New Dog for my Mom, some opinions please **UPDATE (Post #16)

[lovinwdw]

My mom recently divorced my step father. Before that, her favorite dog (Molly, a minature dachund) passed away. Lately, she has been very lonely. It kills me to see her like that. I can hear it in her voice. Anyway, we have been talking and she is very interested in getting a new dog. She is looking into Westies. My neighbor, a few months ago, had approached me and asked me if I wanted a 9 month old Westie, but at the time, my mom wasn't looking for a dog and we definitely are not. I asked her the other day if the dog was still available, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet. What do you guys think...should I use a part of my Christmas bonus from work to buy her a new puppy?

 

[Sandcass]

I think it would be a fantastic idea, if you KNOW for sure that she wants and can have a dog. If a puppy is too much work for her right now, maybe an older dog from a shelter? One that's already trained. (personally I would only get a dog from a shelter, there are so many that need homes.)

GOOD LUCK!

 

[lovinwdw]

I think it would be a fantastic idea, if you KNOW for sure that she wants and can have a dog. If a puppy is too much work for her right now, maybe an older dog from a shelter? One that's already trained. (personally I would only get a dog from a shelter, there are so many that need homes.)

GOOD LUCK!

We were actually looking into a Westie rescue. The only problem, we have to watch for the disposition of the dog. I have a dog that I always bring to my mother's house and my nieces go there a lot. We can't take the chance that anyone will get bit

 

[horseshowmom]

The puppy is a possibility, but have you considered an adult dog from a shelter or rescue agency. If you particularly want a registered dog, it's not uncommon for them to have those as well.

Many times they have pets that are already housebroken, and an older dog is less trouble than a puppy. We have a Chihuahua that we got through a humane society. He lived with an elderly lady who could no longer keep him. He's 2 now (had him since February) and the life of the party. When he got to us, he didn't even know what a toy was. He's adorable. After a little bit of adjustment (he'd never even seen a cat ), he's done great!

Some friends of ours actually got a miniature dachhund from a shelter, and they love her.

Update: Whoops, I see Sandcass and I posted the same idea at the same time!

 

[golfgal]

Maybe you would want to give your mom a gift certificate for a dog just in case she doesn't want one. Then you could make a day of it and go pick out a dog. That would leave it up to her if she wanted an older dog or a puppy.

One thing to think about that someone mentioned to me when we were debating about getting a puppy or an older dog is that a lot of times the dogs that end up at the humane society and other shelters are there for a reason, often that the original owners can't train them for what ever reason. This isn't always the case but just double check to make sure. I know when my FIL got his last two dogs they were both from people who had died and they were wonderful dogs. The latest dog he has is a nice dog but was very obviously abused and it does make me worry some with all the grandkids running around.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I say no. I think if you are considering a dog you should include her in the process. She may not click with THIS dog and then what?

Now if you want to buy her a Westie because she is interested then do it the right way. Find a good breeder and match her up to the dog.

 

[C.Ann]

If you want to increase the odds of the dog behaving in a certain manner, I would go with a puppy as opposed to an older dog from the shelter - especially if there are children and other dogs involved.. A puppy can be trained to behave the way you want it to, whereas an older dog with problems that may not be evident at first glance can be impossible to retrain..

Do you think your Mom might want to choose her own puppy though? Maybe you could write her up a "gift certificate" for the cost of the puppy..

Great gift idea.. I remember how depressed my DH became after his dog died and he never quite got that "twinkle" back in his eyes again.. I know they're "together" now though - forever - and that makes me very happy.. He's going to have a GREAT Christmas - and I'll bet his eyes are twinkling like crazy!

 

[Sandcass]

I say no. I think if you are considering a dog you should include her in the process. She may not click with THIS dog and then what?

Now if you want to buy her a Westie because she is interested then do it the right way. Find a good breeder and match her up to the dog.

To make it a surprise you can plan to do something with your mom, but then instead drive to the breeder/shelter/petstore where she can choose her own dog. Or you can wrap up some doggie accessories for her to open on Christmas, when she looks confused say that you'd like to take her to get a new dog.

 

[hiwaygal]

I think going with a rescue is a great idea!

Many rescue groups have their potential adoptees in foster homes. The foster parent usually knows quite a bit about their personality and "past issues" (if any). In many cases, dogs that were turned over to rescue were simply because the original owners didn't understand fully what they were getting into when buying that adorable puppy in the window!

A good rescue group will work closely with the potential adopter to ensure the dog is a good fit (good with kids, other pets, etc.).

