Getting a puppy

maryd523

I have read all the posts for this topic and since I'm extremely passionate about dogs, I would like to give you a couple of tips. Some are my extremely personal opinions but some seem to be in sync with other comments already expressed. Please consider them before you get your dog:

- I have had dogs my entire life and have never purchase one. Purchasing a dog is basically supporting a puppy mill. Please adopt.
- An apartment is a tough environment for a dog. Dogs need space and exercise. Have you consider a cat instead?
- If you decide to still get a dog, make sure you acquire a breed that closely meets your expectations and is in accordance to the place he will be living in. Its hard to believe but I once met a couple that had a Mastiff in a one bedroom apartment. That dog was miserable.
- Do you have time and patience to train a dog? A dog can be properly trained to behave and not destroy anything if you have the time.
- And this one is going to piss some people off but here goes: If you are considering a crate for your dog.....you shouldn't get a dog. Keeping a dog in a crate is inhuman period. A crate is just a poor excuse for someone who don't know how to properly train a dog. Worst case scenario, go with the baby fence and restrict their access to a certain area of the apt.

I'm sorry, but you are SO WRONG about the crating thing. If you honestly think that crating a dog while you are gone is inhumane, you don't know much about dogs. They feel safe and secure in a crate (as long as they are properly trained to use one...positivity, etc).

I just found out last week that Cooper has been whining and howling when I'm gone. This started when I STOPPED crating him. Since I began re-crating him, no noise at all. When he was free to roam the apartment, he was anxious and worried. While securely crated, he just sleeps. Inhumane? I think not.

As long as you don't leave them too long, and the crate is plenty large, crating is a wonderful way to ensure your dog and your belongings are safe while you are gone.

maryd523

Just one more thing to say about apartments and dogs.

I exercise the heck out of Cooper at least once a day. Not a walk...that wouldn't do *kitten*. He runs hard at the park, or plays hard at the dog park or with a friend.

As someone who walks around almost every day in my neighborhood, I am familiar with almost all the houses that have dogs. I know all the dogs that get to leave their residence and go somewhere else, and it's not very many at all! So, in my experience, having a yard basically means having a dog bored out of their mind, never getting to go anywhere fun at all.

Cooper, on the other hand, gets to go all kinds of places. So please don't tell me apartments are bad for dogs. Bad owners are bad for dogs.

mea9

Just one more thing to say about apartments and dogs.

I exercise the heck out of Cooper at least once a day. Not a walk...that wouldn't do *kitten*. He runs hard at the park, or plays hard at the dog park or with a friend.

As someone who walks around almost every day in my neighborhood, I am familiar with almost all the houses that have dogs. I know all the dogs that get to leave their residence and go somewhere else, and it's not very many at all! So, in my experience, having a yard basically means having a dog bored out of their mind, never getting to go anywhere fun at all.

Cooper, on the other hand, gets to go all kinds of places. So please don't tell me apartments are bad for dogs. Bad owners are bad for dogs.

I have a 25lb dog in an apartment. I’d never be without a dog – had one since I was a kid so I know what it is to have a dog. If you don’t and it’s just a whim you’re toying with you should be advised that it’s somebody’s life you are playing with. I think it’s great that you are really checking it out before you commit – and that’s what you are doing. Because of the vulnerability and dependence level of a dog it is no less of a commitment, and roughly the same time period, as having a child (that dog might live 20 years – it has happened). In sickness and health for richer and for poorer… You know what I’m saying here… If you only have money to feed one of you, it’s usually the kid who eats. Same with your dog.

Crates are awesome but require training both for the dog and for you. It’s your dog’s bedroom. He never gets put in as punishment and your hands don’t ever go in except to clean. It’s HIS. The door to mine is always left open unless I’m away and when she’s tired or grumpy or has a treat she doesn’t want to share she goes in on her own. It’s her way of telling everybody to “bug off” right now.

My parents live on an acreage and they have a run for much the same reason. Bigger crate but bigger dog It keeps the dog safe from coyotes and a nasty neighbor who has shot and killed a dog of every neighbor he has ever had us included. Same deal. Dog goes in at night and when nobody’s home otherwise he is trained. A happy, healthy dog has nothing to do with the size of the yard attached to the house.

Training, as for children, is an ongoing process. You aren’t ever done. By the time the dog is about 3 he’s pretty good and you’ve probably got a routine down. It takes until the dog is about 8 to be really in “sync”. Then you’re dealing with old dog issues and, at some point, become aware that your life will be disrupted by the brutality of a loss you cannot yet fathom. Having a dog is not kind for a person but really worth it if it’s right for you. If it’s not right for you it’s “a living hell” for both you and the dog.

mea9

PS love kongs too. Stuffed with peanut butter, kibble treats, and a chunk of chicken hot dog. Freeze in the summer:)

jecka31

PS love kongs too. Stuffed with peanut butter, kibble treats, and a chunk of chicken hot dog. Freeze in the summer:)

I haven't thought about freezing it! I'll have to try that with my APBT and see if she likes it!