Thinking about a puppy

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

Ill echo someones earlier comments about staying away from a purebred dog, the inbreeding and disease risk is bad.

My 3rd pup in life is a half beagle half poodle and strikes a nice mix. Not as good with kids as I'd like though. Must be the poodle in him.

It's a big risk if you go to a #### breeder. Basically any breeder that has a litter available for immediate browsing and pickup or is selling their dogs on Facebook or Kijiji isn't a reputable breeder. The doodle puppy mills are included in this.

Good breeders have limited litters, you go onto a waiting list for when they do actually have one available and you get matched with your puppy based on your interview (none of the nonsense choosing based on color or which is cutest). They are also doing actual health testing (not a vet checkup) and offering health guarantees and removing dogs from breeding if needed based on the health and temperament of the puppies. These are the breeders who are able to provide consistent, healthy animals

Reddit has a very good write up on how to actually choose a reputable breeder.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Slava

I've got a Labradoodle and he's really great. Truthfully, I didn't want a dog. I never had one growing up and wasn't sure about it. Clearly though, I was out voted and I needed the hypoallergenic breed, so at least got that part. That was three years ago.

Now, I've completely changed my tune. Ours is such a fantastic family member and he's my best buddy. He is by my side all the time and they really work their way into your heart! Out of everyone in the house, he definitely likes me best for some reason.

We have an Aussiedoodle and I'm in a similar boat, didnt really want a dog, never had dogs growing up, was soundly outvoted and we ended up with this dog.

Who now comes to work with me every day and yeah, hes basically just my dog now.

[edslunch]

We have a Shepherd / Malamute cross we think - she was abandoned as a puppy so we're not sure. Great dog for the family, but doesn't do well with other dogs. At all. This basically rules out off leash parks and other dog social activities although she was ok in dog walking and training packs. This hasn't been a show-stopper and we love her to death, but I would recommend looking for a more dog-friendly dog for a family situation.

[Erick Estrada]

My purebred dog is close to 6 years old and zero health issues but we got him from a reputable breeder and as whiteout said we had to sit on a waiting list. Not saying purebred the way to go but I think they get a bit of a bad rap for health issues as I've seen lots of people with mutts have health issues as it's more about researching the breed as if you get a purebred German Shepherd be prepared for issues.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Poodle mixes is a good recommendation. Labradoodles as noted already and Benadoodles are great too.



You get the Bernese gentleness (great with families) but without the size, shedding and health concerns.

[slcrocket]

This is awesome - thanks to everyone for your responses. REALLY appreciated a lot of info!

I can understand the concern about people just jumping into pet adoption due to quarantine; this is definitely not a spur of the moment decision. We have talked about it for a while and we wanted to wait until our youngest (and last) was two years old as we know that taking on a puppy is kind of like taking on a new baby initially with training, etc. Who knows, perhaps the quarantine made us think even more about it but this has been a while in the making.

LOTS of good info on huskies; I probably romanticized them a bit and after the information here and some other research I think we'll stay away from huskies. They are beautiful but might not be the right fit.

I ended up putting out a bunch of feelers to some different friends all over the region and long story short, we should be the proud owners of a new labrador puppy this Thursday! We are excited to welcome Iggy to our family.

You all have wonderful dogs and photos; this thread goes right with the positive coronavirus thread as stuff that brightens up my day.

Thanks for all your help!!! I'll update with a photo when appropriate.

[DuffMan]

We used to have a border collie, and while I'd think the would be great on a farm, not so much in the city, and also if you have 3 kids the dog will try to herd them.

We have some kind of rescue shepherd labish cross that is awesome. Never barks, obeys quite few commands, like, stay on the mat, which the border collie didn't. and we can leave it in our mostly fenced backyard, with the driveway open to leave, but it never does. Also I can walk it around the park with no leash. Feel really lucky with this dog.

Before that we had a rescue greyhound, and they are underrated, depending on what you want in a dog I guess. they listen well, serious homebody, not interested in other dogs, likes kids. would get another one of these.

I had a friend that always got pure bred labs, and honestly I think they are kind of dumb, on top of all of the health issues. they mostly just want to brawl and ####, blankets, legs, other animals, whatever. none of them listened either, it is like they are in their own world. Great for hunting though, they excel at that.

[OMG!WTF!]

I've always had golden retrievers and feel a real connection to them. They're so funny and smart. They're just different than other dogs. They're such athletes too. If you give them the exercise they want they can do some amazing things. I think the real difference is a well loved golden just wants to be with you. I've given mine ample opportunity to run away and they never get too far off. They always want to be close which I appreciate.



Take note of the difference between boys and grls too. Male goldens are much more cuddly and much more sucky than the girls. The girls are much more independent. I'm not sure with labs but you can get a totally different dog depending on sex.



Advice for the new lab puppy...make sure the puppy stays with the mom for as long as possible. Some breeders are selling at 7 weeks just to get them out the door. 8 weeks is the very minimum. 10-12 is ideal for behavior and immunity. If it costs a bit extra to hang on for a couple more weeks it's worth it down the road. And also investigate the dog's immunity thoroughly. It's not as easy as a 6-8-12 week schedule. Get advice on titre testing to determine immunity.

