Small dogs, probably pugs, specifically...a question

[Pam]

No offense,but I don't think you should get "some puppies) at all. If you
won't have time to train them properly or even get to spend time with them,
don't bother.

Sorry, but I'm with Liz here. Cats are more appropriate for someone in your situation. Also, as WolfQ said, dogs and cats cannot share litter boxes. The first thing my vet told me when I added cats to my 'dog household' was to make sure the dogs never had access to the litterbox for just the reason she mentioned.

[caseysmom]

Yes my dogs are definetely cat poop eaters, it is disgusting. I think a well evaluated adult dog would be a good option, I swore after I had Bubba I would never own another puppy. He chewed up the bottom of my dining room chairs, 5 of my daughters school books and the list goes on.

[shais_mom]

1) Let us not forget this is NOT Johanna's first dog. So I think she understands the difference b/n dogs and puppies and cats.
2) I too was a bit at the 'get some puppies'. But more on the fact does this mean 2-3- or 9?
3) I am single. I live alone. I work full time. The shift I work I wasn't able to come home and let out a puppy. Keegan is 6 years old and hasn't had an accident for years. Can a person be single, work full time and raise a puppy? You bet. Does it take maybe a bit longer than being able to be there all the time. Probably. Keegan came to me at 6 weeks old. I didn't have a choice but crate her for 8+ hours while I was working. Should I send her back now?
I just understood that I had to clean the crate. Sometimes there were messes sometimes there weren't. I don't think she has sufferered any setbacks. On the weekends when I work 12 hour shifts, she either goes to my parents or my neighbors come over to let her out.


I have every confidence that Jo will do what is right for her, Jonah and the new dog/dogs/puppy/puppies. Good luck my friend.

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

Hey, well there are a lot of good points in all these posts but I am sure you know what is best for your household.

Yes small dogs can be potty box trained. Chopper is both box trained and outside trained. He will use his box even when we are home during the day but will go out with me if I take the big dogs out. It is not hard work to train them, just the same as training them to go outside. And it does make it easier on both you and the dog when you have to leave the house for too long of a period.

Dogs cannot use the same boxes as cats, not just because they will eat the poo but because some dogs will eat the litter and this could cause an obstruction. They have dog litter but I find it more expensive then the pads. I use potty pads that I buy at Wal-Mart (32 pads for like $7) and just lay them in the bottom of the dog litter pan, change as necessary and yes they will tend to go next to it if the pads cleanliness does not meet their expectations. I use one to two pads a day (depends on how much outside time we spend). I flush the poos as soon as I see he has gone and I know that once he has piddled on his pad three times he will not - WILL NOT - use it again.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I am sure an older dog can be trained to use a box too, just may take patience because they might not understand at first why you are trying to make them go inside when they know they are suppose to go outside, but dogs are smart and I think given the guidance needed they will get the idea.

[Jods]

I don't know if soemone suggested this or not but what about puppy pads?? they are specifically for dogs and you just place it on the floor?

[Christiansmommy]

So yeah, I think your original question was just whether or not puppies or dogs could be litter trained...

So, I think yes, I have heard of it, but have never done it, a Swissie in a litter box would be quite a seen!!, LOL


My uncle has to be out of the house on occasion, but is generally home all of the time, but anyway, he uses the puppy pads, so I don't see why a puppy couldn't be littered trained...but an adult dog, I think would be set in their ways as for the litter training...so if litter training is your only option for potty breaks, I would think it would have to be a puppy.

[4 Dog Mother]

Johanna, I am thinking of another aspect of this you have not mentioned and I suspose that is because I just got the puppy. Puppies like to chew and bite - they do not differentiate between a toy and a person especially a child who would not understand why the "puppy" was biting them. That too takes some time to train out of them.

Personally having adopted 5 older pups and dogs, I would go with an already trained older dog (and it doesn't have to be that old - it could still be a year or so old). None of our dogs were around kids much before we got them but they all do very well with Jasmine and Dominic. All of them can wait 10 hours or more to go potty. Fortunately for them, that doesn't happen on a regular basis - I work only part time for 9-3 and can't get home for lunch so they always (well, until Christy moved in) had at least a 6 1/2 hour wait - of course, sometimes I do not always come straight home. I have been very blessed with the dogs I have chosen and they are always able to wait. Amy and Ralph have the 3 dogs and I am pretty sure they have had a 9-10 hour wait much of the time they have had them. Now Ralph goes in earlier than Amy and then gets home from work earlier so their wait is not quite so long. They give their dogs plenty of attention in the evenings and weekends. It is sometimes like what we have to give our kids - quality time rather than quantity.

But anyway I think it is something you and dogs can handle. It would probably be better to have two dogs so they would have company - even if they are in crates near each other - although I don't believe you have to get them at the same time. You could chose one, get it used to your family and schedule and then add the other later on. We got Taggert and Snoopy about 3 or 4 months apart and they became fast friends - their crates are next to each other.

There are some breeds that seem to have more separation anxiety than others - I would investigate that if you could (although I have Snoopy and he hates it when I am not with him but he still does well). I know dogs need to have human attention but I often wonder how much better off they are sitting in pens in shelters for months waiting for someone to adopt them or being euthanized rather than someone giving them a warm home, food and as much attention that that family can.

[Cataholic]

WOW! I don't think I WAS offended until after my last post, and reading people's responses. I do thank Staci for recognizing that I actually do have first hand knowledge of dogs, not to overlook the fact I grow up in a household of a breeder. Not somthing I love to confess to, but, surely something that gave me alot of first hand experience with puppies and dogs.

