ready for a new pet

[Emily~Anne]

Hmmm..Fraught has not been on since 8:10 am.

I wonder if she has already found the right dog?

[Fraught]

Our babies are pound puppies, and I wouldn't dream of getting a dog anywhere other than a shelter or pound. We've loved them! My baby shown on my profile came from a shelter. Just remember, the shelters have gotten pretty demanding in terms of adopting (it's seems almost as hard to adopt a dog as it is a child these days...I think that's weird?) Anyway, we love our rat terrier and schnauzer. Both breeds seem to be extremely intelligent and loyal. I would always recommend a shelter/pound puppy. Just be sure that you've thought about baby-sitting for those times when you want to leave town, or consider a small dog that you can take with you?

In His Love,

Suzanne

what a cutie! my daughter has a rat terrier - he is a really sweet little guy. thanks for the idea and yes, we finally decided on a smaller dog for just that possible baby-sitting need

[Fraught]

Hmmm..Fraught has not been on since 8:10 am.

I wonder if she has already found the right dog?

i wish!

no i had to work a 10-hour day

i've got great ideas from you all so i'm going to start out early in the morning and just keep circling outward to all the shelters until i come home with mr. or ms. right

[Emily~Anne]

Do you know about www.petfinder.com?

[WrenchGuy]

Do you know about www.petfinder.com?

I was going to suggest the same thing...use it to find a local rescue organization that will let you visit their dogs so you can get a good idea of their personalities.

[Emily~Anne]

Have you found the right dog for your family yet?

It was almost a month between the time we decided to adopt till the time we brought Henry home. Sometimes it can take a while. I have no regrets!

[sierra21]

Well seems like this thread is a bit old, but I will share my dog experience!

We bought a golden retriever/siberian husky hybrid from a breeder in april. She's a pretty big dog (60 lbs at 6 months and STILL growing) but I have never had such a gentle dog. She has a very sweet disposition, and is usually pretty content to play around the house, and occassionally go for a run in the backyard.

As far as housetraining goes....she was less than a dream to say the least! I'm not really sure why it was so hard to train her because everyone told us that both golden retrievers and huskies are smart dogs so it shouldn't be too tough, but I guess she had her own agenda. All I can say is that I am SO THANKFUL that she is finally trained and I don't have to worry about her peeing everywhere!

When we were getting a dog I read a book about "choosing the right dog for you" and it talked a lot about being realistic about your expectations in a dog. For example, if you aren't too active a person, don't choose a large sport breed. And likewise don't expect a pug to want to go on hikes 3 times a week with you. I think no matter what dog you choose, just be ready to roll with the punches because they have their own routine and often times it's YOU that needs to be trained, not the dog.

Oh, and did I mention getting your dog "fixed". We got Jade done about a month ago and she honestly seems like a happier dog. I don't think it's too easy for animals to be in heat and it causes them a lot of anxiety for nothing a lot of the time. And of course you don't need to worry about unwanted puppies. It's deffinitely worth the $100 to get it done...your dog will thank you for it (in big wet kisses lol).

[Emily~Anne]

Here's my breed experiences:

Bullmastiff-loyal protector, mega drooler!

Pointer mix-crazy fun dog that loved loved loved water and needed MEGA exercise! Loved our children dearly and was highly tolerant of children climbing on him and such. I tried to make sure the children did not do this, but sometimes they did (especially when they were little).

American Eskimo mix-I am amazed at his great health. He is 12, and still as vibrant as a pup! Great personality, no problems at all, except mine tended to be a bit dominant with our pointer. Riley sheds massively and has very long hair! But, a very pretty dog, and his hair does stay white for some reason. I wish I could say the same for my carpet. Just gotta make sure you do not fall behind on brushing this dog. Oh! And Riley does run away when given the chance. We have to be very careful about that.

Coonhound/greyhound-The coonhound part of Henry is very food motivated, and kinda ornery! He apparently loves snow, and when he doesnt wanna come in, he's not coming in and that's final, especially with those 45 mph greyhound legs! There is also an extremely sweet side to him, I dont know which breed that is from more. He is VERY easy to handle! He walks like an absolute perfect dream, and when I need to hold/move him by the collar, he is so very gentle and actually comes and leans on me. It's just that sometimes he will not let me catch him when in the yard to bring him in. He likes to follow me around, and investigate everything I do. If I shut him out, his feelings are hurt. So I let him follow me and investigate closets and such. He sleeps about 21 hours a day, seriously. He gets cold very easily and wears a coat and snood outside when it is cold. He loves to be covered by blankets, and often when we get home from church or the grocery store, we will find him still under his blanket just like how we left him. Greyhounds are a thin breed and need soft bedding. Coonhounds are very good with children, but I have heard they can be difficult. I am pretty impressed with the greyhound side of Henry. My experience with this coonhound/greyhound may be different than your usual experience as Henry has seizures and is on two anti seizure meds. We just adopted him on Oct. 27th. Greyhound/coonhound mixes tend to be more active than purebred greyhounds, and are notorious escape artists.

Chihuahua-great lapdog, very loyal to my husband, never stopped yapping, needed plenty of soft bedding and blankets.