Jump to content

Thinking about getting a puppy (or two)


iamshack

Recommended Posts

Mine is 8 months olf and seems he is finally confortable being left alone for about 6 hours, but when he was younger no way. Had to take im out every 30 mins. He is good at holding it in now.

 

Got mine from www.fortunatelabrescue.org. Only $300 and it includes all the shots. They cover part of the spay or neutering as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 73
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Well holy crap...my mother talked me into going with the Great Dane on account of the lower activity level requirements. Had to check with my building to make certain there were no weight restrictions...and there aren't. No weight and no breed restrictions, just no more than 2 dogs. Going to have to get a bigger car eventually though.

 

I just put a deposit down on a puppy from Somerset, Ohio. Great Dane, blue male. Currently 8 weeks. Oh my, my life is about to change drastically! :)

Edited by iamshack
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 03:28 PM)
Well holy crap...my mother talked me into going with the Great Dane on account of the lower activity level requirements. Had to check with my building to make certain there were no weight restrictions...and there aren't. No weight and no breed restrictions, just no more than 2 dogs. Going to have to get a bigger car eventually though.

 

I just put a deposit down on a puppy from Somerset, Ohio. Great Dane, blue male. Currently 8 weeks. Oh my, my life is about to change drastically! :)

Your bed is going to get extremely crowded shortly. Those dogs love to cuddle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 03:38 PM)
Your bed is going to get extremely crowded shortly. Those dogs love to cuddle.

Yes they do...they are gentle giants...

 

You're going to have to keep me posted on your Jeep, because I just left the sports car market and am headed into the SUV market come summer time...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my grandfather had great danes for my entire life, and every single one of them was the friendliest dog in the world except for the last one he got. For whatever reason Marmaduke was extremely protective of the kitchen area and nobody except my grandfather could feed him because he would go after them as soon as his food was put down.

 

The funny thing was my grandfather said "You know, I always found people that just bred Great Danes and bought them, really cheap, and they were great dogs. But when we got Marmaduke, we decided to go to a reputable breeder, we got the breeding history, his entire lineage shown to us, spent the extra money to have him registered with AKC, the whole nine yards. And Marmaduke turned out to be the worst of the bunch, I just dont understand that"

 

FYI, im not trying to warn you away from Danes, just sharing the story

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My rotty is like that, but i think it's because i didn't train him properly to allow humans near his food. My current mutt will let anyone put their hands in her food and she doesn't get protective.

 

Based on my last two dogs as well, i most likely will only get females moving forward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 04:34 PM)
my grandfather had great danes for my entire life, and every single one of them was the friendliest dog in the world except for the last one he got. For whatever reason Marmaduke was extremely protective of the kitchen area and nobody except my grandfather could feed him because he would go after them as soon as his food was put down.

 

The funny thing was my grandfather said "You know, I always found people that just bred Great Danes and bought them, really cheap, and they were great dogs. But when we got Marmaduke, we decided to go to a reputable breeder, we got the breeding history, his entire lineage shown to us, spent the extra money to have him registered with AKC, the whole nine yards. And Marmaduke turned out to be the worst of the bunch, I just dont understand that"

 

FYI, im not trying to warn you away from Danes, just sharing the story

If really pressed, most breeders will admit that every dog is ultimately a crapshoot. You simply never know what you are going to get. Some dogs of bad genetics or disposition turn out the be the sweetest, most wonderfully healthy dogs. Some dogs with bulletproof pedigrees turn out to be genetically inferior, or of poor temperament, etc. I wasn't concerned about the pedigree much in regards to the GSP's because of this. But with a dog of this size, having been raised with GD's, Irish Wolfhounds, and English Mastiffs, I know that their bone structures and heart health is extremely important to their prospects as healthy, happy animals. If you get a dog with a defect in bone structure or some other major issue, it can cost you tenfold or more in terms of vet bills and heartache.

 

All that can really be done is that you breed two structurally, mentally, and temperamentally sound dogs together and hope they produce good pups. If they do, you do it again. That is basically the best you can hope for.

