Dog Shopping

[carn_the_nmfc]

Jack Russell Terriers are really good dogs. They are great with young kids.

 

[Docker_Brat]

GE: I thought you were a bloke. My apologies

 

[Lady Lawrence]

Before you decide on the dog you have to make few decisions and answer some hard questions. How much time can you dedicate to it, how much money can you dedicate to it. One these decisions are made that will pretty much determine the breed or at least specific type of dog. ie time = how much excercise will it get, how much play time will it get. Some dogs need more ie Borders Collies recommended at 20km's per day! Some are hyper active and need lots of attention so no good if you are at work all day. Then the money side, not just feeding but grooming, clipping, health checks and vet fees, for example some dogs are prone to ear problems if they have long floppy ears, long hair can matt if not groomed daily, some dogs are prone to cancers such as boxers, some arthritis such as rotties.

I did the excercise a little over 4 years ago and then once my choice was made it took 18 months to find the dog I wanted.

I ended up with a Jack Russell. He is a pedigree - which is not what I looked for - but I did look for a breeder rather than a pet shop. I firmly believe dogs should not be sold as easily as buying a tin of baked beans. A reputable breeder is like getting a guarantee that there are no hereditary problems with the dog and will also know all there is to know about the breed you have chosen. I wanted a girl but discovered that when it comes to terriers males are the way to go as they are more sociable as the females are the hunter gatherers thus more territorial (bad when you introduce a child or guests to the household). He is a "real dog" in that he plays, he rolls in dead foxes, is not a lap dog or yappy, very low maintenance, once a year for his jabs, no grooming apart from the odd baths when he puts on the road kill aftershave and is my best friend.

Only draw back - there is no off switch!!

Got him at 10 weeks old and left him alone during the day from the start which means he didn't pine or fret during the day. Now even on weekends he keeps to himself during the day but come 5pm he starts to perk up and by 6pm which is usually my home time he is all over me wanting to play go for a walk etc etc.

Sorry if I have babbled on for ages here but responsible dog ownership is somethign that I am very passionate about.

 

[evade28]

i agree LL breeders are the way to go, pet shops are just evil with their glass enclosures, how are the puppies supposed to socialise with people and other things?

the pound, while its a good thing, you often dont know for sure what you are going to get they tel you the dog is going to be medium and it turns out its HUGE and also if you get an adult dog you have to remember that its probably going to have problems (digging holes or something) which will be hard to fix.

 

[tashibatts]

Lassie is a Shetland Sheepdog or something, definetely not a labrador.

Check out this site- you can see many a pic of Labradors.

http://www.lubberline.com/


Btw- Beagles are good, have a soft spot for em, had a Beagle Terrier (Cross, not sure what type of Terrier) in my life up until August 29, 01 (Put down, old age- never got off his bed, ****ed on his bed, hardly ate) Great Dog, altho a bit grumpy- and aggro, still a great dog, was grumpy/aggro towards people outside the family, not us much.. loved him, though don't think I showed it enough.. biggest regret of my life I think.. {he snapped at me once and I was kind of fearful of patting him after that}


Go Roos

 

[evade28]

lassie is a COLLIE

 

[tashibatts]

Oooh Oooh, Samoyeds are good to- tho demand grooming..

Big white, fluffy and have faces that look like Polar Bears - my friends next door neighbor has one, and we went to my friends for a BBQ once, and the dog came over for a bit, he was SOO Nice! Lovely.

Go Roos

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

LL,

I have got a Jack Russell Terrier and he is as active as anything. He is also a bit of a lap dog.

We took him to dog obedience school when we first got him and we are still really strict on training him. He is 9 years old and he is cute and is great with my two nieces and my nephew and any one else who has kids.

