Waffling over a dog - give me a shove!

I'm after a companion dog. A "come on, get in the truck... let's go!" dog.

I was going to get a Keeshond/Sheperd Mix, but price and the nearly adopting a child application now have me thinking of rescuing a somewhat older dog from SPCA or the Humane Society. Older dog because they have already led a tougher life, and everybody loves puppies. I figure on just cruise through and see if I connect with one. That's how my sister got her Joey.

The last really awesome dog I had was a mostly Sheperd mix named Axel. He was a bitchin' dog!

So I lean towards a Sheperd, but will listen to recommendations!

It will be next week before I act. I have something going tomorrow.

Let 'em fly!

When I decided to get my 5 year old son a dog I gave it a lot of thought. I ended up buying him a mutt at an animal shelter. She (Sandy) was a puppy when I got her but she is the best dog for children I have ever seen. I figured that I would save at least one dog from being put down instead of spending lots more $ on a dog that would be sold anyway. I paid $75 for her which included spaying/nuturing (did I spell that right) and shots for the first 2 years. I dont know if I saved her life but I like to think I did. Sometimes a mutt makes a very good pet.

Look for the one that chooses you! We just did that and got a collie from collie rescue. He came to us after a life (2 to 4 years) of abuse before landing at collie rescue. He was stick thin, sickly and hurtin'. Still, his eyes picked us and (I am such a sucker!) our eyes picked him. His name is Sam. He is very healthy now and would rather go for a ride than breathe. He is protective of my wife... to the extreme. He loves to give and get lovin'. He is no hunting dog but is a warm and loving companion (a very collie trait).

Good luck in your search............ Bill

J,
My first dog was abandoned as a puppy in January 86. I took her in and had Nipper as a nearly constant companion for many years. She was a 20lb kinda sorta Rat Terrier. Perhaps the best dog I will ever have. April will be one year since I put her down. I can't even tell you how much I miss that dog.

Got a 7 year old Jack Russel Terrier, a black and white from a web site for homeless animals. Myla has been a treat. JRT's are very much the "get in the truck' kind of dogs. They live to love, hunt, and play. She has a seizure problem, so about once a week she goes into what I call 'auto vibrate mode' and after a half hour it passes. Then she behaves like someone with a bad headache. The next morning it's back to normal. You can't be depressed with a JRT in the house.

My bet is go for small, 7 to 30 lbs full grown, shelter dogs ok. They just love us unconditionally.

Good luck
Jack Crow in Iraq

Jack,

We had both a collie mix and a black lab, when I was a kid, that both developed seizures (they would stand still, then lay down for 10-20 minutes shaking, and then get up and play as if nothing had happened) as they got older. I don't know if it was a nutritional problem (we fed them standard dry dog food of the day). But, my Mom had heard that you can use Epson Salts to reduce/eliminate the problem. And a web search did show some information relating lack of Magnesium salts and seizures Edit: That was in people, and children, by the way--Bill.

We gave it to both of them, and it did really seem to reduce the number of occurrences... However, there is a warning, too much (more than something like a 1/2 teaspoon or so a day for an 80 lb dog as I recall), and you have a seizure free dog, but a {loose fecal matter} mess.

Epson Salts is recommended as Dog First Aid to induce vomiting and clean wounds. So it should not be a problem to use (in correct dosages).

On thing to check is to see that the tongue and gums are a nice bright red/pink color (good) during the seizure. If they are pale/blue, then this is another, serious, problem.

Good Luck!
-Bill

BB,
Thanks for the tip.
In this case the JRT masses about 7 lbs. She is a tiney dog. on the other hand if she get's agressvie with other dogs, I pick her up and stick her in my armpit. Argument solved.

Im going to take your post, cut/paste into an e mail home to the wife.

That's the news of the moment.

Keep it safe
Jack Crow

I am an animal lover and currently share my home with a huge,but friendly,Great Dane named Zeus.
Normally I would recommend this breed as they are gentle by nature and very loyal.The size,however,is not for everyone and a short life span makes loving one very hard as they age quickly.
The smaller dogs are usually preferred for kids and they live longer,healthier lives.I personally like the big breeds but know many with smaller breeds that are just as happy.
I think most people here are correct in the advice to get a dog from a shelter or rescue.It is better the younger they are as they will grow into your habits and not have a pre determined behavior.The biggest I would recommend is the ever faithful Lab as these are great breeds.Jack Russels are incredibly smart and fairly tough little dogs.Maybe consider a Beagle as they are just so cute and also a tough breed.
You just never know with a dog...some of the best ones I have seen were a mixed breed from the Humane Society.
I have a friend who spent a lot of money on an Akita from a very well known breeder.This dog was given the best food,shelter,and vet care money could buy.It died within 3 years from various problems.
On the other side of this I also know a person who found a stray mutt that looked like a cross between a Basset hound and shepard.Longer body with a huge head and ears(very ugly dog)..hehe
This dog was amazing and never got sick and was very smart and loyal.It lived forever and died of just old age after about 14 years of living outside with almost no vet visits.
Good luck on your search with this but I am sure that you will make a great pet owner whatever you choose.