 

There is a 2 year health guarantee on the dog that protects me from genetic defect. If the dog has an issue, she will replace him at no charge. He comes with a lifetime of support and guidance. But ultimately, who knows. I guess...everything seems to appear that he'll be one heck of a specimen though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 04:56 PM)
If really pressed, most breeders will admit that every dog is ultimately a crapshoot. You simply never know what you are going to get. Some dogs of bad genetics or disposition turn out the be the sweetest, most wonderfully healthy dogs. Some dogs with bulletproof pedigrees turn out to be genetically inferior, or of poor temperament, etc. I wasn't concerned about the pedigree much in regards to the GSP's because of this. But with a dog of this size, having been raised with GD's, Irish Wolfhounds, and English Mastiffs, I know that their bone structures and heart health is extremely important to their prospects as healthy, happy animals. If you get a dog with a defect in bone structure or some other major issue, it can cost you tenfold or more in terms of vet bills and heartache.

 

All that can really be done is that you breed two structurally, mentally, and temperamentally sound dogs together and hope they produce good pups. If they do, you do it again. That is basically the best you can hope for.

 

There is a 2 year health guarantee on the dog that protects me from genetic defect. If the dog has an issue, she will replace him at no charge. He comes with a lifetime of support and guidance. But ultimately, who knows. I guess...everything seems to appear that he'll be one heck of a specimen though.

 

 

Really, how many dogs do you think she has had to replace? People bond to puppies as soon as the pick them out, if your dog was a year old and your doctor said he/she has hip displasia(sp?), would you honestly go to her and say "I need a new dog"? There is no way I could do that.

 

I think her health guarantee would hold up a lot more if it encompassed compensation for treatment as opposed to replacement of the dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 05:59 PM)
When I am done crate training my pup, he will NOT be sleeping in my bed. I will buy something for him to lay on in my room, but he will never sleep with me.

 

That's what we did, and he ends up not wanted to be in the bed when he is tired. It's all about habit. He sleeps next to the bed on blankets and a dog bed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 06:17 PM)
Really, how many dogs do you think she has had to replace? People bond to puppies as soon as the pick them out, if your dog was a year old and your doctor said he/she has hip displasia(sp?), would you honestly go to her and say "I need a new dog"? There is no way I could do that.

 

I think her health guarantee would hold up a lot more if it encompassed compensation for treatment as opposed to replacement of the dog.

Oh, I agree 100%. I saw some guarantees for as long as 8 years. But I think this is more for those buying the dog with the intention of showing or breeding it.

 

I can foresee really no circumstance where I could give the dog back unless it was literally right out of the crate that I discovered this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't know if this has been mentioned but you could always consider a pet service to let your dog out and play with him while you work longer hours. Or even doggy day care.

 

Good luck!

Edited by Nyx81
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 04:59 PM)
When I am done crate training my pup, he will NOT be sleeping in my bed. I will buy something for him to lay on in my room, but he will never sleep with me.

Thats what I said, but then that one time you pull the dog up there and its over....

 

The good news is my current dog isnt protective of the bed or anything, she just likes to lay in it with us sometimes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 04:19 PM)
Yes they do...they are gentle giants...

 

You're going to have to keep me posted on your Jeep, because I just left the sports car market and am headed into the SUV market come summer time...

My jeep is sick. Talk about great timing buying it a few weeks before the storm hit. It guzzles gas quite a bit, but overall its been a great vehicle. REALLY quiet and put together well. I will say I really wanted to be tooling around in a Range Rover if only for the prestige of that car, but the Jeep offers alot more value. I miss the speed from my G sometimes, but the cruising aspect and storage space makes up for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 10, 2011 -> 12:00 PM)
My jeep is sick. Talk about great timing buying it a few weeks before the storm hit. It guzzles gas quite a bit, but overall its been a great vehicle. REALLY quiet and put together well. I will say I really wanted to be tooling around in a Range Rover if only for the prestige of that car, but the Jeep offers alot more value. I miss the speed from my G sometimes, but the cruising aspect and storage space makes up for it.

