<p>I volunteered last weekend at the Houston Pet Expo and after seeing all those sweet dogs needing homes I would urge you to stick with rescue dogs! There are so many. We got our dog from CAP and they were wonderful. </p>
<p>As “mom” to an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix I’d say stay away from either of those. They are definitely smart awesome dogs, but very high maintenance (exercise/entertainment-wise). </p>
<p>Good luck whichever way you go!</p>
<p>Sorry you are in this. It is not the dog’s fault nor your fault.</p>
<p>I started a purebreed rescue about 12 years ago that is still going strong. Not all placements work out.</p>
<p>I will tell you that rescue is not an easy thing, however there are a ton of outfits that call themselves rescues that are not. I can’t say whether who you dealt with was legit or not, but sometimes we would <em>list</em> dogs for other <em>rescuers</em> and in that case we made it clear we had not met the dog.</p>
<p>If this dog has huge paws it could well still be a pup. A pup has all its adult teeth in at 5 months. They are mostly in at 4. And if it is a large breed dog, 9 months is still pretty young.</p>
<p>And as far as figuring out what mix dogs are - well it always anyone’s best guess. There is no way to know unless you actually have seen the sire and dam.</p>
<p>I am sorry about your cat, I hope he survived, but dogs have prey drive, some higher drive than others, and again there is no way to predict that. Some breeds are predisposed to higher prey drive and some are predisposed to little prey drive but there are always exceptions to the rule and you will never be able to tell until they are in a situation where a small animal flees and you see how the dog reacts.</p>
<p>Someone suggested getting the dog healthy and working on rehoming. I agree with this. She sounds like a great dog for the right people and should be in a home without other small animals (the cat incident has NO bearing on how she will be with children - but I would monitor her in some situations around children so you can make a good placement). In the meantime, keep the cats in a separate area for their safety.</p>
<p>I would also get her spayed before placement. The last thing you want to do is be responsible for more puppies. It is safe to spay large breed dogs quite early and before their first estrus is usually best for their long term health</p>
<p>Your most difficult task is going to be getting rid of the fleas since you have more than one animal and the eggs are now in the house. </p>
<p>And despite the fact that this pup is older than you thought, it is still a puppy and being in a crate all day guarantees hyper behavior when she finally gets out - so some of that must be expected. </p>
<p>Make her the best and healthiest dog you can so she can be placed in a good home. </p>
<p>Good Luck</p>
<p>Major congrats on the dissertation defense and the licensing!!!</p>
<p>I am so sorry to hear about the tribulations you are experiencing and what a double whammy after striving to be so sure of your parameters and to do your research.</p>
<p>I also am saddened for you and the dog experience you are missing. Many on CC know we lost our well-loved 10 year old big guy a few months ago. We now have a 3 month old puppy and I am falling more in love with him each day, it feels like I have the advantage of starting with him where I left off with the big guy, in terms of love & affections. I hope that you can find a dog to be that place in your heart & home.</p>
<p>A couple of general caveats- for this hyper dog, exercise, exercise, exercise!!! He needs to be tired out for you to see the better parts of his personality and also for your sanity until you do return him if that is your choice. We have had, for the past 30 years, a breed which is very high energy and needs lots of attention. They won’t go park in a kennel in the yard, they are in your lap and bed and face and need need need affection, love and tons of exercise. Even the week before our 10 year old dog died, we were walking him daily for 3-4-5-6 miles a day. When he was younger it was twice a day.</p>
<p>With our little guy, any time he is bugging the heck out of us, some one gets him outside to run off some energy. Chewing is also a big hobby, be that pig ears, nylabones, kong, twisties, whatever.</p>
<p>We have bird dogs which actually have overcome instinct and are fine with cats & ducks & chickens :eek: But that began as a baby dog. We will be introducing our pup to the family cat next month when she comes home for the summer (one of my DDs takes her to grad school with her) and that should be interesting, but I am confident pup will learn what we expect.</p>
<p>You can train so much good into them when you start young. I have never done a rescue, but my niece has a wonderful sweet rescue pup who cannot overcome the months on the street. The dog gorges on any and all edibles she finds, it has been over a year and is still an issue. I give huge credit to those who rescue, but it is not going to be easy.</p>
<p>Oh, and any high energy dog is likely to be high energy for the first couple of years. Having a high energy dog can be rewarding, if it fits your life. If there is not a fit, it can be miserable for all involved. A lot of people stop us and admire our beautiful dog and ask about raising them, I try to give them a serious reality check</p>
<p>^^^This is particularly true if you are thinking of having children in the next few years. A problem pregnancy, a preemie, etc, there are many things that could make having a high energy dog even more chaotic. I have a good friend who had a VERY high energy dog and when she was put on complete bed rest three months into her first pregnancy they really had no choice but to find a new home for the dog. It made a stressful time even more stressful and extremely sad for her. Better to rehome the dog now.</p>
<p>After having several puppies over the years, my next dog will be an adult. People often underestimate the amount of work that is involved with puppies as well as the amount of damage they can do. While energy levels can vary by breed, most puppies tend toward the high-energy end of the spectrum, particularly if they are crated all day. Think about the difference in energy levels of a 5 year old human vs. a 20 year old. Same thing applies to dogs. Bigger dogs don’t become ‘adults’ until they’re 2-3 years old. Smaller dogs settle down a little sooner but it takes at least a full year.</p>
<p>One of the challenges of adopting a rescue is that their personality can be quite different during the first few weeks while they adjust to their new environment. That said, it is perfectly acceptable to return a dog to the rescue organization if you feel s/he is not working out in your home, and reputable rescue organizations should be willing to take back their adoptees in such cases. If you should be interested in reputable rescue groups in Houston for smaller breeds, please feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Oh, and I second the recommendation to consider a truly adult dog. We have had wonderful experiences with adult rescues, plus they tend to get overlooked in favor of puppies.</p>
<p>Have you ever considered seeing s dog behaviorist? We had some issues with our dog when he was young, and a friend suggested seeing one and we did, followed his advice which was some behavior modification and a round of Paxil for 1 month and that did the trick. Never had a problem with him for the 12 remaining years of his life.
