Dog or Puppy wanted

tuckage

<P>My first post! My girlfriend and I are looking to get a dog or puppy for our new house. Where would people suggest going locally (animal shelter/dogs home) to find one? or does anyone know of any puppies looking for homes? thanks guys</P>

odd stewart

Dont know of any puppies going, but call battersea cats and dogs home and they'll talk to you about what would be suitable and recommend. Rescuing is best.

tuckage

We want to rescue. We'll go visit battersea but are there any local centres?

odd stewart

Good point. What about a rescue greyhound? Very nice relaxed dogs.<br><br>Welcome to the forum by the way...<br>

ashman

Trust me you will find a lovely dog at battersea dogs home. You will feel really gd once youve given a doggy a home, i have 2 mates that got their dogs from there. One of them only got his one last week, at 7 months. Lovely dog. There are so many staffies in there, you should take one of them!

tuckage

Thanks! Are rescued greyhounds ok to leave at home during the day as we both work during the week? And where would we go to see/meet one?

miss annie

Welcome! Try the Mayhew Animal Rescue, it's only up the road but be warned it's mainly Staffies that you find in Rescue Homes these days. Battersea have a real problem with it and are doing a campaign to try to get more people to adopt them.

tuckage

Mayhew animal rescue; sounds like a job for this afternoon. Whereabouts is it? (and thanks)

Bridget J

Hello, we got our puppy from Wood Green Animal shelter, she was a lovely cross and looked like a little fox and lived for 16 years! <div><br></div><div>http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/</div>;

ashman

There are a lot of staffies because people that have nver owned dogs or are scared of dogs have given them a bad name. Anyone thts owned a dog before knows that a dog is what you make it. I mean i could train a shitzu or a greyhound to be aggressive or a fighter but that dont mean it will be any good at it physically. Staffies just get used by thugs because of their physics. Another reason people give them up are the fact that they have too much energy and need a lot of attention. They always wna be close i love my staff.

Ilovegreyhounds

We have a retired greyhound and work full time.  A dog walker comes in at lunchtime and takes him for a long walk 3-4 days per week and we try to work from home 1-2 days per week.  Yes they are okay to be left alone as they are coach potatoes and all they do is eat and sleep.  Very low maintenance. We adopted him from the Retired Greyhound Trust in Romford. In North London there is also the one at Waltham Cross. <a href="www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/">www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk</a>  They will discuss with you the dog's needs as well what you can offer them and try to help you find a good match, it may take a few visits to find the perfect dog but you get a lot of support. I hear that Battersea can be very strict about their placements.<div><div><br></div><div>Whisper me if you need more info. Retired greyhounds are great </div></div><div><br></div>

odd stewart

Get a greyhound. Or yeah, rescue a staffie. They are very sweet natured dogs if loved and treated right. <br>

Mirandola

RSCPA North London are good too. We got our cats there.

harpistic

My family has adopted several rescue dogs from Blue Cross; their website is http://www.bluecross.org.uk/ but I can't look at it or I may end up accidentally adopting a cat!

andy

Ashman is right about staffies. they look like little menaces, but can be good family dogs. Unfortunately for them, they have become the breed of choice for idiots who shouldn't be allowed dogs, so lots get abandoned. Also, am I right in thinking they are more likely to be stolen?

tuckage

I too am also worried about visiting a home/centre and coming away with more animals than I bargained for! I need to harden up my heart before going. It is a shame staffies have such bad PR. A friend had one and he had a heart of gold (the dog although my friend was good too)

rainbow_carnage

We've been thinking of getting a dog, too, but I don't think it would be fair on the poor creature. I did a bit of research, talked to some people. Everyone says that you have to walk the dog during the day. You can't just leave him on his own for 9 hours. I work from home a couple days a week, but I can't be there every day for the lunchtime walk. I wouldn't want the dog to be at the mercy of my work schedule.<br>

odd stewart

Cat might be a better bet if you're at work all day? Not the same but a dog needs its family or help from walkers etc

harpistic

That's a good point re dogs needing lots of attention - and they get so much stimulus from their walks (sniffing everything in sight etc) that evening walks aren't as much fun for them. I've no idea what the costs are, but a friend of mine is a "professional" dog walker, and has been for many years; it gives the dogs some company and exercise during the day, and also they get to make new friends. The company is http://www.londondogwalking.com/services.html (feel free to ignore).<br>

andy

Or take him to work with you.

tuckage

Quitting work sounds better...

Ilovegreyhounds

Dogs are a big commitment and we did a lot of research before making a final decision. Re-homing centres will question you regarding your daily arrangements if you work. The RGT accepted our work from home/dog walker arrangement as greyhounds like to have good long sleeps in peace and quiet in between walks. There is also a settling in period so that the dog gets used to not having someone around all the time. As working dogs greyhounds are already pretty used to this anyway but at least they retire into the comfort of a nice home as opposed to a paddock with newspaper for a bed.  Our dog has really helped us get out more, I have never walked so much and got to know a local area so well as since we got our dog. Yes, an ideal situation would be to work from home all the time or not work at all alas not many people can do that nowadays!  

gardener-joe

is it not cruel to leave a dog unattended all day while at work ... don't they develop anxiety problems?

Pag

I notice that there are a lot of animal lovers and supporters of rescuing and rehoming here.<br>If anyone would like to support the RSPCA North London Branch, I am raising money for a 100km walk I'm doing in May. even just a few quid would be greatly appreciated by me and the organization!<br>https://www.justgiving.com/Paige-Hallett<br><br>Some more information about the charity and their work can be found here:<br><a href="http://www.rspca.org.uk/media/facts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.rspca.org.uk/media/facts</a><br><a href="http://www.rspca.org.uk/in-action" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.rspca.org.uk/in-action</a><br><a href="http://www.rspca.org.uk/inyourarea/detail/-/iya/RSPCA Central &amp; North East London Branch/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.rspca.org.uk/inyourarea/detail/-/iya/RSPCA Central &amp; North East London Branch/</a><br><br><br>

odd stewart

I gave you some money. Good Luck.<br>

ashman

Staffies wont get stolen,there are too many of them so people arent interested. They tend to steal expensive dogs. And no you cant leave a dog home all day, most of them wil be very anxious/nervous. Its best not to leave them for too long no matter what breed.

kreuzkav

Something else to ponder on before getting a dog.  It's about compulsory microchips.<div><br></div><div> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17797194">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17797194</a><div><br></div><div><br><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div>;

ashman

I think thats a great idea. If you care for your dog im sure you have one already.

kreuzkav

I don't have a dog as I don't have a garden and would prefer a cat anyway as I find them more interesting and independent. A garden is a very important factor in having a cat.  Can't have a cat going to the toilet in my flat.

vetski

<P>@kreuzkav, having a garden doesn't always stop the furry little feckers from peeing indoors... *gets out bleach and goes to scrub doormat. Again.*</P>

Pag

Not necessarily having a garden, but at least outdoor access through a window or catflap would be ok for a cat. Cats get very bored of the same surroundings, so letting them have free roam for a few hours a day at least is very important. <br>I would be too scared to let my cat out here, though after reading some posts a while back about cats being tortured and harmed by youths in the area.<br><br>And a big thank you to @Odd Stewart for your contribution! It definitely put me in a great mood for my training run this morning. <br>