Guide to getting a dog
Adult VS Puppy
It is never too late to train so don’t worry about that when considering an adult over a puppy however a dogs critical window is 0-16 weeks when their personality and the major wiring of the brain is done so by getting a puppy you can really get it right for them then or really get it wrong. For more on this see my page on Puppies. If you get an adult dog a lot of training, especially house training, is often already done for you, plus they will be vaccinated, neutered and micro chipped for you assuming they are of the right age so you get time and cost savings. You will also already start to get an idea of their personality.
Rescue Vs Breeder
There are less puppies via rescue but they certainly are available so do consider that. However you will want to know when they have left the litter, if its before 7 weeks your pup may have developmental issues like reactivity to other dogs which you will want to get on top of asap, if the pups are still with mum and the litter and being handled then thats great.
The rescue fee is normally around £350/ £400 so cheaper than a breeder normally and if an adult dog then neutering and vaccines etc will have been paid for.
Please forget the idea that having a rescue mean’s behaviour problems and going to a ‘reputable’ breeder does not, its not the case and bear in mind the rescue centre will assess if your potential new dog may have any behaviour concerns and you can always discuss with me or them how easy this might be to manage. Moreover, sad though it will be, the rescue will always take the dog back if there is a serious problem.
However I am afraid to say the rescue process can be a laborious one but if you can rescue it’s a great thing to do.
Selective breeding reduces the gene pool which has lead to genetic problems both behaviourally and physically. Even if we tried to select responsibly for one desirable trait i.e calmness and good health it is not possible to select for one trait and thus the nature of selective breeding means an increase in hereditary problems in dogs.
Rescue PRO’s:
Cheaper.
Rescue support and back up.
House training and other training may have been done.
If adult you should already know any issues.
Rescue Con’s
Can be a laborious process. In some cases I may be able to help.
If not a puppy you miss influencing your puppies critical window.
Breeder Pro
What is learnt in the 8-16 week sensitive period can have long lasting effects.So put the work in and get it right and you are on your way to a lovely life with your new dog.
Breeder Con
Expensive.
No guarantee of a problem free pup.
Waiting lists.
Selective breeding reduces the gene pool leading to hereditary problems.
What to look out for at the Breeder?
Next, if the litter size is larger than ten, the mother may find it hard to effectively raise the litter alone. If the puppy is not having to compete at all for milk it may not learn to deal with frustration leading to aggression later in life. So ensure the breeder is not bottle feeding or serving as a puppy farm with too many puppies to one bitch.
For food treats to work most effectively in training, choose a litter who has been fed a varied diet! It is quite rare these days but this can also help avoid getting a dog with food intolerances.
Competing too much over food too young can lead to resource guarding. So if you can choose a breeder who gives one third more bowls than there are puppies you might avoid this.
A mothers ability to groom will have an effect on how easy a dog is to restrain and handle later in life. Large litters are more likely to be deprived of restraint. See if you can see the puppies being groomed before you choose one. Note long haired breeds are easier for the mum to restrain and thus can be easier to handle when you get them home.
Play with the litter is where puppies begin to learn their language, learn what’s appropriate, what is not, bite inhibition, learn to deal with stress which is why it’s so important puppies are not taken away too young.
A Mum teaches her pup not to mess the area they sleep in. So if you choose a breeder who has a separate type of flooring from where the pups sleep and mess you’ll find house training is almost done for you.
Puppies who hold back when others come forward maybe a sign of shy dog. Shy dogs need special work as they tend to have bad threat assessment which if not handled correctly can lead to reactivity later down the line.
Look out for inexperienced breeders/ puppy farms where dogs are born and kept in crates with minimal human contact. You want a licensed responsible breeder. It’s so important pups are not taken from their Mum and litter prior to at least 7 weeks and that they are regularly handled by humans in this time and introduced to household noises such as the washing machine, blender and vacuum cleaner. If not, you are highly likely to be dealing with behavior issues down the line.
For more info please book a training consultation.
TIP! A dog who loves treats can be a lot easier to train.
What Breed to Get?
You can book a consultation with me to discuss this in more detail but a few things to consider:
Working breeds particularly prior to four years need a lot of mental stimulation. They have been bred to work and if not worked can lead to behaviour problems.
Toy/ small breeds you may get away with less physical exercise but they need as much mental stimulation as their large counterparts so don’t think you can leave them to sit on the sofa bored all day.
Mixed breeds often have a lot less health problems.
If you are not home much watch our for getting a breeds prone to separation anxiety. Click here to find out more about this.
Try this handy breed comparison tool to compare breeds and group types. E.g Hounds, Terriers, Herding, Sporting etc.
https://www.akc.org/compare-breeds/
Helping dogs get along:
It’s best not to house two females together, especially not mum and daughter. Two dogs are said to fight for points, bitches to the end.
Contentious, big topic but….if you can keep what we might perceive as ‘hierarchy’ in place you stand a good chance of harmony. E.g two equally matched youngsters are much more like to not get along than an older stronger male in a house with a younger weaker female.
