Adopting a dog - tell me what I need to know!

[almostmom]

I think we are going to be adopting a dog on Wednesday. I'm excited and nervous. I was a "we're never getting a dog person" until I saw a super cute picture of one about 6 months ago (it didn't work out) and have been on the hunt for a dog ever since. And now I think it's happening...ugh and yay. He is a year old, maybe 30 pounds, submissive and sweet, looks like a skinny brown/black hound mix. Actually, I haven't met him, but the rest of the family has and fell in love (I'll meet him tomorrow). I have not owned a dog as an adult. We do have a cat (he is being cat-tested today). But we have zero dog stuff, or knowledge. We do plan on getting a trainer to come to our house to train the dog (and us) but that is not yet set up.

I figure I need to buy:
a crate (how to know the size?)
a leash (what kind? because he is a nose follower, which I kind of didn't want, the shelter suggested getting a gentle leader leash for walks?)
a dog bed
a collar
dog food!
dog toys?

Any advice and suggestions is much appreciated!

[trcy]

Congrats! To answer your questions:
Crate-for a 30lb dog I’d go with a 30 inch crate. Here is a good sizing chart.
https://www.petcratesdirect.com/pages/dog-crate-sizes
We have a larger version of this one (our dog will be larger)
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Single-Door-Folding-Metal-Crate/dp/B018YCU2CQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525114791&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=dog+crate&psc=1
Basic nylon leash is good. I don’t like retractable ones.
I have heard gentle leaders can hurt dogs’ necks. I don’t how true that is, but I avoid them just in case. I use an Easy Walk harness for the puppy. https://store.petsafe.net/easy-walk-harness
For the older dog, I just hook the leash to her regular collar. She doesn’t pull.
Any buckle collars fine. I like lupine because I think they have cute designs and are guaranteed for life.
https://www.lupinepet.com
Any dog bed is fine IMO. As long as it’s big enough for your dog to fit on.
There are as many opinions on food as there are foods. I would stay with the food he’s already on. Change slowly if you want or need to.
I feel like a kong is a must have toy. Other than that, it’s just what your dog likes. My puppy likes them all. The older dog doesn’t care about any of them.
Hopefully I answered all your questions.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[megs4413]

Has he had his shots? Is he fixed? Is he on heartworm/flea/tick preventive?

Do you have a vet lined up?

What food are you planning to feed? What is the dog eating now?

In terms of crate size, it's pretty simple: you want him to be able to turn around in a circle and not much else. In terms of what else you might need: dog bowls, dog shampoo, a brush, nail clippers, nature's miracle spray...

[twowhat?]

If he's got any hound in him, be sure you have a process that EVERYONE in the family is aware of and abides by whenever opening a door to any unsecured outdoor space, at least until you get to know him better and his inclination to bolt. Hounds will follow their noses, are quick to get out the door and will just keep following their noses...they run with noses to the ground almost without any regard to their surroundings. It's scary to watch when there are streets and vehicles.


This could be: dog has to be on leash and tethered (e.g. to a couch leg or table leg - whatever is most convenient when you think about what you have to do when you go to open the front door if someone rings the doorbell). Or dog has to be in his crate. Or dog has to be shut in another room, door closed, with a sign on it turned to the side that says "DO NOT OPEN, DOG INSIDE". Everyone has to know the rule for "where is the dog and what should I do first" before opening a door to outside.

[wendibird22]

We have a crate where the door opens up and folds back onto the top. Love this style for keeping it open when we are home so he can go in/out on his own vs the kind that swings open to the side.

Costco has a great bed for $25 in store. Way better value than the beds at pet stores.

We use a gentle leader for current dog and our last dog. Both were strong pullers on the leash if attached to their regular collar. The gentle leader keeps them from pulling. Both learned very quickly how to walk nicely without pulling and neither have/had problem with neck issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[magnoliaparadise]

We are looking to adopt a dog soon. Thanks for posting.

[dogmom]

Apparently I didn’t post my forget hounds post fast enough. ;). Sounds like a Coonhound or foxhound. Yes on they will run. Do some reading on hounds. Probably can never be off leash. But I LOVED my Hound. Also, adult dogs might have a honeymoon period when they are well behaved for a month because they are wary, but then you will see their true personality.

There are times you are going to think you made the wrong decision. But most of the time you will never want it another way. Sort of like kids.

[Green_Tea]

Also, adult dogs might have a honeymoon period when they are well behaved for a month because they are wary, but then you will see their true personality.

There are times you are going to think you made the wrong decision. But most of the time you will never want it another way. Sort of like kids.

This is very true. Our dog (who we adopted when he was 3) has some major flaws, but he adores us so much. When I am home, he is glued to my side. I wouldn't change him for the world.

[smilequeen]

If he's full grown get a crate big enough for him to stand up and turn around, but not big enough for him to have a sleep spot and a potty spot.