Sweet. The Range Rovers are very cool looking, but I don't love the interior on some of the recent models and the reliability of them is a bit frightening. I am going to be looking for something with a fairly decent size 2nd row seat as well as cargo space. No need for third row seating. Want something that isn't going to be super high to step into, as I don't want the dog to struggle to get in. The Grand Cherokee seems to be a nice midsize model with plenty of room and power; nice enough to please me and big enough for him. I'll be looking closely at the Jeeps and the Audi Q5, I imagine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 10, 2011 -> 02:50 PM)
Sweet. The Range Rovers are very cool looking, but I don't love the interior on some of the recent models and the reliability of them is a bit frightening. I am going to be looking for something with a fairly decent size 2nd row seat as well as cargo space. No need for third row seating. Want something that isn't going to be super high to step into, as I don't want the dog to struggle to get in. The Grand Cherokee seems to be a nice midsize model with plenty of room and power; nice enough to please me and big enough for him. I'll be looking closely at the Jeeps and the Audi Q5, I imagine.

The sleep thing about the jeep is that i have the quadra lift suspension and i can lower it down so my pup can jump in. the new interior is awesome and it really comes with everything. I looked at the q5 and q7 and the 7 was too expensive with the larger engine for me and the 5 just seemed too small and too much like a crossover. If you wait awhile and don't mind american cars, i heard the new durango was going to be sick. A lot of folks really love the 4 runner as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Instead of creating a new thread, I thought I can just ask in this one since it's pretty much on the subject of dogs:

 

Someday in the future I hope to get my own place and get a Doberman and a Blue Heeler Australian Cattle Dog. Does anyone have any experience with these breeds? I've always loved these two breeds since I was a kid and I read a lot of stuff about them and watched videos, but I never came across either of these breeds in person. If anyone that have any experience with these breeds can answer, that'd be great. :)

 

Hey BigSqwert, I noticed from the links to the pics you posted in an earlier post that one of your dogs is a Doberman. What is it like to own that dog? Is your Doberman as gentle as other Dobermans I've seen in videos? And what kind of dog is your other dog? It almost looks like a terrier of some sort.

Edited by SouthsideDon48
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don, go to the American Kennel Club website and look up each breed. That is a great place to start. It will tell you what the dog should look and act like, as well as what they were originally bred to do and what their strengths and weaknesses are, how they do as a pet, etc.

 

www.akc.org

 

I'm a big fan of blue heelers...really cool, smart dogs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Feb 14, 2011 -> 03:40 AM)
Hey BigSqwert, I noticed from the links to the pics you posted in an earlier post that one of your dogs is a Doberman. What is it like to own that dog? Is your Doberman as gentle as other Dobermans I've seen in videos? And what kind of dog is your other dog? It almost looks like a terrier of some sort.

 

No it's a Miniature Pinscher which looks like a miniature Doberman. The breed comes from a mix of Italian Greyhound and Dachshund. The other one is a terrier/Border Collie mix. At least that's what our vet told us.

 

Both were rescues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

blue heelers are extremely smart and loyal dogs, but some of them have that herding instinct so thoroughly bred into them that they instinctively nip your heels when they get excited.

 

 

And it f***ing hurts when a dog nips your achilles

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pup flies in Saturday afternoon....have ordered everything I can possibly think of, including food, toys, treats, bed, crate, grooming tools, etc. He's about 23 pounds already at 9 weeks.

 

Ready to rock and roll...should be fun...and a challenge...oh my.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 15, 2011 -> 11:18 PM)
Pup flies in Saturday afternoon....have ordered everything I can possibly think of, including food, toys, treats, bed, crate, grooming tools, etc. He's about 23 pounds already at 9 weeks.

 

Ready to rock and roll...should be fun...and a challenge...oh my.

Good luck dude! :)

 

And please post some pics of the puppy when you get him. :)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...