Why everyone should have a dog

Sunnypup

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#1
I have come to a conclusion. Every family should have a dog (with proper training of course...no hear me out :) )
I came to this realization when I figured out what Sunny and Hunter before him did in the short times they have been with me.
#1. I exercise more. Before I was lucky to get off my butt for a walk or two every week or so. Now if I DON'T go on atleast one 1/2 hour walk a day, I regret it (in more ways then one.)
#2. I eat less. On the way home from obedience training with Sunny tonight I stopped at mcdonalds and ordered a chicken mc grill meal. In the past I would have eaten it, the fries all the drink and MAYBE a shake. (such a piggy I was for a while there) Now with Sunny I eat half the food and he gets the other half. Seriously he ate more fries then I did, and his own nothing on it cheeseburger plus some of my chicken sandwich.I don't order the shake since I love chocolate and couldn't share that. So fewer calories I am consuming these days when my polite little boy does a sit, down, stay, highfive, around, dance, highfive, through manuver for most of my food :D (Now don't get all upset at me. I rarely if ever eat mcdonalds and I have a reason which I will share later down the post. And Sunny doesn't eat on training days so he is highly motivated to co-operate so the extra calories are okay for him every once and again. )
#3 He boosts my self esteem by double if not triple when he looks to me as his leader, and best friend (probably momma too). I could have probably been called clinically depressed before I met my doggy friends when I first started this job.
#4 He alerts me when someone is coming towards the house so I am already prepared before they get to the door. Very helpful if I am still in my jammys. :)
#5 I have learned self control. (No petting the pup just because he is cute, there has to be a good reason for it. )
#6 I am now prepared to deal with having an infant wake me up every hour to have their diaper changed.
#7 Improving my cooking skills. (if the dog won't eat it it MUST be bad!)
#8 Who needs a blanket when you've got a cuddly poochie pup?
#9 free fertilizer for the grass ;)
and #10 makes a great conversation starter so I've come out of my shell a bit !

Yes yes, I'm a dork and I know it.
Now for my mcdonalds rant
or rather anti-purina rant

feeding your dog purina is like feeding your kid mcdonalds every day. You can do it and they will like it but they will die at a very early age because of the lack of nutrition.

have a great night all. btw Sunny was awesome in obediance class and even let me open a door while he was in a stay across the room. never broke once! just thought I would share.
 

EliNHunter

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#2
Not to start on the anti=Purina mill, but I guess I will. I grew up with dogs who ate Purina and they were big and lived until 16 years old. Is it more recently that the food has changed genetically? Chemically? I don't have my Hunter on it just in case, but I wondered...
 
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#3
Not only have the commercial dog foods changed for the worst, the sources of the rejected ingredients are infinitely more tainted with chemicals, hormones and other toxins than they were years ago.
 

Sunnypup

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#4
EliNHunter said:
Not to start on the anti=Purina mill, but I guess I will. I grew up with dogs who ate Purina and they were big and lived until 16 years old. Is it more recently that the food has changed genetically? Chemically? I don't have my Hunter on it just in case, but I wondered...
aww, we're gonna do this again? Sorry to have started it. Yeah I gave my old dog purina and she lived to a ripe old age but the quality in a LOT of things has gone down since companies get bigger and start caring less about the people they are impacting and the product then the profits. Just my 2 cents. I just read stuff here and on other sites that processed doggy chow was bad so I give my pooch homecooked (and the occasional mcdonalds food :D )
 

necterine0

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#5
I loved your top 10 list on how it benifits you having your dog. I have to say i agree 100%.


Sunny was awesome in obediance class and even let me open a door while he was in a stay across the room. never broke once!
Congrats to you sunnypup!! that was awesome!!!!
 

Gustav

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#6
Sunny rules!!! Yay for Sunny!! :D
I totally agree with you list! Do you know my mum lost 4 stones or 56lbs in the frist year of owning her dog Barley!! It really shows how good for you they are!! :D
 

Prangus

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#7
I agree, anyone who is willing and able to have a dog should get one. The rewards are far greater than the cost. Although, a couple of your points don't work on me. For #2, I don't eat less, because I usually get a spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's. I don't think Chief should get something spicy, so he gets his own order of chicken nuggets. He does get a few of my fries though. And #4, Chief hardely ever barks. He stares out the window, but never lets me know when anyone is out there or headed for the door. On the bright side, that makes him perfect for us since we live in an apartment and he never bugs the neighbors. I'd like to add one too:

#11. Having someone greet you at the door and be exstatic to have you home is the greatest defense against loneliness and a huge blessing at the end of a horrible day.
 

smkie

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#8
Way to Go Sunnypup ..one question..no petting cause your just cuz your cute? :( How bout just cuz your loved? :)
 

smkie

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#10
I could not be me without them. I have never been without a dog...cant even imagine how i would exist.
 
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#11
I've been between dogs, but never sans dogs, and I hope that if a time comes that I can't take care of a dog, I can just tuck my tail between my legs and die peacefully.
 

smkie

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#12
Renee did i write u about the little cave girl and the four dogs? That image is so stuck in my head..when she died the dogs were sacrificed..and buried with her..one facing in each direction.the north, south.....it was a powerful statement. I see her so alive in my head with the four bounding around her..i don't believe for one second that you would ever be without a pack.they would see u off and be there to great u.
 

Debi

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#13
I agree with your list sunnypup! I can't imagine what I'd do all day without the dogs...probably get quite lazy. I live my entire life and schedule everything I do around the dogs. If I didn't have them, I would never get the exercise I do now that's for sure. (course, I'd have more flowers and a nicer yard..LOL) Dave sometimes wishes that we were more free to just up and go away on the weekend or vacation without any cares....but even he really couldn't imagine life without them to make us laugh everyday. :)
 

bogolove

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#14
If I had to choose between travel and dogs, I would get rid of the travel. But we hardly ever go anywhere with the exception of our two little trips and one big one this year. We usually hardly ever go on vacation. Luckily I have Liz down the street to help ease my pain of leaving Brady. Kitty gets to stay in her own house, so I don't worry about her feeling like she is in a strange place or anything, and luckily Brady knows Liz and Greg's house so well, so it will at least be like a second home to him.

Can you guys tell that I am really going to miss my boy or what?
 

gapeach

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#16
smkie said:
Renee did i write u about the little cave girl and the four dogs? That image is so stuck in my head..when she died the dogs were sacrificed..and buried with her..one facing in each direction.the north, south.....it was a powerful statement. I see her so alive in my head with the four bounding around her..i don't believe for one second that you would ever be without a pack.they would see u off and be there to great u.
Smkie, I'm interested in this story, where did you see it?

Sunny pup: Glad to hear Sunny is doing so good in obedience, and I also agree everyone who would love a dog should have one. I have never been without one and I hope I never am, as Renee said, the only way I will be without one is if I can't take care of one.
 

smkie

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#17
in ny History of the Dog book. Sticks in your mind doesn't it? i will have to dig it out and reread until i find the passage so i can qoute exactly
 

gapeach

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#18
I would love to see it, just sounds very interesting. I also love the story I read in school once about a lil boy in Pompeii (sp) that they found his dog with him. Would like to read it again too. Just shows you how loyal they are.
 

Sunnypup

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#19
smkie said:
Way to Go Sunnypup ..one question..no petting cause your just cuz your cute? :( How bout just cuz your loved? :)
haha, I meant for Sunny as in nilif. I get petted cuz I'm cute (by tim only of course ;) ) sorry...had to :D
 

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