I didn't realize using the phrase 'get some puppies' connoted such a negative thing. What I meant was, "I, Johanna, was thinking of adopting two puppies". I said it in the way that I did as I was really trying to come across as kind of casual, as adopting ANY canine, after what I went through emotionally, physically, financially, with Binx was such a huge step for me.

As for adopting a dog for a weekend, so that I might *really* understand things? Thanks, but, that was kind of a cheap shot.

Again, I do appreciate the people that informed me a cat and a dog cannot share a litterbox. I didn't really think about dog's gross love of cat feces, not the litter problem. And, an older puppy, younger'ish adult would certainly be a consideration.

I was just in the thinking stages, and, will, of course, do what is right for my family, and any pets I adopt in the future. Kind of like I have done for the whole of my adult life.

[Lori Jordan]

I also have to add my dogs are cat poop eaters too and they have made some messed in the past,But i out smarted them and put a hole in the door so the cats can do there thing,and the dogs cannot get to it lol....


When i first got Maggy and Lacy i was working 12 hour days,But i was on the road and could stop in and let them out anytime,And my husband was never around,At that time he was driving truck.

And they both got used to it,I did not have any problems,It is not fair saying that she cannot have a dog because she works.

I think you will do just fine,Let me know if you do get the pups and how the litter training goes,I have a friend with a small Yorkie,Who goes "Potty" everywhere,that might also benifit her.

[Ginger's Mom]

Thank you, Johanna, for clearing everything up in your last post. I was really confused by your initial post because I had never thought of you as anything but a responsible pet owner. But your initial post sounded as if you didn't really care to spend time doing what was needed for a pup. I was sure that I was missing something.

[Twisterdog]

Here is another thought. Obviously I don't know the floorplan of your house, but could you close a couple of doors, and have one area of the house for the cats, so they stay in the house all the time and have their own food and litter boxes? Then, have a separate area of the house for the dogs, with a dog door leading to the yard? You could always close the dog door when you get home and let everyone out together, with supervision.

Pugs are good small dogs, in general, for young children. They are far sturdier than most dogs their size, and generally easy going and happy.

One thing I'd recommend is getting two dogs. Dogs are pack animals, and I do believe that one dog alone all day is not the best situation. Two dogs keep each other company.

In May I got two JRT puppies. Yes, in a way it's more difficult, especially housetraining. Hmmmm .... which one of you made that puddle? But, OTOH, it's easier in a way because they play with each other a lot, thus giving you a break from constantly entertaining and being a chew toy for the puppy. But, I work at home, so I was here for the dreaded house training/chewing months. I honestly would never have attempted a puppy when I worked away from home all day.

Another thing I've learned in my decades of working with dogs is that there is NO truth, absolutely and across the board, to either side of the "best to get a puppy/best to get an adult" debate.

Yes, puppies can be trained the way you want. Provided of course, that you have the patience/time/knowledge/desire to do it properly. For many, many years of my life, I did not. Not at all. That didn't make me a bad dog owner. I was busy, working full time and raising a child. So I got adult, already basically trained dogs.

And one thing everyone who gets a puppy would be wise to remember: Yes, there is a LOT that training/environment/upbringing can do to mold a puppies temperment. However, there is also a LOT of the dog's personality that is hard-wired before birth. Just like with humans, nature vs. nuture. And you are not going to know definitively the personality that little fuzzball puppy is going to have as an adult. Example: My cocker spaniel Lacie was an aloof, independent adult dog. She didn't want to snuggle, didn't want to be held. She would tolerate it, but never thrived on attention or sought it out. I got her at six weeks old and trained her. She never had a bad experience in her life. It was just her innate personality. And it wasn't the innate personality I would have chosen, had I got an adult dog. I loved her, and had her for fifteen years. But her "puppy personality" gave no clues to what her "dog personality" was going to be.

One nice thing about getting an adult dog from a rescue, is that the rescue folks have done a lot of the hard work for you. They have evaluated the temperment, worked on the house training, chewing, etc. They are VERY invested in that dog, and if its not a good match, they are going to be the first to tell you. That is my recommendation for you. Find a good pug rescue, and start working with them. It may take some time, but eventually they will help you find a couple of perfect dogs for you.

[shais_mom]

Jo - you are welcome. I didn't want you to think I was Bringing up Binx to bring up bad memories. I was just astounded at the people that seemed to forget that this wouldn't be your first dog... Heck, I was a bit put out over it!!!
I think whatever dog you look into it should definately be black and white - to fit in with your color scheme!!!



PS
and yes I AM KIDDING!!
so no one needs to think I'm only advocating for black and white dogs.

[Cincy'sMom]

PS
and yes I AM KIDDING!!
so no one needs to think I'm only advocating for black and white dogs.

But black and white dogs ARE the best. Just ask my 3

[shais_mom]

But black and white dogs ARE the best. Just ask my 3

very true!!!

[Cataholic]

Are there such things as harlequin pugs? LOL! Do you know how many emails I get that say, "look, these would blend right into your household", and it is always pictures of black and white dogs.

Twister- you stated the VERY reason I was interested in TWO dogs/puppies. For company/companionship. Just like if I adopted some kittens- it would be at least two (as opposed to one. Lord, I realize I am trying to be so careful in my explanations so as to not draw criticism. It is slowing down my typing, frankly, and is ending now.).

My houseplan isn't well suited to anything, sadly. My lack of a extra room that I can close off is what keeps me from fostering cats/kittens. I do have a kitchen, and I could put up a gate, but, the cats eat in there, and I don't want to displace them.

Maybe I will just table this idea until I move into a larger home....who knows.