Puppies in the office!

lkristenj

The municipal shelter in my city takes in about 100 animals every day and more during the peak summer months. Over half of these are puppies. The last statistic I saw was 68%. The survival rate is less than half. The shelter has constant turnover because it only has a capacity to hold 600 dogs. This is a sad reality in many places. Some places do not have as big of a problem, but in the south, we definitely do. Too few take proper care of their animals. Too few spay and neuter. Too many roam the streets, abandoned, only to have more litters without homes. Rescues and shelters are overburdened, underfunded, and understaffed. Those in rescue do all they can, but it can never be enough until people stop breeding irresponsibly and spay/neuter their pets. There is no possible way to keep up.

Edited to add: This is only 1 of the 5 high-kill shelters in my city. There are many more outside the city limits in other nearby communities as well.

SBmini

OMG Sharpei/lab. This is what I have and she is the coolest dog ever! I absolutely love her to death. You need to post pictures of that puppy! And bring her home!

Here's my Nazook with me at work

theartistformerlyknownas

SBmini said:

OMG Sharpei/lab. This is what I have and she is the coolest dog ever! I absolutely love her to death. You need to post pictures of that puppy! And bring her home!

Here's my Nazook with me at work

That's exactly what this puppy looks like, except chocolate! Like a lab but with a smooshy fat face.

jenna8984

KatWAG said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

Dam you all, I was having a discussion with Maggie earlier about puppies! My brother is breeding his golden retriever with a yellow lab and told me if I wanted I can have pick of the litter as a wedding gift. FI and I have never had dogs, so we said we'd think about it and we are still waivering over the responsibilities but y'all make it sound like a no brainer!! lol

This makes me want to cry.

lol why? Because we even have to think about it?

No, because your brother is breeding mix breed dogs. There are too many of them in shelters already. In my 5 years of volunteering, I've seen too many puppies die at animal shelters. It just makes me so sad to think of people breeding without a cause or a plan.

Having a dog is a responsibility for a lifetime, so I think it's good that you are considering it so carefully. So many don't and then the dogs end up without homes, just like with the Giant Schnauzer puppy (suspected). It's definitely worth it to think about the responsibilities before bringing another life into your home.

Agreed. It makes me sad (and irrationally angry) when people buy dogs or cats from breeders or puppy mills when there are thousands of animals dying in shelters.

And the excuse that "we want a pure breed" or "we need a dog that does shed" makes me stabby. There are plenty of pure breeds and hypoallergenic animal available in shelters.

Yea. He is not the breeder, he just agreed to let the friends use his dog, not that that makes it much better. But I can understand that people want a cuddly puppy. As someone who has never owned a dog, part of the appeal to me is having that adorable puppy face and bonding time so they grow up knowing us as their parents/owners. Sorry if that makes me a terrible person, but I don't want to go pick out a 4 year old at the shelter who is not going to give us that experience.

I agree that people are super A-holes if they chose to abandon a dog. I have seen many times on facebook or Craiglist people trying to "get rid" of their dogs because of something stupid like they are moving into a new apartment that doesn't accept pets, or moving states. I want to stab them because you make arrangements around your dog and your life, not with the intention that you can just get rid of them! Which is why I haven't committed to getting one yet. I have had my cat for 9 years and I'd never, ever give her up.

SBmini

lolo883 said:

SBmini said:

OMG Sharpei/lab. This is what I have and she is the coolest dog ever! I absolutely love her to death. You need to post pictures of that puppy! And bring her home!

Here's my Nazook with me at work

That's exactly what this puppy looks like, except chocolate! Like a lab but with a smooshy fat face.

OMG I need it!!!

KatWAG

jenna8984 said:

KatWAG said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

Dam you all, I was having a discussion with Maggie earlier about puppies! My brother is breeding his golden retriever with a yellow lab and told me if I wanted I can have pick of the litter as a wedding gift. FI and I have never had dogs, so we said we'd think about it and we are still waivering over the responsibilities but y'all make it sound like a no brainer!! lol

This makes me want to cry.

lol why? Because we even have to think about it?