[bossy22]

We have a sheepadoodle. Wife has allergies so we got the boutique dog. She's been great. Velcro to my wife. Protective of my son. In off leash areas she's awesome. Loves to make friends and play.

Rarely barks, unless it's play time. She likes to sit on the deck and watch the people walking the pathway behind our place. Reminds me of Sam Sheepdog from Looney Tunes when she does this.
She does have stomach issues, and can't eat kibble. So we have to get raw or dehydrated grain free food. Get's expensive.
Her fur is a lot of work. needs daily brushing or regular trips to the groomer because it knots up quite a bit, and gets burrs in it.

[1qqaaz]

It seems like random mutts are generally healthy, but intentional hybrids tends to have quite a few health problems as they age.

I'm not sure if there is any evidence that doodles live longer than plain poodles.

We've had a borderdoodle and two aussiedoodles. We regret not getting pet insurance.
I echo those to emphasize the need to choose a careful breeder.

Dog genetics are complex. Certain merle colors of Australian shepherds have health problems when bred. There are a lot of small details to consider. Careful planning is a must.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

It seems like random mutts are generally healthy, but intentional hybrids tends to have quite a few health problems as they age.

I'm not sure if there is any evidence that doodles live longer than plain poodles.

We've had a borderdoodle and two aussiedoodles. We regret not getting pet insurance.
I echo those to emphasize the need to choose a careful breeder.

Dog genetics are complex. Certain merle colors of Australian shepherds have health problems when bred. There are a lot of small details to consider. Careful planning is a must.

its ironic really bearing in mind how many people have been killed in an attempt to keep 'races pure' but genetics are pretty basic, the larger the gene pool the better the, dog, person, horse etc.

I would always buy a mutt given a choice, I believe the whole concept of 'breeds' is essentially flawed

[rohara66]

Just got a yellow lab puppy about a week ago.

Get some rest before the puppy shows up! Haha. Very little sleep was had the first couple days but she's settling down more lately. She's sleeping for 6 hours without a potty break now. First couple nights was maybe an hour tops, uggg!

But seriously they require 100% attention by someone at all times. We're really trying to put the work in now when she's a puppy to get her trained but its a lot of work.

We were planning on getting one this summer but we pushed the timing up as the wife is working from home right now. Honestly I have no idea how you could get a puppy if someone wasn't at home all the time.

Good luck! Our porker has gained 2 lbs in her first week at home, they grow super fast.

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

It seems like random mutts are generally healthy, but intentional hybrids tends to have quite a few health problems as they age.

Are there actually any studies to show the differences in health between papered purebred, backyard purebreds, designer dogs or rescue mutts? Every other article/study I've ready flips back and forth between pure vs mutts.

All our friends with rescue mutts have been terribly unhealthy and totally crazy dogs.

[Amethyst]

If you want a dog for a pet, you don't want a smart dog. Smart dogs need to be challenged and busy all the time. If you don't give them a job, they will find their own and it might not be something you want.

I agree that if the pup can stay with the mom a bit longer, it's definitely for the best. My one dog stayed with her mom until she was almost 3 months and she was the easiest puppy ever.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

If you want a dog for a pet, you don't want a smart dog. Smart dogs need to be challenged and busy all the time. If you don't give them a job, they will find their own and it might not be something you want.

I agree that if the pup can stay with the mom a bit longer, it's definitely for the best. My one dog stayed with her mom until she was almost 3 months and she was the easiest puppy ever.

That’s a pretty big generalization.

Dumb dogs make terrible pets IMO.

[midniteowl]

[Cali Panthers Fan]

I have nothing else to add except that I wanted to post a photo of an incredibly cute puppy.



Can this just become the cute puppy photo thread? I think this is the thread we all need right now.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

If you want a dog for a pet, you don't want a smart dog. Smart dogs need to be challenged and busy all the time. If you don't give them a job, they will find their own and it might not be something you want.

I agree that if the pup can stay with the mom a bit longer, it's definitely for the best. My one dog stayed with her mom until she was almost 3 months and she was the easiest puppy ever.

I’d disagree that they need to be busy all the time. Part of training a dog is training them to have an off switch.

I have a GSD and he has no issue with not being busy all the time. I don’t even bother trying to tire him physically since it won’t happen, mental stimulation is just as good and works their brains. Feed out of puzzle toys, train tricks, agility courses or urban agility, nose work etc.. are all great ways to tire working dogs. He does like doing all that and is always ready to go, but he is just fine with laying by the couch with his kong for a movie night.

If I need a full day without working him, I can send him to daycare the day before and he’s destroyed for the next day.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Can this just become the cute puppy photo thread? I think this is the thread we all need right now.

I can make that happen.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I have nothing else to add except that I wanted to post a photo of an incredibly cute puppy.



Can this just become the cute puppy photo thread? I think this is the thread we all need right now.

My guy a month after we got him!