Would you Pick Your Dog All Over Again?

Beanie

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#41
Auggie, a thousand times yes. Just... a thousand times.
Payton, yes. Definitely. As much as he has driven me to tears of frustration, I love him so much and am glad he's in my life.

As for Pepper, I guess you can put me in the horrible camp. I love her desperately, I really do. And yet she is the opposite of the kind of dog I like. She is MY girly and she's here to stay, but if I had my choice of dogs, Pepper would not be it. If I could have lived my life without ever having brought her into my home and falling so much in love with her that I hated being without her... I would have done so.
I have said before that I picked my boys, but Pepper picked me.
 

oakash

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#42
Suzie: Absolutely. She is pretty much the perfect dog. She's lazy and mellow, and she isn't a challenge at all. She's the kind of dog you could stick in any family and she'd just fit in. I love her to bits. She's like the lazy version of me. You don't notice her because she just does the right thing all the time.

Jack: Same as Suzie. I would in a heartbeat. He is the bounciest, happiest, fastest, most playful dog I've ever met. And he has an off switch and sleeps like a log. At the dog park he doesn't stop running. He gets so many comments as he speeds by people. He jumped through my window from outside once because the screen was out. He had the brains to take a running start too. He makes the whole family laugh every single day, he's a hoot.
 

Kimbers

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#43
Schaffer wasn't my choice, but yes, I'd take him again.
And then I'd do everything, all our training and socialization, differently. He's an amazing dog, and if he'd been trained differently, he'd be completely perfect.

With Kailey, it's the same thing. Now if you offered me Kailey's clone four years from now, I'd turn it down, but she's a great dog for this point in my life. I hope to have a more serious agility dog in a couple years, but I couldn't handle that at this point.
 

PWCorgi

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#44
I may be the odd one out for saying this, but I ABSOLUTELY plan on having issue dogs in the future. Maybe not for keeps, but definitely at least fostering. I enjoy the work that Frodo and I have done with his people and dog issues, and yeah, I'm really really proud of how far he has come. It's not Frodo's dog issues or people issues that limit us (and maybe I should have been more clear about this in my first post), it's the SA that I can't stand :(

We are working on it, and it is getting better, but holy cow does that alter our lives. More than I would have ever thought before having to deal with it. I can totally deal with not being able to do certain things with Frodo.
Can't go to the dog park? Don't care.
Can't walk Frodo through a crowded park? Don't care.
Can't let him loose in all situations? Don't care.
Can't leave your house whenever you want/need to? CARE, ALL THE CARE!

And I think if we were in our own home, it would be a lot easier to deal with. No, letting him stress out and bark is not a good solution, but if I had to stop by the house quick, I could. But living in an apartment makes it NOT AT ALL OKAY because we risk noise complaints and eventually the apartment building saying we have to get rid of the dog.
On that same token I would not take in any more issue dogs while living in an apartment, but down the road when we have a home of our own, I totally would. Just not SA if I can help it!
 

yv0nne

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#45
I would never pick Squirt again ..he's 19yrs old& he was PERFECT for 6yr old me to play with. He came from a puppy mill (my parents didn't know at the time) and he is terribly food aggresive& also very wary of people. He is my love but if someone said here's a dog& described Squirt, I would pass. At 6, I wanted a Yorkie. We couldn't find a breeder so we got a mix about a year later after searching for a breeder for forever.

As I grew up, I realized I still loved Yorkies but they were better off with someone else. I wanted a running partner& then, an agility partner. We researched& I got put on a waiting list for a Vizsla. Since bringing her home 4.5months ago, I simply couldn't be happier. I got a 37lb lap dog who wants nothing more than to have me love her. She has DRIVE .. she is smart as a whip& yes, some days I wonder why I ever brought a psycho high-energy dog into our world but then I come to my senses and realize she's absolutely wonderful for our world!
 

milos_mommy

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#46
I would totally take in more dogs with issues, by choice. Dogs who are food aggressive, dog aggressive, fear aggressive with strangers, can't handle crowds, dangerous and inappropriately protective in the home, SA, etc.

I would not take in another dog who is all of the above.
 

MandyPug

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#47
Yes. Izzie was supposed to be a border collie from the humane society. That border collie went to live with a nice couple of doctors who run long distances every day.

Izzie is a great dog and I have adored her from day one. Even though we struggle sometimes in agility and other activities I love working through things with her... Well it's more of me struggling and Izzie going "well if you don't know what you're doing I'm not going to listen to you" lol.

So yeah, I would pick her again in a heart beat as most of our problems are me anyways lol.
 

