# What Kind Of Puppy For A Pet

Category: Animal House

## Post 1 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 17:54:55

Recently, we all decided it was time for me to get a dog, as a pet, not as a guide dog. I've wanted one for a long time, but my parents kept saying not right now. Well, Mom saw this ad from the Northshore Animal Leage in Long Island, saying that there were 900 or so puppies that were rescued from a puppy mill. So she called and after while, they eventually called back and said there were no more from that batch. But they also wanted an $800 donation fee, which, of course, they didn't say in the ad. Anyway, I still want a puppy and they said ok. So we're looking around. I want one who will stay small, who doesn't shed or at least not that much and who loves company and playing. I refuse to buy a god, so he/she must come from a shelter. So, any ideas as to a possible breed or location where I might find him/her? I'm in Northern NJ btw. I'm fully aware that this is a huge responsibility and a comittment for as long as the dog lives, the decision will ultimately have to be mine, but am looking for pointers.

## Post 2 by tunedtochords (Zone BBS is my Life) on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 18:01:24

Miniature poodles stay small and don't shed, although you you would need to take it to a groomer to be clipped. That's the case with pretty much any non-shedding dog, though. My mother has a mini poodle, and he definitely loves companionship and playing. I, personally, am not a fan of small dogs (or poodles, haha), but for people who like them, they're great as companions. And they are pretty cute.

## Post 3 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 18:11:02

Thanks. I don't mind taking my dog to the groomer. I want him/her to stay healthy and clean anyway, so it's ok. I just don't want him/her shedding all over the house cause I have no way to see the hair and to clean it up. lol For all I know, I'll get picked by a huge dog with tons of hair! I truly believe in many cases that dogs choose their owners... it's a mutual thing. I've yet to get one though, so I don't know for sure.

## Post 4 by tunedtochords (Zone BBS is my Life) on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 18:14:47

I understand. But really, cleaning up after a dog who sheds isn't a big deal. I'm a total and do it with no problem.:) (Also, we are totally LJ friends so I don't know why I'm talking to you like I don't know you. haha.)

## Post 5 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 19:57:23

That's cool! I love finding familiar people in new places... I should put up my lj in my page too. I was just a little nervous, for some reason, about doing it. But anyone could find me on lj just as they can here so lol.

## Post 6 by laced-unlaced (Account disabled) on Wednesday, 05-Dec-2007 5:04:44

if you want to stay small, then i reccomend a yotrkie terrier. they are lovely, nice dogs to train, and they are just adorable!

## Post 7 by mysticrain (Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature.) on Wednesday, 05-Dec-2007 7:55:16

yeah that's a good one, my family dog was one, and he was loyal, playful, and lived for 17 years.

## Post 8 by singingsensation (I just keep on posting!) on Tuesday, 01-Jan-2008 22:16:52

for a dog that is small, I'd highly recommend a shit zoo. They're cute, cuddly, and most importantly, small. And they don't shed that much. Our family currently has one.
Hope this helps,
Macy

## Post 9 by singingsensation (I just keep on posting!) on Sunday, 17-Feb-2008 12:08:36

By the way, our family just got a new dog. It is a cross between a black lab and a husky.

