Getting a dog, any advice?

OCP said:
They are loveable / loyal to a fault and don't require much exorcise so do well indoors.
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Dachshunds are supposed to get regular excercise.

www.dachshundhealth.org.uk

Exercise | dachshund-health-uk

Exercise advice for UK Dachshunds
www.dachshundhealth.org.uk www.dachshundhealth.org.uk

By 6 months she should be going for a 30-minute walk on the lead each day. By a year old you should be giving your dog a 45-50 minute walk a day. Once adult, your Dachsie will take any amount of exercise you care to give


www.dachshundfriends.com

How Much Exercise Does Your Dachshund Need? - Dachshund Friends

Dachshunds are an active breed, and they do require regular exercise to maintain their overall health and well-being. We have discussed this in our blog on Seven Things I Wish I’d Known Before Owning a Dachshund but dachshunds are very energetic little dogs so perhaps need more exercise than you...
www.dachshundfriends.com www.dachshundfriends.com

Dachshunds are an active breed, and they do require regular exercise to maintain their overall health and well-being.

From a year old however, they can be walked for at least an hour, if not more as per their individual energy levels. Typically one to two moderate on lead walks of around 20-30 mins per day is enough for most, but (from experience) more energetic dachshunds can definitely walk for longer than that. Generally most adult dachshunds will benefit from between 30 mins to 1 hour of exercise per day.
 
A miniature poodle is a great hypoallergenic child-friendly breed.
They have such awesome personalities and very fun to have around, just don't get a poodle cut when they go to the groomers, rather keep them woolly so they look like teddy bears not idiots. :ROFL:
 
saor said:
There's a place at the Waterfront with rescues hanging around there waiting for owners. Those dogs are so damn cute - everyone wakling past stops to pet them. Times like that I wish I had a garden.
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The woof project (my eldest volunteers there) - they also alternate at Constantia Village.
 
Bewlen said:
Will the dog be an indoor or outdoor dog? If indoor, do you think you could keep it sleeping on the floor, or will you eventually succumb and let them sleep in the beds and be on the couches? If its gonna be a bed/couch dog, be careful with dachshunds, their backs could be problematic. Also if your house has stairs.

(source: loooong history with daxies, also current owner, I very much love the breed, great temperament and personalities)

Maybe check out beagles, scottish terriers, jack russels, boxer... Golden labs are also amazing family doggos.
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If they go on bed/furniture then ramps are a must!
 
Dave said:
Dachshunds are supposed to get regular excercise.

www.dachshundhealth.org.uk

Exercise | dachshund-health-uk

Exercise advice for UK Dachshunds
www.dachshundhealth.org.uk www.dachshundhealth.org.uk

By 6 months she should be going for a 30-minute walk on the lead each day. By a year old you should be giving your dog a 45-50 minute walk a day. Once adult, your Dachsie will take any amount of exercise you care to give


www.dachshundfriends.com

How Much Exercise Does Your Dachshund Need? - Dachshund Friends

Dachshunds are an active breed, and they do require regular exercise to maintain their overall health and well-being. We have discussed this in our blog on Seven Things I Wish I’d Known Before Owning a Dachshund but dachshunds are very energetic little dogs so perhaps need more exercise than you...
www.dachshundfriends.com www.dachshundfriends.com

Dachshunds are an active breed, and they do require regular exercise to maintain their overall health and well-being.

From a year old however, they can be walked for at least an hour, if not more as per their individual energy levels. Typically one to two moderate on lead walks of around 20-30 mins per day is enough for most, but (from experience) more energetic dachshunds can definitely walk for longer than that. Generally most adult dachshunds will benefit from between 30 mins to 1 hour of exercise per day.
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My other dog is a border collie ... compared to him the daxies don't need much ;-)

Nb. Border Collie comes with for weekly hike around and on table mountain.

The daxies get a walk in Tokai forest when we get back.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
I wouldn't have minded some of the medium breeds but I can't have too much hair around the house because of my allergies.

The breeds I was thinking of are Yorkies, Havanese and Westies. Maltese while hypoallergenic, seem to be more unpredictable with kids...
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Ouch. My son also had allergies to pets, luckily he outgrew it.

