Unsecure chicken perches

[bluekarin]

We are in the beginning stage of thinking about getting a woofer. Well, I say we are in the beginning stage, I first mentioned that I might like a dog 3 or so years ago, and then we got chickens instead But recently, we chatted (this is hubby and I) and although he isn't hugely keen (his mum had dogs and wasn't the best owner, so has put him off them a bit) he is thinking it might be nice. We haven't spoken to the kids about this yet, so any FB friends please don't say anything there, just yet.

 

But, to the point of this thread...... where on earth do you find a dog? I have been looking in the re-homing places near to us, but nothing suitable available. I would ideally like a pup as we have the two cats and I don't want them leaving home. Any suggestions welcome

[Snowy]

We got ours from rescues, breed specific as we already knew what type of breed we wanted.

Rescues do often have pups or young dogs in, but you may need to wait a bit longer.

Alternatively, put your name down with your local rescues who will do a home check on you and then contact you as soon as something suitable comes in. It is worth researching your breeds first though, so you have a better idea of what you are looking for

[bluekarin]

I think I know the type of dog I am looking for. I know I don't want a staffy, or similar type dog, nor a large dog like a doberman or GSD, but I do quite like lurchers but I think they'd be too big for us. I'd prefer a lab sized or smaller, but it needs to be able to mix with kids (ages 12 to 14) and cats. Hubby doesn't want a yappy dog (neighbours had two JRT's who yapped and barked all day long). I've bookmarked a load of sites in and around Wilts, Hants, Dorset and Devon so I hope something will come up. We aren't in a rush (thinking of doing this summer time) but if the perfect one came up soon..... I saw a Cockapoodle (I think its called that, Cocker Spaniel cross with a poodle) but that was re-homed in the blink of an eye

[Snowy]

Yes the pure breeds and fancy hybrids tend to go very quickly Sadly there are often lots of staffie types leftover.

If the centres know what type you want though, they may get a heinz in that is suitable.

If you really want a specific breed, I would go to the breed rescue itself. We had our names down with three different ESS rescues to find a springer friend for Candy!

[bluekarin]

I have just done a couple of dog breed selector site quizes. I do like springers but I don't think they'd be suitable for us. Although after reading about the Welshies, they seem better temperament wise. I think I'd like something like a border terrier and after reading about them here http://www.petplanet.co.uk/dog_breed_profile.asp?dbid=51 they seem perfect. I do love labradoodles as well. Much research needed I feel. But not now as its late. Where did that time go?

[karlotta]

If you want help picking a breed, Crufts starts on Thursday and while not all the breeds are actually showing each day, you can visit Discover Dogs every day and actually meet all the different breeds. You can talk to the owners on the stand, discuss suitability etc. if your children are young, 8s and under get in free this year!

 

Most of the stands are run by the breed clubs and breed rescue so it's definitely not all about puppies either.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

We got Riley from Edinburgh Cat & Dog Home. He's a total mongrel but is supposedly a Staffie cross (I can't see it myself ). He was roughly one year old when we rescued him. It can be a bit of a risk taking on a rescue mongrel but the home were very good at pointing out the ones that would suit a family (my kids were 6 and 7 at the time).

 

Best dog ever, best thing we ever did .

[lillybettybabs]

The best thing to do would be to write a list eg: how much time will you have to walk it each day,

What size dog would you like, Some dogs shed fur more than others so will you be ok with lots of

hoovering, what sort of temperament and would you like a boy of girl.

 

There was a quiz online to help you decide what sort of dog would suit you.

 

We get our from very good breeders who health test but then we do work ours and add to our own line.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Like ANH, we got a Heinz 57 from a local rescue centre. A little terrier crossbreed who is just (in my opinion) the most super dog - despite her little quirks and behaviours

 

Don't discount rescue - many dogs will be cat tested and any decent rescue will take the time to match you with a suitable dog for your family. After all, they don't want the dogs that they rehome to end up back in the rescue again because the rehoming didn't work out.

 

Otherwise, perhaps you could let us know what sort of dog you are looking for in terms of exercise requirements, grooming, size, good with children, does it need to be calm in the house etc etc and we could make some suggestions.

