Buying a dog

[Zolawinston]

Hi all, I'd appreciate your thoughts on this please.

Now that the kids have grown up a bit (7 and 10) my wife and I are considering getting a dog, we've had dogs before and have a particular affection for Bulldogs. Our dilemma is, do we get a pup from a breeder or do we get an older dog (between 6 and 12 months) in need of re-homing? The later appeals but with the kids can we really trust a dog with what will be a bit of an unknown history?

We'd obviously do as many checks and use our common sense before deciding on any dog, especially an older one, but I'd really like your thoughts if possible as I know we have a lot of dog lovers on the forum

Thanks

[GC2012]

We purchased a King Charles Spaniel puppy in February to keep our older King charles company. The older dog (Toby) came from a rescue shelter in Spain when I was working over there about 3 years ago now. He is the best behaved dog I have ever had and he is unbelievably loyal to me however my girlfriend wanted a pup.
We searched all the usual online classifieds and finally chose one in Bradford (about 2 hours from where we live), the breeder showed us all his HMRC paperwork & he was registered with Bradford council so we had no reason to doubt him, he seemed really genuine. The one problem was we never seen the parents, apparently he was selling these for a friend, he showed us various photos of the pups with the mam etc however my girlfriend had her heart set on one and that was it.

The following weeks we had horrendous problems, he was not putting on weight, there was blood in his poo for weeks and he was going 5-8 times per day (diarrhea 90% of the time). About £300 in vet bills later he only just sorted out, turned out he was riddled with worms which took a high dose to clear, another infection (forgot the name) and a couple of other minor problems.

Moral of the story is go to a recognised breeder and save your self the hassle. It came to light about 6 weeks ago on a King Charles page that the 'breeder' we bought from actually buys litters from puppy farms in Wales for half the price, brings them to Bradford, cleans them and makes up a story about the mam to sell on for double.
He had scammed other people on the forum with fantasy stories and he is still on Pets4homes website with another litter, he has been reported to RSPCA, Bradford council etc but no stopping him yet. He is also a notorious 'breeder' of Basset hounds.


Anyway, enough of that. Here is Toby and the puppy Reggie, best of mates now!



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[Zolawinston]

Hi all, thanks for the responses so far and to be absolutely clear.

We will only get a pure bred bulldog, that's a done deal. We have our name down on the main bulldog register for rescue dogs for a number of months but given the cost and relative rarity of the breed its proving to be fruitless. You can however find 'adult' bulldogs for sale on a number of 'gumtree' type sites which breeders also advertise on and these are the dogs we are considering along with pups. Sorry for not being clearer initially.

Thanks

[Mulligrub]

We have a rescue Yorkshire terrier had him for 18 months now, he was 10 earlier this month. Had a few issues when we first got him with separation anxiety.
We wouldn't be without him, it's good to re-home a dog to give them a second chance. Dogs get you out in all weathers and keep you fit, and you meet some nice people along the way.

[seikopath]

Buying a pedigree from a site like gumtree?
I wouldn't go about it like that
If I was set on getting a good pedigree then i'd take the time to do my research. I'd start by going to visit local breeders and then go to some shows, talk to a few breeders there (they love talking about their dogs) and take it from there.
Once you're in the loop you'll get a good idea of who it would be good to buy from and you can get your name down for a puppy in a litter.
Personally I wouldn't buy a pedigree for many many many different reasons.

[RobDad]

We've been thinking of getting a dog for a few years now, my youngest is 14 and has Down's syndrome and loves to cuddle anyone and anything, so we'd need something fairly robust. We now live somewhere with plenty of space, and I started researching different breeds etc - looked into insurance, asked people about their dogs when we were out and about. To cut a long story short, the whole process seemed fraught with issues and potentially huge insurance costs. But I think the biggest barrier is my wife and I just don't 'get' the dog thing. I consider myself a nature lover, but when I look at a dog I just don't feel any more connection than looking at a cow or a pigeon. Dogs generally seem to like me, lots of wagging tails and I have no fear of them - I'm just totally ambivalent towards them, as is my wife. So no dogs for us, or am I missing something? - genuine question, sometimes difficult to admit in a nation of dog lovers!


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[seikopath]

Having a dog is great Rob, some people love it and some people, it's just not their thing.

It's a big change in lifestyle though. To think of it along the lines of having another kid isn't too far off or as ridiculous as it sounds. In my view, it's a similar sort of commitment.

Edit : just to add, dogs and kids go together very well. Insurance doesn't have to cost as much as you think. Anyone that gets a dog, get it insured, that's my advice. Young dogs are alot cheaper to insure than older ones with existing conditions etc.

[RobDad]

Having a dog is great Rob, some people love it and some people, it's just not their thing.

It's a big change in lifestyle though. To think of it along the lines of having another kid isn't too far off or as ridiculous as it sounds. In my view, it's a similar sort of commitment.

Edit : just to add, dogs and kids go together very well. Insurance doesn't have to cost as much as you think. Anyone that gets a dog, get it insured, that's my advice. Young dogs are alot cheaper to insure than older ones with existing conditions etc.

That's probably what scares me tbh Dave. When my youngest was diagnosed with Down's I had no idea how much hard work it would add to being a parent! Actually he's great fun - still knocks me off my feet with a hug every time I come in the front door, still wants a bedtime story every night, and laughs his head off from dawn to dusk - but I'm not sure I've got the energy to cope with a dog too!



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[seikopath]

That's probably what scares me tbh Dave. When my youngest was diagnosed with Down's I had no idea how much hard work it would add to being a parent! Actually he's great fun - still knocks me off my feet with a hug every time I come in the front door, still wants a bedtime story every night, and laughs his head off from dawn to dusk - but I'm not sure I've got the energy to cope with a dog too!



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90% of owners don't walk their dogs enough. Why don't you find someone near you who's dog needs walking? Owner will probably be very grateful, you'll make the dog happy too, and by spending some time with mutts you can all get a better idea if you want to go down the route

Ps I think a black LaB would really suit you!

[Gurmot]

Ps I think a black LaB would really suit you!

Exactly what I was thinking. We lost our black lab Elsa last year. We had her as a rescue when she was 2 years old and we were her third owners (poor thing). She proved to be the most loyal, placid and easy to train dog I have known and everyone's best friend.

We are not ready for another dog just yet but I would highly recommend a black lab for anyone with a family.

Oh, and a good puppy trainer is priceless. There are a few points, mostly based on dog psychology and pack mentality that really helped us and the dog (e.g. Not allowing them to eat before your mealtime, not letting them go through a door before you, not allowing them on the furniture, etc - all help the dog know its place in the pack).

[itsgotournameonit]

^^If you don't connect with dogs then to be honest you probably never will ^^


I can't connect with pigeons and have therefore never owned one.

Sorry Dave got in the way .

[lawler]

I would get a rescue dog with the amount out there

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