The dog musing/vent thread
- Thread starter Laurelin
- Start date
I've been quite conflicted about where my next dog will come from for YEARS now. While I want to like and support responsible breeders I've seen just how many problems (health and behavior) my friends have gone through even with buying from a breeder. It's really just a crap shoot anyways.
I change my mind every day it seems, but lately I've really been sticking with wanting to select a rescue pup in the 4-10 month range. So I have a better idea of adult temperament than 8 weeks.
There are two dogs needing fosters right now that I would jump on in a heart beat as "potential next dog." If not for a few other factors right now.
I change my mind every day it seems, but lately I've really been sticking with wanting to select a rescue pup in the 4-10 month range. So I have a better idea of adult temperament than 8 weeks.
There are two dogs needing fosters right now that I would jump on in a heart beat as "potential next dog." If not for a few other factors right now.
That is EXACTLY where I am.
Unless I end up with a pup from a friend or a chazzer I think it's going to be a rescue pup. We've had awful luck with breeder dogs and health. It seems like so many breeders are just **** too. I have not had many that wanted to be forthcoming with information. Maybe I just suck at picking them but after 3/4 of my last breeder puppies had issues.... well. Mia was kind of a nail in a coffin. At least for now. I've found a lot of breeders are way more concerned about selling a dog and hiding things that could hurt their reputation than producing good puppies. Maybe it's better in other breeds. I'm not sure.
Our mutts and BYB dogs? Healthy and sound! Show bred dogs? Er.... not so much except Summer. I might as well save a life and take a crapshoot that way I guess. Or I'll just get a newspaper dog so at least there's no ridiculous contracts associated and I'm only out a couple hundred vs nearly $2000 on a sickly but pretty dog....
I'm really thinking this next one will be a rescue unless a litter is born to a friend/chazzer that fits. Someone I've known for a while and have an idea that they're a good person with the dogs coming first in mind and not profit. I'm just up to here in dog world politics.
Right now I'm sitting here trying to figure out if I can feasibly sneak a puppy into my duplex. I keep trying to justify it by saying I am in the process of buying a house so it doesn't matter. Unfortunately I think the rescue will ask where I live and verify that.
But she's sooooo cute.
Wonder if my landlord/realtor would go for it.
Someone tell me there will be cute adoptable puppies and dogs of breeds I want in a few months.
Unless I end up with a pup from a friend or a chazzer I think it's going to be a rescue pup. We've had awful luck with breeder dogs and health. It seems like so many breeders are just **** too. I have not had many that wanted to be forthcoming with information. Maybe I just suck at picking them but after 3/4 of my last breeder puppies had issues.... well. Mia was kind of a nail in a coffin. At least for now. I've found a lot of breeders are way more concerned about selling a dog and hiding things that could hurt their reputation than producing good puppies. Maybe it's better in other breeds. I'm not sure.
Our mutts and BYB dogs? Healthy and sound! Show bred dogs? Er.... not so much except Summer. I might as well save a life and take a crapshoot that way I guess. Or I'll just get a newspaper dog so at least there's no ridiculous contracts associated and I'm only out a couple hundred vs nearly $2000 on a sickly but pretty dog....
I'm really thinking this next one will be a rescue unless a litter is born to a friend/chazzer that fits. Someone I've known for a while and have an idea that they're a good person with the dogs coming first in mind and not profit. I'm just up to here in dog world politics.
Right now I'm sitting here trying to figure out if I can feasibly sneak a puppy into my duplex. I keep trying to justify it by saying I am in the process of buying a house so it doesn't matter. Unfortunately I think the rescue will ask where I live and verify that.
But she's sooooo cute.
Wonder if my landlord/realtor would go for it.
Someone tell me there will be cute adoptable puppies and dogs of breeds I want in a few months.
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I'm on an ACD breeder group on FB and it is very, very interesting to read people's logic in random threads. It gives you a great idea about what they are all about. Most of them are interested in 'bettering' the breed, and they do put thought into their breeding program...but I don't always agree with those thoughts . I know which breeders I would be interested in, in the future and which I wouldn't touch.
