Opinions please!

[arealhuman]

Very cute! Thanks for the update

 

[leashedForLife]

Get 2 [dogs, at the same time], then you aren't leaving [one] dog [alone] while you are at work.

If you can find 2 that come as a pair who aren't too young (i-e, read "too much energy, & will destroy your house"), they could be perfect. Slightly older dogs that need rehoming together aren't that popular, as most people want 1 dog not 2, but honestly it is SO much easier to have 2 dogs over 1 puppy.

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EDIT:
Just saw today's update, so the post below is for the general reader, not the OP, who already has her bundle of joy.

________________________________________________

as a trainer, I really wouldn't suggest this.
An "instant family" sounds wonderful, but it also creates complications - a dog who is more-attached to her or his k9 buddy can be problematic in many ways; if one dog is hurt or ill, the other is often frantic when their sick or injured buddy is at the vet's, or while their playmate is confined to crate-rest or limited to leashed walks only, the "well" dog goes off their feed, lies about disconsolate, & is apparently depressed.

When they arrive, neither dog knows U - they know one another; & given that they've got the perfect companion, who speaks their language, loves the same activities, has the same interests, why should they waste time getting to know U?... // Working with each dog separately helps to bond them to U, but again, U get into time limitations - 2 solo walks plus a group walk?... Only on weekends, & then only if yer lucky!
.
Dogs who are velcroed to one another are less responsive to humans, & it's more difficult to train them - everything must be done THREE times, once with each dog alone, & again for the 2 together. Getting a reliable recall on a PAIR of dogs is harder than training [& proofing! - don't forget proofing...] one dog to come to U fairly-consistently when called.
Most dogs are 15 to 18-MO before they achieve 80% reliability [4 out of 5, each time with only ONE cue given], & that's with consistent training & slowly-added / increased distractions, working with one dog only - a solo pet.

I'd urge anyone to consider a single dog, & arrange for dog-buddies or dog-social time with dogs U don't need to feed, walk / toilet, exercise, pay vet bills for, groom, teach or maintain apropos behaviors, etc.

What about a direct adoption from a former owner? - or adopting a retired stud, former show-dam, etc, of a breed that U like? - or a young dog with basic manners, who didn't grow-out to meet the breeder's fond hopes of a fine specimen for the breed ring, or as a potential sire or dam? Maybe he's got a missing premolar, or she doesn't have the perfect skull profile, but those don't matter in the least to a pet.
U could look on CraigsList, PreLoved, GumTree, & other direct-ad sites that list "classifieds", or contact the breed club & ask about their national or regional breed rescue.

U might also consider adopting from abroad - I don't know where U live, but if it's the UK, many small Eastern Europe countries have very active dog-rescue organizations. Spain has huge numbers of stray sighthound- & hunting mixes; Bulgaria, Romania, Czech, & others all have dogs of many sorts who need homes.
Check out the reputation of the dog-rescue - some are very shady, some are wonderful, providing good after-adoption behavioral support & taking back dogs for any reason [adopter dies, adopter loses job / home, adopter must move across country to care for ailing aging parent...].

- terry
.

 

[Violet Turner]

.

EDIT:
Just saw today's update, so the post below is for the general reader, not the OP, who already has her bundle of joy.

________________________________________________

as a trainer, I really wouldn't suggest this.
An "instant family" sounds wonderful, but it also creates complications - a dog who is more-attached to her or his k9 buddy can be problematic in many ways; if one dog is hurt or ill, the other is often frantic when their sick or injured buddy is at the vet's, or while their playmate is confined to crate-rest or limited to leashed walks only, the "well" dog goes off their feed, lies about disconsolate, & is apparently depressed.

When they arrive, neither dog knows U - they know one another; & given that they've got the perfect companion, who speaks their language, loves the same activities, has the same interests, why should they waste time getting to know U?... // Working with each dog separately helps to bond them to U, but again, U get into time limitations - 2 solo walks plus a group walk?... Only on weekends, & then only if yer lucky!
.
Dogs who are velcroed to one another are less responsive to humans, & it's more difficult to train them - everything must be done THREE times, once with each dog alone, & again for the 2 together. Getting a reliable recall on a PAIR of dogs is harder than training [& proofing! - don't forget proofing...] one dog to come to U fairly-consistently when called.
Most dogs are 15 to 18-MO before they achieve 80% reliability [4 out of 5, each time with only ONE cue given], & that's with consistent training & slowly-added / increased distractions, working with one dog only - a solo pet.

I'd urge anyone to consider a single dog, & arrange for dog-buddies or dog-social time with dogs U don't need to feed, walk / toilet, exercise, pay vet bills for, groom, teach or maintain apropos behaviors, etc.

What about a direct adoption from a former owner? - or adopting a retired stud, former show-dam, etc, of a breed that U like? - or a young dog with basic manners, who didn't grow-out to meet the breeder's fond hopes of a fine specimen for the breed ring, or as a potential sire or dam? Maybe he's got a missing premolar, or she doesn't have the perfect skull profile, but those don't matter in the least to a pet.
U could look on CraigsList, PreLoved, GumTree, & other direct-ad sites that list "classifieds", or contact the breed club & ask about their national or regional breed rescue.

U might also consider adopting from abroad - I don't know where U live, but if it's the UK, many small Eastern Europe countries have very active dog-rescue organizations. Spain has huge numbers of stray sighthound- & hunting mixes; Bulgaria, Romania, Czech, & others all have dogs of many sorts who need homes.
Check out the reputation of the dog-rescue - some are very shady, some are wonderful, providing good after-adoption behavioral support & taking back dogs for any reason [adopter dies, adopter loses job / home, adopter must move across country to care for ailing aging parent...].

- terry
.

your a trainer?

 

[leashedForLife]

you're a trainer?

.

sorry for the late reply, missed this - I don't know why, i didn't get an alert on this thread!

Yes, i'm a trainer - i've been working with other folks' dogs [as well as horses, cats, parrots, reptiles, livestock, exotics, etc] for over 35-years. I decided to specialize in B-Mod in 1985, as opposed to standard 'training', which is teaching cued behaviors. By '85, i'd already been training for over 10-years, & i found B-Mod very rewarding.

Behavior modification is the kinky stuff - reduce, redirect, control, or re-train problem behaviors, which could be aggro, phobias, timidity, nuisance barking, compulsive behaviors [lick granuloma, fly-snapping, etc], & other behaviors that cause distress to the dog, or difficulties for humans.
I also really enjoyed the times that i got to train SDs as assistants for wheelchair-users, or Hearing Ear dogs, & other specialist tasks.

- terry

.

 

[Violet Turner]

.

sorry for the late reply, missed this - I don't know why, i didn't get an alert on this thread!

Yes, i'm a trainer - i've been working with other folks' dogs [as well as horses, cats, parrots, reptiles, livestock, exotics, etc] for over 35-years. I decided to specialize in B-Mod in 1985, as opposed to standard 'training', which is teaching cued behaviors. By '85, i'd already been training for over 10-years, & i found B-Mod very rewarding.

Behavior modification is the kinky stuff - reduce, redirect, control, or re-train problem behaviors, which could be aggro, phobias, timidity, nuisance barking, compulsive behaviors [lick granuloma, fly-snapping, etc], & other behaviors that cause distress to the dog, or difficulties for humans.
I also really enjoyed the times that i got to train SDs as assistants for wheelchair-users, or Hearing Ear dogs, & other specialist tasks.

- terry

.

Cool