Getting a dog

[spartan933]

My lady and I just bought a house. WOOHOO! We bought a house for a number of reasons. One of them is that we want a dog and we couldn't have one previously in apartment. However, we do have three cats.

I work nights for the time being and she works during the day. She is nervous about being in the house alone. She sleeps with a shotgun and a hand gun next to the bed for God's sake! How could she be scared?

Anyways, she wants a German Shepherd. I want a Siberian Husky. I don't have a problem with a GSD, just as long as whatever breed we get, I feel it should be a puppy. My thinking is that this will allow us to have the dog "grow up" around cats and be comfortable with them. Whereas, a full grown dog, even if it has been around cats, may not like ours. Also, I don't want to stress our cats with a big dog right away.

What do you guys think? We are getting one, just not sure of the details yet. Maybe this weekend. Any suggestions? Where to get either breed, etc.

 

[Tydeeh22]

we got our 2 white german shepard puppies from a breeder in medaryville. 300 bucks for the pair. champion show dog blood lines, but no akc ragristration or anything of that sort. they are however in our home and being trained correctly. i love them to death.

 

[Benny]

I'm partial towards German Shepherds, so I agree with your girl.

Either way, you'll need a good, bagless vacuum cleaner and a firminator...Both breeds are going to shed a TON.

we got our 2 white german shepard puppies from a breeder in medaryville. 300 bucks for the pair. champion show dog blood lines, but no akc ragristration or anything of that sort. they are however in our home and being trained correctly. i love them to death.

Isn't that because AKC doesn't recognize white GSDs as actual GSDs? I thought I read that somewhere...It sounded weird, but I'm almost positive I read it.

 

[canav844]

Find a good breeder or rescue that won't let you take it too young, dogs are pack animals and those first weeks need to be with the pack; take the time for training, it's a lot of work but it's worth it, and crate training makes a world of difference.

 

[Oliver]

I too have to side with the gf.
Also in regards to the dog/cat situation, my wife was literally crying on the ride to our home while she was bringing her cat here. She was terrified that our dog was going to maul it. First of all, my dog listens and obeys me very well; but I simply put on a muzzle, held the cat close while wearing a thick hoodie, and let the dog come close. When he slowly approached I let him get nearly nose to nose. I kept praising him, and the moment he started to growl, I busted his butt and made him understand that I was the cat's new protector, and would not allow him to hurt her. Initially the dog was more afraid of me than the cat, but wouldn't even go in the same room as the cat. Now they literally chase each other around the house, but the cat owns him pretty good.
Sorry for the long post, but I know how big of a concern the dog/cat relationship is with some people.

 

[Benny]

I too have to side with the gf.
Also in regards to the dog/cat situation, my wife was literally crying on the ride to our home while she was bringing her cat here. She was terrified that our dog was going to maul it. First of all, my dog listens and obeys me very well; but I simply put on a muzzle, held the cat close while wearing a thick hoodie, and let the dog come close. When he slowly approached I let him get nearly nose to nose. I kept praising him, and the moment he started to growl, I busted his butt and made him understand that I was the cat's new protector, and would not allow him to hurt her. Initially the dog was more afraid of me than the cat, but wouldn't even go in the same room as the cat. Now they literally chase each other around the house, but the cat owns him pretty good.
Sorry for the long post, but I know how big of a concern the dog/cat relationship is with some people.

I'm not a fan of cats and won't ever own one, but a house cat will almost always "own" a well-trained dog, regardless of size.

I don't condone "busting his butt" for growling though...A dog's growl is its warning sign and you never want to take that away.

 

[a.bentonab]

I implore you to check your local animal shelter, petfinder.com, and Craigslist first. For every dog you buy at a breeder a perfectly good animal gets aethal injection because some low life abandoned it. 9 times out of ten if your requirements aren't too specific (which it doesn't sound like they are) you'll find a perfect dog at a lower cost and save a life in the process. Yes they even have puppies! However I wouldn't let that limit you. An older docile dog is just as likely to not care about a cat as a younger curious pup.

The key is always supervising them when you introduce them. Certainly crate the dog when it is not under your immediate supervision. No exceptions! If he pees while you are in the shower it can become a learned behavior. +1 for the furminator, that thing is like magic. It is much more expensive than other brushes and totally worth it.

 

[repeter1977]

Depending on the size of the house, you might not want a husky, because there wont be enough room to run. That said, I had an awesome dog, Rommel, that was a German Shepard/Husky mix. He was a great guard dog as well as a wonderfully loyal companion.

