Dog ownership - questions, costs??

[AdrianLvsRocky]

And I'd add to that a good pet owner has prepared for their pets in case of their owner(s)' untimely demise, particularly if they have a pet that will be difficult to rehome (older, needs special care, etc.). It can be as small as setting aside a small amount of money in your will from your estate, or asking your neighbor/ family to take in your pet, or making arrangements with a local care agency.

I totally agree. Last year I lost my 13 year old German Shepherd. She was such a beautiful girl and I still miss her terribly. I often think about getting another dog but my husband point blank refuses because he couldn't go through the heartache again and, deep down, I know he's right.

Also, a dog is such a HUGE commitment - I believe on a par with having children. While I don't necessarily think it's right, unless you have an animal to "do a job" like guarding, hunting, they are a member of your family and must be treated as such. We both work full time and don't really have the time at the moment to give a dog the attention it would need although it'd have all my love and adoration!

I think we'll probably have to wait until retirement before we could commit to another dog! Only 30 years to go!!

 

[Miss sofia]

Some great thoughts and advice here from you folks!

I have been a dog owner and a dog sitter for over 15 years now. I have looked after all kinds of breeds from Great Danes down to Chihauhas. I have loved every minute of it. I have to say, in that time, i have only encountered one or two dogs who i would not have cross my threshold again , due to their anti-social habits, and to which i hold the owners, not the dogs wholly responsible for. One was a jack russell, which was so full of fleas she had open sores and was therefore extremely grumpy and rather snappy. The owners deposited her on my doorstep and made a run for it, although in the paperwork i sent out, i did ask that all dogs were de-fleaed a few weeks before i take them, not, literally the morning they deposited her on the doorstep. Poor dog. The other was a mastiff, who again was rather bad mannered, but if you only lived on only sausages it would be understandable. When i went to meet him initially he was rather well behaved, (a neighbour of theirs later dobbed them in to me about how they maltreated him), but this was in the early days of my dogsitting, before i wised up to the fact that some people will lie and connive to get you to look after their pet so they can go on holiday.

The only advice i would give to any would be dog owners is to do your research. Don't choose a breed for purely aesthetic reasons, take into consideration the environment you live in and what kind/size/temperament of dog you can happily accomodate. Also certain pedigree breeds can be predisposed to certain medical problems, so a reputable breeder is needed for puppies and perhaps pet insurance or money put aside for vet's bills if anything should crop up. I have mainly owned cross-breeds which so far i have been lucky with in that respect.

Above all, as has been said, they are a commitment, my dogs have always been treated like my son, i.e with care and respect and love. Like small children, they benefit from a good routine, discipline, coupled with lots ofaffection and praise. If that's not your bag, then buy a goldfish!

 

[Mrs Chaddsley_Corbett]

If you are thinking of getting a a pup, please, seriously consider getting two from the same litter, they don't fret and settle in very quickly, and they are lifelong companions for each other

 

[djd]

The other thing to consider is that dogs are individuals and have different characters. If your dog turns out to be 'difficult' you can't just send him / her back. Just like a child you still have a responsibily for it no matter how awkward that is. One of mine is a rescue dog who despite a hell of a lot of training is very aggressive towards just about everyone and everything outside the family. He's also as strong as an ox and consequently very difficult to walk in public. It's a lot of work!

 

[Lady Day]

A good heart is not enough to rehabilitate, it takes a strong personality.
Aside from financial costs the emotional investment required by an owner is an equally important consideration. The pleasure of a good dog is priceless.

This whole thread comes at an interesting time for me as I'm planning on going to the pound tomorrow to look for a new doggie! It's been a year since mine passed so I think its time to start a new dog owning chapter in my life

I have to admit, I dislike dogs intensely.

Another tip (and admonition) I'd like to give dog owners is this:

When you're out and about and your dog runs happily or playfully up to a stranger, and maybe even jumps up at them, when that stranger looks uncomfortable, tries to avoid the dog, or even makes their displeasure known verbally, call back your dog immediately.

I'm tired of the following situation:

I'm walking in the forest, a dog approaches me, I hint or even ask the owner to call off their dog and the owner responds in any of the following ways:

"Oh, he likes you!"
"He doesn't mean any harm"
"He's okay, don't worry"
"He's just being friendly"
"His bark is worse then his bite!"

I HATE dog owners who allow their animals to do that. It's incredibly poor training and ignorance on the owners part. Just because you like dogs does not mean other people do and you have to respect that. I worked hard to train my 100+ pound dog NOT to jump up on people and I would correct the person who wanted her to do that to them. "It undermines my training," I'd say, "Don't order her to do that."