 

Good luck - getting a dog is so exciting!

 

ETA - Some of those online dog breed quizzes are rubbish! I did a few and despite not wanting a dog that required lots of grooming or clipping, they kept suggesting breeds like Bichon Frise!

[The Dogmother]

If you like lurchers, then try the Lurcher Link rescue site, there are some young and smaller lurchers on there.

 

 

 

 

 

As LBB has said, you need to look at your lifestyle and suitability first and also plan for holiday cover.

[Bramble]

Retired Greyhound Trust!!!

Just because they are "retired" doesn't mean they are old, some can be as young as 12 months, others four or five (years!). And contrary to popular belief there are lots of greyhounds that can live with cats (mine isn't one of them, but don't let that put you off!!!!) Greyhounds DO make GREAT PETS (I will be spending lots of time at Crufts over the next few days, with my co-pilot, Willow, persuading people of this!!!!)

[The Dogmother]

We know two retired greys - lovely dogs and soft as socks.

[Bramble]

They are the fabbest dogs EVER (I might just be toying with the idea of having another one ... )

[bluekarin]

Like ANH, we got a Heinz 57 from a local rescue centre. A little terrier crossbreed who is just (in my opinion) the most super dog - despite her little quirks and behaviours

 

Don't discount rescue - many dogs will be cat tested and any decent rescue will take the time to match you with a suitable dog for your family. After all, they don't want the dogs that they rehome to end up back in the rescue again because the rehoming didn't work out.

 

Otherwise, perhaps you could let us know what sort of dog you are looking for in terms of exercise requirements, grooming, size, good with children, does it need to be calm in the house etc etc and we could make some suggestions.

 

Good luck - getting a dog is so exciting!

 

ETA - Some of those online dog breed quizzes are rubbish! I did a few and despite not wanting a dog that required lots of grooming or clipping, they kept suggesting breeds like Bichon Frise!

 

Sorry, I'm probably being a bit dim here. Heinz 57 - is that like a mixed breed of unknown origins? I've heard it before, but thought it was an actual breed

 

I am looking on rehoming sites. I don't want to get a dog from a breeder as I wouldn't be confident I was getting a healthy one and the breeder was legit.

 

You are also so right about the quizzes. I said I wanted something that was fairly easy to train, not too bouncy, child and cat friendly and it came up with all-sorts of unsuitables as recommendations!

 

Okay, my list of wants (or would prefers)

I can walk it at least twice a day (am and pm) for about an hour each time

Needs to get on with kids and cats

Would prefer not to have to groom every day and clean out ears, but am happy to give a good brush a couple of times a week

Shedding - wouldn't mind a bit, would rather not have huge mounds of it to clean up every day as my hoover wouldn't cope.......actually, it would mean I could get a new one (after a Henry )

Size wise not too small like chihuahua and not giant like a German Shepherd. Probably the largest size would be a Labrador and the smallest probably a Border Terrier.

 

 

Dogmother - those pics are just gorgeous! Particularly love the third one (black and white and speckly)

[The Dogmother]

Karin, they are all up for homing on Lurcher Link. That one is a lurcher x wire haired pointer I think.

 

Also have a think about where you are able to walk the dog - will it be able to go offlead, are the areas enclosed (for when you first get it and are working on training), do you have anyone who can step in to take care of the dog if you're not able to/away on holiday, is it easy to get a dog-guard for your car....? The list is endless.

 

Why not speak to some friends who have dogs and ask to borrow one for a weekend?

[Cinnamon]

 

Okay, my list of wants (or would prefers)

I can walk it at least twice a day (am and pm) for about an hour each time

Needs to get on with kids and cats

Would prefer not to have to groom every day and clean out ears, but am happy to give a good brush a couple of times a week

Shedding - wouldn't mind a bit, would rather not have huge mounds of it to clean up every day as my hoover wouldn't cope.......actually, it would mean I could get a new one (after a Henry )

Size wise not too small like chihuahua and not giant like a German Shepherd. Probably the largest size would be a Labrador and the smallest probably a Border Terrier.

