Calling all dog whisperers

I am about 98% decided that I'm going to get a dog in the next week or two, so I'm opening this up for any and all dog-related advice.  Since I live in a 650 square foot back house without a fenced-in yard, and a substantial apartment building 12 feet from my living room, and my landlord has said that I can't get a yappy dog that barks incessantly,  what breeds of dogs would be a good fit?  It's all contingent on what they have at the humane society, of course, but I would love to get input on what breeds to look for.

The only pet I've had since childhood was a fish named Otto, and as you can imagine, he wasn't terribly taxing to take care of.  If you are a dog lover, what should I, as a new dog owner, know?  Is there any dog paraphenalia ( beyond the obvious bowl, leash, etc.) that I should not be without? 

I'm mulling over names, but feel I need to meet the dog before making a final decision, but feel free to throw out your suggestions  - Rufus?  Sebastian?  Lulabelle?  Bonus question: What is the weirdest pet name you have come across?

Comments

[Judy Redman]

We have just acquired a 9 week old puppy. She is very cute, getting very close to being house-trained, friendly, intelligent, well behaved (for a puppy)...and I am having incredible difficulty adjusting to having a dependent being in the house after enjoying the fact that our two children are now independent adults. She needs feeding five times a day, taking out on a very regular basis if we don't want her to have accidents on the carpet, likes attention, chews anything in sight, can't be left alone for significant periods (although this is partly a function of it being mid-winter here and her not having an actual kennel), needs to be watched carefully so you don't tread on her, currently has worms and needs treating weekly, as opposed to fortnightly for normal puppies. You should take this into consideration in thinking about the age of any dog you might get. An older dog will be more difficult to train and will likely have developed some habits you don't like, but will be more independent.

Little dogs tend to yap more, but big ones can sound like a sonic boom when they bark. Lots of experts say that a big dog is actually better in an apartment/small dwelling because they tend to be less energetic than a small one. Do not get a sheep or cattle dog of any kind unless you have plenty of time to exercise it *every* day. Dogs with long hair need regular brushing and are a pain to bathe. If you are going to have the dog indoors, you will need to bath it fairly frequently unless you're happy for everything to smell doggy.

Good luck.

[Heather]

Mutt. Spend time with it. Housebroken already is better. (Puppies are a lot of work). I'm convinced that ugly dogs are more grateful to be loved, and are better behaved. More hair= more housecleaning.

Look out for "kennel cough" and other bad habits dogs pick up if they live in a pound for too long.

Helpful dog names: Gumercindo. Griselda. FiFi. WiFi. Telpochcalli. Zihuatenejo. Ugly Betty. Cheese Head. Guppy Puppy. Kenmore. Kitty.

Actually, here's a really helpful site:
http://www.spillyerbeans.com/funnydognames.html
ANY of these names should work. I'll buy you dinner if you use one of these names.

[Heather]

Dog paraphernalia:

I never bought an official "dog bed" but used a thick blanket folded up, that was easy to wash. And it needed washing occasionally.

Don't waste money on 98% of the crap sold at PetSmart.

Make an ethical decision early about your philosophy of pet care/ vet care... just HOW much money would you spend on this dog in the event of illness? Vets tend to offer you LOTS of things/ treatments. Decide if you "want it all" or decide if you want "just the basics". Most towns have some sort of dog shot clinic regularly where you can get cheap rabies shots.

[sonja]

If you get a puppy, here's the most important thing to remember: behaviors that are cute when s/he is a puppy will not be cute or endearing in an adult dog. They will range from annoying to dangerous depending on the size and/or aggressiveness of the animal.

Mixed breeds are almost always calmer and more relaxed than purebreds. A good friend of ours has a chihuahua/beagle mix that is darling and she never, ever barks. We absolutely love her and dogsit her regularly. We have a golden retriever (our 3rd) he would be much too large for you. Sally, the cheagle, is small (about 25 lbs) and would be a good size for your space. Here's a photo of Sally (and me) http://www.paxunum.org/sallyandme.jpg

I agree with Heather ... don't waste money on 98% of the crap sold at PetSmart. Some rawhide chews are nice once in a while. An old blanket folded up. A water dish with ample fresh water and a food dish and leash/collar should be all you need. You can make toys for him/her out of your unmatched socks.

[sonja]

Oh ... and the best books on dog training/raising/living with them are written by the Monks of New Skete (New York). Excellent books/advice on the psychology of dogs and how they relate to humans.

http://www.newsketemonks.com/

I've been using their advice since long before I "became" a Christian.

[Ryan]

Chocolate Lab!!

Check out my boy: http://ninthstreetrecords.blogspot.com/2009/07/kickin-it-with-buster-4th-of-july.html

We live across the street from a park, so it's easy to walk him. He has championship bladder control though! And he's also excellent with kids/pets/grandparents, etc. My family has had 2 chocolate labs and they are wonderful dogs. My dog's disposition is about as laid back as you can imagine. Very good for a first time dog owner.

[Jenn]

Hooray for adopting dogs! I just did that last month. I don't have any really great advice and am in need of my own dog whisperer, since this three-year-old cockapoo (who doesn't yap, incidentally) currently refuses to be housebroken. Whether he was or not before he came to me is something I have no idea about. But I love him. It's totally worth it. Go you!

The only piece of advice I could possibly give is to remember that if you're adopting a dog, the usual dog advice may have to be come at from alternative angles. I suspect an adopted dog may have extra quirks; Oscar wouldn't take treats for the longest time, which made any kind of training really difficult to motivate! He has only barked once . . . and scared himself so badly when he did it that I'm not sure he'll ever try again. Stuff like that. Prepare to be flexible.

[Heather]

Read Marley and Me for a worst case scenario-- a purebred to the point of stupid dog.

[Susan]

We had a Keeshond for a while. Nice breed, maybe a little large for your space, but ours was older (rescue dog) and very mellow and would have been fine in a place the size of yours.

We name pets after streets in our city: a cat named Damen and a dog named Kedzie.

[Lynn Gazis-Sax]

We got our dog through a rescue organization last year. We wanted a dog that was: a) condo compatible, b) energetic enough to inspire my husband to walk, and, c) likely to be cat friendly. My husband narrowed the breeds to Boston terriers, beagles, and pugs, and we then decided that a pug wouldn't be as good a walking dog as a Boston terrier, and a beagle might be more likely to make noise when left alone, so we got a Boston terrier (waiting for one that the rescue organization, Boston Buddies, had screened as cat friendly). Going through a breed rescue group, of course, winds up costing a bit more than going to the humane society. We're happy with this particular breed, though.

Paraphernalia that we've gotten:

1) Dog bed (he loves it, but he also loves sleeping on a pile of old sheets, so you don't absolutely need this).

2) Toys (you can go to any amount of expense or be as cheap as you like, here).

3) Chews (some sort of chew is vital - right now, at the recommendation of our vet after the pet store purchased bone we got disagreed with him, we're giving him something called a kong, which we fill with a biscuit).

4) Harness (we like harness and leash better than collar and leash, and this one also came with him, from the rescue organization).

5) Seatbelt attachment for harness (also came with the dog, and is really useful).

6) Some doggie clothes for cold weather, because he's temperature sensitive (like toys, this is another area where you can spend just about as much or as little as you like).

7) A flea ointment that we apply to him periodically.

8) A variety of treat called a greenie that is supposed to be good for his teeth.

9) Dog toothpaste that we have yet to actually use.

10) Flashlight for cleaning up after him when he walks at night.

The condo association has dog walk bags available at lots of spots around the association, so we don't have to buy too many of these, but we bought one little container of them (very small, as they bunch up small) for trips.