getting a new puppy

[Gecko]

Since I moved and my parents wont let me bring my baby I am going to get a new puppy...prolly here in a few weeks i have a trip the weekend of the 18th so prolly the weekend of the 25th is when we will try to get one so i wont have to be gone first thing after i get him/her...I am not sure what would be the best kind to get...I dont really care about having a specific breed i wouldnt mind just going to the shelter and picking one up but justin who is getting it for me kinna wants me to have a german shepard or summin that he knows could protect me or summin cuz he is worried about me living here in a big city....but i think a shepard might be a little big and im not really worried about the protecting factor...i was thinking more a long the lines of a medium sized dog like maybe a beagle...i was trying to get some ideas of what to look at and i thought maybe some of you would have some suggestions....also any suggestions on all the things i need to do before getting a puppy and suggestions on the best kinds of food and things to use....and also what is the best age to get a puppy i was always told that they get weened at about 6 weeks...but justin said he got mak @ 4...i didnt know which was better....any help will be greatly appreciated...

[Chrisanne]

Don't bring home a puppy younger than 8 weeks of age. 4 is wayyy to early. They wean around 6 weeks, but need that last 2 weeks with their siblings to learn social skills.

I can't help you with breeds, that's such a personal choice. I love shepards they are awesome. Beagles bark a lot. It might help if you told us some more specifics. Like, what you're looking for in grooming levels, exercise levels, etc

[Gecko]

i want something that i can take for walks and play with and stuff but not way too hyper ...more of a friendly dog that likes to be around people and petted and stuff...also it will be introduced to makenzie(see sig) shortly and will most likely eventually be living together so we will try to get them socialized fairly soon...i want something that doesnt need excessive grooming and doesnt shed a ton...any other questions ill be glad to answer i cant really think what else to say right now...

[dappledoxie]

Hmmm, let's see. Maybe a lab cross that's smaller in size? They have energy but usually are really friendly and like to be companions too. Umm, I'll try and think more and post again later.

[Zero]

The dog will need to bond with people...not other dogs, so getting the dog as early as possible is most wise, in my opinion. As soon as the dog can eat solid food on it's own, it's ready to go. In my case, Makenzie (the wolf in Gecko's sig) was ready to go at 30 days. He is now a wonderfully tempered and well behaved and healthy 5 year old dog...he also has great social skills (for a dog). However, I can see this turning into a debate (especially considering my over-simplifying), and I know that I'm prolly not going to agree with some of you and some of you are not going to agree with me...I just wanted to throw my $.02 out.

I would, personally, like to see her with something like a German Shepard...a dog well known for strongly bonding with and being protective of it's family...but I think that her yard might be a bit too small for now. We intend to move to another house next year but I haven't had a chance to see how big the yard is there, and I've forgotten to ask...lol. As I stated in another thread I think I would like to stick to a breed under 25lbs.

Just to point out, the yard at the moment is approx. 30ft by 80ft and fenced in and gecko has a lax schedule...space limited but she should have plenty of time.

Something else that's been a concern is that gecko wants the dog to be an outside dog capable of behaving indoors with no "accidents" or anything. I think that females (and fixed males) take to this easier and that it should be done along the same lines as house breaking an indoor dog...the dog should only be brought in for play/social activity or sleep, outside 100% of remaining time and should not be left unattended for any amount of time while it's indoors. Would you guys have anything to suggest?