Dog gone it

[bluebear]

I'll put in a plug for basset hounds...one of the most friendly, gentle, and loyal breeds out there. A big dog that feels smaller because of short legs and propensity for sleeping all the time. Sure, they drool, fart, snore, whine incessantly and refuse to obey unless food is offered but if you can overlook that, they make a great family pet. One thing I have learned about the breed though...they have incredible endurance. The challenge is that sometimes after walking a good distance, they decide they no longer want to walk and become 70lb rocks..Lots of great basset rescue sites...

[rasputin]

"drool, fart, snore, whine incessantly and refuse to obey unless food is offered"
The poster wanted a dog, not a husband . . .

[colchar]

"drool, fart, snore, whine incessantly and refuse to obey unless food is offered"
The poster wanted a dog, not a husband . . .

Well played.

[devildeac]

"drool, fart, snore, whine incessantly and refuse to obey unless food is offered"
The poster wanted a dog, not a husband . . .

Hey, back off, bucko-at least I'm house-broken(most of the time)

[Fish80]

Did I mention that I love dogs?

I've had golden retrievers and beagles, and now have an old beagle and a chocolate lab puppy. They're all great breeds, but the beagles were by far the hardest to train. The beagle are clever, and very willful.

A couple of points already mentioned: personality and activity level are important considerations.

Some dogs, like labs, do much better when they get a lot of exercise. Other dogs don't need nearly as much exercise. Narrow down your choice of breed based on a realistic assessment of the activity level and long term you will be happier with the choice.

[YmoBeThere]

For a while I thought this thread was related to some Shania Twain song...

[Lavabe]

For a while I thought this thread was related to some Shania Twain song...

My apologies, Ymo.

But seriously, many thanks for all the suggestions, everyone!

[YmoBeThere]

I like Shania...even have an autographed calendar of hers. Don't ask how I got it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUiE5iHmD0

[SupaDave]

This dog may have been mentioned but I've got to put it out there. I just broke down and bought a Yorkie for one of my lady friends. She LOVES it. I think they are cool dogs b/c they are relatively docile little guys. However, there's nothing manly about them at all. To avoid this problem - our Yorkie is named "Killa". LOL!

[TillyGalore]

I like Shania...even have an autographed calendar of hers. Don't ask how I got it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUiE5iHmD0

I'm going to bite and ask: How did you get an autographed Shania Twain calendar?

[TillyGalore]

This dog may have been mentioned but I've got to put it out there. I just broke down and bought a Yorkie for one of my lady friends. She LOVES it. I think they are cool dogs b/c they are relatively docile little guys. However, there's nothing manly about them at all. To avoid this problem - our Yorkie is named "Killa". LOL!

Umm, errr, "one of (your) lady friends." SupaDave, just how many lady friends to you have?

[Lavabe]

Is there a BEST time of year to get a dog? Is there a WORST time of year to get a dog? Are there things to be aware of when getting a dog in the winter time?

Thanks,
Lavabe

[bluebear]

Is there a BEST time of year to get a dog? Is there a WORST time of year to get a dog? Are there things to be aware of when getting a dog in the winter time?

Thanks,
Lavabe

I suppose it depends on where you live. Puppies have a lot of energy and do well with lots of exercise (preferably outside). I wouldn't get a puppy in the winter up here in Boston, though I suppose the reverse would hold true with the summer heat of other areas..

[sue71, esq]

I suppose it depends on where you live. Puppies have a lot of energy and do well with lots of exercise (preferably outside). I wouldn't get a puppy in the winter up here in Boston, though I suppose the reverse would hold true with the summer heat of other areas..

I think the holidays (ie late November & all of December) are considered less than optimal times to get any pet. I believe there's extra scrutiny that comes with that time of year because so many people get an animal to give as a holiday gift and the pet is then unwanted or neglected or treated poorly. As a result, from what I've heard, sales & especially adoptions come under more scrutiny.

IOW, get the pet before mid-November or after the New Year.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Is there a BEST time of year to get a dog? Is there a WORST time of year to get a dog? Are there things to be aware of when getting a dog in the winter time?

Thanks,
Lavabe

Several things to consider...

How old? Puppies generally don't require a ton of exercise right away - even active breads. They're too small to walk very far. My border collie could barely go around the block at 10 wks old. Within a few months, though, she was walking 30+ minutes 1-2 times per day.

What breed? Active breeds will need to be walked for a good length of time in order to avoid behavioral problems. They get antsy. Less active breeds of course will require less walking time.

Implications for winter time... you're gonna be running outside pretty often with a puppy trying to house train him/her. You're gonna be walking a lot with an active breed. So, are you prepared to spend the requisite time outside with the dog in the cold? Of course, if you have a fenced yard, these issues are more easily managed. Even so, I think active breeds need real walks, not just backyard time. Our border collie LOVES chasing squirrels in the yard but she will never pass up an opportunity for a real walk to check out the neighborhood.

[BlueDevilBaby]

I got my chihuahuas in the dead of winter. Could not help the timing as it was an impulsive decision to take them. It was impossible to train them in the snow and cold because they will only go on grass. They are house broken for the most part but still use litter boxes inside. So I also would not recommend winter time to get a new dog, depending upon location.

I've had a boxer, yorkies and now my chis. I loved them all but have to say the Yorkies are my favorite dog. I would love to have a Yorkiepoo because I like the bigger Yorkies - just don't see them around very much. (Please don't tell my chis I said that.)

[captmojo]

There is a reason I sometimes say that I have the attention span of a Cocker Spaniel puppy. My vote will always lean to an English Setter.

[devildeac]

We had a Cocker for about 9 years. She got "voted off the island" when she got the following afflictions:

1. Howling/barking incessantly when she was relegated to being a garage/outside dog when the kids "took over" the joint.
2. Fleas.

Overall, a good dog to own with minimal health problems during that time with us, except for the annoying, chronic eye "goop." We put an ad in the paper with "free" included in the text and had SIXTY calls for her. We gave her away to the 1st caller after we interviewed the family and were convinced she would have a great home there.

[Lavabe]

We had a Cocker for about 9 years. She got "voted off the island" when she got the following afflictions:

1. Howling/barking incessantly when she was relegated to being a garage/outside dog when the kids "took over" the joint.
2. Fleas.

Overall, a good dog to own with minimal health problems during that time with us, except for the annoying, chronic eye "goop." We put an ad in the paper with "free" included in the text and had SIXTY calls for her. We gave her away to the 1st caller after we interviewed the family and were convinced she would have a great home there.

As we don't have plural on the kids, Puppy/Dog Lavabe would probably not take over the joint.

Thanks for the responses about dog searching during this time of year. Lots of confirmation of what I had been suspecting. Will continue with an exhaustive, thorough search for Puppy Lavabe ...

It's sort of like a job search!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[devildeac]

As we don't have plural on the kids, Puppy/Dog Lavabe would probably not take over the joint.

Thanks for the responses about dog searching during this time of year. Lots of confirmation of what I had been suspecting. Will continue with an exhaustive, thorough search for Puppy Lavabe ...

It's sort of like a job search!

Cheers,
Lavabe

If y'all can't decide, you could have virtual dogs and change breeds every month or two. No kennels. No training. No clean up. No shedding. No allergies.