Shai

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#48
I may be the odd one out for saying this, but I ABSOLUTELY plan on having issue dogs in the future. Maybe not for keeps, but definitely at least fostering. I enjoy the work that Frodo and I have done with his people and dog issues, and yeah, I'm really really proud of how far he has come. It's not Frodo's dog issues or people issues that limit us (and maybe I should have been more clear about this in my first post), it's the SA that I can't stand :(
You're not alone lol. Working through everything I have with Web & Kim as well as helping friends, family, clubmates, and (briefly) students work through issues is just immensely satisfying to me. That Webster is even functional now much less able to focus and compete and have fun at, of all things, dog agility trials...that Kim is my bombproof sidekick with insatiable curiosity and willingness to try anything and trust me utterly... I can't even describe the warmth and pride and adoration I have for both of them as a result not only of who they are but the journey that brought us here.

Mira is my soulmate and I don't mean to downplay how much I *love* how effortless our teamwork and bond is, either. To not have to generalize or worry about distractions or anything like that...to have a dog so bonded and so willing to please and engage right out of the box is wonderful too...

My future "project" dogs may be fosters rather than keepers but I plan to have issues in the future ;). Life is so carefree these days in terms of majors canine behavioral projects that I borrowed a puppy, remember. Lol
 

Laurelin

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#49
Hm... as far as dogs with issues go, I think it would depend on what the issues were for me. I would definitely not want to deal with SA again. However, I really have discovered how much I love dealing with a more 'complex' kind of dog. Summer is very straightforward and it's nice to have that around. It's never been a worry for her (aside from the SA). I can take her anywhere and she's great. She's bombproof. But Mia's sharper personality fits me much better. I am always proud of how great she is. It's been work but very rewarding.

I've really been thinking about Trey lately. I think I might would try another dog with such extreme fear issues as he had in the future at the right time. I don't have room for that right now, though. But I find myself thinking of him and how he was pretty much stuck at home because his fear was so crippling. I have so many more tools that I could use with a dog like him now though! I often wish I could just have him back for another try. I think a shut down/shy rescue sheltie is in my future. If not a sheltie, maybe a similar breed.
 
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#50
I dig it, PW.

I love how easy Squash is, and how easily we work together. He can be a little uneasy in new situations but he always acclimates and bounces back well. I love having a goofy, funny, go anywhere, do-anything, love-everyone dog. His energy and inherent mischievousness can be challenging, but at the end of the day he is temperamentally an easy, easy dog.

But at the same time, I actually LIKE some of the harder things about my other dogs.

Pip is shy and doesn't care for a lot of things. He pretty much ignores strange dogs, but he gets very worried about unfamiliar environments and fears human Stranger Danger. Definiately NOT a go anywhere, do-anything dog. But he's PERFECT for how I like to go to the dog park - I don't go to the dog park to socialize, I go for a nice, quiet hike in the woods with my dog and he's perfect for that. We just stay in our own little world, he sticks close by me, and I can zone out without worrying about where he is or what he's getting into or who he's bothering. And at home, he is the sweetest, sweetest boy.

Maisy is... Maisy lol. She's kind of dog-socially inept. The majority of the time she is fine with other dogs, and then the rest of the time... not. She can be fairly DR although her MO primarily seems to be stealthily evoking snark from other dogs and then reacting back to them. She can get completely obsessed with and distracted by other dogs in a class setting, can be a bully, and plays really roughly. She's not a dog park dog, she's not any kind of ring sports dog (oh god imagining her off leash in any venue... just NO). But she is the BEST mushing dog, the best big sister dog, as sweet as can be, loves ALL humans... and she has taught me SO much about training, patience, acceptance, and judgment (like... judging a situation and how to handle it, not being judgmental which I did just fine on my own :p) that I would choose her again a thousand times even knowing all of her quirks ahead of time.

I like having easy dogs, but I like having hard dogs, too. God help me, I actually like it. I do the things each dog is easy about with that dog - Pip and Squash at the dog park, Maisy not. Squash and Maisy mushing, Pip not. Squash at Rally, the others not. Pip and Maisy help hold down the couch when I'm feeling lazy, Squash not so much. :p

I guess part of the joy of having multiple dogs is that everyone is good at something, even if everyone isn't good at everything.
 

PawsibleDogs

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#51
Honestly, I don't know. I believe I have had every dog I've had for a reason, and that it made me a better person/owner/trainer... but had I known what I was signing up for with some of them, I don't think I would've felt capable to deal with the issues.
 

Beanie

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#52
Just to be clear, it's not Pepper's "issues" that would have me not pick her again. Payton has issues too; even Perfect Auggie has his own issues (mainly as a puppy,) for God's sakes he's got a frickin' JOINT missing in two of his toes, he is not the agility dog I dreamed he would be, chronic pee problems because he is too ADD to just empty his bladder all at once, so on and so forth.

