First-Time Dog Owner - Any Suggestions??

[MaliceInWickedland]

Hey everyone! Recently I've been thinking about getting my first dog. I've been driving myself crazy with indecisiveness over which breed I want, especially when my mom is being so picky about which breed I get. I can guarantee that the majority of you reading this will have a massive headache before the end of the post.

So for starters, we live in a decent-sized one story house right now and we're planning on moving to a two-story sometime later on this year, depending on when we find a home. Because of the limited space, my mom will only allow me to get a small dog, ideally no more than 20 to 30 pounds. To make up for the limited space the dog has to roam around, I recently graduated from high school and am taking a year off before I start college so I will have plenty of time to walk the dog and perform other outdoor activities with it.

I've been using this website for reference on all the different small dog breeds there are: Small Dogs - Small Dog Breeds - Toy Dog Breeds - Toy Dogs

It's been pretty helpful, but the problem with it is that most of the breeds I want are not recommended for first-time dog owners, such as the Shiba Inu which I was looking into for a while. I've heard they are a handful and have some obedience problems because they're very independent dogs and that would definitely be a problem seeing as I have no experience whatsoever in training a dog.

Another concern is finding a breeder, especially when some of the breeds I want are rare. The breeds I'm currently interested in are the American Eskimo, Shetland Sheepdog, Welsh Corgi, Swedish Vallhund, Chihuahua, Dachshund, Jack Russel Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Norwegian Lundehund (never heard of it until now but it looks really cute!), Pomeranian, and the Prazsky Krysarik (kinda hard to pronounce, lol). I was also thinking about getting a Shih Tzu at first but my mom doesn't want one because they apparently have breathing problems as most other dogs with that "smashed in" facial structure have.

I want a Siberian Husky above all the other breeds, but as I mentioned before, my mom will only allow me to get a small dog until we move into a two-story house. My initial reason for wanting a dog beforehand is to gain experience in owning a dog since huskies are working dogs and require more training and overall care.

God this is so frustrating... Trying to reach a compromise with my mom is like the devil trying to reconcile with God - impossible!

There are just so many problems with getting my first dog that its overwhelming me, but my mom and I agree that this will be a good experience for me in learning to be more responsible (and not be so lazy :

So anywho, if anyone here has had any experience with any of the breeds listed above or know of any other relatively small dog breeds that you think would be good for me, please feel free to give me your input. Tips in being a dog owner would be great too. Anything will help me immensely at this point!

 

[Phoenixx]

Getting a new dog is always awesome fun. Sorry I don't have any experiences with the breeds that you mentioned (Well, a little bit with the shih tzu, but they're really not too bad. They can be yappy though. :/). I guess the advice I can give is just consider how much you want to manage, with grooming and training, etc. Do you want a high-maintenance dog? Or a lower maintenance breed? Maybe something in between?

Sorry, I'm not much help, but just a couple things to consider. Good luck in choosing your dog. Let us know what you get!

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

I'm pretty sure it will be fun once we get the dog but getting through all these decisions on which breed to choose is so frustrating!! lol. I would prefer a low-maintenance dog since it's going to be my first time owning one, or something in between would be fine. Just now my mom and I were trying to reach a compromise on which breed we should get and we were able to narrow down our choices to Shetland Sheepdog, Pomeranian, Jack Russel Terrier, Chihuahua, Pocket Beagle, and Miniature Pinscher. My mom might also consider the toy American Eskimo and thought the Shiba Inu was adorable but agrees that it might not be a good idea for a first-time owner to get.

I have a good feeling about the Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie), Pocket Beagle, Chihuahua, and Miniature Pinscher. Shelties are adorable, easy to train, obedient, and very loyal. My mom's only concern is the hair and dander but that's something we could definitely get used to, so I think the Sheltie is a huge possibility

You were a great help and I appreciate your input. Thank you!

 

[Phoenixx]

A sheltie sounds wonderful. Yeah you have to deal with all the fur, but I think that's something you could get used to pretty quickly. Just make sure you get one that loves to be brushed, lol. I have a border collie that has quite a bit of fur, but she hates being brushed. All I have to do is have it in my hand and she runs off. So very rarely do I brush her. Her fur gets matted here and there, but it isn't too horrible. She still somewhat takes care of it herself, but she doesn't like to stay clean either. Mud puddles are her favorite.

 

[kihira]

get a cat, less choice, perfect size

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

get a cat, less choice, perfect size

I've had a cat almost all my life. He was a beautiful 19 year old Russian Blue. Unfortunately we had to put him down last June for Gastrointestinal Lymphoma. I also had a Siamese kitten at one point for a few months but he was ill with worms (A good reason to never get a pet from the pet shop...) and the vet couldn't do anything to help him so we had to put him down too.

