My husband and I are thinking about adopting a puppy. We're not sure whether or not we are ready, so I wanted to ask advice from people who have adopted dogs and kept them or adopted them and had it not work out.

Our situation is that I am currently a student and have a pretty flexible schedule. My husband, Rob, works pretty much business hours with a few random exceptions. We are still working on buying a house and we are looking in an area where we have friends who are actually adopting a dog from the same litter we are considering.

Our big issue is whether *now* is the time. My schedule is currently very flexible, so I can be home quite a bit to train the puppy and spend time with him. I am going to have to start working probably next fall, but I think I could get the puppy off to a good start (he'd be about a year old) before I start working. Our friends who are adopting one of the other puppies have kids who we could hire to help with dog walking/playing responsibilities during the day.

What have your experiences been? How much responsibility is it really? Is it worth it? How did your life change after getting a dog? If you had it to do over again, would you?

I think the amount of responsibility seems very daunting to us and we're trying to figure out whether it's always going to seem overwhelming, or whether there's going to be some magical time when everything clicks and *that* is the time. Or, if we wait for that perfect time, does that time never come?

Any advice welcome! Thank you!!

I don't think now is a bad time...you have the flexibility to train it and you will be able to ease him into the transition of both of you being gone at certain hours of the day. Do you know what kind you might get?

Well, the name sounds kind of silly, but we're looking at getting a goldendoodle. It's a mix between a golden retriever and a poodle. They're supposed to be smart, friendly, non-shedding dogs. Here's a link to Google Images so you can see what they look like:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=goldendoodles&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi

omg!we age getting a labradoodle as soon as we find one who is trained for service!!! goldendoodles and labradoodles are adorable...


to answer your question, if you ahve some flexibility to be home, you should be fine, just get a kennel to put it in when you are not home for the first while and eventually you will be able to have it loose. HTH

Getting a dog is a LOT of responsibility. Getting a puppy is a TON of responsibility.

Do I think it's worth it? Yes. But, it is stil a LOT of work. Puppies, in my experience, are just as much work as having a new baby. Potty training, chewing, crying/whining at night, nipping, etc. You just really have to make sure you're 100% willing, able and dedicated to doing some training with the dog. I think you can sometimes get lucky and just get a really good dog that doesn't need a lot of training but I think the majority of them do need training.

I, personally, will never again get a puppy. That's just me though. I'd much rather get a slightly older dog who's past the potty training, chewing, nipping, etc.

I haven't had a small puppy, when we adopted our dog he was a year old already. I do know that the amount of time and work needed for a small puppy was not feasible with both of us working. You really need to be every 3 hours or less to take them out in the beginning. Even if they housetrain quickly, like Brandi said you have the chewing phase and puppies will chew everything and anything. Our dog was out of that phase and housetrained and he is still a lot of work. But we can leave him during the day knowing he won't go in the house (he has a dog door to get outside) and won't chew everything in sight. I love our dog but based on how much time and attention we have to give him at this age, I'm glad we didn't get a young puppy.

I cant wait to do it again! We adopted our lab when he was 6 weeks old. I would have liked to see his his parents but it wasn't possable. He got so much bigger than we every thought he would. we ended up giving him to another family because hes just to big for our apartment and we know we'll be moving afew times in the future and we'd rather find him a home here. The puppy days were really easy on us. He chewed one thing. The plugged in cord to our lamp. He did potty in the house alot! he stopped when he was about 8 months old. we spoiled him by taking him every where with us so we had issues when it came time for us to leave him behind. He would bark and poo in the house, only when we were gone. I suggest taking your new pup to a training class. We didnt and I wish we would have. good luck with you decision!

Puppies are alot of responsiblity, but they're wonderful, we adopted Lucy about a year ago when she was 3 months and we're kinda in the same situation as you. Now would be the best time to get one in my opinion b/c you have the time to train it. I know now, since Lucy was trained when we first got her she is really independent, she does her own thing and we don't have to worry about her messing up the house or anything like that. I'd do it again in a heart beat, but db says 3 pets is enough :( sooo I say Go For It!!!

My DH gave me a puppy for Christmas and I love her, but she is a huge amount of work too! I am very picky about my house and I can't stand for it to smell like pets....YUCK!!

