I want to be a dog owner, don't know where to begin..

[steviem]

The Staffs that I have been around have just been muscular puppies all of their lives.

They let kids play with them, but seem to know that they are not supposed to 'play' back. The worst mauling I got from a Staff was when my sister's one tried to lick my face off. No bites and I don't think I even got a growl from her.

The only thing she wasn't good at was other dogs, she didn't like them at all and she wasn't good on the leash. She also got separation anxiety pretty bad too. But saying that, my dad has a one too and he's very good on the leash, however I think my dad and stepmom took more care in training him.

I'd love a dog, we're thinking about getting one in June, once my wife's term time is finished.

 

[VulchR]

@OP: My first advice is that you should consider volunteering at your local dog shelter before adopting a dog. I volunteered at an SPCA shelter back in my undergraduate days. My job wasn't so much to take care of the animals (they had professional staff for that), but to help exercise and socialize the animals so that they would be good pets. It was a lot of fun and very rewarding. I believe the animals genuinely benefited from the human contact, and we were very successful at getting 'challenging' animals adopted. In your case, it would provide you with valuable experience with dogs before having to commit to ownership, and it would help the dogs. Besides, if you cannot afford the time to volunteer, you probably do have sufficient time to be a good dog owner.

My second advice is to consider the cost. In the UK, Sainsbury's pet insurance has put the lifetime cost at around £17,000 (nearly $27,000), a cost that is typically spread across the 10-15 lifespan of a typical canine.

My last piece of advice is to think very carefully about the environment that you can provide for the dog. You'd be shocked at what some people believe is appropriate for a social, intelligent mammal like a dog. You should seek advice from somebody who knows dogs well, particularly if you are not going to be home during the day.

 

[obeygiant]

I want to be a dog owner, don't know where to begin..

Step 1. Get a dog.
Step 2. ?????

 

[peapody]

My last piece of advice is to think very carefully about the environment that you can provide for the dog. You should seek advice from somebody who knows dogs well, particularly if you are not going to be home during the day.

Good advice...
and that is what I am doing right now through this thread, and by asking friends.

Step 1. Get a dog.
Step 2. ?????

Yeah. Read the post. I expected more from you obeygiant!

 

[steviem]

Step 1. Get a dog.
Step 2. ?????

Step 3. Profit

 

[Huntn]

I've always been weary of short haired, muscular dogs. Wouldn't it rip your face off given the chance? I mentally put them alongside the doberman, bulldog etc.

... Maybe I was fed too many horror stories as a kid . And chavs aren't helping, as it seems to be their dog of choice.

For your consideration:

Maryland Court Finds Pit Bulls Are Inherently Dangerous

2011 U.S. Dog Bite Fatility Statistics- 7 out of 8 fatalities involved pitt bulls.

 

[iJohnHenry]

For your consideration:

Been there, done that, in 2005.

Pit Bulls — Ban and Related Controls

Pit bull ban

6. Except as permitted by this Act or the regulations, no person shall,

(a) own a pit bull;

(b) breed a pit bull;

(c) transfer a pit bull, whether by sale, gift or otherwise;

(d) abandon a pit bull other than to a pound operated by or on behalf of a municipality, Ontario or a designated body;

(e) allow a pit bull in his or her possession to stray;

(f) import a pit bull into Ontario; or

(g) train a pit bull for fighting. 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).

Ownership of restricted pit bulls

7. (1) For the purposes of this Act, a pit bull is a restricted pit bull if,

(a) it is owned by a resident of Ontario on the day subsection 1 (16) of the Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005 comes into force; or

(b) it is born in Ontario before the end of the 90-day period beginning on the day subsection 1 (16) of the Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005 comes into force. 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).

 

[Huntn]

Been there, done that, in 2005.

I see.

I need to clarify my previous post. A total of 31 fatal dog attacks in 2011 in the U.S. The 8 fatalities, 7 of those were pit bulls was describing attacks where the dog killed it's owner. The broad view follows. Although Pit bulls make up less than 5% of the U.S. dog population, they made 71% of the total kills (22) in 2011:

# 31 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2011. Despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 650 U.S. cities, pit bulls led these attacks accounting for 71% (22). Pit bulls make up less than 5% of the total U.S. dog population.3
# Notably in 2011, adult victims of fatal pit bull attacks more than doubled the number of child victims. Of the 22 total pit bull victims, 68% (15) fell between the ages of 32 to 76, and 32% (7) were ages 5 years and younger.
# The year 2011 also marks an increase in pet pit bulls killing their owners. Of the 8 total instances this year in which a family dog inflicted fatal injury to its primary caretaker, the dog's owner, 88% (7) involved pet pit bulls.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Sadly, the pit-bull owners/breeders have brought this upon themselves, and these poor animals too.

But, take heart, some stories turn-out on the right side of the law.

 

[MovieCutter]

Ender and Luxo approve. My black lab (Luxo) was a rescue at 2 years old and is one of the calmest dogs I've ever met...except when you say the words "dinner" and "walk".

Also may want to consider pet insurance when you do. My purebred yellow (Ender) would have cost me nearly $6000 in vet bills without it due to lumpectomies, emergency surgery for slicing open his paw at a dog park, dental surgery for knocking a front tooth in from running head on into a German Shepard at the park, etc. But my my rescue has been a beacon of health.

I'd definitely recommend a rescue, and not a small dog, they are usually yappier and more energetic. But you also want to make sure you spend plenty of time with a potential rescue, perhaps by "fostering" to make sure they have the personality you want. My rescue is amazing, but I know others who have rescued dogs that they later found out have aggression towards other dogs. Good luck!