I Want a Dog

Started by TiffineyIngram, December 30, 2004, 12:15:17 PM

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TiffineyIngram

Things are going at a snails pace down here in Cowtown, so I thought I would open up my latest personal plight to the public.

Eric and I have been dogless ever since I began my month-long hospital stay this summer.  Eric's golden retriever went to live with his mother, my pups were adopted by new parents.  Long story short, new baby, no dogs.

About three months ago, Eric and I are driving down a back road and we see a dog barely off the shoulder.  We think it's been hit, when suddenly we see its eyes glowing from the headlights.  We stop and pick up a perfectly healthy female, relatively young, take her home and clean and feed her.  Obviously a previous homeless or outside dog, there are potty training issues, but the dog learns very quickly.  Anyway, we have to leave for Mexico and ROC and had no one who could watch the dog and were beginning to realize that perhaps we weren't the best to take care of her right then.  Eric takes her to the SPCA and she is immediately adopted by a loving family.

Here's the problem:  I hate being dogless.  Maddie loves dogs, and Dog (that's what we named the stray) was Maddie's from the start and I feel horrible for taking Dog away from her.  I've asked Eric for a dog repeatedly (not a puppy, a dog from the pound--that's a whole other topic), but he's right when he says we've got to get the house in order before we get a dog (Fisher Price has INVADED what used to be our living room, dining room, bedroom, etc).

I still really want a dog.  Hopefully when he reads this he'll let me go pick up the latest pound puppy I've had my eye on (whose name, like a "sign", is Grace).

cornercamping


Dawn

QuoteGet a PitBull  :D

 ::)

Good Luck Tiff.....

... but with traveling and a baby, it's going to be hard.

Dawn   ;)

TiffineyIngram

No Pit Bulls--I have a six month old.  Don't start in on the "dogs are only mean if they learn meanness", I am not going to even consider a dog with a predisposition to be aggressive.

I find that comment out of line.

Besides, I want to adopt a dog that might not otherwise find a home.

dylanfan53

Well Tiff,
I can't speak for Eric, but this 9 week old puppy has turned me into a complete blubbering boob!
My wife thinks I've lost my mind and I suppose I have.  
I had a "rescue" dog before this puppy.  That was actually a LOT of work.  She was a beautiful Irish Setter who had been beaten, abandoned and left for dead by a puppy mill owner for having a mixed litter.  As a result of her screwed up puppyhood, she was as dumb as a rock.  She was also kinder than most humans and I missed her like crazy during the last 2 years that she's been gone.  It took that long for me to even consider getting another.
It's amazing what these four legged things can do to you!  Good luck and I hope you get a good one. :)  
Don Cook
CCS #53

Dawn

Having several dogs of various breeds and also being a mother, please allow me to share some insights from my own personal experience.

Adoption along with purchasing a dog from a private party has worked very well for me. The people at the humane society are usually very knowledgeable about the dogs and their backrounds and probably could make a pretty good recommendation.

Having long haired dogs (collies, huskies, chows), are a pain compaired to a short haired dog.  Having a new baby....  go with short to medium haired if possible.

Stay away from the high energy dogs with a little one and go for the more mellow breeds.  I love our Marty dog (he's a rat terrior), but he would not be a good fit with a little kid.  On the other hand, our husky/wolf, Timber, I would trust with any child.

Good luck my dear.

Dawn  

Eric Kelcher

I have a trained dog at my parents I think I will just go pick her up; see first post.
Eric Kelcher
ASRA/CCS Director of Competition

