Good and Bad of owning a dog

[BrianL]

As many of you know, the greyhound racing facilities in Florida must close by 2021. I've seen estimates of between 7,000-8,000 greyhounds that will be available for adoption. I have had a former racing greyhound for three years. He is a great dog! Please consider or encourage others to consider adopting these wonderful animals. Thanks!

I saw something about this recently. We recently had a pet adoption day at work where several organizations brought dogs and cats right to the office (fun, right?). Anyway, there were these two beautiful greyhounds. I don't think I've ever even petted a Greyhound before, so I went over to say hi. This grey and black one sidled right up to me and she was so sweet and soft. As I moved away, she sidled up to me again. Unfortunately, I have to check with the head of the household on such matters, my cat Silvian, and she was pretty clear the answer was no. So, while I can't take one they really are lovely and sweet dogs.

 

[robinb]

As many of you know, the greyhound racing facilities in Florida must close by 2021. I've seen estimates of between 7,000-8,000 greyhounds that will be available for adoption. I have had a former racing greyhound for three years. He is a great dog! Please consider or encourage others to consider adopting these wonderful animals. Thanks!

Don't they have a big prey drive? I don't think one would fit well in a family with cats and bunnies.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's easy to sit back, watch the parade of cute dogs, absolutely fall in love with the looks of this or that breed and think, oh, I want a dog like that! What's concerning is that for some people that's all it takes to pursue a certain type of dog.

A couple years ago we were out at a very large park in our area with lots of people biking, rollerblading and walking their dogs. We had sat down on a bench to catch our breath and get a drink, watching all the dogs go by. I snapped a picture of a dog and sent it to one of my daughters, telling her the look on the dog's face made me think it was a dog she would enjoy. She told me it was a shiba inu and that, while she loved them she highly doubted she'd ever be in a position to own one. I was completely clueless what she was talking about, but apparently the breed is highly intelligent and rather apt to find trouble in a few ways if the owner doesn't know what they're doing. They're wonderful dogs, but their instinctive traits require a lot of training for dog and owner, a lot of activity and a lot of attention that she's not confident she'll be able to focus on a dog with her career. I believe she said that they frequently are known to bond tightly with a single person, but often be troublesome with other people, even within the household or family. She was afraid of the potential for mischief if it didn't have a task frequently enough if she's working a lot of hours , or of becoming too bonded to only her while she's single and potentially problematic as her lifestyle changes. It would be a whole lot more fun to just gloss over those and simply think, ooh, cute, smart, fun dog! Even if I do realize there really is more to it.

I guess maybe I should just stick with enjoying as many as I want while I watch the dog show.

It's funny you should bring up the Shiba Inu. DH's brother had one we used to watch and he was a character. I remember being at their house one night when their first baby was born and we volunteered to babysit so they could go out to dinner. Well the baby was fine, but the Shiba got out and there goes DH running down their street trying to catch him! But later the dog used to come stay with us and he was truly no problem at all, even with our two Shepherds at the time. He'd sleep on our bed and you barely knew he was there. I miss him. He's actually one of the dogs who taught me about the importance of getting the right dog. See, SIL wasn't a fan, really, so the dog didn't have much of a life completely banished to the basement. It would've been better if she'd gotten the type of dog she wanted. She did later, and that dog had a much better life, being allowed to be upstairs and part of family life.

 

[Colleen27]

Don't they have a big prey drive? I don't think one would fit well in a family with cats and bunnies.

That's what I've always heard. However, one of my daughter's friends has one and they have both indoor and barn cats, rabbits and poultry and the dog doesn't harass any of them, though she has a VERY strong prey drive when it comes to squirrels and raccoons and such. They were very cautious in introducing the dog to the household but she seemed to grasp the difference between pets and prey after a relatively short learning curve.

 

[cabanafrau]

That's what I've always heard. However, one of my daughter's friends has one and they have both indoor and barn cats, rabbits and poultry and the dog doesn't harass any of them, though she has a VERY strong prey drive when it comes to squirrels and raccoons and such. They were very cautious in introducing the dog to the household but she seemed to grasp the difference between pets and prey after a relatively short learning curve.

Friends of ours struggled with the squirrel issue with their greyhound rescue. She was THE most chill sweetheart you could begin to imagine.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I can tell you there's not a squirrel safe in our yard with our dog, who was bred to kill vermin.

Strangely enough, he is very docile with our hamster, because I think he's smart enough to know it's part of our household, though we never trust him 100%.

Many dogs chase squirrels, my Shepherds always did, thought not as intensely as the Cairn.

 

[tzolkin]

Don't they have a big prey drive? I don't think one would fit well in a family with cats and bunnies.

