you know which pet to choose?
That's great. A cat is a good pet, but if you live so close to home you could probably get an older dog. Thanks for choosing me as best answer, good luck deciding! Report It
How do you know which pet to choose?
Cats don't bark or need to be walked
How do you know which pet to choose?
we got a six week old golden retriever and they are hyper you want a dog that is trained wont bite and isnt young!!! we call our golden retriever the goat because he eats everything!! weiner dogs are good around kids and can be kept in the cage for a long time, they also have short hair dont kno if you will find one at a shelter though
How do you know which pet to choose?
If you are going to be gone 10 hours a day.... maybe you should consider a cat. They are independant and bath themselves. Easier care too if you get one of those hairless looking Devon Rex. lol
How do you know which pet to choose?
Well i was going 2 suggest a poodle, but those are very hard 2 get from a shelter. u could try a chihuahua.
How do you know which pet to choose?
Stick with the fish, 10 hours gone each day is way too long for a puppy, or any adult dog. You can hold a pee for 10 hours ? You can't leave a dog penned outside all the time, and you can't leave a dog crated 10 hours a day. You are busy with life and kids and a dog isn't a good idea at all. A cat? Maybe, a dog, no.
How do you know which pet to choose?
I'm a kid and I have grown up with LOTS of different animals around. I think that a dog is a very good idea. :) You should go to the shelter with your kids. Find a probably small (they would probably be easiest to care for though I have never had one) that doesn't shed or barely does. Some shelters let you take them on walks or play with them. Try to do that and you will probably know when you have found your dog.
Since you work find a calm, older dog, defenitly not a puppy. And don't forget a fence or an electrical fence. A dog door is a good idea, too if you are gone a lot.
How do you know which pet to choose?
Um... Any dog with short hair is going to shed.
Labs(Weigh anywhere from 60-100+) shed a lot, so do toy fox terries(4-13lbs), jack russels(15-30) etc.
You can get a dog that doesn't shed, and keep it shaved down. You would have to do it quite often though.
Wire-coated dogs like a Cairn Terrier(Around 20)(Toto from the Wizard of Oz) don't seem to shed as much as short haired dogs, but they have longer hair.
Labs are wonderful with children, but they do shed A LOT. There's a breed called a Labradoodle(Lab and Poodle mix(50-100lbs)) that should shed little if any at all, but the hair is going to get long.
Another breed that does well with children are Boston Terriers, hyper little things, but soo good with families and other dogs. They do shed a bit, but not too much (As much as a Lab.)
If you really want a short haired dog, there's an AMAZING brush called a "FURminator" that reduces shedding by 90%. It is soooo good. I really would suggest getting one with a short haired dog. Here's a link. http://furminator.com/
If you happen to get a puppy, puppies adjust better to kids because they grow up used to them. Some dogs at shelters have not been exposed to kids, and can get kinda of nasty. Be careful about what you choose. : )
How do you know which pet to choose?
The best kind of family dog that are great with kids are Great Danes ( they are know as the gentle Giants) or a Labrador the short name for them is (LAB). The lab. will be a great dogs for the kids, if you can get a female. The female lab's will act as if the kids are her pups and if they fall or get sick they will be at their side.
How do you know which pet to choose?
If this is your first pet, and you're sure you want a dog, don't get a puppy. While they are cute, cuddly and adorable, your work schedule of 10 hr days is not going to adapt to a puppy's needs. What about an an older dog? Many elderly adults who must go into full time residential care are forced to give up their pets. This would be a perfect solution for you and for them. Many of these dogs are already house broken, settled into a routine, have some manners, and if you found one already accustomed to grandchildren, how cool would that be! Contact the residential care facilities in your area and let them know you are interested in fostering/adopting a resident's pet. You'll end up with a much more rewarding 'first time' dog owning experience.
How do you know which pet to choose?
A ten hour workday is a long time for a dog to hold it.. On rare occasion I am gone that long, but, I keep my dogs babygated in one room and sure wouldn't fault them for having an accident.. If ten hours a day will always be the routine, you will want to have a dog walker come by about midway though.. If you have a neighbor with dogs that's home while you're at work, that might be a good way to go about it.. They don't need a long walk during the day, but, you sure don't want them holding it that long or it could end up with a bladder infection..
Either way, you'll want to get an adult dog, but, I would suggest going through a rescue rather then a shelter.. Rescues typically rescue dogs from shelters and put them into foster homes.. so, a lot of the time you can get a dog that's already part of the way housebroken and often you can find one that's been fostered with kids already.. You can find a group on Petfinder by searching by zipcode.. DO make sure you read the groups policies as some prefer not to work with families with small children.. There are plenty of groups though that are willing to work with a family that has done their research and is willing to learn...
Here's some good links..
Here's a pretty decent guide to choosing a rescue
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/srcresc.ht...
Crate Training
http://www.barkbytes.com/training/crate....
Dog food info- extensive website with several pages that should be required reading
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?...
Another thing you will want to do is do a search on Petfinder.com to get an idea of what breeds are commonly available in your area.. From there, go ahead and research how those breeds characteristics tend to be.. There's no point in looking at profiles and determining that the Havanese is the dog for you if there aren't any available at rescues in your immediate area.. You can search just by species and size to see what breeds are available in that size range..
You're are going to want to find a rescue that sounds willing to spend the extra time you will probably need both in selecting a dog and in followup learning.
How do you know which pet to choose?
10 hours is entirely too long for a dog. Occasionally it would be fine if you had someone to let a dog out to do its business. As much as I dont like cats, thats what I would go with if you really want a pet. Birds are cool too.....they can be taught to talk.
How do you know which pet to choose?
A dog is NOT for you, especially a puppy. No way should any dog be left alone for 10 hrs at a time. I hope u think thru about what is involved in housebreaking a puppy or taking a dog outdoors to relieve itself 3 or 4 times a day. I know of what I say, I`ve had dogs for 30 yrs of my life. If u must have a pet, a cat should be ur choice, they need only a litter pan, food and water and don`t need walked or trained. If u`ve never had a pet, get a book on both cat and dog care and read what is required of a responsible pet owner. Except for a cat, there is much more involved than u may think. Don`t make a mistake u may later regret. There is nothing better than having a great dog and companion. To many mistakes now live in animal shelters thru no fault of their own.
How do you know which pet to choose?
you should not get a puppy because by the time they get 12 they will hate it
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