Thread: Thinking about getting a dog...

Originally Posted by BigJon

Just remember a dog isn't for Christmas, a dog is for life.

They are a big responsibility.

If you want to travel to national parks a dog can't come along.

If you want to rent a house one day, a dog will make it very hard to find a house.

If you go away someone will have to look after it, feed it, walk it, etc.

Having said that, I have a kelpie / blue heeler cross and he is great.
Good fun to have around, although his ball / stick obssession can get tiring.
They also inspire you to excercise and I believe pet owners live longer and make better lovers .

good points there Jon

when you decide that you want a puppy and you don't mind kelpie's let us know as i can put you onto someone that has them a few times a year at no cost, free to a good home

We have only ever had x bread dogs, never owned a pure bread, all of our dogs have been amazingly loyall and most of them had abit of kelpie, border collie, maybe blue healer and probably many other breads in them
our current dog we got for free when she was a young pup, great dog loves to play ball and is very loyall!!

TIM.

You sound like you're in a similar position to the one my wife and I were in a couple of years ago. We ended up getting a pup from the RSPCA, and I would highly recommend it. Microchipped, desexed, vet-checked and registered. They even called up after a month and made sure we were happy - and more importantly, that the dog was. Good luck with it, try not to choke it when it vomits in your car or drags you face down along the road as it chases rabbits and foxes For what it's worth, staffy x ridgeback is an awesome combo, and unless you REALLY like running EVERY DAY, border collies and kelpies probably won't like a suburban yard.

For what its worth I'm a kelpie man myself, love the breed to bits, however it does help that I live on a farm. I have friends up in Perth that took one from the last litter that my bitch had and they are on a 1/4 acre block. Their dog loves them and is extremely loyal (just like her mother) and copes really well if it can't go for a run down on the oval, it is quite content to sit at the back door and observe what everyone else is doing.

Regarding dogs inside, I never have dogs inside myself mainly because of the mess, etc, but I do makes allowances for when they are puppy's and when a bitch is pregnant. Having a puppy inside with you for the first few months can mean that they bond a lot stronger to you.

In your situation I would probably go for a short haired border collie, my younger brother has one and it is loyal, loves to go for a run but is more than happy just to stay around the house, and it is also very friendly towards other people.

My two pennies worth.

Good luck.

A point to consider when trying to work out what you want is not only how big an area it has to play and exersize but also how long is it going to be alone during the day?

An intelligent dog left alone for long periods often ends up a naughty dog as it gets bored and then entertains itself digging holes or chewing everything. Regardless of breed it will need toys to entertain itself

Blythe

Try the RSPA
adoptapet

Originally Posted by Newbs-IIA

Thanks for the advice guys - definatly something to think about.

I haven't made the decision as to if I want it to be an 'inside' dog or purely outside. Couple of my mates have dogs which are allowed inside and to be honest, their houses are a bit 'on the nose'... Anyone have any tips on this. I would feel bad keeping a 10 week old pup outside in winter. I find it cold at 7deg here in Brisvegas so dunno how a lil dog would cope - custom insulated doghouse?

I'm not in a hurry yet, as everyone has said I want to make an informed choice. How do I find out about the local pound? do they have puppies?

Couple of my mates are on the look out for good pups, one of which is in a similar situtation as me - we were thinking of each getting one from the same litter. And yea - will be a good excuse to get in shape again, most likely running in the morning. If I go running regularly could I get away with a more energitic breed? - saw some kelpie x staffy pups recently but thought they would need a bit more space that our suburban block even though they would occationally get out to the property and other mates places with land.

If you get a working dog, ie a blue heeler or kelpie, the size of your block won't really matter if you can give it the exercise it needs. An hour in the morning and an hour at night is what they need to remain sane.

Hey bud

If you don't want to spend too much, look at animal shelters etc.

Get a dog you gel with straight away.

Get one you can pick up and put in back of car etc, not too long hair as they drop heaps and can get annoying and smelly when wet.

A dog will cost you plenty though, check ups, immunisations, chipping and desexing as cross breeding etc is a recipe for disaster.

Food can also cost a bit as specialised food can cost a bundle but you can also also feed scraps but remember that human food is not meant for dogs.Onion, chocolate and chilli can kill a dog very quickly.

I had two great dogs from shelters and both were cross breeds and many people along with myself say a cross is often a stronger breed than a pure breed.

In the paper there are often as for Give dogs away to good home.

Happy hunting and enjoy the new member of the family.