I've been taking everything into account that everyone's been saying about how long I should wait. I really feel that I could give a dog a good, loving home. I also feel that I just can't live without a dog in my life.
I've been looking at a lot of dogs on Petfinder, and I recently found one that I fell in love with. He really seems like a good dog for our situation. He's a good size, (18lbs) he's house trained, crate trained, nurtured and has all of his shots. My uncle even said he could buy him for me for a birthday gift (he's $125, which seems pretty cheap for my area)
He IS about 3 hours away, so we'd have to drive out to get him. But that's where the problem is. I've only heard about this dogs personality from the person who is fostering him. I didn't ask a ton of questions because I wanted to talk to my boyfriend first. But if we're serious about him, I would call the woman who is fostering him and ask about him some more. (any suggestions on what questions to ask?) But from what I gather, he's a bit shy at first, loves to play, but is a a lap dog at heart. To me, this sounds really ideal. I asked if he barks a lot and she said he'll bark if he sees something, but isn't a yappy dog. I know dogs bark sometimes and I don't need him to be silent.
I really fell in love with this dog online, but I know that can be a mistake. We don't really have tons of money to be spending driving to and from Columbus (we live near Pittsburgh) but we can drive out there to pick him up. So really, I would just be going on what the woman is telling me about his personality, you know?
Do you think this is a big mistake? How many of you have done this? I really am committed to my pets, and I just cannot see myself returning a dog because he's too hyper or yappy. I would much rather work with him. I mean, I'm already attached and I haven't even met the dog yet. I can't imagine getting rid of a dog that I've owned for a few months.
The woman said she has someone else who is also interested in the dog, so to please let her know by tomorrow. I really like this dog already. I know it might sound silly, but I feel it in my gut, you know? I have seen hundreds of dogs recently, but this one just really stuck with me. I keep going back to him. I know making rash, emotional decisions can get you into trouble. But I also know they can really pay off. I'm just trying to get some outside opinions, I guess.
One last thing. I asked about any previous health issues, and she said he recently had puppy strangles. I had never heard of this, but I looked it up and it doesn't seem to be anything that would effect him long-term. Does anyone have any comments about this? What other questions should I ask if I am going to adopt him?
Thank you guys SO much.
I've been looking at a lot of dogs on Petfinder, and I recently found one that I fell in love with. He really seems like a good dog for our situation. He's a good size, (18lbs) he's house trained, crate trained, nurtured and has all of his shots. My uncle even said he could buy him for me for a birthday gift (he's $125, which seems pretty cheap for my area)
He IS about 3 hours away, so we'd have to drive out to get him. But that's where the problem is. I've only heard about this dogs personality from the person who is fostering him. I didn't ask a ton of questions because I wanted to talk to my boyfriend first. But if we're serious about him, I would call the woman who is fostering him and ask about him some more. (any suggestions on what questions to ask?) But from what I gather, he's a bit shy at first, loves to play, but is a a lap dog at heart. To me, this sounds really ideal. I asked if he barks a lot and she said he'll bark if he sees something, but isn't a yappy dog. I know dogs bark sometimes and I don't need him to be silent.
I really fell in love with this dog online, but I know that can be a mistake. We don't really have tons of money to be spending driving to and from Columbus (we live near Pittsburgh) but we can drive out there to pick him up. So really, I would just be going on what the woman is telling me about his personality, you know?
Do you think this is a big mistake? How many of you have done this? I really am committed to my pets, and I just cannot see myself returning a dog because he's too hyper or yappy. I would much rather work with him. I mean, I'm already attached and I haven't even met the dog yet. I can't imagine getting rid of a dog that I've owned for a few months.
The woman said she has someone else who is also interested in the dog, so to please let her know by tomorrow. I really like this dog already. I know it might sound silly, but I feel it in my gut, you know? I have seen hundreds of dogs recently, but this one just really stuck with me. I keep going back to him. I know making rash, emotional decisions can get you into trouble. But I also know they can really pay off. I'm just trying to get some outside opinions, I guess.
One last thing. I asked about any previous health issues, and she said he recently had puppy strangles. I had never heard of this, but I looked it up and it doesn't seem to be anything that would effect him long-term. Does anyone have any comments about this? What other questions should I ask if I am going to adopt him?
Thank you guys SO much.