Getting a dog soon, need help to stockpile food

[kval07]

I'm definitely going to have to do some more research based on price per feeding and not just quantity. I think I'll have to go visit the Petco here in town soon to help in my research. Thank you all so much. And kval07, I have read the whole thread on what do you feed your dog. It sure gets heated over there ;)

Oh boy...I'm passionate, what can I say??

I just think that people shouldn't make decisions based solely on cost. I learned a lot in my quest to find out what I was feeding my dogs. In the beginning I fed my dogs only coupon brands. (And for the record, you can get coupons for premium brands, you just have to hunt them down...)

I didn't know any better - and that's the thing - You can't make a good decision if you don't have the knowledge. Once you have the knowledge, you can weigh all the different factors better because you can understand the consequences/benefits/downfalls when it comes to things like cost, vet bills, poop that smells JUST like Mighty Dog, health of your dog, etc etc.

Yeah, that poop that smells just like MD...that was a lesson learned the hard way, lol. For ME, no amount of money saved is worth puking while cleaning up MD smelling poo.

[Kim1013]

I do have another question. What are you're thoughts on the age of a dog? We have two young children so we were thinking of getting a puppy/young dog so they can grow up together plus we can train him/her. I know the dog's disposition is the most important thing but I'd like to know your opinion or experience with getting a dog and having young children. Thanks.

[kval07]

I guess that would depend on different factors.

I assume your avatar pick is current? If so, how would your child handle listening to you when it comes to the dog? When I first got Chester, he was four months old and only 5 pounds. I took him over to my best friend's house a few times and her daughter REFUSED to listen to either of us when it came to him. She was two or three and would pick him up and carry him around and try to feed him things, etc etc. I quit taking him over there. Does your family have any experience with other dogs? That could be a good indicator.

Also the type of dog could play in to age too. A small dog like mine as a puppy is more fragile and kids might not understand they can't be so rough. A larger puppy might not understand little kids and may knock them over while running around the house. A full grown dog, well...your baby would still be only a few years old.

With a puppy, you can train him from the get go and not have to worry about trying to break bad habits. If you buy from a breeder, then your dog's health should be guaranteed for a certain period of time. If you adopt from a shelter or from somewhere like craigslist, you really just never know what you are getting. The shelter won't know the background of the dog, most likely, and/or adopting from a person, they may withhold information.

I think that's what happened with my other dog. We adopted him from some college girls who said their landlord said no pets. Well, I think he was too much work for them. He's a devil and is totally totally needy. We were his third owners by the time he was four months old. He is a huge trouble maker (but cute as a button) and I think they withheld that information. I don't regret getting him, but you have to be prepared for something like that. He chewed up my coupon binder and a second leash yesterday. He's a big chewer = $$$. I've spent boatloads of money replacing things he's chewed up.

So dealing with a teething dog or a chewer may or may not be what you are looking for, especially with little kids and all the assorted little pieces they come with. Would your child be upset if a puppy chewed up her favorite toy? Will she understand consequences when she doesn't pick up her stuff. We had a lot of turmoil when ex-DFs son wouldn't pick up his toys and I kept telling him over and over and over to pick them up or they would get eaten.

I could go on and on FOREVER. Getting a dog is such a huge thing and really there is no way to prepare for all the work they come with. If you have a particular breed in mind, I would research it. Things like activity levels, need for attention vs. just leaving them alone, temperament, are they good with kids, are they typically social/aggressive/friendly/possessive, etc etc etc. How much food they will eat will be based on their size. What types of genetic and health issues is a huge thing too. Yorkies have all kinds of stuff, so I have insurance for mine that covers genetic issues.

I'll cut it short here....

[kval07]

Okay I lied because I didn't totally address the age issue.

Puppy = pretty active, will vary with breed, needs LOTS of exercise, running around in the back yard doesn't count, they need lots of walks too, might be hard to handle until you can fully train

Full grown dog = depends on breed, how active they are could potentially taper off as they get older, still need lots of exercise, might be harder to train due to lack of prior training or bad habits

I will say it was the best to watch ex's son run around and play with my dogs. They are great at keeping each other occupied when you want to get stuff done!

[neelia]

I think it would be best to get a young dog, but not a puppy. One that already has some training. You can tell a trained dog from an untrained dog upon meeting him/her. This way he/she isn't quite as much work. Puppies are A LOT of work. People always want to get them young so they can train them, but then end up.. not. Because they're too cute to be strict with, they're too busy, etc. It really just depends on your family, I guess. To REALLY train a puppy you need to be able to focus on training them for 10-20 minutes at a time (depending on age) several times a day, along with NOT giving in to the limits you want him/her to have. Don't want the dog on the sofa? NEVER let the dog on the sofa, there isn't "just this once" or else the dog gets confused.