There was a breeder on there that had a litter of three puppies, one puppy was supposed to go to one of the Dog Snobs writers. The boy puppies ended up with an inherited clotting disorder. The puppies were euthanized, the parents and grandparents tested to find where it stemmed from, and the dogs that contributed to the mutation were altered and are out of the breeding program. That is just so excellent, and it was great that they put that information forward.
Then I watch other threads..discussions about say PRA or elbow dysplasia. Someone that is willing to breed an affected PRA dog if everything else is good. "Don't want to create a genetic bottleneck!" Willing to breed a dog with mildly dysplastic elbows. And a fair OFA rating. But then another thread comes up.. "Would you breed an ACD with floppy ears?" everyone says HELL NO. So...you would breed an affected PRA dog before you would breed one with floppy ears? Makes no sense to me.
. I know which breeders I would be interested in, in the future and which I wouldn't touch. There was a breeder on there that had a litter of three puppies, one puppy was supposed to go to one of the Dog Snobs writers. The boy puppies ended up with an inherited clotting disorder. The puppies were euthanized, the parents and grandparents tested to find where it stemmed from, and the dogs that contributed to the mutation were altered and are out of the breeding program. That is just so excellent, and it was great that they put that information forward.
Then I watch other threads..discussions about say PRA or elbow dysplasia. Someone that is willing to breed an affected PRA dog if everything else is good. "Don't want to create a genetic bottleneck!"
Willing to breed a dog with mildly dysplastic elbows. And a fair OFA rating. But then another thread comes up.. "Would you breed an ACD with floppy ears?" everyone says HELL NO. So...you would breed an affected PRA dog before you would breed one with floppy ears? Makes no sense to me.
That is EXACTLY where I am.
Unless I end up with a pup from a friend or a chazzer I think it's going to be a rescue pup. We've had awful luck with breeder dogs and health. It seems like so many breeders are just **** too. I have not had many that wanted to be forthcoming with information. Maybe I just suck at picking them but after 3/4 of my last breeder puppies had issues.... well. Mia was kind of a nail in a coffin. At least for now. I've found a lot of breeders are way more concerned about selling a dog and hiding things that could hurt their reputation than producing good puppies. Maybe it's better in other breeds. I'm not sure.
Our mutts and BYB dogs? Healthy and sound! Show bred dogs? Er.... not so much except Summer. I might as well save a life and take a crapshoot that way I guess. Or I'll just get a newspaper dog so at least there's no ridiculous contracts associated and I'm only out a couple hundred vs nearly $2000 on a sickly but pretty dog....
I'm really thinking this next one will be a rescue unless a litter is born to a friend/chazzer that fits. Someone I've known for a while and have an idea that they're a good person with the dogs coming first in mind and not profit. I'm just up to here in dog world politics.
Right now I'm sitting here trying to figure out if I can feasibly sneak a puppy into my duplex. I keep trying to justify it by saying I am in the process of buying a house so it doesn't matter. Unfortunately I think the rescue will ask where I live and verify that.
But she's sooooo cute.
Wonder if my landlord/realtor would go for it.
Someone tell me there will be cute adoptable puppies and dogs of breeds I want in a few months.
Unless I end up with a pup from a friend or a chazzer I think it's going to be a rescue pup. We've had awful luck with breeder dogs and health. It seems like so many breeders are just **** too. I have not had many that wanted to be forthcoming with information. Maybe I just suck at picking them but after 3/4 of my last breeder puppies had issues.... well. Mia was kind of a nail in a coffin. At least for now. I've found a lot of breeders are way more concerned about selling a dog and hiding things that could hurt their reputation than producing good puppies. Maybe it's better in other breeds. I'm not sure.
Our mutts and BYB dogs? Healthy and sound! Show bred dogs? Er.... not so much except Summer. I might as well save a life and take a crapshoot that way I guess. Or I'll just get a newspaper dog so at least there's no ridiculous contracts associated and I'm only out a couple hundred vs nearly $2000 on a sickly but pretty dog....