 

I know you said you didn't want a Staffy,but one would suit that criteria perfectly.

They are lovely dogs,very loyal,brilliant with children.....many sites recommend them as being perfect to have with children.

[lillybettybabs]

My first dog was a lab cross Rottweiler - she was the softest dog and brought my first rabbit up

as her pup.

[Lavenders_Blue]

 

Okay, my list of wants (or would prefers)

I can walk it at least twice a day (am and pm) for about an hour each time

Needs to get on with kids and cats

Would prefer not to have to groom every day and clean out ears, but am happy to give a good brush a couple of times a week

Shedding - wouldn't mind a bit, would rather not have huge mounds of it to clean up every day as my hoover wouldn't cope.......actually, it would mean I could get a new one (after a Henry )

Size wise not too small like chihuahua and not giant like a German Shepherd. Probably the largest size would be a Labrador and the smallest probably a Border Terrier.

 

I know you said you didn't want a Staffy,but one would suit that criteria perfectly.

They are lovely dogs,very loyal,brilliant with children.....many sites recommend them as being perfect to have with children.

 

I agree Cinnamon, a staffy does tick all those boxes. Don't believe the bad press about staffies, they really are lovely little dogs but have unfortunately been given a bad name by the idiot owners who have bought them as status dogs. The first dog we picked when we were looking for our dog was a gorgeous little staffy girl. Unfortunately that rescue didn't happen (as the lady at the rescue centre took a dislike to my hubby - we have since found out that she has a bit of a reputation for taking a dislike to people ) so we ended up going to another rescue and choosing our little hooligan

 

Sorry, I'm probably being a bit dim here. Heinz 57 - is that like a mixed breed of unknown origins? I've heard it before, but thought it was an actual breed

 

Yep - 57 varieties

[freddie]

We have a female spaniel x ? we think there's staffie in there.possibly lab, perhaps other things!

She is a totally gorgeous mix, with 3 cats, 4 hens etc etc. Easy to train, and very good, if totally spoilt by us

The spaniel side gives the trainability. the goodness knows what side, the short hair, and the bucket face!!

we looked in diamond free ads, and got her from a pup, £80. I spent the whole time I was viewing with the mum dog, she's the main trainer from birth. we got a pup, due to the other animals, and not wanting the cats to be any more disturbed than I knew they would be(7 weeks of hissing, now sleep together)Spay was £150 ish.

she's the size of a small lab.

Male or female?

I also wanted no terrier, as my sis has one and he's a heller.

I wanted to get a rescue, read "walking Ollie", cried , and got sensible, and got a pup, purely because of the other animals at home.

Fencing, and training, are the key issues!!

have fun being chosen, they're all lovely, and we got the first one we looked at!!

Many tears is a website you may want to look at.. it'll break yr heart

[loumabel]

we rescued both of our Labs and I wouldnt change them for the world. We visited Battersea dogs home with a dog in mind that we had viewed on their website and when we met it,I knew instantly it wasnt the dog for me, then we were intoduced to my Ben and it was love at first sight. I would say it is well worth visiting some rescue centres even if there is nothing on their website that appeals as when you actually meet a dog face to face it can be a very different situation than you thought, a bit like finding a husband!! I was going to marry a six foot dark haired man of my dreams and actually married a short blond chap and I think I am pretty happy with that choice!!!

[freddie]

Well put!!

[Duncan08]

I'm a staff fan too, don't have one but have known a few we used to dog sit for one.

We have had, Lhasa apsos one from puppy, one rescue,one was yapyy, one was snappy neither needed a good walk and were quite lazy, needed loads of grooming, but, didnt moult, also had sensitve tums which led to lots of bum washing- so probably wouldnt recommend, although loved to bits at the time. A Heinz we inherited from DH's mother who was also a rescue, she was the most lovely and gentle dog ever. Looked at bit like a bearded collie.

We now have a gorgeous boxer, Duncan. We had him from a pup, found the breeder through epupz.

You need to be careful when selecting breeders, you should be able to meet the mother and you should meet the dog at least a couple of times before you go to pick them up so you are entirely happy. The breeder should be interested in you and should ask you questions about what you do, where you live, do you have garden do you go out for work that sort of thing.

