So I'm thinking of getting a dog (or cat, but that discussion is here.) and I am looking for a breed that can stay outside but can come inside when I want it to, one that is low maintenance, eg, doesn't need to be walked EVERYDAY (Something like 3 times a week is fine), doesn't constantly need attention, (i'll of course feed him etc but not sure how many hours a day I can play with him) has short hair and is clean (not a lot of shedding, drooling, etc). Any suggestions would be awesome.
If you're going to be leaving the dog outside a lot of the time, then you'll want to get something on the bigger side. I'm not really an expert on big dogs, but I know that labs and german shepherds can be pretty good. Of course, dogs like that really shouldn't be tied up all the time, they really need to be able to get up and run around like crazy.
Small dogs, on the other hand, are pretty content with sitting around all day, but conversely, you can't really leave most of them outside all the time, and thus need to be walked multiple times a day.
So you want a dog that will chill outside all day until you want to play and won't make a mess when its finally allowed in? Don't think dogs are for you, how about a...
@Pessh No, not chills outside ALL day it's just that my parents don't like them being in the house all the time, I will of course let him in everyday and play with him.
@Pessh No, not chills outside ALL day it's just that my parents don't like them being in the house all the time, I will of course let him in everyday and play with him.
Actually, he will be inside most of the time, just not all day.
Before you get any animal you need to think about why you want that particular animal. You also need to be certain you can invest a lot of time (and most likely money) into that pet. I've had cats for nearly 23 years so that's my area, but I would never get a dog without being certain I could walk it everyday (ofc times are going to come up you can't) and give it the attention it needs. Which as far as I've learnt with most dogs is pretty much constant! lol.
I don't know if Melcene is about but I'm pretty sure she has huskies, you could ask her about dogs in particular? She's the only user I can think of with dogs. =P
I have 3 yellow labs and I couldn't be happier. 1 is 4 and the others are around 3 months. Dogs are fucking awesome pets. They're low maintenance and are easy as hell to train. My 4 year old is 130 lbs and not fat, but the average is around 70-80. My favorite breed, personallu.
Although you really need to thing about your decision to get a dog. A dog is a lot of hard work and effort, they are living creatures with needs. You can't just leave them alone all day and expect them to be fine. Having a dog is brilliant, they can be your best friend and are great companions, but you need to put the work in. If you're willing to give the dog a good life then get one, if you're gonna leave them alone for the majority of the day and not spend time with them it's not worth the damage you're doing to the dog. They're social creatures as much as you and I. If you decide you're up for the challenge and reward of a dog then more power to you.
I have 3 yellow labs and I couldn't be happier. 1 is 4 and the others are around 3 months. Dogs are fucking awesome pets. They're low maintenance and are easy as hell to train. My 4 year old is 130 lbs and not fat, but the average is around 70-80. My favorite breed, personallu.
Can you tell me more about Labs? Their care, and how they act?
If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too.
A dog needs to be walked 3-4 times a day at least. Dogs that stay locked up half their lives go insane and become violent. Not to mention the fact that they become fat, and shit and piss all over your yard. So unless you live on a woodland estate...
Get a cat. They don't give a shit about you and are perfectly happy hunting for mice and birds around your neighbourhood all day long.
I have 3 yellow labs and I couldn't be happier. 1 is 4 and the others are around 3 months. Dogs are fucking awesome pets. They're low maintenance and are easy as hell to train. My 4 year old is 130 lbs and not fat, but the average is around 70-80. My favorite breed, personallu.
Can you tell me more about Labs? Their care, and how they act? "
Their care is simple, they should be walked semi-regularly as to prevent fat and hip- dysplasia. Doesn't even need to be a walk if you don't have the time. 20 minutes playing fetch will get the same result. In my experience of working at a kennel for a couple years and a dog owner, Labs are really easy to train. I got my two puppies around christmas time and area already good at shitting and pissing outside. As for how they act is tricky. Dogs are like humans in the way that they have different personalities. I can only speak for my dog when I say he like's to play but, he greatly enjoys just laying around the house when nothing's going on. Of course a puppy would need more attention and is a much greater time investment. They're also adorable. If you adopt and get a older dog it will also most likely enjoy just being around people and chilling. Also, there's a good reason Labrador Retrievers are the most popular breed.
