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Possible new addition...

BirdWorld

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So, usually I’d just stick to bird stuff but... I might get a puppy! :laughing12:
I have a bit of experience with dogs, I used to have a foster, but he was adopted a while ago. This isn’t an impulse buy, I’ve wanted a dog ever since the last one was adopted, and I’ve done a lot of research.
I will have to get my puppy from a breeder. While I would love to get one from a shelter, my mom is allergic so we need to get a hypoallergenic dog, and they don’t come up very often in shelters.
Anyway, we will be driving five hours to meet the puppy and his siblings on Saturday, and if all goes well, we will bring him home.
I have a question though; I would like to crate train our dog, but my mom believes in the theory that having a crate for the dog is imprisoning them. I don’t think this, I prefer to think of it as a safe place, or a bedroom. She would like to get a dog playpen (indoors, of course), and just put our puppy’s bed inside it.
What do you all think? :)
 

AussieBird

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Give me second and I will write outt a replie.
 

finchly

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Crate training is the best thing I ever did for my dogs. If you do it right, they consider it their ‘cave’ of safety. My Noelle (RIP) even collected all the other dogs’ toys in her crate. She had like 10 bones and toys in there and I’d have to crawl in (it was a big crate) and get them. :laugh:

My current cocker spaniel goes in her crate on her own, if i get in bed she gets in there and naps.
 

AussieBird

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Crate training should be done anyway, crate training an older dog is much harder then a puppy. And yes I see crates as a safe place for a puppy/dog to retreat to when they scared or done with playing. We have one dog who loves her crate, she'll sleep in it till she wants to get up in the morning, never before.

As for playpens, sure. One thing to consider though, some dogs and puppies are escape artist, which means playpens can be climbed out of.

Make sure to ask the breeder plently of questions, there are many bad breeders out there.

I hope this was helpful! Remember to post pics if you get one;)
 

BirdWorld

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Ok, I maybe should have phrased that differently. I intend on crate training anyway, for bringing the dog on car rides and vet trips and such. But does he have to sleep in it? Meaning, can the same sense of home and safety for a dog be achieved with a bigger enclosure like a pen?
Be sure to ask the breeder plently of questions, there are many bad breeders out there.
Will do!
Remember to post pics if you get one;)
How could I forget? :laugh:
 

BirdWorld

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Also, just a little warning, you all should expect a lot of dog-related questions this week. Like, a lot. Because I intend on knowing literally everything I could possibly need to know before introducing a pup to my family ;) And Google can only tell me so much :roflmao:
 

fluffypoptarts

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I don’t think the pen gives them the same feeling of safety and security as the crate at night when crate-training is done properly (enclosed space = safe den). However, I do think it would be good if you trained your puppy to sleep in the crate as well (be prepared, he will cry). If you don’t, he will possibly try to wander at night and get into trouble. Also, if you ever needed him to sleep in the crate and had never trained him to do so, it would be very difficult. It also helps with potty training. Once the puppy is older and better behaved, you could let him sleep with you or in a bed next to yours.

The playpen is definitely good for daytime!

You might think he’d never need to sleep in a crate, but there will possibly be times he’d need to. Recovery from surgery or injuries, for one.
 

BirdWorld

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Ok, thanks everyone :highfive:
Just one last question; can I use a travel carrier as a crate? Like the covered type?
I will be posting pictures on Saturday, even if I end up not getting him. The only reason I wouldn’t get him is if the breeder didn’t really know much about the breed and couldn’t answer any questions I ask, or if my mom ends out being allergic. And then I’d continue looking for a different pup. So, if I end up getting him you all will have to expect a celebratory thread with lots of pup pics! :D
 

Sparkles99

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I think it depends on how long they're in the crate & how it's used. Some people leave their dogs in it for hours on end. They don't need a crate; they need a daytime puppy walker. Like any tool, it can be misused. What kind of dog are you considering? :dog4:
 

BirdWorld

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A small dog, a Cavapoochon, which is a mix between a bichon/cavalier and a poodle. They’re super cute :)
We are also considering a havanese, as there is a havanese breeder not far from the breeder we were originally going to visit, because we have called the cavapoochon breeder and he doesn't seem to know much about the breed.
 

