shakalaka wants a dog

[sabad66]

another advantage of small/medium dogs is it's a lot easier to find people to watch them when you go on vacation etc.

[blitz]

A lot (not all) of small dogs are assholes. I had a mini-dachshund for 15 years, never again.

[J-hop]

We have a heeler mix, fairly small and light (about 37lbs). Id say that is the perfect size. We’ve fostered everything from sub 20lb dogs to 80+lb dogs. I loved our two pit bull mixes we fostered, both were a little larger than 80lbs and they tended to wreck shit, were annoying getting into vehicles, weren’t very fast, tired quickly and were annoying to train because any issues like jumping up were magnified by their size.

Our heeler mix although small is super fast (have clocked her at 40kph on my bike) and can keep up to me on the mountain bike no problem. She’s easy to get in and out of the car and sits on the front bench seat (no airbag and she has a clip so don’t crucify me). Al around a good size I think if you’re in a smaller place but want a dog you can actually do activities with

[Kijho]

Ayy my italian greyhound falls under the hot dog category \

Would I recommend an iggy? They're pretty awesome. I'm at work for 8 hours a day and a few times a week I have family or friends who come take her for a walk or babysit sometimes if I have to go out an evening, but otherwise she sleeps all day long and then because of that she has so much energy at night. A good 15 minute jog around the community tires her out, and off-leash dog parks (fenced in) are great for tiring her out quick.

If you get a puppy though, be warned, it's a pain in the ass. Be prepared for 1 full week of next to no sleep, they just cry all night. I crated her at night the first week, then put her in a closed pen the second week. Then... she was able to jump out and she's been sleeping in the bed ever since. Quiet tough, and just likes to cuddle up beside you. Has brought lots of happiness and laughs into my life, but the first month was hell.

[Mitsu3000gt]

All I can say is don't do it unless you are 1,000,000% sure you want a dog for 10-15 years or whatever lifespan it is. I find a lot of people want a dog without the responsibilities of a dog, and I must admit I am in that category. I love them but in small doses. We have looked into getting a dog multiple times but it just doesn't make sense (for us). Everyone I know with a dog has their life controlled by it, and they never travel or go out because they have a dog (I realize this is not every scenario, but accurately describes all the ones I have been exposed to). Nobody else wants to look after their dogs when they go out, so occasionally they kennel it which can be expensive. Some people I know think it's their family's responsibility to look after their dog when they go away, and that causes obvious problems. Training can be difficult and can be expensive, and many people don't put in enough time/effort. I also don't think I could leave it alone for 8-10hr a day or kennel it for that long while I was at work - I just wouldn't feel good about it even though I think a lot of people do that without issue. I have one friend who has spent over $30K on vet bills across 3 dogs, and they have pet insurance, but you always have a choice I suppose. Depending on the dog and how your house is set up, they will do a number on the floors, furniture, carpet etc. If you get a breed that sheds, you will never be able to control all the hair no matter how hard you try or how much you vacuum. Owners are to blame most of the time for misbehaved dogs, but you still might end up with a dog that barks a lot or has a bad personality, etc. Depending on the dog, your vehicle needs to be appropriately sized/equipped to carry it around. Depending on the dog, your back yard needs to be set up to accommodate it and unless you put in the work you will probably have a lot of dead grass haha.

I love dogs and have even volunteered at the Humane Society just to spend time with them but after observing everyone I know who owns a dog, I have learned how big of a commitment it is and I know I don't want to own one at this point in my life. They suit some people's lifestyles really well and obviously there are many positives, just do your homework and really be sure you want one. Every dog so far that I have thought would be cool to own (for my lifestyle) either has some kind of well known health problem or commonly bad personality trait.

[bjstare]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

A lot (not all) of small dogs are assholes. I had a mini-dachshund for 15 years, never again.

Those dogs are notorious for being assholes.

We have a cavalier king charles spaniel x bichon and he's fantastic. Our other small dog (lhasa apso) has more of a large dog personality (no separation anxiety is the big one), which is great.

