I'm definitely torn on the idea of rescue.
On the one hand, my rescue dogs (including Mammoth) were everything I could have asked for and more. Mammoth was my heart dog, and Bailey came in closely behind. But:
1) I really, really missed the puppy stage with both of them. It sounds silly, but to be completely honest I'm a little afraid of dogs, and I was leery of both of our boys before I really bonded. But puppies...you get to know their personality when they're little, and if you do your training and socialization, you're going to know your dog's behavior patterns before he gets big enough to be scary.
2) It's hard to know what the temperament of a very young shelter puppy is going to be. There's none of the reassurance of meeting the parents to ensure that, hey, they aren't HA or dysplastic at the age of seven or eight. I know there are no guarantees...but the health testing makes me feel...less afraid.
3) To me, very few things would outright disqualify a dog, but at a shelter I would be more likely to take home a dog I felt bad for, or a dog that I bonded with based on looks, rather than something that would actually fit my lifestyle and personality.
But then on the other hand:
1) Finding breeders sucks.
2) Shelter dogs are super awesome and I know I would fall in love regardless of his personality.
3) Sometimes there are puppies in shelters.
How drivey are working GSPs? Depending on the dog I might be interested in doing some trialing or hunting work. They don't appeal to me aesthetically but I've never met one in person and I typically LOVE bird dog personalities (my dad had a setter/Brittany cross for hunting). The drool is eh...I don't mind hair all over the house but my sister's Basset...-shudder-
I like the look of Gordon Setters for sure! What are their temperaments like?
Mals are awesome from a distance, but I think I would be terrified of living with one. It will be my first solo dog, and without reinforcements I think it would just be too much dog!
I like Koolies but the expense is an object (also the barking).
I love the way Collie barks sound, actually...so it's not so much the frequency but more the tone haha. Mammoth hardly bothered me at all unless he was whining (which was most of the time) and he was a very talkative guy.
I know nothing about Vizlas! They are upper-crust dogs around here haha. -goes to check them out-
Thanks, everyone for helping me sate my puppy lust by making real plans haha
On the one hand, my rescue dogs (including Mammoth) were everything I could have asked for and more. Mammoth was my heart dog, and Bailey came in closely behind. But:
1) I really, really missed the puppy stage with both of them. It sounds silly, but to be completely honest I'm a little afraid of dogs, and I was leery of both of our boys before I really bonded. But puppies...you get to know their personality when they're little, and if you do your training and socialization, you're going to know your dog's behavior patterns before he gets big enough to be scary.
2) It's hard to know what the temperament of a very young shelter puppy is going to be. There's none of the reassurance of meeting the parents to ensure that, hey, they aren't HA or dysplastic at the age of seven or eight. I know there are no guarantees...but the health testing makes me feel...less afraid.
3) To me, very few things would outright disqualify a dog, but at a shelter I would be more likely to take home a dog I felt bad for, or a dog that I bonded with based on looks, rather than something that would actually fit my lifestyle and personality.
But then on the other hand:
1) Finding breeders sucks.
2) Shelter dogs are super awesome and I know I would fall in love regardless of his personality.
3) Sometimes there are puppies in shelters.
How drivey are working GSPs? Depending on the dog I might be interested in doing some trialing or hunting work. They don't appeal to me aesthetically but I've never met one in person and I typically LOVE bird dog personalities (my dad had a setter/Brittany cross for hunting). The drool is eh...I don't mind hair all over the house but my sister's Basset...-shudder-
I like the look of Gordon Setters for sure! What are their temperaments like?
Mals are awesome from a distance, but I think I would be terrified of living with one. It will be my first solo dog, and without reinforcements I think it would just be too much dog!
I like Koolies but the expense is an object (also the barking).
I love the way Collie barks sound, actually...so it's not so much the frequency but more the tone haha. Mammoth hardly bothered me at all unless he was whining (which was most of the time) and he was a very talkative guy.
I know nothing about Vizlas! They are upper-crust dogs around here haha. -goes to check them out-
Thanks, everyone for helping me sate my puppy lust by making real plans haha