Help!....My son wants a dog!

[gg706]

You should get him a great dane or a goldendoodle they are great dogs and we have a goldendoodle who is amazing!!!
His name is Scout and he is the best dog that anyone could have!!!

OH MY GOSH the golden Doole is SO CUTE! I have never seen one! Thanks for the pics!

 

[gg706]

I have a Golden and Aussie. Both protect the property and yard. I have to put both away when company arrives. They both have the potential to bite.

. I have muzzles for both, but I somehow misplaced them. They can be around company with muzzles.
One thing is they both like the chickens. I'm going to train both to fox hunt. My Aussie is a better hunter then the golden.
The Golden retriever does NOT like kids. I keep an eye on her around my own children. They are old enough to respect dogs otherwise I'd rehome her or put to sleep. Both dogs are fear biters. It's such a huge responsibility.
I bought my Aussie from a shelter and my Golden from a backyard breeder. Next time I'll buy from the humane society or buy from a better breeder even if it means paying 1000 for the dog.
My Aussie

My Golden

Your Aussie is GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[gg706]

Want to pose a question for any German Shorthair Pointer fans or not out there...I got a text from my neighbor this morning who knows we are looking for a dog. Her coworker is trying to find a home for a 4 month old GSP. She was purchased from Petland (which I don't like, because of the puppy mill factor) her owner is in the military and is being deployed so they need to re home her. I am NOT a fan of military people getting dogs with no prearranged foster care while they are away. As they WILL at some point, be away. I feel a bit by taking this dog, if we decide to do so, I am condoning this type of pet ownership. But the dog needs a home so I am over it....Anyway my concerns are that GSP are much like Weims....physically strong and mentally strong willed. Our weim is pretty laid back...but I have seen many who are out of control! We would be a good fit for a sporting breed as we are active and include the dogs in family activities.However I am concerned my son wont be able to handle that powerful of a dog, once grown. We would start training immediately as it is already 4 months old. I don't know what the dog's life has been like this far. Any thoughts on that?

 

[UndergroundQuailRoad]

I agree with the suggestions to have your son volunteer at a shelter prior to adoption and be involved obedience/agility/4-h type work with the dog. It will help teach him about responsible pet ownership. Further, it should be important that he provides a majority of the stimulus and attention for the animal. Starting him out as a treat machine should help with that.

Alternatively to shelters, if you decide that you want a specific breed, you can look at your regional breed specific rescue groups. They frequently do amazing jobs of not only placing the right animal with the right people, but the right people with the right animal. Exposing your son to this process and making him an integral part in adopting a pet will help solidify that getting a pet is more than merely wanting something, but you really have to care about what is best for the pet.

 

[gg706]

I also like that idea. I am doing some checking into that. My concerns are the nearest shelter is a 30 mile round trip. I am not sure how long he would need to commit to volunteering. Going 30 miles daily for a few weeks would be fine, but I don't want to commit to that for months with gas 3.50 a gallon and going up. He also starts school and football practice in a few weeks.... I was hoping he could be home with the dog with no distractions for a couple of weeks. To set a tight bond with HIM and not me. I am also a bit concerned he will want EVERY dog that he comes in contact with and will get very attached, confused and upset at leaving dogs behind at the shelter. That is a BIG load for a young mind to carry. I saw a dog in a shelter about 11 years ago and chose a different dog....sometimes I STILL think about that dog and what happened to it. I don't really want him to be haunted, like I am. I am hoping it is a very positive experience for him so I am looking on the Internet and hoping to have a dog in mind that we are going to specifically look at, to avoid the above situation.

 

[leadwolf1]

I am not a GSP fan...I would find that breed to be a bit much for a young boy to handle.

 

[Chicken Tamer]

Fantastic dog and after u get one you will never regret it well if u get one

 

[Nicole01]

Quote: Your Aussie is GORGEOUS!!!!

Thank you! She is an extremely loyal dog to my daughter. They are best buds!

 

[annanicole18]

Most shelters I have ever been to have required you to at least be 16 to work with the animals for liability reasons. As for the GSP I like them but for a kids dog....maybe not. Lots of energy and need intense training also prone to neurotic behavior if not stimulated enough. With good training and discipline it might work but you run the risk of it being much larger in size than you have said is ideal with it being a puppy mill dog. But it would be safer than getting a pound puppy that looks small then turns into a small horse.

 

[dainerra]

with kids in the house, I would either go with a good responsible breeder or a good responsible rescue that has their dogs in foster homes. You need the help of a knowledgeable person who knows the individual dog to help you find the dog that will fit in with your family.