I want buy a dog

[pelicaman]

Hi, i want buy a dog and is difficult to choose the breed.
Can you help me?

[aap1966]

More information needed.
Where will it live? Apartment? House? Acreage?
Kids?
How much time will you have for the dog?
Climate?

[ckelly78z]

I have a austrailian sheppard (aussie) and love him, he is very active and loves running with me when I ride dirtbikes with my son. He chases the chickens all over the place, and alerts us whenever there is strange activity on our farm. He's a good dog and about 65 lbs and full of muscle and exuberance. Ho does great out in the country, but I would, and could never have him in a city apartment.

A dog is just like a kid, they need to know the meaning of the word "NO", and they need alot of gentle, and firm attention There are some breeds out there that seem to bark alot, some that are intimidating, some that are just nothing but cute, and others that love to chase things like trucks.

It really all depends on your lifestyle whether you are a couch potato, or very active, where you live in the city or the country, whether you have kids and a family or are single.

[bell]

Don't buy. ....adopt....

[ckelly78z]

+1 ^^^^^^^^ There are alot of nice dogs waiting for homes at the local animal shelter. Don't buy from a puppy farm (where sellers have multiple breeds for sale at the same time.)

[dennis in se pa]

+2 adopt.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by bell

Don't buy. ....adopt....

This. Save a dog's life, adopt from the local pound.
That way you'll actually deserve a small part of the unconditional love he'll give you.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Be sure you know what you're getting into. Dogs are great companions but they are very high maintenance and it can get to be a pain in the ass very quickly. One of my close friends is on her third adopted retired greyhound racer (which I think is admirable) but has to revolve her life around the dog. She can't be away from home for more than about 8 hours so the dog can be walked and exercised (contrary to popular belief greyhounds aren't high-strung or have boundless energy, they're pretty docile but still need to be walked like any other dog).

To that point I'd say some breeds are way more energetic than others and need to be not just walked but actively exercised several times a day or they'll go nuts and start tearing your place apart. Puppies are well known for this but some breeds retain this trait well into adulthood (chihuahuas, some black labs, etc.) Also consider liability. Some breeds can end up costing you a fortune in insurance if you can even get coverage at all (pit bulls, mastiffs, dobermans and other "trendy" dogs capable of hurting people badly or known for being somewhat ill-tempered). Some breeds are known for being prone to health issues too (Dalmatians, Great Danes, etc.) Vets can get very, very expensive. Can you really provide good quality care?

Like I said above - know what you're getting into. Yes, dogs are great but the novelty wears off pretty fast when you have to rush home to go walk them outside in 10° (or 100°) weather, when it's snowing or raining, etc. and can't make impromptu or spontaneous plans, etc. It's a responsibility and it's a lot more than a lot of people realize. You can't just keep them shut in all the time - it's not fair to them and they deserve better homes than a lot of people provide once the novelty / "honeymoon period" is gone and it's just another "to do list" item.

[Chocaholic]

POP...read the red statement in your sig.


Troll.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Explain. Who is trolling and how are you reaching that conclusion? Sounds like someone asked for advice and several others (including me) are offering it. Isn't that what a forum is for?

[Jim Richards]

POP is actually putting some good info our there. From the vagueness of the OP, who knows about his background or understanding of dog ownership. So many questions need to be asked and answered before meaningful advice can be given to the OP.

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by pelicaman

Hi, i want buy a dog and is difficult to choose the breed.
Can you help me?

They see him TROLLIN'.............

Go find a dog forum

[stomachmonkey]

Just seems like an odd poster.

3 posts since he joined, all in OT, somewhat suspect command of the language.

Fits the profile so far.

[vash]

Prob an eight year old kid wishing for puppy.

. I'd go with a corgi, kid.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Explain. Who is trolling and how are you reaching that conclusion? Sounds like someone asked for advice and several others (including me) are offering it. Isn't that what a forum is for?

+1 P-O-P. This is good tough-love advice. I'm sure Pelicaman would be a great owner...BUT, I have taken in two dogs in the last ten years because the owners got a whim to own a dog and didn't anticipate the responsibility involved, nor the breed's characteristic behaviors.

Dog ownership is a lifestyle, not a hobby. It can't be hung in the garage or put in a case. I know a family in Riverside, CA who bought a Bernese Mtn Dog puppy because they thought he was so cute in the cage at the mall. This is a dog breed bred to rescue people from the snow in the Swiss/Italian Alps. When it got big and started shedding, she stuck it outside in 90 degree Riverside heat ignored for days. She gave it away because it dug holes in her yard and laid in them??? The dog was trying to survive the heat!

I know another who bought a Dogue De Bordeaux after watching Turner and Hooch (Tom Hanks). Did they miss the slobber part? She too was left outside and got aggressive. I took her and after a few months she became the most loving dog I've ever owned.

I too recommend a rescue first, but buying a pure bred breed is OK too as long as it's that specific breed's behaviors you're looking for...and NOT looks.

Do NOT buy any hunting, herding, or working breed if you are not an active person...or at least have a huge yard and buy two dogs.

[LeeH]

Spammer. Reported.

[cashflyer]

[Jim Richards]

I like it!

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by LeeH

Spammer. Reported.

I"m not sure what the technique is. The emoticon is a local one, not an embedded image trying to bump SEO. No other hidden links or things in the sig.

[motion]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

When my son was around 8 years old, he went thru the puppy phase. I bought him one of these remote control dogs. That was 16 years ago and he's still pissed at me