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I am pro-rescue, every one of my 10 dogs has been a rescue. There are breed-specific rescues, if you're interested. Also, I have never owned a puppy because I didn't want to deal with potty training & chewing. A one year-old dog is still very fun & puppy-like.
You might want a smaller breed sog. I'm retired & for the first time ever we're considering not getting any more large dogs. We did have a rescue Pomeranian, that little guy had the heart & soul of a big dog, plus he was very affectionate & playful & a good traveler. He lived to nearly 16 y.o., so I recommend that small breed.
True that fostering is still a vetted position that rescue places are in much need of. My niece had to do months of shelter care to even get on the list to be a foster.
My experience is with smaller breeds since my parent needed an emotional support dog for her anxiety.
We settled on a Yorkie , and then we're doubly blessed when I was gifted a King Charles Cavalier.
The yorkie I think was more anxiety riddled then my parent LOL!
She seemed to comfort the furry paw more then vice versa
The King Charles though, ohh my! What a joy for 17 years that family friend was. Sure there were Health concerns related to that breed. Wasn't enough to do anything other then- keep the vet appointments - follow the diet and walk regime. They are honestly the most companion friendly/loyal dogs . We had no problems training him either. Course he did the normal "chewing" stage as puppies do, and we had some accidents in our early training....
Our King Charles though turned out to be a medical aide though too. Actually alerted us when my parent had a diabetic episode.
I'd suggest getting to a dog show or visiting a rescue site that homes animals. We have one that is specific for German Shephards that police forces turn in after they have met their time so to speak. Yes even these courageous dogs deserve their golden years to be out in fields or in a less strenuous environment. Just something to consider as you weigh your choices....
Please do not buy a puppy when there are umpteen thousand suitable dogs awaiting adoption in a foster home. There are many assertions about a problem dog from the pound in this thread but do consider how many are abandoned daily either to the pound or thrown out of a car due to financial constraints. A website like Petfinder is a valuable tool out there to help you find the perfect dog who has been vetted for behavior purposes in a foster home and is up to date on vaccinations/checkups. You can search by breed or size of dog as well as if child and/or cat-friendly. https://www.petfinder.com/search/dog...recently_added
None of your business... but you already know that, so my response to your post is just as judgmental.
I'll second the Cavalier comment from Nov3. Wonderful dogs.
Dogs can bring an unimaginable amount of joy into your life if you have the right fit. Since you'll be a first time dog owner you don't really know yet what that fit will look like so I would suggest volunteering at a shelter walking dogs and getting a feel for what type of dog would be best for you and your husband.
Getting a dog is a serious commitment - at least it should be. Going into it without any experience is risky for the dog because the chances of things not working out can be higher for a novice like yourself. Many shelters and rescue organizations have a program called Seniors for Seniors which matches older dogs with older people. That could be a good place to start.
I'm a senior myself and a puppy entered our lives about three years ago and it was quite a challenge to put it mildly and my husband and I are very experienced dog owners in addition to fostering many dogs over the years. We got through the puppy stage and our little girl is now a very well mannered beauty but it took a lot of work getting to this point. I would not get another puppy in the future. For us, it will only be adult or older dogs, just like us : )
My two cents - forget the puppy! Sign up to be a foster dog parent at your local shelter/rescue organization. Ask for a senior dog! They are potty trained, significantly calmer and don't chew or teething like puppies. If you liked caring for a foster dog for couple of months, only then decide on owning a dog.
Many senior dogs are in shelters when go into assisted living. Many of these senior dogs are purebreds. My shelter has an older goldendoodle. A good natured dog whose owner died. These senior dogs make great pets for senior people.
Cats are easy and puppies are like newborn babies. Puppies take an awful lot of work and patience! You can't leave them alone for hours without potty time.
Quote:
Three-month-old puppies can wait for three hours; four-month-old puppies for four hours, and so on. The crate training and alone-time practice should start to pay off here. After 6 months: An older puppy, like most adult dogs, has the ability to hold it for up to six hour
Your travel plans will have change. Some dogs are okay in cars and some dogs have actual motion sickness. Some dogs are okay in kennel or with a pet sitter, some dogs become too anxious with any change in schedule.
Also puppies might outlive you. Some breeds live for fifteen years or more, so put them in your will.
I've had cats for 40 years and dogs for the last twenty years - they are no way similar.