I also just found out that Chaweenie's are the hardest to potty train!! That figures!! She is doing good theough...we have crate trained her. And she is cute too!

I have a puppy now as well as an adult dog, that we got as an adult. The puppy phase is just like having a baby, you have to get up several times a night to take them out. and they need to play before they get tired enough to sleep. Yes puppies are cute and it is fun at first, like Brandi said there is chewing and biting and if you aren't quick you will get lots of accidents in the house. I would suggest maybe getting a dog less then 2 years old, from a shelter, most are housebroken and some come with manners already. But it is your decision and if you feel like you guys are ready then go for it.

The one good thing about the breed you are looking to get is that the puppy stage is not that long like in a Golden...the poodle in this breed helps to level it out. I have done a little research cuz that is a dog I would like to own cuz of allergies...they are very smart and learn very quickly!!! Good luck if you get one!!

I have read that it's a myth that all the "doodle" type dogs don't shed. They may shed less but they still shed. We have a 6mos old black lab and let me tell you he is a lot of work! This saturday I start obedience lessons with him and it is my belief that anyone that has a large dog should have to obedience train him/her.
Do you have the time/money to train the dog? Have you thought about the cost of vet visits, food, a kennel and other supplies for the dog? Can you crate train the dog and let it out every hour or so? Do you have a large enough yard for the dog? Do you mind getting up super early to let the dog out? If you can answer yes to all those then I think it would be a wonderful thing for you and your dh. But if you have any doubts, then I would wait if I were you. At least you are taking it serious and realize that owning a dog is a 10+ years commitment. Good Luck!

Yes, they do shed some. Not all of them are non-shedding, and we're looking at a first generation, so chances are good that the one we're getting will shed at least a little. However, they do shed much less than your regular golden and are more likely to be hypo-allergenic.

We do have the money aspect tied down, and we are ALL ABOUT obedience training! :) Time is an issue on two days of the week, the other five I am around pretty much all day. I think our friends could help us on the two days I'm not around in exchange for me helping them with their dog on Fridays, when they are not around. The yard won't be an issue, and Rob already gets up at 4:30/5:00 every morning. I go to bed around 1:00 or 2:00 am, so nights shouldn't be too much of a problem. Of course, that said, I expect we'll have our share of accidents!

I'm thinking we need to wait until March, when our housing situation will be more stable. And if we wait until April, my schedule becomes even more flexible than it is now. It's just that then when I go back to work in the fall, the dog will be younger than if we get one sooner.

I've heard of the goldendoodle , they look cute.

When we got our puppy dh was working very long hours and I was in school so i had some long days and some very short ones. It seems like you'll have plenty of time
to train your puppy.

Here are some things I learned:

First, don't get them from a store, try to find a breeder yourself (easy to do online) so that you can go there and see that it's not a puppy mill. You're much more likely to get a healthy, well adjusted dog that way. This was one of the things we actually did right, lol.


If you don't have huge amounts of experience, try to go to obedience classes with him as soon as he is old enough.
We didn't do that and we really regretted it later.

If you get a puppy that hasn't teethed yet be prepared for lots of socks with holes in them and other ruined objects.
Some dogs try to chew furniture, we caught ours chewing on sheet rock walls (like in protruding corners) more than once lol
The teething stage really is the hardest, they get to be really a pain in the ass then.

Also don't get a puppy too young. He will have separation anxiety and become way too attached to you (likely to wail when you leave the house, or follow you around like a shadow 24/7 which is my dog's problem etc). We got ours when he was 8 weeks old and that was definitely too young.

Try to socialize him when he's young. The obedience classes are one way, try to go to a park where people bring dogs, etc. He'll be less likely to be aggressive then.

Oh, and if your dog will require brushing etc (which the goldendoodle will) make sure you get him used to that as soon as you get him. If you start brushing him when he's older he's more likely to resist.



We definitely had some problems with our dog, all do to our lack of experience, but it has been SO SO worth it.

If you get a boy, Get him fixed right away! My dog is potty trained, but he still "marks his territory" all over the house and it's really starting to piss me off. I'm in the process of steam cleaning all of our carpets with bleach because I'm so sick of the smell. I'm getting him fixed with our tax return and I'm counting down the days until Feb. 5th!

