Pet Thread

Anyone here have pets? Dogs, cats, birds, rodents, fish etc? I wasn't sure if a topic like this has been done before but the fam is thinking about adopting a dog and we narrowed it down to 3 we like.

Oliver (German Shepard/Blue Hound Mix)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517266-2-x.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517266-3-x.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517266-1-x.jpg

Oscar (German Shepard/Blue Hound Mix)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517247-3-x.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517247-2-x.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517247-1-x.jpg

Both Oscar and Oliver
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517342-1-x.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/IL6813517342-2-x.jpg

The other dog we are thinking about adopting is a rottie mix pup but the adoption center isn't sure what other breed he's mixed with. Unfortunately they didn't have a picture of him on their site. Anyone here have advice for first time dog owners?

 

they're damn cute now, but realize all of these will get much bigger (based on what breeds they come from) Are you looking for a big dog?

My neice won a lab mix puppy by writing an essay a couple of years ago... damn mix was with a great dane or something because the dog is horse size now, and still acts like a puppy... heh.

my vote is for Oliver for now =)

 

I am a cat person, I own three white sacred Birmans. I try to come up with pictures later when Im not in such a hurry. I second Yupa in that you should plan getting a dog based on what they are like when grown up.

 

yah, different breed puppies all look the same... they don't get their specific traits until they mature

 

A mutt isn't that bad....... Me likes to have a ripped gorilla as a pet instead though.

 

If you want a better chance at knowing exactly what you're going to get in the way of health and temperament, I recommend going to a reputable breeder (be careful, some dog breeders are little more than puppy mills). Try starting here.

If you go this route, after you decide on a breed, you'll need to ask around to find out who's decent when it comes to breeders. It's usually not a quick process.

My wife, Catherine, has been involved with breeding and showing dogs for about 22 years. Our dogs are Basenjis. Mind you, I'm not recommending you buy a Basenji as your first dog unless it's a breed you understand and really want. Her website is just an example of what to look for.

If a pure-bred puppy of any breed is something you want but find to be too expensive, you can look into purchasing older dogs and talking to breeders that do rescue.

I have nothing against mixed breed dogs. It's just that these dogs can be full of unknowns. You can do health testing against problems associated with the breeds mixed in the dog, it's only so accurate. I'm saddened when people find an awesome dog only to have it suffer from, say, hip displaysia when it's three years old and then decide to put it down because it can't even walk anymore.

If you want a breeder recommendation for any breed, feel free to let me know. My wife knows who to talk to and how to find the most reputable breeders.

In the end it's up to you. A dog can be a 15 year commitment. I hope things go well for you. Pets are great.

 

^ My mongrel is 18 years old this year and she healthy as f00k!

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

Awesome. One of our dogs came down with lymphoma and died when he was only 4. It was awful. Some things can not be helped.

 

I dogs are cool Trusonic2k. I love dogs, but I am also a cat person.

 

Just be prepared for the grief when they need to be put down. I had a Golden Retriever that developed spinal cord degeneration. He had a hard time standing up using his hind legs. Eventually the problem spread to his front legs. He couldn't stand up on his own anymore. Another problem was that he wouldn't eat, and at one point looked pretty scrawny in the back. The last day I had him I gave him a bath and he slipped in the tub and couldn't stand up again so I pulled him out. He just layed there not moving, almost like a vegetable. It was clear that his condition wasn't going to improve and that he was unhappy. Later that day he was put down.

It was so weird. He was getting medication and for a short while he was almost like his old self again. He would wag his tail, eat, and stand up on his own. But at one point his condition got bad again even with the medicine.

I don't want to discourage you from gettin a pet. Just be prepared for the eventual pain of loss.

 

I like oscar. He's a nice looking dog. I will say this, German Sheps are IMO the best dogs for pets. Their only downside is, being a big dog, they get hip trouble as they age, which decreased their lifespan and value of life as they get older /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

Also, i have heard good things about blue hounds, and if i am correct, they are smaller than German Sheps which could be a great combination for the above downside to shepards.

When i was perhaps 5-7 years old, wondering the streets of enid oklahoma, i found and adopted a German Shep. He followed me, and being a kid i petted him, and fed him, and in short, i fell in love with him in an hour /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif Of course, my brother did too. My dad, naturally, said, 'lose the dog'. So...i spent the day and next morning ignoring my dad and hanging out with Jake, as i named him.

So the next morning comes and my dad notices there are pecans (from our pecan tree) all over the street next to our house. He calls my brother and i, with Jake in tow, over to him and lets sean and i know that he is going to spank us for throwing the pecans in the street. I think cause we had thrown pecans at cars before. Well, long story short. My dad went to spank us and jake stepped between my dad and us and raised all his hackles and growled menacingly at us. From that point on my dad knew if jake was already so protective of us, that he wanted him as part of the family. And he was. And he was the greatest dog we ever had. We had 3 generations of jake as part of our family before the lineage died out. So...i'm glad you're considering getting a German Shepard.