No, because your brother is breeding mix breed dogs. There are too many of them in shelters already. In my 5 years of volunteering, I've seen too many puppies die at animal shelters. It just makes me so sad to think of people breeding without a cause or a plan.

Having a dog is a responsibility for a lifetime, so I think it's good that you are considering it so carefully. So many don't and then the dogs end up without homes, just like with the Giant Schnauzer puppy (suspected). It's definitely worth it to think about the responsibilities before bringing another life into your home.

Agreed. It makes me sad (and irrationally angry) when people buy dogs or cats from breeders or puppy mills when there are thousands of animals dying in shelters.

And the excuse that "we want a pure breed" or "we need a dog that does shed" makes me stabby. There are plenty of pure breeds and hypoallergenic animal available in shelters.

Yea. He is not the breeder, he just agreed to let the friends use his dog, not that that makes it much better. But I can understand that people want a cuddly puppy. As someone who has never owned a dog, part of the appeal to me is having that adorable puppy face and bonding time so they grow up knowing us as their parents/owners. Sorry if that makes me a terrible person, but I don't want to go pick out a 4 year old at the shelter who is not going to give us that experience.

I agree that people are super A-holes if they chose to abandon a dog. I have seen many times on facebook or Craiglist people trying to "get rid" of their dogs because of something stupid like they are moving into a new apartment that doesn't accept pets, or moving states. I want to stab them because you make arrangements around your dog and your life, not with the intention that you can just get rid of them! Which is why I haven't committed to getting one yet. I have had my cat for 9 years and I'd never, ever give her up.

You know that every shelter has puppies, right?

theartistformerlyknownas

KatWAG said:

jenna8984 said:

KatWAG said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

Dam you all, I was having a discussion with Maggie earlier about puppies! My brother is breeding his golden retriever with a yellow lab and told me if I wanted I can have pick of the litter as a wedding gift. FI and I have never had dogs, so we said we'd think about it and we are still waivering over the responsibilities but y'all make it sound like a no brainer!! lol

This makes me want to cry.

lol why? Because we even have to think about it?

No, because your brother is breeding mix breed dogs. There are too many of them in shelters already. In my 5 years of volunteering, I've seen too many puppies die at animal shelters. It just makes me so sad to think of people breeding without a cause or a plan.

Having a dog is a responsibility for a lifetime, so I think it's good that you are considering it so carefully. So many don't and then the dogs end up without homes, just like with the Giant Schnauzer puppy (suspected). It's definitely worth it to think about the responsibilities before bringing another life into your home.

Agreed. It makes me sad (and irrationally angry) when people buy dogs or cats from breeders or puppy mills when there are thousands of animals dying in shelters.

And the excuse that "we want a pure breed" or "we need a dog that does shed" makes me stabby. There are plenty of pure breeds and hypoallergenic animal available in shelters.

Yea. He is not the breeder, he just agreed to let the friends use his dog, not that that makes it much better. But I can understand that people want a cuddly puppy. As someone who has never owned a dog, part of the appeal to me is having that adorable puppy face and bonding time so they grow up knowing us as their parents/owners. Sorry if that makes me a terrible person, but I don't want to go pick out a 4 year old at the shelter who is not going to give us that experience.

I agree that people are super A-holes if they chose to abandon a dog. I have seen many times on facebook or Craiglist people trying to "get rid" of their dogs because of something stupid like they are moving into a new apartment that doesn't accept pets, or moving states. I want to stab them because you make arrangements around your dog and your life, not with the intention that you can just get rid of them! Which is why I haven't committed to getting one yet. I have had my cat for 9 years and I'd never, ever give her up.

You know that every shelter has puppies, right?

Right. Both of these puppies, under 6 months old, were about to go to shelters because somebody got in over their heads. It's super common BECAUSE people want the cuddly puppy without realizing how much work they are, or that even fresh new puppies can have medical problems that are expensive to fix, or that if you don't neuter your dog it WILL seek someone out to make sweet doggy love to and suddenly you have oops puppies. People don't only surrender adult dogs.

lkristenj

jenna8984 said:

KatWAG said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

lkristenj said:

jenna8984 said:

Dam you all, I was having a discussion with Maggie earlier about puppies! My brother is breeding his golden retriever with a yellow lab and told me if I wanted I can have pick of the litter as a wedding gift. FI and I have never had dogs, so we said we'd think about it and we are still waivering over the responsibilities but y'all make it sound like a no brainer!! lol

This makes me want to cry.

lol why? Because we even have to think about it?

