Hello, any advice for first time owner?

[venusandromeda00]

I really want a companion. Interested in a male dog. It would be my first dog besides a family dog that passed years ago, I'm a bit nervous to own my own pet. I have a one bedroom apartment. My activity level is on the lower end. Any advice on which breed, and how to obtain a dog? Craigslist? Is there a dog specifically for someone who wants a more relaxed dog? One that will lick and want to mount, of course ? thanks!

 

[btwiamazoophile]

You never really know what a given dog is going to be into until you start forming a relationship with them. Owning a dog, even one that's not got intense energy requirements, will still also probably require some lifestyle changes to account for giving your dog the exercise they need to thrive. Sex alone definitely isn't adequate.

Both of my dogs are craigslist rehomes that I adopted around 10-14mo when I got them. It's been years now, and I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[egoldstein]

I really want a companion. Interested in a male dog. It would be my first dog besides a family dog that passed years ago, I'm a bit nervous to own my own pet. I have a one bedroom apartment. My activity level is on the lower end. Any advice on which breed, and how to obtain a dog? Craigslist? Is there a dog specifically for someone who wants a more relaxed dog? One that will lick and want to mount, of course ? thanks!

I would advise yo uto not get a dog off craigslist. Not that ecconomic concerns are most important, but think carefully about the health of any companion. Do you know what health issues exist in the parents, their parents, etc? Take a very close look at the lineage for problems, you may end up paying for them over and over for many, many years to come...or perhaps worse, only a few years.

Make a list of the various dog breeds you like, I recommend looking at the AKC site (doesn't matter if you're in the US, they're breed generalities) and compare the expected exercise and other aspects with what you want. Having had both long haired and short haired dogs, I am unlikely to ever have another long hair due to the shedding. Some breeds socialize better than others, some are stubborn, etc.

There are a lot of dog breeds, so here's a list that shows typical weight ranges to help you sort and find possible good candidates to later lookup and see how they match your lifestyle and expectations.

Also, here is a thread for advice to first-time dog caretakers, "So now you have a dog..."

 

[btwiamazoophile]

I would advise yo uto not get a dog off craigslist. Not that ecconomic concerns are most important, but think carefully about the health of any companion. Do you know what health issues exist in the parents, their parents, etc? Take a very close look at the lineage for problems, you may end up paying for them over and over for many, many years to come...or perhaps worse, only a few years.

Make a list of the various dog breeds you like, I recommend looking at the AKC site (doesn't matter if you're in the US, they're breed generalities) and compare the expected exercise and other aspects with what you want. Having had both long haired and short haired dogs, I am unlikely to ever have another long hair due to the shedding. Some breeds socialize better than others, some are stubborn, etc.

There are a lot of dog breeds, so here's a list that shows typical weight ranges to help you sort and find possible good candidates to later lookup and see how they match your lifestyle and expectations.

Also, here is a thread for advice to first-time dog caretakers, "So now you have a dog..."

On the flip side, both of my dogs were $50 or so and they're both quite healthy! I guess in that sense, I have had to pay for them many times over in caring for them lol. My husko has a few lipomas in his age but they don't hurt his mobility so there's no reason to operate on them.

It's certainly a bit more of a gamble not having a well-known lineage to back up the health of a dog when you're looking for specific breeds, but it's not like you're purchasing a grenade. There's a lot of dogs out there looking for an owner to love, and there's a lot of different ways to end up connecting with them.

 

[egoldstein]

On the flip side, both of my dogs were $50 or so and they're both quite healthy! I guess in that sense, I have had to pay for them many times over in caring for them lol. My husko has a few lipomas in his age but they don't hurt his mobility so there's no reason to operate on them.

It's certainly a bit more of a gamble not having a well-known lineage to back up the health of a dog when you're looking for specific breeds, but it's not like you're purchasing a grenade. There's a lot of dogs out there looking for an owner to love, and there's a lot of different ways to end up connecting with them.

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that just because a doggo doesn't have a known lineage they're inferior, just that sometimes it's a gamble and for me that's a gamble that needs serious consideration. I've done the cancer dance; we won, but the cost was high (not just economic cost) and I'd rather not do it again. I can't guarantee a dog won't have any issues, but I want to have as many assurances as I can get that my companion's parents were tested for major inherited issues.

One of my dogs is a mix, we have a good guess as to what's in there, much of it border collie I think, who aside from a hpyerplastic prostate has been a paragon of canine health.