It's not so much the hair as the dander. I was about to rush in to say basset or beagle for a kid friendly dog, but they appear to be the worst :(

Knowing this, small dogs will shed less than bigger dogs, kinda intuitive. But then, for a kid, you need a dog with a bit sturdier bone structure. So, small to medium dogs would probably be your goal.

Further, when it comes to maintenance, you'd not want to bath the dog too much or with too harsh a shampoo as this would result in more dander.

Slobber can also be a problem, so perpetual droolers would be out.

Maybe start here:

Hypoallergenic Dogs – American Kennel Club

There are no 100% hypoallergenic dogs or dog breeds, big or small, but there are dog breeds that do well for homes with people who are allergic to dogs.
www.akc.org www.akc.org

Also, do not be caught in the long hair must be worse logic. Short hairs are little quills piercing into carpets, sheets - difficult to get rid of. Long hair curls up on top easily vacuumed. Some dogs also have double coats, those little spears deep down, the long hairs on top. Single coat long haired dogs will probably be better. Also remember, it's the dander sticking to the hairs that are the problem, not the hairs themselves.

On an aside, a female dog normally has a better temperament with smaller children.

Ever considered a pet python?
 
mbayshark said:
This, we have a 4 month old girl. They are amazing. Great personality and loving.

Also they are hypoallergenic.

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Also seem to bark all the time and at shadows.
 
Spizz said:
Sure, I get that. But you can get puppies who have just left their mothers milk and that’s what we tried for. So we got our two at really young age. One living in a yard in the location at about 8 weeks old, the other from a foster home also about 8 weeks old. Maybe worth a chat with the folks at the local shelter ;)
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^^
I second this. Many of the rescues also come from homes where the previous owners fell on hard times, kids move out and parents into a flat, emigrating ... some well socialized dogs.

Some of these dogs are still young and really worthwhile looking at. Something else to consider is some of these rescues are breed specific. You'd be able to take your son to a meet & greet to see how the dog reacts to your son, whereas with a puppy it has not yet developed it's personality.

We have adopted twice, both times ~1yr old, the most beautiful animals ito personality. Also if need be, up to 1 yr you can still fixed behavioural quirks.
 
Have a Weimaraner, dumb AF.
But kills all vermin and pigeons she can.
 
purple face said:
I think Dachshund would be great they have lots of energy and like lots of attention
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Bloody terrorists. Lovable terrorists, but still terrorists.

At a stage we considered one, ended up with another dog. Then a neighbourhood terrorist made friends with her ... so we ended up with a second part time dog that is a terrorist. A gentle blow near those ears is game on. :laugh:
 
Koning Witou Solomon said:
^^
I second this. Many of the rescues also come from homes where the previous owners fell on hard times, kids move out and parents into a flat, emigrating ... some well socialized dogs.

Some of these dogs are still young and really worthwhile looking at. Something else to consider is some of these rescues are breed specific. You'd be able to take your son to a meet & greet to see how the dog reacts to your son, whereas with a puppy it has not yet developed it's personality.

We have adopted twice, both times ~1yr old, the most beautiful animals ito personality. Also if need be, up to 1 yr you can still fixed behavioural quirks.
Click to expand...

Some shelters are great and give you lots of time to observe the dogs and interact with them if you want.
Others spend an hour on lecturing you and run you through the kennels in 5 minutes telling you why you should take a dog entirely wrong for you.
My two I have now were also young and exactly what I wanted and we have lots of fun together.
 
Spizz said:
Get a rescue dog. They’ll love you and your kids forever.
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We did this a few months back, from the SPCA in Windhoek, was meant to keep the GSD pedigree company when nobody else was home during the day...

My Flok Marilize! What a character.... and one gets the sense that he is very appreciative of the fact he was saved.... never had a mutt that wags his tale so much, that "smiles" everytime he sees any member of the family.....

I would definitely recommend a rescue dog!

Oh! And extremely intelligent to boot, I would say more than the pedigree....
 
If you know nothing about dogs I would probably say just have another child rather :p

My vote though would be a Boston. For me personally it would be a bull terrier but they aren't for inexperienced owners.
 
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