I'm really thinking this next one will be a rescue unless a litter is born to a friend/chazzer that fits. Someone I've known for a while and have an idea that they're a good person with the dogs coming first in mind and not profit. I'm just up to here in dog world politics.
Right now I'm sitting here trying to figure out if I can feasibly sneak a puppy into my duplex. I keep trying to justify it by saying I am in the process of buying a house so it doesn't matter. Unfortunately I think the rescue will ask where I live and verify that.
But she's sooooo cute.
Wonder if my landlord/realtor would go for it.
Someone tell me there will be cute adoptable puppies and dogs of breeds I want in a few months.
Time will tell the whole story but so far I have had much better luck health-wise with my breeder dogs. Granted both boys have a better chance of hitting 16 than either of the girls, but we will see what happens and what sort of quality of life they have as seniors. Hopefully they will all live to twenty and be pain-free and able-bodied the whole way /optimism
Lets see....
Shack- GSD mutt fine but hip problems as he got old. Died at 12
JR- BC mutt. fine his whole life. Died at 12
Pete- field trial lab. Died young in accident. Healthy prior
Rosie- BYB sheltie. Died young of unknown causes (we suspect poison)
Nikki- BYB sheltie. Died of CHF at 12. Good temperament. arthritis
Trey- sports/show bred sheltie. Cushings and also temperament problems. Severe temperament problems that prevented him from doing basic pet stuff. Died at 13
Beau- alive and well at 10. Teeth problems and starting to go senile. Also allergies. Good temperament
Harry- died at 11 months of epilepsy. Shy
Rose- alive and well at 9. Major teeth problems. Shy fearful temperament.
Summer- 10 and still sound so far. Good bombproof temperament. Teeth problems at age 9
Hiro- died at 16 weeks from NAD
Bernard- healthy at 6 years but teeth problems
Mia- 5 years old. 2 luxating patellas and a collapsed trachea. Antisocial and fearful
Maybe I just have bad luck in general. Or something.
Shack- GSD mutt fine but hip problems as he got old. Died at 12
JR- BC mutt. fine his whole life. Died at 12
Pete- field trial lab. Died young in accident. Healthy prior
Rosie- BYB sheltie. Died young of unknown causes (we suspect poison)
Nikki- BYB sheltie. Died of CHF at 12. Good temperament. arthritis
Trey- sports/show bred sheltie. Cushings and also temperament problems. Severe temperament problems that prevented him from doing basic pet stuff. Died at 13
Beau- alive and well at 10. Teeth problems and starting to go senile. Also allergies. Good temperament
Harry- died at 11 months of epilepsy. Shy
Rose- alive and well at 9. Major teeth problems. Shy fearful temperament.
Summer- 10 and still sound so far. Good bombproof temperament. Teeth problems at age 9
Hiro- died at 16 weeks from NAD
Bernard- healthy at 6 years but teeth problems
Mia- 5 years old. 2 luxating patellas and a collapsed trachea. Antisocial and fearful
Maybe I just have bad luck in general. Or something.
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Our mutts and BYB dogs? Healthy and sound! Show bred dogs? Er.... not so much except Summer. I might as well save a life and take a crapshoot that way I guess. Or I'll just get a newspaper dog so at least there's no ridiculous contracts associated and I'm only out a couple hundred vs nearly $2000 on a sickly but pretty dog....
I just... don't trust people. And the more I see my competitive dog friends purposefully choosing rescue dogs because of breeder issues, the more I see their logic.
Bailey was my first attempt at a responsibly bred dog. And well, ahahaha.
Then I watch other threads..discussions about say PRA or elbow dysplasia. Someone that is willing to breed an affected PRA dog if everything else is good. "Don't want to create a genetic bottleneck!" Willing to breed a dog with mildly dysplastic elbows. And a fair OFA rating. But then another thread comes up.. "Would you breed an ACD with floppy ears?" everyone says HELL NO. So...you would breed an affected PRA dog before you would breed one with floppy ears? Makes no sense to me.