## Post 10 by SensuallyNaturallyLiving4Today (LivingLifeAndLovingItToo) on Friday, 22-Feb-2008 22:17:31

Ok, here we go. First of all, eight hundred is exorbitant to ask for a shelter dog. I don't know what they were thinking. Hell, you could get a pure breed puppy from a reputable breeder for four or five hundred. Honestly, buying a puppy from a well researched breeder is the best route. They are genetically tested for health problems, breed for good and stable tempermint, intelligence, sound health and are much more predictable as a breeder can get to know each individual puppy for eight to ten weeks and can reccomend the best match for you based on your circomstances. You do pay a bit more for a pure breed puppy, but it is worth it and more importantly it makes a statement that you support responsible and reputable breeding of dogs and that you do not support backyard breeders, puppy mills or careless dog owners who do not fix their pets and thus create unwanted shelter dogs. That being said you need to really check out breeders' backgrounds, make sure they are not breeding for profit, but rather to improve and further the breed, that they are not breeding more than three bitches, that is, they do not have more than three litters in the kennel at a time, that their puppies are raised under-foot, which means in the home with cats, dogs, adults and children as part of the family, indoors, that they require you to sign a contract, that they temperment test all puppies, that they will not let the puppy go before at least eight weeks of age, that they give all required vaxinations to the parents and the puppies and that they screen you just as carefully as you are screening them. If they are charging more than five hundred or so for a pet quality puppy then they are either foolish and full of them selves or trying to breed only for profit. If they charge any less than three hundred then they are not looking out for their puppys' best interests, are not spending enough money on the proper upkeep of their studs, bitches, puppies and facilities. Never buy a puppy with out papers. Never buy a puppy who is sick when you come to visit or to pick them up. Never buy a puppy from a breeder who does not know who the father is or who does not have papers for both the stud and the bitch or who has unclean facilities. Never buy a puppy from a breeder who seems too eager to sell or get rid of their puppies. If you are absolutely against buying a puppy then consider a breed rescue club. They are wonderful. They are organizations who rescue only dogs of a certain breed. There is a breed rescue club for every breed of dog in the AKC. It allows you to get a well-tempered pure breed dog and to rescue a dog that needs some help and a good home at the same time. They do ask for donations, but they are usually about equal to those that most regular shelters ask and less than what a breeder would ask. Another advantage of breed rescue is that you get exactly the breed you want, sometimes even with papers. Also, most shelters can do little more than feed and house the strays they get. They don't get to know them and have no idea of what they are giving you. The clipboards on the front of the dog runs with past history of a dog at a regular shelter are not tested, varifyed or researched by kennel staff, they simply go by the word of whoever brought the dog in. Think about it, is an owner who wants to get rid of their dog but not have them put to sleep going to be honest and tell the kennel staff that their dog accidentally killed the cat, bit the baby, runs away jumping the fence constantly, has been diagnosed with a heart murmer, etc? Of course not. At a breed rescue club however, dogs go into foster homes where they are trained, assessed fully for suitability with children, small animals, cats, other dogs, infants, elderly people, etc. These people have one to three or four dogs that live right with them and so they get to know them very well. A breed rescue club will not give you a dog that has temperment tested or proven not to be a good match for you. If you go to the AKC website you can find the national breed clubs for each and every breed. Through their websites you can find both the local breed club chapters in your area but also the pure breed rescue organizations in your area. Never, never, ever, ever buy a puppy from a pet store. The only breeders who will sell puppies to pet stores are backyard breeders who have no idea of what they are doing, breed irresponsibily and produce substandard dogs or puppy mills who care nothing about the quality of the lives of their breeding stock or their puppies. Petstores overcharge, do not socialize their puppies at all, do not check the repute of the breeders they buy from, often take puppies as young as four weeks old and can not provide authentic papers or proper health records for ninety-five percent of their dogs. If you are not dead set against a slightly older dog you might also ask breeders if they have slightly older dogs that they are trying to place. These are dogs that they were considering for showing or breeding, but that they needed to see how they filled out, grew, how their coats came in, how their physical aptitudes developed etc before deciding for sure not to fix them and find them pet-homes and instead keep them. These dogs are a great and wonderful thing as they are not only pure breed, but also socialized, fully house trained, have obedience training, have matured considerably from puppies and are over most of their puppy crazies when you get them. They still have tuns of puppy fun however and loads of energy, as they are usually ten months to a year and a half of age. Also getting a release dog from a guide dog training program is a great idea. These are not old aged retired guide dogs, but rather young dogs, usually under two years old who did not make it as guide dogs and need good homes. They are more mature than puppies, are already extensively trained in house manners, good sitizenship behaviors and more than basic obedience, they are genetically tested for breed spacific health risks, are up-to-date on shots and already fixed and well socialized. Most schools charge nothing for these dogs or ask for a donation of a hundred dollars or less. It is also good practice for one day owning a guide dog and helps you get to know a lot of the guide dog schools. If you must get a dog from a shelter, keep a few things in mind. Don't feel pressured by your parents or the kennel staff to pick a puppy the first time you visit. Try different shelters on different days until you find the right dog. Ask a lot of questions. Introduce the puppy to as many members of your household, including some pets right at the shelter with the guidance of the staff to be sure that you are getting a good match. Do not let the kennel staff push a certain puppy on you because they want it gone because it's time is running up; it may not be a suitable match in the long run and having to return it would be even more heartbreaking. Always be completely truthful; do not try to give answers you think the staff wants to hear so that they will give you a particular puppy. If you see a long haired maltees that you want and they ask you if you can commit to brushing a dog every single day for at least fifteen or twenty minutes and you don't really think you have time/would remember, don't say that it would be fine. Research breeds before you start looking so you can pick a pure breed dog or a mixed breed that has some of the breeds in it's mix that you are looking for. I hope this helps. It's really more of where to find a dog, not what breed to get, although I can post on that later if you would like.

