Hello

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

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!

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.