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The doghouse

what dog should we get?

43 replies

iamaduck · 02/06/2013 12:08

Hi, we are a family with dh, 3 kids and I. Youngest dc is 7. All the kids want a dog and have wanted a dog since forever. I work 3-4 days a week and when working get home at about 5pm. Dh works 5 days a week and gets home at about 6pm, so the dog would need to be left alone for quite a lot of the time.

We don't mind the size, and we can put aside 15-20 minutes a day dog walking. We have a large detached house with a large garden. I am not a huge fan of dogs but I don't mind them. Husband likes dogs but it is mainly the children who want one - especially my ds who is 11.

It would be great if you could comment which dog would be good or recommend a site where there is a good accurate quiz thing.

Thanks Grin

Oh I forgot to say we have a cat so it would have to be OK with her, and we would get it as a puppy. Smile

OP posts:
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tabulahrasa · 02/06/2013 12:33

15- 20 minutes of walking is nowhere near enough for anything bar the tiniest of dogs and to be honest I'd walk even those much more than that.

Dogs really shouldn't be routinely left for longer than a few hours without at least being let out to do the toilet...tiny puppies should be left as little as possible.

An older dog who is used to being left all day and a dog walker or someone letting it out might work fine for the leaving it issue, but you still need to at least triple the amount of walking you were thinking of and factor in things like time for training and grooming.

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melliebobs · 02/06/2013 12:36

Don't want to speak out of turn but if ur dog is being left for the long 5 days a week and only walking for 15-20mins a day maybe I shouldn't be getting a dog

I have a small dog and it needs 20mins absolute minimum walking in the morning alone. Let alone at lunch and evening

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melliebobs · 02/06/2013 12:43

Sorry for the typos. I'm on my phone

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D0oinMeCleanin · 02/06/2013 12:48

15 - 20 mins is not enough even for the laziest breeds.

You cannot leave a puppy alone for that long. It will be a toilet training, house destroying nightmare.

It is unfair to leave an adult dog that long, without employing a dog walker.

Fish are nice. They don't need walking. Just don't get guppies Actually does anyone want any guppies?

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DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 02/06/2013 13:02

Not being funny but 15-20 minutes' walk a day and no company for hours at a time is going to turn the sweetest pup into a very unhappy dog. Not a recipe for success with 3 children.

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toboldlygo · 02/06/2013 13:02

Not nearly enough walking time even for a toy breed and a working day is too long to leave a dog alone. You absolutely cannot leave a puppy alone during that time.

Dog will still be your responsibility when DS has long flown the nest - and even when he's still at home will he still be walking the dog twice a day and cleaning up after it when he's developing other commitments and interests? The dog will be yours, not your DCs and the bulk of the work will necessarily be yours.

If by your own admission you're not a big fan of dogs could you cope with their wee, poo and vomit on the carpet, the hair on every surface including your clothes, the dog smell in the house and the dirt they bring in from outside? You can't ignore a dog living in the house, they smell, bark and make frequent demands on your attention.

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francesdrake · 02/06/2013 13:53

You know those crying baby dolls teenage girls get to show them the realities of having a baby? I think the RSPCA should develop a Puppy Trainer that makes puddles randomly, barks randomly, needs to be picked up and walked around twice a day for ninety minutes, poos in your car, can't be left alone for more than 4 hours etc, etc. Parents could hire one for a few weeks - or as long as it takes the DC to decide they'd rather not have a dog...

[calls Dragon's Den]

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D0oinMeCleanin · 02/06/2013 13:57

Oooh I could rent out Devil Dog for them to base their prototype on Grin

I could just rent him as a kind of doggy contraception to unsuspecting families like OP, but I fear they'd lose it and end up sobbing in a heap in the corner after an hour and he'd not be walked on time, which would drive him even nuttier than normal.

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MelanieCheeks · 02/06/2013 13:58

No, you shouldn't be considering a dog if it's going to be left alone (worse - with a cat) for long periods of time every single day. It's really not fair on the dog, and just setting you up for problems ahead - house training, boredom, separation anxiety.

Why don't you sponsor a dog with the Dogs Trust? They send you regular updates as to how your dog is doing, and you're helping look after abandoned and badly treated animals.

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Pandemoniaa · 02/06/2013 16:16

I can't think of any dog that would be content with 15-20 minutes walking per day. And that includes my very elderly cocker spaniel in the months before he died!

