How you picked out your dog

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Secret Someone
Posts: 101
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 3:50 am

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Secret Someone »

My first dog (when I was living with my parents... I guess she's their dog now but she still feels like mine) was one that my half brother knew of. She lived on a farm and had a doggy friend she used to go around with. The doggy friend got killed on the road and Lucy (springer spaniel crossed with some sort of terrier) kept going back to find him/her. The owners found she was very upset and they didn't have time to deal with her (she was only a year when we got her, so she must've been a puppy when it happened). He brought her to our house and we fell in love with her. Throughout the next 6 years she was my best friend. Alas, I grew up and moved out. I still miss her every day, and each time I see her is amazing. Leaving her makes my heart ache, though.

As for Pan (2 and a half year old border collie boy)... Sophie and I knew we wanted a border collie. We knew we wanted a rescue, so we looked at the border collie rescue in the UK and kept an eye on it for many months while we waited to move somewhere that would allow us to have a dog. They described Pan as extremely shy with people and dogs, and said he had been a stray before being found. By the time we were ready to get a dog, he was still there. They rehome border collies every day here, so he had been there a very long time in comparison to the others. We immediately asked about him because we're both used to having shy dogs, and decided we had the time and resources to be looking after a dog who might need a lot of work. First, we were shown a photograph. He was a little freak! Patchy blue merle and black (blue merle face, black and white back with little spots of blue here and there) with two different coloured eyes, and we fell in love. When we met him we knew he was coming home with us. :)
wvvdiup1
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by wvvdiup1 »

A lot of the dogs I've had in my past either came from other shelters or ended up coming to me in which I have tried to find their owners. After awhile and I haven't heard anything, I keep the dog. However, I got Karma off of a friend who was moving to another place that didn't have lots of room for Karma to run, and to top that off, they had two children under the age of two years of age in which they were scared something would happen to them. I don't have a favorite breed of dog, because I love all dogs. Each have their own special "magic" I find good and hilarious at the same time. Just warms my heart. :lol:
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"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
PinkDice
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:01 am
Location: Northern Nevada, US

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by PinkDice »

I had wanted a cat or dog my entire childhood but was never allowed because my sister and I are severely allergic to both. We had lizards and tarantulas -- that my mom was totally pleased with, I'm sure -- and a poor little hamster that had some bad luck but never anything we could really interact with. My OH had a really awesome Catahoula Leopard Hound rescue most of his life and well into adult hood. I never met this dog as she passed before we met, but he really missed her and wanted another dog in his life.

We made the decision to become dog owners long before we actually were. Because we're huge nerds we read and read and read all about different kinds of dogs and what might be suitable for us. We decided we wanted a relatively active dog so we would be pressured to be more active ourselves. Because I'm allergic I wanted a poodle or hairless dog, but the OH said he'd feel awkward owning either. I gave up on the hypoallergenic dog idea when I read they aren't really hypoallergenic after all and we started negotiations again. We wanted a really large dog, but gave up on that idea when we thought about the small fortune they may cost to feed and decided on a medium dog. We read about positive reinforcement training here, and decided we wanted an older and calm dog from the rescue. A relatively well adjusted dog because we felt we weren't experienced enough to handle one with issues. :lol: We also considered getting a puppy from a breeder, but couldn't handle bringing a dog into our home that would have found a home regardless over a dog that desperately needed one.

So we hit petfinder.com looking for rescues at our local humane society. Somehow we put in the wrong info and ended up with results from a shelter a few hours away. The very first ad were three six month old sisters with a heartbreaking story and we immediately had to have one. The rescue was no kill, but seriously overcrowded and underfunded. They didn't do any kind of home check, and tried to talk us into taking the two remaining sisters. We almost did, but knew we couldn't handle both and ended up flipping a coin. It was heartbreaking to leave the other one there, but a really good decision.

So my point was that despite all the careful research we did exactly what we set out not to do and jumped headfirst into a situation we weren't quite prepared for. Our poor little lady has quite a few issues, but we're slowly working them out together. She really is the love of our lives! I know it has to be love because I voluntarily get jabbed in arm pretty regularly for the allergy shots I need to cohabitate with our fluffy pet dander and hair machine. :P
Raichyrae
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:12 am
Location: Garstang, lancashire. UK

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Raichyrae »

I suffered a period of massive depression aged around 21 after graduating from Uni, I was so ill I was hospitalised for around 6 months and really needed something to get me back to the land of the living. I decided on a dog, so I'd HAVE to go out into the world everyday, though we 'd always had cats growing up so off I went to the local rescue centre with a mental image of something pocket sized and fluffy. I spotted Trixie (greyhound) with her tail between her legs, head down, sagging boobies and a bare crusty red belly and legs. She was a sorry girl, lying on bare concrete and shivering. I left with her (obviously) and despite my total novice status she came on in leaps and bounds, was the most easy going dog imaginable, despite her obvious difficult beginnings. She was a couch potato par excellence, an award winning actress and superlative cake thief... and chocolate* thief...and meat thief...you get the picture.(Great escapologist too, which is why she was in rescue to start with) She eventually went to the bridge at around 15, arthritic, heart murmured and just generally knackered and she left such a huge gaping sighthound shaped hole in m,y life I never ever thought about another dog....till last xmas when I saw greyhound rescue posters in the local chippy. I enquired but they were really pressured to get dogs rehomed quickly and feeling too rushed and a bit unsure, I took myself off the list (for now at least) then in May, a friend at the school gates told me her beautiful whippet Pippi was pregnant and I visited the pups as soon as I could, picked out a little blue girl (who sadly had a bad hip issue from crowding in the womb and who was to stay at home with mum and auntie and grandma) Gelert picked me really, he was laid back, fat roly poly and this amazing polar bear colour (now darkened to a warm blonde fawn). I didn't really want a dog, would have preferred a b***ch but I am so glad I have this amazing, stunning, affectionate, mischevious, sharp and comical boy. he teaches me something every day. I really do think dogs come into our lives for a reason....next dog is deffo a rescue grey. :)
* this was in the days before we knew how bad it was for them, her best/worst was eating 12 chocolate Santas from the Xmas tree while leaving the tin foil wrappers still hanging, hanging but hollow!
thepennywhistle
Posts: 669
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:20 pm

