Spin off: have you ever adopted/kept a dog using your heart exclusively?

[Chicabonbird]

...did you ever regret it? Or if regret is too strong a word, feel that maybe you might have been happier being more logical, or inserting some logic in there?

I'm talking despite the logical reasons it wouldnt work, you did it anyway.

Spinoff on the one that got away thread.

My story: i have the opportunity to adopt this dog I've fallen in love with. 8 month old chihuahua. Right hind leg amputation. Knee surgery on left hind leg (there was some kind of accident. Waiting to talk to vet for more details).

And I'm terrified. Logically not sure it's a great idea when my dog and I go for long hikes and have an active lifestyle. This little one cant keep up ... would she be happy sitting those out or sitting in some kind of dog carrier on me, or would she be better off as someone's lap dog? And could I afford another surgery if she needed it? Etc etc

But her personality is PERFECT. the way she gets along with my dog is PERFECT. she is just, otherwise, Perfect!

So...go

 

[pinkspore]

No, of course not. I can't imagine feeling that way.

But seriously, this is my pretty princess dog. I did not need a pretty princess dog. I wanted an agility/disc/everything superdog. This one came along and I decided to keep him because I was sure he would be a real dog if I just treated him like a real dog.

I was wrong. He's not a real dog at all. He can't keep weight on unless he has a heated bed to lay on all day, and he shuts down in anything under 75 degrees so he's probably actually some sort of fancy lizard. He's also a ridiculously slow learner and gets way more excited about a basket of warm laundry fresh from the dryer than any sort of food or toy. I thought about doing therapy work with him but he refuses to interact with anyone but me most of the time.

So we make the best of it. He's basically a Barbie doll anyway.

I'm sure he'd be perfectly happy as someone's lap dog, but he's a good little hiker and rides very nicely in a purse if he's warm enough. Sometimes he'll actually run with the real dogs, but only if it's warm enough.

I keep him around because he barely counts as a dog. He eats almost nothing, his leash is a string, and his crate is smaller than most hamster cages. If it's cold and he wants to ride in a purse, I barely notice he's there and he seems to be invisible to most people even when his head is poking out. If the trail gets too rough and I have to carry him, it's no big deal. His biggest expenses have been his dental and, you know, accessorizing...

Obviously this makes me a terrible monster. Poor little Ru.

 

[Chicabonbird]

Hahahaha oh my goodness I LOVE Ru!!!!!!!!

Is that pink photo photoshopped or is he dyed that colour? So cute.

I hope I didn't come off a certain way in my question. Regret is a strong word. I guess I'm over thinking things and worrying about what kind of life the dog would be happier having, as well as me ... chihuahuas are my FAVOURITE, my dog is part chihuahua, my mom and sister each own one, and we've always treated them like normal dogs. But this girl I'm talking about specifically isn't.

So I especially appreciate your perspective. Love the little carry purse, I will need to find one to take her on hikes if she comes home with me. and your description of a fancy lizard. Love it.

Does Ru rule the roost or do your bigger dogs? They are gorgeous as well, by the way.

Thanks again Pinkspore.

 

[Chicabonbird]

Ps sorry to go off topic...

Can you explain how you tied that string around him to make a harness (purple)? My mom's chihuahua has collapsing trachea but hates the heaviness of a real harness for walks.

 

[straw]

Venice was an illogical decision although not entirely impulsive - I met her a month before I brought her home. I was in university, with absolutely no plans for where I would go or what I would do after, only that I knew I'd be back in Ontario where she might be considered pit bull type and therefore illegal.

But I got her. Because I was in a bad place mentally and she reminded me of my one that got away.

In many ways, she is not what I wanted. I wanted a super-confident, loves-everyone happy-go-lucky dog. She is not. She is easily stressed and has some persistent fear issues. But in a lot of ways, she is also things I didn't realize I wanted - things that have nothing to do with her anxieties, like her athleticism, responsiveness, and eagerness to train.

I definitely don't regret getting her. She is the best dog I have ever had, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. She has taught me so much about having a fearful dog, has taught me to be more patient and about being truly gentle. There is some weird tiny niggling feeling about her that I can't put my finger on. I myself am having trouble identifying what it is so putting it into words for others seems impossible.

Maybe it's just that she has some traits that, in another dog, would cause me to run away screaming. I certainly have absolutely no desire to deal with this level of fearfulness again, but she herself I adore and don't think that being more logical at the time of her adoption would have helped at all.. If that makes any sense.

 

[SpaceMutt]

Well, this could get depressing fast but Tulip was sort of that dog for me. And we all saw how that worked out.

