Advice

[BellaPake]

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Hi,
Right now me and my family are in the process of looking for a dog, we were hoping to get one in just under a year. So we can be the best owners we can possibly be we wanted to educate our selves on the hazards and safety of having a dog. For example last week we heard a story of where a dog unfortunately died b3cause it had caught the ball the owner had thrown for him and it had got stuck in it's airways. If you have any advice we would really appreciate it.

 

[JoanneF]

How sad - in this case it sounds like the ball was too small.

But I realise that was just an example. Your question is pretty wide, it is impossible to cover every eventuality.

In terms of safety, do you have children? Because the sort of risk assessment you would do for them (nothing sharp, hot, electrical etc. within reach) would be the sort of thing you'd do for a dog. Pens are helpful for containing a puppy safely while you take a shower for example.

Before you get a dog, it is a good idea to read up about the breeds you are interested in. The temperament and the needs vary from breed to breed. Do you have any breeds in mind?

 

[BellaPake]

How sad - in this case it sounds like the ball was too small.

But I realise that was just an example. Your question is pretty wide, it is impossible to cover every eventuality.

In terms of safety, do you have children? Because the sort of risk assessment you would do for them (nothing sharp, hot, electrical etc. within reach) would be the sort of thing you'd do for a dog. Pens are helpful for containing a puppy safely while you take a shower for example.

Before you get a dog, it is a good idea to read up about the breeds you are interested in. The temperament and the needs vary from breed to breed. Do you have any breeds in mind?

Yes 3 children living in the house but they are all older 13-18. We were thinking of a cockapoo or something like that

 

[JoanneF]

One of the issues about crossbreeds is that you can never be sure what the dog will be like because it can inherit traits from either side. Even within a litter you can get, for example, different coat types. They are generally nice little dogs though, try to find a breeder that does proper tests on both parents to make sure the puppies don't suffer any inheritable conditions.

You might find this thread helpful

Puppy Farming

 

[excuseme]

Both parents should be DNA tested for various hereditary conditions, and they should have a clear BVA eye certificate. All of these tests should show on the Kc health testing result section. Cross breeds can still suffer from hereditary conditions. Take care and be aware.

 

[JudyN]

As with humans, children or otherwise, accidents can happen, however careful you are. But it's a good idea to be aware of specific risks.

Some foods are poisonous to dogs. Examples are onions, products containing Xylitol (e.g. some sweets and some brands of peanut butter, chocolate (particularly dark), raisins, grapes. A google will bring up plenty more.

Rawhide can cause blockages and is best avoided.

Throwing sticks can be dangerous as the dog could catch them at speed and they may pierce the back of his mouth. Also, chasing balls if there is a lot of twisting and turning can be bad for the joints in the long run.

Overexercising a puppy can harm the joints - the usual advice is that walks should be no longer than 5 minutes per month of age. Jumping off furniture and using stairs can also be harmful, depending on the breed so is best kept to a minimum.

Cooked bones are dangerous, raw bones are fine.

Old-style 'dominance' approaches to training can be dangerous for both owner and dog. An example is resource guarding- if you insist that you should be able to take anything off your dog, and the dog disagrees, this can potentially lead to a bite - possibly to a child. And in relation to this, learn to recognise when a dog is stressed (ears back, shifty eyes, lip licking) and never punish a growl - you really want to know when your dog isn't comfortable, so you can adjust your behaviour, and then train to get round the situation in future.

Hot weather - dogs can't cool down as efficiently as us so shouldn't be exercised when it's really hot. And if you can't hold the back of your hand on the pavement for a few seconds, it's hot enough to burn their pads. And, of course, dogs DO die in hot cars!

Never let your dog run up to an on-lead dog, no matter how friendly he is. You don't know why the other dog is on lead...

Please don't let that lot put you off! They're all things easily avoided, but important to know.

 

[lurcherman]

I’m hearing this happen on a regular basis nowadays and so sad, I’m a walker of many miles So the ball was never a big thing for me and the dogs , I seen it as cheating, and when I did I rolled the ball as many dogs jump and lunge with there mouth which I think may play a part to the deep throut ball insertion, if you want no accident by the ball then it’s so simple!!!! Don’t buy one.

 

[Dibbythedog]

You've had great advice. Id like to add to that -check your fences and gates are secure and high enough so the dog can't jump over. Some dogs are houdinis.

 

[Finsky]

You've had great advice. Id like to add to that -check your fences and gates are secure and high enough so the dog can't jump over. Some dogs are houdinis.

Indeed...or secure so that they cannot go under. Dogs can be very efficient diggers too