 

[tashibatts]

And about Lap Dogs: you don't have to have a small dog to have a lap dog, even my fence jumping springer spaniel- who is about a head taller than my labrador {My labrador is small.. oh so small for a labrador}- is a bit of a lap dog, he loves it, he comes up and puts his front paws on you and rests his head on you like a pillow, and then he tries to lick your face and if hes lucky enough, he gets to sit on my sister like a baby {His paws flying about that place like only they can do, its kind of hard to confine them}

He hugs as well as a human. (Though it wouldnt be hard for him his ears are big enough to hug someone I reckon)

So if you want a goofy, loving, wuss- get a Springer


Go Roos

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

Originally posted by tashibatts
And about Lap Dogs: you don't have to have a small dog to have a lap dog, even my fence jumping springer spaniel- who is about a head taller than my labrador {My labrador is small.. oh so small for a labrador}- is a bit of a lap dog, he loves it, he comes up and puts his front paws on you and rests his head on you like a pillow, and then he tries to lick your face and if hes lucky enough, he gets to sit on my sister like a baby {His paws flying about that place like only they can do, its kind of hard to confine them}

He hugs as well as a human. (Though it wouldnt be hard for him his ears are big enough to hug someone I reckon)

So if you want a goofy, loving, wuss- get a Springer


Go Roos

That was the same with our Golden ****er Spaniel, except the only downfall was that she kept on getting canker in her ears.

 

[Lady Lawrence]

Originally posted by goaldrush
LL,

I have got a Jack Russell Terrier and he is as active as anything. He is also a bit of a lap dog.

We took him to dog obedience school when we first got him and we are still really strict on training him. He is 9 years old and he is cute and is great with my two nieces and my nephew and any one else who has kids.

Mine got expelled from both puppy schools!!! That said however he is really obedient except if he gets out and won't come back when called. He loves kids, he even has a couple that knock and ask if they can play with him!!

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

Originally posted by Lady Lawrence
Mine got expelled from both puppy schools!!! That said however he is really obedient except if he gets out and won't come back when called. He loves kids, he even has a couple that knock and ask if they can play with him!!

That happened to my dog. He kept on having a go at the other dogs.

The funniest thing is that my dog hates the word bath and he has a phobia about water. It is so funny. When I tell Tigger(that's my dog's name) that he is going to have a bath, he runs to his basket and hops in it.

 

[Goo]

Originally posted by goaldrush
When I tell Tigger(that's my dog's name) that he is going to have a bath, he runs to his basket and hops in it.

You should fill his basket up with bath water first!

 

[raskolnikov]

I've always wanted a bassett hound. Don't get a golden retriever if you don't wnat a dog dropping hair all over the house. We had one growing up and the house was full of hair.

 

[Aslan]

True, true Mantis- I should have mentioned that heelers are indeed very active and as we think he is crossed with a border collie, he is one boisterous, hyperactive dog, and he is nearly 8- he didn't get his name (Blitzkrieg) because he likes to laze around. He hasn't really calmed down much since he was a puppy and still needs an hour or so at the park just running around every day. He is very cute too, cuter than most mutts, he even has a black patch on one of his eyes, though maybe i am biased.
Also what you said about the pound is true- but I would be more concerned about the breed than the size. The experience of the owner with dogs would also come into play as well as many other lifestyle factors. But there are many families with young kids who have large dogs and no problems, and some who do have problems (this also goes for small dogs). From personal experience I would trust a German Shepherd not to bite children over a Dachshund.

 

[evade28]

Originally posted by Aslan
The experience of the owner with dogs would also come into play as well as many other lifestyle factors.


From personal experience I would trust a German Shepherd not to bite children over a Dachshund.

first comment, yes and if you dont even kno that lassie is a collie goeagles i suggest you get an easy going dog!

second comment, i agree 100% i have a dachshund and it is an aggressive little sh1t.
he hates people, especially small children. tho my young cousin did drop him when he was a pup so that might be why.
also his breeder who was 'supposedly' reputable turned out to be a goddam disgrace he was full of worms and got ringworm too, so he couldnt be socialised properly.

so yeh there were some problems with him which contributed but he is still far too aggressive and i think he will be getting the green needle before we get our next dog bcos we are gonna get another dobermann and we dont want that little sh1t infulencing the new dogs temperament, you cant take that risk with larger dogs.

 

[Aslan]

Originally posted by evade28
second comment, i agree 100% i have a dachshund and it is an aggressive little sh1t.
he hates people, especially small children.

Dachshunds are not recommended to families with young children because they have zero tolerance for teasing, ear pulling etc. and they will not hesitate to put a child who has annoyed them in his or her place, usually with MOST (not all) dogs you get several warning signals they are going to bite before they actually do. Children should be taught to a) not provoke the dog and b) recognise the warning signs.

Little dogs are just as prone to starting fights as big dogs are goeagles- it depends on the nature of the breed.

