New Dog Thread

[Peaches]

Pugs are NOT good "heat" dogs if they're going to be outside for any length of time, nor are most brachycephalic breeds (techie for "smushed faced" ).

If you're looking for a small house dog that's GREAT with kids, pugs are your dog, but they're high maintenance. Labs, mastiffs, and GSDs are great "big" dogs, IMHO.

I don't have very many soapboxes, but this is one of them, so bear with me :

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get a dog from the pound, or if you want a purebred, get one from a breed rescue group. Unless you plan on showing and breeding in order to promote the breed, which, if you do it correctly is a money losing venture, there's no reason to get an intact purebred dog.

Another good thing about purebred rescue is that a foster family has spent time with the dog and knows its personality - how it interacts with kids, other dogs, cats, etc.

And I swear, pound dogs are just so thrilled to get out of there, they always seem to be on their best behavior

There are so many dogs and cats destroyed every day

This ends today's Oprano PSA.

[DrGuile]

Pure bred also have a lot more decease and "problems" because they are too inbred.

[VooMan]

I would definitely like to second what Peaches said above.

Rescues are wonderful. All our dogs were rescues of one sort or another, whether they came directly from a bad home, someone who didn't want them anymore because they were too big, or Bandit the wonderdog we got from the pound.

(Bandit especially was the most grateful of the bunch. He was far and above the most loyal and thankful dog we have ever had... And funny as hell too. When he got old he reminded me of Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. haha)

You can do so much for a dog by taking him from "the bad place" and giving him a good home. They especially will be your best friend for life.

[kath]

Thanks for the tips guys - and Peaches

All of our cats (I have 2 - my mother adopted 2 of mine that they decided they wanted to stay at Grandma's house - lol) are rescues. We lucked out and our first one was a Maine Coon - he's over 19 pounds now. He loves dogs - hates cats. Weird creature. And the kids LONG to walk a dog and have a fuzzy member of the family who wants to curl up by the fireplace with them.

I will definitely check out the breed rescues that you recommended and start searching PetFinder.com again - that's a great link - we found our little tabby there 2 years ago.

Thank you! I may be coming back in for more advice now that I know there are lots of animal lovers in here.

[Plugger]

We have two pure breed Basset Hounds. The first we bought (Chester) and we adopted the second (his litter mate) Baxter. Our cat was also adopted. Bassets make great family pets (aside from a little slobber here and there). They are very friendly. They are NOT lazy dogs, as commercials would lead you to believe. They are tracking dogs, and love to go out and run. Also, because they are pack dogs, they tend to get along well with other animals and people, and they are very affectionate.

No matter what type of aninmal you wish to have, adoption is a great way to go.

Check out:

http://www.pgaa.com/rescues.html#states

There are plenty of great animals out there that would make you a great pet!

[Evil Chris]

Steph and I have two dogs. A purebred chocolate Lab and a mutt we picked up from a shelter.
We're lucky that neither of them have been very ill at all to date. In fact, the mutt is as strong as an ox.

I agree that anyone considering getting a dog or cat should visit their local animal shelter FIRST before considering a purebred. There are way too many puppy mills that need to be put out of business.

Everyone has a point. My dad's Manchester Terrier is a pound dog, healthy as an ox, though he certainly appears to be a purebred, he's probably not.

Daisy, my female Weim was just this side of a pound dog, the offspring of two older Weims and no one wanted her because of that(there were only 2 puppies in the litter), no pedigree, she cost 8 bucks and never spent a day in the vet's.

Ziggy, I paid 500 dollars for and about 2K dollars to the vets that cared for him his first 6 months. The vet told me the same thing, purebreds are trouble. The people that bred Ziggy actually went so far as to bring his mother from Kansas in order to try not to get inbred puppies, but I guess the breed is already too inbred. We were lucky that he didn't have hip dysplasia, very common to Weimaraners. He came with a pedigree that I never sent in because I had no intention of breeding him. He is a much better "example" of the breed than Daisy, but he's defiinitely more fragile.

Breed rescue is the way I would have gone originally, had I known it existed at the time.

[kath]

Wow...I really didn't realize all the trouble that purebreeds have. You know you always hear that's the way to go. I'd heard about specific breeds - like Dalmations - that have health problems, etc. but really thought that was just a few specific breeds.

The more I'm reading up on this (www.peteducation.com is an awesome site for those who haven't seen it yet) the more I see that I almost made a terrible mistake. Thank goodness that woman kept raising the prices.

Thanks again everyone - see, ya learn something new every day!

[Peaches]

Originally posted by kath@Feb 21 2003, 12:34 PM
Wow...I really didn't realize all the trouble that purebreeds have. You know you always hear that's the way to go. I'd heard about specific breeds - like Dalmations - that have health problems, etc. but really thought that was just a few specific breeds.

It is strange - both of my pugs were rescues, but my female (and her mother) was an owner turn in, whereas my male was found on the road. My female's mother was a show dog and is a perfect specimen on the breed, as is Meg (my female). My male, OTOH, is suspected to be a result of a puppymill who because of an undescended testicle was sterile and therefore was discarded.

However, her "good breeding" has resulted in her having more medical problems than he has. A large nose roll is desired in pugs, with a very short snout. He has a rather large nose (relatively ). This means she can stay in the heat for about 1/5 of the time he can, she has a much harder time breathing than he does, and because her legs are more compact - the back higher than the front - another desired trait - she has a higher risk of arthritis than he does. Her mother already has it in her back legs.

Another odd thing - almost to the month, Meg and her mother both had a cancerous mass last year. We didn't even know it until we talked to each other after we had them removed - how weird is THAT??!!

