Dog ownership questions
Discussion
Considering getting a dog (would have to be a puppy for the full experience) as kids have always wanted one. I have some questions around lifestyle/ownership, no one in my family has ever had a dog so I have zero experience.
- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
- Off the top of your head, what small breeds are best for low shedding, allergies, kids etc? I'd want a small Yorkshire terrier size dog.
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid. I'm sure most people will say it's just something you have to put up with if you want a dog, which is fair enough. It seems like quite a big lifestyle change, making the simplest of things difficult/impossible so I need to make sure i'm aware of everything instead of diving in.
- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
- Off the top of your head, what small breeds are best for low shedding, allergies, kids etc? I'd want a small Yorkshire terrier size dog.
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid. I'm sure most people will say it's just something you have to put up with if you want a dog, which is fair enough. It seems like quite a big lifestyle change, making the simplest of things difficult/impossible so I need to make sure i'm aware of everything instead of diving in.
AF07 said:
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
Um no I wouldn't, but I'm not a dog. More to the point, I wouldn't do a s
t, not wipe my arse, then sit in in front of the TV licking my arse clean. Then I'd give my owners a good lick, just to make sure they still love me. In your example, most dogs are fine with this. They do a "clean strike" and wander off. When they're not well, and have the s
ts it may go wrong, and you're going to have to help the dog clean itself up. Yes, you're going to have to get up close and personal with dog st. IMO you may need to think about how you'll cope with a dog. They're animals, they s
t in inconvenient places, they occasionally smell and they frequently get into muddy ditches. Your car is likely to honk of wet dog. Without meaning to be rude op are you sure you are cut out for a dog? anyway;
Yes they will have accidents in the house, its just part of potty training I'm afraid. You could hire a carpet cleaning machine after the dog is house trained and "draw a line" under the house training by cleaning the carpets.
My experience is that they don't need a consistent place to go outside, just as long as its outside. Fake grass will probably need hosing off though? I haven't got experience with it myself.
If its for a couple of hours you can leave the dog at home, but for longer periods you will have to take it with you or find a sitter.
Holidays will require kennels, or family to look after it. Or just take the dog with you on a suitable holiday of course.
Dogs are fine on the sofa, they tend to have a clean break as someone else put it. If you like you can put something over the sofa that you can wash or wipe clean. So either a blanket or you can get a dog cover, its like a pad or giant mouse mat that goes on top of the seats.
Yes they will have accidents in the house, its just part of potty training I'm afraid. You could hire a carpet cleaning machine after the dog is house trained and "draw a line" under the house training by cleaning the carpets.
My experience is that they don't need a consistent place to go outside, just as long as its outside. Fake grass will probably need hosing off though? I haven't got experience with it myself.
If its for a couple of hours you can leave the dog at home, but for longer periods you will have to take it with you or find a sitter.
Holidays will require kennels, or family to look after it. Or just take the dog with you on a suitable holiday of course.
Dogs are fine on the sofa, they tend to have a clean break as someone else put it. If you like you can put something over the sofa that you can wash or wipe clean. So either a blanket or you can get a dog cover, its like a pad or giant mouse mat that goes on top of the seats.
Potty training.....you can get pads. Once they manage to crap on them move them closer to the door over a period of time. Then eventually they'll learn to go sit by the door when they need to go.
Place to go crap, ours have the whole garden to do it. I send the stepson out once a week to do a Poo patrol. No young children in the house so no danger of kids rolling round the grass and getting it on themselves. You could fence off a small section and let the dog use that and keep the kids off it.
Leaving the dog....A few hours shouldn't be a problem for a dog, assuming you work up to it gently so they don't develop separation anxiety. On holiday you'd put them in kennels or take it with you depending on what sort of holiday you are having.
Dogs are furry, generally they all shed hair to some degree. You get used to it.
Place to go crap, ours have the whole garden to do it. I send the stepson out once a week to do a Poo patrol. No young children in the house so no danger of kids rolling round the grass and getting it on themselves. You could fence off a small section and let the dog use that and keep the kids off it.
