B!TCH said:
What kind of dog is that?
First time pet owner and I'm thinking of getting an American Cocker Spaniel. It'll be my dog. I currently live with my parents but will be moving out at the end of the year. I want a medium sized dog since I'll likely be living in an apartment and won't have a back yard. Good idea or bad idea? I'm assuming that if I'm specifying a breed, I'll have to go to a breeder? I honestly don't know where to start or how to figure out what type of dog is right for me. I'm already familiar with the temperament of an ACS and it fits the size requirement, but that's about as much as I know really.
Any help or advice appreciated.
My dog which you quoted is an Icelandic Sheepdog. Middle-sized dog, good with kids and all kinds of dogs, prone to bark and generally more clingy than most other dogs.
Of course you can have a dog in an apartment, but those first couple of weeks which are already tough as hell(read The Albatross' posts) will be that much harder and longer. You'll get a lot more accidents inside, because you just can't predict when the dog decides to hand you his little presents. It'll also make the process of making your puppy house-clean take a little longer. Not saying you shouldn't get a dog because of this, just be extra prepared for some extra shitty weeks.
I think it's a good starting point to focus on an ACS if that's what you are familiar with. Write a list of what you like about the the ACS and what you don't like about it. See if you can find a book at your library on dog breeds (otherwise I'm sure are a ton of websites for that), see how they describe the ACS and then compared that the other dogs in the book.
Depending on whatever breed you end up deciding, I'm sure it will be possible to find it in a shelter if it's a fairly popular breed.
The Albatross said:
I honestly can't remember the first 2 weeks when we got out puppy, it's all one big haze to me. The culmination of finally getting a dog after years of planning and then BOOM! Shit, piss and no sleep. When I look at the photos from when we got our dog I just can't remember it at all. Bad memory of repressed memory? You decide
But yeah puppys shit at lot, and as you said this reality hits you much harder when you actually got full responsibility unlike the times you lived with your parents and you didn't have to clean up the diarrhea spread shit that was shat all over our staircase at 3 am ;_;
How many times do you take him out at night? I remember hearing that a general rule is every 2nd hour, some dogs it's every 3rd, some it's every hour. Some get to hold their shit in much faster than others etc. From the sounds of your story (and from the fact that he has already shat the same place several times) you will probably need to take him out really really frequently until you perfectly understand his tummy rythem. Rule #1 of shit n' puppies: A puppy is
never empty!
So, dog-gaf, after my last frustrated long post... I've taken a breath, done some research, and I'm okay. Puppy's pooping... okay, it's normal. Puppy's shitting up crates? again, normal. Having puppies in your bedroom, NOT a big deal. I was really upset. But I feel better now. HAving this little lunk of dog sleeping on my stomach on the couch, at 4am, snoring away helps too because he's just so cute

I also took tomorrow off from work so I feel better. Still, going on very little sleep over three nights. Oh puppy gaf.
Yes it's not a sin to let your puppy sleep in your bedroom for the first week or so. You just removed it from it's pack and it is more a less torture to isolate it so young. What me and my GF was to sleep on a matress and couch in our living room for the first week then we moved upstairs(where are bedroom is and a room next to that where we wanted Shikko to sleep). Gradually moving out of his room into our bedroom (sleeping in his room, sleeping in our bedroom with open door, sleeping in our bedroom with closed door).
It's all about gradually yaddayadda. Keep up the work, everything will be fine sooner than you realize.
Anyway you are already going to leave him alone because of work? How many days have you had him?