Dog Is In The "planning" Stages...purchased From Breeder...spring Litter

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
and lol, in your wonderfully thoughtful run-up to acquiring a dog,
be sure to stay away from watching "Dog Whisperer" on tv,
but DO watch "It's Me or the Dog" tv show. THAT show *IS* great, but DW drives me nutz,:X3: all that kicking the dog, yanking on dog's collars, etc, all that hypnotizing ppl that dogs "manifest" a human's secret inner issues, what a buncha crapola.
http://youtu.be/RFCGtatpCwI
 

charlotte bedford

New Member
It was an effort...but I established myself as the ALPHA and my wife submitted to the purchase of a dog. We will be getting a Scottish terrier puppy in the spring and there will be a whole new list of challenges in the household...the doggie will have to learn too !!! My wife has never really had a dog in her life while I have had Bouviers and Bassets. With lots of kibble bits, and loving talk, I have persuaded her into accepting a Scottie puppy this coming spring. I had her come out and see the adult Scotties and promised that the dogs would not shed, not poop in the house, not pee in the house, and would be perfectly well mannered from the get go...ho ho ho! So I am reading every dog training book I can get my hands on to learn how to quickly train the puppy. This dog will have to blog Wickipedia in order to pass muster with my wife. But, I am not as anxious as she is though I am working at becoming knowledgeable about lure/reward and alpha establishment. Ruff Ruff...wish me lots of luck. And keep posted !
Richard:D
Taking your new puppy to a puppy trainer is a fantastic start for both humans and pups. They just love being with other puppies and it's great for socialisation with people and dogs. Usually a search on Google will find your local trainer. Can't recommend it highly enough.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
yes, i so so so agree with Charlotte above,
but, if i can add in one lil caveat,
DO GO WATCH the dog-trainer PRIOR to letting them anywhere near your dog.
Not *all* trainers are positive only,
and sadly,
i've learned the hard way,
not all trainers DO what they SAY they will do.
.
I've had trainers who SAID they WERE "positive only" yell and yank at my dog, jerking him around "dog whisperer" style:mad:.......was last time they saw my dog. If i had watched some lessons PRIOR to bringing Buddy there, i could have prevented that happening.
SO DO GO WATCH the trainer IN ACTION, prior to bringing your own dog there.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
yes, i have to borrow a video camera, and lol, i barely know how to work one when i do borrow one! sad, right? lol.
i also point my finger, like it is a "gun" when i say "bang". Most ppl call the trick "play dead". I use that trick ALL the time to clean off his feet.
 
Ahhh....you guys are fantastic with the feedback....and I dont even have a dog yet...but man, am I getting dog books, and dog bookmarks on my PC. I said to my wife, I think I need to purchase hard copies of the books rather than ebooks. First, my collection will be up on a shelf for ready access...plus, I can then post it note all my favourite parts of each book. Ebooks allow the same, but they just dont have the "feel" of real world stuff. Now I am hunting for a good comprehensive book on Scottish terriers, though in saying that, the many books I have read haunt me with their words that "there is no the dog will behave as breed is supposed to." Man, I am becoming too well read...it means all my books will be perfectly trained...my dog, I can only hope so.
About 'rain dog,' yup, I did the towel by the door thing with my first dogs. Of course, the Bouviers needed a BEACH towel, while the Basset seemed to be happy with a face cloth !!
Thanks again folks...and...any suggestions on a good Scottie book...something that will give me the history, the background, the culture of these little terriers. The amount of reading I am doing, I may have to write the book...but it would all be based on research rather than lots of experience. Still, many books are so written! Hmmm...better start doing my research now!
Richard
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
these quizzes are kind of fun, "Which breed is best for you" quiz, are just fun to take, too:
most ppl DO select a dog based on it's looks, but, it's still fun to take these quizzes.
thought provoking, if nothing else, about matching the dog's typical breed personality and energy to your own, and to your lifestyle.:)
.
here's just a few of the tons of quizzes available online to help one find breeds that match their lifestyle:
cuz, a jogger
who wants a jogging companion
risks being disappointed
if she brings home a mastiff.....
someone who lives in an apt which complains about barking dogs, might have to put in some effort if they bring home a terrier or beagle,
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/bella.4040/
same as a couch potato
who brings home a border collie, might not be the *best* match, lol, etc etc.
etc
etc.
There are typical breed characteristics,
but,
it's so true,
each dog IS an individual!!!

anyway, many breeds DO have typical or expected characteristics and energy levels, hope you enjoy THESE QUIZZES:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/pet-advice/dog-breed-quiz

http://codefromjames.com/dogquiz/doQuiz.php

http://www.petfinder.com/before-pet-adoption/choose-shelter-dog-adoption.html

http://www.selectsmart.com/DOG/

http://www.petfinder.com/before-pet-adoption/type-dog-adoption.html

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/find_breed.cfm

well, best of luck!!
 
