OT--I want a puppy!! (Major Mom) what do you have?
I totally agree with Betty. Our first one was a stray after hurricane ike but number two and three (and yes that is enough) came from BARC. I first didn't think alot about BARC but when i met some of the volunteers there we came back to adopt.
The first time we brought our first dog and "tried" different dogs in the run with her. Some of the ones we really liked she completely ignored. Then we got a crazy orange looking 6 months old dog in the run with her and those two just had the best time ever. So it was more our dog picking the second one than us. We adopted her and she turned out to be amazing. By now we think she is a mix between a lab and an akita. She can be stubborn at times but is very cuddly, affectionate and never barks except someone is really trying to get into the door. She looks beautiful.
The last one was more by accident. We decided to volunteer at BARC every now and then and my husband saw this 5 months old cutie that he played with. Two weeks later we saw on facebook that he has been there for over 3 months and they were about to put him down. My husband was the one that said to foster him. Well he fit in so well that we ended up adopting him. He was small with big paws when we got him. By now he has grown so big and it turned out that he is a whippet. So full of energy. But we love all of them.
There are so many dogs in Houston that are unwanted. And you would be surprised how many pure breds are in there. Take a look at the shelters or if you are looking for a specific breed, get on their mailing lists and let them know what you are searching for.
By the way Betty, I am in the process of getting my DS with Dr. Wilson. Maybe you could send me a pm? I would love to hear about your experience with him.
The first time we brought our first dog and "tried" different dogs in the run with her. Some of the ones we really liked she completely ignored. Then we got a crazy orange looking 6 months old dog in the run with her and those two just had the best time ever. So it was more our dog picking the second one than us. We adopted her and she turned out to be amazing. By now we think she is a mix between a lab and an akita. She can be stubborn at times but is very cuddly, affectionate and never barks except someone is really trying to get into the door. She looks beautiful.
The last one was more by accident. We decided to volunteer at BARC every now and then and my husband saw this 5 months old cutie that he played with. Two weeks later we saw on facebook that he has been there for over 3 months and they were about to put him down. My husband was the one that said to foster him. Well he fit in so well that we ended up adopting him. He was small with big paws when we got him. By now he has grown so big and it turned out that he is a whippet. So full of energy. But we love all of them.
There are so many dogs in Houston that are unwanted. And you would be surprised how many pure breds are in there. Take a look at the shelters or if you are looking for a specific breed, get on their mailing lists and let them know what you are searching for.
By the way Betty, I am in the process of getting my DS with Dr. Wilson. Maybe you could send me a pm? I would love to hear about your experience with him.
My two favorites have both been small dogs; first was a Silky Terrier, one of the smartest and toughest little dogs I've ever seen. She was the only dog I've ever had that could say the names
of each of the family members. NO S**t! I have no idea how she managed it, but she could
call "Rark", "RaRa", and "Rom" if she was left outside too long!! We almost fell over laughing
when we realized what she was doing. A sweet temperment, but boy she was death on skunks
intruding on her territory! I found this out the hard way one morning at 0300. Gadzooks, I never
knew skunk juice smelled like burning rubber at that concentration. EGAD!!
The second was a rescue, a parti-colored Pom; scared of everything as she had simply been
used as a breeder and not been too socialized to being out of a cage. Once she got used to
being able to move around the house or go for a walk on a leash, she was a real gem. Her
biggest adjustment was getting used to seeing people change their exterior appearances;
as I was getting into the shower one day she just stopped in her tracks and stared at me with her
mouth wide open in amazement! I really miss that little fuzzy critter.
Now I'm back to being a cat person, but I do like dogs a lot.
Oh, yeah, both dogs were pretty much non-shed.
So much depends on what kind of temperment you like in a dog.
Have fun choosing!
of each of the family members. NO S**t! I have no idea how she managed it, but she could
call "Rark", "RaRa", and "Rom" if she was left outside too long!! We almost fell over laughing
when we realized what she was doing. A sweet temperment, but boy she was death on skunks
intruding on her territory! I found this out the hard way one morning at 0300. Gadzooks, I never
knew skunk juice smelled like burning rubber at that concentration. EGAD!!
The second was a rescue, a parti-colored Pom; scared of everything as she had simply been
used as a breeder and not been too socialized to being out of a cage. Once she got used to
being able to move around the house or go for a walk on a leash, she was a real gem. Her
biggest adjustment was getting used to seeing people change their exterior appearances;
as I was getting into the shower one day she just stopped in her tracks and stared at me with her
mouth wide open in amazement! I really miss that little fuzzy critter.
Now I'm back to being a cat person, but I do like dogs a lot.
Oh, yeah, both dogs were pretty much non-shed.
So much depends on what kind of temperment you like in a dog.
Have fun choosing!
I haven't read all the responses, but wanted to chime in.