"...one that is low maintenance, eg, doesn't need to be walked EVERYDAY (Something like 3 times a week is fine)"
Yea 3 times a week is not fine. 2x a day is REQUIRED, and regular socialization with other dogs/people so he doesn't turn into a problem aggressive dog. I get up at 430AM so I can walk my Rottweiler before work.
I suggest though you look at nearby dog parks and visit one. Weekends are busy days and weekdays around 5-6pm. Dog owners will be happy to answer your questions and you can see the different breeds at play.
@NekuSakuraba: Don't get a purebred, that's all I have to say. They have way more problems than hybrids, look at purebreds like inbreeding. Anyways, I have a border collie/skipper key(not sure if that's how it's spelled) but don't get either of those breeds if you don't want to play with it everyday.
@oldschool2112: I only play with my dog once a day and I think you're crazy if you think a dog requires that much. She rarely sees other dogs and she's as friendly as any dog.
@wh4tshisface said:
" @NekuSakuraba said:
" @wh4tshisface
I have 3 yellow labs and I couldn't be happier. 1 is 4 and the others are around 3 months. Dogs are fucking awesome pets. They're low maintenance and are easy as hell to train. My 4 year old is 130 lbs and not fat, but the average is around 70-80. My favorite breed, personallu.
Can you tell me more about Labs? Their care, and how they act? "
Their care is simple, they should be walked semi-regularly as to prevent fat and hip- dysplasia. Doesn't even need to be a walk if you don't have the time. 20 minutes playing fetch will get the same result. In my experience of working at a kennel for a couple years and a dog owner, Labs are really easy to train. I got my two puppies around christmas time and area already good at shitting and pissing outside. As for how they act is tricky. Dogs are like humans in the way that they have different personalities. I can only speak for my dog when I say he like's to play but, he greatly enjoys just laying around the house when nothing's going on. Of course a puppy would need more attention and is a much greater time investment. They're also adorable. If you adopt and get a older dog it will also most likely enjoy just being around people and chilling. Also, there's a good reason Labrador Retrievers are the most popular breed. "
This guy has sound advice. My dog is getting much calmer as she gets older, she use to require attention 24/7 but now she just naps most the time.
I'm not much of an expert, but I know from experience that poodles don't shed at all (although they need to be groomed every couple of months or so), so that's something to think about.
But you should definitely make sure that you can commit time to exercising your dog every day (or almost every day). If you don't think you can walk him/her daily, I'd say a cat is more viable.
"If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
"If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
Second'd
How do people find time to walk it every single day?
"If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
Second'd
How do people find time to walk it every single day? "
I think the better question is, is how can you not find 15 spare minutes out of your day to walk your dog :P
"If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
Second'd
How do people find time to walk it every single day? "
I think the better question is, is how can you not find 15 spare minutes out of your day to walk your dog :P "
Don't you have to walk it way more than 15 minutes?!
"If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
Second'd
How do people find time to walk it every single day? "
I think the better question is, is how can you not find 15 spare minutes out of your day to walk your dog :P "
Don't you have to walk it way more than 15 minutes?! "
15-20 minutes is a good enough walk, they just like getting out. How long did you think?
"If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
Second'd
How do people find time to walk it every single day? "
I think the better question is, is how can you not find 15 spare minutes out of your day to walk your dog :P "
Don't you have to walk it way more than 15 minutes?! "
15-20 minutes is a good enough walk, they just like getting out. How long did you think? "
@S0ndor said:
" A dog needs to be walked 3-4 times a day at least. "
@oldschool2112 said:
" 2x a day is REQUIRED, "
I thought walks would be 30 minutes, I could fit that in easily but I'm not 100% sure if I could do it 3 times a day, every single day.
