First Viewing, First Offer

[Taffy]

It may be a wee cute pup now, but you've seen the monster they turn in to!

I'm not an either way person, I'm OK with dogs, I just really don't want to own one. They are way too much to handle for the likes of me. I'll stick to my cats thanks

No doubt MB will be of agreeance too

[Welshgirl]

Well you wouldn't have to 'handle it'!! You might wanna stick to your cats but what about me?

I feel a domestic coming on

I love the monster that Hugo has turned into, but I would settle for just about any dog

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by Taffy

No doubt MB will be of agreeance too

Yes 'fraid so. I'm definitely a cat person.

Dogs........

can be very destructive around the house as I've seen in some of the rentals we've lived in. Gouges from doggy claws on doors as they try to dig their way out are not my thing.

have to be walked in all sorts of weather, come rain, come shine, come light, come dark. And they get wet...... very wet and want to share it with you, your furniture and carpets and car seats.

make a lot of noise when they bark and some take it to extremes by howling when they're left alone, which is much of the day if everyone's out working and all night when you're sleeping.

dump lots of (big) doggy do dos around the garden. Great when you're mowing the lawn.

will probably need more expensive treatments at the vets. Not sure on this one, whether they need extra vaccinations etc.

are hairy. If you've ever seen how much fur a cat can put down on your furniture, carpets and car seats, I dread to say how much dogs put down.

smell, especially when wet

are even more expensive to board out when you go away on holiday than cats. Jeez, when we go away, it almost costs us the price of an air ticket to board ours out AND we have to supply food on top . Some kindly pals might offer to pop in to feed the odd cat, budgie or goldfish when you're away, but having to take Rover for walkies is a bit more of a chore, especially in the cold and wet.

may need behavioural training (=money).

may not fit in with existing pets (or vice versa).

Originally Posted by Taffy

It may be a wee cute pup now, but you've seen the monster they turn in to!

Very true, but the major thing about that is they (big dogs) cost an arm and a leg to feed. Hell, cats are bad enough. What I could do with the money our cats cost us in food a week.


Having a pet of any denomination is always a good thing as they usually give love as well as receive it and that's all good. BUT it is a serious undertaking and feelings can change if one finds it's costing a lot to keep and the novelty of the work involved in keeping it wears off in time.

WG, can't you pretend one of your goats is a dog? Buy it a collar and lead and way to go. They're very independent, don't need walkies, won't mess up your house and they eat for free. .

Don't think for one minute that I'm anti-dog, despite having been bitten by a mad dog when I was a kid (no comments, please ). I know many people who get immeasurable pleasure from theirs, but the decision to take on a dog is worthy of a lot of careful consideration, as it's a long term commitment.

OK Taffy? Did I do well? Did I?

Originally Posted by Dawn

Shall I go get you one, shall I, shall I?

Dawn, can I see you outside a minute?

[Dawn]

MB I don't recognise any of the problems you describe in your post. Frankly, most of them are misconceived ideas by people who don't own dogs. My dogs are very well behaved. They know where they're allowed to go in the house and won't even try to venture further, they have never caused any damage to our own or anyone elses house or property. They don't howl unless you ask them to sing with you and they don't bark apart from when you ask them to 'speak' or when they're doing their job and protecting the property or one of us and as soon as they're asked to be quiet they are. If they're not immediately quiet then we know there's defo something afoot that is unusual, I trust my dogs to trust their instincts - something we could all learn to do a little more of - trust our instincts I mean. They aren't a nuisance to anyone, we keep them under control when we're out, they're very friendly and very sociable and like to greet other people but we realise that people we don't know may feel threatened by this and don't encourage them to do it.
We've also had cats together with the dogs, they all get on together. Cat food is much more expensive than dog food lb for lb, there is absolutely no need to be feeding your dog all those super protein filled processed foods, they cause more problems than they solve. Just like with people the frozen or tinned or packeted processed stuff you buy is always worse for you than fresh food. Dogs are hunters and scavengers, in the wild they'd eat whatever they could get including veg, they only need a basic diet, the simpler the better. It certainly doesn't cost an arm and a leg but it would if I were duped by 'Pedigree' or 'Purina' into believing I was malnourishing my dogs if I weren't feeding them their brand. Hugo actually doesn't eat that much more than your average Labrador. It is easy to overfeed big dogs because you assume they need more but it's a mistake to allow a heavy boned dog to get overweight, they go on to suffer all sorts of stressful joint problems just like an overweight person, so feed them less and keep them lean. They don't beg for food from us because they've always been discouraged, it would be easy for either of them to swipe something from Poppys hand as she wallks past them but neither of them do, they know she is above them in the 'pack'.
We try to treat anything the dogs have homeopathically with natural remedies, thank goodness neither of them have needed serious treatment for anything in their lives unlike the cats we had that cost us a fortune in the year before we left. Hugo's vet bills aren't that much more than a regular sized dog, it's things like xrays and stuff that are expensive and they're the same price whatever size the dog.
Newfoundlands and other giant breeds don't need a lot of exercise, too much running around is not good for those joints I have already mentioned so a good chase around after a ball for half an hour is sufficient, no need to walk miles and miles although of course they'l happily go if you take them, just be aware that when they've gone far enough they'll lie down and refuse to go on until they're ready. They do like water, they like to lie in puddles and yes they are smelly when they're wet but there's no need for the mud and stuff to come indoors, hose them off and rub them down with a towel before you let them in and then only allow them on a hard floor nowhere near your furniture. Ours have got used to waiting to have their paws wiped before they come in if it's raining outside, no mess. Daisy has the kind of fluffy fur that comes out in fluff balls easy to pick up. Hugo does shed a lot of hair but he's only allowed on the hard floors in the house so it's easier to clean up. Neither of them are allowed near the soft furnishings and defo not in the bedrooms. It's our house and we decide the rules. The dogs are part of the family but they are dogs, not people and they aren't afforded the same privileges. A lot of people make this mistake and end up with a dog that is confused about it's place and starts getting assertive. It's not the dogs fault, he's only doing what dogs do, they don't think like us, we're supposed to be the intelligent ones!
Naturally they poo, but you tell them where they're allowed to do it. Dogs are creatures of habit and usually poo in the same place, easy to clean up when they've done it. In fact, if you walk them every day they'll usually do it then, even easier to pick up, no need for it to be on your garden at all. It's not hard work and again Hugo's poos aren't that much bigger than normal, a regular popperscooper will do the job.Try poo picking in a horse field with six horses in it, that's when you need the shovel and wheelbarrow and that's hard work!
It comes down to you because you are 'leader of the pack' and you make and enforce the rules. If you get lazy, they get cheeky, just like kids really. The biggest difference is you can choose a breed of dog with the type of characteristics you're looking for instead of being stuck with what you get!

