From: schalene@sequent.com (Schalene Dagutis)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Need some advice (possible new dog)
Date: 28 Jan 93 16:03:29 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.

In article <C1FDzx.J6C@hfglobe.intel.com> jeffb@hfglobe.intel.com (Jeff Boone) writes:
>I'm currently debating whether or not to get a dog, and I have one very
>important question.  I'm interested in a larger dog, but would probably
>get it as a puppy, and I expect that it would spend the day outside in 
>a fenced yard or perhaps a kennel.
>
Jeff, it's nice to see that you are taking getting a dog seriously; so
many people do not.  Is it possible that the puppy could stay indoors,
perhaps confined to the kitchen area with the use of child gates?  I don't  
know you're exact situation or what breed you are contemplating, so it's
hard to say exactly.  However, most dogs like to be close to "their people";
and, if you're not home, they like to be around things that smell like you.
The puppy could also be crated, but you should gradually get the puppy
used to the crate.  Also, the puppy shouldn't be crated all day.  My
personal philosopy is no more than 4 hours (although many "experts"
disagree).

>The problem is, I live alone and work 8-5 or sometimes 7-7 (depending on
>project demands).  And, I have some misgivings about leaving a dog alone
>for that long, particularly a puppy.  I'm a contractor, and going home 
>at lunchtime may not be an option, depending on where I'm working.
>
I, too, am unable to come home at lunch.  When I got my puppy, I hired
someone to come in every day for an hour.  They would let the puppy out of 
the kitchen, take him outside, play with him, and then put him back
in the kitchen.  Gradually, I had them come later in the day so that
my puppy learned to wait and then I had them gradually decrease the 
number of days they came until they didn't come at all.  This process
took about 5 months.  My first puppy was paper trained when I bought him
so I left papers in one corner of the kitchen.  He only used them in
emergencies.  I also had his crate in the kitchen with the door open.
He slept in the crate (door closed) beside our bed until he was completely
house trained.  

>I'd like to hear from some of you who have similar situations, about
>your experiences (good or bad!).  Would it be a good idea to take a week
>or two of vacation at first, to allow the pup to get accustomed to it's
>new surroundings, before I start disappearing for the day?  Advice, and
>recommendations about breeds, outdoor accomodations, and so on, would 
>be greatly appreciated.
>
I took a week off.  We picked the dog up Saturday morning; so I had 9
days with him.  We made great progress getting him house trained and on
a schedule.  If you decide to get a dog, I would highly recommend taking
a week off.  

I'd hate to recommend a breed without knowing more about you and your
lifestyle.  However, you may want to get a book called "The Right Dog
for You," by Dr. Tortora.  This book has several questionnaires about
your likes and dislikes, your home environment, free time, etc. and
then has charts that depict which breed is best for you depending on
the way you answered the questionnaires.  The downside of the book is that
it was written in 1979 and only covered the 123 breeds that were then
recognized by the AKC.  So if you're interested in a breed that's a
little more "exotic" you may have to do some work.  That's what my
husband and I did.  Our breed wasn't included in the book, but was
closely related to two that were.  So we took what the book had to say
about those two breeds and noted the differences in temperament and 
grooming requirements that we knew about from the research we had
done into the breed history.

After you narrowed down your list of possible breeds, you could attend
some dog shows or field events and see them in action and talk to 
breeders.  Then you could check into a rescue group if you thought
you'd like to skip the puppy phase.  If you want to experience the
whole growth cycle, then contact the beed club in your area and start
interviewing breeders.

Good luck!

schalene