Leaving the dog....A few hours shouldn't be a problem for a dog, assuming you work up to it gently so they don't develop separation anxiety. On holiday you'd put them in kennels or take it with you depending on what sort of holiday you are having.
Dogs are furry, generally they all shed hair to some degree. You get used to it.
I have a 12 week old puppy right now, along with an 8 year old dog who we also got as a pup.
Things I would call out:
1) 8 week old puppies don't sleep though,be prepared for sleepless nights
2) Puppies teething means they chew everything
3) They will use your house as a toilet (we got a wet carpet vac / cleaner (£100) to help) it takes a few months for this to stop fully
3) They can't be left alone for a long time, we manage with a mixture of professional dog walker, going out separately and ensuring we don't go out for long
4) They need attention in terms of playing games, training etc, you need to be ready to put the hours in
5) week and 2 week hols we've used our dog walker (who offers live in pet sits at our home or theirs) and also family members
In terms of small breeds I've no experience, cocker spaniels make great family dogs. A friend has a Yorkie and it's fine with people but hates every other animal and is horrible on walks of anywhere near another dog, apparently not liking other dogs is a bit of a Yorkie trait
All the above is short term but is also very rewarding, it's hard but I wouldn't change it
Things I would call out:
1) 8 week old puppies don't sleep though,be prepared for sleepless nights
2) Puppies teething means they chew everything
3) They will use your house as a toilet (we got a wet carpet vac / cleaner (£100) to help) it takes a few months for this to stop fully
3) They can't be left alone for a long time, we manage with a mixture of professional dog walker, going out separately and ensuring we don't go out for long
4) They need attention in terms of playing games, training etc, you need to be ready to put the hours in
5) week and 2 week hols we've used our dog walker (who offers live in pet sits at our home or theirs) and also family members
In terms of small breeds I've no experience, cocker spaniels make great family dogs. A friend has a Yorkie and it's fine with people but hates every other animal and is horrible on walks of anywhere near another dog, apparently not liking other dogs is a bit of a Yorkie trait
All the above is short term but is also very rewarding, it's hard but I wouldn't change it
Edited by Roboticarm on Wednesday 2nd December 15:37
Edited by Roboticarm on Wednesday 2nd December 15:39
With breeds, we got a Schnoodle last year (min Schnauzer/min Poodle mix)
She is fantastic, hilarious, very loving, mad. Its a great mix imo.
When we first got her, we setup a caged off area with an offcut of carpet over the proper carpet, put a bed, toys and puppy pads and she loved it in there.
She is fantastic, hilarious, very loving, mad. Its a great mix imo.
When we first got her, we setup a caged off area with an offcut of carpet over the proper carpet, put a bed, toys and puppy pads and she loved it in there.
AF07 said:
Considering getting a dog (would have to be a puppy for the full experience) as kids have always wanted one. I have some questions around lifestyle/ownership, no one in my family has ever had a dog so I have zero experience.
- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
- Off the top of your head, what small breeds are best for low shedding, allergies, kids etc? I'd want a small Yorkshire terrier size dog.
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid. I'm sure most people will say it's just something you have to put up with if you want a dog, which is fair enough. It seems like quite a big lifestyle change, making the simplest of things difficult/impossible so I need to make sure i'm aware of everything instead of diving in.
Are you sure about doing this?- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
- Off the top of your head, what small breeds are best for low shedding, allergies, kids etc? I'd want a small Yorkshire terrier size dog.
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid. I'm sure most people will say it's just something you have to put up with if you want a dog, which is fair enough. It seems like quite a big lifestyle change, making the simplest of things difficult/impossible so I need to make sure i'm aware of everything instead of diving in.
Dogs are not toys that can be sent back if you don't like them.
Anyway, to answer your questions
AF07 said:
- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
It is expected. Newspaper on the floor or specialist puppy pads will help.Buy stain remover and lots of disinfectant wipes.
If it's a puppy, it should learn where to toilet relatively quickly but be prepared for a few episodes of poomageddon
AF07 said:
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
That garden - it's not yours anymore. It'll poo/wee where it chooses! it can be trained, but don't get hung up too much. My once-lovely lawn currently resembles The Somme.