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Originally Posted by Sonny3
A shelter puppy is possible also but would want to stay away from the herding breeds because of the cats and an unknown history might be a concern.
There is no way to gauge if a particular puppy or dog will get along with cats. One puppy attacked my cats so I had to divide the house in half. Although, I never worried about my cats, because with cat nails - cats always won. Now, I have another dog of the same bred which is perfectly fine with cats. It's like a coin toss.
Last edited by YorktownGal; 03-18-2024 at 08:26 AM..
Please do not buy a puppy when there are umpteen thousand suitable dogs awaiting adoption in a foster home. There are many assertions about a problem dog from the pound in this thread but do consider how many are abandoned daily either to the pound or thrown out of a car due to financial constraints. A website like Petfinder is a valuable tool out there to help you find the perfect dog who has been vetted for behavior purposes in a foster home and is up to date on vaccinations/checkups. You can search by breed or size of dog as well as if child and/or cat-friendly. https://www.petfinder.com/search/dog...recently_added
Totally agree.
Also, OP, I would take a quiz to find out what breed would be best for you. Answer honestly so that both you and the dog you choose are happy.
One thing to consider about size of dog, will you be able to move the dog if there is a medical emergency?
I have a dog who weighs 40 pounds and he is old and wobbly and can not get into the car by himself anymore. He is too heavy for me to pick up to put him in the car. For an emergency, I would rally up my adrenaline and get him into the car somehow.
But I also have a dog who weighs 84 pounds. No way am I going t be able to pick her up. If she needs an emergency trip to the vet, or if she dies in my living room, I simply can not move her. When I was young, I could have managed it. Now, it is out of the question,
You are nearing retirement. Can you manage 115 pounds (Bernese Mountain Dog), if it needs to be lifted into the car or carried out of the woods?
None of your business... but you already know that, so my response to your post is just as judgmental.
I'll second the Cavalier comment from Nov3. Wonderful dogs.
Lo and behold, there are 146 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels available for adoption nationwide, but yep...pay big bucks to a breeder instead and add to the population. Brilliance..
I do have a couple of other thoughts: Years ago, I bought a book entitled "Right Dog For You" by Daniel Tortora, and this is an excellent book, the best I have seen. It not only check lists, and asks specific questions, but has so much breed information that relates the author's experiences with some breeds. There are charts about energy levels, how social the dog is, how quick they are to learn, guarding ability, watch dog ability..........Yes, individuals in a breed can differ, BUT generally there are "core" values that most have.
If the OP chooses to get a puppy or grown dog from the humane society or an animal shelter, OP needs to know traits of a pit bull, as some are passing dogs off as a mixed breed, and for many this doesn't work out as some jurisdictions do not allow the dogs, and if you travel at all with the dog, that can be an issue. Adopting in this case? Form a relationship with the shelter, and let them know what sort of dog you are looking for as the easier to place dogs generally don't make Petfinder or Adoptapet. The person that actually has contact with the dogs can be a HUGE help in making a selection.
OP: It is your choice whether to buy from a breeder or to adopt. Don't feel guilty if you choose not to adopt, just be informed about the breed you choose. To me, this is similar to choosing a mate, and I wouldn't want to choose one just because I felt sorry for them.
Most shelters now are "no kill", which makes visiting much more pleasant than in the old days.
I hope you spend many happy years with your choice.
Lo and behold, there are 146 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels available for adoption nationwide, but yep...pay big bucks to a breeder instead and add to the population. Brilliance..
Except that only a couple of those might possibly be Cavalier Spaniels. The others are cute mixed breeds, which might be very good pets, but they are not Cavaliers.
I see cocker mixes, terrier mixes, poodle mixes, chihuahua mixes, and some real mysteries.
its disingenuous to try to pass off mutts as purebred Cavaliers and insist that it is an easy thing to adopt a Cavalier because there are so many of them available.
And I am always mystified by this belief that responsible breeders deliberately breeding healthy purebred dogs are adding to the pet population and the backyard breeders, puppy mills, and irresponsible families who do not spay or neuter and allow their pets to produce oops litters are not. The irresponsible oops breeders deserve the public support as the public works hard to find good homes for their discarded oops puppies while vilifying the responsible fancier who puts the effort into producing high quality healthy dogs and to place them into good homes.
Last edited by oregonwoodsmoke; 03-18-2024 at 11:19 AM..
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