Many cannot be trusted with small animals. Greyhound adoption groups will test all the dogs and only show you ones that have been deemed “cat-friendly”. We don’t have cats but have a smallish dog (26lb) and family with tiny dogs (under 10lb) so we specifically looked for one that would be good with small animals.

You would still want to introduce with a muzzle on to be sure, but there are many that live successfully with cats. There’s also usually a difference between a cat in the house and a tiny animal across the yard. Mine will perk his ears up and show interest in stray cats and squirrels, but he doesn’t try to go after them.

 

[lovin'fl]

Yeah, I went from a lifetime of German Shepherds, who shed tremendously, to a Cairn who doesn't shed at all, and I have to say, it's a beautiful thing! My car, which has black carpeting, doesn't have hair embedded into it (for the first time in my life), and I have no doggie dust bunnies in my house. Of course, I now have a grooming problem, but it is sort of nice to not have to worry about not wearing black clothing or hairs popping up in food when guests are over anymore haha.

Cairns don't shed but their fur gets wet, muddy and leafy and drags in all kinds of junk from outside. I am constantly sweeping up leafy debris. Hate it. And he licks the sofa wet...blech.

 

[yoopermom]

We've always had hunting hounds (walkers, blueticks, etc) and NEVER had problems with visiting dogs until.....

an elderly friend brought off her little white fluffball (probably a multipoo or some such), without thinking about it she put it out in our fenced in backyard where it took off running, and all of a sudden our "pack" seemed to think it was a prey animal and not another dog. I literally almost had a heart attack. Taught me the hard lesson that hunting dogs aren't always too smart about what constitutes another dog. Thank GOD nothing bad happened.

And I would LOVE a retired greyhound, much softer in temperament than our hounds, more "catlike" and quieter. Last week when I had our elderly bluetick at the vet, a couple walked in with their two greyhounds, and the three dogs had a good sniffing about, and seemed to decide they were all hounds, and should be friends, so that bodes well. (I've heard numbers up to 15K for how many will need to be rehomed, although I'm sure some will be euthanized, sadly.)

And back to the OP, sorry....

Terri

 

[lovin'fl]

I will say a very easy dog is an English Bulldog. Our friends just got one and she is lovely. ANd their life expectancy is short (might be a bad thing but maybe a good thing too depending on how long you can commit...I like Macaws but if we got one it would outlive us).

 

[kidshop]

really, really consider if you want a puppy. A puppy is a baby who doesn't know any rules or manners and you have to teach them. It takes so much work, but IF you do it right you can mold an excellent pet. But this process can take 1-2 years! That is a long time of patient supervision, socializing and training. Every day, all day. Puppies cannot be left alone outside. They eat sticks and rocks and poisonous plants! Apparently everything in our yard is poisonous....black walnut tree and holly trees!

We got our first dog, a 10 week old puppy in August. Even though it was supposedly for our 11 year old daughter, I knew it would be my dog so I picked him out. His mom was rescued from a hoarder who had 70 dogs. He was born in foster home so fortunately he had no trauma in his life. He is actually really good but it is still exhausting. For potty training you must crate train. I can't imagine doing it any other way. This effectively prevents them from having accidents in your house, but you must take them out every 1-2 hours at first and then 2-3. I still do every 3, and in the crate not more than 4. so I can't be gone more than 4 hours. At night at first you must take them out every 4 hours minimum so you will be outside in the middle of the night. I really did not like that part. Now he sleeps 8 hours without a peep!

During the day, a puppy must be right next to you if not in the crate. That way you can correct any behavior and prevent accidents. If you only allow freedom when earned you will have much less stress. I used my kitchen gated off when I could have eyes on him, an exercise pen while in the kitchen and busy, and 2 crates..one in the kitchen for when I was not in the room and one upstairs for sleeping. He has just been allowed to go in our carpeted living room and and it trustworthy for brief periods alone ( a few minutes) at 20 weeks. He will not have free run of the house for a long time, and I will probably use the crate when not home forever. It keeps them safe as well as your things.

The biggest issue for behavior problems is lack of exercise. Dogs need walks every day. Long walks for working breeds.

I am glad I got this puppy, but I don't think I would do it again. A 1-2 year old dog would be heaven!

 

[tzolkin]

And I would LOVE a retired greyhound, much softer in temperament than our hounds, more "catlike" and quieter. Last week when I had our elderly bluetick at the vet, a couple walked in with their two greyhounds, and the three dogs had a good sniffing about, and seemed to decide they were all hounds, and should be friends, so that bodes well. (I've heard numbers up to 15K for how many will need to be rehomed, although I'm sure some will be euthanized, sadly.)