 

Plague, do you dogs bite strangers??
I'd like to play with them next time if you don't mind. They are really cute on your video!!!

I have to say the happiest dogs are probably in US, the government create the protect laws for them and tread as a person. I'm really frustrated when I see some homeless dogs in Taiwan and have nothing to do with it.

 

One correction needs to be made here, altho must probably read it, said WHAT?? he must have meant.....

"and raised all his hackles and growled menacingly at us"

no, no, no, he didn't growl at us, he growled at our dad who was going to spank us! THATS why/when our dad new he was the perfect dog.

 

All of you guys have given me great advice, and I also liked social's story. Plague we were going to go to a breeder but we decided to go with adopting since most of those dogs don't get second chances ya know?
And libertine I'm sorry to hear that, getting attached to someone over the years and losing them like that is something one can't really prepare for. We really don't have a problem with A big dog we just want a dog that will be a great family/guard dog that's easily trainable. We're still stuck deciding between Oscar, Oliver and Patrick (the rottie mix pup).

 

I'm also a cat person, but from what You told me Plagie, your dogs are very cat-like /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
My girlfriend has a hamster and some fish, and I have a guinea pig.
My pet acts like a dog actually. We've developed some kind of bond, so when I come back home she squeeks and does this cute sound to let me know she wants her back rubbed as a greeting. When we let her out of the cage she always follows me around keeping less than half a meter distance, not to get stepped on. Honestly, it's one of the smartest pets I've had. Name's Dina BTW.

As for my GF's hamster. He doesn't have a name. He's been "bastard" and "brat" among other names "given" to him during the first few days at home. He was very aggressive, he didn't want anyone to touch him. I was the first one to take him on my hand and calm him down, so he wouldn't bite. After that I am the only person he wakes up to greet at my gf's house. He also stole a bit of my personality. More precisely.... he's a freaking pervert. He likes to watch.

Me and Catherine (my gf) could watch TV, listen to music, do whatever that's noisy, but he won't move/wake up. Once we start even kissing... he's there, watching us, with his little nose stuck between the cage's bars. I mean WTF? Every time we do something, there's a hamster watching us! That actually started to make me feel uncomfortable at one point. It's like a kid to me. And I wouldn't like to have sex in front of my kid, right?
Damn.... this species lives up to 2 maaaaaybe 3 years. And he's almost 2 now. I don't want him to dieeeee /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

 

Thank you all for your advice and kind words, unfortunately the shelter said Oscar and Oliver were adopted despite them not being available until May 5th. This saddens me because we asked them if we could put our names on a waiting list for them or if there was a certain time we were supposed to come back to find out about their availability, to which they said no. Turns out on Monday some people came in and adopted them much to our surprise today...

Our last option was the rottie mix pup, he's 3 and a half months old. He's a bit on the chubby side and is adorable. The shelter isn't sure what breed he is mixed with or what the mother or father was. I wish I had his picture to show you guys but we lack a good scanner.

This is his page but still no picture.
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13559978

We have a few concerns because they said his brother and sister died of parvo, but they said he was separated from them so he wasn't effected. Also we love the little guy now but since we (not counting our mother) has never had dog experience we're concerned about getting a large breed even if he is a rottie mix.

We put a holding fee on him so he doesn't get adopted or put down before we can make our decision and we have until Wednesday to either take the money back or adopt him. Can anyone please give some advice about rotts/rottie mixes?

PS: We'll try to get a picture of him scanned online ASAP.

 

no advice, but i think what u are doing (getting a dog from the shelter) is really a great thing. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Even if it is in the life of a dog. Thanks for making a difference. Ironically, it really is a more commendable thing you're doing than being good at vf5 is. Lol.

 

LOL When I heard they were gonna put him down I had to do something, hopefully we will adopt him. Of course this means sacrificing time to do VF to take care of a pup but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to commit too.

I'm sorry for the bad quality on these pictures but it's a picture of a picture we have of him. Unfortunately we don't have a body shot picture of him, just his chubby little face.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/WebCam_20090425_17313.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/WebCam_20090425_17312.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/Truesonic/dog/WebCam_20090425_1731.jpg

We did see on his back paws he had some white coloring.

 

Here are some pictures of my cats
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~jplaukka/cats/allu1.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~jplaukka/cats/allu5.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~jplaukka/cats/allu7.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~jplaukka/cats/modesty1.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~jplaukka/cats/vikki1.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~jplaukka/cats/kissat2.jpg

 

Isn't that last picture one of those optical illusions? The one where three guys are standing in a diagonal line that gives the feeling of distance and you have to work out which one is the biggest, but they're all the same?