made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

ok, so i finally decided to get a dog. i've always wanted one and now that i live on my own, thats a possibility. i want a small dog because we live in a 2 br condo and bc its the kinda dog that i want.

questions:

what kinds of dogs are really friendly and have good temperaments?

where should i go to buy one? i'd prefer to not have to pay for one, or not pay a whole lot, but if its necessary to pay to get a puppy, i'll pay whatever. this dog will definitely be worth it in my mind.

what stuff will i need to properly train my dog? i will definitely want to train him or her early...is school necessary or is it possible for me to train it myself?

thanks oot.

ps: i already love my dog that i dont even have yet.

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

my ex has two pomeranians that i loved. super cool dogs, but chick dogs. then again, chick magnets!

mini pins are also cool.

get them from a breeder directly and make sure you see the home. do not support puppy mills, which means no pet stores!

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

http://pics.hoobly.com/full/f71243b9...3fdba7c791.jpg

My little sister has had a peekapoo for years now, it was free from a neighbor, but I'm guessing that if you have to pay for one, it would be pretty cheap. They don't get too big and the dog and it's litter weren't hard to house-break at all.

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

agree with teh breeder thing - and make sure its reputable (or u might get genetic problems from inbreeding).

You might wanna try a better info source than a bunch of poker players tho [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Might be worth just getting a book from B&N or amazon 'bout such stuff.

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

Basically, buying a dog comes down to personal preference.

If you are going to a shelter or whatever, you're probably going to experience alot of variance. (the dog could be great or horrible, basically)

If you want my personal recommendation in a breed, I think you should go with an English Bulldog. They are great dogs, everyone loves them, and they're great for picking up chicks. Also, it should be especially good for you since you live in a small place and they require little to no exercise.

As for getting one, you can ask the breeder's association for good breeders, or just check the newspaper and go check out some of them for yourself. Like the previous poster said, don't use puppy mills and make sure the dogs have been cared for well.

ENJOY!

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

Welsh Corgi?

http://www.pedigree.com.sg/breeds/?b...mp;p=W&pp=

http://judysdogs.4t.com/images/cropp...-r1-10a_10.jpg

http://www.welshcorgiclub.nl/tuxedo.jpg

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

I just love the look of puggles but I hear they're really expensive.


http://www.legacy-kennels.com/aa1puggleforsale-038.jpg

http://www.legacy-kennels.com/trusty47.jpg


Your best bet would be to look at petfinder.com or some other animal rescue club in your area. They have both puppies and dogs for adoption at reasonable prices.

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1/maisieph0.jpg

This is my familys dog. Shes a mini poodle, but of course we never give her idiotic poodle haircuts. She's incredibly energetic and friendly to everyone, and very small. Shes about 7 now, and still acts like she did as a puppy. I believe my parents paid about $400 at a breeder.

Poodle's are apparently very smart and ours is very easy to train when you're holding food, but she won't give you the time of day if shes chasing a squirrel or something and knows you don't have a treat for her.

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

Some advice from a professional dog trainer.

No matter what the breed, you can't predict with 100% accuracy what type of temperament your dog will have. You will have a better chance getting a better puppy with a reputable breeder. Getting an older dog from a rescue sounds like a solid choice for you, so look into that. Call up some local rescues and see what they have, and what their requirements for adoption are.

Obedience school can be a great way to train your dog. Going by your location of Las Vegas, look at Rich Damico at Sin City K9, or Fred Hassan's school Sit means Sit (I've heard good and bad things about Fred Hassan's place, but it still looks better than 98% of the trainers out there).

If you are interested in training the dog yourself, look to get some basic obedience DVDs from Leerburg . Start off with the basic obedience DVD.

PM me if you have any more questions.

Re: made the decision to get a dog...HELP
 

I don't know if you're hell bent on getting a puppy, but I got my first dog at 18 months and my seocnd at 6 months old. One from a family, the second from a shelter. It was great never having to house break these dogs. As Lock said, an older dog may be a very good idea since you live in an apartment. A dog will exhibit bad behavior if he's not getting the exercise he needs. Just please don't drive with your dog on your lap if you get a small one. This is not a safety concern.