A lot of breed rescue groups stop adoptions right around the holidays because so many are impulse decisions. I know the pug rescue group I work with has about a 5 page application, lol! You also have to agree to give the dog back them if you decide not to keep it - they want to make sure it doesn't end up at the pound

I think EVERY kid needs a dog or cat. Pets offer unconditional love and I can remember many times turning to my dog when I didn't think I had anyone else that could understand me. Heck, I probably still do that

[kath]

Another odd thing - almost to the month, Meg and her mother both had a cancerous mass last year. We didn't even know it until we talked to each other after we had them removed - how weird is THAT??!!

I'm so glad that you both caught that! How is Meg doing now?

See...I'm a vet person. I take my cats in for regular check-ups and shots...my oldest cat has seasonal allergies so he needs even more attention. I also take my mom's and grandma's cats in for regular check-ups. They were never into taking our pets to the vet when I was a kid - too much money I guess. But I can't see NOT taking them in to prevent problems like this from becoming deadly.

A lot of breed rescue groups stop adoptions right around the holidays because so many are impulse decisions. I know the pug rescue group I work with has about a 5 page application, lol! You also have to agree to give the dog back them if you decide not to keep it - they want to make sure it doesn't end up at the pound

I think this is a GREAT idea. We have a friend that has a new pet for his kids everytime we're over there. We ask what happened to the old one and we hear "oh he peed on the rug" or "he kept getting out of the yard." Instead of working on the behavior they just sell the animal or take it to the pound and then get a new one. I hate how they do this - it's so frustrating. At least they don't just turn them loose, but I hate their pet "turnover" ratio. :grrr:

I think EVERY kid needs a dog or cat. Pets offer unconditional love and I can remember many times turning to my dog when I didn't think I had anyone else that could understand me. Heck, I probably still do that

Agreed...and we promised the kids that when we bought a house we would get a dog. We've been here 2 years and it's been one reason not to after another. The kids are 11 & 13 now - Mom had better act fast before they're off in college before I know it. lol

[Peaches]

Originally posted by kath@Feb 21 2003, 01:22 PM

I'm so glad that you both caught that! How is Meg doing now?

She's fine, thanks

It was weird, because for about a year, every month or so, she was throwing up, and we couldn't figure out why. We'd go to the vet, he put her on the special food, she'd stop. But there was no REASON why she was getting sick. Then I saw the bump on her leg, they aspirated it, sent it off to UGA, saw it was malignant, removed it, and when I started reading up on it, I found that they cause nausea - and she hasn't been sick since. The class she had CAN surface again, but it's unlikely - but now that I know what the first symptoms are, I feel better. She's 10, and her Mom's 12, so getting these things are going to be more common

If I had enough property, I'd probably make weekly trips to the pound and just grab all the animals that were scheduled for "the chamber".....

[VooMan]

I tell ya, puppy mills should be shut down. They're horrible...

I've heard that one of the reasons dalmations are such a problem is due to the movie 101 Dalmations being released and re-released. As soon as that movie comes out every kid on the planet wants a Dalmation and the puppy mills inbreed the hell out of them just to meet the demand. Then the dogs have all kinds of problems and become unwanted... It's a damn shame. Every time I see a Mastiff in a movie or a commercial I cringe at the possibilities. Thankfully though, they're so darn big that most people shy away quickly.

Kath, if I were you I'd go to the pound and find the goofiest looking mutt you can. He or she will most likely bring you lots of joy and laughs. And when people ask what breed he is you can make one up, or laugh and say "hell, I don't know, but he sure is a lot of fun..."

[Peaches]

Originally posted by VooMan@Feb 21 2003, 01:54 PM
I've heard that one of the reasons dalmations are such a problem is due to the movie 101 Dalmations being released and re-released.

Don't get me started - Remember Frank the Pug in Men in Black 1&2? Thankfully we Pug Rescue folks are pretty "head 'em off at the pass" savvy

http://www.frankthepug.org

[kath]

WOW - those poor little pugs! A true dedicated pug owner is an amazing person. Hats off to you Peaches - I had no idea how much trouble those poor little wrinkle nose babies go through!

I think that site is a GREAT PSA for anyone who is looking to adopt a pug. I had NO IDEA that they couldn't give birth on their own - that in itself is fascinating. And all the care that goes into taking care of a Pug...wow, like I said - hats off to you Peaches! Meg is a lucky Pug to have a mommy like you!

[Peaches]

Originally posted by kath@Feb 21 2003, 02:50 PM
WOW - those poor little pugs! A true dedicated pug owner is an amazing person. Hats off to you Peaches - I had no idea how much trouble those poor little wrinkle nose babies go through!

It's not AS bad as it sounds

MikeW comes over and expresses my dogs anal glands Actually, only Meg needs it done and the groomers do it. Ditto she's the only one with a real nose roll, but she sees me coming at her with a baby wipe from a mile away, hehehe. They DO shed HORRIBLY. Ferdinand, my male, is fine outside and loves to swim and hike. His hips are starting to "click" though, but a lot of larger dogs have hip problems. I have friends that breed and show and about 75% have cesareans.

But they ARE glued to you!

I had a pug growing up (a stray, lol!), so I knew what I in for - I still love them

[DrGuile]

This is just a personal opinion, but those are ugly dogs! Hell, they're FUGLY!

[Peaches]

Originally posted by DrGuile@Feb 21 2003, 05:28 PM
This is just a personal opinion, but those are ugly dogs! Hell, they're FUGLY!

Put that on a T-shirt, wear it to a convention, and you're talking LAWSUIT, dude!

[DrGuile]

Originally posted by Peaches+Feb 21 2003, 04:40 PM-->