should I get another dog?

[caseysmom]

To "try" to make a long story short...we got casey a year ago, she was dumped at a shelter her owners said she didn't get along with their other dog. She is very timid and seems to have been mistreated.

She does okay when my brother brings his dog over but casey does growl if he keeps bugging her. My 13 year old would like a dog for herself. She is going through somewhat of a trying time, she is boy crazy and I am putting lots of boundaries. I think if she bonds with a dog it would be great for her. Me and my other daughter are more bonded with casey and casey is somewhat difficult to bond with you have to do all the initiating of any contact she is extremely shy.

After all the problems heinz57 has had I am scared, casey isn't aggressive and I would crate the new dog in my daughters room(if it is destructive) during our 7 hours of nobody home.

What does everybody think? My daughter wants a small dog, any suggestions of a mellow small dog? I was thinking about a pomeranian because I like the size and the coat but I don't know much about their disposition. Also do you think male or female would do better with a female already present?

[sammy101]

actually the best thing to do is a larger male.Dont get another female..i wouldnt recommend it.When we got Kodie,we had to get a male dog b/c my RB Sheena was aggresiive with other dogs,,and once he was bigger than her then she never even touched him again. lol,so i would definently recommend a larger male than a smaller female/male dog.

[caseysmom]

We go camping and stay in a cabin with a friend of ours that has a female lab/beagle mutt, casey actually does better with her than with my brothers male dog. I wonder if its a personally issue because the lab/beagle she pretty much leaves casey alone.

[lute]

i would take your daughter and Casey to the shelter and see if they get along with any of the dogs there.

i have a pomerainian and he's a mellow guy. he does require a good amount of grooming. he's really smart(as are all poms)and is quite shy at times.

i would go with what sammy101 says about the male/female thing.

[dukedogsmom]

I would just be sure that she really wants the dog and it's not just a phase, you know? I'm not sure but I think Pomeranians are a little on the hyper side? Italian Greyhounds are pretty laid back. I really don't know much about the smaller breeds, though.

[GraciesMommy]

I belong to 2 yorkie sites and most there have 2 dogs. I only have one and feel that is all I can handle..I think Gracie will always be an only child..

[caseysmom]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
I would just be sure that she really wants the dog and it's not just a phase, you know? I'm not sure but I think Pomeranians are a little on the hyper side? Italian Greyhounds are pretty laid back. I really don't know much about the smaller breeds, though.

I have thought about that quite a bit actually and have another daughter who wants to be a vet to pitch in if that happens but I may actually make her sign a contract or something. I got upset with everyone for saying stuff about kids...now I think they were right! In my next life I will stick with my fur babies!

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

well, first I'd like to say DO NOT get a dog if your Daughter is the only one in the family who wants it, you also have to want the dog aswell If your daughter truly wants a dog and is willing to take care of it then that's fine but there is still going to be times that she might not want to do everything for it. I have "my own" dog, I do take care of her and I do more for/with her than anyone else does in my family but there are some days that I may not be feeling well or something and can't do as much as I normally do with her. Also, I don't think you should let her choose the breed by herself. What my family has done in the past with choosing a breed is make a list of one or two breeds that each family member wants and then decide from there which all of you think would be best for the family Anyway, I honestly don't know alot about small breeds other than Dachshunds so I can't help you much there, I hope I have been a little bit of help.

(also, these are just my personal opinions/experiences)

[caseysmom]

I have no problem taking care of the dog, with the exception of letting her get out of the responsibility. I totally love animals and wouldn't mind that part I just don't want to let her off that easy.

[bckrazy]

I got Gonzo when I was 13 too.. I had never taken full responsibility for any dog up until then. I was getting into a lot of trouble at school and out of school, and our Rottwieler of 7 years had just passed away. I wanted a dog, and my parents wanted me to re-direct my..um..energy .. so we got Gonzo. I really wanted a German Shepherd, but my parents wanted a Border Collie because we had 2 when I was growing up and my Mom grew up with them, and I also liked the breed. I have full responsibility of him, and it has really made me a much better person. I realized he completely depended on me and he needed a LOT of work with obedience and behavior, and it helped me to focus on more important things in life, things that are EVEN more important than boys and friends and shopping! -gasp-... I could no longer blow off my parents and stay at friends houses and go to late parties, because my doggy needed to be fed and played with and exercised ^_^

