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So in all, A german shepherd would be good for me?
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Apartment Akitas
- Thread starter BrianLovesAkitas
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Well done you
It takes a lot to let your head rule when your heart yearns for a dog you love the look and idea of, but people's lives can be turned upside down - and not in a good way - if they make the wrong decision. Helping out at a local rescue would be a really great idea as you can get hands-on experience and get to know the individual dogs really well. And you may just find the dog who is perfect for you and your situation.Oh, and the 2-hour walking? It can be great on sunny days and when you have plenty of energy and not too much to do, but when it's cold, wet and windy, you've got a heavy cold and a sore knee, and you're going to have to be up till 3am to finish your school project... some dogs might give you a break, but others will still need that walk!
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Sadly, It is 3 years until I can work at a shelter as in the UK the minimum age for volunteering is 16!! I'm only 13. I don't really mind the weather, a coat and an umbrella is enough for me! I would honestly go out of my way to make sure the dog gets that walk and the exercise it needs!Well done you
Oh, and the 2-hour walking? It can be great on sunny days and when you have plenty of energy and not too much to do, but when it's cold, wet and windy, you've got a heavy cold and a sore knee, and you're going to have to be up till 3am to finish your school project... some dogs might give you a break, but others will still need that walk!
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great! do LOTS of research now on the GSD, heath illnesses, and what they are breed for etc.Sadly, It is 3 years until I can work at a shelter as in the UK the minimum age for volunteering is 16!! I'm only 13. I don't really mind the weather, a coat and an umbrella is enough for me! I would honestly go out of my way to make sure the dog gets that walk and the exercise it needs!
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i think at 14 you can volunteer at the RSPCASadly, It is 3 years until I can work at a shelter as in the UK the minimum age for volunteering is 16!! I'm only 13. I don't really mind the weather, a coat and an umbrella is enough for me! I would honestly go out of my way to make sure the dog gets that walk and the exercise it needs!
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This is a really good thread with lots and lots of useful advice, especially about the walking and guarding! To give you an example of my experience - I'm a first time dog owner - our medium sized, mixed breed rescue dog gets walked three times a day, regardless of weather, unless he's adamant he doesn't want to go out (firework night scares him silly, so we're lucky if he'll even go out in the garden). As others have mentioned, this means getting up at 05.45 for his morning walk, even if I'm totally exhausted, and going out for a walk in the cold, dark, wind and rain. Lately it's been very wet and windy! He'll then get another lunchtime-ish walk, then an early evening walk, followed by a 21.00 very short walk for a quick pee. So yes, you will have to commit 100% to doing this for the benefit of your furry friend I'm sure your research has shown the benefits of walking and not walking a dog, and it breaks my heart to see/hear about dogs that are shut in all day. It's not good for their physical or mental health.
I really would visit a rescue centre with your parents, not with a view to volunteering at this stage, but with a view to adopting. If you tell them your circumstances, they will be able to suggest to you a suitable dog for your family. It won't be in their interests to give you a dog that's not suitable, as you will only return it. The part about being a first time dog owner is very important, as some dogs can just be a handful in terms of training/exercise requirements. Like you, I'd love a Husky or similar dog. They look magnificent and I'm led to believe they're very loving dogs, however, as has already been pointed out, they need lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of exercise and stimulation. When I thought about this, my conclusion was that whilst I could most definitely offer a Husky a loving home, I most likely would not be able to meet it's exercise requirements. If you want some Husky experience, you could try going to a place like this. Also, don't forget, they need lots of exercise. I might not have mentioned this
Some things I've picked up from this forum about where to get a dog:
Well, that was a long post, I need another coffee (only the second one today @Josie).
I'm sure your research has shown the benefits of walking and not walking a dog, and it breaks my heart to see/hear about dogs that are shut in all day. It's not good for their physical or mental health.I really would visit a rescue centre with your parents, not with a view to volunteering at this stage, but with a view to adopting. If you tell them your circumstances, they will be able to suggest to you a suitable dog for your family. It won't be in their interests to give you a dog that's not suitable, as you will only return it. The part about being a first time dog owner is very important, as some dogs can just be a handful in terms of training/exercise requirements. Like you, I'd love a Husky or similar dog. They look magnificent and I'm led to believe they're very loving dogs, however, as has already been pointed out, they need lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of exercise and stimulation. When I thought about this, my conclusion was that whilst I could most definitely offer a Husky a loving home, I most likely would not be able to meet it's exercise requirements. If you want some Husky experience, you could try going to a place like this. Also, don't forget, they need lots of exercise. I might not have mentioned this
Some things I've picked up from this forum about where to get a dog:
- Reputable breeder - will only let you have the dog if they think you can properly provide for it. You'll get support.
- Unreputable (is that a word?) breeder - they will sell anything to anyone. Avoid like the plague. Same as a bloke in a pub selling dogs, others selling dogs, etc. No support at all.
