Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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My problem is that I'm tempted to ignore everyone's sound advice about researching breed temperament and go buy a dog based on looks. I know this sounds stupid but I just really want a cool looking dog.

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This would work fine if you were say a stay at home mom who could spend all day with the dog. But for someone like you this is a really, really, REALLY bad idea. I'm sure you'll be able to find an awesome dog with a great disposition. Don't allow yourself to impulse purchase a dog. I can only echo the thoughts of others when I say they take a lot of work, effort, care, and love to keep happy. And it is well worth it.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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My problem is that I'm tempted to ignore everyone's sound advice about researching breed temperament and go buy a dog based on looks. I know this sounds stupid but I just really want a cool looking dog.

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I know it may be hard, but please don't do this. Shelters are full of dogs that looked cool but were too much for their new owners to handle. There are a lot of cool looking dogs that are probably a good fit for your circumstances, but it just takes a little research.
I have a whole list of dog breeds that I would love to have for various reasons, but so many are not a good fit due to room, size, grooming requirements, not kid friendly (a major one with 2 young children runninng around), energy level, etc., etc.

Try www.petfinder.com

It might be a good start. It will give you information on various shelters in your area, including specific breed rescue shelters. I used it pretty extensively earlier in the year with our new addition.

Oh, don't rule out a puppy yet. Yes, they take some time and effort (There is a really good reason they're cute-so you don't kill them when the little demons have chewed up your best pair of shoes that you forgot to pick up off the floor or is excavating under your house and looks up at you with puppy eyes and a dirt covered face, wagging his/her tail and so very proud...Should I go on? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]) but it can be worth it. They will repay you a milion times over by making you laugh and give you undying love and affection. You haven't lived until you've owned a puppy. At least that is what I've told my wife. She has had her doubts at times over the last few months though.
Good Luck. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

I'd also add, don't kid yourself about how much of a commitment you will make to grooming. Knots in animal fur can be painful and even start to tear out the skin! Matted hair is really hard to remove. Knots and mats can snowball too, starting in the morning and becoming a giant painful tangle by evening that takes a good while and a very cooperative dog to cut out. You really have to be all over the grooming if you don't want your long-haired dog to be in trouble. For that reason, I think a long-haired dog is too much trouble for most people and would recommend against it. Don't get too carried away by the looks, Katey! Be practical! You should still be able to find plenty of beautiful, great dogs if you stay practical.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...Cheerio009.jpg
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...Cheerio004.jpg

Here's 2 pictures of our little demon. These were taken during the summer.
Don't worry, she's not roling down the stairs in the wagon picture. She's just drinking some water and rolled part way down the stairs and the wagon got stuck, not that it bothered her any.

Unfortunately, she does not look near as cute now. She has a case of mange(the non-contagious kind thankfully) and is missing some hair around her left eye. We've nicknamed her Patch. The vet is treating her and it does not seem to be getting any worse. Hopefully it will grow back and she'll be cute again.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

If you are having trouble with a dog pulling while you are walking them get a pinch colllar. They are amazing. They are also much better than choke collars because those can hurt the dogs throats.

That is what I used to get my dog to walk beside me. I would use it and always make her stay on my right ( im right handed) Then I would take it off and she would walk by my side. If she started to walk away I would put it back on her. Eventually she just always would stay by my side.

I am lucky she never was really interested in other dogs. She just doesnt care that much about having them around.


I also used bell training for potty training. I got a set of bells that I would hang on my door. Every time I would take my dog out I would ring the bell before I went out the door. Eventually, when she has to use the bathroom she will come up and ring the bell with her nose.

It works really well because you can hear it in other rooms. You have to be careful though because they know the bell means go outside so she will ring it sometimes just to go out.

Puppy's are a ton of trouble. If you like to go out alot and stay gone I would not get a dog unless you have a big yard they can play in. It's not fair to keep them cooped up inside all day. Especially high energy dogs.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

yeah my dog also slept in his crate every night for the longest time. i tell him "go to your house" and he goes right in. lately i bought him one of those doggy beds though and he sleeps in my room. had occasional accidents in the beginning but everything has been fine for a while now.

here are some recent pics:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...dseries026.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...dseries022.jpg

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

He's awesome Daryn. I just want to kiss his cute face. Boxers have gorgeous coats. Love that beautiful tan color. (He looks like a well behaved dog too!)

