thinking of getting a dog...... any help

[JOSHUA SAMPSON]

I'd have to agree with APBT! it's a lot of work. kinda like having a kid. you have to invest time and effort in order to keep from getting a delinquent

[IllinoisNative]

Originally Posted by ranchobiker24

i have always wanted a dog but dont know what to get.. its between a siberian husky or a german shepard .....

Well, as someone who has had both, I would say a German Shepherd without a doubt. They are both beautiful "wolf like" creatures but the Siberian Husky lacks loyalty...lol. That's a big thing to me. They will run the first chance they get every single time. And good luck catching them. They jump like kangaroos, they dig which is part of the breed (to get warm in the snow), they can be very independent, they will usually kill all small animals even when raised with them. They also have no desire to please you. Trainability is low. Yes, it can be accomplished but it takes A LOT more work than training a shepherd from my experience. They will never be an off leash dog. Off course there are always exceptions to the rule but I've never run across one.

I grew up with Siberians and my sister currently has one. And when I got my first Shepherd, I was blown away...by their loyalty, their protectiveness, their desire to please, their utter devotion to my every waking thought and move, their trainability. The difference was shocking.

I can't imagine ever getting a Siberian again. I think they are magnificent, beautiful animals but they don't fit my life style or needs. I need a co-dependent dog and that is not a Siberian. Heh.

I will say that I agree with everyone's advice above. Both take work. Both take commitment. I just found a GS to be loyal and easier to train. Good luck to you.

[aubie]

Also, take into account what type of personality your cats have. We have three cats and Anna, who was raised with them, treats them each differently based on their personality.

Simon is laid back and doesn't care--so they hang out and even take naps together. Mia is a spaz and likes to play, so Anna chases her. Alley is lazy and just hangs out...so Anna pretty much ignores her. It's not all on the dog, you need to know your cat as well.

Owning any dog costs money, food, chews, toys, supplies, training and then vet visits. As they get older they cost more...I spend a nice chunk on supplements for my senior. BUT you cannot put a price tag on the love they give you.

Just be prepared for the costs...it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and do research now to find out what kind of food you want to feed and do a yearly cost analysis. Call your vet and get a price guide for the first year of shots/care. And if you're anal retentive like me, put it in a spreadsheet and get an idea of your monthly/yearly costs.

And of course, make sure you have the most important thing for your dog--time.

[LaRen616]

Huskies will most likely go after your cats, some when raised around cats will be fine with them and some will not. They have a very high prey drive. Huskies are harder to train and tend to have a mind of their own. You need a 6 foot fence! They are great climbers and excellent escape artists! They dig too, so if you have a beautiful yard you might end up with a few holes. Huskies should NEVER be trusted off leash, they are runners and they will run away at any opertunity. They are "talkers" or from what I have experienced "screamers". They have ALOT more energy than GSD's. If they dont get enough exercise they will become destructive! I had one for almost 4 weeks and he was absolutely horrible, that does not mean yours will be. I have done ALOT of research on that breed and got one and gave it away. After what I experienced with that breed I will NEVER have one again. PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE BREED. EVERYTHING THING THAT I SAID CAME FROM A VERY RECOMMENDED BOOK ABOUT THE BREED

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by ranchobiker24

i have always wanted a dog but dont know what to get.. its between a siberian husky or a german shepard .....

You already got lots of good info from other people, but I just had to point out that it's shepherd, not shepard. GSDs are a herding breed, hence the "herd" in their name. We don't expect everyone here to know how to spell dachshund, or chihuahua or bichon frise or shih tzu, but if you're considering getting a GSD, you should learn how to spell the name properly, especially since it's relevant to purpose of the breed.

Carry on, and good luck!

[Doubleminttwin]

Well as a student who works and who raised a puppy I would say go with w/e age makes you the most comfortable, maybe it was more work but I wouldn't trade her for any other dog ever! Honestly I didn't find it to be that much work because lets face it puppies are cute, and theres a reason for that You can't stay mad or frustrated at them for long

As far as GSD vs Husky, our friend has a husky she adopted when he was 1.5 and he has absolutely no interest in her cat. So like any dog it depends on the personality. I personaly LOVE the way huskys look but same with the GSDs and for me having been around both I would choose the GSD for personality and looks any day, but its a personal preferance, ask my friend and she would probably choose the husky

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by ranchobiker24

its between a siberian husky or a german shepard .....