IMO, even a breeder cannot guarantee the personality of a particular puppy...yes, they can usually know the history of their stud and dam, but that isn't necessarily indicative of the personality of all the pups.

I would agree with letting your mom pick out the dog she wants, or that she should be the contact for the rescue or breeder...then you can "pay the bill" when the time comes!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!! Either way, your mom will end up with a very happy companion!!

 

[solferino]

We were actually looking into a Westie rescue. The only problem, we have to watch for the disposition of the dog. I have a dog that I always bring to my mother's house and my nieces go there a lot. We can't take the chance that anyone will get bit

There was a student at my DD's school last year whose family had a westie. He was tempermental and bit the girl more than once, and also nipped at a repairman at the house one day.

Is this something your mom wants, though? If it were me I'd not do it unless it was clearly expressed she wanted one.... there are so many surprise animals who wind up abandoned or at shelters or rescues for many reasons.

But if you want a dog who adores its peeps and main purpose is to make people laugh and be a good companion, definitely go for a pug. ug: Yes, I am a bit biased, LOL.


Our vet is also the vet the rescue we got our guy through... he said in all his years of working with dogs, he's never met a pug whose bit someone.

A rescue is a good way to go because the people involved in it know the breed extremely well and tend to do a good job at matching dogs up with families- given the disposition of the dog itself and the characteristics of a family.

Good luck.

 

[lovinwdw]

I say no. I think if you are considering a dog you should include her in the process. She may not click with THIS dog and then what?

Now if you want to buy her a Westie because she is interested then do it the right way. Find a good breeder and match her up to the dog.

That is actually what we are going to do. We have been talking and I was thinking about taking her out for the day (with the intention of looking for dogs) and, if the dog is expensive, splitting the cost with her or, if it is affordable, I would buy it for her. Luckily, I work in a pretty good place where I get a bonus from the firm and a bonus from my particular boss...so I was planning on putting a portion of it towards my October '06 WDW vacation, a portion towards my Christmas bills and a portion towards me...so, I will just split the portion towards me with my mom.

 

[lovinwdw]

There was a student at my DD's school last year whose family had a westie. He was tempermental and bit the girl more than once, and also nipped at a repairman at the house one day.

Is this something your mom wants, though? If it were me I'd not do it unless it was clearly expressed she wanted one.... there are so many surprise animals who wind up abandoned or at shelters or rescues for many reasons.

But if you want a dog who adores its peeps and main purpose is to make people laugh and be a good companion, definitely go for a pug. ug: Yes, I am a bit biased, LOL.


Our vet is also the vet the rescue we got our guy through... he said in all his years of working with dogs, he's never met a pug whose bit someone.

A rescue is a good way to go because the people involved in it know the breed extremely well and tend to do a good job at matching dogs up with families- given the disposition of the dog itself and the characteristics of a family.

Good luck.

I would never get my mom a dog if she wasn't absolutely sure. I always get mad when people buy puppies because they are cute and then when they grow up and aren't so tiny anymore, they either keep them in a crate all day, keep them outside or just get rid of them!!! I never understood that. This is why we have a dog, 2 cats and a guinea pig. we are dead set against doing these types of things. Ever since I was little we have had dogs. My mom is a definite dog lover. But, again, I am not doing this on a whim. We will be absolutely sure first.

 

[Sandcass]

Hey LovinWDW, what did you decide? Just bumping this up hoping for an update.

 

[lovinwdw]

Hey LovinWDW, what did you decide? Just bumping this up hoping for an update.

We are still looking for the right dog for her. She has decided that she wants a miniature dachund (I have no idea how to spell it). We have been checking out the papers and we are just waiting for a decent price. We are going to be splitting the price in 1/2, so she will be able to afford it. We are excited, but we don't want to pay too much because we want to get her a dog that badly.

 

[lovinwdw]

Hey LovinWDW, what did you decide? Just bumping this up hoping for an update.

Thank you for asking. I will keep you guys updated as soon as we know what is going on.

 

[lovinwdw]

Ok...so my mom and I found the perfect puppy for her. We found her a red 6 week old female miniature dachund for $400. She is so excited. We are picking her up on Friday!! We are going to Petsmart on Thursday night to get all of the things she will need. She threw everything out after Molly had to be put to sleep. So...we will be picking up a crate, bowls, food, toys (of course) and all of the other essentials!! Can't wait!!!

 

[damo]

That is so nice for your Mom. It will be nice for her to have a companion again.

 

[Mimi Q]

We need to see a picture of the new puppy.

 

[Sandcass]

Looking forward to the pics! How fun!!!!

 

[canwegosoon]

Nice