[LoftBoy]

I'm going to be moving out of my father's home in a couple of months for school and I've decided that if I'm going to be moving out im going to need a puppy be by my side for the experience. I've had a standard poodle for about 6 years that I helped my father raise pretty intensely. He turned out great and it really taught me about the responsibility of raising a pup. Well I'm 19 now making good money as it is, and am going to be selling my beloved 2004 Jaguar for a motorcycle to save money on gas/insurance for when I move out. I should have at least $3000 after selling the car and buying the bike that I want to dedicate to a puppy. I'll also have some financial help from my dad while I'm gone if I need it. I'm also only going to be taking 4 classes 2 days of the week (2 classes Tuesday, 2 classes Thursday) and two of those will be online classes, so I should have a good amount of time to dedicate to the dog. I'll also be living with band mates who I'll be going to school with who are certainly going to be helping me raise the dog and help chip in for food/stuff for him. Also, since I'll be living with bandmates, we're going to be living in a 3/4 bedroom house, that's pretty spacious outside because we don't want to bother our neighbors with our noise.

That is my situation. Now for my question.. I've always thought that when this time came I would get a golden retriever. Everyone knows how amazing they are and I know that I would end up with a perfect dog since I have a good amount of money to spend on one. I of course plan on endless research etc etc. I'm not just going to be going to any breeder. What I love about the golden is just how PLAYFUL they are, they just always want to play play play even when they get older. I Love that. I want to be welcomed to a tail that won't stop wagging once I get home until I throw a tennis ball around for at least a couple minutes.

But recently I've taken note of the rough collie. I know that the grooming situation isn't the same as with a golden but I think I'm willing to set the time aside to keep that coat healthy. And God, they are just so beautiful and majestic. I'm starting to think that this might be the dog for me.

But, I'm a little worried that a collie isn't going to satisfy that part of me that wants a dog that will act like a puppy for as long as possible. I know if I get a collie I won't regret it. But I know if I get a golden I won't not fall absolutely in love with its youthfulness. You know?

Could anyone help me make a good choice?
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[Redwood]

I would personally reccomend the golden. While I love the beautiful coats of the collie, if it's the temperament of a golden you want ... well you're not going to find that in a collie, they're different breeds with different tempers and personalities.

 

[amaryllis]

I think some of your assumptions needs to be worked on here.

You say you're getting rid of your car to get a bike, so how are you getting the dog around, especially if it's sick?

You say your bandmates will surely want to help you raise and pay for your dog, but no, you cannot count on others to care for and raise your dog. That's on you, 100%, every walk, every minute of training, every bag of food, etc.

It's great that the poodle is doing well, but you didn't care for and raise that dog yourself. You always had your dad to lean on. Now it will be you, and only you. You're young, are you really prepared to wake up early every morning to walk the dog? Are you really prepared to come home every night to walk the dog? Are you really prepared to spend hours every single day, no matter what, training and paying attention to you dog?

I recommend waiting a few years. Enjoy being young and living with friends, enjoy the parties and wild times, and then settle down and get a dog. If you crave dogs in your life, volunteer at your local shelter. Those dogs will get so much out of your time, but if you want to sleep in, stay out late, etc., they won't suffer for it.

 

[xmitters]

I would think about what amaryllis said, they made very good points.
If all is said and done and you're still completely set on getting a dog, I would honestly check at your local shelter first before going to a breeder. A puppy is a lot of work, you have to housetrain it, leash train it, crate train it((just in case)), get all it's shots, etc etc. It's starting completely from the beginning, the puppy is gonna be destructive and chew your band equipment, couches, carpet, EVERYTHING when you're not there and when you are but aren't watching. You have to let it out every couple hours or they'll have accidents because of excitement and tiny bladders. They also have weak immune systems so you can expect it to get sick much easier. It's also completely up to you to get it socialized correctly and not bring up a nightmare to be dropped off at a shelter.
For your practically first time dog((yes you did have a poodle but you didn't solely train it or own it, that's not very much experience)), I wouldn't get a puppy. You could probably find a golden or golden mix or something likewise at the shelter that needs a home - and it's already((most likely)) house-trained, leash-trained, etc etc.
In summary, I wouldn't start your first "very own" dog as a puppy.

 

[LoftBoy]

I'm selling my car for a bike and will have my dads old truck he doesn't use anymore. We're working on it now to get it in tip top shape.

When I say I'll have bandmates to help me out, I in no way mean that I will be relying on my friends for anything, anything at all besides music, let alone the dog. I just thought it would be worth mentioning that I'll be living with other humans that I'm very close with and have told me they'd be willing to "help". But I know what the word help means in this situation, coming from someone roughly my age.

I'll also have my friends pickup truck that I already regularly borrow for stuff here and there. So i shouldn't have much issue with getting the puppy places.

And yes, I do think I'm willing to dedicate all that time to my dog. I could use something to get up for in the morning, school starts at 11:30 for me. And I'll be getting home at about 3, and that's only one day of the week. There will be someone, if not a couple people home with the dog those couple hours so he shouldn't ever be without company for long.

I understand the concern over me being a kid still, but I think I'm at a great point in life to take this step and have this kind of responsibility on my hands. On top of all this I'll be doing online work for my father, at home. I just have so much time I'm going to be at home between my spacey school schedule, band practice/writing/recording, online school, and online work. And at the risk of sounding defensive.. Raising my poodle was actually a lot of work on my end. I did have my dads guidance but he really left a lot of the training, walking, excercize, and general upbringing up to me. We did both raise him but I suppose my point is I do understand how much work its going to be having a puppy to raise, that is 100% on me, 100% of the time.

I know there are a lot of kids that just move out and get a dog real quick. But I'm confident that's not me.