[killramos]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Agreed small dogs are way better. I probably won't ever own a dog over 40lb.

I don’t see a practical difference between watching a large dog or a small dog. If they are well behaved then great, if they aren’t then I sure as hell wouldn’t agree to watch one.

[J-hop]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I don’t see a practical difference between watching a large dog or a small dog. If they are well behaved then great, if they aren’t then I sure as hell wouldn’t agree to watch one.

A badly behaved/trained big dog is WAY more work than a badly trained small dog. A badly behaved chihuahua is manageable, a badly behaved lab or bully is not.

A lot of people mistakenly think small breed are on average much worse temperament than larger dogs. The reality is most of the bad behaviour is a result of owners letting them get away with more because of their lack of size and they end up developing really bad habits.

On top of that everyone tries to pick up small dogs. News flash the majority of dogs (regardless of size) get pretty freaked out by getting picked up and being helpless.

Ercchry’s photo on the first page is a perfect example of that, that dog is showing pure fear, do that enough times and anyone that bends down towards it is going to get a fear response

[ercchry]

Eh... he’s all noise. Just very particular, unless you’re a random dog... then yes. 95% chance of getting pinned

[tonytiger55]

Shakalaka, how big is your condo..?
To others that have had dogs in condos. Im gona just ask... how do you guys deal with the dog farts..? Legit question as condos being more of a confined space. Does the intensity depend on diet.. etc?

[GQBalla]

All diet, my dogs on the raw food diet.

[bjstare]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

A badly behaved/trained big dog is WAY more work than a badly trained small dog. A badly behaved chihuahua is manageable, a badly behaved lab or bully is not.

A lot of people mistakenly think small breed are on average much worse temperament than larger dogs. The reality is most of the bad behaviour is a result of owners letting them get away with more because of their lack of size and they end up developing really bad habits.

This is true.

Another big differentiator between small and large dogs for me, is when I say small dog I actually mean small non shedding dog. Most large dogs shed, and pet hair all around the house, car and my clothes is a problem. We don't have to deal with that at all.

[J-hop]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

This is true.

Another big differentiator between small and large dogs for me, is when I say small dog I actually mean small non shedding dog. Most large dogs shed, and pet hair all around the house, car and my clothes is a problem. We don't have to deal with that at all.

Yea our dog is a major shedder, it’s awful, gets everywhere and I’ve pretty much gotten used to eating her hair on a regular basis. We brush her out once a week but it makes no difference.

The only silver lining is she never stinks. But that’s the one and only benefit

[sabad66]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Shakalaka, how big is your condo..?
To others that have had dogs in condos. Im gona just ask... how do you guys deal with the dog farts..? Legit question as condos being more of a confined space. Does the intensity depend on diet.. etc?

i think it's mostly genetics/breed but i'm sure diet maybe has a bit to do with it. really lucky that our 25 lb corgi doesn't fart much at all. we might notice it once a week IF that. We feed her vet-blend Royal Canin dry kibble so nothing special.

on the other hand, had a friend with 3 pugs and man those little 15lb guys could clear a kitchen out when they let one rip lol.

[mzdspd]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Shakalaka, how big is your condo..?
To others that have had dogs in condos. Im gona just ask... how do you guys deal with the dog farts..? Legit question as condos being more of a confined space. Does the intensity depend on diet.. etc?

I never notice my dog farting. He sleeps in our spare room in his crate and he has a bit of a dog smell but nothing too bad. He is on a raw carnivora diet.

Our dog has not been an issue whatsoever in a condo. I would bet that our dog gets more exercise/walks/stimulation than most dogs with back yards. Most people just think that they can let their dog out in the backyard and that they will not need walks after that. He was crate trained and he knows to signal outside when it is time for the bathroom (usually 3 times per day).

[J-hop]

One other thing if you do get a dog I would strongly avoid pee pad training and get the dog peeing outside as soon as possible . I know it’s pretty popular with people living in condos but it doesn’t teach them the house is not a toilet and can be really freaking hard to undo.