Another shopping thread only this one's for a puppy

Parent Cafe
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<p>1moremom: Hello–I have had five crate-trained dogs over the years and I am a big proponent of crates. It’s best if the dog could still see you while in the crate. The dog doesn’t have to like being in there. If you use it from the beginning, then it is part of the dog’s life. My one-year-old German shepherd sleeps in her crate and often goes in there for a nap. It becomes like a safe den for the dog. </p>

<p>Especially with a big puppy, you can put the dog in there when you need a break, or when you are dealing with something for your business, or when someone comes to fix something in your house. You can’t supervise a puppy all the time, and when someone isn’t DIRECTLY supervising the puppy (eyes on the dog), then the puppy should be in the crate or in a pen, both for the dog’s safety and to preserve your house and belongings.</p>

<p>I do not allow my dogs the run of my house (the shepherd and a two-year-old miniature Schnauzer). They stay in the kitchen and adjoining den or someone is with them in other rooms. With a big dog and a bed and breakfast situation, you might want something similar. Big dogs aren’t really mature until about two years. </p>

<p>Crate training is wonderful for potty training and also for your relationship with the dog–you are in charge when you have the crate and your leash. I would make the crate a permanent thing in your situation.</p>

<p>One more thing: I love Nylabones. My dogs have a little basket of them and they chew on them many times a day. They are safe and last forever. Don’t use any rawhide chews–not safe.</p>

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<p>cnp55: Truce, we’re basically on the same page.</p>

<p>dmd77: You had one bad experience with a shelter dog and others have had antedotal bad expriences with breeder dogs. </p>

<p>“I simply don’t want to work that hard.” – I don’t understand this statement. With some exceptions, most of the rescue dogs I have placed are adult dogs and have been a breeze requiring little or no training – including my 2 rescue dogs. Yes, dogs that have been in shelters for a very long time require extra love and patience, but so do puppies. Again, if you adopt from a rescue and want 100% assurance that the dog is a complete no-brainer, adopt one that is in a foster home.</p>

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<p>I and most of my family are real animal lovers and we have done and will probably continue to do both rescue and breed animals–both have their plusses.</p>

<p>Our purebred yellow lab was the most wonderful dog, but we got him at six months from a family who had no time or no room for a dog this size.</p>

<p>Our shepard mix is a rescue and probably the kindest, most intelligent of all of our dogs</p>

<p>The beagle and smooth haired fox terrier were registered and have been great dogs–though we knew the breeders personally (who are also show judges) and these dogs were chosen for their pet qualities.</p>

<p>Our boxer mix was a rescue that at 8 weeks had been severely abused and litter taken by police. He is great with us but definately has issues and will never trust any strangers. If we did not have so much property, he would not be a safe dog to have.</p>

<p>Four cats are rescue and one is a registered bengal. </p>

<p>Plus I foster occasionally for Humane Society and another rescue organization.</p>

<p>Also add in there one horse–sold off race track when he failed to perform.</p>

<p>It sure would help us financially if the powers that be would take into consideration pet expenses when computing possible aid.</p>

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<p>mkm56 is proof that all rescue animals do not have “issues”. Any animal can unexpectedly have a tramautic experience with another animal or human that can evolve into an “issue” – even with the best of breeding. Just as 2 kids from the same family can turn out completely different, so can 2 dogs from the same litter. Experiences after you have the puppy in your home will dictate to a large degree how it will “turn out”. I also agree with mkm56 that the expense of our extended animal family should be factored into the equation regarding aid.</p>

<p>I definitely agree with cnp55 about our society being one of instant gratification. Yes, most rescues will not just turn over a dog to an adopter because they seem nice, and reputable breeders basically have their puppies spoken for prior to their birth. Breeders that need to “sell” their puppies shouldn’t be breeding. This is not to say that there is always something wrong with these puppies, it’s just irresponsible when there are so many wonderful dogs being destroyed in shelters. The motivation for most breeding is not to improve the breed but to try to clone puppies as adorable as the ones they own.</p>

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<p>a puppy in a mill that has been taken from its mom too soon can also have issues</p>

<p>you also have dogs that are too imbred with bad hips. eye problems etc</p>

<p>the breeding of border collies for looks as opposed to ability is hurting the breed</p>

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<p>Acinva, you say:
““I simply don’t want to work that hard.” – I don’t understand this statement. With some exceptions, most of the rescue dogs I have placed are adult dogs and have been a breeze requiring little or no training – including my 2 rescue dogs. Yes, dogs that have been in shelters for a very long time require extra love and patience, but so do puppies. Again, if you adopt from a rescue and want 100% assurance that the dog is a complete no-brainer, adopt one that is in a foster home.”</p>