My Collie has to have a gentle leader. She has a long narrow face and can wiggle out of a collar if she really wants to. Learned that the hard way, thankfully she is well trained and came right back to me because we were out hiking at a park. We just use a regular leash for our Bernedoodle and Pug.

Dog bed...go cheap until you know if you have a chewer. For the first 18 months, our collie went through at least one bed per month. Now she doesn't destroy them. Our other dogs never destroyed their beds.

We use these collars so we don't have to worry about tags with the name and number on them
http://www.orvis.com/p/personalized-adjustable-dog-collar/9x3y

I would start with a bit of the food he has been eating and then ask your vet for reccs. Then you can slowly transition to new food.

A few toys is a good idea, a few different types until you figure out what he likes. Our two younger dogs are huge toy dogs. We now do Barkbox for each of them...fresh toys each month :) And they always devour them.

[jawilli4]

Just chiming in to say that I am a fan of martingale style collars for walks and Ikea pet supplies. I like their regular reflective leashes and soft sided dispenser with waste bags. They are a great price, too.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/pets/39570/

[almostmom]

Thanks all. We adopted him yesterday, and I am having a full-on freak out. Cried going to sleep (which I could hardly do, and I NEVER have trouble sleeping), cried when I woke up, cried in front of the kids even this morning. I had NO idea I would have this reaction to having a dog in my space - I'm usually so even-keeled. He may go back. There were 3 back-up applications at the shelter, so he would find a good family. But I just don't know if I'm up for this. I know I need to give it time, but part of me would rather be super embarrassed (and the kids too) and bring him back, knowing it will blow over and we will have our amazing cat to love, than wait 6 months, have a sweet trained dog (who can't be off leash), and have so many regrets and life limitations... Ugh, this is a terrible morning.
He is very loving and sweet, did excited pee all over the house and couch (and has yet to pee or poo outside, even though we got him at 1:30 yesterday...), but seems as crazy nose-focused as we had feared (we had said we didn't want a hound...but then this guy showed up and won some of our hearts...). He did sleep all night in his crate (I'm at work now, and he's back in it after a couple of morning outings). I'll be back at lunch to check on him. I feel like a mom with PPD must feel - the thing you're looking at is super cute and longs for your love in an adorable way, but I just don't feel it. Just kind of paralyzed.
Thanks for letting me vent.

[twowhat?]

Awwww I'm so sorry you don't feel that it's going well! It's totally normal - you basically just threw in a new member of the family, pretty much cold turkey. There's going to be a lot of "did we do the right thing?" thoughts.

Don't feel bad keeping him in his crate when you need a break from being hypervigilant about watching him. He will be fine. Our rescue had both excited AND submissive peeing issues (the two are probably related) and we had to figure out how to basically not engage with her until she was outside where it was fine to pee. We kept a short leash attached to her at all times so that whenever we came home, we'd just take her leash (avoiding ALL EYE CONTACT and totally ignoring her), lead her outside, and then interacted with her on the grass:) She eventually grew out of it but it took a while! Once we knew how to manage it though, it was fine - no more pee in the house.

The dog will also go through a major adjustment period. Basically, no one is going to be themselves for a while. I know you've heard it before, but it really does just take time.

Vent away!! Don't feel bad about crating, even for long periods of time (that's the easiest way to housetrain). Have the kids help you work some of his energy off in the backyard. And know that it's OK to feel this way!

And also know that it's totally OK to return him if you don't feel like you're able to work it out. Hounds are wonderful but can be challenging at first. My mom's rescue is a hound mix and oohhhh boy did it take some work to teach that dog house manners! But she's a beautiful, SUPER sweet, and (mostly) well-behaved dog now. She sounds a lot like your dog - coon hound colors, 30 pounds, long and skinny build. Fast. Smart. So sweet with children (my cousin's little 4yo spent an afternoon dressing her in his clothes!) We rescued her at about the same age.

eta: Get a gallon jug of Nature's Miracle, if you don't already have it. It will take the pee smell out of everything - just blot up what pee you can, soak (soak!!!!) the surface with Nature's Miracle, let it sit, wet, for a few hours (cover with plastic to keep it from drying out) and then soak up the excess. I've gotten piles (piles!!!!) of sick-dog-watery-diarrhea out of the carpet with this stuff!

[wendibird22]

So sorry to hear how challenging you are finding this new arrangement. Do you have a dog trainer in the area you could schedule to come do a home training session with you all ASAP? Even just 1 or 2 sessions might help you feel like you are regaining a bit of control. Doing so is actually on my own to do list. We've had our rescue for 2 months now and though it's better more days than it's not, the not so great days are hard. It is like having a mischievous toddler you can't take your eyes off of for one single second. I find that when he's following commands and being "good" my stress level is much lower and the household just seems to run smoother and feel less impacted by the dog.