[Syrina]

I found this forum while searching Google today.

I'm not a dog owner yet, but hope to be soon. My husband and I both grew up with dogs around, and we both think the apartment feels way too empty without a dog around. Right now we can only have one dog, but I'd like to have more than that someday.

Until then, I guess I'll just have to go home and visit and play with the dog there.

Looking forward to hearing all the good advice and stories!

 

[dogchic]

Hello Syrina!

A couple of suggested readings for you...

First is a poem that I think should be required reading before ANYONE is allowed to own a dog...it's pretty touching so you might want to grab a tissue

A Dog's Story

and the second one is...

Choosing The Right Dog For You

I hope these help you in your decision.

Remember...

"A dog wags it's tail with his heart!" - Martin Buxbaum

 

[Syrina]

You weren't kidding about the tissue! I can't imagine ever doing that. My dogs were always family. I think I cried more when my dog died than when my aunt died (I'm not a horrible person, I promise! We lived 4 states away and saw the extended family once a year if we were lucky). My dad is a retired Marine and we probably made almost a dozen moves with the dog.

I'm really hoping we can get our own dog soon but it really depends on the economy and whether I can get a job soon.

I've really got to stop reading the classifieds. It's going to be at least a month before we can even start the process of getting a dog (pet deposit, etc), so I'm just driving myself crazy for nothing!

 

[dogchic]

Haha, yeah, ummm sorry about that. But it is so very true!

Remember that your local animal shelter is always a great place to find that perfect companion. Be extremely careful with looking through the classifieds! Many, many puppy mills advertise through the classifieds and you probably won't find many repuatable breeders through that medium. (not that they don't exist, but it's rare).

Most people think that they are doing a good thing, rescuing a dog from places like that, but in reality, they are just supporting them!

Okay I'm going to stop now cause I can really get long winded about this issue. Just remember a couple of key factors when you get serious about looking (if you decide that adopting from a shelter isn't the best choice for you, and that's fine!)...

Reputable breeders don't always have puppies available! Most will have only a litter a year from the same bitch, at the most.

They will ALWAYS breed for sound tempermant and health, and are genuinely concerned for the well being of the breed.

Never buy from a pet store! These are what keeps the puppy mills in business.

Do your due diligence in researching for that perfect companion. It will be worth your time and effort.

This is a GREAT forum for tips and advice. Check back often with questions and concerns that arise.

Good Luck!

 

[Syrina]

Oh, I have no intention of supporting the puppy mills, I can assure you! I was just looking at the ads because they were there. Merely fantasizing.

We'll be heading down to the shelter to adopt an adult dog. I don't think either one of us is ready to housetrain a dog yet. Maybe in a few years when we've got the hang of pet-parenting. I'd also love to get a mixed breed, and with our apartment's weight restrictions, an adult dog would be much better all around.

If we decided on a breed that was prone to health problems, I'd go to a reputable breeder. My husband has his heart set on getting a basset hound someday (had one as a kid), and if what I've heard is true, we'll be going to a breeder.

We've also got our research to do as far as vet costs in the area, and other stuff. And training. I plan on making sure our dog is voice trained (or whatever you would call it) so we can take it to the dog park; I think the one near our house has an off-leash area.

As an aside, not all classifieds are puppy mills. My family got our first dog from an ad in the paper. An un-spayed family dog had a litter of puppies and they were giving them away. Turned out to be an awesome dog. He was with us for 13 years and the dozen moves I mentioned above. The dog my parents have now (who I may refer to as 'mine' since we got her a few years before I moved out) was adopted during a local shelter's adoption drive.

I'll post pictures if I have time later, but right now I have to run out for groceries.