Puppy advice

[Veronica]

What is about small dogs? People (their owners) seem to think their aggressive behavior is cute. I had one small dog come running out at me while I was on my bike the other day. The dog was on one of those way too long leashes. I saw it and went way out into the middle of the road to make sure I was away from it. The lady laughed as it lunged. I wish I had said something to her. What if I had had hit it? There could have been lots of damage to all involved.

People are so stupid sometimes.

Wahine it's hard to make a choice like this. We ultimately decided not to get another dog. Our lives have changed since we had Greta and it would be harder for us to raise a dog correctly now. Personally, I hope you decide to get a dog. I really miss having one and feel a little guilty because we would be good parents... I know you'll be a good dog mom. But don't let me pressure you.

V.

[Wahine]

What is about small dogs? People (their owners) seem to think their aggressive behavior is cute. I had one small dog come running out at me while I was on my bike the other day. The dog was on one of those way too long leashes. I saw it and went way out into the middle of the road to make sure I was away from it. The lady laughed as it lunged. I wish I had said something to her. What if I had had hit it? There could have been lots of damage to all involved.

People are so stupid sometimes.

Wahine it's hard to make a choice like this. We ultimately decided not to get another dog. Our lives have changed since we had Greta and it would be harder for us to raise a dog correctly now. Personally, I hope you decide to get a dog. I really miss having one and feel a little guilty because we would be good parents... I know you'll be a good dog mom. But don't let me pressure you.

V.

I honestly think that many (not all) small dog owners end up never properly training their dogs because it's just easier to pick them up and restrain them when they do the wrong thing. The bad part about that is that you can't always pick up or restrain. Don't even get me started. Every incident I ever had with that dog was with a small aggressive beast. My neighbor, immediately next door has a Jack Russel, it is very well behaved and good natured. 4 doors down are 2 aggressive Jack Russels and across the street are 2 aggressive Poms. Between these 4 dogs, I swear I'm going to hit the pavement one day on my bike.

[snapdragen]

My only dog bite was a mini dachshund right on the butt!

[chickwhorips]

I'm sorry Snap, but that's funny. I can only imagine your reaction to that one.

[sundial]

Having said that, when your 130 lb dog picks up the neighbor's yorkie in it's mouth, people can get upset.

One of my gsds did that. He only rolled the yorkie but if you had not known it, you would've thought the yorkie was going to be a chicken nugget.

Puppies don't come with the baggage that a rescue has, but depending on the temperament of the parents, the puppy could have aggression/dominance issues. I have always found that a good basic obedience class taught by a reputable and experienced instructor does wonders for both dog and human. The dog gets to enjoy socialization and positive reinforcement in a controlled, safe environment and the human gets to learn to be pack leader.

A positive thing about young adult rescues or dogs that need to be re-homed is that you already have a pretty good idea what the temperament is as well as the size of the dog. With puppies, you both get to potty train together and learn patience and perseverance. Not to mention steering clear of the needle teeth.

[shadon]

if the dog were at home for long periods, would a dog walker be an option? It would give him a break and he'd have the opportunity to have a relationship with another human.

I walk a golden retriever three nights a week while his humans work in the resturant industry. Dog gets a nice walk mid evening, and we've become quite fond of one another. When I meet him on the street (he lives right next door), he does his happy dance to see me. I think it's a great solution to being home alone for a long time.

[Wahine]

If the dog was at home DH or a neighbor would take it out for an amble, if it was with me I'd take it out at lunch and on breaks.

Doggie day care isn't available unfortunately. But I have lots of retired friends that might be able to do some care giving if needed. The good thing is that I live in a very dog friendly town.

so I'm just hanging tight now, waiting for the right dog to find me.