<p>I work part-time training dogs in agility classes. Many of the dogs in the classes are rescues. Many of those dogs have (or have had) socialization issues. For me, socialization is so important that I don’t want to deal with a dog with socialization issues, therefore, I don’t want a rescue. I applaud those who do. Other people may find house training or leash training or something else more difficult than dealing with socialization issues. For me, socialization issues make me so crazed that I don’t want to deal with the dog. I want to be able to walk down the street with the dog without having to worry about every single person or dog we encounter.</p>

<p>Breeders can certainly have dogs with issues; rescues can have issues; shelter dogs can have issues; fostered dogs can have issues. Nothing in life is guaranteed. That’s why I looked for a reputable breeder and a well-socialized puppy for my second dog. It tooks months; it certainly wasn’t instant gratification. And it took several visits to persuade the breeder that I was a suitable home!</p>

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<p>My son and wife just adopted a 2 year old pointer/setter mix from humane society–this match is perfect and dog gets along well with their cat (who was also a rescue). However, first puppy they took from shelter was not working out and after 3 weeks of training and trying really hard, I convinced them to return puppy so that shelter could look for a better match (one with more room and no cat). They felt so guilty and like failures, but I finally got them to see they were doing the best thing for the dog—neither were going to be happy.</p>

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<p>Our rescue mutt is going on 11 years. Wonderful dog! She was a stray – No “issues” (that we know about). We never crate-trained, but she was nearly already housebroken when she came to us at approx. 6 months old. (It only took a few weeks). She just finds us and lets us know with her “wiggle” that she needs to go…NOW!!! </p>

<p>We’d love to adopt another dog, but our biggest issue at this point is the difficulty with boarding. Now that the children are almost both in college, we’d love to have the freedom we had long long ago, to just take off for weekends at the last minute, or schedule mini-trips to see the kids. Finding local pet sitters is not an easy task for us, and the good kennels are often booked nearly 6 months in advance for popular vacation periods.</p>

<p>Has anyone ever heard of rescue groups that will take in their own for short stays? It could be a win-win. The animal finds a loving home, but doesn’t tie the owners down. I know that boarding or sitting is part of the responsibility of caring for a pet, but it seems unfortunate that this would prevent us from offering a loving home for 90% of the year.</p>

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<p>DH was concerned that a new dog would tie us down just when we are able to travel more easily. Happily, my breeder likes to have “her” (local) dogs back on her farm when their families travel. She calls it “going to camp” for the pups.</p>

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<p>Makes me sad, Don’t want to work that hard with a Dog…</p>

<p>No one should bring a dog into a home that thinks it is going to be easy</p>

<p>A puppy can be adventurous, make messes, get out, chew things</p>

<p>So please do not get a dog UNLESS you want to put some effort into it</p>

<p>Dogs are great, but need attention, training, affection, talking to, love, and guidance</p>

<p>So please please please know that Dogs are wonderful, but don’t get one if you aren’t going to put your all into it, they deserve no less</p>

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<p>CGM: I’m very happy to spend hours and hours working with my dog. Don’t misunderstand me. I several hours/week in dog training classes and teach them several hours/week as well. I know dogs are work. I love working with my dog. I simply don’t want to spend hours on socialization issues–that’s not where I want to spend my time. It’s a matter of knowing my limits.</p>

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<p>mkm56 and kjofkw – wonderful stories! Over the years I have “babysat” for some of my former foster dogs when their owners have gone on vacation (much to my not so dog-loving husband’s dismay). The problem with most rescues babysitting for adopted dogs is that the foster homes are used to house dogs that would otherwise be destroyed at the kill shelters. Maybe if you offerred to make a donation to the rescue or offered to pay the foster, they could manage to squeeze in your baby for a weekend. It doesn’t hurt to ask.</p>

<p>dmd77 – for some reason, you are trying to portray rescue dogs as having socialization issues. Nothing is further from the truth. Most of them are dumped at the shelter when they either get too big (some people don’t realize that cute adorable puppies don’t stay puppies forever) or the family has a new baby or they didn’t realize that you have to train a dog to housebrake it or they just decide they can’t be bothered any more – none of which are socialization issues. If a dog really has socialization issues, anyone can pretty much spot it immediately. I have a feeling that you weren’t deceived by the rescue/shelter, but rather knew it had these issues, thought you could rehabilitate the dog (and maybe were not successful) and are now claiming that all rescue dogs have socialization issues. If someone should unknowingly adopt a dog with socialization issues, they’ll know it in less than 24 hours. If they’re not looking for that challenge, they should immediately return the dog.</p>

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<p>Most rescue groups are very honest about the dogs they place, they don’t want the dogs moved around or returned</p>

<p>For me, I know people that have these purebread dogs with all sorts of health issues- hips, eyes, skin, joints…</p>

<p>Some of the best dogs i know are rescue- some Katrina dogs, some pound puppies, one of our dogs was a street dog, who was very nervous around other dogs for a while, but now is the best dog you could ever want</p>

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<p>Ditto the suggestion for an exercise pen. I held off on this at first because I questioned the need, but within a few days I bought one!</p>

