getting very frustrated looking for a dog to adopt

[hwillm1977]

People down the road are giving away free puppies. DH checked, and they are basset/lab mixes. I think I need to see them just to see what on earth they would look like. Maybe if they gave them a cute name (bassador?), they could sell them for top dollar??? My next door neighbors had a pit bull/weimeraner mixes that they sold for $100 a piece!!!! I couldn't believe that they could get people to pay for what was essentially a mutt!

I call my lab/pit bull mutt a Pitador... or a Labrabull. Makes her sound all fancy And if you don't actually say 'pit bull', then people who meet her aren't immediately afraid of her...

Breeder dogs can come with issues too, any dog can... we have one rescue dog (from a rescue where the dogs stay in foster homes, not a kennel or shelter) and one dog from a breeder. The dog we bought from the breeder is slightly unstable around strangers, will lunge and if given the chance would probably bite (he's never been given the chance)... he's extremely fearful and reacts with aggression to anything that makes him nervous... at home with just the two of us he is a fantastic dog, but anywhere in public is overwhelming for him. We're working on it, but it's a very slow and tedious process. It took 6 weeks to have him sit still and not panic when we rolled the blinds up in the living room... so walking down a public street without a muzzle might take a while He loves his agility classes though, so he goes there once a week... and he did pass his CGN, so he's got potential... it's our fault really for not socializing him enough with strangers as a puppy.

Free, yep... Daddy died this past winter... Cesar has a new puppy that he's been taking with him for a while now, Junior... he's going to try to fill Daddy's shoes with the new guy.

 

[savingdogs]

Okay Pat, here is my take on this. And let me start by saying I'm a rescue volunteer of over 12 years and I've placed over 300 dogs in adoptive homes that I personally fostered. So this is my field of expertise here and I just had to chime in. My life's work has been helping dogs find correct homes.

What you need to focus on here is finding a match. While to some extent your hubby needs to be pushed or encouraged, it is important that he feels he is part of the selection process. While it sometimes workes out to "spring" a dog on someone, other times it does not. If your husband is a part of the selection process then he will be more committed to getting the dog adjusted into your household routine and working with the dog over the long haul. That is why those organizations are insisting. It never fails if he is NOT crazy about the dog, that will be the person whose shoes the dog chooses to chew and who the dog never warms up to. It is better to take your time and find the right dog than push the issue and just hope for the best. Dog is the loser sometimes, that is why they won't meet you without him.

One thing your husband is doing however you need to ask him to be more open minded about. The issue of looks. You should choose what type of dog you want and then go for a dog with a great personality. Personality is so much more important than color. Better things to be choosy about (beyond type of dog or breed) is health, temperament, age, stage of training and energy level that matches your own. A dog that has already been around kids and cats would be helpful. All of these things should be considered before color. Usually the best labs in rescue groups are the black ones because they are plentiful and people always want yellow or chocolate. So there are more black labs to choose from and more "good ones" left. In my first years in rescue I concentrated on black labs because there was such a high number of them being put down at our humane society because of the sheer volume of black labs and their unpopularity compared to the other lab colors. Old labs can be some of the nicest dogs.

Labs can be very active dogs and also often love to chew so be ready to spend money on chew toys. They often go through a hyperactive stage around 10 months especially if not spayed or neutered so be ready for obedience class and morning jogs. They are usually the kind of dog that needs plenty of exercise and throwing a ball works well. Usually the best years with a lab are age three and up. They like direction and being told how to behave. In your situation I would not recommend two dogs at least until everything is working great with the first dog. I work at a boarding kennel and I have to say, the labs are some of the nicest ones we work with and some of the ones that are most beloved to their owners.
Good luck! Let me know if I can be of any assistance in your dog search....it is my specialty, helping people make matches.

 

[big brown horse]

Great post SD!

May I add that for a very cheap chew toy cut off the legs of an old pair of jeans and tie them in a knot in the middle. Sylvie shared this tip with us a while back and it has really saved me tons of money on chew toys. My rambunctious St. Bernard can't even destroy them and when they get gooey, I just pop them in the washer with the next load of clothes.

 

[Beekissed]

I will be looking for a companion dog for my Jake if Lucy has to be finally sent to her resting place and I am nervous about it also... but I have found that the best dogs come to you, not you to them.