What made you pick those two breeds? They are very, VERY different!

On the whole, Shepherds are more willing to work with their people. Huskies tend to be more self-minded.

There are no absolutes in either breed - such as never allowing a Husky off leash. There is a board member that does agility with her husky - very highly titled dog, too!

Puppy or adult? It depends on your desires. From what you describe I would suggest looking into a young adult from a REPUTABLE rescue that has tested the dog around cats (whether you go GSD or Sibe).

Costs - I'd say plan on $100 per month for food, toys, training and medical expenses. You might have a month or two (or even three) go by where you have no vets visits but then you might get hit with an emergency visit that runs over $500. Having a savings for vet care is a must!

[IllinoisNative]

Originally Posted by LaRen616

You need a 6 foot fence!

We had a six foot fence and they still climbed it. We used to joke that they were kangaroos. We actually put a tilt on our fence and they climbed that, too. They also dug under the fence. We actually dug our fence three feet below ground to stop them. LOL! It was crazy. In the winter, they wanted to be outside 24/7. It was impossible to be outside with them as much as they wanted to be.

They are great climbers and excellent escape artists!

Truer words were never spoken.

They dig too, so if you have a beautiful yard you might end up with a few holes. Huskies should NEVER be trusted off leash,

I agree. I know there may be exceptions to the rule like Lauri pointed out but that's the exception that proves the rule, IMO. Yes, you can train them but there is a reason you don't see them in agility courses (or that it's rare if you do). But for a new person, I would voice the rule rather than the exception to it. Why work against nature? They are predisposed to dig, run, high prey drive and being INDEPENDENT. It's one thing if they are those things and still care about what you think...but they don't. That's why I love GS's. Yes, they can also dig, have high prey drive, etc., but they want to please you so training comes more easily. That's something a Husky lacks. You're going to have to work 1000 times harder to get a Husky to do what GS does.

My sister was determined to get a Husky. She had fond memories of their looks when she was younger. Since she was much younger than me, she forgot all those mornings before school that we spent looking for them because they escaped and killed some neighbors chickens. She adopted one from a shelter and it had all the problems I told her it would have...digger, escape artist, killed small animals. She swore she'd never adopt another dog. I told her it had nothing to with being an adopted dog and everything to do with the breed! Don't fight what a dog was bred to do. Pick a dog that fits with your life style. If you want a dog that doesn't run away, stack the odds in your favor by not getting a Husky. JMO.

After what I experienced with that breed I will NEVER have one again.

It's like we're the same person.

[LaRen616]

HaHaHa thank goodness you know what I am talking about

[diana72805]

We got our GSD as an 8 week old pup. Personally, this worked out great for us so far. We have flexible schedules so he's not left alone very much. A puppy is alot of work - but I have really enjoyed training him ourselves. We take pride in his accomplishments.

However, if you have a busy schedule - you may want to check out the rescue adult dogs. I'm sure there are plenty out there that need a loving home. I think some people think that just because they're in a rescue, they're 'bad dogs'. That's not true. Alot of times, people have stellar dogs and were just in over their heads too much to properly care for them... and end up giving them up. One of the perks I've learned about adult dogs is that you already know what their personality will be!

As far as the breed - we've never owned a Husky, but did alot of research as we were trying to make the same decision that you're making. From what I read (and I'm no expert, so please do your own research too as everyone's lifestyle is different) is that Husky's can be more headstrong and a little harder to train than a GSD. Also read that they are diggers. On that note, our GSD recently started a little digging of his own if he gets bored outside. There are pros and cons to every individual breed and dog - just do alot of reading and see what matches your lifestyle better.

As far as costs go, the previous posters outlined them pretty well. My personal experience is that we at first tried to limit our spending as much as we can due to a tight budget. But the more of a bond we've built with Jaz, the more he's really like another child to us. You want the absolute best for them. From quality of food to the quality of vet care. So yeh, it can be pricey - but worth every single penny