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Need advice : Pet Dog

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  1. #21

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    Toilet training is not difficult and, IMO, it's a great learning process for the kids and they will get to enjoy the lovely puppy stage and bond fully with the dog.

    The main benefit of a breed is that the temperament and potential health issues are predictable... people will tell you there are no 'reputable breeders' in Hong Kong which is simple ignorance in my view... there are no expat. breeders... there are plenty of very reputable Hong Kong breeders in HK... join Facebook groups and do your research!

    We once tried to get a rescue from HKDR... they couldn't have cared less about our home, just wanted the money... no home visit, no interview... I could have been taking the dog to a restaurant to cook for all they cared... YMMV...

    This post will make people angry, no doubt... and we have a rescue dog... and our cats are rescues... we're not anti rescue... but we're not anti-breed Nazis either... everything depends on your family situation... around very young children, there are some breeds that are better, not 100%, but enough that it may make you feel safer...

    Also, is your family very active? Some breeds have more stamina. Some breeds like swimming. Some breeds bond with only one family member. Some breeds are aggressive. Some shed loads of hair. Some smell, some have health problems that become expensive with age...etc, etc, etc... do your homework...

  2. #22

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    If you foster a dog, you will get a first hand experience of what having a dog in your household will work like without having to commit to keeping it forever. It will be a good way to see if you really want a dog. Make sure to be very honest with the rescue that you have never had dogs and what your lifestyle is like, things like how active you are and what kinds of things you would want to do with your dog etc etc. When you foster you don't choose the dog, usually the rescue will give you the dog they feel will work best for your family from what you tell them about you.

    Another option is a trial adoption, which only some rescues do, where you choose the dog then essentially foster them for a bit to make sure you are a good fit.

    I think given you have so little experience with dogs it would be a great idea to foster a dog and see how it goes. You may decide you are in fact a cat/bird/fish/turtle family and a dog is too much commitment. Which is much better to discover with a foster dog.

    Also agree that many of the local mongrels are much easier going than many of the little yappy dogs, and often better with children. But also agree the children need to be taught to behave appropriately around the dog too.

    Among other costs you should make sure you budget for some dog training courses if you adopt. Again if you foster a "ready to go" dog this may not be necessary but with a puppy it definitely will be.

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  3. #23

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    Ah, that's likely to be a deal-breaker for adoption groups who usually want proof that pets are allowed in the flat...


  4. #24

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    If that is the case then do not get a dog, at least not until you move house to a flat where dogs are allowed. Dogs bark, some more than others, but they all bark. If you get complaints what are you going to do? You need to be somewhere that allows dogs before you get one as a bare minimum.


    Can I suggest that from what have written I think getting kittens may be a better fit for your family. They are great pets and also easily toilet trained. It seems you want a dog but also want it to not impact your current lives much. Which is fair enough but in my opinion unrealistic for a dog. But cats are much less demanding on your schedule, especially if you get 2 kittens, they play together a lot and so are much less work than one kitten. It seems counter intuitive but 2 is a lot easier than 1 in this case.

    Or maybe just wait a few years and when you move consider if a dog is a good fit for your family then.

    If you wanted to get more experience with dogs in the meantime then perhaps you could offer to take a dog out for a walk/hike or to the beach etc with the family for a day out of the shelter. I know if you contact Catherine's Puppies or Sai Kung Stray friends to take shelter dog out for the day they are much more flexible than HK dog rescue about as hoc dog walking rather than a long term regular commitment.


  5. #25

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    This is how many many dogs end up in shelters because they are no longer tolerated in the building. Do not do this.

    Also reputable breeders won't sell a dog to you, so you will buy a dog that potentially has a number of health issues.

  6. #26

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  7. #27

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    It's not fair to the dog who will develop a bond with your family if they "get in trouble" for breaking your building rules. These rules are taken quite seriously, I think, so unfortunately unless you move, it doesn't sound like a dog will work out for your family right now. I'm very sorry. I find these rules far too restrictive.

    Like Kiz said, you could consider a cat (if your building allows it). I know some people have issues with cats, but honestly, cats are far cleaner than dogs. In my experience with fostering dozens of kittens and cats, cats actually never need to be "trained" -- they know instinctively to use the litter box.

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  8. #28

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    Original Post Deleted
    Never justify yourself to the mob.
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  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kiz:
    This is how many many dogs end up in shelters because they are no longer tolerated in the building. Do not do this.

    Also reputable breeders won't sell a dog to you, so you will buy a dog that potentially has a number of health issues.
    This is very true. Sadly.

    I do recommend as Kiz suggests, adopting a cat or a kitten. A kitten can be fun, but you have added letterbox training, ripped curtains ( I know I know, climbing up wit those little sharp claws!) , spraying. We adopted an adult cat ( age 4.5 yrs ) in Dubai from a friend. Best thing we ever did. Litter trained and not so much of the destructive behaviour ( except he did some "brilliantly appalling work" on my queen size bed one morning that would have rivalled Tracey Emin's all because hubs and I decided to sleep into to 7 am on a Saturday morning...) . You still have a playful and active cat but more relaxed.

    Yes, I know there are a few shelters that give others a bad rep re money grabbing and overly suspicious as to your credentials as a dog or cat owner. ( There are a couple in Singapore..) But I do recommend you check out Lantau Tails or Kirstens Zoo as they have a lot of cats for adoption, and some lovely family friendly dogs. But as you say, dogs are not allowed in you apartment, then maybe see if you can move before adopting a dog. Shuttling a dog out in a bag just to go to the loo is cruel.

    If you are keen still on adopting a dog in the future, why not offer to volunteer as a dog walker at the SPCA or help our somehow ( enlist the kids so that they will fully learn the responsibilities as a dog owner) . This way you will find out which dog is for you, if a dog is for you and give you time to figure out living arrangements.
    Last edited by Natfixit; 17-10-2020 at 01:34 AM.
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  10. #30

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    There is no such thing as "litter box training". They know where to go. They are very picky, even from the tiniest age. Besides, what do you do to train? Say "bad kitty, go to the box!"?

    There's one more charity you can check out for dogs. They deal with dumped breeder dogs:
    https://m.facebook.com/vkblantau/

    Why don't you foster a kitten and see what it's like? You'd take care of the kitten for about a month... If really like having the kitten, you would get priority to adopt. Kittens aren't as destructive as puppies.

    Last edited by Elegiaque; 17-10-2020 at 08:48 AM.