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by thepennywhistle »

Raichyrae wrote:her best/worst was eating 12 chocolate Santas from the Xmas tree while leaving the tin foil wrappers still hanging, hanging but hollow!
I am deeply impressed. She was truly an artist with a most delicate touch. :lol:
Fundog
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Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Fundog »

And I thought Annie was talented, being able to unwrap candy canes, or even line them up on the sofa unbroken --- she had swiped them off the tree, mind you. :P But I must admit, if Annie unwraps candy, she will not be able to leave the wrappers still hanging, intact, on the tree. :shock:
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
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Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Nettle »

Did I ever tell you about the nest of baby rats, still pink and blind, that I found on the sofa one day? Carefully carried in by my puppy and lined up unharmed.

I called his mother in and told her to deal with it. She looked at them, sniffed them, looked at me and said "Nah - they're only babies" and walked out again.

*sigh* :roll: some days you have to do everything yourself.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Raichyrae
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:12 am
Location: Garstang, lancashire. UK

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Raichyrae »

Ohh love the baby rat thing :)
Obviously Trixie wasn't witnessed when she ate the Santas but I have a mental image of her delicately nibbling the bottoms till the chocolate dropped out. She could be very gentle, another time she 'yoinked' an entire home made chocolate cake from the work top in the kitchen, leaving the plate unbroken but a nice trail of crumbs leading to my bed....that girl knew how to enjoy chocolate cake :)
Flyby
Posts: 536
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:04 pm
Location: Scotland
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Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Flyby »

Hmmm. Doesn't take Miss Marple to figure out who's been on the table. :lol:

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JKMika
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:07 pm

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by JKMika »

My parent's friend found 3 abandoned puppies. My mum decided to keep the girl because she was so full of life and because my mum worried what could happen to a girl in a shelter. Also, she was adorable. Her 2 brothers went to our friends.

Our girl was supposed to stay at my grandparent's farm. However, they wanted to keep her on a chain in the yard. This seemed cruel. We brought her to our house while we discussed solutions.
My dad insisted she was never to step into our 'living area.' But I asked him nicely to allow her into the kitchen for lunch so she could eat like a respectful dog. My dad could never deny such a request to any living creature.
She was never to jump on the sofa, though. Well... until she did. On her first day! It seemed inhumane to deny her the pleasure.
My dad explained her there must be boundaries. She's a dog and we're human. Therefore she was, for example, never to eat a nice juicy stake. Ah, well... maybe just a little bit to show her what she was missing. And a bit more because it's nice to see her appreciate good food!
Above all, she could not be trusted to sleep anywhere near us. She was condemned to our basement. It is a dark, smelly place where she could do no harm. But how could we sleep knowing she might be afraid? Needless to say, she ended up sleeping on the sofa and, a year or so later, in my parent's bed!

It's funny how she has turned my dad around from not wanting a dog at all to being proud she likes his half of the bed better! He now cooks especially for her every day and is proud she eats 'real food.' Somehow this is supposed to make her more of a dog. She has accompanied my parents on trips around Europe and is living the good life. She won't obey just anybody. Ask her to shake hands and she'll ignore you - unless my dad asks her nicely to grant you the pleasure.

She never takes food without asking - ok, except one time from my brother but he was being a jerk by not giving her a single bite of his pizza to let her know he was the boss. We all know the final bite belongs to her! What was he thinking?! Leftovers were left at her reach but there was only one piece missing from my brother's plate in the morning. It rightfully belonged to her. We laughed. Some might worry about obedience training. However, she's never repeated anything like it since. My brother just needed to learn the lesson.

She likes to chase animals, enjoys muddy puddles more than any dog I've ever seen, digs out rodents in our garden, is upset if not allowed to swim, outruns most other dogs (nicknamed 'formula 1' by local joggers), barks as a good watchdog, thinks you should fetch your own ball. However, the minute she walks indoors she heads for the bathroom for her thorough soapy wash (some will say it's not healthy but her fur is very soft and healthy and she smells of flowers). She turns into the cleanest dog you can imagine and makes herself comfortable on our sofa. She controls her bites like a golden retriever and never chews on anything but her toys. She's patient with toddlers but determined to teach them boundaries - no riding the dog, no jumping all over the dog. She won't actively seek to play with them.

Breed? No idea. She is medium sized. Very strong. A bit of a hunter.

Since I no longer live with my parents, I'm now thinking about a family dog of our own. I like pastoral breeds... Whatever dog it will be, I'm guessing it is wise to meet him/her in person and see if we like each other.
Annabellam
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:26 am

Re: How you picked out your dog

Post by Annabellam »

My dogs have almost all been from a rescue. I chose this last one because even though i had to pick it from a litter it had the most beautiful eyes that kept calling. It also ran up to me and my husband. We thought it was really cute and needed a loving home. We also changed its name to give it a fresh start and it has been an awesome journey so far. Love him to bits. Still dealing with some training issues but am positive that all will be well.
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