cornercamping

I have a 72lb. Pit Bull.  I have had her since she was a puppy.  She is the nicest dog you'll ever meet. The whole "Pit Bull's are mean, agressive, ect." is complete and total bulls**t.  If you do your research, you'll see that PitBull's are no more harmfull than any other dog out there.  The only thing is the only dog's you see on the news attacking people are the Pit Bull's, Rot's, ect.   They don't show Collie's attacking kids, but it does happen.  Also, little dog's like Shitzu's, ect. are meaner than big dogs by nature.  All those ankle biters are just as mean as a Pit Bull.  It has to do with training and obiedence no matter what kind of dog it is.  Blaming a certain breed is plain ignorance.  
As far as my dog is concerned, I also have a child, and I had the dog before the child.  At this time, my dog has never been aggressive twards anyone without merit.  I expect my dog to do 3 things.  Listen to me and my wife, protect our family, and our home.  She does that with no problem.  She knows who the boss is, and loves everyone that we allow in our home.  Her tail wagging and hitting you is more of a threat than her biting you.   My daughter is now two years old.  She has poked the dog in the eye so many times I can't even count, pulled the dog's ears, tail, and feet, and even smacks her and tells her no.   The dog has never done anything other than lick the baby.   They play together, and the kid even feeds the dog.  That doesn't mean that we leave the kid and dog unattended together.  It just means that we trust the dog enough where as long as we are close by, there has never been, and probably won't be any problems.  But, this is with EVERY dog, not just the "agressive types" that are shown on the news attacking 3rd graders.  I wouldn't leave any dog alone with a child, not even a Chiuaha (sp?).  
As far as overall agressiveness, my dog is freindly with anyone I allow in the house.  If you come in my yard, or in my house, my dog will attack you as she is trained to do.  She will not bite you.  She will corner you and hold you there until I or my wife tell her it's ok.  She did this to the water meter guy.  He came in the back yard, and she had him trapped against the fence.  When I told her it was fine, she backed off and went along with her business, and the water meter guy laughed it off.  She will do the same thing if you enter my house, and I don't open the door for you to come in.  But, once she knows you, even if she's only seen you once, she has no problem with you.  The only time my dog gets really upset is if anyone messes with the baby.  She even gets mad at me, but not the wife.  If I'm wrestling with the baby on the floor, the dog doesn't like it, and she watches and growls.  I like it that she does that, because that lets me know that is long as she's in the back yard, if the baby is playing out there next summer, or ever, if someone comes and tries to take off with the kid, that will be the last time that person breathes.  That is exactly what I want and expect the dog to do.  My dog is also trained to attack on command with no question.  If I or my wife say go... watch out.  She'll let go if I tell her to though.  She is very well trained, and very well mannered.  She knows what the line is and not to cross it.  
My suggestion, regardless of what type of dog you get, go to a professional training school.  Not a school at a pet store, a real school where you get trained along with your dog.   The one I went to was 2 weeks long, and cost $2,000.00 but it was money well spent.  It's your responsibility as the owner to train your dog and make sure your dog is safe, regardless of what breed it is.  Pointing fingers at a certain breed is plain ignorance.  They are all dangerous.  

dsb

#8
QuoteI have a 72lb. Pit Bull.  I have had her since she was a puppy.  She is the nicest dog you'll ever meet. The whole "Pit Bull's are mean, agressive, ect." is complete and total bulls**t.  If you do your research, you'll see that PitBull's are no more harmfull than any other dog out there.  The only thing is the only dog's you see on the news attacking people are the Pit Bull's, Rot's, ect.   They don't show Collie's attacking kids, but it does happen.  Also, little dog's like Shitzu's, ect. are meaner than big dogs by nature.  All those ankle biters are just as mean as a Pit Bull.  It has to do with training and obiedence no matter what kind of dog it is.  Blaming a certain breed is plain ignorance.  
 

I used to think that too, until the guy accross the streets dog attacked my BC. No, it wasn't 'trained' but it was a family dog and not taught to be aggressive. Granted, I've seen plenty of pit bulls that were very friendly to 'their' people, but I've seen more that were _very_ aggresive towards other dogs. As evidence to the unpredictability factor, just this past month a 5year old was killed by 3 pitbulls when he went after a ball in a neighbors yard near here. He had played with the dogs on several occasions in the past without incident. As far as I'm concerned, I don't trust _ANY_ pit bull, and if you are basing your trust of your dog on 2 weeks of training, no matter what you paid, you're a FOOL and a public hazard. The BC I spoke of has been trained daily for over 4 years, and still forgets that he's not allowed to bite the sheep from time to time... You can train them not to do something, but you can't train them not to want to.

Dave

PS. Sorry Tiff for hijacking this thread but _some_ people... well you know...

SliderPhoto

#9
They are big responsibilities and tough when you travel a lot. Dogs can be a source of the greatest joy, and the greatest sadness.

Here's our family: Max, me, Santa, Trixie, my wife Valerie, and our son Drew.



Max and Trixie are border collies. They love to run, chase each other, and catch frisbees. They are a ton of fun. I love having two, they keep each other entertained.

My wife has wanted a pug for a long time. I finally gave in, and yesterday we came home with this little girl:





I think my wife has a named picked out but she hasn't liked any of my suggestions. Like Sphynx for example. It's short for Sphyncter because this dog is a butt load of ugly.  ;D

Good luck Tiff. Eric is right though, make sure the house is in order. They are a big responsibility and make sure you have plans for when you're both travelling.

Woofentino Pugrossi

#10
Carefull Jack, that little fuzz-ball will start bossing those border collies around soon. ;D

Tiff, pugs are a good dog around little children. Our first pug was so at ease with babies around that he stood there and let them pull his tail, ears paws, poke's in teh eye area, nose and assorted rough housing. He only shown hostility to one kid and we dont know why, so we put him in a room if they ever came over. Even when the kid was older he still didnt like her.

Heres our current pug Phoenix trying to get into trouble.
Rob
CCS MW#14 EX, ASRA #141
CCSForums Cornerworking and Classifieds Mod

rotoboge

#11
Want a good recommendation? Get a Jack Russel Terrier! They are extremely intelligent and very loveable animals. They will also spice up the normally dull life one tends to live from time to time...