I don't know any people that actually walk their dogs three or four times a day, but I'm no expert. If you have a big dog you should be walking it at least twice though. It helps if you have a big back yard and can just play fetch with him.
Where do you live? It's very different leaving your dog out in say, South Carolina, than in the cold winters of Ontario.
From my experience, German Shepherds make awesome pets. I have always wanted some form of Husky though...
" So you want a dog that will chill outside all day until you want to play and won't make a mess when its finally allowed in? Don't think dogs are for you, how about a...
" If you're not willing to walk your dog every day, you shouldn't get a dog. Personally I've always wanted an Irish Wolfhound though. That's what I would get, although I'm allergic to dogs, so that's a no-go. They're quite low-maintenance too. "
How long would the walks take? I could probably fit it in after school some time. "
At least two 45 minute walks a day is what the dog needs and is recommended for breeds that are any larger than a lapdog breed. I live in Canada, so sometimes the climate prevents me from walking her, but I take my golden retriever for a walk at 4:30am and at 4pm for 45 minutes each time. Before and after work. On weekends, I'll throw in a third walk at lunch.
This isn't meant to be a bitchy question, but why do you want a dog, exactly? From your criteria, you don't seem willing to commit all that much time to the dog - which they need. A new pup is going to take tons of time. I schedule two weeks of leave from work when I get a new puppy, to give it the attention it needs and to ensure it is trained properly. It's two weeks of very little sleep and a lot of patience. Even after that, it takes months to get to the point where it is completely house broken.
Getting a dog is an extremely rewarding experience. I know I'll live my whole life being a dog owner. But it is a lifestyle commitment. If you aren't willing to do that, you might want to look into getting a cat. I understand they are far more independent and less time demanding.
"can stay outside but can come inside when I want it to, one that is low maintenance, eg, doesn't need to be walked EVERYDAY (Something like 3 times a week is fine), doesn't constantly need attention, (i'll of course feed him etc but not sure how many hours a day I can play with him) has short hair and is clean (not a lot of shedding, drooling, etc). Any suggestions would be awesome.! "
If Ryan were to write a want ad for his ideal cabana boy it would read exactly like this.
How long would the walks take? I could probably fit it in after school some time. "
At least two 45 minute walks a day is what the dog needs and is recommended for breeds that are any larger than a lapdog breed. I live in Canada, so sometimes the climate prevents me from walking her, but I take my golden retriever for a walk at 4:30am and at 4pm for 45 minutes each time. Before and after work. On weekends, I'll throw in a third walk at lunch. This isn't meant to be a bitchy question, but why do you want a dog, exactly? From your criteria, you don't seem willing to commit all that much time to the dog - which they need. A new pup is going to take tons of time. I schedule two weeks of leave from work when I get a new puppy, to give it the attention it needs and to ensure it is trained properly. It's two weeks of very little sleep and a lot of patience. Even after that, it takes months to get to the point where it is completely house broken. Getting a dog is an extremely rewarding experience. I know I'll live my whole life being a dog owner. But it is a lifestyle commitment. If you aren't willing to do that, you might want to look into getting a cat. I understand they are far more independent and less time demanding. "
I want a dog to play with, for it to be a friend, for it to make me happy, etc. I sounded like I wouldn't commit a lot of time in my post but I just don't know that much about dogs so I don't know how much attention they need to happy. Could you give a basic rundown of what you have to do with a Golden Retriever? I really want to make sure I can invest time into a dog before getting one.
Consider going to your local animals shelters and checking out the dogs they have. They're all deserving of love and a home. And a dog, rather than a puppy, might be a better place to start as a new dog owner. Not to mention purebreds are hella expensive, and breeders may even refuse to sell to you if they think you won't be a capable owner. At the very least, you can talk to workers at the shelter and ask them directly about whatever dog questions you may have.
