Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace Handy
Before you get a puppy, know this...... they are a pain in the a$$ and will change your life. You won't be able to crash at friends after a night of drinking, you will have to consider what you're going to do with the dog if you want to go away for the weekend/week, and you will lose countless shoes, jackets, etc. Not to mention when company is over and the dog comes running in with the wife's thong in her jaws (actually pretty hilarious).
In many ways they're harder than a baby. Babies can go with you wherever you go, babies can't disappear for 2 seconds and before you know it you've lost an entire 24 pack of toilet paper. I'm not saying dogs are harder to raise than children, I'm saying for the first year they are in some ways harder.
Getting my dog was one of the best decisions of my life and I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting a pooch. However, you really need to consider whether you are prepared for it. By the sounds of it, you may be better off with a rescue dog, something more mature that can handle long stretches alone and down time. Something less rambunctious. Not to mention they are waaaaay cheaper than a breeder will charge and you'd be doing some wonderful dog a service.
Good luck!
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Thanks for the advice.
Since I originally posted this I have done a lot of research.
My wife and I are in our early 50's so going out boozing at night and crashing on somebodies couch isn't and issue....
We don't go away for the weekend a lot but if we do we will either take the dog with us or have friends or relatives babysit (daughter, brother-in-law...thats what your kids and other relatives are for right?) The daughter (24 years old) lives in Calgary and the bro-in-law lives in Okotoks.
As for the thong issue... my wife refuses to wear them .... damn. So not a problem.
In the first year, and perhaps longer, I'm thinking about taking the dog to work with me and to doggy day care (good for us and good for the dog re socialization). Both my wife and I work and are gone from 7:15 am to 5:00 pm and I now now that this is way too long to leave a pup alone. As for where the dog would spend time when he's older... doggy day care will probably continue as well as leaving the dog at home in the house. We have a house with a finished walk out basement with two large windows (8 ft x 5 ft) and one smaller window which provide lots of light. Because its the basement, our older furniture is down there, so if there is damage done its not a big deal.
My wife also wants to get a cat... maybe even two... and the cat(s) would definitely be company for the dog during the day at home. Raise them together and hopefully they would be best of buds.
As for walking the dog daily thats not a problem. I joked in my original post that maybe the dog would force me to get out more... but between me and my wife the dog will get plenty of exercise. I might even take up hunting again (I've never tried pheasant hunting and would love to get into it). I'd look forward to going to retrieval classes with my new best buddy and learning the ropes together. I've been looking at the Wild Rose Hunting Retreiver Club website ...
http://wrhrc.com/ ... very interesting and looks like a lot of fun.
I'm also a bit of an outdoor off-roading enthusiest and I know the dog would have fun doing that. I have a friend who has a dog... a lab... and he would bring the dog out on the trails and the dog would run for miles with us.
We also live in Okotoks... actually right on the edge of one of the residential areas (Sheep River Heights) and the river is only a 10 minute walk from the house so there are lots of places for the dog to run free while we're out for a walk.
I also plan to go to obedience class with my new pup. Hopefully I won't be to difficult to train and I'll pick things up quickly...
