Getting a dog?

[Jon]

Hello!

It's been ages since I last posted, due to an overseas move into a new house. Anyhow the area and house we are now in makes it possible for me to get a dog, which I have been wanting to do for a long time. I know quite a few of you have or have owned dogs, so I hoped you'd be able to answer some of my questions!
(yea, I know it's not quite MERF topic, but the dog will end up accompanying me on all my trips, and I'm sure some of the Dunadan would have owned dogs )

1- Breed? Lots of people so far have told me a border collie would suit my needs best, though I'm not sure. Ideally, a 'ranger's dog'. I need an athletic dog that can go on runs with me, 300 mile hikes, can swim, is not too aggressive, that I can walk off a lead with sufficient training. I would also be at highschool from 8 til 4 each day, although my dad works from home; nonetheless a dog that is ok with being alone for the occasional short period. I've heard that more intelligent dogs need more attention, however I don't want him/her to be a stupid dog. A 'ranger' dog would be ideal.

2- Sex? Male or female? I don't know a lot about this and will probably decide based on what connections I feel when eventually choosing a dog rather than sex, but could deciding this first be important? Someone told me that female dogs get on better with male owners and vice versa - is this true at all??

3- Age? I would love to get a young dog! (thinking about wanting to be with the dog for most of his/her lifetime) Also I heard dogs reach their prime around 4 years??? Is there like an optimal age for adoption? I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't get a puppy...


If there is any advice you can give me, thanks so much!
(also, anyone happen to know of good rescue centres in the UK?)

[Peter Remling]

Congratulations on the new home and the ability to get a dog.

We'll start the questions out of order.

Age- optimum age for a dog for training is after 2 years of age. By 2 they have started to calm down enough for serious training. You can teach them commands before that but they have a tendency to get distracted very easily (oh look a butterfly !). Commands like sit, lie down shake and others are easily trainable even sporadically. Stay is a more difficult command and requires a lot of reinforcement as will many of the ranging/hunting commands. I recommend you teach them both vocal and silent commands and the same time. Say sit and give a hand signal and the same time, they will respond to both or either very quickly.

I do recommend a puppy, they will bond easier and you don't have to worry about why a dog was put up for adoption after 2-3 years. The reason a dog is put up for adoption is always due to it's previous owner and it's experience with that owner and while most dogs can become "normal" it takes quite a while and the things you'd eventually like to do with your dog require a great deal of trust between both of you.

Sex-I prefer males, they are nut jobs in a box when young but grow out of it after 2. Females have a tendency to be hyper, particularly when they go into heat and they don't grow out of it until late in life.

Spaying or nutering a dog is suggested, unless you are planning on breeding.

Breed- Most breeds will make good ranger dogs. A few things to remember, the larger the breed the shorter their lifespan. Most midsize to large breeds have a life expectancy of 10-12 years. The largest breeds like Newfoundlands typically have only an 8 year lifespan. I personally have had a black Lab (Quincy), a collie/shepard (Kane) mix, a shepard/pit bull (Ginger) mix and my current a pure Siberian Husky(Ghost).

Out of the four mentioned the ones that would have made the best "Ranger" dog would have been Kane and Ghost. Of the other 2 Quincy just wandered into the yard at about 2 years of age and stayed. No one ever posted missing dogs notices or came looking for him even though it was a fairly small tight community. Quincy was overly protective of the yard and particularly of me. He couldn't be trusted with other people. Ginger was so hyper she would have to be put on a chain and she'd constantly walk around the tree no stop all day every day. Training her to even sit or lie down was extremely difficult.


If you plan on a rescue dog be careful. Ask why the dog was put up for adoption and then observe the dog to see if it seems to make sense. If possible take along a friend who has had dogs. Don't be afraid to say no to a particular dog. There are more than one shelter.breeder to choose from.

Hope this helps

[Ringulf]

Let me echo in agreement with much of what has been said.
I Raised and trained Siberian Huskies and wolf/Malamute mixes and found them extremely loyal and great for the outdoors but not always the best social mix. I did have a Border Collie which would make an excellent "Ranger Dog" (and John Flanagan must have thought so too as he gave one to Will who was the hero of his Ranger's apprentice series)

The thing is if you chose a BC realise that they are extremely intellegent and need to be stimulated, given a job or special activity or they will train you.
If you are not challenging them they will get restless and will normally end up in mischief.
I trained mine to chase geese.(and get paid for it!) In America, especialy on the Eastern Seaboard we have a bit of a problem with the migratory patterns of the Canada Goose (you notice I did not call them "Canadian Geese" they do not have citizenship, only classification) I used to go on a regular cirquit of Schools, buisinesses, cemetaries etc. and Puffin would use her instincts and training to run out and set the birds to light then circle around under them so that they did not land but moved on. Many times we followed them to the next landing feild, but the dog was great at her job. She obeyed directions from me when off in the feild and I could help her "herd" the birds.