I have found my best dogs when not really looking for one and these dogs needed me.....and then I found out that I had needed them also but just didn't realize it.

So, in the interest of being "open" for a dog, I am putting up my antennae....not really actively looking for a dog that I may like but leaving myself open to opportunities of making a new friend.

I think looks are important also....if the dog doesn't look good to you, its less likely you will like it as much when it brings a smile of pleasure to your face when you see it. Color and form are important in so many areas, why not in animals also?

I know I find pretty horses more attractive and pleasing, pretty sheep also, same with chickens...why not a dog?

Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants....you and hubby need to look~or not look, just let it happen~ for this dog together and see which dog tugs at your heart the most.

 

[MsPony]

Yes, be prepared for the ultimate chewing, especially in an American Lab mix! I have alwaysd had them, and me ALab is the worst, everything goes into his mouth. The good thing about them, is they chew, so I don't worry about pressed and rolled rawhoides like I do with the pits; the pits inhale and choke whereas the labs chew to the very end.

 

[MsPony]

Yes, be prepared for the ultimate chewing, especially in an American Lab mix! I have alwaysd had them, and me ALab is the worst, everything goes into his mouth. The good thing about them, is they chew, so I don't worry about pressed and rolled rawhoides like I do with the pits; the pits inhale and choke whereas the labs chew to the very end.

It won't let me edit lol.

They are heavy chewers/mouthy dogs because they are heavily bred for hunting. my dog trainer looks at Jaxon and everytime says "you know, he really just needs dead ducks lying around." Also be prepared for a strong sniffer, the ALabs were bred with bloodhounds...mine happened to throw a strong recessive bloodhound gene and if he wasn't papered we would swear he's 50/50 :/

 

[Beekissed]

I can't say enough good things about Labs and Lab mix dogs...they are the only kind I've ever owned. They are intelligent and receptive to your emotions and wants, gentle with kids and other animals and completely trainable. At least, the ones I have were....maybe I got lucky?

I'm currently boarding a Rotty that has never been socialized or trained and I can't even get her to look me in the face, she is that hyper and jazzed. When I use a stern voice she doesn't even know that this means serious trouble....she is completely and totally oblivious to cues or even normal doggy behaviour.

Poor thing stays in a crate all day while the owner is at work and never gets to socialize with people or dogs, so this might be a factor, but I could never live with a dog like this. Too mindless, too little attention span, too little intelligence.

 

[MsPony]

Bee, remember under every "neglected", under-cared for dog is a intelligent dog that WANTS to be good

I take my neighbors pit that's the same circumstances, with a little consistent structure and some mental activity is an amazingly well behaved, intelligent pit.

(Although my puppy truly does have stupid moments, like yesterday when he randomly fell off the back seat and couldn't figure out how to get back up again.)

 

[miss_thenorth]

I would have to agree with Mspony. I have had privy to many dogs over many years, and my rottweiler is my absolute favourite. I couldn't begin to say enough good things about him. Best dog I ever had. the only thing bad i an say is he eats alot, and I only say that because I make his food. My other dog, the one who suffers from dementia, her days are numbered, and we have already semi decided that we will get another rotti.




Pat--Good luck with your dog search. I also have reservations about getting pre-owned dogs, (cuz I have seen alot of heartaches becasue of them.) Be picky and be patient. The right one will come along.

 

[hennypenny9]

Years ago, after our old dog died, the deer started eating everything my mom planted... She reached her breaking point one morning when she found what had been some perfect blossoms eaten down to the stalk. We tried the animal shelter, no luck. Looked in the newspaper, and drove for about an hour way out the Key Peninsula. Phoebe, an Australian Shepard came out to greet us along with a couple other dogs. The owners were selling their farm and couldn't bear to bring her to an apartment in a city. She was living with horses, cats, chickens, and goats. So... Yeah, she's good with animals. She loves chicks, and will try to herd them, and cry if she can hear them, but can't be near them. We hadn't told my step dad we were getting a dog. His reaction? "Oh. Okay." He now adores Phoebe.

I'm sorry it's taking you longer than you want, but I just know that you'll find a great dog.