Daughter getting dog...what do you think? *UPDATE*

[happylabs]

My daughter's boyfriend wants to buy her a dog for her 21st birthday which is tomorrow. She goes to college three days a week and is home the rest of the week. When she is home she spends most of her time with the boyfriend. The boyfriend already has a boxer mix female. She is a very sweet dog but like an only child. My daughter loves this dog but she misses Casey and wants a Lab. I told her I am not home enough to justify having a dog for now.

I am just concerned that they will not have enough time to train a puppy. The boyfriend goes to college in our home town and also has a job. If they do get another dog, I think they should wait until spring/summer. However, maybe I am just being an overly concerned mom.

I am not sure they have thought it through as to how much time and effort it takes to train a puppy and also how the boxer mix will deal with a puppy.

Thoughts?

[SWHouston]

Helen,

All your concerns are absolutely well founded !

Each and every animal we have, deserves training, at least in some part, and will retain that throughout it's life. Though important, that is secondary to what I feel is...

One never knows, how a more mature animal will deal with a Puppy !
Even when things go well, at the onset of contact between mature and puppy, at some point, things could go wrong, and I think we know who would suffer the most in a fight, because of a little excessive puppyness.

IF they decide to get another, those animals need to be closely observed for at least a week or more, to make sure there isn't a disaster pending.

Tell them to wait till they have time to do this right.

Have a good Day !
S.W.

[moosmom]

I echo was SWHouston said. Labs are high energy and need a place to run and burn off that energy. It wouldn't be fair to keep a dog cooped up all day.

[SWHouston]

Q: What kind of Friend, would give you a Dog ?

A: The second best Friend, you'll ever have.

Have a good Day !
S.W.

[Craftlady]

The "mom" of a now 2 1/2 yr old lab (Coco)
The first six months was HIGH energy 175%. Thankfully we had a backyard to use (our church's parsonage) that was fenced in to let Coco run. Lab's take allot of work at first. Coco is the MOST loving, loyal dog I knew before we got Snoopy

[lizbud]

Do you have the last word on this, or do they? If it were me, I wouldn't
do it now. Both people have school & work, and want to spend time with
each other and that's fine,but sounds like little time left over for all that a
new pup requires. Then there is the expense involved. For what its worth,
I'd say, not now.

[k9krazee]

I would at least try to convince her to wait until the spring/summer. For me personally, I find it much to hard to raise a puppy in the winter. It is so much harder to housebreak a puppy, and you can't accomplish much socialization.

[Freedom]

A friend of ine has labs. One is 11, the other 12. She says it is a relief to have older labs, as they "only" need a 2 hour walk per day now! When they were younger, she thought nothing of going off on a hike with them for half a day or so, on a regular basis (4 to 6 days per week). She takes them to 3 different places with huge open fields, and they can run and run and run and . . . .

I've heard boxers are high energy, low attention span (for training). How old is the BF's dog? No need to answer, just another factor to work in the mix. If that one is older, it is not going to be helping exercise the puppy much; the humans are going to have to do it!

[Karen]

If he is considering maybe rescuing an older dog, that would be far different than a puppy or young dog, particularly with Labs. Encourage him, if you can, to give her a stuffed Lab, with a note attached that says "redeem for a real dog, when we meet the right one!" For years I kept a "baby bunnie certificate" that Paul gave me that was good for one "baby hatchling bunny as soon as we have a house with a yard." It was, of course, finally redeemed for a certain Miss Hoppy!

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Well you and I both know Labs... and I totally agree with you that they should wait til things with school slow down to get a puppy... those Lab puppy are go go go!! And need constant attention, as you know! But good luck to her with her decision!

[Vette]

I think your concerns are well founded. i think its best to wait to get pets till after ones college course/s are through for good.

but if they adopt or rescue an adult dog the chances of the dog being potty trained is high an if he/she is that should alleviate training time a good bit. however its still of course unknow to how the Boxer mix will take another dog regardless of its a puppy or not.

[happylabs]

If he is considering maybe rescuing an older dog, that would be far different than a puppy or young dog, particularly with Labs. Encourage him, if you can, to give her a stuffed Lab, with a note attached that says "redeem for a real dog, when we meet the right one!" For years I kept a "baby bunnie certificate" that Paul gave me that was good for one "baby hatchling bunny as soon as we have a house with a yard." It was, of course, finally redeemed for a certain Miss Hoppy!

I like that idea Karen!

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I second that, GREAT idea Karen!!

[Varga]

That is such a sweet idea Karen. Or perhaps I should say Paul, since I suppose he came up with it in the first place. So cute!

[Karen]

That is such a sweet idea Karen. Or perhaps I should say Paul, since I suppose he came up with it in the first place. So cute!

Yes, he's pretty darned adorable, and smart - I "got a good one" as my friend has told me many times!