Bad breeders should be put up against the wall and shot for the misery and pain they can cause to their dogs and the heartache they bring to the new owners. This includes EVERY dog that is sold at a pet shop- these poor things come from puppy farms where the dogs are housed in despicable conditions and come with who knows how many diseases plus the psychological problems that come from being torn away from mother way too early. Not to mention the pet shop does absolutely no screening of potential owners- the puppy could end up being abused, mistreated, or killed but the pet shop just wants the money. I know someone who bought a basset hound puppy from a pet shop for a disgustingly exorbitant price (you would pay less from a top breeder) and it died in three months from health problems. If you want any more advice goeagles pm me, because I will crap on forever about this

 

[M29]

A Kelpies meat is tough. Collies cook up a treat.

 

[The Hippie]

Originally posted by tashibatts
Oooh Oooh, Samoyeds are good to- tho demand grooming..

Big white, fluffy and have faces that look like Polar Bears - my friends next door neighbor has one, and we went to my friends for a BBQ once, and the dog came over for a bit, he was SOO Nice! Lovely.

Go Roos

A very similar breed to my dog, she's an Alaskan Malamute. Cute as anything and a beautiful temperment, loves kids, hell, just loves everyone. Very active, especially in winter and need to be walked for a good hour a day. Not in inside dog though, lose hair 12 months of the year, and have a tendency to want to chase anything and I mean anything that flashes past them (cats in particular )

 

[mantis]

AAWWW I love Malamutes, they are a sweet dog, if things hadn't turned out the way they did I definitely would have had one, saying that. I love my Kenny, but my second dog of choice is a Malamute.

The Judge who used to give my dog every award bred them, maybe that's why I like them.

 

[GoEagles]

Originally posted by Unwritten_Law
I can't believe you don't know what a labrador looks like. Ever seen a guide dog?

Yes I have seen many a guide book before. There was a blind lady who lived in our street and I used to play in the sandpit with her daughter when we were young tackers. She had a labrador and it was very cute - although thinking back, it seemed to be fairly large in size, and it also escaped from their home twice and nearly got hit by a car.

Originally posted by Docker_Brat
GE: I thought you were a bloke. My apologies

So your accusing me of wanting a chicks dog? Geeze mate, I've seen big dogs and they are aggressive, loud and attack the kiddies in the local park. My next door neighbour had a German Shephard and it actually ATE a quarter of my footy when It accidently got kicked over the fence.

If I want any sort of big dog, I'd go for a St Bernard.

Originally posted by Aslan
This includes EVERY dog that is sold at a pet shop- these poor things come from puppy farms where the dogs are housed in despicable conditions and come with who knows how many diseases plus the psychological problems that come from being torn away from mother way too early. Not to mention the pet shop does absolutely no screening of potential owners- the puppy could end up being abused, mistreated, or killed but the pet shop just wants the money. I know someone who bought a basset hound puppy from a pet shop for a disgustingly exorbitant price (you would pay less from a top breeder) and it died in three months from health problems. If you want any more advice goeagles pm me, because I will crap on forever about this

Thanks Aslan - you've been a terrific help so far!

I've noticed a lot of people have given negative opinions of Pet Stores. Surely they wouldn't be able to sell puppys if they weren't registered to sell the dogs and that the conditions of their cages must be very clean to live in.

Comparing pet stores to the Dogs Haven, the pet stores have looked a lot cleaner and better conditions.

 

[Falchoon]

Greyhounds are an underrated pet and have the advantage of being the most lazy dogs around, 1 quick walk knocks them out for the rest of the day.

Much misinterpreted and misunderstood dogs.

Handy to clear all cats within a 500m radius too. joke, they can easily be trained not to chase

 

[Docker_Brat]

Sorry GE, just this line "I'm leaning more towards a Beagle because a mate of mine has one and it is a real cutie." didn't sound like something a bloke would say. My bad.

 

[GoEagles]

Originally posted by Docker_Brat
Sorry GE, just this line "I'm leaning more towards a Beagle because a mate of mine has one and it is a real cutie." didn't sound like something a bloke would say. My bad.

You thought I wasn't talking about the dog?

 

[eagleskickass]

GO FOR A CAT hehehe

haha nah dogs are cool, i like both cats and dogs, my folks have both(and each was originally bought for me) and i miss them dearly