Willing to breed a dog with mildly dysplastic elbows. And a fair OFA rating. But then another thread comes up.. "Would you breed an ACD with floppy ears?" everyone says HELL NO. So...you would breed an affected PRA dog before you would breed one with floppy ears? Makes no sense to me.
We talk a lot at work about evaluating the dog, not the xrays. Which is why despite my love affair with OFA, I would rather have a physical evaluation of a dog from a Rehab vet before breeding/purchasing. A dog with hip or elbow dysplasia that's (truly) not symptomatic is less concerning to me than a dog with unspecified pain.
Which is why I fit in at work as well as I do, haha.
I'm also going back and forth on breeders. I've honed in on the ones I want and they have been receptive, but I feel very certain some days that I should just go with a rescue dog. Something that's still relatively young but out of the potty training days and has its mature personality, is being fostered so I can see how they do in a home, and most importantly, I could test with Astro and potentially foster and give back, instead of driving to the ends of the earth to pick up an expensive puppy that might not work when it reaches maturity.
It doesn't help that there are a few PetFinder dogs that have been tugging at me for weeks going on months now...I just keep going back to this one hound gal who looks pretty Bracco-ish, but I wouldn't have to pay 2 grand to get her like I would a Bracco pup. And she's been at the rescue for ages, I think she's just too "big hound dog in a sea of other hound dogs" to get noticed. There's also a little spaniel that seems PERFECT, exactly Astro-sized so they'd be evenly matched, friendly to everything, sweet face, has also been at the rescue for awhile for some reason.
I will wind up with a breeder puppy at some point, I'm sure, I'm just not sure it's going to be this next dog.
It doesn't help that there are a few PetFinder dogs that have been tugging at me for weeks going on months now...I just keep going back to this one hound gal who looks pretty Bracco-ish, but I wouldn't have to pay 2 grand to get her like I would a Bracco pup. And she's been at the rescue for ages, I think she's just too "big hound dog in a sea of other hound dogs" to get noticed. There's also a little spaniel that seems PERFECT, exactly Astro-sized so they'd be evenly matched, friendly to everything, sweet face, has also been at the rescue for awhile for some reason.
I will wind up with a breeder puppy at some point, I'm sure, I'm just not sure it's going to be this next dog.
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SpaceMutt- You don't need a breeder dog, you need a Quiddich! Imagine the derp that could fill your house with two of the little buggers.
My vent- A new neighbor just moved in. She came over to introduce herself, and Gambit decided to act like King Hole and scuttle to the back of the apartment and bark like a moron. Gimmick fell on his back and displayed his...er...parts, and Quid attempted to maul her with his Quiddy love. Great first impression boys, just awesome.
My vent- A new neighbor just moved in. She came over to introduce herself, and Gambit decided to act like King Hole and scuttle to the back of the apartment and bark like a moron. Gimmick fell on his back and displayed his...er...parts, and Quid attempted to maul her with his Quiddy love. Great first impression boys, just awesome.
Man....Astro spent most of this morning rolling around with his butt in the air making his trademark whale-call noises into the couch cushions. Could the universe even continue to exist if he had another wrinkle to derp with? Wouldn't that break some sort of fundamental law of physics?
You're no help! :rofl1:
Edit: You too Julee?!
I admit defeat, I sent a PM about him. If I wind up suffocating to death under a pile of wrinkly dogs vying to be pet, I blame this forum and the enablers that inhabit it.
I second SpaceMutt's need of a Quid
Also there is nothing like being mauled by Shar Pei love. It is a daily occurrence at our house!
Also there is nothing like being mauled by Shar Pei love. It is a daily occurrence at our house!
Edit: You too Julee?!
I admit defeat, I sent a PM about him. If I wind up suffocating to death under a pile of wrinkly dogs vying to be pet, I blame this forum and the enablers that inhabit it.
