New dog!!??

[DJ Lestat]

Well my kids and I have been trying to convince the wife to let us get a family dog and I think we're very, very close. This past weekend we gathered with family and friends at my sisters house and one of her friends has a 8 week old Boxer there(she's a breeder) and my wife held that pup for the longest time and I think he melted her for us. We talked more about getting a dog on Saturday night and then on Easter Sunday we had another family gathering where a family friend works for a shelter and she said she has a purebred Miniature Schnauzer rescue(5 months old) that would be perfect for us. We're going to meet him on Saturday and if all goes well we'll adopt him on Sunday at a Petsmart Adoption event.

He's only 5 mos old and I think the training part is making me nervous....we want a family friendly dog thats fun to play with but not too hyper. I know alot of this has to do with training. The kids are 4 & 10 so this may be a challenge to get the kids on board with the training, especially the little one.

All of this makes me very excited and nervous at the same time! Any dog owners out there that want to chime in?



~~~~~~Always remember you are unique....just like everyone else.~~~~~~

[coop41]

[quote]Originally posted by DJ Lestat
[br]

we want a family friendly dog thats fun to play with but not too hyper.


[/quote]


get a cat![:D] ((we have 2 dogs and 2 cats)

[DJ Lestat]

we've had cats before..last one was 15 and passed 2 years ago....I like cats but I'm ready for a dog. The other rescue we were considering is a Labradoodle but she said he will be much bigger 40+ and very hyper.


~~~~~~Always remember you are unique....just like everyone else.~~~~~~

[coop41]

[quote][i]Originally posted by DJ Lestat[/i]
<br>we've had cats before..last one was 15 and passed 2 years ago....I like cats but I'm ready for a dog. The other rescue we were considering is a Labradoodle but she said he will be much bigger 40+ and very hyper.


~~~~~~Always remember you are unique....just like everyone else.~~~~~~
[/quote]

Labradoodles are quite hyper I can tell you for sure.
I got two rescued dogs that are mutts and they are awesome dogs!

[WolverineSyr]

Consistency is key - do the same thing every time if you want them to learn anything. Some of it comes naturally though - commands, leash training, etc.

Socialize it early to people not in the home and other dogs.

House training is the easy part - it's everything else that kicks your ass. Reward good behavior, don't reward bad behavior. If you're going to discipline - do it right away. They don't remember things past a minute or two & will have no idea why you're yelling.

Don't let him get away with aggressive behavior just because he's a miniature. The reason small dogs can be yappy or nippers is because they think they're king of the hill.

It's going to be a wild, awesome and frustrating ride! Find a forum for your breed. Dog forums tend to be incredibly busy & very helpful - especially during the puppy years.

[phillyidol]

The best advice you can get is remember pack mentality. Dogs are easy to figure out because they are thinking of the pack. It is their natural
way of thinking. You must establish you are the boss right away or they will take that place. Boxers slobber too much, labs are too hyper. I would 100% go for a mixed breed or a mutt because the defects are bred out of them. Pure breeds have too many problems. My pure breed golden retriever had 2 hip surgeries.




Worlds GREATEST Photographer!