Thanks so much for all of your helpful advice! We think we're going to plan on getting a dog in March or April. Exciting!! I'll take all of your words of advice to heart.

I wouldn't have the dog fixed right away. Let him grow out of the puppy issues first and then see if he/she needs it. Some dogs don't have any behavioral problems. What sucks is that many dogs have a huge tendency to gain weight after they are fixed, even with proper diet and exercise.

We've had a dog for 2 yrs. I think it's too much work. It's like having another kid running around here. They're cute, but I don't like all the responsibility and headache that come with it.
Our dog is potty trained, but he still craps in our bedroom sometimes. He pissed on the vacuum the other day. I don't know why he does that when he knows where to go potty.
We haven't fixed him yet, so I don't know much anything about that.
I hope you're happy with whatever decision you make.

I read somewhere that getting the dog fixed is supposed to help avoid accidents in the house, especially with a male dog. You could check with your vet about that. It looks like there might be some weight concerns, but maybe the vet could help with that too?

I agree. A puppy is a HUGE responsibility. It is like having a child. I swore we'd never get another puppy. We'd get an older dog. ANd yet we got a 5 month old puppy. We got him potty trained and are working on other issues. Sometimes I get extremely frusterated because it does feel like all of a sudden I have another child. But hopefully once he grows out of the puppy stage things will calm some.

I would crate train your puppy. It helps for going out and for potty training. And gives them a secure place that is "their own"

Definatly get him fixed when you can (sme vets are requiring the animal to be 6 months old now) This helps with numerous things. As well with helping if he gets out and then gets another doggy pregnant. If your not planning to breed then I would get the animal fixed. It also makes your county registration fees MUCH cheaper since they are trying to combat the overpopulation of animals. Here it woulda been over 30 bucks to register my dog for a year. Or 6 bucks for a fixed animal ;)

Have a ton of patience. You WILL get woken up in the middle of the night. Probably several times. You WILL have accidents on the carpet, You WILL have poopy paw prints from where he stepped in it and didn't know, YOU will have things chewed on (Mine chewed thru my fan cord the other day :nutts etc

Make sure you factor in cost of vaccinations. Your puppy will need an entire series to start him out in life. ANd will also need to be dewormed. Even if the place you get him from has started deworming you should still have the vet give him a dose to make sure. It takes more then 1 dose to get rid of the round worms. Get some flea control (I use frontline) for when the weather is warm and fleas are around alot (unless you are in a hot climate then get some now) This will help to not get fleas and helps your doggy not get tapeworm from ingeasting infected fleas.

If you get a dog with longer fur that will require grooming start them on it young. Gets them used to the nails being clipped etc.

Also start them young on a leash. Makes it MUCH easy in the long run!!

Get lots of treats to help you with training! And g'luck

Yea, all good points. i agree with the puppy school, they can start that really young and sets the dog on a good path for training. You can't get them fixed before a certain age.
Definitely crate train. Our dog was terrified of crates (he was a year old by then) but we got him used to it and now it's his den. All dogs need a place to go where they feel safe.
Get Nature's Miracle (can get it from the pet store) for your carpets. The regular carpet cleaners have ammonia and the dog will pee over the same spot. It's cleans up stains/smells really well. Be ready for set backs when the puppy turns 8-10 months. That is the adolescent phase for dogs and many "forget" what training they had. They will get through it.
Oh and labra/goldendoodles do shed, it's just that they are hypo-allergenic. They actually shed more than my lab does (a friend has one).

I think there is a legitimate argument for not reflexively getting a dog fixed.

My family had two dogs (not at the same time) when I was growing up. Both were male and neither was ever fixed. There were absolutely no problems.
In fact, in some EU countries neutering is not recommended by vets. They consider it a north american fad with more problems than benefits.

The dog we have now was fixed because (when he was about 1 1/2 yrs old) he became too aggressive and territorial at home (no peeing, though).
Since then he's calmed down some but he became almost obese over short period of time. There is nothing a vet can do about that besides recommending "light" dog food.
We feed him light expensive pet-store only "natural" food.
We limit portions. Still, he's heavier than he should be. I've cut portions some more lately but there is only so far you can go with that. I can't stand to have him walking around hungry all the time.

Some breeds are said to be more susceptible to weight gain and, yep, english cocker spaniels are one of those breeds. :(