- This topic has 26 replies, 22 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by 5thElefant.
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Dog advice please.
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wrightysonFree Member
So we’ve been mulling over the idea of getting one for a very long time. As cliched as it sounds I would love to get one for Christmas. However I really don’t know where to actually get one from. Not bothered about any fancy breed etc, a mongrel would be fine but definitely want a pup. Any thoughts?
FFJAFree MemberPreloved/Gumtree etc. I’d say rehome one but if you mention the “C” word they’re generally fairly negative in my experience
5thElefantFree MemberIs there any way of vetting these folk?
If you figure out what you want you can then contact the breed owners club. They’ll then interview you and, if you pass, put you in touch with a breeder. Who’ll interview you again.
I guess that’s the opposite of what you asked, but it’s the same end result.
dantiFull MemberJust for Dogs or The Ark aren’t too far away.
They’ll no doubt have pups at times and rescue dogs can be the most rewarding to own.
It’s often no fault of their own that they end up there, just silly previous owners.redwoodsFree MemberI used to volunteer for a rescue shelter and every January and February there was always a massive increase in the number of dogs that would get dumped there, especially puppies. Apparently many were bought for Christmas and then when they realised how much work was involved, they were no longer wanted. So if you can steel yourself to wait until January you’ll have a lot to choose from.
Pz_SteveFull MemberIf you can wait until after Christmas that’s usually the time when the rescue centres are overrun with dogs which dopey idiots thought would make good presents… Without thinking about the time, effort, hassle and money that they would take. And what a tie they are. And how tedious it is when they need a walk every day…..
coolhandlukeFree MemberAny thoughts?
Yes, borrow one off a mate for a week, then decide if you still want a dog, sounds like you need to experience a dog before you offer one a home.
TaylorplayerFree MemberIs there any way of vetting these folk?
For a pedigree dog, one of the first things I’d be asking about is health test results of dam & sire. If the response is that the pups haver been health tested by the vet, then that indicates the parents haven’t been health tested (there are different tests recommended for different breeds).
If you’re thinking of a cross breed from gumtree/preloved/pets4homes etc, I’d suggest a visit to the local rescue/dog pound and consider why there are so muny unwanted dogs in need of a home before you get one as a christmas present.
OnzadogFree MemberBabbington rescue are within a reasonable distance of you. There’s always someone there looking for their “forever” home.
bradleyFree MemberWe’ve got 4 pups at the moment ready to move on about the 18th Dec. Stud and bitch very healthy well looked after dogs with relevant blood tests carried out etc. Cocker spaniels by the way. Can post pictures etc if you’d like, email in profile for more info.
P.S. Get a dog. They’re awesome.
ampthillFull MemberI’m an expert based on buying one dog…
We bought our Spaniel from a family who had accidentally got their bitch pregnant and were selling on all the puppies
My wife went to the house twice I went once
We met the family and both parents. My wife watched the litter and chose the one she wanted
One parent was a registered Spaniel the other wasn’t. But they were both clearly Spaniels
In the end it felt like buying anything else. You want to meet the owner and be confident they are in it for the right reasons. You want to meet both parents or if dad lives else where have lots of information on him
Finally Mongrel puppies where you don’t meet the parents are a lottery. Relative bought 2 puppies for £85 each. They grew to the size of Shetland ponies and were so murderously badly behaved to other dogs they had to be walked seperatly.
rickonFree MemberI’d be wary of anyone letting their dogs go at Xmas. Good breeders won’t let pups go until well before or after, due to numpties who buy them as gifts and then they end up in a rescue.
The best advice is to do your research, find out which breed, type, character, level of intelligence best suits you, your family and your lifestyle.
Look into genetic problems with certain breeds and work out if your lifestyle would make those defects worse, e.g. labs and poor joints, made worse by a sedentary lifestyle.
Go to a few rescue homes.
Don’t buy the first pup you see.
You probably will. But you’re getting a family member for the next 8-15 years. Choose wisely.
The Dogs Trust do some really good work, and have some great people working for them. They give great advice, and they do have pups.
When you do get a pup, get yourself a good puppy trainer. Personal recommendation is Puppyschool. Google them. I’ve trainer friends who work for them, and they’re brilliant.
6 months of focussed training, then 12 months of just keeping on top will give you the rest of your dog’s life free of any behavioural issues.
rickonFree MemberThey grew to the size of Shetland ponies and were so murderously badly behaved to other dogs they had to be walked seperatly.