- Rescue centre - see comments above. Some centres will let you foster a dog first, to see if it's right for you, so this might be an option. Centres also vary in quality, but there's nothing wrong with going to small local centre, do some research first. You'll get ongoing support.
- Friends/family - often a good source if you know the history.
Well, that was a long post, I need another coffee (only the second one today @Josie
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Great post @arealhuman - 20% blood 80% coffee
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Thank youGreat post @arealhuman - 20% blood 80% coffee
Your figures are the wrong way round but I'm working hard to put them in the order you have them!
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Hey, all the people that helped me. I'm very sorry for wasting your time but turns out I'm getting a bearded dragon. Sorry again for wasting time.
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When I get older though, IM DEFINITELY GETTING A DOG!!!
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You didn't waste our time. You asked for advice, we gave it, and despite it not being what you really wanted to hear you took heed and made what seems to me to be a very sensible decision. Well done.
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If we helped you think through your situation and come to the decision that a dog -particularly an akita - wouldn't be right for you at the moment, that advice was well worth giving. Enjoy your bearded dragon - and when you do get a dog, you have the makings of an awesome owner
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Well done for thinking through your decision of getting a dog it takes courage to say no.
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I know that the Q has been resolved, & well-done, Brian, for that ultimate choice. Thumbs up!
OTOH, i was a bit puzzled to see Akitas labeled as "heavy shedding" - while GSDs were being cheerfully suggested as a less guard-y alternative.
GSDs were my favorite breed for over 20-years, & a good part of what prompted me to give them up was their nonstop, every day of their lives, shedding. It might be hanks & gobs, or it might be wisps & individual hairs, but GSDs do shed - Every Day Of Their Lives. Devoted GSD fans learn to examine mugs from the dishwasher for cast hair, before pouring the morning coffee in. Dust-bunnies & sausages composed entirely of dog-hair can be found under cabinets, beds, & the kitchen table.
My Akita was, in strong contrast, very tight-coated... aside from the seasonal 'blow coat' periods of Spring & Fall, when double-coated breeds, prompted by the change in photoperiod [long day to short, or vice-versa], replace their guard hairs & their undercoat.
She got a bath on average every 10 to 14-days of her life, b/c she was a therapy pet, & if i saw 6 hairs in the bathtub, that was a lot! // But at the change of seasons, i could fill a paper grocery-bag half-full in a single day, brushing her 3 separate times in every 16 waking hours, every day.
"Blowing coat" lasts about 3-weeks, twice a year - a big relief compared to picking up hair from a GSD every day.
Also, intact bitches of all coat types drop a lot of hair when they are in estrus, & even more hair when they're preg or nursing - F Rough Collies walk about in their underwear post-estrus & while in whelp, all their glorious silky guard hair gone, & clad only in kinky plush undercoat until they're well-out of estrus, or their pups are past 4-MO.
That's why Pal, a male collie, played the part of 'Lassie' in the early feature films, & later, other male collies starred in the various TV series, later movies, etc.
- terry
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I know that the Q has been resolved, & well-done, Brian, for that ultimate choice.
Thumbs up!OTOH, i was a bit puzzled to see Akitas labeled as "heavy shedding" - while GSDs were being cheerfully suggested as a less guard-y alternative.
GSDs were my favorite breed for over 20-years, & a good part of what prompted me to give them up was their nonstop, every day of their lives, shedding.
It might be hanks & gobs, or it might be wisps & individual hairs, but GSDs do shed - Every Day Of Their Lives. Devoted GSD fans learn to examine mugs from the dishwasher for cast hair, before pouring the morning coffee in. Dust-bunnies & sausages composed entirely of dog-hair can be found under cabinets, beds, & the kitchen table.My Akita was, in strong contrast, very tight-coated... aside from the seasonal 'blow coat' periods of Spring & Fall, when double-coated breeds, prompted by the change in photoperiod [long day to short, or vice-versa], replace their guard hairs & their undercoat.
She got a bath on average every 10 to 14-days of her life, b/c she was a therapy pet, & if i saw 6 hairs in the bathtub, that was a lot! // But at the change of seasons, i could fill a paper grocery-bag half-full in a single day, brushing her 3 separate times in every 16 waking hours, every day.
"Blowing coat" lasts about 3-weeks, twice a year - a big relief compared to picking up hair from a GSD every day.
Also, intact bitches of all coat types drop a lot of hair when they are in estrus, & even more hair when they're preg or nursing - F Rough Collies walk about in their underwear post-estrus & while in whelp, all their glorious silky guard hair gone, & clad only in kinky plush undercoat until they're well-out of estrus, or their pups are past 4-MO.
That's why Pal, a male collie, played the part of 'Lassie' in the early feature films, & later, other male collies starred in the various TV series, later movies, etc.