Speak to me more about introducing your new canine housemates.
Exercise
Sprinters, ones with twitch reflex eg bull breads are best getting many short sessions a day.
Distance dogs, such as herding dogs and labs will want long continuous walks.
Whats best for you?
Cockapoo’s
These dogs are so popular now I thought I’d write a section just on them.
Now don’t get me wrong I love Cockapoo’s and will be delighted to start working on them with you but here is a word of caution: Cockapoo’s were engineered to be a perfect companion dog. They combined two incredibly smart dogs bred to work with people and so hoped to get an easily trainable, family loving dog. By cross breeding they hoped to breed out the health defects and benefit from the hypoallergenic coat of the poodle. Great Idea! In reality appearance and temperament vary widely and I see more cockapoo’s with behaviour problems than any other breed. Maybe because there are more of them? Personally I believe the thing to remember when considering these breeds is you are not getting just a companion dog, you are getting two highly intelligent energetic working breeds who are selected for a strong bond to their people and all this mixed into one means if you don’t work their minds, exercise them enough and help build independence (which means not cradling like a baby) you are going to have problems.
So please by all means get a Cockapoo but don’t do it thinking there is not continuous work to do with them also.
If you are looking for that chilled out companion dog think about the following too:
Toy group/ companion dogs
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Miniature Schnauzer
Toy Poodle
Bichon
Japanese Spitz.
Miniature Schnoodle.
Cavapoo
Maltipoo
Mini Labradoodle
Terriers
Size wise there are many smaller breeds within the terrier group, so if your looking for something with a little more energy and tenacity then a terrier may be your choice.
In general, terriers are ratters, bred to hunt and kill vermin independently. Therefore on average they could be worse with other dogs but you just need to socialise them more when younger. They also could be harder to train, so you may need to work a little harder and do more training than the ones above.
Biewer Terrier
Cairn Terrier
Norfolk Terrier
Lucas Terier
Sporting Group
These are essentially your spaniels, reterivers, pointers and setters. They were bred to work closely with people to locate and/or retrieve quarry as opoosed to independlty like hounds and terriers. Therefore they tend to be easier to train, be good with people, however the were bred to go all day and work so they need a lot more exercise and mental stimulation. Examples include:
Cocker Spaniel
Labrador
Clumber Spaniel
Getting Your Dog
Have a look at rescues and breed specific rescues for the breed you want. Once filled out their form, keep an eye out on the website and instagram, call them and calmly state your case of why you are most suitable.
Here are Some London Rescue Centres to check out:
Blue Cross animal hospital, Hammersmith
Battersea
Shelter London - Hackney
All Dogs Matter Charity Shop
Mayhew
Dogs Trust
Wood Green, The Animals Charity - Rehoming Centre - Cats
Dogs Trust Muswell Hill
Celia Hammond Animal Trust
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Wild at heart.
Cinnamon Trust.
South East Dog Rescue
www.dogsblog.com
Foreign Rescues
Foreign rescues are often not being rehomed for behavior issues but you can’t meet them before committing. Also we already have a lot of rescue dogs in the UK but at the end of the day the all need rescuing.
Main issue with ‘street’ dogs is they can be quite under-socialized which could well mean behaviour problems develop in them, such as fear of men and or environment. Resource guarding items from other dogs is another one I see a lot of from the foreign rescues. If they are over four, you kind of know who the dog is by now but if they haven’t had much by way of training till this point, whilst they absolutely can and will learn new cues, you often never quite reach the level you can with a dog you start who has had a little work younger.
Domestic Rescues
These you tend to get a better idea of whats going on and if they are just under trained, like not coming back when called, generally speaking that sort of thing is not too problematic to fix. Separation anxiety is also common and again, its quite a bit of work but if you’re not having to rush out of the house without them for first four weeks you should be able to fix that.
Fear based reactivity to people/ other dogs is the sort of thing which can be trickiest to overcome. If you follow your trainers plan you should be able to improve and manage it but a complete fix is logistically less easy.
Key Points on sensitive period
Diets et al (2019)
https://brill.com/view/journals/beh/155/2-3/article-p83_1.xml?language=en
Pet’s 4 Homes and websites
This may link you up with a dog quickest but if an adult dog, you won’t know why it’s being re-homed whereas a rescue will assess the dog before you spend any money and commit to giving it a home.
If you do get one be sure the dog is Vet Checked first and you speak to the vet in person so ensure your dogs in good health and the microchip doesn’t say its stolen.
Getting your Dog Home
Would you leave a new born baby at home with the nanny or alone straight away? So please be prepared to be at home for a couple of weeks to get your Pup settled before thinking about being off at work full time. It will save problems later down the line.
A rescue who is happy alone may mean you can move back to your work routine quicker but they certainly need a good amount of time to settle and decompress especially if they have moved a lot in the last however long.
The first night can be very influential and I highly recommend you begin crate training from the moment you get home. Click here for a free guide to doing this.