thinking about getting a puppy, advice?

[blue mountain raider]

hi, its been 8 years since i had my last dog (golden retriever). im thinking about getting a golden or husky puppy. the thing is i live in a condo and have school and work obligations. i know that puppies **** and piss everywhere and 90% of my place is carpeted. am i being realistic getting a puppy now?

i could lock the dog in the washroom which has tiles when im out but i think its too mean for the puppy. plus what's to stop the dog **** and piss on carpet when im home? best way to toilet train the dog ASAP? thanks.

[icecold2021]

ive had two husky pups.. they are a handful and shed insane amounts of hair.

they need tons of exercise, three 20 minute walks a day at least to keep them from being hyper inside... and not just walking but running and playing while outside.

some advice, no matter how well you train it. NEVER, EVER let it off the leash in an area that isnt completely fenced off,

any husky owner who tells you different is just plain lucky they have never lost their dog.

[felix]

It's hard to own a dog while living in a condo. You'll be on the elevator several times a day, and some condo residents don't like dogs (i heard some condos allow residents to force you to take another elevator if they see you waiting there with a large dog).

Maybe a ground floor unit would be easier ... as it would have walk out to front walkway, etc.

Also when they get old, they might have cushing's disease or something where they can't hold pee and will make a mess before you get to walk outside (yes i know cushing's can be treated, but just an example they may have bathroom problems when they get old just like humans).

[IronMac]

With your current situation, best thing is to just get a stuffed toy and be happy. :)

[felix]

My sister helped her friend adopt a puppy who ended up being caged during the day while he's at work because otherwise the dog would scratch up the wall in his condo. Apparently he doesn't like being left alone. Might be a rare case as our dog doesn't do that. But I guess this is why cats make a better pet for apartment/condos (no need to walk it, litter box garbage can be thrown down the chute).

[deep]

Condo plus school PLUS work PLUS PUPPY??! Seems like a recipe for disaster to me, to be honest.

Also, listen to icecold - he knows what he's talking about. Friends of mine got a husky in university, and couldn't figure out why they (we!) spent 6 hours tracking him down every time they took him off the leash. At least he helped keep me in shape!

[Hambone]

School, work AND condo? No dog for you!

Seriously, do yourself and the dog a favour, don't bother yet. And the fact you even considered locking the dog in the bathroom makes me question if you should ever own a dog. :confused:

[almostfreeman]

Dogs are pack animals and need companionship. If you are going to be away for most of the day it's probably unfair to the dog to be left alone for such an extended period.

As for your selection of breeds for condo living ... completely unsuitable.

[dhamilton]

...and don't get a Husky in an apartment. That's just cruel. They are outside dogs and LOVE to spend as much time outside as possible. My family used to have two Husky's and both would spend their days outside in a dog pen. They have an incredible amount of energy since they were bred to pull sleds (and therefore need a lot of energy to pull a sled all day long).

Golden's are better for apartment living between the two, but they still need a lot of exercise. Even better, only get a small dog in an apartment, or a low energy dog.

[thelefteyeguy]

check the condo rules...some restrict weight of the dog...that also could determine what type of dog you get.

[Phr3sh]

It sounds like you have enough responsibility already, why add a dog into the equation? Focus on doing well in school and progressing in your job. Then once you have your school finished and maybe move into a better suited environment a dog would be much more practical.

[ChromeSushi]

i could lock the dog in the washroom which has tiles when im out but i think its too mean for the puppy. plus what's to stop the dog **** and piss on carpet when im home? best way to toilet train the dog ASAP? thanks.

Not to be excessively harsh, but this shows you are clearly not ready for a puppy. There's no 'ASAP' in training a pet. If you think you're ready for a dog maybe go for an adult dog. Then you can be more sure if its personality suits you and your living situation.

And this is just a personal rant, but don't just get a goldie or a husky because they are popular. And like many people have said a husky of all dogs is completely out of the question for someone in a condo or someone who is not very experienced with the breed. Please consider getting a dog from the humane society or a rescue foundation. Buying a dog from a pet store or a breeder is essentially condemning another dog who really needs someone.

[UrbanPoet]

get a maine coon kitty.
You can teach em tricks!

[aimfox]

dont get a puppy, usually they ended up abused

[KorruptioN]

dont get a puppy, usually they ended up abused

:rolleyes:

[aimfox]

get a white puppy, white blocks the sun

[felix]

check the condo rules...some restrict weight of the dog...that also could determine what type of dog you get.
Yeah, it seems to be a new rule for our condo. No new dogs over 25lb when fully grown. This means no golden retreiver, labrador, husky, poodle, shephard, etc. Grandfathered dogs are ok. Also the owner must register the dog, leashed at all times in building, and visitors cannot bring dogs, etc.

