Dog Suggestions?

[Soxy]

Totally agree, mutts can be wonderful dogs and usually come without the genetic illnesses that can plague pure breds. I've got a 70 lb. lab mutt who was abandoned as a puppy and I could not ask for a better dog. Obedient, friendly, loyal, protective--pretty much everything you want your dog to be.

 

I do understand why pure breds are desireable, especially if you have kids, you really want to be careful about bringing unknown breeds into your home.

I agree about the mutts. I have two. A (we guess) great dane lab mix and a cairn terrier boston terrier mix. Both are wonderful dogs. We also grew up with mutts and they were all wonderful (rescued) dogs.

[EvilMonkey]

Again, this bree might be a little heavier than your looking for but black labs are some of the best dogs there are. I had one when I was in college and had to put her to sleep in April this year and got a 7 week old puppy in November. They are very good with people and other animals and very athletic. They love to swim as well. They have short hair and the black fur is never a problem with shedding.

 

Heres a picture of Bunny

If you want a lab puppy, HSP just got in a chocolate lab who had 10 puppies! They won't be ready for adoption for about 8 more weeks, but they will have had all their shots by then.

[EvilMonkey]

 

 

My 2 mutts! Both are rescued. The older one was beaten by her former owner and had wine stains on her feet and legs, the younger one was found abandoned in a barn. Adoption is the way to go. I will say that you CAN get bad dogs thru adoption, as we did have one attempt that didn't work out so well many years ago, but we have have had 3 successfull ones.

[RockRaines]

AD, those are adorable. Faces look much like my little rascal.

[vandy125]

I should mention that I would not go with a Pet Store to get a dog from. Based upon what I have seen, those dogs can be coming from anywhere including dog farms. If you are going with a purebred, take the time to find a good breeder. If you think a mutt would be good (and they usually are), go to local rescue place.

[Kyyle23]

I should mention that I would not go with a Pet Store to get a dog from. Based upon what I have seen, those dogs can be coming from anywhere including dog farms. If you are going with a purebred, take the time to find a good breeder. If you think a mutt would be good (and they usually are), go to local rescue place.

 

Most major pet stores have abandoned selling their own dogs and now work hand in hand with adoption centers.

 

If you are going to a small business pet store you are most likely going to get a puppy mill dog for cheap or a breeders dog for too much.

 

 

I got my dog from a breeder in Southern Illinois, I consider that action saving my dog from an early death. The livign conditions for him and his brothers and sisters were absolutely hideous

[EvilMonkey]

AD, those are adorable. Faces look much like my little rascal.

Thanks. Big one (Lilly) has alot of gray on her face. She's about 9 years old. The little girl (Mabel) is about 2 years old, and act like it! She glides down the stairs while Lilly takes her time, just like me!

[StrangeSox]

A caveat on shelters/ humane societies:

 

If you're adopting any dog that isn't a puppy, there may be some serious behavioral problems that don't show themselves immediately. Many of these animals have probably had a rough life before they get dumped at the shelter. Although I know they have nothing but the best intentions, the people at the shelter are going to try to place animals as quickly as possible and will sometimes blind themselves to certain problems. My girlfriend and I tried to adopt a dog from local humane society last August. He could NOT handle being around other dogs. We tried group training, private training, and finally trying to get him in to a "doggy daycare" to let the professionals socialize him, but it just wouldn't work (we're in a condo and would have to walk him around other dogs all the time). The shelter was very reluctant to listen to our concerns and pressured into keeping the dog longer than we liked. They would also not listen to what we had to say (or what the owner of a local dog training facility had to say) when we did finally bring him back. I know they just want to animals to have a good home, but the shelters don't always see things 100% clearly IMO.

 

Rescue societies have much better reputations and are much more stringent about placing a dog in the right home. The animals are fostered before they're adopted, so their problems (if any) will be more well-known.

 

Of course, if you're going with a puppy, I think a lot of what I said is moot because the dog will be too young to have any problems ingrained in them yet.

[EvilMonkey]

A caveat on shelters/ humane societies:

 

If you're adopting any dog that isn't a puppy, there may be some serious behavioral problems that don't show themselves immediately. Many of these animals have probably had a rough life before they get dumped at the shelter. Although I know they have nothing but the best intentions, the people at the shelter are going to try to place animals as quickly as possible and will sometimes blind themselves to certain problems. My girlfriend and I tried to adopt a dog from local humane society last August. He could NOT handle being around other dogs. We tried group training, private training, and finally trying to get him in to a "doggy daycare" to let the professionals socialize him, but it just wouldn't work (we're in a condo and would have to walk him around other dogs all the time). The shelter was very reluctant to listen to our concerns and pressured into keeping the dog longer than we liked. They would also not listen to what we had to say (or what the owner of a local dog training facility had to say) when we did finally bring him back. I know they just want to animals to have a good home, but the shelters don't always see things 100% clearly IMO.

 

Rescue societies have much better reputations and are much more stringent about placing a dog in the right home. The animals are fostered before they're adopted, so their problems (if any) will be more well-known.

 

Of course, if you're going with a puppy, I think a lot of what I said is moot because the dog will be too young to have any problems ingrained in them yet.

YEah, some have a 'get them out the door any way we can' mentality. The one my wife works for is almost the opposite. They refuse adoptions sometimes for what i would think are petty reasons. They also make sure to give you whatever history they have on the dog so you can make an informed decision. The one we had that didn't work out was similar to what you described, extremely aggressive with other dogs, and then got VERY jealous when our son was born. The current two are as sweet as can be, although housebreaking the first one was tough since she had been abused so much, at first even a slight raising of the voice sent her cowering in fear.

[BearSox]

 

My 2 mutts! Both are rescued. The older one was beaten by her former owner and had wine stains on her feet and legs, the younger one was found abandoned in a barn. Adoption is the way to go. I will say that you CAN get bad dogs thru adoption, as we did have one attempt that didn't work out so well many years ago, but we have have had 3 successfull ones.

that is true. My brother adopted a dog once that had rage, and he had to be put down... sad, as it was a nice dog a lot of the time, but just went crazy at times. however, along with my airedale, we have an adopted dog and she is a great dog.

Edited February 1, 2008 by BearSox

[jheath160]

One word....beagle

Love my beagle, too. Charlie is 1 1/2 yrs, and full of smiles and energy. Great with my kids (and one of which was born with special needs). Once you make it through the first year or so, they're great.

 

But, take the advice of the others and go to a shelter. Or try www.petfinder.com--you can do a search for beagles that might be available locally.

 

If you do decide to get one from a breeder instead, make sure they're reputable.