@NekuSakuraba: Judging from your criteria, I think you clearly want a dog but don't want one that you clearly need to care a whole lot for. I don't think you're meant to have a dog, personally. You sound like you should have a cat instead, judging from your criteria.
If you get a dog and clearly want to have such low maintenance as you make it out to be, you're going to have a seriously unruly dog. Mind you, I'm making complete assumptions that you are going to be the only caregiver of this dog. Regardless of such, training your dog properly during it's first couple of weeks is most essential. If you're not willing to put in the time (short-term and long-term), you seriously should not get a dog.
" @NekuSakuraba: Judging from your criteria, I think you clearly want a dog but don't want one that you clearly need to care a whole lot for. I don't think you're meant to have a dog, personally. You sound like you should have a cat instead, judging from your criteria. If you get a dog and clearly want to have such low maintenance as you make it out to be, you're going to have a seriously unruly dog. Mind you, I'm making complete assumptions that you are going to be the only caregiver of this dog. Regardless of such, training your dog properly during it's first couple of weeks is most essential. If you're not willing to put in the time (short-term and long-term), you seriously should not get a dog. "
I'm not the only caregiver, I have other people in my family that will be helping a lot.
Seriously, this reads like you're too young or irresponsible at the moment to care for a dog. I still wish there was a strict testing and licensing for owning a pet, because I seem to give more attention to taking care of my suits than you are willing to do for your dog.
@NekuSakuraba: Do these other people have experience training a dog?
I understand the romantic notion of having a dog, but there's a serious amount of information that you need to learn before getting one. Simply picking out a breed and saying "this dog looks pretty rad" and going with it isn't a good thing to do. Some people believe that just putting the dog through a behavioral camp is enough, but in the long term you're still going to have an unruly pet. I'm no dog trainer, but do a serious amount of Google research on how you should be learning to break your dog, especially in it's infancy or it's first weeks of being with you.
It's going to sound corny, but consider reading some books or getting some information that came from Cesar Millan, who's claim to fame is the "Dog Whisperer". It seems cheesy because he's a celebrity or whatever, but I can guarantee he is legit. There's a section devoted to getting a new dog, but I'd highly recommend looking up for other resources as well, or asking questions about how to handle and train a new dog from a local veterinarian or dog breeder.
" Seriously, this reads like you're too young or irresponsible at the moment to care for a dog. I still wish there was a strict testing and licensing for owning a pet, because I seem to give more attention to taking care of my suits than you are willing to do for your dog. "
Maybe your reading it wrong, I said I was interested in getting one, not that I'm going to buy one. If dogs need care I can't provide then I won't buy one, I was simply asking if there was a breed that I could perhaps get and it be happy, but apparently not. I would probably put a lot more effort then it sounded like in my post, but I don't want to be someone who pretends like they have a lot of commitment to owning a pet, you guys telling me a breed, me buying one then not looking after it. I'll give it more thought, I already feel like I'll commit to it a lot more then I said in the post after thinking about it but I just don't know.
" Seriously, this reads like you're too young or irresponsible at the moment to care for a dog. I still wish there was a strict testing and licensing for owning a pet, because I seem to give more attention to taking care of my suits than you are willing to do for your dog. "
I don't think that's really fair. Lots of families can raise dogs as a family regardless of the age of children. If anything, education is what is important and teaching people the importance of responsibility.
@heatDrive88: Yes, families. The gist I got from the post was that OP's parents had no interest in a dog (Rather the opposite as they wouldn't want it to "bother" them) thereby leaving the whole responsibility on OP. Granted, this is conjecture which I've only gotten from the post in here.
@heatDrive88: Yes, families. The gist I got from the post was that OP's parents had no interest in a dog (Rather the opposite as they wouldn't want it to "bother" them) thereby leaving the whole responsibility on OP. Granted, this is conjecture which I've only gotten from the post in here.
That's way off, my family loves dogs and would totally help, the only problem is our house isn't too large so they wouldn't want a huge dog in our small house all hours of the day.
Log in to comment