No, because your brother is breeding mix breed dogs. There are too many of them in shelters already. In my 5 years of volunteering, I've seen too many puppies die at animal shelters. It just makes me so sad to think of people breeding without a cause or a plan.

Having a dog is a responsibility for a lifetime, so I think it's good that you are considering it so carefully. So many don't and then the dogs end up without homes, just like with the Giant Schnauzer puppy (suspected). It's definitely worth it to think about the responsibilities before bringing another life into your home.

Agreed. It makes me sad (and irrationally angry) when people buy dogs or cats from breeders or puppy mills when there are thousands of animals dying in shelters.

And the excuse that "we want a pure breed" or "we need a dog that does shed" makes me stabby. There are plenty of pure breeds and hypoallergenic animal available in shelters.

Yea. He is not the breeder, he just agreed to let the friends use his dog, not that that makes it much better. But I can understand that people want a cuddly puppy. As someone who has never owned a dog, part of the appeal to me is having that adorable puppy face and bonding time so they grow up knowing us as their parents/owners. Sorry if that makes me a terrible person, but I don't want to go pick out a 4 year old at the shelter who is not going to give us that experience.

I agree that people are super A-holes if they chose to abandon a dog. I have seen many times on facebook or Craiglist people trying to "get rid" of their dogs because of something stupid like they are moving into a new apartment that doesn't accept pets, or moving states. I want to stab them because you make arrangements around your dog and your life, not with the intention that you can just get rid of them! Which is why I haven't committed to getting one yet. I have had my cat for 9 years and I'd never, ever give her up.

You can get a cute cuddly puppy at a shelter. There are many, many of them there. Many pregnant dogs are dumped and have their puppies at the shelter. There are rescues in my area whose sole mission is to pull pregnant dogs from shelters to let them have their puppies in foster homes and then adopt out the puppies and the mama dog. It's a huge problem here. There's nothing about adopting at shelters that means that you'll end up with a 4-year-old dog. All my adopted shelter dogs have been over one-year-old. My first adopted dog was 3-years-old. He's 7 now. They have all adjusted really well and 100% fit into my family. Plus, I got to skip all the late night crying and potty issues that puppies have. I've done the puppy thing. Never again. Puppies are A LOT of work. People do look over the older dogs, but the even the puppies do not get adopted out of shelters fast enough and many of them die there.

And sorry, but your brother letting his dog be "used"?!? My dog is not a tool I let my neighbors borrow. That just makes me mad.

Spaying within the first year drastically reduces the chances of cancer in female dogs. Older female dogs have a greater than 1 in 4 chance of developing tumors in their mammary glands if unspayed.

KatWAG

@jenna8984 did you not realize that you could easily adopt a puppy? Or that older dogs can be just as "cuddly?" It sounds to me like you need to do a lot more research before you take on the respoinsiblity of owning a dog/ puppy.

jenna8984

@katwag @lkristenj See these things are good to know. Like I said, I've never owned a dog in my life so I don't know the facts about shelters and neutering and breeding. I literally know nothing about the dog community so I wasn't trying to be ignorant. It's not my dog that he's whoring out and I can't tell you why he agreed to do that, I was just possibly offered a puppy and said I'd think about it. But if I wasn't offered one (or if this female doesn't get pregnant) I will definitely consider going to a shelter now. Thanks!

PrincessOfHavoc

My fuzzy pup is a shelter dump at 12 weeks. He got too big. Not lap dog sized.

My real question is who the fuck thinks a St Bernard Newfoundland mix is ever a lap dog.

