Damn, sorry to hear that SG. Here's something that I read a while ago, and feel is relevant since we're all dog (and other animals, too!) lovers here.
This will be the only time I do this, here is a great dog up for adoption. http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/25221974 I have fostered at least 30 animals over the past three years and this is the last one. He has been with me the longest because he wasn't used to contact with people and took a while to come around. If you or anyone you know is interested, there is a pretty thorough screening process and please don't mention this board. That may be me in the third picture walking him.
Following up on the same vein as the last post, I was hoping some of you pet owners could offer some advice. My girlfriend and I are looking into getting a dog. We found a 1.5 year old retriever/lab mix rescued dog we'd like to adopt. Does anyone have any advice or experience with adopting a dog they could share? I had a border collie for 16 years, so I know what I am getting into for care of the dog, but we got her has a puppy. I'm not quite sure what I should be paying attention for in adopting a dog. The dog, from what we have seen when we met her, seems great. I am mostly concerned about possible health issues arising from a rescued dog.
Me and the wife got our dog when she was roughly a year old. Supposedly she spent the better part of that year in the SPCA. When we got her we were just going to look, we walked into the kennel area, as soon as we got to her cage, she put her front paws up on the cage bars, smiled at us, and gave us the puppy dog eyes "please take me home". So we asked to take a look at her, we put her on the leash, brought her up to the front area, and she was not scared of anyone, she went over to a cat and just smelled it. So we thought she seemed very friendly, wasn't skiddish at all. Which was basically is what we were looking for in a pound dog friendly, so it seemed she wasn't beaten. Our only thing was, she was a husky lab cross, with the one blue one brown eye, and a very beautiful dog. So we wondered why she was still there. But we took her home, and she is the best dog we could of hoped for. She is about 3.5 now.
We got Buddy as a 3 or 4 year old adult. He is amazing. He is very submissive and at first was shy around us. We just did what we thought we should...be consistent with bathroom breaks (we weren't sure if he was house broken when we first got him, so give LOTS of chances to go potty with lots of praise and a keyword phrase when he does go outside like he should), were very gentle with him so that he wouldn't be intimidated by us, gave him daily walks, etc. Most of it is just a no-brainer. Adults are easier than puppies (though with traditional command based training, I think it takes them a little longer). Just be consistent. Buddy is absolutely an amazing part of our lives and loves us to death. I think adopting an adult with a dubious past often result in a pet that is almost grateful to you and as a result is exceptionally loyal and loving.
As far as rescue and shelter pets go, the odds of you having a complete medical or behavioral history to go with the pet are slim. The odds are slightly better if the animal has been fostered for any point of time, and has been observed in a "home" setting. The longer the animal has been with the organization, the more information you will have to go along with it. The best thing you could do is talk to the people who work with this dog and ask about its personality, how it reacts with other dogs/cats/toys/children/adults (men and women), how it is on walks (calm/excited/skittish/interested/etc.), if its been sick while under care of the organization, etc. If you do decide to go through with adopting this dog, I would recommend taking it to the vet to get it evaluated so you know what the health status is. A good physical exam can reveal an underlying problem, or show that it is a happy, healthy dog. Basic bloodwork (blood count, biochemistry panel, and electrolytes) is optional, but can evaluate liver and kidney function, and screen for an underlying disease process. On the upside, if the bloodwork comes back normal, you have baseline normal values for this dog if it gets sick in the future. Other suggestions for adopting a dog: 1. Puppy class or some sort of basic obedience class - Something like this can help foster the bond between you and your dog. It can also help engage your dog in a controlled social setting with other dogs and people. Also...a basic level of training can only help the situation. Nobody likes a dog with no manners. 2. You don't know what this dog has experienced before it came into the shelter, so go slowly. Don't just drop this dog into new situations left and right and expect it to act like a rock star. The dog, and you, will need adjustment periods. In keeping with this theme, keep the first week or two you take the dog home with you quiet, to give it time to adjust to the new setting, to you, and to the way the household works. Then you can start adding activities and outings into the schedule, and watch how the dog reacts to each situation, so you know what to expect for the future. 3. Consistency is key - Training, bathroom breaks, mealtimes, allowed and unallowed behaviors. All of it has to be consistent or you will end up with a confused and uncertain dog. 4. Crate - I'm not sure how you feel about crate training, but I personally think that it is a great idea. Does this mean that you need to lock the dog up everytime you leave, and use it as punishment? No. As a shelter dog, it has most likely been crated a significant amount while there, and is used to the small space. Having a crate that is its space, can give it a safe escape if it is feeling overwhelmed in the house. Also, you don't know if it has separation anxiety, or is destructive, so it's not a bad idea to crate it while you're gone in the first few weeks after you bring it home, until it has adjusted to the new living situation, and you have learned to trust each other. Leave treats and/or toys in the crate with the dog to encourage a positive association between the dog and the crate. Also, if you ever kennel the animal, or heaven forbid, it has to stay at the vets, it will be in a crate, and it is significantly better for all involved if being in a crate does not stress the dog out.