## Post 11 by SensuallyNaturallyLiving4Today (LivingLifeAndLovingItToo) on Friday, 22-Feb-2008 22:39:26

Ok, and here we go once more. lol Any dog will shed a litttle, although many breeds are noted for shedding only a very little bit. Even dogs who do not shed too much should be brushed often and you really should not worry about being able to see hair. You don't need to be able to see it to clean it up. I mean, you vacuum once a week, you use a sticky roller on whatever furnature the dog is allowed onto and you hang clothing in your closit or fold it in drawers so it won't lay around and get fur on it. If you can vacuum a carpet and you wash and dry your clothing before wearing it, having a dog that shedds is really not an issue. However, if you are prone to allergies it's another story. First know that many people who are ellergic to dogs are not ellergic to the fur, but rather to the dandrif and every dog, regardless of breed has dandrif. A good hypo-allergenic dog however is the wheeten tarier. I am really not a fan of small dogs, but there are a few breeds that are nicer than others. Corgies are wonderful as they aren't tiny yip toy brats, nor or they huge, in-your-face animals. They run about twenty pounds and are small to mid sized. They are extremely intelligent, sociable, good-tempered and they have enough backbone and balls to play with larger dogs, which would come in handy when and if you get a guide dog and if anyone in your family wants a larger dog later on. I don't reccomend most tariers as they are breed to kill rats and therefore are a menace to pet mice, rats, gerbles, ghinney pigs, farits, hampsters, kittens, birds, etc. I'm not saying that all tariers will do this, nor that tariers are bad dogs because of this, but simply that it is in their nature. Two small breeds to stay away from are jack russle tariers who I can tell you from experiance are extremely nasty little shits. If they were the size of pit bulls they would be blamed for ten times more deaths every year I am sure. Wipits are another, they are on the small side and they are known cat killers. Unlike tarriers they aren't merely a breed with an inclination, rather they are highly prone to it. Now, any dog can be a good pet if well-trained, from a good breeder and properly socialized early on, but generalizations about some breeds can be offered up as a guide line. Papilons are wonderful, high energy, friendly, loyal, fun, devoted, curious and charming little dogs with huge ears. lol Shelties are beautiful, terribly smart and are very pack oriented, although you might find their hair a problem. A papilon's or a corgi's hair is not the shortest out there, and they do shed a little, but it is not hard to brush them for ten minutes three or four times a week and they do not shed great gobs of fur when they do shed. If you are wanting a smaller dog because you think it will be easier to control, forget it. It is about the breed, not the size on that score. However, if you appreciate the compact size and you don't intend to either dress up your little dog or carry it around in your purse, then go for it. I would highly reccomend that you read the books by the monks of New Skeet regarding puppy raising and dog training and the AKC Complete Dog Book to help you get to know different breeds better. All of these books are available on tape from the library of congress. I hope all of this is helpful.

## Post 12 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Friday, 22-Feb-2008 23:04:06

Wow! Never, ever, have I received such a well-thought-out response to one of my posts anywhere! All I can say is thank you! That said, I am against buying a dog. However, I'll definitely look into the breed rescue clubs, as they sound very promising. I have all intentions of researching various breeds and whatnot and since this is a life-long comittment, no one could pressurise me into anything. I'm also very honest, so there's no need to worry about me not telling the truth. There are only three members aside from myself in my family. My mother, her partner and my grandmother. We have no other pets, so that shouldn't be a problem. We'll hopefully be moving soon and I'll have my own place anyway. It'll either be an apartment attached to a new house or a trailor that's within walking distance of our new house. We haven't started seriously looking at properties yet, so I'm not sure exactly where we'll be, but Mom's given hints that it'll be even more suburban than where we're living now. She said country, but not with farms etc. But I've been to the kind of area she means, so I'm ok with this. Right now, we have a large house with a backyard and a pool. I want to make sure that everything is set for this puppy before he/she comes into my life so that I can fully take care of him/her. Btw, I'm ok with a slightly older dog, but I'm pretty set on wanting a small one.

## Post 13 by SensuallyNaturallyLiving4Today (LivingLifeAndLovingItToo) on Sunday, 24-Feb-2008 15:24:56

Awsum. I wish you much luck.

## Post 14 by singingsensation (I just keep on posting!) on Monday, 03-Mar-2008 11:05:25

Thank you for all of the information. I'll keep that in mind. Oh, and I forgot to mention that our new dog is not house trained yet, but we're working on that--don't worry.