NavyBlue143

I agree that backyard breeding is bad form, but I just wanted to point out that a labrador mixed with retriever would be a labrador retreiver, which is a recognized and highly sought after breed. That being said, there are a ton of labs in shelters because while they are great family dogs, they need a lot of work as puppies and they love to tear things up and they grow quickly. Our lab retriever tore shit up for 6 years before he grew out of it. People just want sweet lab puppy face and don't realize they are So. Much. Work. So they get rid of them. That's why we never studded out our lab, even though he was papered. We had no way of knowing how many puppies would end up in shelters because people do not research a breed before getting a cute puppy.

lkristenj

@jenna8984 - He probably did it because he could get money for a stud fee or pick-of-the-litter. Still a lousy reason. People who breed for money are absolutely doing it the wrong way. I also have a sinking feeling that your brother's friend is going to try to pass those puppies off as 100% Golden. I'm a cynic when it comes to these things. I've seen too much bad to trust. Those who breed for the right reasons are rare, normally have waiting lists, and actually lose money because of all the care they give and genetic testing they do. It's VERY hard to find a reputable breeder these days because people like your brother and his friend vastly outnumber them. People who use their dogs as money-making devices make me feel sick to my stomach.

Shelters can be scary, sad places so I don't blame most people for not wanting to go there. But, when you adopt from a shelter (or rescue) you save two lives; the life of the dog you take home, and the life of the one that can now have its kennel in the shelter (or foster home if a rescue). Plus, I think that shelter dogs somehow know what you've done for them. Call me crazy, but I do. They just always seem more grateful and appreciative of the little things, to me.

I know way more about dog behavior and the shelter/rescue system than I probably should. I just have a lot of experience, both good and bad. If you have any questions and want to know anything about dogs, the adoption process, what to expect or anything, you can ask me. I will be more than happy to help you. I have always volunteered for the benefit of the dogs. I LOVE dogs. If there's anything I can do to help you be more prepared as a dog-owner, I'll do it.

doeydo

I actually prefer older dogs.  They're so cute, usually potty trained, and past the crazy puppy stage.  When the time comes, I plan on calling around to shelters to find when a female of one of a few breeds comes in.  

theartistformerlyknownas

lkristenj said: @jenna8984 - He probably did it because he could get money for a stud fee or pick-of-the-litter. Still a lousy reason. People who breed for money are absolutely doing it the wrong way. I also have a sinking feeling that your brother's friend is going to try to pass those puppies off as 100% Golden. I'm a cynic when it comes to these things. I've seen too much bad to trust. Those who breed for the right reasons are rare, normally have waiting lists, and actually lose money because of all the care they give and genetic testing they do. It's VERY hard to find a reputable breeder these days because people like your brother and his friend vastly outnumber them. People who use their dogs as money-making devices make me feel sick to my stomach.Shelters can be scary, sad places so I don't blame most people for not wanting to go there. But, when you adopt from a shelter (or rescue) you save two lives; the life of the dog you take home, and the life of the one that can now have its kennel in the shelter (or foster home if a rescue). Plus, I think that shelter dogs somehow know what you've done for them. Call me crazy, but I do. They just always seem more grateful and appreciative of the little things, to me.I know way more about dog behavior and the shelter/rescue system than I probably should. I just have a lot of experience, both good and bad. If you have any questions and want to know anything about dogs, the adoption process, what to expect or anything, you can ask me. I will be more than happy to help you. I have always volunteered for the benefit of the dogs. I LOVE dogs. If there's anything I can do to help you be more prepared as a dog-owner, I'll do it.
ETF box Three - Willy totally saved me. He was glued to my side from the minute I met him - he knew that I was going to be his person and give him a good home after such a long time in the rescue home with 10 other dogs. You wouldn't believe the amount of affirmation and self-worth you feel seeing those sweet little doggy eyes looking up at you with such thankfulness - you know everything has to be OK because this sweet creature depends on you now.

lkristenj

NavyBlue143 said:

I agree that backyard breeding is bad form, but I just wanted to point out that a labrador mixed with retriever would be a labrador retreiver, which is a recognized and highly sought after breed. That being said, there are a ton of labs in shelters because while they are great family dogs, they need a lot of work as puppies and they love to tear things up and they grow quickly. Our lab retriever tore shit up for 6 years before he grew out of it. People just want sweet lab puppy face and don't realize they are So. Much. Work. So they get rid of them. That's why we never studded out our lab, even though he was papered. We had no way of knowing how many puppies would end up in shelters because people do not research a breed before getting a cute puppy.

