[sharkbitten]

Katy,

We crate ours while we are at work. Ours is almost 8 months now. The main thing is to spend time with them when you are home. My kids run her ragged in the evening(sometimes it is the other way around) and I walk her almost every night after dinner. We tried to gate her down in the storage room once when she was about 3 months for a few hours as an experiment, but she climbed the gate and had the run of the house for 4 hours. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] We considered ourselves very lucky after that episode with the very little damage she caused. Plan b was to crate her all day and it has worked out fine. We supply her with some chew toys to keep her occupied. She even sleeps in her crate at night. i tell her "Crate.", and she walks right in and lays down.

If you are planning on getting a dog, like it has been said throughout the thread, definitely do some research on breeds before buying a dog. There is a ton of info. in books and online. You definitely want a dog with the right temperment and needs to fit your situation. Also read up on puppy personality testing, so when you do start looking around at pups, you can do some of the tests which might help you pick the right pup out of a litter of little fur balls that you wish you could just take the whole lot home instead of choosing just one. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
The testing is not a sure fire method, but it might help you get away from an agressive or very timid puppy.

Don't discount shelters with just a bunch of mutts. My last 2 dogs have been from shelters and mixed breeds and they have been great. The last one, we got in May, and she is a lab-border collie mix??(not totally certain on the last breed). She's a bundle of energy but I think she's going to grow into a pretty good dog.
One problem with shelters is you really have to harden your heart a little bit. You want to take all the dogs home. Also, if the shelter is really dirty and disgusting, be careful. Our new puppy had a horrible case of kennel cough and the vet bills started to add up pretty quick that first month or so after we got her. The shelter we got her from was filthy. I guess that is the biggest risk you run with shelter dogs. I had no problems what so ever with my previous dog from a shelter, but there was a huge difference in the quality of the shelters.
I guess the bottom line is to do some research on breeds, shelters, breeders (if you're getting a pure-bred), etc.
Also, if you do go to a shelter, don't discount older dogs too. There are probably some great 1 or 2 year old dogs up for adoption too. I've heard that a dog like that, given a second chance, can make a great pet.

If you end up getting a puppy, let us know how it turns out and God help you! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]