ahhh...you guys are terrific...lots of good information and great advice.
As some of you might remember, I have a Scottie puppy coming in the spring but the breeder has contacted me that she has a 3 yr old Scottie available for about half the price. Not neutered either. I thought about it and thought my wife is not ready for an adult dog yet. Plus, I would like to raise my own puppy from 8 wks, not 3 yrs...am very eager to try all the positive reinforcement training that I have been learning about...clicker training !!! I feel in my gut that I want to work with the little guy from as close to scratch as possible. I am certain that it is a whimsical view on my part and that I may have missed a great opp for an adult dog, already housebroken...I welcome feedback from you people !
Thanks,
Richard
 
And you moderators....hard to believe how positive and reinforcing you all are. Tx_cowgirl...you make me feel like a king but I am not so, I am certain when it comes to dog training. I am becoming very eager to have my pup but I want things to be so right for the little guy. You know, the dog is more dependent than a young child and I want to be sure to create a good environment for the pup. I know I am not a very patient person, a legacy of computer work, but I am going to work my butt off to try to learn patience as I believe it is essential for the puppy to have a patient human. Geez, I feel like this is all so "over the top" getting ready for this pup. I told my wife, I may have to write a book about this experience as I am learning tons and I want to pass on all that I will have learned about raising puppies. I already see my first chapters as what things are needed to prepare the homefront, and how to bring the little guy/girl home. This could be worse, or more intesnsive than child rearing.
I was exercise walking yesterday and met a fellow walking his golden retriever. The dog was acting like a puppy, hesitant, and reticent. I asked how old the pup was and learned it was no pup but a 7 yr old rescue dog. Wow, what a surprise. I congratulated the owner on taking on the challenge and suggested the dog needed a lot more exposure to male strangers. But I really had to admire this owner. Wow, dog owners can be special people...many of them !!
Again...thanks tx_cowgirl !!!
Richard
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Lol, sorry Richard, make a pot of coffee and sit back,:ROFLMAO: cuz, i am all about bringing home adult dogs. I just can not imagine bringing home a mystery puppy. for about a bazillion reasons.
I so so admire those who ARE willing to do allllllllll the work req'd, 24/7, for months and months and months in raising up an infant dog, but, it's not for me.

I know for a fact,
and many many others here can vouch for this: An adult dog WILL love you just as much, if not more, than a puppy you raise up from scratch.
You do NOT have to raise a dog from infancy to develop a close, one of a kind, super tight bond. An adult dog WILL totally, comletely adore you with all his heart, if you only give him a chance.

Many of us sometimes wonder, if our adopted adult dogs might even love us a bit more, as somewhere along the line, in their life, they DID and HAVE known a life with no human to love him, maybe these dogs even latch a little harder, appreciate having a human of their very own even a bit more....
My bond with my adult dog is as strong as any i've ever seen or heard of, hand raised infants or whatever, my dog adores us. totally. He is 500000000% devoted to us.

Another reason, i want only adult dogs, (and i hope i don't derail this as some do disagree) but, being dog-aggressive or supershy, is a genetic thing, a neurobiological disorder, and dog-aggression does NOT manifest til the dog is about 9 mos old. By then, you love that dog, and living with a dog-aggressive dog is not for everyone. enough on that, no need to derail your thread, but, if interested, i have tons of links on the veterinary research teams from all over the world, isolating the genes in aggressive dogs. It's inherited, even if the parents are 'normal'. the supershy dogs DO manifest in the litter box, so you can tell right off it is shy dog, but the dog-aggressive dog blends right in....til he approaches maturity, then all hell busts out.

a puppy is 100% mystery. No way to know for sure, what type of dog he will be when he grows up, hyper/barker/high strung/demanding/stubborn/aggressive/whatever. Certainly, i'll aggree, many of those behaviors can be managed, but, it can be easier to bring home an adult dog that you can see WHO HE IS.
Apuppy is harder to train, has to learn evvvvvvvverything from scratch, and it takes longer time to teach a puppy things,
and almost all puppies are hyper hyper hyper hyper as puppies, which IS cute, but can be draining if one wants a quiet evening now and then.

A puppy might be far more exhausting and draining to your wife (who you earlier stated is being coaxed along to get a dog) than a ready-to-go, easy-cheesy adult dog.:)

A puppy WILL destroy some item you really liked, like your cell phone, or your ipod, or your wife's favorite shoe. *Something* will be destroyed during puppy times.
but an adult dog is past his chewing stage, and if he is a chewer, an adult dog is easier to train "leave it".

A puppy can keep you up allllllllll night long, night after night, crying and crying.:cry:
An adult dog will smle at you, settle down peacefully, deep sigh, off to sleep.

A puppy will takes MONTHS AND MONTHS to potty train, and it is exhausting to some ppl. Even an unhousebroken adult dog 'gets idea' very quickly and easily. Like a week.
Puppies, well, you can be opening door to greet your dinner guests, and realize you are tracking:poop: on your shoe.
Im' just a bit too lazy to clean my carpets daily, and be wiping up pee and poop every few hours.

for months..

and months.....
by then, your wife might be glaring at you, "I told you i didn't want a dog!":mad:

a puppy, you shouldn't really leave home alone for too long. Puppies jsut don't fit into everyone's lifestyle.
An adult dog will happily greet you home, nothing chewed up, carpets are fine.