A Labrador Retriever (called a Labrador or Lab for short) mixed with a Golden Retriever makes a mixed breed dog.

Labs and Goldens are both highly energetic breeds that need lots of training and mental stimulation. They can be great family dogs, but they definitely need exercise and ground rules. Labs are one of the most common breeds in shelters. Even purebreds. Labs and Lab mixes are the most common returned breed too, because they are so energetic and people underestimate the time needed to care for them.

Around here, purebred Labs and German Shorthair Pointers who fail at being duck hunting dogs are often dumped at the shelter. Sometimes what makes them bad at hunting are the same things that would make them good pets, such as being too needy and never wanting to leave the hunter to retrieve.

lkristenj

lolo883 said:

ETF box

Three - Willy totally saved me. He was glued to my side from the minute I met him - he knew that I was going to be his person and give him a good home after such a long time in the rescue home with 10 other dogs. You wouldn't believe the amount of affirmation and self-worth you feel seeing those sweet little doggy eyes looking up at you with such thankfulness - you know everything has to be OK because this sweet creature depends on you now.

My two adopted dogs (FI adopted another) have very different stories.

My first, that I adopted when he was 3, had somehow survived in the high-kill shelter system for over a year. He had been adopted 3 times. The first time, he was returned for being "too rambunctious". The second time, he got lost. The city shelter picked him up on the streets and transported him back to the other shelter (he was microchipped from them). They got in touch with the owners who said they didn't want him anymore. Again, he was adopted and returned within short order. Then he found me. I am his fourth and final adopter. I could not imagine being without him and it's like he's always been part of my family. He's my heart dog. I truly believe he was meant for me and that's why he made it in the shelter so long, despite all the returns and being mauled by another dog while in the shelter.

lkristenj

Also, somewhat related to the topic at hand, I just saw this shared on my facebook (from one of my rescue friends). It has links to a lot of good information.

http://www.dogsoutloud.org/2012/10/i-need-to-return-this-dog/

doeydo

I grew up with a lab who was a sweetheart.  After he passed, my family got another lab as a puppy.  Good god he was insane.  He has finally calmed down a bit, now that he is about 10 years old...

APDSS22

doeydo said:

I grew up with a lab who was a sweetheart.  After he passed, my family got another lab as a puppy.  Good god he was insane.  He has finally calmed down a bit, now that he is about 10 years old...

I know what you mean, my parents got a black lab puppy when we human kids started leaving the nest.  They had a golden retriever before they had kids and thought labs were pretty much the same dogs.  She's a little hellion we commonly refer to as making her "devil dog face".  She's now 6 and the only thing slowing her down is an injury from stepping wrong on the stairs last year.  Even though she was significantly more energetic than my parents were expecting, they never thought about dropping her at a shelter.

Both of my dogs are rescued from rescue groups.  We love them both even though they weren't little puppies when we got them.  One of them was abandoned with his mother and whole litter on a farm back porch.  They ended up turning him, his brother, his sisters and his mother over to the rescue group because they needed more love and attention than the guy whose porch they were dropped on could give them.  They had a difficult time adopting out due to the pit bull bloodline.  The other was from a breed specific rescue.  I have no idea what kind of life he led prior to being pulled into the rescue but his behaviors suggest some abuse and abandonment.  They are both lovely doggies.

I would love to take my dogs to work with me.  I've taken them into the store on my day off after they've been to the vet but we don't really have the ability to keep the dogs happy in the store while we work.

AlexisA01

lolo883 said:

My office allows people to bring their dogs in. This week, there are TWO different people who've brought in dogs who need homes - a 5 month old Giant Schnauzer that wasn't a good fit for an employee's home, and a 4-6 month old Sharpei/Lab mix that another employee found abandoned but can't keep. It's torture. I want to take them both home. FI will forgive me, right? Four dogs isn't too many. :-p

That is how I got my Husky Malamut mix. It was the Podiatry Puppy day (shelter sponsors potential meet and greets with dogs to my staff). This bouncy little blue eyed pup comes and sits underneath my desk. All day long, this dog followed me around and I signed the paperwork and Gravity became my new puppy child.