First - Becky (Beemerbeeper) knows a crap load about dogs. If she hasn't responded in this thread, reach out to her.
I have an almost 8 month old Shih Tzu. She is a girl, ad she is rowdy as hell. She is yippy, not neurotic really, but she is a definite ankle biter.....and hand biter (for fun, not aggression). It can be frustrating to say the least. I have started obedience, but I started it way later in the game than I should have. I had a Shih Tzu before this one and she was very docile. I did get her as an adult dog, though.
I keep her hair cut short, because it's lower maintenance, plus I think the puppy cut is just darn cute. She snores, and had to have "plastic surgery" on her nose to make the holes a little bigger, so she could breathe better. She still snores and huffs and puffs.......
This is my advice. No matter what breed you go with, start training early. This one was a no-brainer to potty train, so I thought everything else would come easy and with time. It hasn't. She's beautiful, I love her and wouldn't trade her for the world, but she can be very frustrating when I'm working at home and she thinks she wants to bark.
Best of luck in your search, I hope you find the perfect dog for you!
First - Becky (Beemerbeeper) knows a crap load about dogs. If she hasn't responded in this thread, reach out to her.
I have an almost 8 month old Shih Tzu. She is a girl, ad she is rowdy as hell. She is yippy, not neurotic really, but she is a definite ankle biter.....and hand biter (for fun, not aggression). It can be frustrating to say the least. I have started obedience, but I started it way later in the game than I should have. I had a Shih Tzu before this one and she was very docile. I did get her as an adult dog, though.
I keep her hair cut short, because it's lower maintenance, plus I think the puppy cut is just darn cute. She snores, and had to have "plastic surgery" on her nose to make the holes a little bigger, so she could breathe better. She still snores and huffs and puffs.......
This is my advice. No matter what breed you go with, start training early. This one was a no-brainer to potty train, so I thought everything else would come easy and with time. It hasn't. She's beautiful, I love her and wouldn't trade her for the world, but she can be very frustrating when I'm working at home and she thinks she wants to bark.
Best of luck in your search, I hope you find the perfect dog for you!
Janice
320/170/150
SW/CW/GW
320/170/150
SW/CW/GW
Shelter dogs all the way! We have 2 Shih-Tzus (littermates), a Terrier mix and a Maltese. The Maltese is probably the only 'purebred' as she was a rescue from a breeder turned rescue turned hoarder. Our vet told us she is pretty sure the Shih-Tzus are not mixed, but isn't sure. We don't care about their ancestry, just that they are loved, well taken care of and the absolute joy of our days. They're all girly dogs. I just can't deal with the whole boy dog lipstick thing. ick.
Chloe, the Terrier mix, i.e., mutt weighs about 20 pounds and is about 9. We've had her 7 years.
Molly & Gracie, the Shih-Tzus, weigh 10 & 13 pounds and have been with us 3.5 years. We got them as puppies.
Sophie, the Maltese, weighs about 6 pounds soaking wet and has been with us 2 weeks. She's getting along famously with the rest of the furtribe and is really warming up to us quickly.
If you want to see pix, friend me on Facebook: Charlee Blankenship Griffith
Chloe, the Terrier mix, i.e., mutt weighs about 20 pounds and is about 9. We've had her 7 years.
Molly & Gracie, the Shih-Tzus, weigh 10 & 13 pounds and have been with us 3.5 years. We got them as puppies.
Sophie, the Maltese, weighs about 6 pounds soaking wet and has been with us 2 weeks. She's getting along famously with the rest of the furtribe and is really warming up to us quickly.
If you want to see pix, friend me on Facebook: Charlee Blankenship Griffith
I'm a dog trainer and I do dog sports. Please consider my advice.
Either buy from a responsible AKC breeder or rescue. A responsible AKC breeder is one who checks you out, has titles and health clearances on the parents, and who breeds to improve the breed, not for money. A puppy from a responsible breeder is more expensive, but you will not only get a puppy but a mentor for the rest of the puppies life. Some of the main advantages of buying from a responsible breeder:
You can have a real good idea of what the temperament of the puppy will be.
You can know that the main illnesses that run in that breed have been tested for
You will know what your dog will look like when it is fully grown.
If you don't want to buy from a responsible breeder then please ADOPT!!! You can adopt through breed rescues for almost any breed you are intested in or you can adopt thru multi-breed rescue or animal shelters.
A young adult dog (or teen) can make a perfect pet. These dogs are easier to find because often when the "puppy" wears off dogs are abandoned. I've adopted or bought dogs that were 5 months and 18 months old as well as getting baby puppies and I have told my breeder that I am not interested in getting another baby puppy. So I am on her "list" the next time she has a 5-9 month old that's original home didn't work out.
PM me if you have any questions!! I can help you find breed rescues if you want to go that route.
