How to approach getting a dog?
684 sats \ 18 comments \ @ek 6 Dec 2023 Dogs_And_Cats
Thanks @siggy47 for this sub!
I can now post all my questions regarding raising, training, owning (I don't like to say I own a living being) a dog!
I tried to get some more experience with dogs by offering to the local animal shelter to walk their dogs. But they asked how much experience I have in walking dogs and I said not much. Then they said no, most of their dogs aren't easy to handle.
So please, this is like a life goal to me: How to best approach raising a dog one day? What's the best environment for a dog? What should I look out for during my next move? Should I get a trained dog first or a puppy?
Do dogs usually don't need another dog around because they see me as one of their kind? (or probably rather, themselves as the same kind as me)
IIRC you shouldn't raise cats alone, even though they pretend like they are not social, they need another cat to ignore.
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1518 sats \ 7 replies \ @GlobalThreat 6 Dec 2023
weird, my local shelter will let anyone just about...foster dogs for up to a month with the option to keep them.
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183 sats \ 4 replies \ @ek OP 6 Dec 2023
lol
You made me realize I can still go to the animal shelter to take a look at their dogs and maybe play with them. Walking their dogs isn't the only option how I can make myself useful there probably!
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183 sats \ 3 replies \ @GlobalThreat 6 Dec 2023
yeah that's weird. i'm in SF Bay Area. mabye its different elsewhere.
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185 sats \ 2 replies \ @ek OP 6 Dec 2023
I guess they've seen enough shit in SF Bay Area that they just don't care so much anymore ... but just wild speculation of course, haha
(I've never been to the US)
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506 sats \ 1 reply \ @GlobalThreat 6 Dec 2023
they are usually pretty happy to have someone show interest. maybe go to dollar store and buy a bunch of dog toys and bring them with you.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek OP 6 Dec 2023
Great idea, I might actually do this soon :)
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10 sats \ 1 reply \ @Xlindo 6 Dec 2023
Congratulations, not everyone has a shelter for homeless pets. I wish you the best for you and your shelter.
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @GlobalThreat 6 Dec 2023
i just mean my local shelter. i don't own it.
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1335 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 6 Dec 2023
Go to the animal shelter and get a rescue a dog. It will enrich your life and theirs. If it’s your first dog get one that is reasonably well trained and doesn’t have aggressive behaviour or is a frequent barker.
They should let you spend time with the dogs, play and walk with them to see which one you connect with. Dogs feed off your energy, if you are calm and happy, even a nervous dog will warm up to you in time.
We got our dog as a rescue and it took awhile to get her trained to walk well with us and not pull but we got there. She was a bit nervous when we first got her. I found it effective to kneel beside her, and put my hand on her side and speak to her calmly when she was getting nervous or too energetic.
Best of luck!
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707 sats \ 2 replies \ @DesertDave 7 Dec 2023
I have had many dogs, both from shelters and small in family puppies. There is always going to be a trade off with a shelter dog. They are great, but they come with trauma that you will deal with. I believe what a dog needs, is really dependent on the dog itself. I feel that most dogs would like to get more stimulation than typical families give. Especially big dogs. They love lots of space and freedom. My dogs are super happy out in the middle of desert with no fences. My wife and I are almost always here. The dogs stay close because we are bonded and they love it here. Plenty of stimulation. I understand this doesn't work for most lifestyles. Point being, lots of love and stimulation. And less control, keeps them wanting to be loyal, protective, and near the owner. My 2 sats. 🤙
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44 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek OP 7 Dec 2023
They are great, but they come with trauma that you will deal with.
Mhh, good point but I think that's also maybe a positive thing: we all have our traumas and you might give this dog the chance to see that not every human is a bad human :) and he'll be like: WTF i love this human for giving me a second chance even though i was so scared and barked at him so much in the beginning and maybe even bit him
isn't this more valuable in some way than raising a puppy that never has seen shit? and i don't necessarily only mean from a moral perspective. also from a "bonding perspective" from which you yourself can profit a lot: a puppy that grows up in a safe place will never achieve the strength of character of a dog that has been through a lot (?)
My dogs are super happy out in the middle of desert with no fences. My wife and I are almost always here. The dogs stay close because we are bonded and they love it here.