Our dog was extremely anxious and hyper especially whenever we left the house and he was quite rambunctious but those few interventions really helped.<br>
Since it has only been a week, things might get better, may be some time is in order.</p>
<p>Milkandsugar, aibarr only had this dog for several days, and with all the other issues going in her family, I highly doubt she has the energy to go through with what you suggested. For many reasons mentioned in the OP, the dog has to go. Sorry, the cat is a member of aibarr’s household and should have a say in who joins the family and who doesn’t. I had a cat that was brought to a shelter because the new family dog was terrorizing her. As we found out, the cat was OK with OTHER dogs.</p>
<p>I love adopted racing greyhounds. But if you have cats, proceed with caution. On an individual basis, they may have very strong prey drives. My neighbor has two former racers. One is gentle and laid back; the other wants to chase and attack all smaller animals, particularly those that look like the mechanical “bunny” he chased. My neighbor is very careful about steering clear of all smaller dogs when she walks her greyhounds.</p>
<p>I understand that the reputable greyhound adoption groups do their best to evaluate the prey drive of their potential adoptees.</p>
<p>Get a new dog.</p>
<p>Newfies. Nice dogs. Protective. Very Large. Definitely an outdoor dog, needs plenty of land to watch over. Friendly, if they don’t see you as a threat.</p>
<p>We had a neighbor’s Newfy blend (mostly Newfy) that watch our farm from his home higher up the hill. When we got to our farm in the mornings, he would race down the hill, greet us until we acknowledge him, and then he would park himself so that he could watch his home from our place. That dog never, ever bothered the UPickers, children in tow, and often kept them company. Never slept when he was on duty. He was just like Shep in the WB cartoon with Willey the Coyote.</p>
<p>@Bunsenburner,</p>
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<p>I was responding to OP. I understand her situation. She also stated she would hate to reneg on the adoption. Just another point of view that has not been mentioned.</p>
<p>I would find a reputable breeder. I realize I am about to get flamed because of all the poor dogs who need rescuing, and I get that point. I wish I could adopt them ALL! My sister has 2 rescue Greyhounds. They are wonderful, but they are unique dogs and not like other breeds.<br>
Our family has gotten most of our cats and our giant Golden from breeders. (WildChild actually researched, found a breeder and got the Golden while he was a problem child in high school without our permission. We kept the darling puppy and sent the kid away…)
We find very good breeders and get a complete sense of what the personality is likely to be, the health history, size of the parents etc. It has worked best for our family. The rescue cat we got and loved had serious health problems and we lost him in a year. I am a fan of breeders.</p>
<p>I’m not going to flame you, MomofWildChild. I think in aibarr’s situation, getting a gentle, friendly dog from a breeder is really the best way to go. I have to admit that opinion in our household is split, with the dog-person arguing that the rescue dog is really still a puppy and will settle down and is probably loving and generally well-behaved. As mentioned by practically everyone, it is really commendable to adopt a rescue dog. However, it still seems to me that a rescue dog should be dog #2, some years down the road, in aibarr’s family. She needs a chance to get over the issues with trusting dogs, and could probably use some additional experience in raising a dog. It’s possible that a different rescue dog would work out, of course. But I’m with you, MoWC.</p>
<p>Return the dog. I did once when we lived in DC. Felt miserable about it though.</p>
<p>I second the recommendation to get a retired racing greyhound; the 35 mile an hour couch potato. We have had three. Some people are afraid that they are a high demand dog because of their racing background, but they are sprinters not long distance runners. And, by the time you’ll get them they are out of shape sprinters. As one person on the Wisconsin Greyhound Pets of America website described them: they run for 30 seconds once every three days. Our dog mostly sleeps except when he wants us to pet him. Useless as a guard dog or watch dog. They do watch but not with an intent other then to watch; they are after all gazehounds. They hardly bark. They can be shy around strangers, but generally they love everyone. Some are safe with cats; some are not and the rescue group will be aware of that since most greyhounds are fostered before they are adopted. The dogs will be altered before you get them. Most will be leashed trained with good manners. Our current greyhound is not very social with other dogs. He finds them annoying especially puppies. Greyhounds are prone to cancer. We lost our first two that way. </p>
<p>[GPA</a> Wisconsin - What are greyhounds “really like” as pets?](<a href=“http://www.gpawisconsin.org/about_greyhounds/index.php]GPA”>http://www.gpawisconsin.org/about_greyhounds/index.php)