Pepper's temperament is just the exact opposite of what meshes well with me. It's who she is, not her issues (because I don't think of Pepper's issues as who she is.) Psychology tells us you cannot change a personality. Her personality, unlike her issues, cannot be worked on or trained.
It doesn't really matter though because despite the fact that she is all wrong for me (and truthfully, my household is probably wrong for her as well) I love her anyway, and she loves me, so there you have it. But I wouldn't do it again if I had the option. Like I said, if I could go back in time and never bring her to me... if instead she were placed in a home with, say, a middle-aged woman who just wants one dog and only one dog to curl up on the couch and snuggle with her all day... instead of ever coming to me and saying "you are my person," and I saying back "you are my girly"... I would have her story end that way instead.
 

Shai

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#53
Just to be clear, it's not Pepper's "issues" that would have me not pick her again. Payton has issues too; even Perfect Auggie has his own issues (mainly as a puppy,) for God's sakes he's got a frickin' JOINT missing in two of his toes, he is not the agility dog I dreamed he would be, chronic pee problems because he is too ADD to just empty his bladder all at once, so on and so forth.

Pepper's temperament is just the exact opposite of what meshes well with me. It's who she is, not her issues (because I don't think of Pepper's issues as who she is.) Psychology tells us you cannot change a personality. Her personality, unlike her issues, cannot be worked on or trained.
It doesn't really matter though because despite the fact that she is all wrong for me (and truthfully, my household is probably wrong for her as well) I love her anyway, and she loves me, so there you have it. But I wouldn't do it again if I had the option. Like I said, if I could go back in time and never bring her to me... if instead she were placed in a home with, say, a middle-aged woman who just wants one dog and only one dog to curl up on the couch and snuggle with her all day... instead of ever coming to me and saying "you are my person," and I saying back "you are my girly"... I would have her story end that way instead.
That actually makes perfect sense to me. For all our "challenges" with Kim and Web, their underlying personalities have been great matches from day one, which makes it ever so much easier to work through little things like guarding, various anxieties, lack of self control, inappropriate social behaviors, etc. We may all have our shortcomings, but we understand and genuinely like each other, above all else.
 
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#54
Oh absolutely and without a doubt. Of the six dogs we've had (that number includes the three we've lost) and all the issues and heartbreak we've had over them, I still wouldn't change a thing. They've each brought just a little "something" to our family.
 

StillandSilent

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#55
Pepper's temperament is just the exact opposite of what meshes well with me. It's who she is, not her issues
I get you totally. That's the reason I'm not keeping my foster dog Folly, even though my entire family thinks that I'm nuts. She's the perfect size, friendly with all people, children, other dogs, cats, small animals. She's housetrained, gentle, would make an awesome therapy dog, non destructive, quiet, rides well in the car...etc. You name it, she sounds perfect. There is almost no home that I would consider a wrong match for her.

But her personality makes me twitch. She's such a LAB! She's a total lovewhore for anyone who pays attention to her, she's always silly, always happy, always up for meeting people. For 98% of homes, she's exactly what they need. A dog who doesn't need much exercise or training to be a great family pet. She's just not for me.

and let me also make it clear that saying I love Gambit and would choose him again does not mean that I would have another coydog. I was fortunate to get what I did with him, and I know it could have been much worse. Next time I'll go with his BC side instead.

I will probably always have a dog with issues, since I do work well with them and am in a good position to foster them (single woman, no children, able to spend a ton of time with them, in with a great behaviorist).
 
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#56
Oh I honestly didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else is a big meanie for saying "no"....

It's odd, sometimes I don't completely understand the concept of "what kind of dog is right for me" because all of the dogs I've had have had pretty different personalities and I don't know that I could recognize or articulate any particular feature that makes a dog "right" or "wrong" for me. I've always said that I don't think I would mesh well with most herders and many terriers, but at the same time I can't really say exactly why. So it's just a hard concept for me to wrap my mind around sometimes. I don't mean that in a judgey way, but in a "I don't get this" way.

Maybe someday I will live with a dog I totally don't mesh with and I will have a moment of clarity. Or maybe there isn't such a dog, maybe I'm just that much of a doggy doormat. :p
 

Laurelin

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#57
Ada was one of those totally wrong for me kinds of dogs. I have no idea how to even explain it. There was a lot I liked about her- decent toy drive for one. She was very athletic. But oh man am I not equipped to deal with such an independent dog. I would've kept her if I could have though.

Trey was totally wrong for me too in other ways.

Summer's love for everyone drives me batty sometimes but overall she's a decent fit. She's just too nice sometimes. Nikki and Mia though fit me like a glove. Mia even moreso. I just like the bitchy ones. lol
 

GoingNowhere

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#59
yes, I'd absolutely want to take Boo over again.

She's not quite as bombproof as I'd like and can have reactivity issues with certain people at home, but her temperament fits well with me and for the most part, I can take her wherever and do whatever I want to do with her.

My next dog I'd like to be just like Boo except maybe a bit less prey drive outside, not reactive, and maybe a little more motivation to work.
 

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