A puppy will nip your toes and fingers daily, for some period of time. Some ppl's toes and fingers are pretty sensitive, and your wife might be that way. It can get a lil old.

A puppy can grow up to be a dog you did not expect. My lifestyle is not set up for puppies.
An adult dog may slip effortlessly right into your life, far easier than a 24/7 puppy who needs so so so much teaching, training, monitoring, cleaning up after, etc etc etc.

An adult dog,
will love you

more than you love your own self,

more than he loves his own life,

if only someone would just give him a chance to show it.

GOOD LUCK, but i strongly, wholeheartedly, vote for BRING HOME AN ADULT DOG!!
 

Amateur

Experienced Member
We rescued a 3.5 year old collie x retriever as a friend to our 2 year old border x shep. The most calm loving dog despite what he had gone through the previous few years. The very first day we took him to the dog field and let him off to run he had so much fun. Then when we called to go home, BOTH our dogs came running. All we heard was "awww thats not fair, you already have one dog that comes when its called".
THere are pros and cons to adopting both adults and puppies ... but you know what you want right?
... follow your heart.
 

running_dog

Honored Member
While I think you should get whichever dog or pup you want I don't think that you should let the clicker training aspect put you off the older dog.

My dog is coming up 6 years old, after a month or so of dabbling I only began to use a clicker "seriously" last week.
His trick performance speed has doubled, he has become more focussed, he experiments with new objects, tricks that I have been trying to teach for months (or years) have suddenly clicked (LOL, yes, pun is intended)... today when the rewards weren't coming fast enough he started trying to free shape with his skateboard. This time last week he'd just have fallen asleep.

Older dogs can figure out clickers very very fast.
 

sara

Moderator
Staff member
I adopt adults... puppies drive me crazy! Sometimes adults need work, but the breeder you are talking to will likely let you try this boy out, for a week or so, to see if he's a good match... with a puppy, you will not really know what the dog'll be like when it grows up. If the dog was a show dog, you'll likely have a dog with some training already. Not that I'm pushing you to get an adult, but it may be easier LOL. Scout was 4 when I adopted her, and she was perfect... well she needed a little bit of manners, and some leash work, but she bonded extremely strongly to us, and was so easy to train, that she did her first demo on deaf dog only 2 months after I adopted her... She'd learned 40 or so signs by that time! Terriers rule!
 

bekah1001

Honored Member
I love puppies but the next dog I want is to be an adult. At shelters people see the puppies and theink they are so adorable and pick the puppy over the adults
 

Amateur

Experienced Member
I spent the first 2 or 3 months of puppyhood questioning my sanity, and whether or not I could find another place to live til she reached 1 year of age. O_o

p.s. she's 10 months now and I dont need to move out anymore :)
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
about Amater's post: LIKE, LIKE, and LIKE. and Behah's too. well, heck, i like all the posts here.

I think many many ppl feel like Amateur when raising up infant dogs,
but, Amateur was just honest enough to say it out loud. Amateur is not the only person who finds raising up an infant dog as a crazy and sometimes frustrating experience. Puppyhood IS exhausting for many ppl, i just had a pal go through it, she looked reeeeeally stressed for quite a long time...BUT, her dog DID eventually grew up and she is her normal calm happy self again. whew.:)

i really think, the main reason, most ppl want to start with puppies, is cuz, they think:
#1) a dog would love them more if raised by them.
#2) "if i raise it myself, it won't have any behavioral problems":ROFLMAO:

but, both are easily provabley false.

and reason #3) puppies are cute. Undeniabley true!!:D ding ding ding!!
but so are adult dogs.:D I think my adult dog is irristabley squeezabley cute to the max. I just can barely walk by him without admiring how cute he is, to me anyway. And i do think eveyrone feels that way about their adult dogs, too, everyone sees their adult dogs as very very cute and charming lil creatures.

but yeap, puppies are cute, too!

but, poop and urine all over my house is NOT cute,
nor is chewed up antique table legs,
or scratched up hands and bleeding toes
or the bags under my eyes from a crying infant dog all night
or leaving parties early "cuz i have an infant baby dog"
or high pitched barking all day long
or all the other parts of puppyhood that can be very difficult.

(hey, Richard DID ask our opinions on puppy vs dog).:ROFLMAO:
 
ok OK OK already...I responded to the owner of the ADULT and said I would like to see the dog. If it is calm and non-aggressive, I am going to go with the adult. The picture shows a shiny coated, healthy looking dog and I would like to see him for myself. Then, if confirmed, I will go with him. My wife isnt ready yet, but my anxiety over puppy peeing, pooping, chewing stresses me even more. The adult is not neutered so I can show it, though it may be a little late for that...not that showing is my #1 priority. My #1 priority is a companion and an exercise partner. From my research on Scotties, this dog can walk with the best of them, like my Basset who could go on forever. Will keep you people posted...the more I think about it, the more I agree, an adult may be the best bet. Now lets hope I am not too late ! I like what you people write...and you sure dont let me off with a little comment or two....you all have given me an earful ! And, I actually do appreciate the feedback...now where is that damn dog !!!
R:p
 
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