hello and help

[nickomurph]

Iam hoping to get a dog for my self and my girlfriend for christmas, and in need of help and advise for a first time pet owner many thanks nicko

[briarlow]

Reputable breeders of dogs will not sell pups for this reason.

What breeds are you interested in so that we can give you advice?

Word of warning having a young puppy at Christmas can be very stressful. Best thing to do is have one say, 3 to 4 weeks after, get up-to-date photo's etc. so if it's a suprise you can give your girlfriend the photo on Christmas Day. But please make sure that it's definitely what she wants as so many people buy on a whim.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

Hello and welcome! Glad you've sought advice before just going out and buying a pup. You're certainly on the right track.

Firstly, do you have a stable home environment to bring a dog into? A dog is a comittment for the dog's life time, and you have to take that into consideration first. Where will you be in 10 years? Will you have a steady job? If something goes wrong and you and your g/f seperate, who will get the dog? Will either of you even want it?

Secondly, does your girlfriend want a dog? Is she equally prepared for the responsibilities and comittment? Dogs are not good surprise gifts because of the care and expense they involve! Also, Christmas is the wrong time to bring a puppy home. There are all sorts of dangerous items around during Christmas (food, ornaments, decorations, ect.), and most people aren't home much during the holidays. Puppies need a consistent routine, and they have to be taken out at all hours. Another thing to think about is that no responsible breeder sells puppies around Christmas time, because everyone buying is an impulse buyer. They think "oh, that would be a BIG surprise!" and bring home a puppy with no thought for the PUPPY'S well being. I can't remember the estimated percentage, but a LARGE amount of Christmas puppies are turned into shelters 2-6 months later, when the family realizes they weren't prepared for the responsibility, and the puppy isn't "cute" anymore. Really, you could present your girlfriend all the necessary items for a puppy (crate, bed, food bowls, ect.) for Christmas, and then agree to go pick out one from the shelter in a few months when everyone else disposes of their's!

Also, are you sure you want a puppy? Puppies all grow up to be dogs, so the novelty of puppy breath and cuteness quickly wears off if all you want is a "puppy." Puppies are also ALOT of work. They require all kinds of training, time, patience, persistence, and love. It'll be worth it if you are really comitted to raising a happy, healthy canine citizen; but again, if all you want is a "puppy" you'd better re-think things.

Now, I don't mean to be harsh or insulting, so please understand I'm not asking you these questions because you seem unfit to be a dog owner. They're just necessary questions to help us help you. So nothing personal, I say this all in the interest of your future dog, and you and your girlfriend. Again, welcome!

[calgal]

Hello and welcome to GP! Well I'll try lending a hand here with what I know about selecting a puppy. First, if you live in a real small house or apt. then think about a small dog. Then do you mind the hair in your bed if you sleep with it, or on the sofa or on your clothes. If not then look for the non-shedding breeds like a Bichon, Yorkie, Poodle and there are a few others too. some of these non-shedding breeds are also high maintenance that require regular grooming and it isn't cheap. Next, will anyone be home during the day to house train. (If left alone very long then it will develop bad habits such as barking all day). Are you going to train to go only outside, or on the wee-wee pads. There are shots to get the dog after it's three months old and then by six months of age it should be spayed, if it's a female or neutered if it's a male.
I'd advise getting the book Dogs........Made Easy by Kathie Compton. It's for first time dog owners really and even though it's small, it's chucked full of wonderful advice.
http://www.texasdogtrainer.com/books_videos.htm

[Swiftwind]

Hello, welcome to Global Paw!
Firstly, how much space do you have and what kind of dog were you thinking about getting (or what breed are you interested in)? If you give us a general idea about your lifestyle (work hours, space available, are you into exercising/hiking) we can give you suggestions as to what breeds would suit your lifestyle.