Doesn't make my statement any less true!

They were beer drinkers...

<--Has been sutured at least 15 times from dog attacks over the years (dad being a vet has a lot to do with that) I've been cat bit too, but they just make infected puncture wounds.
But I still love dogs and cats!

We had a Sheltie/Blue Heeler mix when the kids were little. Great dog for kids. But it was slightly bigger than the regular Sheltie. She stayed outdoors and had lots of hair. My daughter has a Jack Russell. Yes, they are hyper animals, unless Grammy keeps her. When Mom is gone and I have her she sulks. The only way to get her to go outside is to pick her up and carry her or put her on a leash - then she thinks we are going for a walk. But she does shed. My niece has two Westies. No Shedding!! One was from a breeder and the other from a vet that rescued him becuase he had a bad eye. The owner took him to the vet to have him put down because he wouldn't be able to sell him. My niece adopted him. They are both great dogs. My son and DIL have adopted 3. All unknown breeds. They won't have anything else. They also take in Foster animals all the time that they take care of.

My top three breeds are Havenese, Bichon, & Cavalier king charles spaniel. Someday I am going to have one of these or a combination thereof!

Like a Havelier King Charles Bichon?

I haven't had much time in the Cooler lately, and am coming late to this thread. I apologize if I repeat anything said before, but I gave up on reading the whole thing after about a page and a half.

I ditto everyone who has recommended both mutts and shelter or rescue dogs. Why pay for a pedigree for a house pet? Personally (and I realize this is going to tick some people off), I just don't see the point. Mutts tend to be healthier, and you will be helping reduce the number of animals euthanized.

All three of mine are mutts. None of them came from a shelter, but all were rescues of a sort. All three have very distinct personalities, and all three are inside/outside (we have a dog door into the fenced back yard). The eldest, Belle, is an indeterminate mix that looks sort of like a long-legged Corgi - but the vet says she also strongly resembles a coy-dog (coyote mix). She was picked up as a puppy on a river bank, so anything is possible. She is the only one of the three who does NOT like children. She's afraid of them, and while she mostly just tries to stay out of their way she will snap if pursued. The 80 lb Heeler mix lets them ride her like a pony, and the Catahoula/Jack Russell mix likes the sounds they make when she licks them all over their faces.

Other than Belle having arthitic issues now that she's 13 and the Heeler being overweight, we've had no health problems to complain about. All three shed. Get a Roomba and run it every evening. It will be your new best friend. We call ours "Alice."

The great thing about a rescue group is that they will help you "try out" a dog to make sure it's a good match. If you don't have any reputable rescues nearby, ask a good vet. Our Cat/Jack puppy came to us through a friend of a friend who was fostering her after she'd been abandoned at their vet's office.

Good luck!

If it hasn't been mentioned, let me do so....english bulldogs are completely gassy and it is definately not pleasant. Also, ours shed everywhere....I loved that dog dearly, but I would never have another one. And yes, they do slobber if they get hot from a walk outside.

I have to say this as a pound puppy owner AND a pet shop puppy owner.

When you adopt a pound dog, you adopt their problems. You don't knwo hwo they were raised, you don't know whats causing their issues and therefore do not knwo how to fix them. My pound dog pees on our bed and even her own bed. She doesnt do it often but at this point, we can't fix it--we're down to just having to wash the entire bed every few months. Not many people would put up with that. So just somethign to keep in mind...def a con to getting a rescue.

Dip has a point... our rescue arrived and almost immediately required surgery. The rescue did nothing to help us either. And as many of you pet owners know, surgery on animals is outrageously expensive.

If the word "rescue" scares you, look for "free puppy" or "free to good home" ads. You can often get perfectly good mutt puppies straight off of mama, by-passing any potential trauma or drama that might occur between original home and shelter.

Yeah, Becca said it better. PUPPIES from a rescue or shelter might be the way to go to control the environment they are raised in.

What kind of dog would you suggest?


Do not utter these words in restaurants outside of the US.

Just saying.

Long Island Dog....Chiuauaa Chow Mein....

How much is that puppy in the window...with rice and onions.

Dip, how is that different from a puppy shop puppy? When you buy a dog, not only do you still buy their problems, you also financially supporting inhumane treatment of animals, thus being RESPONSIBLE for the problems of many of the pound/rescue puppies.

PS: You can fix it. It's just not easy. Crate train her.

You picked the wrong rescue then. Most rescues I've worked with would at minimum help you get the rescue rate from their vet to handle surgery if the animal needed it almost immediately.

They were convinced their vet had handled the problem, but the condition continued to worsen after we got him. Within three months he had to have polyps removed to the tune of over $3k. I appealed to the rescue group several times, but they weren't interested in helping us. It was really too bad. But we love him and don't regret adopting him. And I always wonder if we hadn't taken him, if they might have let his condition get worse...

I know not every rescue is like this, and our situation is probably the exception to the rule, but the point is when you adopt an animal as an adult, you may inherit medical, behavioral, or psychological issues. You just have to be ready to put in the time, compassion, and possibly $$ to deal with them. But it makes my heart swell everytime I see him and our other pup happy and healthy, so I know it was all worth it

It truly depends on the rescue organization as to how much help you'll get.

But keep in mind, rescue organizations are manned by regular people like you and me who just happen to be more devoted to dogs. The group I'm involved with is constantly hosting fund raisers and begging vets to donate their services and people to ferry dogs or foster them. There's no money involved here. Only people who want to save animals from neglect and abuse.

Truthfully, we've spent more on the Cavs we purchased than we have on our rescue. Additionally, she had an issue similar to Dip's dog when we first got her. But we crated her and walked her and loved her out of it. We were lucky because I know Dip has done the same with Boeing.

I've had both purebreds and mutts and I have honestly had fewer vet bills with the mutts. Any dog has or can develop quirks and tendencies or bad behavior. Most can be addressed through training and patience. There are reasons that dogs are taken to shelters or arrive in rescues - an honest shelter or rescue will be up front about what those reasons are.

I had a new dog at my house over the weekend (my son brought his mother's dog over for the weekend). They adopted the dog from the SPCA, she was adopted prior to that and brought back because she couldn't be housebroken. She is still having issues at his mother's house with housebreaking. I took her out about every three hours and she would take three steps outside the door, take care of business and come right back in, the dog knows what to do. I crated her at bedtime and she had no accidents. Whoever couldn't housebreak her just had no patience with her.

I think that whenever you adopt a dog, you have to do your homework and spend time with the animal before you commit and be prepared to work on whatever behaviors and issues come up once you get them home. Hopefully the shelter or rescue will allow you to keep them for a weekend to see how they fit into your home.

::cue Sarah Mclachlan commercial::

oh dear gawd I HATE those! I have to change the channel every time.

::looks again for the 'like' button::

Puppies from pet shops and less than reputable breeders perpetuate the inhumane treatment of their parents and are more likely to have genetic medical issues. If you work with a reputable rescue or shelter they should be able to tell you about any quirks of an animal you're interested in as well as the results of any medical testing they've done. Of course, like TR said, they're only humans doing the best they can with the resources that they have.

*stares*

*grips the fire extinguisher*