are you more a dog person or cat person? is that telling?

[Repose]

11 hours ago, createdequal said:

yeh, me too about those yippy yappy little things!

I like Irish Setters. They usually seem well behaved but as you say, they have to be trained (or are they naturally well behaved?)

 

I've never had a Setter. My parents mainly have pit mixes, but there was a black lab and two chihuahuas at other points. Pits, they require a particular care in upbringing. They're very cuddly if raised proper. The lab, I think he came from an abusive background, cause he never learned how to behave. The chihuahuas would pee and poop everywhere, and if you shifted your weight slightly, they would freak out and bark like crazy cause they thought someone was at the door.

[JoniSteele]

I've been a dog owner most of my life. I have also owned cats. I don't own a cat now because I prefer keeping the poop outside and not in a box that I have to continually change. I presently own a Jack Russell mix that is probably the best dog I have ever owned. 

[Willa]

An animal lover is a better description.   We have fed birds and squirrels, and photographed most anything that moves.  However a cat allergy pushes me toward dogs.  Presently, 15 year old, blind, deaf and nose blind Bitsy inspired me to adopt Hannah.  She will be 2 in March.  She was abused slightly by her care givers  and a pack of chihuahuas in the past.  She runs from me if I praise her which makes it hard to train her.  Yet she is so affectionate, likes to cuddle and rarely barks or cries.  She weighs about 6 lb.  She tries to play with toothless Bitsy but is afraid to play with me.  This calls for patience.  

No one owns a cat.  They own us.  Angel was the alley cat that was so young when she was abandoned that she didn't know how to wash herself. So Spooky our gray untommed cat took over the chore after the neighbor's mamma cat Stinky washed Angel down to show them how it is done.  Stinky was a good momma that would sit on the front step and flick her tail around to entertain her 8 kittens.  Spooky also became a peace loving un tommed cat that owned the neighborhood.  Angel, the thief, got him into trouble. She had one litter of 4 and raised her kittens on grasshoppers that she would bring in through the window that was cracked open.  She couldn't catch mice or birds till she was much older, thankfully.  Spooky was a skillful hunter that brought in gifts of duck heads, dead and alive mice, and live birds.  He was such a good cat.  He would needle his nails, circling for 15 minutes to make his bed between my knees just right. By that time I needed to move a little.  All he would do was extend his claws just a little in protest, but I quickly got the message.  I eventually learned of my allergy and had to kick Angel out when she we 17. I felt so bad I gave her an electric pad and plugged it into a storage shed at the back of the carport.  7 lb Angel was down to about 5 and all bones when she passed into kitty heaven one night.  I will always remember her hanging on our back screen door like Garfield, howling whenever she smelled turkey or my spaghetti cooking.  

We raised our kids on Boston Terriers for over 35 years and had to downsize our dogs.  Bostons are all muscle and a 20 pound dog played tug of war on the rope on the sleds, pulling them on the snow.  They were all play and great kids dogs.  Mischief was smarter than I am.  Mugsy was all boy and was her pup.  He would chase birds flying across the back yard and run into trees.  Mischief could understand so many words she would respond to an adult conversation in body language.  Our sons were high school and college age and would dress them in cowboy scarves and baby jackets, and the dogs loved it.  They would line up to get their clothes put on.  Now our kids are 50 and have 5 dogs and cats of their own.  And each with 3 kids each with dogs of their own.  So we have grand dogs and great grand dog sand cats.  

Our pets become a part of our families and are so entertaining.  Each is so different, just like our kids.   

[Neighbor]

Rejoining this older thread. In the meantime I have resisted occasional urges to obtain a dog.

The cat is getter older just wants to be a house cat with a cat box. Dang do I hate cat boxes in the house. Worse even  is when  traveling; a cat box in a hotel room, now that is no fun at all!

So I am thinking overall that  pets are to be much like classic cars are,  oh so nice to see one, but way too much expense and work to own.

But; if I were to break down  I will search out  a 1959 Sports Fury Convertible perferrably in the original light powder blue.  Last time I looked there was a bronze tone one safely out of  reach financially for me, much like purebred dogs  or even cats. It is okay to have such trouble fall upon me but need I go searching it out?

My wife came with a free cat.

[miaandme]

I don't have a preference, as I was brought up with both. I love both kind but if I had to choose it wouldn't be a doberman or a pit bull. Both are known to bite. I would rather have a German Shepard as the breed barely bites. We used to have one in the house that was part wolf too and was the friendliest dog you could ever know. It was trained to be friendly. But eventually died by the time I was 12. It was full grown too. So considering that Royal had lived a full life. He got his name from a commercial and ever since then he loved his name. I still had a hard time pronouncing the dog's name due to my hearing loss but I loved the dog really good.

[Neighbor]

My wife likes cows, horses not so much anymore.  Now a cow in a pasture I could go for that, but she also tells me about the supplies needed from Tractor Supply, and the pasture land, and the barn, and the .... ,whoa. Nice cow in the neighboring field, nice cow, go home to your own owner. You aren't for me. 

I have an antique pet scotty dog door stop made of lead. He she or it  has been in the family since at least 1949 and before that I think  was my grandmother's pet doorstop. He is good enough a pet, though I once stubbed my toe on him. Dang dog anyway, but he is cute I suppose.

Who else has a eight pound slug o' lead in their house that looks cool and is trained to hold the door open?  It is a blessed reminder  to me of family history. Oh what that dog has seen come and go.

 

[miaandme]

Oh we also had a cat named Mischief. Hence the name she always got in to trouble. But over all was a friendly cat.

[Neighbor]

14 minutes ago, miaandme said:

a German Shepard as the breed barely bites.

Say what?  Ask a home insurance representative about that one. They now ask if you have a dog, if you do the insurance premium goes up, and with certain breeds they just won't insure at all.

Try telling the home mortgage provider you are going without insurance because you love your german shepherd. 

The privilege of pet ownership comes at a cost. Some affect home insurance price and availability.

 

[Neighbor]

On 9/23/2019 at 11:23 PM, Isaiah53NIV said:

My dogs are under 20 pounds, so it’s easier to deal with behavioral issues.

??? Good grief what do you do to them?  I never fought the great dane nor the Siberian nor the Dobie. They loved to please. But the toy poodle and the beloved beagle ha.

God's critters can be fun  for sure! Absolutely, but geesh this critter is getting old perhaps too old for pets to care about and for. Maybe someone could just bring by their Golden and I could say aaah sweet dog, pet it,   and  they could then take it out  to relieve itself.

Pets they live,  but they don't flush.

[miaandme]

It really depends on the dog but just about any of them can bite if feel threatened but Pit Bulls once they bit they don't let go their jaws locks and so I rather not own one of those, but German Shepherds tho they tend to be more friendly unless trained to bite by a cop. If they are trained right they can be your best friend.