Pets - Valparaiso,IN

Whippets are calmer then grey hounds. I wouldn't get a grey hound with kids. A good family dog would be a lab or golden. I had a snauzer when my kids were growing up and she was great with them if you want a smaller dog.

This is what my dog book says about bostons: Most affectionate with its master, patient with children, intelligent and allert. Its gift as a guardian of the house is noteworthy

Research breeds that would best fit your family. I know that Terriers and Greyhounds are very active dogs that need lots of room to roam and lots of walks. My personal favorite dog for a family is a lab. They are all around great dogs, personality, energy, lovable everything. Once you decide on a couple of breeds, go to the pound to look for one. You might not find a purebreed, but a lab mixed with a german shephard or something like. Also, consider getting a dog that's already one or two years old. They are so much easier!!!!!

I would get none of the above as for breeds. I'd go with one of the more active breeds , like a Sheltie or an Aussie. We have been looking into pet insurance and just like regular insurance , what it covers depends on what insurance you go with and what level of coverage you get.

The draw back with a rescue or dog from the pound is you can't predict their personality or behavior by breed.

I would go to the pound and pick the one that likes your kids the most. I'm not a fan of buying a purebred, as they are the ones that generally have the most health problems.

I didn't read the other responses, but I'd suggested getting a mutt from a rescue/human society. My family has had mutts for the past 24 years or so & we never had pet insurance. Mutts aren't as likely to have health problems as pure-breeds are, so the only thing you really need to worry about is the pet getting hurt.

please please please at least consider a pound dog. you can often find near purebreds there, and the ones that aren't generally have the hybrid health and vitality that line-breeding eliminates.
khairete
S.

I also recommend rescuing dogs from the pound. We have had several good 'pound puppies', and it saves them from being euthanized, but if it's to be an 'inside dog', consider how much fur (the shedding winter undercoat) it has. Some dogs have 'hair' and need to be kept warmer (and don't shed much), and some are much more insulated (and annually shed gargantuan amounts of fur)!!

I'd wanted to expand a little on the rescue dog thing. When you get a rescue dog, as soon as you adopt it they go right down to the pound and save a pound dog and bring it back to the rescue. So in essence you are saving two dogs. Check petfinder.com, and also you can just google rescue societies in your area. Sometimes you can even find rescue societies for specific breeds.

I strongly disagree that you won't be able to predict behavior and temperment. With pound dogs that may be true, but a rescue society is not an animal shelter. They are more like a boarding kennel. The animals are there long term. They are socialized and worked with. They have been under medical care. They are fostered out to families that might want pets but not long term commitment. The dog handlers get a feel of each individual dog's personality, not just a generalization based on breed that might not actually be true. You can often get pure bred or close to it, with or without papers. So you still have your breed generalization, but I think the fact that they get to know the dog personally is more telling. They figure out which dogs do well with kids, or cats, or what kind of home they need. So you truly get the best fit for your family.

My parents got a rescue dog for my sister when she was younger (I was out of the house). They had gone online and picked out their favorite from the pictures and descriptions, and her heart was all set on it. They went down there for the consultation and after doing an interview with my family, the person who worked there suggested that they meet this other dog. She swore that they seemed like they would be a perfect fit. The dog was bigger and older than my sister wanted so she didn't want to bother. But as soon as she met that dog, it was an instant bond. The fit with my family was as perfect as if she had been designed for them.

Anyway, I just wanted to explain how the rescue thing works, since the idea of a pound dog can be intimidating, especially with kids. But I really think that if you want to know what you are getting in advance, a rescue society is much better than a breeder, a pet store, or a pound. And it is nice to know you are saving a dog too. Also, I second the comment about a low-shedder. I have a lot of pets and a LOT of pet hair in my house. I think I'd shave them all bald if I could :) Good luck on your hunt!

i would say a boston terrier they are great pets very smart dogs and they love 2 play with childern and they are very easy 2 teach i have had 2 of them...do 2 my divorce i longer have them but miss them dearly:( good luck

the pet insurance is worth it depending on what breed you get.
WE have 2 pugs and in the beginning they were very high maintence dogs, so the pet insurance covered part of sick visits, vaccines, fixing and other issues. I think it was worth it for the first 2 years. They are now 8 and we have dropped the insurance b/c our visits are not as frequent as when they were puppies. Just mainly the once a year stuff

But if you have a breed that dosent traditionally have a lot of issues, it may not be worth the monthly cost. You have to do the research.

