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I think I have lost my mind.... we looked at puppies last night! ((someone, knock some sense into me QUICK!!!!))
Anyway, we decided puppies may be a bit much for us. The house training may send me over the edge. Also, we began thinking of all the things a puppy could chew: computer wires, the legs on our new table, our leather sofas, the kids toys (ds was very concerned about his legos!!!! ) Sooooo maybe a grown dog is better.
So has anyone had success with getting a dog from the pound?
Also, with ds's allergies, I think we have to go with a poodle! DH is not too keen on poodles. Any good poodle stories I can share with him?
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Our dog is from the pound...he has had a variety of issues over the years but we love him to pieces. I don't think any dog is completely problem free, health wise...kwim. Is that what you mean by 'success'?
We wanted a puppy...so he was perfect for us. He's a big dog and needs a lot of exercise and interaction. We did puppy training classes and then some private training when he got a little bigger. I think training is really important for any dog of any size, they need to listen to their owners for their own safety.
He's a shephard mix and very protective of me and the kids and our property. He's 14 now and pretty creaky, I'm sad to think that he won't be with us much longer but he's had a very full and happy life with us.
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I got the most wonderful border collie/sheltie mix puppy from the pound when I was in college. Pandy was just the best dog that ever lived. She passed away at the ripe old age of 14 and I still tear up when I think about her.
As soon as Riley is a little older, we will definitely get a new dog from the pound and it will most likely be an older dog. Not one of their last legs, just not a puppy. Now that Riley is potty trained, I am not anxious to have to train anyone else! I think its wonderful you are thinking about adopting from the pound. Ask a lot of questions. Research what kind you are looking for before you go in. You need a breed of dog that will work with your families dynamics, not just the dog with the saddest eyes, KWIM? I can't wait to hear what you get.
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All of our dogs have been from the Humane Society. We have had some of the best dogs ever! Even people who don't like dogs have made comments like, "IF I were to ever get a dog, I'd want one just like yours." We tend to get dogs that about 3 years old. They are past the puppy / teenager stage at that point and usually some effort at training has gone on. The Humane Society does evaluate the dog and will write up a little report about house training, obedience, potential problems, etc. For instance, I steer clear of a dog that is reported to be 'food aggressive'.
When walking through the kennel I look for a dog that is quiet BUT eagerly looking at the gate. Usually tons of dogs are barking in the kennel so one that feels like they don't have to participate is nice. I look for a dog that will look me in the eye and wag its tail. I also look for a dog that does the 'submissive bow'. Many people go with an eager dog who gets up and puts their front paws up on the gate. That kind of dog is more assertive than I'd like. I want a dog that bows to indicate they are wanting to play but recognize that I'm in command.
Whenever I go to the Humane Society I usually want to take half a dozen dogs home. My advice is don't rush. Visit the dog a couple of times. Your Humane Society may allow you to put an 'interest reserve' on a dog which is like 'right of first refusal'. They'll call you if someone else want to adopt the dog and let you have first crack. If you have other pets, especially another dog, you can bring your dog in so the two can meet in a private room. You can also play with the dog in a private room and see how it responds to you and your children.
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I have gotten dogs/puppies from the pound, and they were all good. Needed lots of love, and vet visits for shots and spay/neutering. As for poodles, in my experiences they tend to be pretty aggressive and hostile at times.
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We have had two dogs from the pound. Both constantly ran away from us...and I think that is why they were in the pound to begin with! One was also very skittish, no matter what we did...and in turn, it made US skittish to have her around the kids.
We were in your same shoes last year...and really wanted to get our 6 year old a dog. We opted to look for an OLDER puppy. We found Zoey, a toy sized JackRussel/Rat Terrier, who was 4 months old when we got her. She was past the constant peeing/pooping/chewing..but we HAVE definitely gotten some. She is a super sweet dog, loving to all of us, gentle with the kids, etc. We fight with her on two issues. One is chewing on things like Barbie dolls, army men, and things made with soft plastic. We have done all we know to do to stop it...but for now, we are just being as careful as you can (with six kids!) in keeping things picked up. I figure that since she is not even a year old yet, eventually she WILL outgrow this! The other thing we fight with is potty training. She is a tiny dog (we expected her to be about 10 pounds, but she is only 6!). I guess that it is common for small dogs to have problems with this area, but it is SO frustrating. She doesn't even comprehend what we are telling her. She knows the word, "outside', but she doesn't associate it at all with pottying. We are diligent about taking her out, but the second we turn our backs or she gets the urge, I find a puddle or pile somewhere in the house..usually without ever knowing she did it. Again, this is something I hope she does eventually outgrow with age. If not, hopefully we can eventually find a way to at least limit it. As it is, we are down to about twice a week now...and I shampoo carpets often!
Having a dog, no matter what age they are, is a lot of responsibility...and just like you never know what kind of personality you get with the birth of each child, you also don't know with each dog!! They all have their quirks..and they all have their positives! Good luck..I do not EVER, even in the middle of cleaning up puppy poop (!), regret Zoey!!
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Originally Posted by southern_belle_mommie
I have gotten dogs/puppies from the pound, and they were all good. Needed lots of love, and vet visits for shots and spay/neutering. As for poodles, in my experiences they tend to be pretty aggressive and hostile at times.
IMO, any dog can be aggressive and hostile. It all depends on how their raised, treated and trained. We known people with poodles and the dogs were/are sweet and gentle. Just like we know people with rotties that are sweet and gentle...it all depends.
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We got the most wonderful cocker spainel from a dog adoption. the nice thing about her was she was given up by a family with children. We didn't have children when we got her, but when ds was born she was wonderful with him (we also had jack russell that we had gotten as a puppy and when ds was born, she had to go live with my parents because she was not good with him). The only bad thing was they told us she was 3 when we got her and the vet said she was more like 7 or 8, so we had less time with her. My sister also got a dog from the humane society and they actually let her call the people who surrendered her and ask them questions and the reason they gave her up was because she wasn't good with there children, but that was perfect for my sister because she is single and does not want children. So, my advice would be try to find out the background of the dog.
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Also, reserach the dog breeds on the web. There are a TON of breed specific sites that you can adopt purebreds from. And, many of these breed specific rescue places know the dogs & thier personalities very well.
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We got our shepherd/terrier mix from the pound. He is the best dog. We got him when he was 8 wks old and yes I had a couple pairs of shoes ruined but he was amazinly easy to potty train. The only bad thing about him is he barks at everyone who walks by our house. However the vet said thats normal for this type of dog its the protector in him. Bottom line he was the best 50.00 we ever spent.