Thinking about getting a dog.

Macdaddy4738

Macdaddy4738

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Thing is, I've never had one before. Parents are more the cat type...

I found an Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) at the Humane Society I liked, and am thinking about picking him up. Any tips for a first time owner? He is 2 so I know there will be a fair about of work to train him. He has the common blue heeler nip that they get if they aren't trained right (herding dog, nips to get people to move around). The lady said they have done some work training that out of him but he still has it to a certain extent.

I live in a fairly large house, and across the road is a pretty large field I plan on utilizing to exercise him when I cant get to the dog park (I'll be asking the owner first, no worries there...).

What do I need for the immediate future? Any tips on training that you guys have picked up?
 
Biggest dog training tip I have is walk it on a leash. Make sure to MAKE the dog walk beside you and NEVER ahead or you. This a sure fire way to instill in the dog WHO THE BIG DOG is. YOU! others they think they are leading the pack.

I got my two dogs to where I could walk in downtown London, England with them with no leash. They would look up at me for my command when we would get to the park. When I looked at them and nodded they knew they could run. And not before that.

They are a ton of work. But you've picked a smart breed.
 
We got adopted by a stray back at the end of August. He is also about 2 years old. It's anybody's guess what it is...akita/lab mix is one of the leading picks.

First thing...there is no such thing as a "free" dog. We spent a couple hundred right off the bat for stuff like collar, leash, tie-out (temporary), dish and bowl, etc. Then a couple hundred in materials to build a (nice, insulated) dog house. Then $700 to fence in a dog lot. Then another couple of hundred to build him a night-time house up on the front porch, because all he'd do is wimper and cry all night out in the pen. (And no, he wasn't an inside dog...we took him inside one time, he hated it, wimpered until we let him back outside...he wants to be a front-porch dog). Vet visit, monthly heartworm preventive, monthly flea and tick....food...extra "pet fees" at motels when we travel (for motels that accept pets)....it goes on and on.

BUT...I haven't had a dog in thirty years, and I'll say that this is the BEST thing thats ever happened to us, finding this dog. More than worth whatever he's cost us.

BUT...having a dog is a big responsiblity...if you want a happy, socialized dog, you have to spend time with him. Lots of time. We walk ours at least 5x a day, for 1/2 to one mile each time. (usually when I first get up, lunchtime, mid-afternoon, suppertime, and again about 9pm). A well-behaved dog is an exercised (and tired) dog. Especially true if you have a working breed.
 
Biggest thing with a working breed dog is to work them, or they will tear stuff up. That Aussie especially, I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a bunch of land.
 
kaiser715 said:
if you want a happy, socialized dog, you have to spend time with him. Lots of time... A well-behaved dog is an exercised (and tired) dog. Especially true if you have a working breed.
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x2! Our two (one lab/hound, one lab/spaniel, we think) usually get at least 2 miles a day and they're happier with more. They get a mile at lunch and at least another mile, if not 3, in the evenings... and are insistent about it. That doesn't include all the playing/wrestling they do together or playing/training with us.

I don't know a lot about Blue Heelers, although the couple I've met were great dogs. Most any working breed dog will be smart and learn quickly, lots of personality... The important thing is to give him a "job." Even if it's not herding, he'll need something to busy himself with... picking up socks off the floor, fetching toys, tricks you teach him...
 
Read the Cesar Millan's books, they will really change the way you look at working with your dog! It has saved my wife and I countless headaches by following his techniques!
---> http://www.cesarsway.com/

and like the others have said, you better be an active person with that breed! Also don't leave that dog at home all day, they get bored fast!
 
My heeler doesn't work, so her busy work is fetch till she drops. Teach it fetch and not to pick up anything you don't want torn up right off the bat or you will have issues. I've had about 5 heelers through the years and as long as you run them and work with them, they don't have problems. The only bad heeler i've ever had was a second hand, who had an abusive owner, he was mean, not toward me, but anybody else, or any other dogs, he had to go to a single dog household.

They are one of the most territorial dogs you'll ever run across. If another dog comes in our yard she doesn't know, it's on. Especially if one of us are outside and the dog heads toward us.

She will protect any kid, whether she knows them or not. I have had to call her off of family members wrestling with their own children. She also keeps an eye on neighbor kids if she hears them scream or something.

Most like to ride too, phoenix likes to ride in the truck, cars, golf cart, my kayak, doesn't matter.
 
I had an Australian cattle dog back 5-6 years ago. Got him as a stray we found while wheeling in TN. He was young, maybe 6 months old. He was a damn good dog.

Dogs are like kids and require about as much time and attention. I had a small run area out back and man did this dog love to dig up roots. He had a thing for chewing on tree roots. I ended up finding a knocked over tree and cut a pile of roots for him. He'd play fetch long past your limits. I never had any nipping issues but you could tell he was bread to work. He had to be busy ALL the time. For such a small dog he could run circles around other dogs.