As for which breed, with 5 kids get one that DOES NOT SHED!!! The dog hair is such a pain to clean up!!! haha

Hello,
Sorry I do not believe in pet insurance and therefore have no experience with it.
Most of the time the dogs get sick because of what we do to them, like over vaccinating, feeding bad food that looks so wonderful on the packaging, steady poisening with flea and tick products, etc.
I am not a vet, but I as a pet groomer see a lot of health issues in dogs and I am doing a lot of research for the sake of my own dog - a shelter dog mix!
I am still confused why people think rescue/shelter dogs are second class animals.
If you want to educate yourself about healthy food options etc. before you buy a dog, pls feel free to join my group on Facebook:
Doggy Has It
I post info there every time I come across something useful.
PLEASE as others have said, if you have a heart and want a dog to be a companion in your family instead of being a purebred status symbol to show around, consider a rescue or shelter dog. They do have purebreds too. We are killing 4 million dogs a year - and they end back up in the food chain!!!- because people still go buy from breeders and pet stores.
I have a friend that has had 3 beautiful Golden Retriever in the last 4 years, they all ended up with various kind of cancer and the breeder still keep breeding the parents, now what does that tell you?
Do a search on google for the Petland report that Animal Planet had just a few weeks back.
Good luck in your search

Hi! Congrats on your decision to get a dog! First of all I wanted to say that I had a Whippet for 15 years and he was the best dog ever. Hands down, everyone who knew him thought he was the sweetest dog. I work in animal rescue and I work with tons of dogs and my Whippet was the most gentle and loving dog I have ever known. I could go on all day. Anyways, I have looked into pet insurance for my many pets and there are a lot of things it won't cover. It could help with some expenses but overall I did not find it worthwhile. I have tried free trials of pet health insurance and they didn't cover any costs that arose during that time. As far as adopting a dog vs. buying a purebreed : there are rescues for virtually any dog breed out there. If you want a pure breed there are plenty in rescues. My Whippet was a rescued pure breed that I adopted when he was a puppy. Good luck with your new dog! - S.

I had the Petsmart Pet Insurance for a while. It was very worth the money if you always bring your dogs to Petsmart. I didn't like other aspects of the Petsmart healthcare, though, and I have found with other vets and private insurance isn't worth it.

Please consider a rescue dog. All 3 of my dogs are rescues, all 3 are great with my toddler, and mixed-breed dogs are less-likely to have genetic diseases. If you are set on one of those breeds (or even if you're not), check out petfinder.com to find rescue in your area. You can search for breed, sex, and age in your area. Good luck!

Hi A.,

Pet insurance is akin to to every other entity out there that has us "prepared." I've gotten my dog diagnosed 3 times now and gone to MY health store and fixed the problem for 1/10th the price and avoided shots and surgeries. One of my dearest friends is a vet and he smiled when he told me I was wise.

The Nursing Home where my Dad lived had a greyhound for pet therapy. They are wonderful dogs but they love the slow pace of old people. They are very loyal but also very highstrung. Whippets are similar in temperament but not quite as bad. Terriers are much better with little ones but there is a range of types.

Do your research first like everyone of these ladies has said. The right breed and the right dog is important and the thing not addressed is if you can't handle a certain type dog, now you'll have 5 little ones attached to it.
We actually got a full blooded Blue Tick hound from our pound a few years ago. We only had her for about a month before she saved my sister's life and lost hers. I vote for a pound puppy!

God bless,

M.

If you are concerned with just going to a large pound and choosing a dog who has been crated it's entire stay, check out some of the smaller shelters. Look on PetFinder and do a little research. We adopted our dog from Chicago Canine Rescue. She was living in a foster home and was completely trained when we got her at six months of age. My daughter has done some work with another group, For the Love of Jenny. Their dogs are also fostered. It's a great to rescue a dog, but to also get a dog who is a great fit for you.

IDK about the pet insurance. We have a maltipoo indoors and we don't have the insurance but we haven't run up on any major vet bills.