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

sharkbitten,

Nice dog. Here's Sam, grinning like usual:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6979/21126278kk1.jpg

She looks a bit dirty because Luke had been chewing on her head.

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8017/51237691pz6.jpg

I love when these things turn into dog picture threads.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

RunDownHouse and Sharkbitten have very cute dogs (love the wagon pic [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]).

Please post more dog pics everyone!

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

Heh, Sam looks just great! I love him already.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

Dodger:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g/DSC01419.jpg

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

If you don't have a fence you could always put up an invisible fence. That is what I have mine trained on and it is great. You just run a wire around your property, hook it up to a transmitter, put on the special collar and you are ready to go. The collar lets out a beep when they get too close to the fence and if they proceed further into the off-limits zone they will get shocked. Most dogs will pick up on the noise pretty quick and won't get shocked more than a few times. You can set the shock to a level that is mostly just uncomfortable and won't actually hurt the dog. My hound dog is a big baby (90+ lbs) and I got her the collar for small <10 lbs dogs (had to attach it to a bigger collar) and it worked great. After a couple months I took the collar off and she never leaves the yard zone even when another dog is walking by. I work a 40 hour week and she gets lonely but I keep plenty of toys around for her to play with while I am gone. The puppy kong toys are great. You put a treat inside of them and dogs will spend hours trying to get them out.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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If you don't have a fence you could always put up an invisible fence. That is what I have mine trained on and it is great. You just run a wire around your property, hook it up to a transmitter, put on the special collar and you are ready to go. The collar lets out a beep when they get too close to the fence and if they proceed further into the off-limits zone they will get shocked. Most dogs will pick up on the noise pretty quick and won't get shocked more than a few times. You can set the shock to a level that is mostly just uncomfortable and won't actually hurt the dog. My hound dog is a big baby (90+ lbs) and I got her the collar for small <10 lbs dogs (had to attach it to a bigger collar) and it worked great. After a couple months I took the collar off and she never leaves the yard zone even when another dog is walking by. I work a 40 hour week and she gets lonely but I keep plenty of toys around for her to play with while I am gone. The puppy kong toys are great. You put a treat inside of them and dogs will spend hours trying to get them out.

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Hell, while you're at it, just get an invisible dog! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

That is what I had before I set up the fence. I would let her out and, poof, she would disappear.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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The puppy kong toys are great. You put a treat inside of them and dogs will spend hours trying to get them out.

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Try filling the Kong with peanut butter and freeze it overnight and give it to the dog. They love it and that keeps 'em busy for quite a while as well.
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

Yes, dogs get lonely. Ideally you should have a yard for them to run in and a second dog to keep them company if, like most people, you're out for 8+ hours a day. However, leaving them lonely in a doggie box for that time, while kind of crappy IMO, is way better than them getting murdered by the pound.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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Dodger:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g/DSC01419.jpg

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This dog is really cute Borodog. I like how his tail looks like a fox's tail and his ears look like a fox's ears. I like the red color of the coat. I want this dog.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

I have a Boston Terrier that turns 7 tomorrow. I was never big on the crating while Im gone thing. Im trying to remember how it all started though as I didnt leave him with free reign right away.

I think it started with the crate, then I just kept him in the bathroom, then alone in the house if I was going to be gone a short period of time and gradually increasing his responsibility until he had no restrictions

im pretty sure he just sleeps on the couch all day, but at least he has the option to move to a cool spot

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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If you don't have a fence you could always put up an invisible fence. That is what I have mine trained on and it is great. You just run a wire around your property, hook it up to a transmitter, put on the special collar and you are ready to go. The collar lets out a beep when they get too close to the fence and if they proceed further into the off-limits zone they will get shocked. Most dogs will pick up on the noise pretty quick and won't get shocked more than a few times.

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I've given this a lot of consideration. I might invest in one. When you first trained your dog did you have to walk with it close to the fence and then run to the center of the yard to sort of teach it? That's what one of my friends at work told me. She said you have to work with them so they know to run towards the center of your yard if they get shocked.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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I have a Boston Terrier that turns 7 tomorrow. I was never big on the crating while Im gone thing. Im trying to remember how it all started though as I didnt leave him with free reign right away.

