Hello, new here and considering getting a dog

ORIGINAL: jazzdpb

we were planning to go the pound on saturday or sunday.
i'm leaning towards bichon frise. hopefully they have bichon/poodle mixes there. something hypoallergenic.
i'm in florida.

thanks for the comments. i know this is a huge decision. it's a living thing, not a new toy.  

Depending upon where you are in Florida, there are quite a few rescue organizations that specialize in small breeds.  Of course, with a pound dog, you'd be saving a life, because I'm pretty sure most of the state's AC facilities are kill shelters.  But if you don't find what you are looking for there, check Petfinder.org, type in your location and see what comes up.  You might have more options, while still giving a needy adult dog a home.

i think keeping a dog crated for several hours everyday is awful.

I guess I dont think its awful because some people need to do it for whatever reason... and some just prefer it.  Personally, I much prefer to let them have the house while Im gone.  Bailey went in the crate 3 times while I was gone, and then I started letting her in the house for short times... of course after she was getting pretty conistent with potty training.  And she was fine - unlike in the crate where she slobbered like a mad dog and was soaking wet with spit when I got back... thats also EXACTLY what Kayla did... and Kayla actually got out.  I think crates can serve a purpose if the dog enjoys it... although I still think they would prefer to have the house than be cooped up there... but some dogs do not enjoy it one bit. 
 
It is true that they adapt to your schedule, so a little more attention in the beginning will be needed for various things but after a while when the pup is settled it will be a piece of cake for you and the dog.  And as long as its a small dog the idea of pads or litter may work for you... I would potty train them for outside.. but you may prefer the pads. 

the thought of keeping a dog cooped up in a crate never crossed our minds, much less keeping it locked in a room...i guess it's going to be a wait-and-see thing when we first bring the dog home and it slowly starts getting used to our schedules. i'm sure the first week will be dreadful when we take off for work.
 
anyways, like i mentioned before, the dog will have access to the house (minus the rooms/bathrooms), and an open crate where he/she could do its business in. i'd hate to free the dog from captivity to put it back in a cage. i'm hoping that the dog eventually adapts to us and sleeps during the time we're away so that he/she's energized once we get home. []
 
god, if i find a dog that looks like [linkthis[/link]>http://www.welpen.de/zverzeichnis/bilder/bichon.jpg]this[/link], i'll be as good as sold. []

There are some breeds of cat that allergic people can have, do some research.  I have a friend who is very allergic to cats and they found a cat at a shelter who didn't bother them.  I wish you the best of luck with your new adventure.

you cant expect a dog to sleep all day, be awake for the few hours you are home in the evening, and then sleep all night as well.....

They may sleep most of the day... chew on some toys, and look out the window.  And then you get home and tire them out again before bed.  It could certainly work. 

I am one who does NOT think crate training is a bad idea at all... or that it is cruel... as long as some factors are thought through. 1. if the dog isn't potty trained and you're not going to be home, and if you don't have a secure room or area that they can have accidents in/on a crate is the next best thing. 2. if it's a puppy, puppies chew and eat things they shouldn't... they can chew cords and be electrocuted or find poisonous substances and consume them.. a crate put in a well selected area would stop that. I could go on and on about this but those are the two main things that I look at when I mention crate training.
 
ALTHOUGH, I am a house wife... so I am home almost 24/7 we don't do big vacations or any of that stuff, and we really only leave to get groceries, rarely go out to a movie and or dinner, or when we take the dogs on trails for a walk and or to the petstores with us! [] My dogs consider their crates *their* place, it is where they go for bedtime, where they go for a time out,  and usually where they go when they are tired, or afraid of someone that comes to the house for a visit. I consider dogs "den animals" they love their own spot to go and curl up for a good nap. I dunno about other toy dogs, but when mine get scared for whatever reason, their crate is their retreat... they feel safe and not bothered there. I made sure from the time they were puppies to know that their crates were *their* area their spot.. and they treat it as such. If i wasn't such a horrible tosser and turner at night, they'd be snoozing in bed right along with my husband and I...but since I could easily hurt them... they have their crates to sleep in with their beds and toys. If my pomies ever fully potty train, then sure they will be loose in my bedroom 24/7 but the two are still very young (8 months old) they are almost completly potty trained but can easily still have an accident and my other female was obviously never potty trained and since in my situation I rent from my parents crate training is my best option for now while they obviously cannot be 100% trusted outside their crate. <---they DO not potty in their crate unless they absolutly cannot hold it.
 