My advice is, if this is an indoor door think about you want as a mom. Do you prefer no dog hair in the house? No barking? a lazy breed or high maintenance exercise wise?

If you want no shedding...any poo mix is good for a small dog...if you want a large dog no shedding go for a doodle mix.

If you are worried about barking DO NOT GET A BEAGEL. All they do is howl....constantly.
Labs are great but they tend to chew and shed and be very clumsy.
Just do your research and find out what characteristics your family memebers want.

I wanted no dog hair and a breed that got along with my 7 monthold and was easily trained.
My Husband wanted no barking and easy house training.
Our maltipoo doesn't shed, will back away from our daughter when told the 'away command' and is just about housebroke after 2 weeks.

He was the perfect choice for us and I am very thankful that I did my research

We have petinsurance.com. I find the peace of mind worth it. It is pricey up front but it covers wellness, emergencies and we got the cancer rider. Another option is through petsmart. I have heard good things with theirs but I can not speak from experience.

As far as breads. We have two Weimariners, while ours are great they are hyper and needy. Dear friends have a rescued greyhound and he is GREAT with the kids and just a cool dog.

HTH

I don't have pets at the moment so cannot help with the insurance side , but myself and my husband have talked about the possibility of a dog somewhere down the line , just out of curiosity I googled "best breed of dogs with young kids" and in the top 5 were Beagles and Labradors. There were some smaller dogs aswell , not sure what size you want but I reccommend doing lot's of research into it before you just pick a dog that you like , as these may not be the best choice with kids.

Hi,

I had pet insurance for our dog for several years and while it was helpful (refunds on annual visits, vaccines, dental cleanings, etc) I found that it did NOT pay for itself over time. Our dog is pretty healthy, but the year she turned 8 the insurance company tried to TRIPLE the premiums and slash her coverage (what they might pay for) based on her age alone. That's when we canceled the insurance.
Unless you get a dog with health issues, you would be much better off setting aside a little money every month to pay for the annual vet bills and emergencies.

We have 4 children (now 18, 2 16's and a 13) When we decided to add a dog 7 years ago, we went with the Whippet. Mostly because they have very little genetic issues with their health. They are also low shed (although we do have some), and are mostly couch potatoes. He needs about 45 minutes a day of exercise. It has been a wonderful experience. Very bright, wants to please so very easy to train...all in all a great dog. We do not have pet insurance, but nothing but our routine check ups have been needed. A friend has German Shepards and has the insurance. She has needed it extensively over the course of 3 dogs. Would do it again! Beautiful, graceful, fun dogs. Good Luck. D.

Anja G has some very good points....Dogs DO get sick because of what people do to them...Over-vaccinating, which causes auto-immune diseases as well as cancer, feeding them commercial food which has animal and chicken By-Products...(if you don't know what that is, please research it) the bad parts of grains, etc, etc.
I have 3 rescue cocker spaniels who have NO health problems as I feed them a raw diet and do not re-vaccinate yearly, except for Rabies (3 yr) as required by law.
I really don't think your MOST important question should be about pet insurance...(just save a little each month) . The most important question should be what kind of dog to get, what age dog, traits of the breed, and so forth. Do some research. Some reputable rescues may not even adopt to a family with children younger than 4 or 5 because of what may happen if a child mis-treats an animal. Children age 2 and 3 don't know how to properly treat animals in most cases. Shelter and rescue animals are the best. As other have said you'd be saving 2 lives...but do research...don't just go to a shelter and point to a dog...and take him/her home with you. Due dilligence.....

I

There are several companies that have pet insurance. Many will cover at least part of the basics including heartworm preventive and vaccines. Some are only for emergencies, depending on the coverage you choose. I have know many people that were very happy with insurance and it really saved them a lot of money in the long run, especially if the pet had any major health issues. If it is a puppy it seems to help to have the preventive plan since it can cover many of the puppy vaccines, otherwise the one for major issues seems to work. Talk to some of the vets in your area or the one you plan on using and see what some of their prices are and then research the insurance and see if looks likes a good idea. Most vets will still have you pay for everything up front and then sign an insurance form you bring and mail in to get reimbursed.