 

[spartan933]

Thanks for all the help everybody. I think we may end up getting both. I am leaning towards a beautiful Siberian at a Rescue in Chicago. 6 month old female. We are very patient, and me being on nights, either my girlfriend or I will be at the house most of the time. I will absolutely do the "crate" thing. I think you are talking about a large cage.

Anyways, I don't want to purchase from a breeder because I got one of my cats at a shelter. One showed up on my doorstep abandoned. The other, my girlfriend found outside her office in the middle of winter. And, I know that there are others waiting for a home.

It's hard for me to go to shelters because I get depressed to see the animals there.

I guess we will have to find the right dog to get along with my cats. Any suggestions on things I may need besides the firminator? Types of food, training tools, etc.

 

[bobbittle]

I too have to side with the gf.
Also in regards to the dog/cat situation, my wife was literally crying on the ride to our home while she was bringing her cat here. She was terrified that our dog was going to maul it. First of all, my dog listens and obeys me very well; but I simply put on a muzzle, held the cat close while wearing a thick hoodie, and let the dog come close. When he slowly approached I let him get nearly nose to nose. I kept praising him, and the moment he started to growl, I busted his butt and made him understand that I was the cat's new protector, and would not allow him to hurt her. Initially the dog was more afraid of me than the cat, but wouldn't even go in the same room as the cat. Now they literally chase each other around the house, but the cat owns him pretty good.
Sorry for the long post, but I know how big of a concern the dog/cat relationship is with some people.

Please don't encourage hitting your dog, or any other animal.

 

[handgun]

Some people will never feel completely safe.. Even if they had a safe room, with 20 inch concrete with 10 inch steel doors.. and lived in there.. But hey Everyone needs a dog!

My dog is spoiled she has he own pillow on the bed.. she even thinks shes human and sleeps with her head on the pillow.... Which i thought was strange..

 

[JoshuaW]

Do not go to a pet shop, even a reputable one! We got both of our Papilions from a very reputable pet shop, and both wound up being sick (kenel cough for one, kenel cough/pneumonia/GI problems on the other). When all was said and done the pet shop tried to dodge their warranty, refused to take the second dog back (who was rather ill), then suggested we put it down! Ultimately I told the pet shop how it was going to be, and that they would cover the medical expenses per the terms of their "warranty". We got the vet on our side, and the vet sent them the bills.

Obviously it is best to check a shelter, but puppies move fast in shelters (a lot of people want puppies as opposed to dogs), so if you go breeder, see if you can find an Amish family that is breeding them. We have gotten a few good Amish dogs (my Great Dane, and my parent's terriers) and they have all been very healthy, and the breeders have been the nicest people.

 

[Oliver]

Please don't encourage hitting your dog, or any other animal.

I'll consider your plea.
Considered and denied. I'll continue to give advice on what has worked for me and millions of other dogs/owners. I don't encourage simply hitting dogs for fun. I hope that's not all you read in my post. I said that I bopped my dog on the nose when he started to growl at my wife's cat. I guess I could have asked kindly of him not to do so, but I don't think that he would have accepted my plea of human words and gestures. Dogs are not human, and don't respond to human ideas and words by nature. I have not hit or raised my hand to my dog in over 5 years. This is because he respects and obeys me without question, and not because he thinks I'm going to beat him into submission. He knows that I am the Alpha of our pack, and he respects that. Dogs are only a couple hundred or thousand years removed from wild pack animals who only know pack mentality. This mentality will never be fully removed from them, and has to be harnessed from an early age. Good luck training your dogs however it is that you wish, and I'll continue to train mine however it is that I get to live with my best friend, protector, and loyal companion.

 

[repeter1977]

I'll consider your plea.
Considered and denied. I'll continue to give advice on what has worked for me and millions of other dogs/owners. I don't encourage simply hitting dogs for fun. I hope that's not all you read in my post. I said that I bopped my dog on the nose when he started to growl at my wife's cat. I guess I could have asked kindly of him not to do so, but I don't think that he would have accepted my plea of human words and gestures. Dogs are not human, and don't respond to human ideas and words by nature. I have not hit or raised my hand to my dog in over 5 years. This is because he respects and obeys me without question, and not because he thinks I'm going to beat him into submission. He knows that I am the Alpha of our pack, and he respects that. Dogs are only a couple hundred or thousand years removed from wild pack animals who only know pack mentality. This mentality will never be fully removed from them, and has to be harnessed from an early age. Good luck training your dogs however it is that you wish, and I'll continue to train mine however it is that I get to live with my best friend, protector, and loyal companion.