Our breeders were lovely, they came to visit duncan after he had moved in and sent emails and asked for regular updates, they gave him a big doggy bag to leave with with a bed toys and treats and blankets that had been in with the family. (it's always a good idea to take a blanket for the breeder to put in with them, before you pick up a pup)

They stood on the doorstep and cried when we left

I would recommend boxers, they are fabulous with children, really loyal, loving and have such wonderful expressions and personalities, BUT - they do not like being left for long periods on their own. You must be prepared to do training, whilst pretty placid, they are very heavy and could knock you over by mistake. You should train any dog but with some it is essential, (our lhasas just got picked up-there is no way you could pick up Dunc) , watch out for health issues, not just for boxers, many pure breeds seem to have inherited problems, we knew in advance about the heart problems, but didn't about the colitis.

Also watch out for other strange breed things, my friend can't stand her dog, a Bassett hound because he smells, no matter what she does with him, she has since found out it is very common in the breed.

I agree with dogmother too, ask some friends if you can dog sit for a weekend to check it out.

Good luck, it's a big decision and one that will hopefully be with you for many years.

[Chucky Mama]

We drove from Swindon to Oldham to find our latest dog. We needed a particular sized dog as we take our dog on holiday and when the car is packed up with children, bikes, luggage etc, there is little room left, so the dog needs to be able to fit comfortably into the footwell of the car. We found that none of the local dogs homes had any puppies at the time or they were too large. Places around Manchester and Wales however had puppies everywhere needing homes.

 

I used to work in the West Midlands area at the time when Staffies were just dogs that were just the traditional dog in that region. They were, and I believe still are, good solid dogs with a great temperament. We never had a problem with them in terms of temperament. What is unique to them is that they has huge muscles around their jaws which makes their bit incredibly strong and potentially catastrophic. It really saddens me to see how this breed has been hijacked by certain groups of people. They bait these dogs and encourage aggression. They get them to hang onto things and swing from them to build up their muscles. This coupled with poor socialisation makes some of these dogs a bit of a time bomb. This is nothing new, we had Rotweillers, Dobermans and GSD's in the past. Powerful dogs like this capture the imagination of those that want to promote a tough image.

[SarahJo]

1st dog - a fab female Staffie X from Glasgow cat and dog home, as a pup. Best natured dog ever - even when she got attacked by other dogs, not once retaliated.

 

Current pooch - from Tameside & Glossop RSPCA - Springer X Collie from pup - but not the nutter you expect She is very quiet and pretty, a real girlie dog

[pips_pekins]

OH was very nervous of dogs as his family are very anti any form of pet and so he had never been close to a dog. After much persuasion he agreed to getting a dog and we went to Crufts to see all the different breeds to give him a better idea of size etc. Because of his nervousness we both felt it would be better for us to start with a puppy with a known history and settled start. After loads of research we finally decided what we wanted but it took a further couple of months to find a really good breeder who luckily was planning a litter. I found the breed club very useful as were other breeders. We met our dog's mother, aunties and uncle and her grandmother. We were given lots of information on dad and all sorts of results for health checks, shows and happy homes for previous litters. Our breeder only breeds when she wants to add to her dogs and they actually kept a brother to our dog. The litter were kept in the breeder's house and were microchipped and vaccinated. We were able to visit to see the litter before she was ready to come home and the breeder was very interested in us and our lives to ensure we could properly cope with a dog. Twelve months after our visit to Crufts we brought home our pup. She is the best dog I've had and we know we've been very lucky and believe it was because of the knowledge of the breeder and the care taken in producing her. Now OH is much more confident around dogs I would try the rescues first unless I wanted a particular breed and didn't want to wait long! Then I would go to a more experienced breeder based on recommendation and reputation. Not all breeders know enough to breed to minimise health issues for example kidney and eye conditions (progressive retinal atrophy) in cocker spaniels. Some puppies sell for a lot of money and that can be the attraction of breeding for the less scrupulous. If you go to a breeder, I would suggest you research the breed and ask for test results for both parents in respect of known conditions such as hip dysplasia.