R,
After I get home Im thinking of taking a ride around the country with my JRT. I need to see what I have been missing.

If I stop by your city, would it be considered a bribe if I bought you a cup of coffie?

On the subject of Great Danes, a lady I know in New Hampshire had one with the Zeus name. Great big dog, not too bright. They are great leaners. He also had another name, that was Zero. I ended up with little dogs by default. Like I said about Nippers finding.

Now it's a matter of lease issues. My apartment won't accecpt large breeds and Im not supposed to have more than one. Two is 100% more than my lease allows. Then again the wife and I will be living there eight years and they can cut a good customer a little slack.

So Rocky and Myla will be part of our life for a while. Im told dogs that are prone to seizure disorder tend to have shorter life spans. Lots of things in life we can't control, this is just one more.

FYI, here are some links to my other letters home, and some photos you might find interesting.

http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/index.html


http://members.aol.com/HerndonLodge264/chisena.html

The people I shoot with are here at

www.irighti.org

Keep it safe. Be glad that the drug idiots are not up to IED and shelling.

Keep it warm
Jack Crow in Iraq

When you mentioned "get in the truck", I had to tell you about my sister's dog. His favorite thing, after eating, is riding in the back of a pickup truck. Anyone's pickup truck. If you leave the tailgate down, he'll jump in and wait there for hours to get a ride.

You wouldn't want this one for a pet though. He's different from other dogs, even different from other Golden Retrievers. He doesn't want to be a pet, although he likes being petted. He wants to be out working (hunting) with someone all day long. If he was kept in a house, he'd go nuts and have to be put down. He's fortunate to have a farm where he can be outside all day.

He reminds me of an arctic wolf. He loves cold weather, the colder the better. He doesn't notice the rain, and really enjoys snow. He starts panting above 60 degrees. In the summer we pour buckets of water on him.

PlayboyJoeShmoe, Go for a shelter dog. You'll feel pretty good knowing you saved a dog and gave it a good, loving home. I adopted a cat from my local animal shelter 8 years ago, and it has been one of the most rewarding things I've done. She's a true friend, and really a part of the family.

Dogs...

There's some serious allergies in my immediate family, so we've never had one.

My grandma's dog (I have no idea what breed. Little black dog with a huge underbite) is a spoiled rotton dog that acts more like a cat sometimes, His name is Oliver (Ollie) and there's a reason his nick name is Prince Ali.

About 2 weeks ago got home from work (Just after 10 PM) and found a dog sleeping in the flower-beds in my yard. Big dog so I was just going to let him sleep while I snuck quietly into the house. When I got closer he was all bloody-dead. Guess he'd been hit by a car and finally dropped just in front of my house. Sad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif Pretty dog, but no collar or chip (Animal control came equipped with a scanner). Way too beautiful to be a stray though. Lesson? Get your dog chipped!

I cruised a Petsmart yesterday. Lotsa young dogs, many escape artists.

One 2 year old? Terrier mix (looked like a black compact - I don't know! semi Golden I guess). Seemed to like me a lot. Sure acted WAY younger than 2 years!

Plan to cruise the big Houston Humane Society shelter tomorrow. Also have an eye on cruising the Pasadena Animal Rescue shelter where sisters 'Joey' came from.

I sure lean towards a Sheperd looking animal with a secondary love for Chocolate Labs.

I bought a nice big flavored Rawhide bone for the Female Pit next door. They said they are taking her to the new place soon... that was 4 days ago. ALL that dog cares about is attention!

It pisses me off.

