Puppy questions

[Guest]

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[BlackShanglan]

I'm not very familiar with either breed, but there's one piece of advice that's good for every puppy: train, train, train. It's never too early, and they enjoy learning and interacting with people. The earlier you start, the more watching and listening to you becomes an inherent part of your dog's view of the world and its role in it. Good training done early in life pays benefits forever.

Socialization is good, too. The more different people, animals, sights, and noises your pup has positive experiences with when young, the more easily it will tend to adapt to unusual things throughout its life. It learns to be comfortable with change and surprises.

Best of luck. I've always been fond of spaniels, and Weimaraners are neat dogs as well. That should be an interesting-looking pup.

 

[cloudy]

Weimeraners are great dogs, but a little slow to learn, and hard-headed as the day is long. Supposedly, the reason for this is because Germany only exported the least of the breed, although I'm not sure how true this is now.

They're bird dogs...pointers, as are the spaniels. Both breeds need mucho exercise (shouldn't be a problem with kids), and firm discipline. They have wonderful dispositions and usually adore children. They'll play fetch as long as you'll throw the ball - you'll be tired before they will.

I have an affinity for pointers - we raised German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizlas most of my years growing up.

 

[CharleyH]

I'm not very familiar with either breed, but there's one piece of advice that's good for every puppy: train, train, train. It's never too early, and they enjoy learning and interacting with people. The earlier you start, the more watching and listening to you becomes an inherent part of your dog's view of the world and its role in it. Good training done early in life pays benefits forever.

Socialization is good, too. The more different people, animals, sights, and noises your pup has positive experiences with when young, the more easily it will tend to adapt to unusual things throughout its life. It learns to be comfortable with change and surprises.

Best of luck. I've always been fond of spaniels, and Weimaraners are neat dogs as well. That should be an interesting-looking pup.

Agree with Shang. My dad had two Weimaraners and they were usually good, even with me and my brother at a young age. However, they have a temperament like Doberman's. They can turn any time, even on an owner. Not great dogs to have when you have children that are not old enough and pull and poke at them.

My take.

 

[cloudy]

From dog breed info:

Weimaraner Temperament:

• Happy, loving cheerful, affectionate and very rambunctious
• Intelligent, but can be highly opinionated and willful, therefore this breed should have firm, experienced training from the start
• Quick to learn, but resistant to repetitive training
• Reserved with strangers and sometimes combative with other dogs.
• Socialize them well at an early age.
• Protective on his own territory.
• Very brave and loyal, it has a strong prey instinct.
• Do not trust with small non-canine animals.
• The Weimaraner needs to live indoors as a member of the family.
• He needs attention and companionship. If relegated to a kennel life or if left alone too much, he can become very destructive and restless.
• He is a natural protector.
• Weimaraners are often kind to children, but are not recommended for very young ones because they are energetic enough to accidentally knock a child down.
• Because this breed is so full of energy, the first thing they need to learn is sit, then praise only when sitting. This will prevent jumping in the future, as they are strong dogs and will knock over elderly or children by accident.
• This breed especially should not be hit to discipline, they become wary easily. Once they have a fear of someone/something, they look to avoid and training is all but impossible. They are so eager to please, and motivated by reward (food or praise) Once a trick is learned, the dog will leap to repeat for praise.
• Although they are often mistaken as dumb, because they have such focus, if the trick or owners request isn't their focus at the time, it will not occur!
• Spend a lot of time with short leash walk, next to you. If left to run ahead they will pull like a train. A loose prong collar, making sure the chain section is in the front, and only pull forward and down, with a quick release when walking. Do not use choke or prong to train, they become hopeless very quick and all is lost from this point.
• This breed likes to bark.
• Very hardy, with a good sense of smell, and a passionate worker, the Weimaraner can be used for all kinds of hunting.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

A weimaraner and Brittany spaniel mix? The logistics of that breeding alone boggle the mind....

 

[RogueLurker]

training and consistency is key. both are pretty energetic breeds and will end up being a fair size. you want to make sure that you will be able to control them - and that you're kids can control them as well. if you go to obedience class, make sure you go with your kids so they learn as well as you, and they get to work with the dogs on the basic obedience things (sit, maintain, down, come, etc).

if you're planning on getting two puppies from the same litter, be prepared to split them up for one-on-one time with you or they will form their own little thug pack. If you get two at different times (a year or so apart) it won't be as bad.

btw ... both are gorgeous breeds.

 

[starrkers]

Above all, be consistent and socialise the dog!
I live with a labrador that was never socialised as a pup, and never trained, never walked, and whose rule base changes at the owner's whim.

She could be a beautiful animal, but she's a total pain in the arse and dangerous to anyone who walks in the front gate (including residents, if caught unawares).

 

[Guest]

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[Guest]

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[The_Fool]

I want a Great Pyrenees, but someone has stated that no such dog shall enter the house. Too Hairy and too big. Shit.

 

[cloudy]

First, what's a Kong?

a dog toy...used as a reward:

http://www.arcatapet.com/fullsize/3531.jpg

 

[cloudy]

I want a Great Pyrenees, but someone has stated that no such dog shall enter the house. Too Hairy and too big. Shit.

Those are wonderful dogs.

We had an extremely large St. Bernard for years...he tipped the scales at just a tad over 200 lbs. Wonderful dog once you got past all that slobber.

