New pup.

[RoadKingLarry]

A few weeks ago I posted about losing our 10 year old yellow lab. I posted a pic in t What's new thread and a couple folks asked for more pics.So to avoid hijacking the other thread here are a few pic of our new baby.

Mama walked up and surprised me with the little furball.


I like this one so here it is again. The rug has since been taken up, cleaned and put away till "later"


this morning was the first time she came all the way down to the hog pen with me





She's starting to get the house breaking idea, she stayed in the bathroom all night and didn't leave a mess but I doubt she could have gone another 5 minutes. She will also play fetch already but she hasn't quite got the idea of giving it up when she brings it back to you. I think we got a good one.


And here are some gratuitous pictures of the pig I smoked Saturday.


We didn't leave much

[RevDisk]

Thinking about possibly getting a dog.  Any good resources for raising, training, acclimating dogs?  If theoretically, I wanted a dog and cat, would it be better to get them both young and raise them at the same time?  Cat first?

[roo_ster]

Thinking about possibly getting a dog.  Any good resources for raising, training, acclimating dogs?  If theoretically, I wanted a dog and cat, would it be better to get them both young and raise them at the same time?  Cat first?

Crate training + AKC obedience training are good starts.  Check for local clubs that do AKC training en mass for a reasonable amount of money.

[MrsSmith]

I disagree. En mass training doesn't focus on training both owner and dog, which is important. Study breeds on AKC and other reputable websites to see what traits the breeds you like have so you know what you're getting into, and also consider rescues, pounds, etc. Go look at dogs at various shelters and pet stores. When you find the one for you, find a good local trainer (through references, not just the phone book) and spend the time. And yep, if you want a cat too, I'd get the cat first or get them at the same time. Dogs are far more territorial than cats.

[MrsSmith]

And the pup is adorable Larry!

[castle key]

I disagree. En mass training doesn't focus on training both owner and dog, which is important. Study breeds on AKC and other reputable websites to see what traits the breeds you like have so you know what you're getting into, and also consider rescues, pounds, etc. Go look at dogs at various shelters and pet stores. When you find the one for you, find a good local trainer (through references, not just the phone book) and spend the time. And yep, if you want a cat too, I'd get the cat first or get them at the same time. Dogs are far more territorial than cats.

One point of order!

Please no pet stores. They support poor breeding practices and generally are supplied by puppy mills.

When determining what dog will fit into your household, please think about what the original intent of the breed is. In other words, if you want to lounge around the house with little outdoor stuff with your dog, a gun dog such a setter or brittany is a poor choice. If you want to run with your dog, consider a herding breed. A good cross over could be a working group dog.

Once you get the basic idea of what you want, then narrow down on breed.

Shelters/pounds have some fantastic dogs that really need good homes. The downside is you do not know the background of the dog or if a pup, what the pup may REALLY be!

Go to a large dog show where you can see many breeds at the same time. Keep in mind, dog shows have a LOT of really wierd people.

[Doggy Daddy]

And the pup is adorable Larry!

Agreed, agreed, agreed!! 

And I also agree on all the tips given to Rev so far.  I would add that I'm a strong believer in a doggy door leading to a fenced/confined area.  Makes housetraining almost effortless.  Also, I go against the common wisdom as far as feeding.  We use one of those feeding bowls with the reservoir of kibble attached and leave it out 24/7 (like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Petmate-Peacock-Blue-LeBistro-Pet-Feeder/20516991).  We have NOT had a dog overeat.  A couple of pound rescues went a bit overboard at first, but they learned fairly quickly to only eat when they were hungry.  I think (especially with rescues) it helps them feel secure, having the food available whenever they want.  They don't have to worry about whether or not it will be there when they're hungry.  The latest rescue was at the pound and adopted twice before we got her.  She's just over 3 years old now (we think) and has been with us for about 10 months.  She's very secure here now.   

DD

[castle key]

Beautiful puppy!

[41magsnub]

yellow labs are the cutest puppies!

[charby]

Thinking about possibly getting a dog.  Any good resources for raising, training, acclimating dogs?  If theoretically, I wanted a dog and cat, would it be better to get them both young and raise them at the same time?  Cat first?

Are you looking for a house dog, watch dog, hunting dog, working dog?

[Doggy Daddy]

Are you looking for a house dog, watch dog, hunting dog, working dog?

Henchdog?

DD

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

first dog ever?  a rescue might be good  one house broken. check with senior agencies. some older folks have to give up pets or in some cases pass away and their friends need homes

[BlueStarLizzard]

Cats and dogs: i've had both adult dogs with new kittens and adult cats with new dogs. The biggest trick is to keep the cat from running, inspiring the dog to chase.
I think building confidance in the cat and watching to make sure the dog know what is and is not acceptable (yes, you may sniff and nose the cat, no, you may not pick it up, shake it or chase it) is the main goal and let them figure out the peaking order from there. As to which first, I don't think it matters much either way.

Chooseing a dog, basically what Castle Key said.

Pick out some breeds that seem to be what your looking for and narrow it down. I really think the key to finding a breed that is right is meeting with a breeder and meeting the dogs in question. Even if you choose to adopt, it is still a good idea to have a basic understanding of who's who in terms of breeds, which gives you the ability to have an idea of behavior and health concerns if your looking at a mutt and can see what some of its orgins are.
If you absolutly fall for a specific breed but still want to adopt a dog in need, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE contact the breed specific rescue group. A good breeder will both introduce you to the breed , and can give you info. Many are also involved in some way or another with their affilated breed rescue.
Another really great option, if your heart is not set on a puppy, is a retired show dog. I would add that service dog rejects are good, but they usually have a waiting list. A dog rejected from being a service dog usually has one or two "faults" that make them ineligable for service, but make them excellent and pretrained pets. A retired show dog is well socialized, trained and usually a very good representive of their breed. We have numorous clients with former show dogs and without exception they have wonderful dogs. The only potential downside, if you see it as such, is the breeder may wish to retain breeding rights and wish to breed the dog/bitch at some point. If this is the case, it should be in the contract and they should pick up both the costs and the work involved.

Oh, yeah, nice puppy RKL. The play bow at the pig picture is adorable.  

[French G.]

I've always had the best luck with an established cat getting a new puppy, that way the cat gets a chance to wreck the dog when it's young and by the time the dog is 90lbs it just remembers getting rolled by the cat. I have seen puppy and kitten grow up together well, as well as one of my female self adopting stray dogs would try to care for kittens like they were her own. Of course she also brought home live baby rabbits to play mom to, so it's possible she had issues...

Cute little furball RKL

[Jamie B]

Rescue dogs rule!

I like the face shot.
Looks like our Golden sleeping, with those jowls splayed out over the feet!! 

[RoadKingLarry]

Yeah, I had been thinking about a rescue dog and we had talked about it some. But Mama decided she wanted what she wanted.

[RevDisk]

Are you looking for a house dog, watch dog, hunting dog, working dog?

Hench dog. So combination of house dog and watch dog.

The ability to take down a hippy on command would be a bonus, of course.

[Doggy Daddy]

Hench dog. So combination of house dog and watch dog.

The ability to take down a hippy on command would be a bonus, of course.

You got it!   

DD