Dignity100

I highly recommend people that do not go through a shelter/rescue to look into a REPUTABLE breeder. 

My first dog was from a backyard breeder.  Both parents were on site.  She had puppy mange, horrible allergies, arthritis by 2, hip dysplasia by 2, and genetic terminal cancer @ 5 years old, she passed away 1 month before her 6th birthday.  Many of her problems were genetic.

Some of the things I look for from a reputable breeder:
Health testing - these are through Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFFA) or PennHip.  Taking a dog to your family vet for regular checkups in my eyes is not proper health testing.  Different dogs have different tests.  The MINIMUM tests I required from a breeder for my Newfoundland were:  Hips, cardiac, elbows, and cystinuria.

In MOST cases, will not have both parents on site - When breeding a dog, you are trying to bring out the best qualities that represent the breed.  There are very few cases where the dogs that best complete each other are not owned by the same owner.

Breeder Involvement - I know that confirmation/showing has A LOT of politics behind it, so if the breeder does not show, they have to do SOMETHING with the dog that the dog was meant for.  If I wanted a herding dog, there are herding titles out there.  For my Newfoundland, my dog's mother is a certified rescue swimmer (but she also particpating in shows).

There are other things and I know I'm strict and I know there are no guarantees that the dog I will get will be 100% healthy.  I however want the best chances and some of the genetic testing out there can help at least limit the number of genetic diseases that could be passed down to my dogs. 

I will get off my soap box - at least for now.

hellosweetie1015

PrincessOfHavoc said: My fuzzy pup is a shelter dump at 12 weeks. He got too big. Not lap dog sized. My real question is who the fuck thinks a St Bernard Newfoundland mix is ever a lap dog. Newfie+St Bernard does not necessarily mean he isn't a lap dog. It just means you have to have a GIANT lap.

My parents' Great Pyrenees is the best lap dog in the world, gives GREAT hugs (no, really, he will hug you if you're sad and sitting), and is ALSO big enough to put his saucer-paws on my shoulders and "dance" with me. Although he's getting old now, so he doesn't do it very often. It's harder for him now.

Absolutely do some serious research before you get any dog. I'm not AGAINST pure-bred dogs (all three of my parents' dogs are pure-bred) but our lab was a bomb-dog trainee that didn't play the game and thus was out of the program, our Bichon was high-maintenance in a household without enough time/people/patience to give her it and thus was going to the (in)humane shelter, and our Pyr ... well, he came from family who bred them to be working dogs. Two of his litter stayed with them and herd their goats/turkeys/other random farm animals, and the other two went to other farms. Cousi was the only one who didn't go to a "farm", and he grew up herding our way-too-damn-many cats. If you're wanting a specific breed do some research on it, and if you think you can handle it, talk to a breed-specific rescue and see if you can interact with some of their dogs. I actually reeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllllllllyyyyyy wanted a Saluki (GORGEOUS sighthound breed) but they are very fast, and if they get bored they're easily capable of jumping a standard fence. They need a runner... and I am not a runner. Same with a lot of working dogs, they need something to do or they can get super destructive - which is part of what gets them surrendered.

You also have to think about what would happen if there were a tragedy or something. We are actually currently in the process of trying to figure out how to move our larger dogs to our new house. The Bichon moved in with my brother the night of the fire, and she's happy as a lark, but the two larger dogs are still out at the old property. They are both old and have lived out there all their lives, and neither one of them can handle being separated, and we're afraid that they won't adjust well and will get out of our new fancy fence that actually made the house decision so that they could have a place to come. Right now my dad is driving about twenty miles total every day to go and spend quality time with them and feed them and keep them with fresh water. They have shelter, and they're being taken care of, but the one time we tried to bring them here they cried and scratched at the door and were just not happy, and I cried when they had to go back to the old house. 

iloveotters2014

Ok Sorry if this is weird but I REALLY want a schnauzer hahaha it is the only dog my H and I agree on. Do you happen to have a rescue listing for the dog or anything? I live in Ferndale haha

theartistformerlyknownas

iloveotters2014 said:

Ok Sorry if this is weird but I REALLY want a schnauzer hahaha it is the only dog my H and I agree on. Do you happen to have a rescue listing for the dog or anything? I live in Ferndale haha

Ha no way! It sounds like the other family has a good possibility of keeping it, but he would let me know if it didn't work out. I'll let you know!