Yes, the numbers are up to 15k, and yes, this will probably result in some being euthanized. (Some closing in a few weeks— Jan 1– and all by the end of next year so that’s a lot of dogs to find homes for). This ban had absolutely no plan for transition and no financial aspect attached to it. For something that people believed was “saving” dogs, there certainly doesn’t appear to have been any consideration given to caring for the dogs.

 

[mjkacmom]

I can tell you there's not a squirrel safe in our yard with our dog, who was bred to kill vermin.

Strangely enough, he is very docile with our hamster, because I think he's smart enough to know it's part of our household, though we never trust him 100%.

Many dogs chase squirrels, my Shepherds always did, thought not as intensely as the Cairn.

I have a Jack Russell/minpin mix, her “job” is to keep the birds and squirrels out of the yard. As soon as she is let out, she runs to all four corners zigzagging the yard. If we take her out, she races into the yard to do her zigzag run. If she’s out in the yard and I come home, I might find her sunning herself, but as soon as she realizes I’m there, she starts her running and barking. She also saves us from the mailman and ups/fedex every day. However, I’ve been out and walking towards the house, apparently if I’m not home, she doesn’t bark. What a faker.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Cairns don't shed but their fur gets wet, muddy and leafy and drags in all kinds of junk from outside. I am constantly sweeping up leafy debris. Hate it. And he licks the sofa wet...blech.

That's so funny we have such different experiences with the same breed of dog, but it just goes to show you that even within the same breed, personalities can vary a lot.

Mine gets wet but not really muddy. We keep a towel by the back door and he loves to be wiped down. (He rolls around and makes this funny noise not a growl but a it probably could be mistaken for one - you know the one I'm talking about! It's his happy noise!) I bathe him about once every five weeks, before his grooming (yeah, I know, it seems dumb, but it helps soften his hair so we can brush him out before he goes so it's not as painful for him when he's groomed as we keep his coat natural) and the bath water is maybe just a little grey, so he doesn't get too dirty. I have been sweeping leaves in my house but they're mainly by the front door from people, so he doesn't really drag anything in, lol. The main thing he's obsessed with is socks, so we have those laying all over the place! He is a foot licker, too, lol.

 

[tink1970]

I will say a very easy dog is an English Bulldog. Our friends just got one and she is lovely. ANd their life expectancy is short (might be a bad thing but maybe a good thing too depending on how long you can commit...I like Macaws but if we got one it would outlive us).

English Bulldogs are awesome! But..they aren't necessarily easy. Incredibly stubborn, prone to lots of medical issues, drooly, farty and bed hogs. I have had one (or two or three) for more than 20 years and if you can't afford seeing a vet on a regular basis I'd advise against this breed. I have one purebred who costs me more than my 3 other rescue dogs put together. Love them all but after working in rescue would definitely second the recommendation to seek out a local rescue or shelter for an adult dog.

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

I agree with everything you say except the price. If you are being price gouged like that, then it is not a good breeder. That is more indicative of a back yard breeder or designer dog breeder that is in it for the money. We show our dogs so are around a lot of good breeders. A quality breeder is more into getting a good home for their pet puppies than raking in the dough. i have the litter mate to the #1 dog in the nation, Grand Champion, multiple BIS, won the breed specialty 3 years in a row and he cost me $675 because I wanted a pet and not another show dog. And this dog's bite was off, so off to be neutered and placed in a forever pet home.

I think it really depends on the breed of dog that you are buying. My golden is from a show breeder who has dogs in the Golden Retriever SDHF and has finished/breed many champions. Each one of her puppies were $1800 back in 2014 and had the pedigree, genetic information, and health clearances to back up her litters. She kept my golden's sibling as a potential show dog prospect- both mom and dad were show champions. I got to meet all her dogs-she pretty much had the maternal side of the dog's lineage. That $1800 was in-line with all the other quality golden breeders in the area (Northeast) which was invested in the breed. There were backyard breeders who were breeding for color (I'm looking at you English Cream!) and selling them for $2000+ with nothing to back up their dogs. I think when people look at quality breeders, they have to be realistic about price in regards to the area that they live in and also the breed of dog. You will never find a show or quality breeder for golden retrievers selling their pups for $675. Plus they have waiting lists up the wazoo where most are very selective to where their show and pet pups go. I felt so privileged to be selected to get my girl lol.

 

[WDWBarb]

I'm loving this thread. So many dog people

I agree with those who suggest an adult dog. Everyone loves puppies, but they are a bigger commitment than most busy families can accommodate. And with an adult dog, you know what you're going to get. They WILL bond with you, even though they haven't known you their whole life. All of my dogs are rescues and they think I'm the center of the universe.