This is a good thing. But then again they should remove all dogs regardless of size (since most small dogs are noisy ... they're always barking especially when they hear someone walk by .. the entire floor can hear them even if they live at the end of the hallway). It might lower maintenance fee costs too (since they make urine stains on grass).

[caliente]

Agree with others. Huskies are inappropriate for condo-life.

I've seen a couple of labs and goldens in my condo right now, but even that is kind of iffy based on my personal experience -my dog is a lab/golden retriever mix. He is super-smart...I know i'm biased, but he's smarter than my first dog. No accidents in the house, pretty much house-trained ASAP.

First day we got him, we took him out in the backyard and when he urinated on his own, my brother said beep-beep (I wish a better word was chosen). Next time, when we wanted him to urinate before coming in, we said it again and he understood us. After that, we would periodically take him outside and he knew exactly what we wanted him to do and that he couldn't come in before he did it. Seriously, he would do his business and then run to the house door to come in. Never had a problem with defecation in the house because I don't think dogs want to do that in their living space - my dog doesn't even do it in our backyard.

Pretty easy experience to house-train, but required periodic trips to the backyard. However, my dog was EXTREMELY hyper in the first 3 years of life. We tied him up all day though in the basement (long leash, big space, dog bed, toys). We would have left him in the backyard, but he prefers being in the house since I think he gets anxious outside. Now, he has settled down a lot and I think he would be suitable for a condo since he actually doesn't like going outside that often and is content to sleep during the day.

Thinking of my own dogs, for condo living you would need a dog that doesn't mind sleeping during the day and being left alone, a dog that doesn't bark, and you are able to commit at least 1 hour/day of interaction with your dog (walks, play).

[a_y3n]

Do you have time off during the summer? Maybe get a puppy then.. so that you can house train it.. and by the time you're busy again - it will be okay to leave it at home. I think it's ok to have a dog in a condo as long as it get's lots of excercise...
I work, go to school and live in apartment. My dog NEVER barks, loves sleeping and playing as well. I tire out my golden retriever, by letting her offleash at the park, playing fetch etc. and she's a really good girl at home. When I come home, I again take her to the park.. so she's sleeping like a baby she comes home.
Getting a crate would be a good idea as well, 3-4 hours in there while you are housetrainig the puppy. My dog housetrained herself, she perferred going outside. I tell her to go do her business and she runs around in 5 big circles with me in the middle.. than poops =) She knows the sooner she does her business, the sooner she gets to play.
Not all golden retriever are energetic, they all have different personalities. My dog is VERY energetic outside (2 years old) and my friend's golden retriever who is 4 months older.. is the total opposite..
I think its better to get a golden retriever because you have experience with golden retrievers or you'll have to do a lot of research on huskies.
Goodluck puppy searching, hopefully you'll get one from a breeder.
p.s. I think crate training is better than putting your dog in the washroom. Dogs don't pee/poo where they sleep and dogs love their crate because it feel safe - when you aren't home.

[ChromeSushi]

This is a good thing. But then again they should remove all dogs regardless of size (since most small dogs are noisy ... they're always barking especially when they hear someone walk by .. the entire floor can hear them even if they live at the end of the hallway). It might lower maintenance fee costs too (since they make urine stains on grass).

Man, I don't think I could ever live in a condo. it's one thing to be told what I can do in a place I'm renting, but I wouldn't want to have to deal with so many uptight rules in a place I owned.

[st7860]

hi, its been 8 years since i had my last dog (golden retriever). im thinking about getting a golden or husky puppy. the thing is i live in a condo and have school and work obligations. i know that puppies **** and piss everywhere and 90% of my place is carpeted. am i being realistic getting a puppy now?

i could lock the dog in the washroom which has tiles when im out but i think its too mean for the puppy. plus what's to stop the dog **** and piss on carpet when im home? best way to toilet train the dog ASAP? thanks.

www.craigslist.org

[stealth]

get a white puppy, white blocks the sun

dont get a puppy, usually they ended up abused

Trying to set a record for most dumb reponses in a single thread? :confused:


Anyways, we have both a husky/malamute and a Golden Retriever. I dont think either dog is right for you in your current environment. These are both types of "working dogs" and you dont have anything for them to do, or anyplace for them to do it, and prob not enough time for them either.
I would advise either something small that isnt particularly high strung e..g. Dachsund (sp?) or frankly, a cat until you get a place with a yard.

Mila and Kelsey say hi, btw :)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/bigphatgoalie/HPIM0478.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/bigphatgoalie/HPIM0481.jpg