Thinking about getting a dog

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blueshoes

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Hi,

Dont know if here is the right place to post this or not.

Anyways for the last couple of months I have being thinking about getting a dog, either a collie or a small bulldog. I am just wondering does anyone know is there and pounds in the midlands area. I have tried looking up on internet but cant find much out. Also are dogs hard to train if not already trained? We have a 15month old baby aswell so dog needs to be friendly.

Thanks
 
One dog sanctuary in the midlands is [broken link removed]. Mary, the lady who runs it, took in a stray I had found (none of the local services would help). The dogs are very well treated there and it's all privately funded - might be worth a look.
Dogs are clean animals, so training is quite easy if you read up about it (i.e. pee breaks after a change in activity, keep them in an enclosed area at night, etc.) - just need some newspaper and patience!
Best of luck!
 
Try http://www.irishanimals.com - they have a big list of dog shelters and rescues, most of whom will have a chat with you to help you work out which kind of dog best suits you.

These shelters/rescues will know each of the dogs in their care, and will be able to choose one based on what they know of the dog's temperament, personality etc. They will also be able to advise on training, feeding, exercise requirements etc.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot the obligatory lecture :D . Make sure you do your research (which you seem to be doing) about the work and dedication a dog needs. Given that you already have a 15 month old baby, you can factor the same level of love, care, interaction etc. with a dog. Have you thought about suitable housing for the dog (if you're not going to let it stay indoors in bad weather and at night)? What you'll do if/when you go away? How much it'll cost to feed/neuter/care for a dog? You'll be expected to make a small monetary donation to the shelter when you collect your dog - they don't profit from this, it merely goes some (very small) way to covering their costs - most shelters are run as a labour of love, and end up costing those who run them a fortune.

Do you work? A dog really shouldn't be left on its own for extended periods - for some dogs, even a few hours is an extended period. Given that you have a young baby, a slightly older dog would be a good idea - they're a lot calmer than puppies, and a hell of a lot less work.
 
There is a list of some rescues here:
[broken link removed]
Re training, we got help from Julie at Tag n Rye when we got our dog from a rescue a couple of years ago:
http://www.tagnrye.com/
If you have no idea about dog-training, then this is really a good idea. It's more about training the owner than training the dog! (I have no connection with Julie other than the fact that I'm a happy customer.)
You might also want to watch "It's me or the dog" on Channel 4 on Tuesday evenings. Some of the examples are a bit extreme but the training principles are fairly standard.
Good luck!
 
hi.

thanks for all the replies. Im going to look up this stuff now. Just to sherman there I am at home every day so dog will allways have company and go on plenty of walks and be looked after. My partners dad has a collie very friendly dog, trained, and he sleeps inside. Our baby loves the dog so think she's like if we got one aswell. When we get a dog im hoping it will be able to sleep inside as its too cold outside and we dont have a shed. Thanks again.
 
Also there is Briarfields Animal Sanctuary, Lisacul. Co.Roscommon. Find them on the internet.
 
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