I also had to focus her herding instincts as she kept taking loose or discarded clothing (most often socks) and hiding them under the master bed. I finally trained her ro change her hoarding place from under the bed to a special laundry basket so that she felt her "Flock" was intact, yet we could dump it in the laundry when needed and she would aquire a new flock. Worked out quite well in the long run for all involved.

The BC is a great outdoors dog and will with the right training do all that you are asking, Austrailian Shepards with do almost exactly the same things but have a few different quirks.
A Husky can be a fantastic companion and won't mind saddlebags either, increasing you load carrying capasity on long hikes and camping. I personally would not go to any larger dog than this as you most likely do not need physical protection but security and extra senses. So Newfies, St Bernards, Mastiffs, Rotwailers and wolf/deerhounds, though great in bear country, may be more to feed than bennefit from.

There are hunting dogs that will help you flush game, hunt hogs, bear, coon and squirrel as well as duck and upland game birds such as grouse, quail, pheasant and the like. Some are better when coupled with the equestrian activities. like fox and english hound , If you want a tracker you can't get better than a blood or basset hound though the basset has a hard time over long distances. A beagle or beagle mix is a fantastically versitile dog and should not be ignored but also have their quirks.

All in all, with a bit of time and some basic skills, you will find the right K9 companian to assist you on your quests.

[Chris Russo]

An interesting article on breeds: the author writes with the angle of finding a good breed for survival and backcountry livestock, but I figure Rangering has a lot of overlap.

http://www.survivopedia.com/survival-dog/

[Mirimaran]

Our late dog Charlie was a border collie/sheltie mix and was extemely bright. I would recommend a BC any time for a young man looking for adventure!

Ken

[robinhoodsghost]

My vote would be for a alaskan malamute, very smart, strong, easy to train. Did run off on some dear trails while treking in the woods, but much easier to control than many breeds. Great dog...miss him alot. He was called Samson, because he would break his dog chains all the time.

[Jon]

Thanks so much for all the advice guys, awesome link Chris.

So it's looking like the best option might be a (young, male?) border collie or a malamute ?

I've been looking around at the rescue centres in our area, and while there aren't a lot of pure-breds, there are a few cross-breeds that might work. If I did end up going with a collie cross, would I still be getting the traits of a collie (i.e. agility, intelligence, stamina, etc.).

I've also looked at buying, and have found a number of young border collies that (supposedly) fit the bill. However it's not buying from an official breeder, and owners tend to be very vague in their descriptions... I can't help feeling that buying from some of these websites is a bit dodgy. There is no way for me to tell how the dog has been treated, what problems he/she may have, and why the owner can no longer keep the dog). The thing about adopting a dog from a rescue centre is that to me it just seems a bit more 'safe'??

So if I did get a cross-breed, not a pure bred border collie or whatever, will it still work out for what I am looking for do you think? Basically if he/she is a good outdoors dog, is intelligent, and has good athletic ability, I would be quite satisfied I should think.

I found this little guy: http://www.animalcare-lancaster.co.uk/c ... nimal=4962
I'm not saying I will necessarily adopt, but just let me know what you would think of him or similar.


By the way, admins, if all this is too off-topic for MERF, just let me know and I will restrain myself

[Jon]

Oh yes, by the way forgot to add I am willing to run with the dog daily, so I am happy to deal with a higher-energy dog.

[Ringulf]

I see nothing here that seems off topic personally. one might talk about different types of knives or tents to Range with. Why not discuss a dog or horse breed and it's qualities as apply to the genre?

[Jon]

I guess!

Anyhow exciting news, today I went to see a Kelpie + Collie cross. Really handsome male, 18 months. He's healthy and in fit condition, only partially house trained but I can work on that. So far seems ok around strangers (very friendly with us first time we saw him, and loves affection), and also behaves well (i.e uninterested) around livestock - good for us as now living in a fairly rural farming area. Knows his basic commands. Colour is mottled greyish to brown, absolutely beautiful dog - unfortunately no pictures yet.
I know very little about Kelpies, but it seems the cross could be a good one. Any thoughts?

[Ringulf]

Sounds like a great dog! wonderful coloring for the Ranger's lifestyle! I see great potential in this one! BTW that is a great mix! the Kelpie is a tough customer and has as much hearding as the shepard and in a medium size dog you will not go broke feeding him or carrying trail rations.

[Fox]

Just to throw in my two cents worth, one thing you want to keep in mind is that dogs are pack animals. If the dog is to be left alone for long periods of time, he or she may go through separation anxiety. Some dogs do, others don't seem to. Dogs undergoing separation anxiety may destroy your house. The best way to avoid separation anxiety is to have two dogs. If that's not possible, you might need to be sure to give the dog a lot of exercise before you leave it alone for a period of time. Again, it may not be an issue, but I've had dogs that ate couches and holes in the door.