 

[Guest]

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[cloudy]

Oh!

That looks like an angry butt plug.

Are you sure that's a dog toy?

yep.

does look like a butt plug, though.

 

[RogueLurker]

Thank you.

Hey - I just tried to reply to your private message. First, what's a Kong?

Secondly - your box is full.

Kongs are a godsend if you have a chewer. They are rubber dog toys that come in all shapes and sizes. The classic ones are kind of knobby and are hollow inside so you can insert treats (like peanut butter) and give them to the dog to chew their little hearts out on.

http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html

 

[RogueLurker]

yep.

does look like a butt plug, though.

and after you've done poop patrol for the umpteemth time in the backyard, you'll wish that they did make Kong butt plugs.

 

[Guest]

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[Lisa Denton]

Thank you everyone for the excellent advice!

I just thought I'd tell you we have decided against getting dogs at this time.

Silly me, cat owner, was quite unaware the amount of time required to train a pooch! And it's the wrong season - we're leaving summer behind - so if we ever decide to do this it should be in May, not October.

Good thing we haven't said a word to the kids - laughing. This topic will come up again in the spring but for right now we shall remain puppy-less.

Thanks again!

Wrong season?

There is no wrong season to get a puppy unless you are planning to leave him outside on the freezin cold rainy dark nights, you meanie!!!!

A puppy is going to be a puppy and trainable for a long time, but that is after his initial infancy type puppyness. Now, at first the puppy is not stupid, but he is a baby, so you can only teach him not to go to the bathroom in the house.

Anything else is like teaching a two year old human baby to "stay, fetch, go get the newspaper, run down to the store and get me a pack of cigarettes."

While a infant puppy he can be housebroken, but he is not going to be learning lots of tricks or to attack on command. This is the bonding stage. Where he is scared of everything and finding out his place in the world and mostly learning who will pet him if he wanders over thataway.

Puppies can start learning new things at different stages, for all different type dogs. Don't try to teach a one week old puppy to fetch your slippers. Dogs really like cool weather, it is the bitter cold that will be bad. You are going to have lots of time with a baby type puppy, before the serious training can start, when he tears apart your favorite shoes.

Even if you want him to be a outside dog a puppy cannot be left out all day or all night, so the season doesn't matter much, that comes later.

The important thing to remember is that with a dog, you are his world, his wonder, his happiness. A old pair of socks should never be thrown away, ball one up and tie inside the other, hide it behind your back and tell your dog to sit, when he does tell him "good doggie" and give him the sock.

In your puppies eyes, you have just achieved god status.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Thank you everyone for the excellent advice!

I just thought I'd tell you we have decided against getting dogs at this time.

Silly me, cat owner, was quite unaware the amount of time required to train a pooch! And it's the wrong season - we're leaving summer behind - so if we ever decide to do this it should be in May, not October.

Good thing we haven't said a word to the kids - laughing. This topic will come up again in the spring but for right now we shall remain puppy-less.

Thanks again!

I'm glad you made an informed decision. Dogs are a joy, but so many people don't realize what a responsibility dogs are, and they expect the dog to raise itself as a cat would, and the dogs end up in shelters. A high-energy working or hunting dog such as you were thinking about getting needs a HUGE amount of daily exercise or their energy turns to world destruction. You have to be very committed to making your dog into the perfect, dream companion for your family because puppies don't come like that.

ETA, when and if you do get a puppy, factor a crate into the equation. Crate training saved my sanity when my German Shepherd was a puppy.

 

[Brute_Force]

Britney Spaniels are just the sweetest dogs in the world. So loving and gentle and with amazingly expressive eyes. I've had two dogs that I raised from pups, one was a Shitzu, the other a Dachsund. Both presented their own unique challenges, but with consistency and working on the "reward" system in training them, they grew up to be fantastic, well-mannered little sweeties. I still have my dachsie and she is so dear to me.

 

[RogueLurker]

Thank you everyone for the excellent advice!

I just thought I'd tell you we have decided against getting dogs at this time.

Silly me, cat owner, was quite unaware the amount of time required to train a pooch! And it's the wrong season - we're leaving summer behind - so if we ever decide to do this it should be in May, not October.

Good thing we haven't said a word to the kids - laughing. This topic will come up again in the spring but for right now we shall remain puppy-less.

Thanks again!

When the time is right - you'll find the perfect puppy for your family.

 

[3113]

Anything else is like teaching a two year old human baby to "stay, fetch, go get the newspaper, run down to the store and get me a pack of cigarettes."

You can't train a toddler to do this? Guess I should give up my plans to have a kid...

 

[Guest]

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[mikey2much]

My two cents worth

You really got some good advice on this thread. I would like to add my two cents worth to the discussion. Crates are very good, do not think of them as a cage, but rather as a private place where the dog feels safe. You are the boss and one of your jobs is to see that nothing bad ever happens to your dog when he or she is in their crate, only good things should happen there.

Liter mates are a very bad ideal. They will always be aggressive toward one another, they will always be competing for your attentions. It will drive you nuts. You would be better off if you got one dog and let it become a part of your family and then add another younger dog later on. Your older dog will serve as an example to help train your younger dog. This works surprisingly well.

If you want a german shepherd, let me know. You can see our dogs here, www.loyalville.com
Good luck
mike