Question: What would be a good addition to our pet family?

(Posted by: ♥ Her ♥ on 2010-03-12 20:14:28)

My husband and I have been talking about getting another dog when we buy a house and have a fenced yard. We currently have 2 cats that are inside- they could really care less about another dog. We have a pom/ chi mix(male) and a siberian husky (female). They are both great dogs, and even though they are such opposites, they love eachother and play, and play fight all the time. And they are great with our son too. We will for sure go to a shelter- I dont believe in buying dogs. But i would really like to find a golden retriever. I have wanted one since i was a little kid- would they be a good addition? Any other breeds I should look at? I dont believe in buying dogs from BYBs or pet stores. Adoption is totally different. And yea you pay to adopt but it is not even close to the same thing as buying them. And for what its worth, I am a stay at home mom, so all I do all day is take care of the pets and baby- and the house of course, but I have tons of time :D

Posted by: monkey and bananas on 2010-03-12, 20:17:45

I think you should get a golden retriever since you wanted one since you were little. and i think any breed will be ok for you if your other two dogs are well behaved then you can probably train another one :). if you dont think you have enough room maybe a smaller breed but i think youll be fine. good luck! :)

Posted by: It's Only Me on 2010-03-12, 20:18:06

I would avoid most terriers as they are very prey driven.

Posted by: Didgets on 2010-03-12, 20:18:46

Good for you, for looking in shelters! I wish more people were like that, but of course shelter dogs aren't for everybody! As you know, once you walk into a shelter, you are no longer in charge of picking a dog, it's more like the dog picks you. lol Good luck and God bless!

Posted by: Tim on 2010-03-12, 20:19:57

I am a little worried about the pomchi. Right now he has no problems with the husky and they seem to get along fine; they have an understanding of how to play with each other. When you bring in a golden that has a lot of energy and smashes into the pomchi with his big paws, your little one's personality will change for the worse. The newby will have to learn how to play with the little guy right away.

Posted by: Gene on 2010-03-12, 20:21:16

If you couldn't find your Golden, the Labrador Retriever is a great addition to a family.

Posted by: mrssmith on 2010-03-12, 20:24:58

It really depends...with 2 cats and 2 dogs and a child... will you have time to play with all the dogs? and cats if you do. dogs need at least an hr walk a day and lots of play time (together and individually) if you do not do that now, then dont get another dog. Huskies and golden retrivers need A LOT of exercise, play and training.

Posted by: Shayla D on 2010-03-12, 20:25:44

Well, it depends on the size of dog you want. Great family dogs that are easy to train, and get along with children/ small animals are as follows: King Charles Cavelleir : Small, Lots of grooming required Retreiver: Large, Medium Grooming Olde English Bulldouge(NOT ENGLISH BULLDOG): Medium, No grooming required Almost any Pointer: Medium-Large, Little to no grooming The Possibilities are almost endless But in all breeds, there could be a bad dog, so i suggest going to a kennel or animal sheltor. Each dog is observed and they can tell you if they do well with other animals, how agressive they are, how active they will be, etc. and they can match you with the perfect new addition to your family

Posted by: aussiemom on 2010-03-12, 20:29:40

Any dog would probably fit in with your household just fine, but i do have a question for you. If you adopt a dog, you still have to pay money for them, so aren't you still technically "buying " the dog? If you pay money, you bought it. Yes, its wonderful that you are saving a dog from the shelter, but you still bought it.

Posted by: sherbtgirl on 2010-03-12, 20:31:32

I am currently 15 and i have grown up with golden retrievers till this day, shown them, groomed them, played with them. I have a little Japanese chin dog and all the goldens love her. They get along with any dog and i defiantly recommend you get one because they are beautiful natured animals.

Posted by: Soccer<333 on 2010-03-13, 09:31:20

I would definitely look into getting a wheaten terrier. They grow to be about 45-50 pounds, and are great dogs. I have one, and he is the most loyal dog I have ever met. He reads moods so well, and will spend hours laying on you and "kissing " you until you feel better. He always greets people at the door, and loves everyone he sees. Wheatens absolutely love playing with toys, people, and other dogs, and are great with people. I would make sure they your son is over the age of say, 6 or 7, just because these dogs sometimes get a little carried away when playing and can run into your legs and possibly knock you over if you are small. Otherwise, a great dog. If you Google the dogs picture, what you see is not typical. The long hair on the face and body is not common unless its a show coat. I know that look is a turnoff for some people, but a family dog does not look like that.