Iāve been kicking this one to touch for the last 6 months for all of the reasons stated by @Juhniallio
Wife works part time. We have a reasonable garden and a fine green out the front. I think I might have got the message back coming back from Dublin Christmas day. It was pissing rain and going through Crumlin, we came across at least 10 people walking their dogs in a monsoon.
Same thing happened in Abbeleix. I love dogs myself but you really have to be prepared for the work involved
He apologised to me before for throwing his toys out of the pram and threatening never to post tips up again after I gave him some gentle slagging last year
I have a Jack Russell, lovely little dog. As Dan said can be a bit off with strangers but brilliant with us. Was a bit worried about how sheād react when we had the child a couple of years ago but sheās been unreal with her.
Couple of things to consider. Some covered already
Size of dog - Bigger dogs need a lot more exercise, if they donāt get it they get overweight and/or cranky making them more likely to bite! Chances are you will have to get your doggee neutered and dogs like Labs and Golden Retrievers put on condition for fun after neutering - they need to be walked 4-5 miles a day and their diet restricted for about 6 months after neutering until their hormonal cycles return to somewhat normality. I would be inclined to go for a smaller dog like a Jack Russell or a hound from the pound. A pound dog is likely to be even more successful as it will be a Heinz 57 (varieties) and less likely to have problems associated with purebreds. I would stay away from Maltese/Westies/ Bichons etc (in fact any small white dog) as they are very prone to skin disease. Ex racers make great pets and are good house dogs but still need a bit of exercise and you have to be sure the neighbours donāt have a cat as an ex-racer could still be quick enough to dispatch said feline. Cockers are also lovely dogs but their coats mean they need quite a bit of groomingā¦ I think the Jack Russell/small terrier is the ideal pet for a city house, if bought as pups, they are great little dogs, very loyal and need relatively little looking after.
Purebred vs Mixed breed - stay away from purebreds - unless you are buying to breed from them(if you are be prepared to spend ā¬00 - 000ās). Due to smaller genetic pool, they are far more likely to suffer from health problems associated with breeds like heart problems, skin problems, eye problems etc. Mixed breeds are far less likely to have these as they have more genetic diversity. The pound or Dogs Trust is the way to go but try to get them as a pup. Older dogs may have been severely mistreated and as a result could be prone to biting which is a worry particularly with small children as they will catch the dog by ears, nose, tail etc. A tetchy dog will bite and you could end up trying to re-home/sending back to the pound/euthanasing.
Make sure you neuter the chosen one - long term it makes your life easier between straying males and females attracting every male for a 5 mile radius. It is also better for the dogs health as it reduces cancer rates though keeping their weight in check for the 6 months after the op can be a challenge
If buying off of done deal, if the gent wantās to āmeet you half way on the side of the roadāā¦ run a mile, he is a puppy farmer. The best way to put a lot of those c@@ts out of business is to stop buying their animals. In fact, stay away from done deal completely if you can help it.
I hope all this helps @backinatracksuit. Whatever you chose, I think its very important to have a dog around the house with growing children. They will never fear dogs (which in general is a good thing) and as the kids grow older they will learn responsibility of looking after the petā¦ In return, a dog is one of the best burglar deterrents there is.
Why do ex racing dogs usually make such good pets? Is it something to do with Greyhounds being a calmer breed or to do with what happens the dogs when theyāre being trained?
I dunno TBH @Mac. I think its their general temperament, the fact that they are trained and get so much contact with people for so long I am sure also helps their demeanour. They are generally very clean animals by instinct too which makes a big difference. They are also very adaptable, they will enjoy lots of exercise or they will happily spend all day on the couch.