I worked with him I good bit on walking, sitting, and to travel with me in the truck. He really liked riding in the front seat. He would just sit happily as we'd drive along.

One regret I have is that I got rid of him. My work hours were leaving him at home alone for 10+hrs per day and with 45+ commute I wasn't able to get home mid day etc..

If your into low/no maintenance pets get a cat. We have one now and she is good on here own for 4-5 days at a time with no looking in on.. Makes weekend trips easy...
 
also think about what Yager said, make sure you have someone who could watch the dog when you need to go out of town. It sucks when you don't have a reliable dog sitter!
 
Border Collie(I'm partial)
 

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Agreed w/ Unbreakable on the Border Collies
You're in school...ask yourself this.
Do you have the time to dedicate to raising a new dog in your home?
Do you have the disposable income for vet bills in case something happens to it?
Are your roommates responsible enough to look after your new pup when you're not around?
Is your lifestyle (travel, working, school etc) flexible enough to showing the dog the attention that it will need, especially considering their breed?
I got my Border Collie Mix about 7 months ago and he has taken a LOT of my time. I do not regret one minute of it because he has become like my shadow in most cases. He was a rescue from Wilkes Humane Soc. You do NOT know the history of this dog. That is the one problem with rescues. Some are great, others can be a freaking terror. This is where the time issue comes in. Changing a dog's habits, training them and earning their trust if they have been abused can be one hell of an uphill battle. I am not an advocate of crate training, especially working breeds, because they are meant to be out and moving around. Its your choice, however if you choose not to crate train they will take even more time to get them accustomed to having free reign and not tearing up your house while no one is around.
Adopting a dog can be one of the best decisions a person can make, however PLEASE make sure you consider all of the factors of having one in your home and make sure the timing is right.

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Here is a pic of 'Buddy'

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And not to sound all pro dog, we now have a cat, she is a pure bread snow bangle. She definitely fits our lifestyle best.

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StretchASU said:
You're in school...ask yourself this.
Do you have the time to dedicate to raising a new dog in your home?
Do you have the disposable income for vet bills in case something happens to it?
Are your roommates responsible enough to look after your new pup when you're not around?
Is your lifestyle (travel, working, school etc) flexible enough to showing the dog the attention that it will need, especially considering their breed
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This was the first thing that came to my mind, too.

IIRC you are renting a place that the owner is already pretty picky - have you cleared this with them?
I recall recently your "build a bar for a party" thread, you were worried about keeping that cheap... like skimping on 2x4s and plywood... that kind of thing is peanuts compared to the expenses a dog could bring you.

I will be perfectly honest, as a poor college kid, this is something you need to really think about and be completely committed to for it to work out.
 
Please listen to what everyone is saying about the care it takes.
We have three labs, two older and pretty laid back. The third however is not so, takes much more attention. He forces you to play fetch! pic up the toy and lays it in your lap.
I would stay away from the Heeler, not that they are a bad dog, but he already has the instinctive "nip" in his head. I don't really think you will get it out given his age. That part of him comes as natural as pooping and peeing!
From what I know of you fro this board, You need more of a laid back breed.
Check this boy out

http://hickory.craigslist.org/zip/2098831810.html

He will require less attention than most in regards to exercise and so on. Will cost you about $15 a week to feed, is short haired so inside works good, sheds less, and are big ol lovey dovies.
He will go anywhere you wanna go, will take up most of the front seat, or the back LOL, will greet everyone, and right off will be a friend, will look intimidating, esp if you put a spike collar on him, but in reality will let a small dog take advantage of him.

No not mine, just know some about the breeds
 
RatLabGuy said:
that kind of thing is peanuts compared to the expenses a dog could bring you
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You've got that right. We didn't have Porter but a week or two before he split his leg open and ran up a $1k emergency vet bill. :shaking:
 
We have a puppy and ended up going with insurance through banfield at Petsmart. It's very cheap iirc $100 startup and $23 a month, and it covers quite a bit. All shots, a deductable for tests and other procedures. We just got her spayed, a microchip, nails clipped, and pain pills for about $100 and the rest was covered, I would estimate we have saved about $300 on just puppy costs so far.
 
The cheap thing as far as the bar goes was more for the benefit of my cheapass room mate, who as of yesterday still refuses to allow me to turn on the baseboard heat here because he has yet to buy wood for the wood stove :shaking:

Anyways, land lord would be fine with a dog here, as long as I pay the pet deposit. The previous tenants had a dog living here.
 
$23/mo is more than double what your actual yearly vet bills would be.

"Insurance" is meant to be a hedge against catastrophe, and is priced accordingly. Don't count on it saving you money over the long term.
 
Also, with the breed I picked...

Im looking for a breed that is pretty active, as it will force me to go out and do more stuff rather than sitting on my ass doing nothing.
 
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