She was just such a love in the shelter, all our meetups with her went so well that my heart kinda got me to forget the logic (she's a herding breed - do I even like herding breeds really, or do I just know a bunch of sport people who love them and it's rubbing off on me? She's busy and frantic and of two types known to be kinda guardy and pushy in different ways, will that work in a household with another guardy dog, when I have no real desire or room to crate and rotate long term? Etc etc) I THOUGHT I was being logical (hey, I could use a dog who's better at sports - a herding/terrier mix would be GREAT at that!), but really I just fell in love with her cute little face and sweet demeanor at the shelter, because to give some perspective, some other rescue dogs I was looking at included an older three-legged bloodhound, older labs, some sighthounds...

My heart brought her home against all good sense, and my heart was also the thing that made me keep trying with her past when I knew logically that it was unlikely to work out within the parameters I work within. She was a lovely dog and she was re-adopted quickly; I can see many homes that she could work in, but mine wasn't one of them and I let my immediate affection for her override that.

Now I know: no matter what my heart tells me, I personally will regret it tremendously if I get the wrong "type" of dog for myself and for Astro. I imagine it depends on how flexible you are and how specific the requirements are. Turns out I'm pretty dang specific in what I want, Astro even more so, and I literally cannot live with certain types of dog and stay grounded myself. For me it also meant coming to terms with the fact that some of my goals are not compatible with the type of dog I actually want to live with day in and day out. I'm not sure anyone can tell you one way or another how you will react, unfortunately, OP.

 

[SpringerLover]

Gabby.

Nothing I wanted in my next dog, but she's perfect.

Wanted/got
Black & white/liver tri
Boy/girl
Adolescent/7.5 years
Healthy/hip & elbow dysplasia, PRA

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[pinkspore]

Hahahaha oh my goodness I LOVE Ru!!!!!!!!

Is that pink photo photoshopped or is he dyed that colour? So cute.

I hope I didn't come off a certain way in my question. Regret is a strong word. I guess I'm over thinking things and worrying about what kind of life the dog would be happier having, as well as me ... chihuahuas are my FAVOURITE, my dog is part chihuahua, my mom and sister each own one, and we've always treated them like normal dogs. But this girl I'm talking about specifically isn't.

So I especially appreciate your perspective. Love the little carry purse, I will need to find one to take her on hikes if she comes home with me. and your description of a fancy lizard. Love it.

Does Ru rule the roost or do your bigger dogs? They are gorgeous as well, by the way.

Thanks again Pinkspore.

He was dyed that color! I do that every year or so for the sheer amusement of it. Ru loves to play with my real dogs, but he is definitely aware that he is tiny and vulnerable. He doesn't rule the roost, even the cats only run away when they feel like being chased. The big dogs tolerate him very well though, when he plays he's always right on the line between 'actual playing' and 'berserker rage' and they humor him anyway.

Ps sorry to go off topic...

Can you explain how you tied that string around him to make a harness (purple)? My mom's chihuahua has collapsing trachea but hates the heaviness of a real harness for walks.

It's actually a Midnight Pet paracord harness and matching leash. One of my local shops sells them for about $6-8 per piece. http://www.brisbanesbarkblog.com/2014/03/product-review-midnight-pet-lite-and-e.html

 

[StillandSilent]

I saw Gambit's face and knew he was meant to be mine. Never mind that I didn't need two dogs. Never mind that he was 5 hours each way away from me. Never mind that upon showing his picture to a rescue friend, she looked at it and said 'yeah, do you see the schitzophrenia in that dogs eyes? Don't do this.' Never mind any form of common sense.

So I did it. And my cute little 'aussie mix who is a little shy but warms up right away and follows us around like a baby' turned out to be a 'coydog who was born feral and has never bonded to a human in his life.'. Time brought out aggression issues that would have been a total dealbreaker. Of course, so would 'coydog' and 'born feral'

I love him. God, I love him. I have invested countless hours and money in training, in behaviorists, and in medications. I took him to an animal communicator even though I knew it was BS.

But if I knew then what I know now? I wouldn't have made the drive to get him. I will never give up on him, or place him in another home. He is my coyboy until the day one of us takes our last breath.

But it's hard sometimes. Day to day, things are quite easy. But he is aggressive with strangers, and especially with kids. I can't board him. Every decision I make, from trips to even going out for the day has to be made with Gambit in mind.

I think he's as happy with me as a he would be anywhere. But he's an awkward mix of being far to tame and habituated to people to go to any sort of sanctuary, and too wild to be a complete pet either.

 

[BostonBanker]

Meg was my "bad" decision. I wanted an agility dog/go to work at the barn/go hiking dog. She was a 1 year old cur who hadn't ever been in a house, had a scarred up elbow that she limped on, was reactive with dogs, and she was terrified of everything. I agreed to foster her, and she wound up being the one I couldn't let go, even if I was sometimes calling friends crying because she was too scared to get out of the car and I didn't know what to do.

Suffice to say, it worked out just fine. She never limped again after the first month or so I had her, her off leash skills are far beyond what I could have expected from a hunting breed, her reactivity is manageable, and she had enough desire to please that it overrode her fear and she turned into a fantastic first agility dog for me.

