**Introduction**
My sister and I live together in London (30m, 29f), we are after a dog, we have a 2 bedroom spacious flat and are after a small mini dog. Fortunately our jobs allow us to both work from home and this isn’t going to ever change.
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
* Yes this will be our first time owning a dog. We’ve spent a few days with German Shepard puppies and have a good idea for the patience raising one will require. We’ve also been around dogs most of our lives with friends and family - however never formally trained one ourselves.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?
* Reputable breeder
3) Describe your ideal dog.
* A small mini dog that is happy with being in an apartment and doesn’t feel constrained by the size.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
* Right now we have a few we are interested in
A. Bichon Frise
B. Shih Tzu
C. Daschund
D. Pug, but we’re worried about the health issues, whilst we would get insurance. We were scared that it wouldn’t pay out- you’ve all heard the horror stories.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
*I would want it to be well trained. We’re both happy to put the hours in for this. But I would like it to be obedient. Sit, jump, high five etc.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
* Not particularly
**Care Commitments**
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
* At least 1 hours per day between my sister and I
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
* In addition to the training, we could manage 1 hours in total between us. We have a few parks here and would take it on a morning walk.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
* We would want to do as much as possible ourselves. But understand that there are levels to our ability.
**Personal Preferences**
10) What size dog are you looking for?
* small- very small
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
* shedding isn’t an issue, barking would be to a minimal, unless it’s absolutely warranted (someone new at the door etc), minimal slobber though
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
* not that important
**Dog Personality and Behavior**
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
* snuggly dog is ideal.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
* no real preference
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
* we don’t get that many visitors or strangers knock on the door. But I would like them to treat them well
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
* no
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
* it’s mainly barking and ones that don’t listen, along with slobber.
**Lifestyle**
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
* in a given week (post puppy training) probably 3 hours per day, but this would be maybe once a week
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
* both of us would look after the dog
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
* nope
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
* not any time soon
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
* small dogs are required for our lease
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
* London, UK
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
Summer: Celsius: 15°C to 25°C / Fahrenheit: 59°F to 77°F
Winter: Celsius: 0°C to 10°C / Fahrenheit: 32°F to 50°F
**Additional Information and Questions**
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
* Depending on the dog we get and who its more attached to, we will decide who gets custody based on this. Chances are high it will be me, which I’m excited for.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
My sister and I live together in London (30m, 29f), we are after a dog, we have a 2 bedroom spacious flat and are after a small mini dog. Fortunately our jobs allow us to both work from home and this isn’t going to ever change.
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
* Yes this will be our first time owning a dog. We’ve spent a few days with German Shepard puppies and have a good idea for the patience raising one will require. We’ve also been around dogs most of our lives with friends and family - however never formally trained one ourselves.
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?
* Reputable breeder
3) Describe your ideal dog.
* A small mini dog that is happy with being in an apartment and doesn’t feel constrained by the size.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
* Right now we have a few we are interested in
A. Bichon Frise
B. Shih Tzu
C. Daschund
D. Pug, but we’re worried about the health issues, whilst we would get insurance. We were scared that it wouldn’t pay out- you’ve all heard the horror stories.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
*I would want it to be well trained. We’re both happy to put the hours in for this. But I would like it to be obedient. Sit, jump, high five etc.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
* Not particularly
**Care Commitments**
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
* At least 1 hours per day between my sister and I
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
* In addition to the training, we could manage 1 hours in total between us. We have a few parks here and would take it on a morning walk.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
* We would want to do as much as possible ourselves. But understand that there are levels to our ability.
**Personal Preferences**
10) What size dog are you looking for?
* small- very small
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
* shedding isn’t an issue, barking would be to a minimal, unless it’s absolutely warranted (someone new at the door etc), minimal slobber though
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
* not that important
**Dog Personality and Behavior**
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
* snuggly dog is ideal.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
* no real preference
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
* we don’t get that many visitors or strangers knock on the door. But I would like them to treat them well
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
* no
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
* it’s mainly barking and ones that don’t listen, along with slobber.
**Lifestyle**
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
* in a given week (post puppy training) probably 3 hours per day, but this would be maybe once a week
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
* both of us would look after the dog
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
* nope
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
* not any time soon
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
* small dogs are required for our lease
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
* London, UK
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
Summer: Celsius: 15°C to 25°C / Fahrenheit: 59°F to 77°F
Winter: Celsius: 0°C to 10°C / Fahrenheit: 32°F to 50°F
**Additional Information and Questions**
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
* Depending on the dog we get and who its more attached to, we will decide who gets custody based on this. Chances are high it will be me, which I’m excited for.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.