To reframe that… if you have a dog from a pup, its behaviour is incredibly largely dictated by how you set their boundaries. There are behavioural tendencies in any breed, how you train them determines how they react in situations.
The lottery isn’t behaviour, its health. You have no idea if the breed mix will end up with later physical or mental issues, which if you’re aware of up front you can understand if you’re happy with that, and manage it early on, through diet, level of exercise, vet care etc.
Most mix dogs are fine, but do your research if you’re getting a pup, they’re easier to rehome, so make sure you’re not going to get a pup that you end up taking back for rehoming in 12 months because it’s not what you expected.
Inbred456Free MemberIf I was going to buy a puppy I would buy one from working stock where the dogs are bred for performance and health and working ability. I would never buy one from breeders who follow kennel club guidelines for breed specs etc. Like has been posted before a good breeder will vet you and decide if you are right for one of their dogs. Working labs are great. Ours was an ex breeding bitch. We got her at 4yrs old. All her pups were sold for working. She was just the best dog.
epicycloFull MemberThink about what you want out of a dog and what you can do with it.
I always go for a hound because they are generally happy to lie around all day so long as they get some action at some point. (I currently have a wolfhound/great dane cross.)
Working breeds need to be active all day IMO.
anagallis_arvensisFull MemberWe got our lurcher from epupz. Just looking at the adds help eliminate a lot, saw the parents saw how they were being looked after. Its harder with crossbreeds as they dont have these so called respectable breeders but the the the dogs arent inbred dafthounds either. Best thing the people who sold ours said to us was if ever we dont want her bring her back to them and they’ll have her back.
LawmanmxFree Memberwe did 18 months of research into what dog to get and narrowed it down to the Patterdale terrier we have now, and we couldn’t have made a better choice, Amazing lil thing she is, just had her down to see all my rellies in Nottingham and they were all blown away with how good/chilled/fun/clever she was.
echoing what Inbred456 said about working dogs BUT not totally agreeing with what epicycle said about them having to be active all day, Ours is mad active when she is out and you would hardly notice she was there when at home (odd exceptions obviously) Lol
and working dogs don’t seem to have the ‘health issues’ of the pedigree breeds, or these new mongrel fashion doggies (as lovely as they are) 🙂 HTH a littleDezBFree MemberYes, borrow one off a mate for a week
Strange advice that: A week is nowhere near long enough.
tomkertonFree MemberI’d suggest that you don’t get a puppy for Christmas. They will be badly bred for the Christmas market.
The rescue route is great (all outpr dogs have always been rescued) or as Lawnanmx says… Research research etc into breeds then breeders to get the right pooch for,you.
Good luck
bradleyFree MemberSome fairly harsh generalisation above here. Some times you can’t “pick and choose” when a bitch comes into season and is ready for breeding. Sure you could hold onto them until after Christmas but we can work out a good or bad potential buyer.
Just like you guys can probably tell a bad breeder from a good one, a breeder can suss out the “Christmas numpties” aswell. 2 of our 4 pups have sold already to people who somebody in the family already know. That leaves 2 left. We did have 1 lady interested but in her own words “had just recently lost a dog and was really missing her”, this made our alarm bells ring straight away and after another week of the potential customer phoning almost every day, she made the decision for us in that it was not the best time for her to get a new puppy.
The fact they’re £850 each will put most “Christmas numpties” off buying our pups because they tend to have a buy limit and I can imagine £850 exceeds most peoples budget for Christmas.
We can only charge such a premium for our pups because they’ve been bred well and all parents have had and passed all relevant health checks associated with the breed.
I echo everyone above regards training and discipline. You don’t necessarily need to pay for a specialist trainer. There’s enough information on the net and if you put the effort in it becomes very rewarding when you call your dog to heel for example, and they listen. Creates a good bond too.
Best of luck with your choice and also with buying. Just make sure all health checks are done and also get insurance.
surferFree MemberIf you are getting one Christmas is the perfect time. Plenty of time to fuss over it, an excuse not to go to the outlaws plus you claim it is a “present” for the kids*
*this may not apply
5thElefantFree MemberFinally Mongrel puppies where you don’t meet the parents are a lottery. Relative bought 2 puppies for £85 each. They grew to the size of Shetland ponies and were so murderously badly behaved to other dogs they had to be walked seperatly.
My mate met both the parents. A scruffy little thing and a whippet. So he was expecting a scruffy little whippety thing.
When it didn’t stop growing he realised next doors deer hound had got there first. It’s a wookie.
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