Ironically, Gusto was much more thought out and much more the "right" dog from the outside, and he is the most challenging dog I've ever worked with. At this point, I'm convinced dogs are essentially a crapshoot.

 

[Samsonyte!]

In some ways I feel like Wilson is this dog for me, although my intent was always to keep him. I do feel like he would be better off somewhere rural and with a more stable owner. He's a very nervous dog who is very very sensitive to my emotions, and I'm a very anxious person. I also like to travel a lot and he gets nervous in new places, and lots of new people make him uncomfortable.

But I do think he's my heart dog, and I knew that the second he stepped out of the airline crate. And while he isn't the confident, go anywhere puppy that I wanted, he is the agility dog that I wanted. He is the hiking and outdoor adventure buddy that I wanted. He even ended up liking camping quite a bit even when there were people he didn't know. And he's taught me so much patience and he helps me with my anxiety even when we kind of feed off each others anxieties at times. And he is improving with his general nervousness and fear towards strangers. It's gonna be something he probably struggles with for the rest of his life but I couldn't imagine giving him up for it now.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

11238457775_4d5b893c89_o by Meagan Blanchard, on Flickr

&

DSC_0222 by Meagan Blanchard, on Flickr

DSC_1454 by Meagan Blanchard, on Flickr

I have 0 regrets. Neither were ideal times (work, living, school, ect ect), both stole my heart for some unknown reason and I couldn't turn away. Though Harlow isn't ideal, she was a great dog for my first dog and she's an awesome hiking and companion dog, which is what I wanted from her. Tulsa was supposed to be a puppy from another breeder a few years down the road but she fit the bill perfect and now she's my soul.

So yeah, it does work out sometimes. The only "logical" dog we've gotten was Rider and though he's great, he's nothing like the dogs that were driven by my heart.

 

[Jadex]

Had I known what I know now I would not have gone and adopted Gypsy. I love her and I'm glad that she is with me now, but I would never want another dog like her again.

 

[sassafras]

Pretty much every dog I've ever had, lol.

Except Toast. I did have a good long think about Toast. Still mostly heart, though.

 

[Julee]

Shouldn't have kept Bloo. Didn't live in a good situation to keep Bloo.

Still not the best, but much better.

Still my heart.

 

[busannie]

I brought Bus home just for the night to see how he was in a house (housetrained? ok with cats? kids? etc), and once he ignored my cats, tolerated Annie being mean to him, greeted my 5 yr old cousin like they were old friends, and took himself for a swim, I knew I'd regret it forever if I didn't keep him. I didn't even find him visually all that appealing (he was roly poly fat, thin hair, ugly structure, lol), and though he played ball he wasn't as intense as Annie, which I hoped would improve a bit with fitness and drive building. I got more than I could have hoped for in that department, and he's still otherwise (almost) perfect.

 

[TexasRanger]

Oh, yeah. But I still love them.

Wanted a smaller dog with a good temperament and low energy.
Got:

Insane, BYB mix-in-match that has the energy of a cheetah X squirrel X Thoroughbred and the temperament of a badger on crack. But, at the rip age of 2, he is a good lapdog. :banana:


Was thinking of a medium sized, older dog.
Got:

Wolfish, prey drive from hell, puppy obsessed, velcro dog. Who I now want to clone and have one till I'm a 100.

 

[MericoX]

Lincoln was picked from the heart. Saw his picture and knew I had to have him. Practically unemployed I made it work. He's such a weirdo sometimes and naughty as hell but he's mine and I love him to bits.

I let Nimbus onto the bed one night when I fostered her. Stuck her in a little dog bed at the foot so she was away from the other dogs but still with us, didn't want to get attached to this gross, crusty, stinky little Schnauzer. She stood there and with her whole being wagged that little stub. I lifted up the covers and asked her if she wanted to snuggle. She literally melted into me, there may have been some sobbing involved, and that was it, she wasn't going anywhere.

Charlie used to be my sister's. She kept her mostly crated and away from my dogs. I never really saw her or my sister would flip. This craziness, mind you, was living in the downstairs bedroom. Sister was finally moving out, she wanted to be rid of dumbie, and I said I'd take her. I traded an old cell phone and $100 for her. It took me three months to get her to the point where a raised voice or arm wouldn't send her running and urinating. She doesn't fit here, she loves everyone she meets, the only dog my mother favors, too polite for her own good. She's such a good dog, though I feel sometimes too good to be here.

And then there's Ollie. I don't know what really possessed me to keep him. I think maybe having to return another foster pup that stole my heart. I wouldn't change it, he's completed the pack. He's a crack weaseling wombat, such a fun dog I can't wait to do more with him once the weather gets better.

Basically I've stopped thinking logically when it comes to acquiring a new pet. I let my heart lead me... you only live once right?