We have a local dog track here and a friend of mine just adopted a GreyHound.They have this program where you can get a dog after the track retires them.They usually have short careers and are still around 2 years old at adoption.
Never considered this breed but after being around this dog they are very mild mannered.
The thing is built like a dang cougar or jaguar with incredible muscle tone.These are usually a safe adoption as they are given the best of care and monitored by various animal organizations for good treatment.
The dog was a little shy at first but now has a drive that is unreal.Very alert and agile with a great want for companionship.
Just a thought if you like this kind of breed.The animal is about 60 lbs and a little shorter than a Lab or shepard.
Kind of looks like a very muscular Doberman or something.
Its legs are bowed out with muscle and it is very strong.The best thing about these race bred dogs is that they are usually already leash trained and get along with other dogs.They are often trained from birth to race and interact with people and other dogs.
I think the total cost to adopt was like 45 dollars.I think this was just the fee for a check up before it could be released.The owner said they slow down after a few years and no longer make money in races.If not adopted they are usually put down as the kennel can no longer afford to keep them if they are not winning....shame

Got in on this thread late. I am a big proponent of animal adoption and certainly encourage all who are interested in having a dog or cat to adopt.

Re: Robocops post... There has been much success in my area with adoption of retired racing Greyhounds. People that adopted these dogs that I have talked to have many great things to say about the dogs and the people dedicated to saving these dogs. The group I work with does not handle these type of dogs. The only consideration or possible issue with Greyhounds and other sight hounds is that they are natural hunters. Anything smaller can be considered prey. Small children, other dogs, cats, rabbits, etc are all potential prey for this type of dog. From what I have read, these dogs can't help themselves, sighting prey and running it down is what they have been bred to do for hundreds of years.

I wish you the best of luck in finding your new best friend.

All,
Robo is right, I have met a large number of retired Grayhounds and they are all as sweet as they can be.

One owner refers to his as a '40 MPH couch potato'. They tend to sit and sleep most of the day, then have a moment of manic activity. Like most dogs they live to love.

The ones I see with their owners back home in the neighborhood don't lunge after kids or rodents.

Do a web search for various "rescue" crews. My brother has five pugs at home. Three of his own, and two rescues. Rescue crews like to be sure about who is getting the dogs so expect an extensive interview.

Hope all is well
Jack Crow in Iraq

My search at two different shelters so far have turned up bubcuss. I think the dog will have to get WAY away from the shelter to get ANY idea how it will act.

Most likely candidate at Houston Humane Society is a 3 year old F Rottie. Seems sweet, named Daisy!

Still desire a Sheperd or Sheperd mix.

Playboy Joe Shmoe,

I think it's great that you are going to adopt a dog from a shelter. Take your time so that both of you "choose" each other. Our local shelter lets you bring them back (in a couple of weeks I think) if it's just not working for one or both of you. But all the dogs go through obedience training while in the shelter by volunteers.


Mike

I have found that dogs are like children...if you raise them to be mean they will be mean.Rottweillers have a bad rap and can be great dogs.My ex had a female that was raised from a puppy.It was the most easy going dog I have seen.Not aggressive at all.
I would caution you on an older dog.If the Rottweiller you are looking at was raised well it should be fine.If it was not just know that old habits are hard to break in older dogs.
We had an American bred version and these are generally more mild mannered.The German versions are a little more aggressive and larger.
Take some time alone with the animal you are looking at.If the dog likes you you will know in a short time alone.
I realize most of the shelter dogs are usually adults but I would prefer a puppy.Most of the joy comes from raising an animal to adulthood.I have a lot of great memories from raising my dog and wish you luck on whatever breed you choose

Oh Mama!

If this link works:

http://www.petfinder.org/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=1568226&adTarget=468petsgeneral&SessionID=404fc408182709f6-app4&display=&preview=1&row=0&tmpl=

I tested, cut and paste it!

I think if the meeting goes okay, this will be my new companion! What a beautiful face! And no Sheperd hips to dislocate or whatever!

OK, I have a lot to say about this!

Joe, I hope you do decide to "MAKE THE LIFETIME COMMITTMENT" to become a dog owner! There are a lot of dogs that are just waiting for an owner.

Please realise, that it is truely a lifetime committment, the life of a dog. 6 or 8 months, after the newness wears off, you still have to walk the dog several times a day, and make sure the dog has a full life.

I have a 3 year old Jack Russell Terrier, and I walk her "off the leash" for at least an hour, at least 5 days a week with a friend that has 4 other dogs, so she gets to socialize and run her heart out.

Read all about Jack Russell Terriers here!

Official JRT Rescue Association (get your JRT here!)

Read about typical JRT personality

And most importantly, see if you meet the JRT profile owner:
Is a Jack Russell Terrier the right dog for you? Take the test!