To find responsible breeders check out the AKC website where they often have a list of breeders you can contact.
Whatever you do please do not buy from a "pet store." No matter what you are told ALL puppies sold at pet stores come from puppy mills. These are often unhealthy, poorly socialized, puppies with bad conformation and an array of many other problems. Not to mention that you are supporting the hideous puppy mill economy.
Good luck!!!
~Becky
Either buy from a responsible AKC breeder or rescue. A responsible AKC breeder is one who checks you out, has titles and health clearances on the parents, and who breeds to improve the breed, not for money. A puppy from a responsible breeder is more expensive, but you will not only get a puppy but a mentor for the rest of the puppies life. Some of the main advantages of buying from a responsible breeder:
You can have a real good idea of what the temperament of the puppy will be.
You can know that the main illnesses that run in that breed have been tested for
You will know what your dog will look like when it is fully grown.
If you don't want to buy from a responsible breeder then please ADOPT!!! You can adopt through breed rescues for almost any breed you are intested in or you can adopt thru multi-breed rescue or animal shelters.
A young adult dog (or teen) can make a perfect pet. These dogs are easier to find because often when the "puppy" wears off dogs are abandoned. I've adopted or bought dogs that were 5 months and 18 months old as well as getting baby puppies and I have told my breeder that I am not interested in getting another baby puppy. So I am on her "list" the next time she has a 5-9 month old that's original home didn't work out.
PM me if you have any questions!! I can help you find breed rescues if you want to go that route.
To find responsible breeders check out the AKC website where they often have a list of breeders you can contact.
Whatever you do please do not buy from a "pet store." No matter what you are told ALL puppies sold at pet stores come from puppy mills. These are often unhealthy, poorly socialized, puppies with bad conformation and an array of many other problems. Not to mention that you are supporting the hideous puppy mill economy.
Good luck!!!
~Becky
Thank you Becky. I would definitely go through a reputable breeder--its how I got my cat--a ragdoll which I researched to death as well before buying him--and he's the best breed ever. It's just a matter of figuring out what breed I want and that would work with my lifestyle--boring lifestyle. lol. My boyfriend can't stand the look of a poodle, and i want one... so we have to find a happy medium somehow. Or I may just ignore my boyfriend. lol. No... I won't. But I really have been wanting a companion dog for a long time now. I have the perfect small, fenced in, very safe, and totally private back yard.... though i want an indoor, clean, easy dog... cats are easy. I need an easy dog. :) looking at the cotons de tulane or something... they sound interesting. I think it's cool that you work with dogs. I watch Dogs 101 on TV and the Dog Whisperer. Admire him. i don't want one of those dogs that appear on that show though. :) I certainly believe in early training.
Well you mentioned poodle crosses which you can't get from a responsible breeder. To get a poodle cross puppy you would have to buy from a back-yard breeder, or a pet store, unless you took your chances with a shelter puppy that looked like a poodle cross.
It is a lot more than early training to get a small dog with a good temperament. That is why I highly recommend you pick a breed and then go with a responsible breeder who can show you the temperament in their lines.
Then yes it is all about the early socialization which MUST start well before you would even get the puppy. That socialization needs to start when the puppy is about 3-4 weeks old. Just another reason to go with a real breed from a responsible breeder.
Toy dogs also have significant health problems. I guess due to the line breeding that was done to get them smaller and smaller.
So do your homework!! And PM me if I can be of any assistance.
PS Papillons are among the smartest of the toy breeds. But I'm a bit prejudiced. Yorkies are also very smart but can be quite aggressive.
~Becky
It is a lot more than early training to get a small dog with a good temperament. That is why I highly recommend you pick a breed and then go with a responsible breeder who can show you the temperament in their lines.
Then yes it is all about the early socialization which MUST start well before you would even get the puppy. That socialization needs to start when the puppy is about 3-4 weeks old. Just another reason to go with a real breed from a responsible breeder.
Toy dogs also have significant health problems. I guess due to the line breeding that was done to get them smaller and smaller.
So do your homework!! And PM me if I can be of any assistance.
PS Papillons are among the smartest of the toy breeds. But I'm a bit prejudiced. Yorkies are also very smart but can be quite aggressive.
~Becky
I'm doing lots of homework. It's taken me years to decide. lol. Thanks Becky! There are a lot of "designer dog" breeders.... they are selling for $1,500-$2,000 or more for crosses. Not kidding. Toy maltipoos seem to be the most expensive. They are claiming they are the dogs of the Stars.. Jessica Simpson, etc.
I'm glad you are aware that these are just expensive mutts that come with no health clearances, no temperament information, and you really have no idea what the dog is going to look like or what kind of conformaitonal problems that may develop (knees/hips etc..) Smart back-yard breeders but back-yard breeders of the worst kind. Only out for a buck.
~B
~B
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