Goodbye Mr. Bonz. You were the best friend I could have ever hoped for. 15 years by my side. I know you'll always be watching over me, howling like crazy. He was pretty handy with a 'saber His ears were like 75% of his total body. He could be found like this about 22 hours a day. Ohhayhi A little piece of me he left this world wearing. I'm 1000 miles away from home so I said my goodbyes this afternoon on Skype. When he heard my voice on the computer he went over to the door and was waiting like he always does whenever I come home. I lost it right there. RIP Bonzie
I need some advice on a cat. My mom just passed away so I took in her ~10 year old cat. I've had him here since Saturday morning and all he does is want to hide. He is familiar with me as I would be at my moms house fairly often. He has eaten a little, I haven't saw him drink any water. He's using his litter box but I know he did pee under my bed at least once. Yesterday he was a little better but now today he's just hiding again. What works good for getting the pee out of the carpet? I have some carpet scrub stuff but I am still getting whiffs of it.
Industrial grade carpet spray. I've got Folex Professional Carpet Spot Remover. And then buy some "No Spray" of some kind so he stops doing that. And close your doors. Mine is doing this also, because I haven't had his balls chopped off. That's happening ASAP because I'm tired of the literal pissing contests.
So my roommate (and landlord) finally gave me the okay to get a dog. The fun begins! I'm set on adopting and thankfully there are LOTS of good looking dogs up for adoption in this area. Any advice or suggestions from those with adopted dogs? I'm thinking I'll get a young dog 1-2 years old that has been in a foster home so it is housebroken and hopefully better adjusted than a shelter dog. I'm leaning towards getting a Labrador retriever, and crossing my fingers it could be trained to hunt (but not depending on that). Just because I miss having him around- here's a photo of 'ol Hobie (my former roommate's dog). Spoiler
We got a black lab mix back in September. We were told she was mixed with German Shepherd and her sisters at the rescue were that black and brown that Shepherds tend to be, but when we took her to the vet, she thought there was also some pit bull in her. But she is the best dog. We got her as a puppy, but she is very trainable. She only barks when playing and LOVES other dogs. Best of all, the vet doesn't think she's going to get bigger than about 50 lbs, so not too big either. Good luck, you'll want to take them all home!
I'm visiting this guy on Saturday and the adoption agency requires a home inspection so I'll have some additional time to think it over. Crossing my fingers he's not a complete shitwreck... Spoiler I know I shouldn't get my hopes up but TOO LATE!
The wife wants another dog, she has two already and I am having to say no to the idea a lot lately. Until I found Boxer pups on craigslist, always wanted one of those, I haven't had a dog of my own before so I am starting to rethink it. Anybody here have a Boxer? Pros/cons? The wife has a Lab and a Golden now but 3 dogs just seems like overkill to me.