You know it's a GIANT schnauzer, right? 90lbs when it's full grown.

iloveotters2014

lolo883 said:

Ok Sorry if this is weird but I REALLY want a schnauzer hahaha it is the only dog my H and I agree on. Do you happen to have a rescue listing for the dog or anything? I live in Ferndale haha

Ha no way! It sounds like the other family has a good possibility of keeping it, but he would let me know if it didn't work out. I'll let you know! You know it's a GIANT schnauzer, right? 90lbs when it's full grown.

hahah well I would rather have a medium dog but my H wants a gigantic dog hahaha. My only worry would be my cat would have a heart attack hahaha

if you hear of any other cute pups let me know!!!

PrincessOfHavoc

Three dogs.....

The moose of a St Bernard Newfoundland mix. He loves reenactments, total love, bomb proof. Only puppy I've ever had.

My USAR dog - Standard Poodle Golden Retriever mix crossed with an English Springer. Very active, loves tracking, has no fear. Adopted as an untrained, hyperactive 2 year old. Marched his butt to training the day I adopted him. He had basic commands done in an hour. He just needed something to do with his mind. USAR, dumb tricks and therapy work suit him.

And my I have no clue mix. Looks like a 100 pound Kees. She's a good girl. Had hideous separation anxiety. I couldn't leave her fuzzy butt behind. Grooming isn't an issue. I like training. Dogs are ok at work. Now you tell her to get something from the back and she'll run it up to you.

All 3 would have maxed out at 72 hours. My girl had her kill papers signed. I let a perfectly nice, calm, beautiful Lab mix die instead because he didn't fit me as he was older and didn't like my bouncy crew. I can tell you two of mine are mill bred pet store starters. My girl is unknown. I paid $160 for my puppy, $80 for adults. Unless I get a truly well bred dog from a superior breeder, I will never pay more than that for a dog who better be neutered already.

KatWAG

@jenna8984 I am sorry for my knee jerk reaction. This issue is close to my heart and sometimes I forget that not everyone grew up with pets. I hope you do get a dog (preferably a rescue) because they are such great campanions and good energy. Adopting our little guy was one of the best decisions we have ever made. Like others have said, we might have saved his life but he saved our as well. I will never forget the day I found out I was having a miscarriage. I got in bed and my pup never once left my side. he just snuggled in close and waited for me to feel better.

If you have any questions about what goes into caring for a dog/ puppy or about breeds, I would be happy to help.

jenna8984

@katwag Thanks! That is so sweet of your little guy to be there for you and that is why dogs seem like way better companions than cats. My cat barely gives me the time of day unless her food bowl is empty lol.

If I were to get any dog, I would want a big one, not massive, but large enough to be a running buddy. But now that you've all scared me with stories of how rambunctious labs are, I'm erring towards a big fat no. Maybe when our next home has a big fenced in yard or basement play area but I don't want my current house ripped apart lol.

KatWAG

jenna8984 said:

@katwag Thanks! That is so sweet of your little guy to be there for you and that is why dogs seem like way better companions than cats. My cat barely gives me the time of day unless her food bowl is empty lol.

If I were to get any dog, I would want a big one, not massive, but large enough to be a running buddy. But now that you've all scared me with stories of how rambunctious labs are, I'm erring towards a big fat no. Maybe when our next home has a big fenced in yard or basement play area but I don't want my current house ripped apart lol.

Consider a terrier. They have great energy. We considered an Ariedale Terrier for awhile, but decided that the dog wouldnt love city living.