[GPA</a> Wisconsin - Available Greyhounds racing greyhounds.](<a href=“http://www.gpawisconsin.org/process/available.php]GPA”>http://www.gpawisconsin.org/process/available.php)</p>
<p>If you want a calm dog, don’t adopt a puppy. It’s not a good idea to have a puppy if you are gone most of the day anyway --puppies just need too much attention. </p>
<p>My dogs come from my local pound, and I am very happy with the results. I could spend time at the pound looking at different dogs, and there was very good, detailed information about the dog’s behavior based on the staff observation – plus of course the dogs were checked out by the vet on staff. Not all dog pounds are equal quality however-- I just happen to live near a shelter that I think is very high quality. I can’t imagine a situation such as the one you described – although my experience has been that every dog I’ve adopted is more subdued at first and then perks up after a week or so. I think the pound dogs are coming from a very high stress situation (kennels) into a strange home, and they are just scared at first. Also, all 3 of my dogs had been strays, so they had gone through some hard times.</p>
<p>But even with the perking up, the personality was pretty close to what I had seen at the pound. At my local shelter, they allow prospective adopters to walk through the kennels to select the dogs they want to look at – that gave me the ability to observe each dog’s behavior in the context of the others.</p>
<p>The reason I don’t think that you should adopt a puppy, even from a breeder, is that it doesn’t sound like you have the time to properly train and socialize the puppy. The older dog is more of known quantity – assuming you have a proper opportunity to observe it. (It really doesn’t sound like you went through the type of screening & prep that better quality rescue outfits would have required. )</p>
<p>Given your desires, I really think you should look into a dog that is already 3-4 years old.</p>
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<p>I must have been a greyhound in my former life…</p>
<p>Agree with other posters that this dog is not the right one for you and you are not the right family for this dog. And it’s definitely not fair (or safe) for your cats…</p>
<p>What kind of shelter would adopt a dog that is not spayed or neutered? It sounds like this is a sham operation. Our younger cat was adopted when she was too small to be spayed, and the only reason the shelter owner agreed to that was because we were long-term cat owners with proven track record of responsible cat ownership and volunteering at a cat shelter. The shelter was flooded with cats rescued from a hoarder’s house, and it was in the best interests of all parties. The shelter owner called us once a week to remind us that the cat had to be spayed until the poor kitty reached the minimum weight and size for the surgery (and that did not go without complications).</p>
<p>I think the last thing aibarr needs is to be guilt-tripped into keeping the dog who is poorly fit for her family. In some situations where there are other pets involved, a young puppy may be more appropriate than an older dog. In our case, our adopted adult cat who was deathly afraid of bigger dogs quickly accepted our new GSD puppy (who had never seen a cat). And yes, puppies are a lot of work, but some puppies are more work than others. GSDs and poodles are examples of very smart and highly trainable breeds.</p>
<p>I agree that its easier to integrate a puppy with cats than an adult dog. The problem is that I don’t know how capable aibarr’s husband is of training the dog. She put “train” in quotes toward the end (“he’s pursuing every avenue to try to ‘train’ the dog out of being hyper”) – and I don’t know if she meant to say that she was uncertain of her husband’s dog-training ability, or just that she doubted that training would address the high activity level. The last thing you want in the house is a poorly trained, growing GSD. The problem with large breed dogs is that, as they grow, they get progressively more hard to handle and potentially destructive with chewing, etc.a </p>
<p>The cats are going to be unhappy about a canine in the house no matter what – but if an older dog is adopted with some info about the dog’s history with cats, it might be ok.</p>
<p>I would note that a dog can be trained to reduce activity levels, IF the dog also has plenty of exercise. Unless aibarr has a very large back yard, it sounds like a mistake for them to have a larger breed – it sounds like they are having play sessions in the back yard and a couple of short walks during the day. </p>
<p>One option (not cheap) is doggie day care, available in some cities. Basically the dog gets to go play with other dogs all day, and comes home exhausted. </p>
<p>Also, if a lot of time is spent with dog training - of any kind - the mental stimulation will also leave the dog ready for a nap and the benefit over time will be that the dog will learn appropriate behaviors for different contexts. </p>
<p>I’m not saying they should do this – I see where you and others are coming from in terms of returning the dog – but I’m not sure what aibarr’s husband is going to want. If he wants to keep the dog – and she doesn’t – that is an issue they are going to have to work out between them, not hash out on CC.</p>