Anyway, I totally support you! As long as she's really into this, and you get her to commit to it (with a contract like you mentioned, or something similar), it will probably work out really well. I would definately let her do a lot of the work in researching breeds, finding breeders or rescues, and organizing what supplies she wants. It'll make her feel a lot more like this is HER dog, SHE needs to prepare for it and she needs to work for it. Also include cleaning and exercising duties in the contract .. and try to get her to clean up after, walk, and feed Casey for a couple weeks to get her used to it and make sure she knows what she is getting into. As far as a good match with Casey, it completely depends. If she has a tendency to be picky about dogs, rescue would be the way to go so that you can introduce her before-hand to the dog and make sure they get along. A laid-back male of around her size might be a better choice than a small dog... but, again, it totally depends on the individual dog. Casey might prefer a more playful dog her size if she likes to play with other dogs.

[caseysmom]

bccrazy...Your parents were thinking just like I am. Those are really good ideas thanks... I mentioned in another thread that we will have to meet at phoenix field sometime...my daughter could probably relate to you better than me.

[bckrazy]

that would be so cool!! I would love to meet you guys! Gonzo would probably love Casey, he gets along with most dogs, and he can convince any dog to play with him ^_~! what breed(s) is Casey? I probably won't have much time until January, we're leaving in a week to go to Hawaii, but it'd be so fun to meet at Pheonix sometime. I'd love to meet your daughter.. just curious, where do you guys live?

[caseysmom]

We live in gold river, 5 minutes from phoenix. Casey is a mutt that looks exactly like an entlebucher, go to entlebucher.org and that is exactly what she looks like, its funny they are $2,000 dogs and I got her at the pound. She is a good dog just pretty shy.

[Giselle]

Wellllll....I won't lie. GENERALLY, Toy breeds are needy and most are actually the opposite of mellow. Chis, for example, are generally high-energy dogs. If not given enough exercise (and they often adore 1 mile walks, believe me), they'll find other outlets. This is where all the stereotypes come in---who hasn't met the barky, yappy, loud, jumpy Chihuahua? Papillons are probably the Border Collies of the Toy breeds. So I guess that's a no-no. I've seen quite a few Iggies, and they're umm...mellow isn't the word I'm looking for... They're actually very needy and high strung, not to mention, difficult to housetrain as is common among the Toy breeds. (I'm just ruling a few popular breeds out according to the bits of information you've given me.)

Pekingeses aren't really recommended for young children because Pekes usually have the personality of the grumpy mommy who's on her lady days *wink wink*. But if your daughter wants a mellow playmate who prefers sleeping over playing tug of war and fetching, then a Peke might work. She's 13 years old, so I'm not really worried about roughhousing, but she still needs to respect the Peke. Generally, Pekes are stubborn. But once you earn their respect and they view you as an honorable leader, they're very easy to train and my own is highly food motivated. They're not lap dogs, mind you, but they will allow you to pick them up and cuddle for awhile (if you earn their trust). Activity wise---They usually adore walks around the block and will benefit from playing fetch once in a while. My own adores socks and balls and we have a blast just throwing and catching. If you need to find a Pekingese breeder, please visit Pekingese Club of America and you will find the breeder referrals OR visit the shelter.

Can I ask you a few questions?
How often do you plan to groom? If the dog requires it, will you make regular trips to the groomers?
Desired Activity level?
Desired size (rethink this question because a lot of bigger breeds are mellow and adore kids)?
Does it need to be small animal/cat safe?
How much exercise can you provide?
Regarding your own dog: No matter what breed you choose and where you acquire him/her, you need to bring your own dog to visit the other in neutral territory. It really does help, and it can prevent many squabbles. Expect a few snarls here and there, and just hang on! Good luck!

[Tonya]

Both of the poms that I have had were total hellians as puppies. My pom Sarah is starting to mellow out. She's gotten fairly calm and likes to sleep alot. My mom's pom, Teddy is pretty mellow now too. BUT they are both total yappers. They never stop barking. Every pom house that I've been to has constant yapping.