All this aside..

I'm not looking for a golden in collie form.. Honestly a collie is starting to seem more realistic to me at this point because of their gentle nature. Maybe a golden would be a bit of a handful? Maybe not. Ahh but they are so cute and playful. But a rough collie would be so big, and fluffy and gorgeous. Tough, tough choice.

 

[LoftBoy]

* that being said about the poodle.. I do realize I haven't ever raised a puppy 100% on my own yet.

 

[LoftBoy]

Also am not particularly interested in the wild parties etc .. I'm a pretty stay at home, introspective type. Right now I spend most of my free time at home recording music, listening to music, working on guitars.

I forgot to mention my younger sister. When my parents first split, and they were a little jarred up from the divorce, and my dad bought my sister a mid size poodle, as a puppy, because she wasn't going to be living with us, with our dog anymore. I was against this because my sister, is just way to young to raise a dog on her own, and my mom is at work a lot. Couple months later my dad looks back on that decision as one of the stupidest he's made in his mid life. And I quickly saw that the poor dog wasn't getting the training/upbringing he needed. So I started (and still do) drive to my moms and spend plenty of time with him, and "steal" him to my dads home for a couple days and work with him really rigorously. I, basically taught him sit, stay, come, and paw on my own. And although he does occasionally have an accident inside every couple of months, I know that if anything has slowed down the frequency of those accidents happening, it's been me working with him. I guess I'm just trying to say I know what an underprepared kid with a puppy on their hands looks like.

I definitely feel ready to raise a dog on my own. He's doing much, much better now. And I constantly bother my sister to work work work with him.

 

[LoftBoy]

*accident inside every couple weeks, not months. Sorry

 

[Cali]

Whatever your decision, I hope you will consider at least waiting a few months or so after moving. Figure out how much time, money, etc you really do have. You can plan everything out on paper, but things never work out exactly as planned.
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[PoppyKenna]

Well, a Golden would probably be easier to find.

What attracts you to Collies, aside from the appearance?

Collies can be more vocal, which isn't always ideal in an apartment situation. They also tend to be more sensitive and reserved - not that they are antisocial, but they don't tend to be super-bouncy-social like Goldens can be.

Are you planning on rescuing or going through a breeder? Breeder dogs can be more expensive; don't skimp on the breeder or you could end up with a dog that is more unpredictable in terms of temperament and health.

If you're able to find someone with Collies nearby you could go spend time with their dogs, and see for yourself in person how much you like them.

 

[amaryllis]

For a first timer in a communal living situation a golden is a far better idea. Do not get it from a puppy mill, though, puppy mills have produced seriously aggressive golden lines.

 

[Rileysaur]

I agree that it would be a good idea to wait til the dust settles after you move before getting a puppy. They are a lot of work and thrive on routine. Moving can be stressful and a bit chaotic and adding a pup soon into the mix might get overwhelming!

Anyway, I love both breeds and think they're great beginner dogs (not to downplay the amount of work that needs to be put in though). I actually think they have similar grooming needs. Both will blow their coats and both will get matts if not regularly brushed. I also don't think one will be more work than the other and both will do well with an active lifestyle with lots of human interaction.

I do want to add, that if you do get a golden, you have to be sure to train them well. From my experience, an untrained golden can be an absolute nightmare! I think it's easy to take their sweet/happy-go-lucky nature for granted and skip training basic manners. I know a golden who will pull on the leash until he passes out

 

[LoftBoy]

I'll definitely give it some time after moving to figure out my factors.

 

[LoftBoy]

What attracts me to collies is their intelligent stare, gentle nature, stunning beauty, size, and I actually kind of like that they're vocal, they don't just bark, they "speak". It's adorable. I guess I kind of see myself in that breed.

I'm definitely going through a breeder and want to go about buying the puppy with a money is no object attitude. I Will have 3 grand just to buy the dog and more for everything else so I certainly don't plan on skimping, to any degree.

I'm also not going to be living in an apartment. I'll be in a bigger house with plenty of room outside so as to not bother my neighbors with my band's music.

 

[LoftBoy]

Rileysaur, what you say about that golden is sort of why I am thinking a collie is going to be a better choice. They're just a bit more tame, even as puppies, to an extent, from what I can see from the countless "collie puppies playing" videos I've been watching..

 

[LoftBoy]

One more thing to add; I'm going to be moving with my cat too. She's three years old now, super easy to take care of and keep healthy, and a sweetheart. But she gets kind of freaked out by new dogs. I know that she'll get freaked out with either breed, when I first bring them home, but I feel like she'll get used to a collie quicker, even as a puppy. Because they're just a little more reserved. Of course, in puppy terms.

That should save me some chaos.

 

[natenqen]

Up until your collie tries to 'herd' ur cat. Tee hee hee. I don't know much about either breeds as I've only red about em. When I was younger, I stayed away from purebred becuase of that old tale 'mixed breeds are healthier' crap. Plus too many Golden's who don't end up look very golden look anymore.
I am currently in love with rough collie mixes. (I found a website of people who 'breed' German shepherd/collie mix and the mixes come out gorgious. But they rarely breed them and they are like 3/4 collie mixed to a collie. Or 3/4 German Shepherd bred to collie. ( of course they look pretty good in terms of breeders, but there are a lot of red flags that put me off.) So although I still will get my pap puppies, I'll also be keeping my eye on shelters for rough collie mixes. I'm so bad.

I say the golden retriever would be best for ur situation becuase they are a great starter dog, but as others have said go to a good breeder. Find out the local dog shows and go meet some of the breeders there. Pick their brains and find out more about both breeds. Meet the dogs and see what u would feel would best fit ur needs and the pup needs get filled.

Good luck.