I love cats dearly and they will always have a special place in my heart but it's time for a change and I've always wanted a dog. Many thanks though, I appreciate your input Phocas

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

I live with my parents, and they have a Chihuahua that's good. She's short-haired, so she doesn't shed too much. She doesn't bark much, except when we have visitors. The barking probably varies among different Chihuahuas. If you do plan to eventually get a Siberian Husky, think about shedding. My grandparents have one, and he sheds almost enough fur during the summer to make a mattress. You might also want to look for dogs that have already been potty-trained, to make things easier. I've never been around one, but I think a short-haired Daschund would probably be a good pet, as well. They're very cute.

We actually decided to get a Chihuahua! A long-haired one to be specific

I'm aware of the shedding problem when it comes to Huskies. I don't think it will be too much of a hassle though. I'll just have to brush his fur everyday to avoid any excess build-up of fur. A good powerful vacuum will come in handy too ::

Daschunds are very cute too! I know a few people who own them and they are very loving and silly dogs.

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

UPDATE: It's finally been decided everyone! We're getting a brown and white male long-haired Chihuahua from a certified Chihuahua breeder in Hemet.

We'll be departing tomorrow morning to go meet the owners and the puppy and bring him home with us. He's going to be named Gizmo. We're naming him after Gizmo from The Gremlins because he's brown/white, fluffy, and big-eared

WARNING: Cuteness overload!!!!!!!!

Don't even try to tell me that this isn't the cutest little thing your eyes have ever beheld >___<

 

[Generical]

Ha! He looks wicked..teach him to do back flips and open security safes and you've got yourself a keeper

 

[Phoenixx]

Awww! So freaking cute!!

 

[upndwn]

I'm having a cuteness overdose from looking at those pictures. ::

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

After re-reading this thread and remembering how much effort I put into finding the right dog breed for me I feel like it was all for nothing.

Unfortunately we had to get rid of Gizmo. My mom took him to the shelter on Saturday. We put a lot of time and money into house breaking him but in the end it was all a wasted effort. He continued to piss and s*** wherever he pleased and my mom finally had enough of it last week. She warned me that she would take him in if he didn't improve and I kept a hard eye on him those last few days I thought I could change his ways but once again failed.

My mom and I got into a nasty argument on Saturday over Gizmo and that's when she told me to grab all his things, toss them in the trash, grabbed the dog carrier, and drove off to the shelter without giving us enough time to share a proper goodbye with him.

These past nine 9 months living with Gizmo were both a curse and a blessing. It's a shame we couldn't keep him but it's at least good to know that his adorable face and charming personality will land him in a new home right away. Wherever he is now, I'm sure he's better off.

For now I'll just conclude that I'm not cut out to be a dog owner. I have way too much s*** going on in my life at the moment. Maybe in a few years I can try again but right now I'm just tired of allowing myself to get so attached to an animal only for it to be taken away from me in the end. It's far too painful and frustrating.

 

[1BlackSheep]

I wished I'd known because I would have taken Gizmo. The shelters are filled to the brim with Chi's, especially where you live. I hope he was adopted quickly as the shelter is an awful place to be. ::

I'm glad to hear that you are going to hold off getting another pet until the time is right. They really are a huge committment and you need to be at a place in your life that you can see it through to the end.

 

[MikeyC]

Sorry to hear you had to get rid of Gizmo, Malice. Having to give away a pet is a heartbreaking experience, I would imagine. Next time you'll be more than happy to accept a pet in your life when you've got your things sorted out.

 

[Phoenixx]

Sorry to hear, Malice. :: You're a first time owner, so don't conclude just yet that you're not cut out for the job. Raising a dog requires time and patience, some more than others. When you feel it's the right time to get a dog again, perhaps get another breed? All breeds are different, each having certain obedience levels, how fast they learn, etc. Just because you didn't do well with Gizmo doesn't mean you won't do well with other dogs.

I know how you feel having a dog/pet taken away after getting so attached. I sometimes feel like kicking myself when I get attached to an animal. I can't help it though. I'm an animal person, always have been. Heck, I wanted to cry when my fish died last spring. Had him for 2 years. Never bothered to replace him though because I find cleaning fish tanks are a pain, even with just one fish.

 

[MrJones]

I'm sorry to hear that, Malice...

Try to remember all the good times you had with him

I'm sure you will be able to have another pet and love him/her as much as you did with Gizmo, whenever you are ready.

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

It sounds like Gizmo had a bit of an attitude problem if it wasn't a health problem... but I guess it could've been either.
My cat has a delicate stomach and gets carsick- so I feel terrible for her every time we move (which is every couple years) she hates it.
She also likes to scratch furniture. She refuses to use a designated scratching post-- so I bought a chair specifically for her to ruin and put it in the basement.