So yes MB I will see you outside for a minute and I shall be bringing my dogs with me I will prove to you that it is possible to have a nice home with nice things in it and share it with two big dogs who are fun, friendly, obedient and that don't cost a fortune but that do enrich our lives.

[MotherBear]

Hi Dawn, I thought I’d be hearing from you.

You have replied to my post mainly in respect of yourself and your own dogs. Not all dog owners have the responsibility and care that you have, nor are all dogs as loveable and obedient as yours. My post was not a criticism of you nor your dogs, but merely what I’ve found with some other owners and dogs through my own experiences. You only have to look at the media reports from time to time where certain breeds of dogs (and their owners) have had very bad press, to know that not all dogs are cuddly and safe to have around and not all owners care for them properly and in the right way, but that’s something else again. It's more than obvious that you all absolutely dote on your dogs which is delightful and how it should be, but please bear in mind that there are some of us who aren't quite so keen (on dogs in general, not yours in particular) and we may think differently.

As I’ve pointed out, I’m not a dog lover so will, therefore, have a lower tolerance of what I’d be prepared to put up with on having one in the house or around me. The same goes for those who hate cats and won’t have them anywhere near them, sometimes going to such lengths as to be cruel to them. I’m sure they, too, could write a list such as mine.

I don’t want to have to apologise because I don’t like being slobbered on or jumped on or any of the other things I mentioned. I know it’s a sign of friendliness on the part of the dog, but I just don’t like it or want it, but that’s just me, boring old sod as I am. For much of my life I’ve been wary of dogs and even now I feel uncomfortable around them in case they’re going to approach me. That’s not to say I believe that dogs should be banned or worse, as some dog lovers have said to me about cats. Everyone has the right to choose the type of pet they want, which is the way it should be, as long as said pets don’t interfere negatively in other people’s lives. At one place I lived, I had 4 cats killed on separate occasions because they ‘were in the way’ when racing pigeons were coming in to land and our cats, being on the ground at the time, were thought to knock minutes off the pigeons’ timings. So the cats were ‘removed’ in the dead of night. This is an example of taking reaction to pet interference too far.

The comments in my list were put together from those that dog owners in the past have mentioned to me and I can only take it they knew what they were talking about regarding their own pets.

I would admit to having an alternate agenda when writing that list, which, I would point out, was written with tongue in cheek. I guess we’ll be hearing from you on the radio show later today, eh?

[Taffy]

Cor, fight breaking out!!

I think what needs to be realised here, is that a lot of thing MB has said about dogs is true - when they are in the wrong hands. With Dawn and her pooches, they were carefully thought out breeds, have been trained well and Dawn and family have the right mentality to give them the care they need.

Many people, who are the people that give dogs a bad name, pick up any dog that they or the kids like the appearence of, and then once the puppy stage has worn off the poor thing spends the rest of it's days without the care and attention it needs.

I'm not cut out to be a dog owner, I don't have the time or the patience to care for them. Thats why I like cats - they look after themselves. I like dogs though, and Dawns dogs are super cool, but I could never own them!

[nickydwuk]

As a dog owner I agree with what Dawn said. I can also see the other side of the coin but as already mentioned it is the owners and not the dogs that are at fault. If a dog is treated well and trained well they will have a happy life and will not intrude into the lives of non dog lovers unless invited. Yes they go mad when visitors arrive - no more than little children do because they are excited to see them but correctly trained they will not end up slobbering over visitors if the visitors do not want them to. I have 4 dogs - 3 big ones and a little one. They are passive and friendly and have not shown any aggressive tendancies at all except when playing with each other. When we take them for walks we let them off the lead but they do come when called and we always leash them when other dogs come near - not because they may attack but if the other dog becomes aggressive we can control them better. If all dog owners were as responsible as Dawn, myself and others on this forum then we would not have any bad press about dogs. Unfortunately humans do let dogs down. Until we can train humans as well as we can train dogs this will be a constant problem.


Back on topic - any news on the house sale yet Jon?

[Welshgirl]

Just to set the record straight, I am not getting a dog As persuasive as Dawn may be (), fear not - neither she nor anyone else will coerce me into getting a dog that a) we do not have the time to look after, b) we do not have the money to look after and c) Taffy does not want. If I was ever to be a dog owner, it would be when we are financially able and in circumstances where it would be able to be cared for properly. It would be a decision that no-one else but Taffy & I would make.

Until then, I will admire everyone elses pets from afar.

Now let's put this matter to bed and give Jon his post back!

[Dawn]

Jon please give us some good news about your house matey

[MotherBear]

I bet he wishes he could give us some good news.

It'll happen when the time is right and, fingerscrossed, it'll be for a good price which will give you a good start in NZ.