Any advice would be amazing!
**Introduction**
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
* It will be my first dog since my family dog that we had growing up (Maltese cross Jack Russell). My partner has never had a dog.
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)?
* Not a huge preference either way
3) Describe your ideal dog.
* Medium to large sized dog. Enjoys a good walk (approx. an hour per day) but isn’t too demanding in terms of exercise – we do have ¾ of an acre of well-fenced garden and yard for it to explore. Is quite loving and affectionate. My partner and I both have hybrid work arrangements, so is eventually okay to be left on its own for a few days per week for a decent stretch of time (6-8 hours). Would really prefer something that isn’t inclined to bark too much.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
I’ve always loved Tollers, but think it might be a stretch for new dog owners. Considering a lab or a rough collie (but have heard they do bark quite a lot).
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
* Recall so that we’re confident with it off-lead, but otherwise just general obedience
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?
* No
**Care Commitments**
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
2-4 hours – but we don’t have kids or pressing requirements
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?
* A walk of 60-90 minutes and there is a local dog beach nearby. We also have a very large garden for the dog (lots of interesting smells) to explore and play fetch in.
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?
* Happy to do a decent amount of brushing or pay a professional. Can live with some shedding
**Personal Preferences**
10) What size dog are you looking for?
* Medium - large
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
* Okay with a decent amount of slobber and shedding, but not keen on a very vocal dog.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced are
* Very – we want to be confident in our dog’s recall
**Dog Personality and Behavior**
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
* Prefer snuggly
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
* A dog that enjoys being around us and a cuddle, but can spend the occasional 9-5 day on its own.
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 aren’t looking for a guard dog and live in quite a crime-free rural area, so would prefer a dog that is overly-friendly rather than a dog that barks or warns us about strangers
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
* No – especially being new owners, we aren’t comfortable with the prospect of that
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
* Separation anxiety – we have seen how difficult this behaviour is first-hand and want to avoid.
**Lifestyle**
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
* We both work hybrid, so would like for the dog to eventually be able to spend a few days on its own per week. This could be as the dog matures and isn’t an immediate requirement
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
* Have been covered here
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
* No
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
* No
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
* No
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
* In Australia, no laws that would be applicable
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
* We are in a cooler part of Australia but the average summer day reaches 25-30 degrees Celsius and winter can range from 7-14 degrees during the day.
**Additional Information and Questions**
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
* No additional information.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
**Introduction**
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
* It will be my first dog since my family dog that we had growing up (Maltese cross Jack Russell). My partner has never had a dog.
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)?
* Not a huge preference either way
3) Describe your ideal dog.
* Medium to large sized dog. Enjoys a good walk (approx. an hour per day) but isn’t too demanding in terms of exercise – we do have ¾ of an acre of well-fenced garden and yard for it to explore. Is quite loving and affectionate. My partner and I both have hybrid work arrangements, so is eventually okay to be left on its own for a few days per week for a decent stretch of time (6-8 hours). Would really prefer something that isn’t inclined to bark too much.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
I’ve always loved Tollers, but think it might be a stretch for new dog owners. Considering a lab or a rough collie (but have heard they do bark quite a lot).
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
* Recall so that we’re confident with it off-lead, but otherwise just general obedience
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?
* No
**Care Commitments**
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
2-4 hours – but we don’t have kids or pressing requirements
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?
* A walk of 60-90 minutes and there is a local dog beach nearby. We also have a very large garden for the dog (lots of interesting smells) to explore and play fetch in.
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?
* Happy to do a decent amount of brushing or pay a professional. Can live with some shedding
**Personal Preferences**
10) What size dog are you looking for?
* Medium - large
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
* Okay with a decent amount of slobber and shedding, but not keen on a very vocal dog.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced are
* Very – we want to be confident in our dog’s recall
**Dog Personality and Behavior**
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
* Prefer snuggly
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
* A dog that enjoys being around us and a cuddle, but can spend the occasional 9-5 day on its own.
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 aren’t looking for a guard dog and live in quite a crime-free rural area, so would prefer a dog that is overly-friendly rather than a dog that barks or warns us about strangers
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
* No – especially being new owners, we aren’t comfortable with the prospect of that
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
* Separation anxiety – we have seen how difficult this behaviour is first-hand and want to avoid.
**Lifestyle**
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
* We both work hybrid, so would like for the dog to eventually be able to spend a few days on its own per week. This could be as the dog matures and isn’t an immediate requirement
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
* Have been covered here
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
* No
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
* No
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
* No
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
* In Australia, no laws that would be applicable
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
* We are in a cooler part of Australia but the average summer day reaches 25-30 degrees Celsius and winter can range from 7-14 degrees during the day.
**Additional Information and Questions**
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
* No additional information.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
