dog

[SorenLorensen]

It's not just for xmas.

[Spacecadet]

Their mum was handed in when pregnant as her owner couldnt cope because her husband had just gone to jail and she was pregnant as well.

Sounds like he was a busy man!

[thunderlizard]

thinking bout buying a dog / pup for the missus

Sounds like a fair swap.

oh come on, it nearly works...

[Zippy]

It's not just for xmas.

Good point. It's not a great time of year to get a new dog as Christmas will happen just as they are trying to settle in. It could be quite distressing for them.
Go to a rescue centre after Christmas.

[bandit_legs]

Sounds like a fair swap.

oh come on, it nearly works...

[bandit_legs]

More likely to be ready trained and house broken. Any reputable rescue center will know what the dogs in their care are like and will not let them go to a home that isnt prepared for them.

If you really want a puppy ( it's far more work than you think it's going to be ) then rescues usually have a fair few as well. Pregnant females are regularly abandoned because their "owners" dont want to deal with it.

We got our two pups last month from a rescue center. Their mum was handed in when pregnant as her owner couldnt cope because her husband had just gone to jail and she was pregnant as well.

what breed of pup did you go for? does your missus stay at home to look after them or do you leave them to destroy your house while you are out funding it?

[DaveB]

Buy two. They like having company.

This is true, there are advantages to having two. They will keep eachother company, they will settle into their new home faster, they will sleep through the night from day one.

They will also wind eachother up, distract each other when you are trying to train/discipline them, fight noisily and energetically at the least suitable moment, make twice as much mess, be twice as likely to chew the carpets or furniture and cost twice as much.

Two dogs are not the same effort as one, it's not even the same as one doubled, it;s more like three times.

You have to know you are a dog person before you commit to having more than one!

[BoredBloke]

Don't get one that you couldn't kick off you if it turned. My sister in law has one of those chav dogs which is 95% muscle and 5% teeth

[Pogle]

Don't buy one, rescue one from a shelter.

WHS

we have 2 rescued Guinea pigs and 2 rescued moggies -all are fine and dandy.

[DaveB]

what breed of pup did you go for? does your missus stay at home to look after them or do you leave them to destroy your house while you are out funding it?

Ours are Staffordshire Bull Terriers ( Mostly, we think. Mum was a Staffy, Dad was unknown but may have been an English Bull Terrier ). I'm not getting into a discussion about the breed, I'm fed up of arguing with people about "killer dogs".

MrsB is at home at the moment, we probably woudn't have got them if she wern't. One would be a lot less work than two, but we still wouldnt leave a young pup alone in the house for any great length of time. It's bad for the dog as well as the furniture.