<p>Did anybody mention toothbrush and toothpaste?</p>

<p>Though not a petstore item, consider getting your dog microchipped to improve the chance of being reunited in case of getting lost. Also, I really like these plastic ID tags because they are easily legible, durable and lightweight. I got a second set with our petsitter’s info for when we go on vacation.
<a href=“http://www.boomerangtags.com/store/list.php?A=G&ID=2[/url]”>http://www.boomerangtags.com/store/list.php?A=G&ID=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Acinva: I was in fact told only by the Humane Society that the dog should be an only dog, and got along well with cats and children. (This was 1995–standards have changed.) By the time the extent of her dog aggression became apparent–when she attacked a pit bull and won, requiring me to pay vet bills for the pit bull–we had become quite fond of her, and didn’t want to “return” her to certain euthanasia. </p>

<p>Our definitions of “socialization issues” may differ. I want a dog that can go anywhere anytime and meet anyone without getting grumpy or growling, peeing submissively, or behaving badly. I know few dogs–whether from a shelter, foster home, or breeder–that meet this definition. (My own dog does not, in fact; she normally pees on the front doorstep when greeted by the resident dogs when we go to friends’ houses. I’m told by many dog trainers that this is considered good manners in the dog world.) I would not ever return a rescue or breeder dog; it’s simply not fair to the dog–for this reason, I want to know as much as possible about the dog from day one.</p>

<p>Please note that I am not trying to discourage anyone from acquiring a rescue or foster or shelter dog. I <em>am</em> encouraging them to find out as much as possible, so that the dog is NOT given up again.</p>

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<p>Micro-chip - YES!</p>

<p>Plastic tags - YES! Cornell has documented premature hearing loss in dogs who wear noisy tags that clank together.</p>

<p>1moremom: You are VERY lucky to have your breeder in town. I wish mine was. I have to scrounge for a house/dog sitter every time we want to go someplace. I’d feel MUCH better leaving them with their breeder.</p>

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<p>I have to tell how I came to my breeder. I had decided that I wanted a dog that shed less than my dear old elkhound. I spent months considering different breeds. Talked to people about their Portuguese water dog. PMed with dmd about standard poodles. Read up on labradoodles and all the noodle dogs. One day I was at the AKC website and decided to just take a peak at the elkies. I clicked on the breeder referral link and discovered that the person who handles it (nationally) works in DH’s college. When I sent it over to him he told me he knew her, just not well enough to know about her dogs. That was it for me. And it leads me to the thread I should really start-- Best Vacuum For Pet Hair.</p>

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<p>1moremom: The Dyson vac, top of the line model. They even call it the animal or something like that. Ours is purple, but maybe they have changed the color scheme. It’s very good on the insidious dog hairs left behind everywhere by our yellow lab.</p>

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<p>Coming in on the tail end of this debate (pun intended).
We had the most WONDERFUL rescue dog. We sadly lost our beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) to mitral valve disease last year (despite many visits to, and wonderful care by our veterinary cardiologist). His 1/2 brother, also a rescue dog, lives right behind us (we helped get him placed there). Believe me- it was no easy feat getting approved by the Cavalier rescue folks, but once we were, I made some very dear friends through that organization. We had NO “issues” with our dog, other than that he was initially a bit too excitable around other dogs- wanting to play with every one. I think we were socially promoted through obedience school, but we gave it the ol’ college try :slight_smile: He was crate trained, and found great solace in his crate. In fact, that is where he passed away. He had just come in from outside, climbed into his crate, and, as they say, crossed over the rainbow bridge.</p>

<p>We fed and watered our dog in his crate. He got his treats in his crate. He LOVED his crate! It was by no means “doggie prison”. We’d keep the crate door open and he’d often go in to go to sleep. he didn’t like his doggie bed. He liked his crate. </p>

<p>I have met both breeders and rescue folks through the CKCS organizations, and I grew up with show dogs and breeders. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but some of the breeders I have met are wonderful and sincerely want to better the breed, and some are … shall we say… unusual, quirky people who tend to be critical of their competitors. However, EVERYONE uniformly agrees NOT to buy from puppy mills or pet stores. Some “breeders” are really glorified puppy mills. </p>

<p>Growing up, our showdogs had a few litters. One pup that we kept was a beautiful, although slightly neurotic dog with “issues” ( For example, if I startled him in my room he’d pee on the bed. He was also, truly, afraid of his own shadow). However, he was great in the ring and was selected for the “standards” issue of Dog World one year. But he sure was high strung. Sweet, sweet dog. Just was a few bricks shy of a load.</p>

<p>So, as long as you don’t get your dog from a puppy mill or a petstore, you will have a wonderful companion from caring individuals, and you will love him/her to death.</p>

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<p>Your post was lovely. Thank you for speaking on behalf of rescue dogs.</p>