I think it started with the crate, then I just kept him in the bathroom, then alone in the house if I was going to be gone a short period of time and gradually increasing his responsibility until he had no restrictions

im pretty sure he just sleeps on the couch all day, but at least he has the option to move to a cool spot

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Yeah this is sort of what I'm thinking too cpitt. I'm thinking I would start the dog in a crate but gradually get to where I allow him to roam about. Once when I was watching my boyfriend's dog I left for work. I came back a few minutes later because I forgot something and I found the big guy laying on his back on my couch with his feet in the air! I was like "You have got some nerve mister!". He knows he's not allowed on my couch because he doesn't have a pleasant odor. He sort of slunk off and went and laid down on the carpet giving me those guilty dog eyes.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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I have a Boston Terrier that turns 7 tomorrow. I was never big on the crating while Im gone thing. Im trying to remember how it all started though as I didnt leave him with free reign right away.

I think it started with the crate, then I just kept him in the bathroom, then alone in the house if I was going to be gone a short period of time and gradually increasing his responsibility until he had no restrictions

im pretty sure he just sleeps on the couch all day, but at least he has the option to move to a cool spot

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Yeah this is sort of what I'm thinking too cpitt. I'm thinking I would start the dog in a crate but gradually get to where I allow him to roam about. Once when I was watching my boyfriend's dog I left for work. I came back a few minutes later because I forgot something and I found the big guy laying on his back on my couch with his feet in the air! I was like "You have got some nerve mister!". He knows he's not allowed on my couch because he doesn't have a pleasant odor. He sort of slunk off and went and laid down on the carpet giving me those guilty dog eyes.

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Your story is a great lead in to something I wanted to get across in my reasoning for not crating him/her.

I remember when I first went to college and all the freshman kids were going nuts partying. Now there were two kinds of people, the ones that could handle it and the ones that couldnt. The ones that couldnt always seemed to be the ones that had strict parents in high school.

I tried to take the same approach when I got my dog. I had no previous experience with dogs, but I wanted to give him responsibility so he wouldn't act a fool in situations where I couldn't control him 24/7.

I would venture to guess that if your dog had no freedom when you are not around, it might be more willing to take off given the chance. Twice Ive had times where I didnt see my dog for a bit and went downstairs to check for him and noticed the door was blown open by the wind. Both times he was within 25 feet of my front door and had probably had been outside for 15-30 minutes in a busy apartment complex setting.

Im not so sure if he were constantly caged it wuld have had teh same result

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

I don't think it was mentioned in this thread, but there are places all over the country which offer "doggie day care".

Doing this everyday is probably too expensive, but it's a nice change of pace for the dog who's left at home all day.

I got my dog from the pound and could not imagine a better dog, nor would i ever have the heart to acquire a pet any other way. The day i got my dog a little over a year ago still haunts me a little.

I remember the faces of so many sad and lonely? dogs from the shelter. It actually convinced me that no-kill shelters are cruel, but that's a different subject. Dogs are truly awesome creatures to have in your life.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

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I know kitty cats get lonely. But if they get pet and fed till they purr, they are happy for up to a week.

Dogs either need attention at least every other day or a big field with other partners to play with.

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Edit for my dog photo http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/phot...08124_2536.jpg

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

Here is Mat and our dog, Dhar

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...r/P5040038.jpg

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

Oh sooo sweet! I can definitely see why you fell in love with that face.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

All you dog owners are saints - too much work for me, what with the walks and the poo and the cleaning up of the poo and the occasional or regular bark-a-thon. I've never understood why people have to be "dog people" or "cat people". They're each awesome in their own way, but I will say the most awesome dogs are usually awesomer than the coolest cats because of all they can bring to the table.

Still, it's remarkable to me that cats are generally hard-wired to know to find and use litter. Dogs never figure this out and it takes children a few years to not crap themselves. It's also remarkable how quickly my cats figured out mirrors - it's like they weren't even phased and instantly recognized themselves. Huh.

If dogs do get lonely, now I feel extra badly about all the ones penned in at the pound. I never considered that a no-kill shelter had negative ramifications until this was mentioned.

Re: Do you think dogs get lonely?
 

Me neither except along the lines of maybe weirdos running one. There have been occasional news stories of people who were nuts keeping a filthy shelter though.