The next life goal after achieving the first life goal of owning a dog: That I don't have to put them on a leash. They are free to go wherever they please. But they stay by my side because they like it here.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave 7 Dec 2023
I agree. It just depends on what you want in a dog. Every dog wants and deserved a good home, wherever it comes from. I could also married or be close friends with more down in out, traumatized humans. There is a balance between taking care of our own needs and what we are able to give to another. I have loved all kinds off dogs. I think its all great. All animals want and deserve homes. And for some people, a shelter dog might be a better match. Its like having a child biologically or adopting a child in need. Nothing wrong with either. There are considerations though.
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323 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTC_LN 6 Dec 2023
I couldn't post a long comment, so I created this post for you: #340226
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek OP 6 Dec 2023
wow, thanks! have to read it later, got distracted from working on SN by SN a lot already in the past few hours, haha
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323 sats \ 0 replies \ @brianh 6 Dec 2023
something to add is to think about the disposition and typical behaviors of the breeds you like. some dogs are louder and require more attention, others are quieter and can spend long periods of time alone.
depending on your lifestyle, some breeds may not be a wise choice!
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323 sats \ 2 replies \ @siggy47 6 Dec 2023
From my experience, you'll be a great dog owner simply because you've given it so much thought before you even get a dog. There are lots of people who just get a dog on a whim, without thinking it through, and that's a recipe for disaster. Your life situation is an important factor. Married, single, kids? Does your work involve being away from home all day? Read a book or two on training before you get the dog. I have always gotten puppies, so I can't speak to adopting an adult dog. One thing I do believe in is crate training. I'm an easy going guy and I don't train my dogs to the point that they're little robots, but I take housebreaking seriously. It's a painless experience once you learn to crate train properly.
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511 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek OP 6 Dec 2023
From my experience, you'll be a great dog owner simply because you've given it so much thought before you even get a dog.
Mhh, might be true but I would say I just have a ton of questions. But haven't found satisfying answers yet. But I also haven't read a book yet and so on :) Still early on my journey.
There are lots of people who just get a dog on a whim, without thinking it through, and that's a recipe for disaster.
I know right? I can relate so little with giving someone a dog as a present (or even a kid!).
Surprising someone more or less with a dog sounds like the absolute opposite of what you're supposed to do, lol. More or less since they probably have mentioned some interest in the past already.
Thankfully, I don't know anyone in my social circle who did something like this ... not sure if I would be able to not intervene, lol.
I feel like (I am pretty sure) I can connect with animals much better than with other humans. Even though I will probably never (lol, still optimistic about this) fully understand my dog and my dog will never fully understand me, in some way, it will be just fine. I will know that he is trying his best and he or she knows that I am trying my best and that's all what counts, right?
Sometimes, I just go outside to look at the birds or any kind of animal I can find and be mesmerized. It feels like we humans don't see the forest for the trees when it comes to what life is about. Animals have it all figured out. And sometimes, it even feels like they know they got it all figured out and they look at us like:
"Look at these bipods. Walking around mindlessly all day, being unhappy with their lives, eating all that thrash, complaining all the time and wasting their lives with whatever they're doing looking at these rectangles. Sometimes, they even kill themselves while fucking everything around them up, being in a worse shape than before. Isn't it sad to look at?"
anyway ... i don't want to compare myself with such people. it's a pretty low standard, lol. i don't want to think about them at all. it just makes me too angry and I would consider myself a person that doesn't get angry easily, lol
Married, single, kids?
Unmarried, single since recently, no kids
Read a book or two on training before you get the dog.
So many books to read :) Still reading Broken Money atm. But maybe I'll start with reading multiple books at the same time :)
One thing I do believe in is crate training. I'm an easy going guy and I don't train my dogs to the point that they're little robots, but I take housebreaking seriously. It's a painless experience once you learn to crate train properly.
looks up what crate training is
Damn, all this stuff that immediately makes sense when you read about it but you would have never came up with this on your own. The internet is truly a life saver sometimes :)
Yeah, my biggest worry is that I won't be able to train my dog properly and I will know that it's 100% my fault.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek OP 6 Dec 2023
Does your work involve being away from home all day?
Forgot to answer to this and my internet keeps cutting out right now so I wasn't able to edit in time ...
No, not at all :) Being a software engineer working fully remote must be the ideal position to have to raise a dog 🤔
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