I have dog want... BAD. Help?

Laurelin

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#1
Ugh... I've been doing good until I dogsat Beau and Rose for a week and a half at my place. It was perfect and now the house feels empty. I keep catching myself thinking that maybe now wouldn't be a bad time to add another dog. Probably something smallish though. It's been three years since I had a herder in the house and it still feels wrong. :(

I think part of it is just my fear that Summer is old and Mia has bad knees and what if a year from now I have no dog to train with? I'm not that social and a lot of my new friends since moving have been from agility and dog class. That's a lot of what I do outside of work (that and church group).

I sometimes wish I was a little more impulsive and not so anal about everything being perfect. The only hangup is that I rent. My landlord told me they just wanted to be told if I added any pets so as not to catch them off guard. I have a backup place I could move to but would rather not. My lease here is up for renewal in october so if I want to move then I'd have to then.

Oh and if you're wondering why not Beau full time, it's complicated. My little sister was really upset about the idea and Rose didn't do well as an only dog either. I just don't know that its fair. :/

I keep telling myself that the smart thing is to wait. 2 years isn't that long to wait. Gah.
 
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MandyPug

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#2
I feel your pain. Izzies eyes are going to go eventually and she'll be 4 on Tuesday. But I'm not in the position to get a puppy nor can I really have one. If I just brought one home it would likely be okay but I can't take that chance.
 
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#3
Well I'm not sure what kind of help you're asking for - talking into or out of - but honestly if it were me and it was financially doable, I would probably just start seriously looking for a third dog.

BUT I think my approach to this kind of stuff is pretty much the polar opposite of yours so you might want to take that with a grain of salt. :D
 

Laurelin

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#4
Yeah if I just brought one home, I know it would work out fine one way or another. Why can't I just bring myself to do it?

My two are perfectly fine right now though and show no signs of needing to quit. I don't know what I'll do if I have to call it quits with one of them.
 

Shai

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#5
A bold bratty little sport Sheltie would be awesome in your apartment.

Just sayin'
 

Laurelin

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Well I'm not sure what kind of help you're asking for - talking into or out of - but honestly if it were me and it was financially doable, I would probably just start seriously looking for a third dog.

BUT I think my approach to this kind of stuff is pretty much the polar opposite of yours so you might want to take that with a grain of salt. :D
Neither exactly. Just trying to talk it out, lol. Financially it wouldn't be a problem.

The only real issue is the renting. I keep saying I am waiting till I buy a house with a good yard. And then the fact that if I'm being logical I will have to compromise somewhat on the breed/age of dog. My landlord requires dogs to be older than 1 year. So if I do this, then it will put off my dream sports puppy. But honestly either way I have been thinking lately I will probably end up with 4 dogs at least until after Summer is gone. I always said three was my limit and I might have to eat those words.
 

JacksonsMom

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#8
Yeah if I just brought one home, I know it would work out fine one way or another. Why can't I just bring myself to do it?

My two are perfectly fine right now though and show no signs of needing to quit. I don't know what I'll do if I have to call it quits with one of them.

This is pretty much how I am right now.

I know if I brought home another dog right now, it'd be fine, and I'd make it work, and I'd probably be really happy with it and all would be good.

But then I think about things WAY too much and my brain begins telling me otherwise and to be more responsible. Also, I'm so hung up on different breeds, but then I think it'd be really stupid to bring in a larger breed at this point in my life, when I don't KNOW if I'm going to be renting, etc. It's just "easy" with one (or even two) smaller dogs. But I don't want to get a second small dog asap just because I want one.

It's complicated.

So I hear ya. I think you're much more stable than I am though, and I really think you'd be fine with adding a third dog.

In the mean time, I'm going to attempt to find an agility class SOON, so I can just start doing things with my current dog and try to take my mind off a second, lol.
 

AgilityPup

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#9
See, if I were you, I'd totally have another dog... but look at how many dogs I currently have. I'm all about if you can afford it, and it's the right time, and everyone involved is okay with it, do it.
 

Baxter'smybaby

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#10
can you foster? Would that fill that space for awhile? Or maybe, you should just "shop" a little....never know the perfect dog might be waiting for you. (I know...I'm a big help, right?) Truth is, you are a great dog owner--you think things through, you tackle what you need to...you did the Beau thing to see if that worked--so maybe now IS the time to find your next family member?
 

CharlieDog

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#11
Honestly I'd probably bring a young dog or pup home nowish. By the time the pup is competing mia will be what four? And summer ten?
 

Laurelin

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#14
See, if I were you, I'd totally have another dog... but look at how many dogs I currently have. I'm all about if you can afford it, and it's the right time, and everyone involved is okay with it, do it.
I grew up with 6 dogs in the house at a time a lot of the time so it's still weird just having two.

Honestly I'd probably bring a young dog or pup home nowish. By the time the pup is competing mia will be what four? And summer ten?
In two years they'd be 5 and 10. That's when I was planning on the third. My two dogs are so easy these days. Mia's really matured lately too into a good off switch. I miss having a crazy puppy. :p

It's hard because my family has told me I'm insane for thinking of doing it and it's a bad time. But I think they'll be against it whenever I get one regardless. And either way it's going to happen in the next 2 years. I don't know why I even should consider their opinion since I don't live with them.

I definitely would need to talk more with the landlord. Maybe I could talk them into a puppy since I do so many classes and such with my dogs. Their big concern is that a puppy would pee all over everything.

I really hate renting.
 

Laurelin

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#16
I would totally take a Pippa or a MAS too. Or a cardi...

Summer's not super old, is she? I train with a (pretty competitive) 12 year old papillon who still drives over equipment.
She's 8 right now and a sturdy, healthy 8 year old. She is still really drivey and fast for her age. Definitely the fastest dog in her class. I just worry about her getting up there and eventually saying she's through. Right now there's no signs that that is happening though. I know I am probably worrying over nothing.
 

CharlieDog

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#17
I would definitely talk to the landlord. If they give you the okay, I don't see why not really, if you are financially secure and have the time to raise a puppy, I'd start looking.
 

Shai

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#18
In two years they'd be 5 and 10. That's when I was planning on the third. My two dogs are so easy these days. Mia's really matured lately too into a good off switch. I miss having a crazy puppy. :p
Hey I can totally understand this. In two years mine will be 7, 7, and 5. Being bigger dogs they probably won't be competing as long, though it's hard to say and it depends on what we'd be competing in too. So on one hand I need to wait but as I start doing the math, I'll probably want to be getting my next dog 3-4 years from now so s/he can tag along to whatever my still-competing dogs are doing.

But I really really miss crazy puppy antics. Which is why I'm "borrowing" the puppy this fall lol. And from what I understand she is a think-as-we-go fearless drivey sh** of a puppy so we are going to have a blast. She met a lake at 6 weeks old and just ran in and started swimming, along with one of her brothers...lol

I guess if I were you I would look and see if the right dog pops up. If not then you wait, but look. Because when you're looking with a real "I can actually take this dog home" vs. "I'm just looking"...well for me that tightens the criteria quite a lot and the field of prospects narrows considerably. If there's still a standout and you're ready...go for it. It's your dog, your life, not your family's.
 

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