Pain is a compliance tool that has been around since the beginning. If everytime you do something, you get the little "whack" of pain, then you learn pretty quick, to stop doing it. Just like you tell a kid, the oven is hot, BUT, lets see, how many kids have to test that theory that the stove is hot, even though they understand the language and what you are saying. The little burn stops them from ever doing it again. Spanking used to be used since the beginning of time as well, notice recently that since most parents do not want to use spanking cause it seems mean, that kids have been getting away with murder, and do not listen? Not saying thats the only reason that kids don't listen, but I sure bet that it would help. They learn that not listening has a bad side effect.

 

[repeter1977]

Do not go to a pet shop, even a reputable one! We got both of our Papilions from a very reputable pet shop, and both wound up being sick (kenel cough for one, kenel cough/pneumonia/GI problems on the other). When all was said and done the pet shop tried to dodge their warranty, refused to take the second dog back (who was rather ill), then suggested we put it down! Ultimately I told the pet shop how it was going to be, and that they would cover the medical expenses per the terms of their "warranty". We got the vet on our side, and the vet sent them the bills.

Obviously it is best to check a shelter, but puppies move fast in shelters (a lot of people want puppies as opposed to dogs), so if you go breeder, see if you can find an Amish family that is breeding them. We have gotten a few good Amish dogs (my Great Dane, and my parent's terriers) and they have all been very healthy, and the breeders have been the nicest people.

My brother and I have gotten shelter dogs. Lots of people get dogs, and decide that it is not what they want, or the dog gets too big, or blah blah, either way, there are a ton of great dogs in a shelter. There is a great selection there as well, so you do not have to go see several breeders. Also, at the shelter, they are usually pretty inexpensive and I know that when I got mine at the shelter they had a great set of deals when you went to the vet, to make sure they were healthy. The only downside, I know, is that there are so many great animals there, and knowing what a sad place it is. It does take a bit to get through going to one.

I would say avoid puppy mills. Those poor dogs never have a chance to be a pet, and raised in bad conditions. Course, since they are making money, they will continue to do it poorly cause its less expensive. Pet stores tend to use them.

Anyway, those are just my . Good luck getting your pet. They are some of the best friends to have and there are so many health benefits to getting one.

 

[95wrangler]

OP The best dogs are muts. First dog I had was a siberian/ shepard mix. Best dog in the world. Obedient like a shepard, not stubborn like a husky. Talked like a husky.

I do believe a whack on the nose with a rolled up news paper does alot of good. After a while all you have to do is whack the paper across you hand and they know they did wrong. Also you can put them in their cage when they do wrong. But you have to remember that after they do wrong you have to let them know why they are being punished (rub thier nose in the wet spot/ chewed up slipper, etc...) Its not like you can take their xbox away!

 

[Shelly1582]

I second the rescue idea. All of our dogs were being given away by others who no longer wanted them. My female was a full grown golden retriever weighing in at 28 pounds. We soon found out she was prego and had a litter of golden pups. After getting rid of the parasites and having her spayed she has become the greatest dog we could ask for. I can trust her fully with even our two year old. No matter how rough he gets with her, she just licks him. She loves our children as her own. Our first golden was raised in a tiny crate in a basement. He was my baby and loved nothing more than to cuddle in the bed with me, until his hips went out and the seizures took over. We still have the female golden, another male golden that was always an out door dog until he came to us, and our latest is a 1 year old GS female that needed a home. There is nothing more loyal than a dog given a second chance at being loved IN your home as a part of your family. Any breed of dog will become protective of those who love and care for them faithfully. Golden retrievers are not one of the "guard dog" breeds, but mess with my kids and them teeth with show you otherwise.

And I also second whoever said please do not punish growling. The growl is a warning. I'd rather have a dog who gives warning than one who just bites.

 

[mac45]

Another vote for rescues. Both of ours came from Recycled Rotts and they're great dogs.

 

[gunowner930]

There are breed specific rescues where you could get a GSD or Husky. They'll tell you whether the dog is compatible with cats or kids. If you want to get a pup, it's your choice and there is nothing wrong with that but it is not the only option. You can contact them online. I'm sure there are both dedicated GSD and Husky rescues in the Chicago area.

I'm only saying this because this is a gun forum and many people here take home defence seriously. GSDs are typically great watchdogs. Huskies are not, they're typically too friendly. The good news is that if the GSD has to attack an intruder, the husky probably won't mind helping.

 

[abnk]

1) Don't get both. Housing training one dog requires a lot of your time and you want it done right the first time.
2) Get a GSD. Getting a puppy is a good idea, but requires a lot of time. A young adult will be more expensive unless you rescue, but if housebroken, the work has been done for you.
3) GSDs can be made to get along with cats, but you have to remember that their prey drive is high and can kill a cat in play.
4) Read on crate training.
5) Stay away from AKC showline crap.
6) Let me know if you need breeder recommendations in IN.
7) Good luck.