Hi Tim ~ I just wanted to add that you seem very sensible & considered in your hopes of getting a dog & that it's totally the right way to go to do lots of research beforehand. At least if you are aware of all the pros & cons of dog ownership you won't go into it with false expectations. And you sound just the type to be a great owner.

I think it's a great idea to do some voluntary work with dogs if you can first, especially if you are a first time owner. I don't know how far away you are but the Dogs Trust at Snetterton may be a good starting point? If you could offer say, a couple of hours twice a week, they may well be glad of the help. You would learn a lot from the experienced staff & get used to a variety of breeds & temperaments.

In my opinion, I think it's not such a good idea to be too specific about the breed you want, unless there's a particular reason, e.g. allergies, space limits etc. There are so many lovely Heinz 57s & crossbreeds out there, that you run the risk of missing all these potential dogs if you limit yourself to only looking at rough collies. The most important factor IMO is the dog's temperament & whether this will fit into the lifestyle you can offer a dog.

I'm a feline behaviourist & there are lots of adult dogs that can successfully be rehomed with cats (I've got 2 dogs & 2 cats myself ~ all rescues & all taken on as adults). It's just a case of choosing a dog that is not highly reactive to cats & making sure the introductions & management of the animals are handled correctly. I do voluntary work with the Dogs Trust helping to rehome dogs to homes with resident cats & provided there is a couple of weeks preparation time to set things up properly, it makes it much easier for all concerned.

I wish you all the best with your dreams of having a dog & I hope you find the right dog for you.

Hi, well done for looking into this properly first. I went from owning cats first then onto dogs. It really doesn't compare. Dogs are really needy (in a good way ) But no longer will you be able to go out all day and they really restrict where you can go. In your situation I would def go for a rescue not a pup. Pup's are such hard work, weeing and pooing everywhere, chewing, digging, it all needs an awful lot of commitment to see them through it. The likelihood is that it will chase your cats because they are exciting and move!! My 11 month old pup still finds it hard to resist on occassion now. I have also had a springer that was older when he came to me and that was so much easier, housetrained, happy to be left, never chased the cats and settled within a couple of weeks.

I have honestly never regretted adding a couple of dogs to the family they are great but I honestly hand on heart would always go for the little bit older rescue rather than the pup.

Dogs trust charged me £70 last year for Dizzy Rascal which included neutering and vaccinations.

Really good luck with whatever you decide.

Personally, I do not think that anyone working your hours should get a dog (sorry!)

If you get a pup it needs company, reassurance, training to be obedient and housetraining too. Apart from that pups need to be fed three or four times a day - something your work schedule would not allow for by the sound of things.

Housetraining means that you need to be on hand to show your pup what you want him to do, not just let him wee and poo in your house.

Dogs are sociable animals, they love company. Leave them on their own and they can develop bad habits - chewing, barking, being destructive etc.

Even if you leave it out in the garden, it is not the ideal thing for a dog, in my opinion. I have seen loads of people leave their dogs in the garden and they spend the day pacing up and down, barking at every little noise, and generally being a nuisance.

I am sorry to sound so negative, but I would have a serious think about what having a dog entails and whether your lifestyle at the moment is suitable.

Some great posts, I am younger than Tim!! but not by much, I work form home (and plan to stay this way) and admit I don't have that much of a social life but have always had dogs, just to add IF you get a dog when ever that may be, like some one else said temperament is VERY important just as important as health IMO so thats something I'd look for when getting a dog of any breed.
Ps. I'd never leave a dog in a garden unless in a locked kennel with run that has a roof on it.

Thanks for all the tips guys.

I'm not going to be living with my parents forever... well I hope not anyway! I wouldn't drop any of my pets if I moved, they would come with me whatever. Even if it meant turning down a place slightly nicer. Pets offer more than a little more space .

About the "heinz 57" selection of crossbreeds... I'm not ruling anything out. I do have a soft spot for collies though, part of me like the border collies...but I know that I wouldn't have the time to give it the right amount of exercise. I've also thought about Golden Retrievers and labs.

To be honest, I don't have a really active social life. I have friends at work, but living in the sticks means I don't go out clubbing much if at all lol. One reason why I want a dog, a loyal companion to have good times with.

I'm beginning to think getting a pup would be a bad idea, like has been said they require almost constant attention... something I can't provide. I do like to go to airshows in the summer for a day out, I see a lot of people take their dogs... although some leave them in their cars (god that makes my blood boil!). Would having a dog in a place like that be bad with the sound of jets etc?

