Dogs

[Vanimal46]

I'm looking at getting my first dog! Preferably a puppy up to 1.5 years old so I can train him/her and spend a good portion of my life with them. Any recommendations about dog breeds to look for? And/or dog tips to look for while shopping for one?

[Squirrel]

Get a Frenchie!!!! So cute!!!

 

(Okay, that isn't really an informed opinion. Friends of mine have one, and she is adorable!)

[Vanimal46]

There's a lot of pitbull mixes at the adoption shelters down here, and I'm not sure if I want a pit mix.... 

I'm looking at potentially lab mixes, and medium (50-60 lbs) sized dogs. Since I'm still a year out from buying a house and don't want an overly big dog in my apartment. Doesn't seem like a great life for a big dog really without a yard and a ton of room to roam in... 

[Bark's Lounge]

Van, screw getting a dog. Get a Wolverine or an Owl. That would be unique.

[Craig Arko]

A) As I type this I'm getting an ad for the Mormons. Impressive.

 

B ) Normally I'd say get a Golden, but you need to have some room for them to romp.

 

C) Still, a better friend is hard to find.

[PseudoSABR]

Please get a rescue dog.  

 

I have a pitbull mix, who just turned 10, and she's a wonderful companion.  I've known many pitbulls and none have lived up to their reputations.  They are very emotionally intelligent and very loyal, so they will adopt their owners disposition.  So if the owner is a bully/violent, the pit will be the same.  

 

I also have chihuahua mix.  It took a while, but I adore him now.  He's still annoying to strangers and any person he can see from the window.  

 

With dogs, you get what you give.  If you don't have time to train them, and don't spend time developing a relationship, the outcome won't be great.  In any case, don't expect results right away.  It can take a dog anywhere between 3-5 and five years to be really obedient.    It wasn't until my pit was 5 or 6 that I could let her off leash outside and her not yet, but since then, she'll walk along side me, jump in whatever car i tell her, and stay in whatever area I'm present.   The chihuahua is so needy he never goes far.  

 

Dogs >>>>> People. 

[twinsnorth49]

Concur on the rescue dog. My most recent dog is a Lab/Newfie mix, he's 110 llbs so I'm not necessarily recommending you look for something similar considering you live in an apartment. He's the most gentle creature you'll ever come across, with the absolute patience of Jobe around kids and puppies who incessantly try to cajole him into playing. He's also a huge suck, afraid of his own shadow and get this... absolutely hates water, won't go near  it. 

 

His partner in crime is an 8 llb Yorkie we saved as a puppy from some less than scrupulous people. He barks at anything that moves and acts like a Wolverine on walks behind the security of his large friend. In reality he's more needy that an infant.

[biggentleben]

Rescues are amazing. I don't have them now, and while I love my dogs, the best dogs I've had in my lifetime have always been rescues.

[diehardtwinsfan]

pitbulls are actually fairly mild mannered dogs. Not a bad first dog, though if one was abused, that's when they start living up to the reputation. Probably the big thing with dogs is making sure they are socialized. For a first dog, I'd probably avoid certain breeds. Huskies can be difficult to raise. They are also very high energy and need lots of exercise. Labs can be high energy too, especially chocolate labs.

 

Keep in mind that dogs tend to shed, so a shorter haired dog is probably preferred unless you enjoy filling up your vacuum every week.

[biggentleben]

 

Keep in mind that dogs tend to shed, so a shorter haired dog is probably preferred unless you enjoy filling up your vacuum every week.

 

And even some short-hair breeds shed a ton. My pug covers my pants with hair every time he sits in my lap. Not long enough hair to even style, but it sheds everywhere.

[Pardon My Dinger]

I will withhold my prejudices. But everyone needs rescuing. Dogs, cats, people...

[Vanimal46]

Didn't find the one for me this weekend.... Two I was interested in were adopted earlier that morning, and while another puppy was adorable, the shelter is afraid she will have neurological issues a couple years down the road . 

We'll keep searching for the right fit! 

[Vanimal46]

It happened!! Does anyone have tips on crate training? He's a very good boy, but he's crying for a few hours every night.

[Squirrel]

It happened!! Does anyone have tips on crate training? He's a very good boy, but he's crying for a few hours every night.

Put one of your shirts in with him at night. I have dog friends and I know that is something they say to do. Is the crate in your bedroom? Not sure if having the crate closer to you or not is helpful or recommended.