I think that being gone for hours on end for a younger dog (puppy) is a really hard way to train a dog.. but it obviously can be done. If I was in a situation like this, I'd probably turn my kitchen into a large area the dog could be in while I wasn't home... atleast until it was potty trained... and mean while the floor would be placed with puppy pee pads and or newspaper, and when I got home from work I'd work on training it potty training how ever I chose until they eventually got the hang of it. []
 
But in my experience and from what other pomie (and toy owners) have told me, small dogs are pretty complicated to fully potty train... so all I can do is wish the original poster good luck with their future doggie and  I hope if/when you do get a pup or dog that no matter what you don't give up on it, because most of it's problems will probably be from being home alone a lot ie; pottying in house, bad behavior (distruction of your stuff etc), barking...

i think crate training is a good idea too, the way you described it is fine.  what i think is cruel is leaving a dog home alone for 9 hours a day in a crate.  if someone has to do that ( i realize the person who started the topic already said they re not going to do that)  then they dont have time for a dog.

hey guys...guess what? on friday afternoon, my wife found this poor dog at a gas station who had gotten soaked because it had been raining all day (all week in fact). he had a dog tag, so she called the number listed and the guy asked her if she wanted the dog right off the bat.  

he gave her a song and a dance about how he needed to sell his house and move to an apartment that doesn't allow pets, blah, blah, blah, so she called me and asked if i wanted him. i told her of course and she took him home that same day. the guy even drove to the gas station and brought all his stuff with him. it's obvious he had abandoned the poor thing.

anyways, he's a yorkshire terrier, about 2 and a half years old, and one of the kindest and most obedient dogs i have ever seen. the good thing is that he was apparently raised in a strict household, so he know to stay off the beds and couches unless you ask him to hop on.

i petted him and felt a little bit of his spine and ribs, so he's obviously undernourished. we're gonna make sure he recovers and lives a happy life with us. i named him "R.C." in honor of this guest that appears on the phil hendrie radio show. not really a guest, per se, but a voice of a kid he does...you gotta listen to his show to know what i'm talking about. []

anyways, here are a few pics i took of him. the final three pictures are of him in the new bed we bought him last night. i picked the most comfortable one they had in petsmart, cause after all he had been through, i felt he really deserved it. poor little guy.

all in all, i'm glad i was patient and waited. i was tempted to buy from a pet store, but i refuse to support those bastards and decided to wait for the right dog at the right time. this was it.













here's the thread at my site in case you were interested in reading more: [linkhttp://www.encircling.us/forums/showthread.php?t=6022[/link]>http://www.encircling.us/forums/showthread.php?t=6022]http://www.encircling.us/forums/showthread.php?t=6022[/link]

what i think is cruel is leaving a dog home alone for 9 hours a day in a crate.  if someone has to do that ( i realize the person who started the topic already said they re not going to do that)  then they dont have time for a dog.

 
Well I must wholeheartedly disagree.  My dog stays in his crate 9-10 hours a day while I'm at work.  I can't afford a dog walker or a doggie day care.  He's perfectly fine in there, he sleeps all day, and when I come home, we go to kennel club for 3-5 hours and work.  He loves it. 
 
To say somebody doesn't have enough time for a dog just because they have to go to work is incredibly insulting.  We don't all have the benefit of staying at home all day so our dogs can be out.  Sorry, but my dogs will never ever be allowed full run of the house.  I just don't trust for something NOT to go wrong if they're out and about when I'm not home.  IMO, that's like leaving a 6 year old child to his own devices for 9 hours.  It's not practical and not safe.
 
I've got plenty of time for my dog.  He spends 9 total hours in a crate, and 15 total hours out of one.  He lives a fine life.
Congrats on your new dog Jazz

Wow, what are the chances of FINDING one of the exact breeds that you were looking for?! That's beyond lucky! He's lucky also to have come across your wife- I can't believe someone would just abandon a dog. How incredibly cruel to just dump him out in the world to fend for himself. [] But what kind of idiot would do that and leave the tags on him??

ORIGINAL: Xeph

what i think is cruel is leaving a dog home alone for 9 hours a day in a crate.  if someone has to do that ( i realize the person who started the topic already said they re not going to do that)  then they dont have time for a dog.

Well I must wholeheartedly disagree.  My dog stays in his crate 9-10 hours a day while I'm at work.  I can't afford a dog walker or a doggie day care.  He's perfectly fine in there, he sleeps all day, and when I come home, we go to kennel club for 3-5 hours and work.  He loves it. 

To say somebody doesn't have enough time for a dog just because they have to go to work is incredibly insulting.  We don't all have the benefit of staying at home all day so our dogs can be out.  Sorry, but my dogs will never ever be allowed full run of the house.  I just don't trust for something NOT to go wrong if they're out and about when I'm not home.  IMO, that's like leaving a 6 year old child to his own devices for 9 hours.  It's not practical and not safe.

I've got plenty of time for my dog.  He spends 9 total hours in a crate, and 15 total hours out of one.  He lives a fine life.
Congrats on your new dog Jazz

No kidding!  Some of us have no other choice.

If I let Roxie roam free, she'd destroy the house.  LOL!  Who knows -- she may even get into something toxic and I wouldn't know until it was too late.  For her safety (and the well-being of my home), she's crated while I'm at work.

wow, that is so awesome!  what a great story, im really happy for you and RC    grats on having patience hehe.

Congrats on your new pupper.
 
My german shepherds are crated when I'm gone and some days it can be a LONG day.  They *might* be ok in the house, but someone might snarl and then all bets could be off....if I'm here, "that'll do" takes care of any wild hairs....
 
More importantly to me, I have SIX german shepherds.  No fire fighter in his/her right mind is gonna try to come into my house and save them in the event of a fire.  BUT, crated, a firefighter can safely enter the house, and safely pull the crates outside.  My father was a firefighter so fire safety is a biggie to me and knowing that my dogs can be rescued "just in case", well thats important.