For the breeds- greyhounds are wonderful dogs. You will usually have to go the rescue route. They love to run, but are also some of the biggest couch potatoes I have ever know. They due tend to have dental issues and will probably need routine cleanings and brushing their teeth (as with any dog) will really help. They are also pretty sturdy, but can get a gash in the skin easily if they run into anything sharp.I used to work at a kennel that on average had 4-5 boarding most days. When they went outside they would run a few laps and then come and sit and just want to be loved and are very gentle. I'm assuming you did mean the full size ones and not Italian greyhounds (which I wouldn't recommend- break legs easily.

Whippits are also great! Both the whippits and greyhounds are scent hounds, so make sure the area is well secure when they go outside, since sometimes on a scent they will just keep following it.

I love boston terriers and have only ever met one that wasn't really nice. With them you kind of have to watch that their nose isn't too smashed in, makes it harder for them to breath. With most small breeds you want to make sure the parents have good knees if get one from a breeder.

Also check the parent clubs or AKC to see common health issues for the breeds. That way you can ask breeders if any of the genetic issues are in the lines, and you may want to avoid some if they are. It sounds like you have already been doing your research to find the right breed for your family and that is a great idea. Good luck in your search and I'm sure everyone will be really happy with whatever dog you end up with.

I have a Boston Terrier. He is a great dog. I grew up with labs, they are great too BUT much too big. We travel alot in a motorhome and find a smaller dog is much more convenient. My girlfriend has had Bostons for years. When my son was born, my friend kept him while I worked. Her Boston would jump in the crib and stand guard of the baby. My friend now has 4 Boston Terriers, I think 4 dogs are a bit much though. Our Harley was easy to train and has such a great personality. They are great with kids.

I have never had pet insurance so can't help there.

What the pet insurance covers depends entirely on what kind of pet insurance you get. Some only cover emergencies - say if your cat swallowed a piece of yarn and then needed surgery to remove it. Some don't cover certain preexisting conditions - say if you got a German Shepard and it had hip dysplasia. Also keep in mind that with most pet insurance you will be paying the bill up front and the company will reimburse you when you send in the forms. Of the clients at the vet office I work for I'd say that maybe 15% of them have pet insurance of some kind, which is more than when I first started working in the field, but still not a lot.
As for dog breeds, I definitely recommend getting one from a rescue group and there are breed specific rescue groups if you're set on a certain breed. Like the poster below said most rescue groups do a really good job of determining a dog's personality and temperament and then matching them with the appropriate family. Most will also take the animal back if for some reason things don't work out.
On the subject of mutts. They aren't necessarily any healthier than pure breeds. Granted people don't generally inbreed mutts so they have that going for them, but they can also inherit the same undesirable traits from their pure bred ancestors that any pure breed can. As a for instance - terriers (all of them really) are especially prone to allergies and so are cocker spaniels. If you were to have a mutt that's a mix of both you could get a dog that didn't inherit the allergy gene from either parents (which would be awesome) or you could get a dog that's an itchy, scratchy, smelly mess all year round. Maybe not the best example but I'm sure you see where I'm going. Any breed you pick is going to have issues that it's prone to, which is why it's important to do your research carefully. In some ways this can make get a specific breed MORE desirable as you have general idea of what you may be in for.
Personally, we have one mutt, a boxer/something(s) mix, and one boxer. My husband found the boxer on the side of the road and we put adds in the papers but no one called, so he stayed and he's been the best dog ever. GREAT with our son since the day we brought him home from the birth center. The mutt we got as a puppy from some people who were allergic to her. Also fantastic with the boy since day one. I've noticed that A LOT of our boxer clients, if they have a smaller dog, have Bostons. Both breeds are known for being good with children although some boxers are too rambunctious and will knock smaller children down while playing, which is where the breed rescue comes in, they should be able to tell you if a dog is good with small children. Boxers also need a fair amount of room to burn off energy. Whippets and greyhounds, in general, tend to be more skittish, and fragile, for that matter. They have little thin, snappable legs. But that doesn't mean they aren't good dogs, just maybe not the dog you're looking for.
Good luck

we don't have pet insurance, so i can't help you on that one - but i was gonna suggest that you NOT get a greyhound with so many young children. greyhounds get stressed VERY easily and it's generally not recommended to bring one into a home with small children. i know most people find them "big and scary", but we have a doberman that is FABULOUS with our 3 small kids, she is a big baby :) good luck with your new family member!