The General Wibble Thread

Nelly, we use an agency, so they do all the advertising, but they have a special website for dog friendly cottages like ours. We have been 4* graded by the dogs

One of the worst breeds for dog hair is the Sheltie - I could practically have knitted an entire blanket out of all the hair/wool left behind by a pair of shelties when they were here (with their owners) for a fortnight

Thanks everybody for the feedback regarding kennels!

After reading all the comments, I am beginning to think that, besides starting some research on the local kennels [based on the criteria mentioned by OA and Icy -- thanks guys!], it might be a good idea to try one first for just a short, two-three days stay, and see how are they doing. Unfortunatelly mine are not puppies any longer: Duchess (the mini-Schnauzer) is almost 9 years old, and Rex (the Pitbull)is 2 years old.

As for Snapzzz's dilemma: A dog is great to have in a child's life, but the bottom line is that you gotta really love dogs to get one! Only so could you put up with all the possibly annoying situations that can come up. For example during my ski trip in 2011, Rex, who was still a puppy at that time, simply destroyed most of my living room furniture. My neighbors who were taking care of them found the entire room full of the white fluffy fill mixed with pieces of leather... Now, besides having new furniture, I also have two gates so that I can block the access to the living room and family room when the dogs are alone in the house...

Snapzzz:
I see that you are considering a Cavachon: At least you will not have to deal with cleaning dog hair (they are almost non-shedding and hypoallergenic). But it will need to have its hair brushed and washed quite frequently. So if Megan would enjoy doing that, and if you can trust she will do it weekly, then you are all set. Also it will need to be groomed at least every 1.5-2 months. I am in the same situation with my mini-schnauzer, and trust me: When I fall behind with the regular maintenance it is not fun at all to untangle mats. At least I learned how to do the Schnauzer-style grooming (and bought all necessary tools) so I eliminated the high costs of professional grooming.

Another aspect to consider --if you do not have already some certain breeder in mind-- is adoption versus purchasing from a pet store or breeder. I am not sure how are things in the UK with the abandoned dogs, but over here in the US it's a tragedy. Of course looking for a particular breed makes it harder to find one in a shelter, but not impossible, so it's worth to consider that.

-- Anyway, good luck Snapzzz with your decision and if you end up getting a Cavachon and you need any advice in getting started with grooming on your own, let me know and I'll be glad to share from my experience.

AllyG wrote:

Iceman wrote: You let dogs in your cottages?

Icy, sometimes it feels like we are providing holidays for dogs (plus their owners)

A couple of weeks ago, for example, a charming elderly lady was in the 4 bedroom farmhouse on her own with 2 dogs. She said the dogs needed the space

Actually we get a lot of bookings by agreeing to take dogs, because many cottages won't have them, and our guests pay us an extra £10 per dog

I am well prepared for dogs with throws on the furniture, slate floors, and special cleaning kit like those sticky rolley things I use to remove the dog hairs from the cushions and bedding

£10 per dog extra for the mess and stink that they bring with them?
I'd rather not have the tenner and attract nice clean people.

I honestly do not see why anyone would want a dog in their house. Everything about them is wrong.

Dont go on the dog v cat argument again....

Cats bring dead birds/rats/mice to your doorstep

Iceman wrote:Dont go on the dog v cat argument again....

Cats bring dead birds/rats/mice to your doorstep

And cat s**t stinks far worse than a dogs.


Anyhow, thanks for all the comments guys and offers of assistance (catp). We are leaning far more back to the iPod now thanks to my powers of persuasion.

This is not true. Cats don't stink. They leave lot of fluff though But it's not about the smell or fluff or who brings more dirt in the house. As much as I love dogs it's just too much hassle, you can't leave them. We go away, we leave the key to the neighbour and ask her to clean cat's litter box. Done. Try leaving the key to the neighbour and ask her to take your dog out for a walk three times a day. Huge difference. Cats are significantly lower maintainance, dogs are a serious commitment. Like little children that never grow up.

verbier_ski_bum wrote:This is not true. Cats don't stink. They leave lot of fluff though But it's not about the smell or fluff or who brings more dirt in the house. As much as I love dogs it's just too much hassle, you can't leave them. We go away, we leave the key to the neighbour and ask her to clean cat's litter box. Done. Try leaving the key to the neighbour and ask her to take your dog out for a walk three times a day. Huge difference. Cats are significantly lower maintainance, dogs are a serious commitment. Like little children that never grow up.

Or husbands

verbier_ski_bum wrote:This is not true. Cats don't stink. They leave lot of fluff though But it's not about the smell or fluff or who brings more dirt in the house. As much as I love dogs it's just too much hassle, you can't leave them. We go away, we leave the key to the neighbour and ask her to clean cat's litter box. Done. Try leaving the key to the neighbour and ask her to take your dog out for a walk three times a day. Huge difference. Cats are significantly lower maintainance, dogs are a serious commitment. Like little children that never grow up.

I have one cat that is very clean and another "A Boy" which is a dirty smelly little buggar.......