One time a dog did that to my dog, right on her face, and my dog barked. The owner said, "She's just trying to be friendly," so I waved my hand no more than half an inch from her face. She freaked. Then I said something like, "Does that seem friendly to you or like an incredible invasion of your personal space and creepy?"


LD

 

[Tatum]

Everyone has had some really great replies to this.

Having a dog (or two, as is our case) is a lot of flippin' work. The bigger they get, the more expensive they get. Monthly meds cost me about $30, food is about $60. We have to travel a lot for work, so we have to worry about getting someone to house-sit (we don't just have someone come and let them out and feed them; we get friends to stay over, the dogs prefer it and frankly, so do I). If we had snow down here, I would shovel for them so they would still have their play area.

Now that I've spoken of the dogs in a rather sterile manner, I wouldn't trade my boys for anything. Both are rescues. Both are willed to go to one of my best friends in the event of something happening to hubby and me. Monk, the one I've had since he was young, was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor within a few months of adoption. I could have returned him to the shelter, but I had adopted him and he was my responsibility. Period. It had nothing to do with the fact that I loved him desperately (although he was hard to train and drove me batty at times, he still does) but with the thought that I had taken him on, it would be wrong to send him back, there was no option for me but treatment. I emptied my savings account to get him healthy, and I would do it again for him, or our senior dog that we adopted last year.

I am also a huge advocate of training. I see badly trained dogs constantly and it drives me crazy. My boys know that not everyone likes a cold wet nose, and not every other dog is as happy to meet them as they are. They whine, but they will keep a distance until they are given permission to greet others, human or dog. We don't have a fence, and my guys know where the boundaries are. If you go by on the sidewalk and they don't know you, they stay right where they should. Needless to say, it took a ton of time and effort, but people tell me all the time that I have the most well-behaved dogs that they know. They aren't perfect but I am proud of them, and myself, for making them good doggy citizens.

With dog ownership comes great rewards but great responsibility. Both my boys are sitting out on the porch with me right now, if they weren't here something huge would be missing.

 

[scottyrocks]

Slightly off-track here, but for those of you with difficult to train dogs, I used a product called the Gentle Leader. I learned about it from my vet.

It works on the simple premise of a horse halter. Dogs love to pull. If they pull, and you pull back, when attached to you via the traditional collar, they pull harder. The GL attaches you to the dog at a point under the dog's snout. If they pull, it turns their head sideways and they stop instantly. You want your dog to sit? Pull up. The dog's head looks up, and he sits down immediately. I trained my dog in one afternoon, using the GL and voice commands, after a long period of time of me not being able to get him to stop pulling (he was part border collie, a herding dog).

I have no professional interest in this product or company. I'm just a satisfied customer.

 

[djd]

My dog just developed even more powerful neck muscles using one of those Scotty !

 

[PADDY]

DJD - That dog of yours called PAISLEY perchance ?

A few folk have also mentioned putting the dogs in their WILL if the worse happens. I've willed mine to a really nice couple who are doggie people. It just removes that worry of what would happen to them.

 

[djd]

Paddy - no he's called Rockford (or more often Monster!). Although he's quite a sweetheart about the house he's an utter nightmare anywhere else . We think he's a lab / Rottweiler cross

 

[scottyrocks]

My dog just developed even more powerful neck muscles using one of those Scotty !

Then you have one obstinate dog, d!

 

[Miss sofia]

I'll say!! It worked a treat on our now sadly deceased dog, Bear, who was a rotter when it came to pulling.

 

[djd]

That's not the word for it. Hes very bright and fine as long as there are no distrsctions - other dogs, people, bikes, livestock, etc. He's a complete nut. Mind you , as I type this he' asleep with his head on my lap and is snoring loudly

 

[Feraud]

One of mine is a rescue dog who despite a hell of a lot of training is very aggressive towards just about everyone and everything outside the family. He's also as strong as an ox and consequently very difficult to walk in public. It's a lot of work!

It's good to know Rockford has you in his life.

This whole thread comes at an interesting time for me as I'm planning on going to the pound tomorrow to look for a new doggie! It's been a year since mine passed so I think its time to start a new dog owning chapter in my life

Good for you LD. Keep us updated on the adoption.

 

[bunnyb.gal]

This whole thread comes at an interesting time for me as I'm planning on going to the pound tomorrow to look for a new doggie! It's been a year since mine passed so I think its time to start a new dog owning chapter in my life



LD

It brings a smile to my face to know some lucky dog is going to get a new home for Christmas! Another one saved, I think. All the best for you both, and please post pics when the adoption is complete!

 

[Sam Diamond]

They make a harness called a D ring harness. It has a D ring on the chest strap so when your dog goes into "sled" mode it actually turns him/her sideways and he/she will stop. This cured our dog from "sled pulling" and now he walks on a regular leash without pulling. He's 70+ pounds.