- terry
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My concern was more the temperament. Having owned and boarded a thousand of them, I can also confirm GSD's never stop shedding I used to make life sized puppies out of the fur.
Congrats on the lizard OP my first pet was a snake
I used to make life sized puppies out of the fur. Congrats on the lizard OP
my first pet was a snake
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yes, @Kayak - i'd never suggest an Akita to any novice owner.
As a breed, they're opinionated, can be stranger intolerant or even aggro with poor socialization, & unlike most dogs, are not only ABLE but willing to bite on provocation. // Akita pups need extensive & intensive socialization to humans of all ages, colors, ethnic origins, diets, & types, plus a good smattering of able-bodied vs variously disabled samples, & a wide assortment of human accessories - huge insectoid sunglasses with metallic coatings, golf club, baseball bat, broom, jangling keys in a fist-sized clump, clanking tool-belts, walkers AKA Zimmer frames, canes, walking sticks, crutches... U name it, dangling fringe, tempting sashes, gloves, bike helmets, coveralls, firemen's gear, anything.
I recommend that anyone who gets a guarding breed as a pup spend the 1st 2-years of that guardian's life, doing the same socialization they'd do with a "normal" pup between ages 8-WO & 12-WO - IOW, meeting strangers on a near-daily basis & ensuring that every encounter is happy for the dog.
Then, guarding breeds need 'maintenance' for life: continued exposure on a less intensive basis to friendly strangers, b/c without it, they retreat to their clamshells & revert to hermits, tolerant only of family & well-known friends.
Even if U bust Ur butt doing those 2-yrs of intensive socialization, if U then move to a rural property & don't maintain Ur Akita's tolerance of strangers with steady continued exposure, they're liable to get cranky with the postie or bite the Fed-Ex driver who innocently puts a parcel on the porch.
LGDs are IME, even worse in their intolerance of strangers, & aside from some excessively-friendly Pyrs, are also best left on rural properties with a job to do, & owners who are well-aware of their turfy, paranoid, & self-protective temps.
Why any urban or burban pet-owner would *want* a dog who's hard-wired to patrol the house from dusk to dawn, & bark with a deep window-rattling roar at any noises off, I can't fathom - but pet-owners do it all the time, buy or adopt an LGD, & then complain about their Ovcharka or Kuvasz waking the whole household nightly, & threatening the neighbors.
What did they expect? - Lassie?
Consider what U want Ur dog to do - then choose accordingly. It makes life a lot easier on everyone, especially the poor dog.
- terry
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yes, @Kayak - i'd never suggest an Akita to any novice owner.
As a breed, they're opinionated, can be stranger intolerant or even aggro with poor socialization, & unlike most dogs, are not only ABLE but willing to bite on provocation. // Akita pups need extensive & intensive socialization to humans of all ages, colors, ethnic origins, diets, & types, plus a good smattering of able-bodied vs variously disabled samples, & a wide assortment of human accessories - huge insectoid sunglasses with metallic coatings, golf club, baseball bat, broom, jangling keys in a fist-sized clump, clanking tool-belts, walkers AKA Zimmer frames, canes, walking sticks, crutches... U name it, dangling fringe, tempting sashes, gloves, bike helmets, coveralls, firemen's gear, anything.
I recommend that anyone who gets a guarding breed as a pup spend the 1st 2-years of that guardian's life, doing the same socialization they'd do with a "normal" pup between ages 8-WO & 12-WO - IOW, meeting strangers on a near-daily basis & ensuring that every encounter is happy for the dog.
Then, guarding breeds need 'maintenance' for life: continued exposure on a less intensive basis to friendly strangers, b/c without it, they retreat to their clamshells & revert to hermits, tolerant only of family & well-known friends.
Even if U bust Ur butt doing those 2-yrs of intensive socialization, if U then move to a rural property & don't maintain Ur Akita's tolerance of strangers with steady continued exposure, they're liable to get cranky with the postie or bite the Fed-Ex driver who innocently puts a parcel on the porch.
LGDs are IME, even worse in their intolerance of strangers, & aside from some excessively-friendly Pyrs, are also best left on rural properties with a job to do, & owners who are well-aware of their turfy, paranoid, & self-protective temps.
Why any urban or burban pet-owner would *want* a dog who's hard-wired to patrol the house from dusk to dawn, & bark with a deep window-rattling roar at any noises off, I can't fathom - but pet-owners do it all the time, buy or adopt an LGD, & then complain about their Ovcharka or Kuvasz waking the whole household nightly, & threatening the neighbors.
What did they expect? - Lassie?
Consider what U want Ur dog to do - then choose accordingly.
It makes life a lot easier on everyone, especially the poor dog.- terry
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I think we’ll call it a day on this now he’s decided on a bearded dragon instead!