Also, you cannot get a pup if you intend to be out of the house for long periods. Or at least unless you have someone who will be there to look after the pup. Note that when I say "look after", I don't mean "pop in". I'm just about to get a new pup. I have timed his arrival with a summer spent mainly in and around the house because pups need company. I have another dog already but he's not going to be a substitute for proper human attention.

Right now it doesn't sound as if your family is in a position to get a puppy. I should seriously reconsider the idea.

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GristleNBone · 02/06/2013 19:14

Rottweiler?
Great Dane?
Dogue de Bordeaux?

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mrslaughan · 02/06/2013 19:22

Rottweiler?
Great Dane?
Dogue de Bordeaux?

all of these need more walking that 15-20 a day, it would be fine for say 3-6months old, but after that they need more - and need a lot of input for training, or else you just have a giant problem on your hands.

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mrslaughan · 02/06/2013 19:22

what about a cat?

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mrslaughan · 02/06/2013 19:24

oh - just saw you have a cat.......

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Turniptwirl · 02/06/2013 19:45

You don't have time for a dog.

See if a local shelter is looking for dog walkers or helpers, not sure if they'll let kids do it though.

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melliebobs · 02/06/2013 20:48

I think gristle was bring sarcastic no?!

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tabulahrasa · 02/06/2013 20:50

Rottweiler?
Great Dane?
Dogue de Bordeaux?

Eh? I've got a 10 month old Rottweiler with elbow dysplasia...he still needs more than 15 -20 minutes a day.

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mrslaughan · 02/06/2013 22:22

Not sure - I think they are considered low energy breeds, and was thinking that people may think that you could get away with 15-20min a day

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tabulahrasa · 02/06/2013 22:48

Rotties aren't low energy, lol, not at all.

I can kind of see where you're coming from with the giant breeds, they do tend to be a bit lazier, though 20 minutes a day is nothing.

Rotties though aren't like that, they're a working breed - they like loads of exercise and preferably to be kept busy all day as well.

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LIttleMissTickles · 03/06/2013 02:31

My friends had a very happy French bulldog when they both worked. He was too lazy to walk more than 20 mins a day too.

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AncientsOfMuMu · 03/06/2013 08:14

One of those toy dogs on wheels that toddlers push around should fit in well. Grin

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Copthallresident · 03/06/2013 08:23

Love dogs but did not have one when I worked as it would not have been fair to the dog. They are animals that are unhappy without company, exercise and stimulation. Give your children a lesson in responsibility and thinking of another beings needs and explain to then that you do not have the time and commitment to give a dog a good home.

Besides which no responsible breeder would home a dog with you.

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Loupee · 03/06/2013 08:38

We have a 15 week old Staffy cross, and I'm a SAHM with a 10 month old. If I am planning on being out for more than 3/4 hours at a time I take him to a friends who does dog boarding/sitting, this arrangement was made before we got the puppy. He currently has one 20-30 minute walk a day, will expect this to increase to 2 30 minute walks by the time he is a year, if not before.
He is a lovely dog (DH is more the dog fan in this house) and great with the baby, doing well with his toilet training, but accidents still occur that need to be swiftly cleaned up before DS can get to them.
The days when I haven't been able to give the puppy as much attention as I would like, he is naughtier, chewing on anything, jumping on anything. If he has had a good walk and plenty of attention he is lovely company. Also puppy's teething is annoying, and something I hadn't even thought of until the rescue told us.
All in all I reckon there needs to be an adult home a lot more than you can offer a puppy. You will end up with a very badly behaved dog, that you will possibly resent getting.

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plannedshock · 03/06/2013 08:46

If you left a dog that long it would chew your house up in boredom (and rightly so) my dog is walked for an hour in the morn and hour in the evening and he's a large breed who's had major surgery in the past on his back legs, puppies/dogs are only fun or can be left after you have fully trained them, which IMO is a year even then if I had to leave mine I get someone to let him out. Think about everything before you get one if you're not a dog person eg: humping/in season bleeding, chewing, the cost, walking them in nov when it's freezing and peeing with rain!! Also I don't know any breed of dog that needs walking once for 15-20mins!! If you do get one-get a good insurance!

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Fenton · 03/06/2013 08:47

Looking at your current circumstances OP, I really think that this is the only dog for you.

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