It seems like dogs would be harder to take care of in general, though.
They need alot more time and training and if you can't give him the best home possible, it's best to give him to someone who has all the time and patience to help the poor thing out and spoil him rotten, right?
I'm sure Gizmo will find a good home!
In my experience working at shelters, the people who work there genuinely do care about the animals and if they turn out to be 'UN-adoptable', will adopt them themselves.
So, you shouldn't feel bad Malice.
You did what was necessary and he'll have many more chances with a face like that.

 

[MaliceInWickedland]

It sounds like Gizmo had a bit of an attitude problem if it wasn't a health problem... but I guess it could've been either.
My cat has a delicate stomach and gets carsick- so I feel terrible for her every time we move (which is every couple years) she hates it.
She also likes to scratch furniture. She refuses to use a designated scratching post-- so I bought a chair specifically for her to ruin and put it in the basement.

It seems like dogs would be harder to take care of in general, though.
They need alot more time and training and if you can't give him the best home possible, it's best to give him to someone who has all the time and patience to help the poor thing out and spoil him rotten, right?
I'm sure Gizmo will find a good home!
So, you shouldn't feel bad Malice.
You did what was necessary and he'll have many more chances with a face like that.

Possibly a combination of both, along with my strong suspicion that he was schizo. An absolute sweetheart, but schizo nonetheless ::

Dogs are definitely harder to care for. I love cats because they're so independent. I mean, all you really have to teach them is where their litter box is and from the time they're wee little kittens they'll go where they're supposed to (unless of course you're unfortunate enough to adopt one stubborn ass of a cat). I would have gladly opted for a cat instead but I wanted to experience a dog for once and felt like I couldn't replace my old cat after I grew up with him and was still recovering from his loss at the time.

Now I understand why so many shelters are filled to the brim with Chihuahuas. I initially wanted a Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog) or even a Corgi which both have good reputations for their ease of training but my mom's the one who just had to have a lap dog. In this case, a Chihuahua, which is one of the lowest ranked breeds in terms of trainability.

It was primarily my fault by a long shot though. I should have read more into the breed rather than being ignorantly desperate to be called a dog owner for the first time in her life and rushed to the local pet store to buy a breed bible for the Chihuahua while thinking "Meh, to hell with it. This book will guide me through every step and loophole. How hard can it be?" - boy did I eat those words...

I obviously should have read that description of Chihuahuas more thoroughly, specifically this part:

"The Chihuahua is not easy to train and you will need a lot of patience when teaching him commands. He is notoriously difficult to housebreak." -Yes! YESYESYESYESYESYESYES somebody PLEASE give the author of that description a frickin medal for the love of a tap dancing titmouse!

GAWD how naive and ignorant I was...

You're totally right about him having many more chances with that face though. Everyone who has taken even the slightest glance at him, from the macho movers to the ladies at the vet, has gone absolutely gaga over him. I doubt that animal even lasted two days in that shelter. Even if he's still there I highly doubt he's going to be deemed un-adoptable. My mom said the officer she handed Gizmo to was completely head over heels for him and wanted to take him home with him.

In my experience working at shelters, the people who work there genuinely do care about the animals and if they turn out to be 'UN-adoptable', will adopt them themselves.

^ Couldn't agree more. I worked at an animal shelter to complete my high school community hour graduation requirement and never once encountered anyone there who showed discontent towards what they were doing. Everyone was into it and not a single animal was neglected or put down (with the exception of one dog, but that's because he was really sick).

I'm sure Gizmo's going to be just fine. He deserves a patient and loving family that's going to give him the attention he deserves and won't have him contained all the time as a meager attempt to keep him in check. I just feel terrible because my mom and Gizmo had to suffer for my mistake. My mom is completely heartbroken and she now refuses to ever own or even be responsible for a pet and Gizmo must have been so terrified being taken away from the people he was used to being around and being put in some cage alone, or God forbid, with some other dogs (I highly doubt they did).

*Sigh* Well... at least I learned. The hard way yes, but I learned nonetheless. Such is life, right?

 

[nafadda]

it is peoples responsibility to reasearch a breeds temperament before they get a dog.,,animals should NEVER be thought of as disposable items,they are living breathing creatures and they will not come to us perfect,,they need patience,love and understanding and if a person can not supply them those basic things ,then they should not get a pet ...

these designer dogs that people get now a days just because they think they are cute is a shame.the shelters are full of them.sometimes all it takes is a movie or seeing a celeb with one and people want them..without taking the fact that ALL animals need training and patience,,to those people i say get a stuffed animal instead.

my dogs have all come to me from places where they were given away like an old pair of shoes just because they were doing what dogs ( and cats ) do....soooooo sad that animals can not speak ,because if they could i am sure they would look at some potential owneres and say 'please don't take me to your home because you will only get ride of me and not have time for me once the novelty of my cuteness wears off'

 

[MNM322]

What did you end up getting?