AF07 said:
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
You can leave the dog for up to, in my opinion, 4 hours. Anything after that you will need to have someone go in and see to it.2 week holiday - either someone comes to live in your house, the dog goes off to kennels or you find someone who'll take him/her at their house.
AF07 said:
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
Dogs get mucky. You don't have to worry too much about skidmarks, but don't get a dog if you're a clean freak 
I'd worry more about it treading in it's own crap, then running it through the house. Or rolling in fox poo.
AF07 said:
Considering getting a dog (would have to be a puppy for the full experience) as kids have always wanted one. I have some questions around lifestyle/ownership, no one in my family has ever had a dog so I have zero experience.
- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
- Off the top of your head, what small breeds are best for low shedding, allergies, kids etc? I'd want a small Yorkshire terrier size dog.
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid. I'm sure most people will say it's just something you have to put up with if you want a dog, which is fair enough. It seems like quite a big lifestyle change, making the simplest of things difficult/impossible so I need to make sure i'm aware of everything instead of diving in.
That sounds like the manifesto of someone who should never have a dog- Until the puppy is potty trained, is it really normal/expected for it to do it's business in the house occasionally? How do people cope with poo/urine all over their house? Surely you can only clean to a certain extent, you can't get rid of it all (like seeping under carpet, in between cracks of laminate, into the spong of sofas etc).
- Apparently a consistent spot outside is needed for potty training, but where? I wouldn't really want to create a spot in my garden that is constantly going to be poo'd and wee'd on, and I have artificial grass that kids play on.
- Assuming leaving dog at family/friends is not possible, what do people do when they want to go to a restaurant for example? Or a 2 week holiday?
- This might sound really really silly but you wouldn't go toilet, not wipe anything, not put any clothes on, then go and sit on the sofa. But isn't this what dogs do (I think)? Isn't a dog still going to be 'dirty' after going toilet? What (if anything) do people do about this?
- Off the top of your head, what small breeds are best for low shedding, allergies, kids etc? I'd want a small Yorkshire terrier size dog.
Sorry if any of the questions sound stupid. I'm sure most people will say it's just something you have to put up with if you want a dog, which is fair enough. It seems like quite a big lifestyle change, making the simplest of things difficult/impossible so I need to make sure i'm aware of everything instead of diving in.
I do completely agree with those wondering if I am ready for it, based on the questions I asked but that is exactly why I asked them. I appreciate most answers will be obvious to people that have/had dogs, or been around dogs (friends, other family etc). I've not had any of that so even the obvious things are completely alien to me.
At least the responses confirm that some of the things I was worried about are a reality of dog ownership, so I have to decide if I am up for it. I guess it's better doing that now then after!
At least the responses confirm that some of the things I was worried about are a reality of dog ownership, so I have to decide if I am up for it. I guess it's better doing that now then after!
AF07 said:
I do completely agree with those wondering if I am ready for it, based on the questions I asked but that is exactly why I asked them. I appreciate most answers will be obvious to people that have/had dogs, or been around dogs (friends, other family etc). I've not had any of that so even the obvious things are completely alien to me.
At least the responses confirm that some of the things I was worried about are a reality of dog ownership, so I have to decide if I am up for it. I guess it's better doing that now then after!
It might be worth you exploring the possibility of volunteering at a dog rescue with your family. Many dog rescues allow volunteers to walk their dogs and if you find this a pleasant experience, then the rescue may allow short term foster stays. At least the responses confirm that some of the things I was worried about are a reality of dog ownership, so I have to decide if I am up for it. I guess it's better doing that now then after!
My daughter wanted a dog about 4 years ago. We got a rescue lurcher who was about 4 months old. My daughter could take or leave the dog now (that took effect after about 3-4 months). Fortunately, me and the OH were keen to have a dog too and wouldn't swap Rainbow for the world and anywhere we go (holidays, eating out etc include the dog or we don't we go), but don't base your decision on just the kids wanting one!
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