Try not to let us scare you. lol. Owning a dog isn't rocket science, but it does take a lot of thought and commitment. Go visit a couple of people with dogs and ask them about them. Go see a few at the shelter (there ARE good dogs there, you just have to not get caught up in the moment and pick one because it's cute, even though it jumps all over you). My last dog was a pitbull from the LA county shelter and let me tell you, she went from being in the shelter for a month because she was a breed no one wanted, to living an apartment life without chewing up one thing and only having ONE accident in 2 years.

Good luck! :)

[NIGHTB1022]

I've never been to this forum before so HELLO. We are finally on the hunt for a dog and might have found a Doberman/German Shorthair mix puppy. If we don't get this puppy we are looking for a large dog that will serve as a protector/guardian and family companion. We live out in the country so our dog will have lots of space to run but has to be big enough to intimidate coyotes. Anyway, I haven't even begun to stockpile food so I was wondering if there are some good deals going on right now or where do you buy your dog food for a good price? I have a Dillons, Target, Walmart, KMart, Hy-Vee and a Petco (new store in town and never been there). Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

I have had a lot of dogs in my lifetime (55 years old) and I would recommend that before you set your mind on a dog, go to wikipedia and thoroughly research breeds you may be interested in, they have extensive knowledge on all breeds.

As far as a breed being big enough to intimidate a coyote, well I have to tell you that you need to pray that never happens because a coyote will NOT back down from a domestic dog once it attacks and they generally attack in packs, but a dog will back down from a coyote in a heartbeat, they live right across the field from me and my Weimaraner which weighs in at about 120 (yes he is an exceptionally big Weimaraner even the vet said that, big and solid, not really fat) won't even go in my fenced backyard when the coyote's are out and he's a hunting dog.

What breed may work for one person may not necessarily work for another, it is something you have to feel out for yourself.

I do recommend that since you have smaller children, get a puppy, even when I got Buddy, my Weim, he was 6 months old and I adopted him from the Weimaraner rescue, he always seemed good with kids, but when my niece had a baby and brought the baby over my Weim went nuts, I could hardly hold him back, he wanted that baby. I don't know if it was the crying or what that tripped him, but I realized that may have been a reason he was given away, so you can't ever know when you are adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue society, what the real background is.

Nothing is more heartbreaking than to get a dog and have it for awhile only to find out it isn't working for you or the kids, so take your time when choosing.

Good Luck to you and Welcome to the board!

[Kim1013]

I have been researching dogs for about a year now and I have my heart set on a Black Mouth Cur (think Ole Yeller). I think this breed would suit our lifestyle perfectly. They are large dogs that are bred for hunting or herding, depending how you decide to train them. They are used to hunt wild boars, bears and mountain lions, which we have mountain lions in our area. They are very protective especially towards women and children but can also accept "strangers." They take their cues from how you feel towards a person. They are territorial, gentle with children, not needy but like being around their family and much more. They are also healthy dogs with no major health issues, which is a plus. I have done a lot of research on this breed. I'm taking this dog search very seriously and probably overanalyzing it but that's the way I am. I think my next step is to contact some breeders and ask them some questions and go from there. Black Mouth Curs are not known in my area and are mostly in the Southern states but I'm willing to travel to get one. I am so grateful for all of your advice and support. You are the best.

[neelia]

I would also take anything you read about certain breeds lightly. While most of them have the basic characteristics that are standard for the breed, it REALLY depends on the dog. Their protectiveness/territorial-ness(?) can turn into aggression, etc. I'm not saying it WILL, but that's just something to take into consideration. I worked at a Golden Retriever breeder and their personalities were EXTREMELY varied, even though they were all in the same breed.

Good luck though. Like I said, dogs aren't rocket science, people just get lazy on them. I have 4 of my own and while they aren't "trained", they great dogs. Some dogs train easier than others. I totally believe in "there are no bad dogs, just bad owners". Find out from whatever breeder you go to, what their policy is on returning a dog. Just in case. I'm not saying you will/should, but if something doesn't work out right, you should know their policy on that. Most will take them back and find them a new home, but it's just something that's important to look into.

[justagirlnamedStormy]

Regarding what age dog to get:

Personally I would go with a "youngish" dog. Like in the 1-2 yr old area. Its young enough to still grow up with the kids, but old enough to most likely be out of the super crazy hyper stage (though my 6 yr pit bull still hasn't grown out of this stage).

Since you have two young children I would recommend adopting a dog from a reputable rescue. These dogs have usually been thoroughly evaluated on their tempers and the rescue can tell you whether or not the dog is good with children. Most of these dogs will usually come potty trained and knowing a few basic commands.