I don't know what I'll be doing in a few years from now... so maybe I'm not ready to get a dog I don't know. Perhaps I would be better keeping moggys until I'm a bit more settled in a place of my own? I'm at a bit of a crossroads unsure of where to go as far as a career... considered joining the RAF as aircrew which could mean deployments away for months, or I might decide to train as a biomedical scientist (I work as a lab assistant in pathology at local hospital). The latter would mean staying in this area for at least 4 or 5 years training.

I guess after years of waiting I'm starting to grow impatient!

I think if you made arrangements with your neighbours to pop over & let your dog out & spend say 15-20 mins with it when you are out for 5+ hours, then that would probably be ok for most well-adjusted adult dogs. I always thought that I couldn't have a dog as I work full time & so does my OH. But one of the managers at the local Dogs Trust pointed out that the dogs in kennels often don't have as much attention or activity as a full-time worker can give a dog! The dogs are shut away in their kennels from 5.00 pm to 8.00 am the next morning. Okay most of them have a kennel mate & there is no expectation that the dogs will not toilet overnight, but most cope with this situation.

As it happens my OH is in & out of the house all day now so the dogs aren't left for more than 2 to 3 hours a day. But the dogs know their routine now & the majprity of times that my OH goes home, the dogs don't even bother to get off the sofa to see him ~ all he hears is the thump thump of their tails as they lie there dozing. But when I get home & they know it's walk time, it's a different kettle of fish!

I agree that a puppy would probably not be a great idea in your current situation though. They are very demanding & require a lot of attention. An adult dog (or two?!) would be easier for you.

As for going to airshows, perhaps if you get a local dog it will already be used to the noise of aircraft & won't be bothered? There is an annual airshow near me so it's almost impossible to get noise sensitive dogs used to the sound of jets, as it happens so rarely. But a friend of mine always books these few days off work & gets out of the area every day. Being summer, she's usually lucky & goes on lovely picnics with the dogs in some far flung corner of Sussex for the day.

What about doing some reading on dog behaviour while you're thinking about it? There's some excellent books on the market if you're interested & plenty of folk here who can recommend books/DVDs etc. Or maybe ask if you can observe at local training classes? And forums like these are a great way to find out about some of the things that can go wrong for dog owners!!!

Well why not wait until you've made a decision about your career? If you choose the biomedical science, you could get an older dog, but if you choose the RAF, I would definitely defer any thoughts of a dog.

Helping out at the local rescue can be very rewarding (but also very hard in terms of getting attached to dogs that ou can't take home!) and i would definitely consider that while you are considering your career.

At least your thinking.....and me personally I like that, your not rushing headlong into something....I think you will make a good dog owner.

As for pups....well read The Honeymoon period is over on the general page............I have a pup. but am home all day....though I have to say ''I do have a sense of humour.....and by God it helps

Hello Tim
Labradork's posts seem very informative to me. A pup (especially a collie pup - who can be quite a handfull, full of energy and mischief) will need to have someone around for the most part of the day and your working hours do not seem compatible at the moment. The other point I noted was that you are living in your parent's house and they do not know about this yet - would they agree?
I am avery fond of the collie breeds but they are not the easiest of dogs. I have had collies (both Rough, Sheltie and Border types) and whilst the Rough collie is generaly quieter without the strong working instinct, they are still very active, very hairy and the coat maintenance is very high in terms of time spent keeping the coat in tip top condition. They shed hair at an amazing rate for most of the time.
As others have said, perhaps an older dog rather than a pup may be a better proposition for you at this time. Working as a volunteer somewhere would also be good.
Dogs have very different requirements from cats - they need company and can never go out on their own and please themselves as cats do. There is always a risk of escape from even the most secure gardens. There is also the question of training (essential with a pup) and even an older dog will need to be trained (they very rarely come ready done).
All this sounds very negative, I know and I know you are doing your research which is an excellent start. Bringing a pup into the house is similar to having a baby around. It is incredible the amount of damage a puppy can do when left alone. That is the reason why you need t get your parents on board with this. Best wishes.

Thank you for all the advice guys appreciate it.

Found out there is a rescue centre for cats & dogs about 30mins drive from here. Might pop along and see what's about, and ask about some volunteer work at the same time.

I just hope I don't find a dog I fall head over heels for... as I would find it hard not to want to take it home!!!

About the whole "leaving it whilst at work" problem, if I were to get two adult dogs... would the two of them be able to keep each other company whilst I was out for the afternoon say?

Hmmm... was only going for one now might be looking at two dogs lmao!