[Vanimal46]

Put one of your shirts in with him at night. I have dog friends and I know that is something they say to do. Is the crate in your bedroom? Not sure if having the crate closer to you or not is helpful or recommended.

I have the crate in the corner of my living room right now. He's not big enough yet to tear up clothing so I'll try the t shirt trick tonight!

[PseudoSABR]

 

It happened!! Does anyone have tips on crate training? He's a very good boy, but he's crying for a few hours every night.

The t-shirt trick is great, but use a dirty/sweaty one; and if you have a partner, put one of hers in there too.  (Do you eventually want to allow the dog on the bed with you? If so, I think you can bring the crate in the room with you, and when the dog isn't crying for a time, bring her/him up on the bed for a while.)

 

Good system for potty training that worked for me, when leaving for the day, or several hours.   As he gets a couple months old, give him more responsibility.  At first, I'd put my dog, and her crate in the bathroom, if she didn't pee on the floor, the next time I left, I'd move her to the kitchen, grated off from the rest of the house.  But if she did pee, she'd go back to the bathroom, and if she peed in the bathroom, back to the crate.  Eventually, she figured she needed to hold it.  The changing environment I think helped imprint the lesson.  

 

Very cute, pup! Best of luck!

[Vanimal46]

The t-shirt trick is great, but use a dirty/sweaty one; and if you have a partner, put one of hers in there too. (Do you eventually want to allow the dog on the bed with you? If so, I think you can bring the crate in the room with you, and when the dog isn't crying for a time, bring her/him up on the bed for a while.)

 

Good system for potty training that worked for me, when leaving for the day, or several hours. As he gets a couple months old, give him more responsibility. At first, I'd put my dog, and her crate in the bathroom, if she didn't pee on the floor, the next time I left, I'd move her to the kitchen, grated off from the rest of the house. But if she did pee, she'd go back to the bathroom, and if she peed in the bathroom, back to the crate. Eventually, she figured she needed to hold it. The changing environment I think helped imprint the lesson.

 

Very cute, pup! Best of luck!

Ideally I'd love for him to sleep on the floor in my bedroom. The issue now is that's the only room in my apartment with carpet... So he's lost privilege to that room until he's fully potty trained. We're accident free for over 24 hours now!!

 

He's 7 weeks old with a fearless, goofball personality. I can't wait to train and teach him, and have him as a lifelong companion.

[D. Hocking]

This should probably go without saying - but sadly someone should have said it to me, do not put a feather pillow in the crate....

 

I also put a blanket over the crate, because it was supposed to help create a den like atmosphere. It did not end well for part of the blanket that she was able to get into the crate.  I had a two year old stray with separation anxiety issues who did not care for crating (starting at 7 weeks, your puppy will probably feel like it is a safe place).    I ended up moving the crate next to a window (which was against the recommendation), but she preferred it and was much more content to stay there. 

 

I crated her for about a year and made the leap of faith and started leaving her loose (she was crated for separation anxiety eating furniture issues not housebreaking issues). By then her separation anxiety had subsided enough where she could be left without chewing anything.

 

Congrats on the pup.

[ashbury]

This should probably go without saying - but sadly someone should have said it to me, do not put a feather pillow in the crate....

Early front-runner for descriptive sentence of the week. I bet you did well in creative writing class in school.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

 

It happened!! Does anyone have tips on crate training? He's a very good boy, but he's crying for a few hours every night.

 

Couple things... dogs won't pee where they sleep, so keep it's space confined for the time being at night. You want it to wake you up, at which point it goes straight outside and gets rewarded when it does it's business...

 

Dogs are kind of OCD about things. You will probably have to negatively reinforce messes, but once they are in a habit of going outside, they will only want to do that... which is good. That said, it will take some time to get it trained. Don't let it out of your site, and if you can catch it in the act and immediately negatively correct (note that yelling should be good enough), even better.. They don't necessarily have the short memories that the 'experts' claim, but there's something to be said about their ability/inability to associate doing what's normal with bad behavior. 

 

Go to a pet store and pick up something called "Natures Miracle". It works wonders for removing all sorts of bio messes. 

 

Also, if you don't have a fenced in yard, you may want to think about getting a buried fence. Sooner you do that the better. The saying about teaching old dogs new tricks is true.