And I beg you to consider rescuing. There are so many dogs that die each and every day for the simple reason that no one loves them. Their worth is associated with how much a human values them. They are all amazing, loving, wonderful creatures; they come in different shapes, sizes and colors but ultimately they are all dogs. Perfect, amazing dogs. And that picture another poster posted... big tears.

I rescued a bonded pair almost 4 years ago that had been given up by their owner because he moved into an apartment that didn't allow dogs. They had been at the shelter for 3 months because they were bonded and had to be adopted together. They were so terribly, horribly sad. So on Dec. 23rd, for Christmas, they got me and I got them. Best decision ever. The littlest one, the chihuahua, was diagnosed with cancer within a few months of adoption and we decided to fight it with everything we had. And we did. She died 3 weeks ago. She gave me some of the best years of my life so I have absolutely zero regrets. Her "sister" is sitting beside me now, still thrilled every day to be a part of our home.

And now I have an empty place in my home. No one will ever take her place, but there is a dog out there who needs a loving home and I need some help healing this heartache. So I'm searching for a special needs dog, perhaps a senior, because I have quite a lot of experience in taking care of a critically ill dog.

 

[wgeo]

Grew up with dogs, always knew I'd get a dog. My first dog as an adult was a cockerpoo, pet store purchase, I didnt know better. Love that dog with all my heart, but he also drove me positively crazy. We made a lot of mistakes when he was young (got him around 3 months old and he was fearful of humans when we got him - that should have been a clue). Didn't have a lot of extra expenses, just average vet stuff but he stayed extremely fearful of other people and animals to the point that he would etch the window glass with his paws he would scratch at it so bad anytime someone walked by, destroyed window sills and doors due to his fear. We obviously screwed up his training, combined with something that happened before we got him and it made for a very very long 15 years. Again loved him dearly and miss him dearly - but it was certainly an experience I'd never want to repeat.

Got a new dog 2 months after the first one passed. Got this one younger, although I still probably didn't vet the breeder enough - fell in love with the pictures. Immediately started training, classes, books everything I could find. Tons of work - but worth it. This puppy is now 2 years old and she is far from perfect but owning her is 180 degrees different then our first dog, it's not even close. This dog is fun, I can have people over with her and I really enjoy walking her every day. Can't believe how much I had to learn, but I'm glad I did as this is what I imagine "fun" dog ownership is like. (although I really should go thru at least one more training class with her - she can still be a little "too" friendly with company)

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Don't they have a big prey drive? I don't think one would fit well in a family with cats and bunnies.

Depends on the dog. We just lost our greyhound to cancer about 12 months ago. We are a family with 1 rabbit, 2 guinea pigs and 13 cats as well as our other dogs. Our greyhound, who had come from a racing background, had no interest in the small animals. It would have been too much effort for her to move from the couch.

As a foster carer, I don't see the need for spending so much money on a purebred dog. There are so many in need of homes in your local rescues. Just be sure you are willing to make the commitment for the lifetime of the dog before you go ahead and take one on.

 

[g00fy!]

One of the most interesting ways we've found to get some easy and fun insight into a wide variety of dogs according to breed is watching the Westminster Dog Show or other dog shows. We always get a kick out of certain phrases, but have also talked about how we wish they would occasionally be a bit more blunt about the traits of some breeds in the hopes it might avoid people seeking out a breed that probably would never suit their family or lifestyle. Things like "always needs to be working", "know to be somewhat domineering", "inherently curious". I wonder if they're afraid to seem as if they are "criticizing" a breed and offend fans of the breed, so they speak circuitously about traits that a dog is likely to have instinctively that serve good purpose, but can make it completely unsuitable for the wrong home or family.

This is another vote for a good breeder. We have Koms and have had them for years. They are wonderful dogs but not for the newbie dog owner. Since they are Livestock Guardian dogs they are very different from your typical house dog. They are guardians but not guard dogs. They have a mind of their own whereas a guard dog you can actually train. You will never see a LGD as a police dog because they have been bred to make decisions for themselves, sometimes overriding any commands their trainer gives them. They also make horrible, horrible obedience dogs.

Every breeder we know goes to great lengths to scare people off from the breed at first. If they come back and are willing to socialize and work, then they will tell you what an awesome breed they are. Our particular breeder will be blunt enough to look at you and say "They are koms, they bite." I show people the scar on my face where the dam of my first dog grabbed my face and required 35 stitches. The difference is that she did one bite (a warning) and then dropped to the ground. A guard dog would have continued to rip me apart. I was sold. She was also not as socialized as she should have been and had a bit of a sharper temperament. Her son that we got was much milder and ended up a well socialized therapy dog.

But for many of the good breeders we have met, they will almost be too blunt about the negatives of their breed because they don't want surprises and want to make sure the buyers are really invested in the puppy and the work that it is going to take and that it is not just a whim.