Adoption advice needed please........

If this is posted in the wrong place, i'm sorry and be glad to have it moved.

Hi we have been looking to adopt a dog and have come to the conclusion that a Staffy might be the dog for us. I've read many posts and have had most of my questions answered. Could you just answer two more for me please?

Being first time dog owners would they be a good choice?

Our dog would be walked twice a day, there are several local parks to run around in and 5 times a week i would walk to my parents house where there is a big garden to explore and play.
BUT!! We live in a 2/3 bedroom maisonette it's not too small by council home standards but it does mean we have no garden, just a large balcony.
Would a dog be happy with this?

My other question is about Insurance for dogs. How much would it cost and who does a good deal (not necessarily the cheapest)?

Thanks for reading and i hope some of it made sense.

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

A Stafford is a very good choice for a first dog, as long as you are prepared to train well and socialise from the very start! They also need a lot of excercise once they're 8 or 9 months old+.

A maisonette is fine - there are plenty of staffs that live in flats with no problem at all. As long as he/she has plenty of excercise it'll be fine. You might want to look at getting a crate for him/her, though.

Insurance will be a matter of looking around. I use Sainsbury's pet insurance, the highest level, which costs me about £14 per month with a £75 excess, and up to £7500 per illnes for life. I've also used Marks & Spencers Insurance. Both were very quick to pay out.

Have a good look at all the available ones, though, via the internet, because some will offer very good 1st time policy holder discounts on line.

Thanks for the quick reply.
We've been looking at adult dogs and are prepared to take training classes hoping to learn as much as our dog.
My parents live 1 hrs walk away, that x2 five times a week and a couple of hrs walking/park time on the other days. Is that enough?

Um crate?? Is that for night time?

Hi I adopted Ledger back in July he was 2 when I got him. I only have a small yard which he refuses to use as a toilet and I believe his previous owners kept him in a flat so I have been lucky that he will go 12 hours between walks over night. I have also been lucky that he doesn't have a taste for chewing furniture

I am also with Sainsburys for per insurance £15 a month they seemed the best value when I looked

I adopted from dogs trust and Ledger hadn't even been out on show but I showed interest in a different staffy but after completing the questionnaire they matched me and it seems like a perfect match, he loves his long walks but when I'm on nights or have been I'll he is satisfied with a couple of quick spins around the park

As long as you are prepared to take the time to train and socailze the dog a Staff is fine for a first time handler. The minimum they need is 2 walks per day for about 45 minutes each. It's also important to provide them mental stimulation with training or other activities.

As long as they are exercised properly they are fine in a smaller apartment. Ours is only about 700m2 and Suki is more than comfortable.

Hiya,

Fantastic news on rescuing, and a staffie is just perfect

I live in a flat and we get on fine, she has 2 good walks a day and 2 shorter walks. In the flat I have fold away kiddy tunnels and plenty of toys for stimulation.

You seem to be doing your research well, and as you have stated above that seems like plenty of exersize.

I'm insured with animal friends, but I haven't the highest cover, as Caryll said shop around.

Good luck and any other questions just ask

Josephine42 wrote:Um crate?? Is that for night time?

It would be for night time, when you go out & leave him, but also as his bed or den. To start with, you can close the door at night or when you go out, but as he settle and gains 'manners' you can start to leave the door open.

I started by leaving the door open at night, and then for short periods if I just went shopping. Now, the door is never shut but he still goes in there when he wants to sleep (and the sofa isn't available!) or when he wants some quiet time. His crate is covered on three sides by an old curtain so it's nice & cozy & private, and he has a vet bed fleece in the bottom with a large folded army blanket on top for his bed.

Thank you everybody for your answers, advice and encouragement. No doubt i'll be back in the new year when we have our hands full of wriggly Staffy.

Don't stay away till then, join in the discussions!

It may depend from one rescue centre to another but when we adopted our girl from the RSPCA two years ago they insisted we have a back garden with an all round fence that was at least 6 feet tall. They also made a home visit to check out the property before they would proceed and asked lots of questions. I gather their conditions varied from breed to breed, so they might not be so demanding with a poodle for example.

They were also very strict on not sending dogs to homes where the dog would be left alone for a large part of the day. I work from home and had experience with bull terriers, so we were accepted but it wasn't a foregone conclusion by any means. I think they are tough for good reasons though because they want to ensure that dogs are placed with capable owners who are able to properly look after them. After 3 months they made a second home visit just to check she was OK.

I can't really say a bad word about the staffie but I would encourage you to spend time with one or two if you have the chance to do so. The same applies to any breed really.

Echo the above about spending time with any breed you are interested in I made 4-5 visits to dogs trust to walk Ledger enquire at your local centre and see if you can visit and walk a dog whenever you can if nothing else it will get you practicing how to pick up poo

lol a poodle...

flame wrote:lol a poodle...

You know the first question they asked me when I expressed an interest in a staffie was "why that breed?" so I told them I'd be just as happy with a poodle and simply wanted a good sensible dog, which seemed to relax them a bit. Needless to say I had already checked they had no poodles there