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If there is a puppy right now you are interested in, I'd certainly ask. Check with the landlord first. If they okay it, talk to the rescue and explain your situation (I have landlord permission, here's their number so you can check, I'm in the process of purchasing my own home). What's the worst that happens?
As for the breeder/rescue thing, I think it is six of one/half a dozen of the other. I haven't seen an overwhelming amount more of health issues in either. I've seen just as many breeder dogs with issues as rescues (Meg is about the lowest maintenance dog on the planet health wise, other than some dental issues; Gusto's been issue free so far). But I've also known rescues with issues. I don't think "health" would ever help me make the decision in either direction.
As for the breeder/rescue thing, I think it is six of one/half a dozen of the other. I haven't seen an overwhelming amount more of health issues in either. I've seen just as many breeder dogs with issues as rescues (Meg is about the lowest maintenance dog on the planet health wise, other than some dental issues; Gusto's been issue free so far). But I've also known rescues with issues. I don't think "health" would ever help me make the decision in either direction.
I'm on an ACD breeder group on FB and it is very, very interesting to read people's logic in random threads. It gives you a great idea about what they are all about. Most of them are interested in 'bettering' the breed, and they do put thought into their breeding program...but I don't always agree with those thoughts . I know which breeders I would be interested in, in the future and which I wouldn't touch.
There was a breeder on there that had a litter of three puppies, one puppy was supposed to go to one of the Dog Snobs writers. The boy puppies ended up with an inherited clotting disorder. The puppies were euthanized, the parents and grandparents tested to find where it stemmed from, and the dogs that contributed to the mutation were altered and are out of the breeding program. That is just so excellent, and it was great that they put that information forward.
Then I watch other threads..discussions about say PRA or elbow dysplasia. Someone that is willing to breed an affected PRA dog if everything else is good. "Don't want to create a genetic bottleneck!" Willing to breed a dog with mildly dysplastic elbows. And a fair OFA rating. But then another thread comes up.. "Would you breed an ACD with floppy ears?" everyone says HELL NO. So...you would breed an affected PRA dog before you would breed one with floppy ears? Makes no sense to me.
. I know which breeders I would be interested in, in the future and which I wouldn't touch. There was a breeder on there that had a litter of three puppies, one puppy was supposed to go to one of the Dog Snobs writers. The boy puppies ended up with an inherited clotting disorder. The puppies were euthanized, the parents and grandparents tested to find where it stemmed from, and the dogs that contributed to the mutation were altered and are out of the breeding program. That is just so excellent, and it was great that they put that information forward.
Then I watch other threads..discussions about say PRA or elbow dysplasia. Someone that is willing to breed an affected PRA dog if everything else is good. "Don't want to create a genetic bottleneck!"
Willing to breed a dog with mildly dysplastic elbows. And a fair OFA rating. But then another thread comes up.. "Would you breed an ACD with floppy ears?" everyone says HELL NO. So...you would breed an affected PRA dog before you would breed one with floppy ears? Makes no sense to me.
As far as the rescue situation goes... I've had opposite luck. I went into a young rescue boy in a 3-month foster situation and he's nothing like they described. So they were either dishonest, or I encouraged behavior I shouldn't have or he had too many changes at one time... I'm not sure what it was but Rider's a damned mess.
I think many people can make a sport rescue prospect go very well (SaraB comes to mind). I don't know that I would actively seek another. And even though it isn't foolproof, genetic health testing is going to screen a lot of crap out of a dog. Just the way it is. I can't see myself going any way other than breeder in the future unless I foster something amazeballs.
Harlow is a BYB bred Boxer. I haven't brought it up to anyone, but she's been having small episodes of head bobbing every once in a while. It's very concerning and I'm pretty sure it is neurological. She also has a tendency to get UTI's on too much protein.
So far Tulsa is everything I could have ever dreamed and fits my exact definition of an ACD for temperament (I'm not looking at her structure right now and need to get her back on stock to re-eval her herding drive
). Well that was long winded. Just my view.