 

Pay attention to it's quirks... it will have them. My rot/doberman mix has this thing about laundry... she loves to take it and move it around the house. Silly stuff like that (and what's even more impressive is that you never ever see her doing it). Some breeds love to run and be free... and males also tend to want to be free so to speak. Males may also want to challenge you a bit more. Dogs view the family unit as a pack. They will bond to you as the alpha-male, but the males may want to challenge you for the role. 

 

Puppies in particular are destructive... they will chew on lots of things. Make sure it has toys. Don't use old articles of clothes (or they might think your clothes are toys) or stuffed animals (more applicable if you have kids that have their own). Those obnoxious squeaky toys are good in that capacity as the dog can learn what toys are its own. Note that they will play rough... they chew a lot, and will chew on you. A high pitched "yelp" so to speak helps them know in a way they can understand that they are being too rough.

 

Most importantly, the dog needs to be socialized. If you live in a sub-division, take it for frequent walks. It will have to be leash trained (this isn't natural to all dogs believe it or not). That looks like a yellow lab in the photo. Those are pretty good dogs, but labs are high energy and a bit high strung... just a word of warning. Exercise is something that energetic dogs need, otherwise they take it out on your home... If you run, once you get it leashed trained, you can start going on small runs with it... the dog will love it. 

 

Be consistent with your words. We might use the words "get off" or "get down" for a jumping dog... pick one term for the dog that jumps on you, and another to tell the dog to get off the couch. They don't put those concepts together well. 

 

Lastly, if you rent, check your lease. Many landlords don't want pets, and they can take action if you suddenly have one that they didn't clear.

[Riverbrian]

 

This should probably go without saying - but sadly someone should have said it to me, do not put a feather pillow in the crate....

 

 

 

Also... Don't put a feather pillow in your Car Engine or bowl of tomato soup. 

 

Chicken Soup is OK. 

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Also... Don't put a feather pillow in your Car Engine or bowl of tomato soup. 

 

Chicken Soup is OK. 

 

I wouldn't put anything in that crate that you don't want destroyed.... stick with old towels, blankets, and clothing you no longer want to wear.

[D. Hocking]

 

Go to a pet store and pick up something called "Natures Miracle". It works wonders for removing all sorts of bio messes. 

 

 

It does work well unless your dog has eaten some dirt and vomits mud, then you are out of luck (although I was a bit relieved when I realized what I found was mud).

[Squirrel]

It does work well unless your dog has eaten some dirt and vomits mud, then you are out of luck (although I was a bit relieved when I realized what I found was mud).

I really shouldn’t laugh at this but this made me laugh. LOL

[Vanimal46]

 

Put one of your shirts in with him at night. I have dog friends and I know that is something they say to do. Is the crate in your bedroom? Not sure if having the crate closer to you or not is helpful or recommended.

 

The t-shirt trick worked! He only cried when he had to go outside last night... Now I have my sanity back. 

[Squirrel]

The t-shirt trick worked! He only cried when he had to go outside last night... Now I have my sanity back.

 

Glad to hear it.

[Craig Arko]

 

The t-shirt trick worked! He only cried when he had to go outside last night... Now I have my sanity back. 

I was wondering who's sanity that was running down the street the other night.

[Squirrel]

Van ... too bad you didn't choose Enlow in the 2018 AAP ... just checked out his Twitter account ... looks like he has a new puppy, too ... you could have bonded with him and then maybe have gotten an interview or some quotes! But omg, he has a Frenchie puppy!!!! Omg ... all puppies are just adorable!

 

[biggentleben]

A couple tips/advice/etc....

 

1. If you're training him to be used to you heading out for a bit, leave some portion of the normal noise and/or light level on while you're out. Slowly you can reduce that, but right away if they're used to hearing music whenever you're home and suddenly it's silent, that can be a big trigger.

 

2. For cleaning, if you have a spot carpet cleaner or the full-size personal use variety, a good way to spot treat immediately on dribble (or more than just dribble) is to put down a light layer of vinegar on it, and then sprinkle baking soda over the top and let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming up. Once that's up, you can then clean with the carpet cleaner, but the smell won't linger and you won't have to immediately carpet clean or face major issues.

 

3. Try to find some bit of routine, even if you don't typically have a routine day. That will allow for the pup to get used to times of peak activity and times of rest as puppies badly need rest but often don't want to take it and end up getting naughty simply because they're tired (VERY much like kids in this regard).

 

Enjoy! Great looking pup!

[Vanimal46]

He's getting pumped for opening day!