Chomskypom

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My goodness. I've been working in groomers and dog daycares for many years now. Go for the havanese if at all possible. Just about all of the ones I've met (dozens! in stressful setting like grooming!) have been even-tempered, good-looking little rockstars. Good breeding really does make a difference, and a "cavapoochon" is not a breed, it is a money grab.
As for crate training, it is a wonderful idea, for puppy's safety as well as for your sanity. Puppies are SO good at finding the most dangerous possible thing to chew or eat.
Unsolicited advice: do yourself the BIGGEST favor and start acclimating your baby to grooming asap! Start easy by touching their feet and praising lavishly. If you have anything that makes a similar sound to clippers- an electric toothbrush will do- teach puppy that it's okay when weird buzzing things come close to them. If you can convince your puppy that the grooming process isn't so bad, you can save them tremendous stress every 6-10 weeks for the next, hopefully, 14 years or so.
Also, PICS! I see dogs every day and I still never get tired of seeing dogs :walkdog1:
 

Sparkles99

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Those sound like nice dogs & I think the havanese is the healthiest of its family of breeds. The cavapoochon could work too - you'd get some of the cavalier temperament hopefully without their massive health problems. But if that breeder isn't knowledgeable, I don't know.
 

BirdWorld

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My goodness. I've been working in groomers and dog daycares for many years now. Go for the havanese if at all possible. Just about all of the ones I've met (dozens! in stressful setting like grooming!) have been even-tempered, good-looking little rockstars. Good breeding really does make a difference, and a "cavapoochon" is not a breed, it is a money grab.
I will most likely get the havanese, because as I have already said the Cavapoochon breeder doesn’t seem very knowledgeable from what I’ve heard so far from him.
Yes, I have always loved havanese, sweet little things they are. :) A Cavapoochon may not be a real breed, but the puppy is a real puppy and it deserves a home just like all other dogs do. It’s not his fault what he’s registered as.
 

Sparkles99

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There's no need to defend the cavapoochon! At least not to me.

Purebred is an invented concept. Invented by rich Victorians who were really proud of their own 'blue blood'. It's not based in science. The advantage they have is predictability, including being less allergy causing. :)

Unfortunately this is also their downfall. To get the predictability, there is inbreeding. Many modern breeds suffer from decisions made ages ago to close stud books. If you close it with very few dogs, all of their descendants have a lack of genetic diversity that gets worse with each generation. This adversely affects health.

If you're interested, look up founder's effect, pedigree collapse & popular sire syndrome. I love genetics! These will get you started. If you can stomach it, Charles II of Spain shows what happens with humans. Be forewarned, it's very sad.

I like purebred dogs & mixed breed dogs, but my favourite would be the increasingly elusive landrace: if you have a retriever & I have a retriever, we breed them together, even if one is a lab & the other a golden. Somewhat less predictable outcome, but better for health.

Cats are like this; most are a landrace, few are bred in closed gene pools. You're practically guaranteed 14-16 reasonably healthy years, even if you feed Meow Mix.

Whichever you choose, please post pics. :)
 

AussieBird

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I just want I say my opinion.
If someone is cross breeding for health, I am fine with it. If someone is cross breeding for money, then I have a HUGE problem with it. More often then not it's the latter. I don't know what laws there are where you live, but here if you cross breed, you cannot be a registered breeder, therefore I would steer clear of cross breds (unless you're adopting), because registered breeder most follow rules and if those rule are broken there are consequences, nonregistered breeder can pretty much do what they want.
But it comes down to which is the right dog for you, and I am not saying all cross bred breeder are bad, there's bound to be a decent one somewhere.
 

Sparkles99

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@AussieBird Please consider looking up some of the genetic stuff I mentioned. To me, be a dog a purebred, crossbred or landrace, they are all equally valuable. A dog is a dog - the same species. It is only us humans that attribute worth to some creatures & not others.

There are good registered breeders & bad ones. Most registration bodies never inspect. They just assign numbers.

Looking forward to pictures... :)
 

AussieBird

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@AussieBird Please consider looking up some of the genetic stuff I mentioned. To me, be a dog a purebred, crossbred or landrace, they are all equally valuable. A dog is a dog - the same species. It is only us humans that attribute worth to some creatures & not others.

There are good registered breeders & bad ones. Most registration bodies never inspect. They just assign numbers.

Looking forward to pictures... :)
I understand entirely. I don't care much for genetics (can be very confusing), but I will have a look.
 

fluffypoptarts

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@Sparkles99 People are forever telling me how unhealthy purebreds are and how healthy mixes are once they find out our dogs are purebreds.

But what’s important is that breeding be done carefully and with the health of the breed and the individual animals in mind, not just accidentally or for the sake of breeding (because it’s fun or they think certain things are cute). That goes for mixed or pure. Careless breeding will result in unhealthy dogs.
 
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