Why did you choose your dog?

[*blackrose]

What made you choose your dog's particular breed (or mix)? What drew you do the individual dog? Was it a whim adoption, or did you plan for years?

Cynder was a whim for Michael. He heard Lab/GSD mix female and thought, "Why not? I like Shepherds. I prefer female dogs. And she's bound to be a big dog, and I like big dogs." She wasn't quite what he was expecting, but when he saw her he couldn't leave her where she was, so she came home with him. Probably the best whim decision he's ever made, because she is literally the perfect dog for him.

Abrams was kind of planned. I grew up with a black Labrador, and all through college I said, "I am getting a male black Labrador puppy as soon as I graduate." I think my senior year I had an opportunity to purchase a pup from a breeder, but at that time Michael and I were in the serious-relationship phase, and he wasn't ready for a puppy so it didn't end up happening. Which I guess is a good thing, because I ended up not getting a Labrador.

I started re-evaluating my breed of choice shortly after. I waffled back and forth about large dog vs small, herding vs sporting vs working, and I finally decided that I wanted a retriever, but I wanted a protective dog as well. I think that really sank in when I started looking at the various Labrador breeders in my area and their dogs either looked like show steers or like dane/lab mixes (long legs, wispy tail, huge ears, narrow face, 90+ pounds, you know the type). I wanted a Labrador that looked like, well....a dual purpose retriever. And I would rather have not gotten a Labrador than get a type that I wasn't happy with (and I still feel that way to this day). So, I turned my eyes to Chessies. Spoke with a few breeders and really liked what I was hearing. Ended up getting back in touch with a breeder and she happened to have someone drop off her wait list, soooo....Abrams. And for only ever having met one Chessie (that was crazy), I think I made a very good decision in my breed of choice.

Curly-Coated Retrievers were in the running for a bit, too, and I'm still intrigued by them, but in the end, the fact that they seemed to be a bit more on the "reserved" side as opposed to the "brash" side made me go with Chessies. (That, and I still can't decide if I like a Curly's coat or not.)

 

[Slick]

I planned for years, as far as researching breeds, but when the time was right and the right dog came along, I went for it!

For years, I knew that border collies best fit what I wanted in a dog. For a while, I toyed with the idea of getting a different herding breed such as an australian shepherd, mostly because I was being scared off by all of the "no first time owners can own a bc. All border collies need 4 hours of exercise a day" stuff that is all over online. But eventually, I realized that a lot of that was mumbo jumbo, and as long as I carefully chose the right dog, I would be getting a good fit.

Border collies just fit me. I like their biddability and drive, their ability to think through things without being too independent, their energy...just almost everything. I think I would be happy with most herding dogs, but there are small characteristics that I don't like as much in other breeds. For instance, Aussies have too much fur and bark too much etc.

When I first decided that I was finally ready to get a dog, I initially struck out over and over again trying to go through rescue and inquiring about various dogs. I was very conscientious that I lived in an apartment, and was careful to only inquire about dogs that seemed to have an off-switch inside, were quiet, and fit my other criteria perfectly. But still, I think living in an apartment really counted against me, so I was never "chosen".

I actually found Leo's posting on craigslist. Someone was fostering him through a shelter. His picture was cute, but most importantly his description perfectly matched what I was looking for. Active high-energy dog that loves to play but who sleeps and lays around in the house. Friendly with other dogs and people, quiet etc.

I sent an inquiry email and they emailed back saying they thought I was the perfect owner! Turns out the foster parent lived in an apartment, so that finally didn't count against me. I inquired more about issues and other things, and all of that seemed to check out, and a week later Leo was mine.

He is perfect for the first time dog/bc owner. Energetic, super faster learner, but with an AWESOME off-switch. He is just a fun dog with very very few issues.

 

[PlottMom]

Daisy was chosen because I was moving to my first apartment (junior year of undergrad), and I wanted a dog (we specifically chose a pet friendly place!). I think I decided I'd take one of my (now-ex)'s dogs, because he always wanted one of his dogs up at school, but lived at the fraternity and the hounds he had weren't housebroken (kennel dogs), etc, etc. So I went & took a good look at his dogs, figured the lone basset of the group would be easier to deal with crate-training than one of the 5 or 6 beagles, and took Daisy Duke home. She was a nightmare at first, but has been my best friend in the last ten years. I'm extremely lucky I decided to pick her.

Eerie we (me & the ex) bought because he'd always wanted a "big hound" and was never allowed to have one. He researched coonhounds, and we went with a Plott because they looked cooler and seemed more serious/intelligent/just different.

We bought Liz because she was Eer's mother, and I was considering making the same cross again. Also I wanted my own hunting dog at that point (Eer loved me, but not like she loved my ex!). Poor reason for choosing Liz - I hated her for probably the first year. Once we started obedience classes we really hit it off - she's terribly soft, but overall a Very. Good. Dog.

Rage I bought myself for my birthday because I really wanted a hunting dog this time (Liz is not...), and I had been on the waiting list for a year or more for a pup from the same cross (Rage was 2.5 at this point, and her siblings were doing amazing things...). The pups were born and there were only 2 females, so my friends/breeders decided to keep both, but would I be interested in a female from the same cross that had just been returned? Loved her conformation, loved that she wasn't afraid of the dark or a 'coon, drove to Ohio and bought her.

I bought Swagger at coonhound nationals (Autumn Oaks) because I saw him from a distance, he reminded me of my friend's all-white English female, and my friend Andy had wanted us to look for a pup for him. Looked at his pedigree, found out his breeder had bought his sire as a young adult and put like 4 titles on him in a matter of a year or less, and was sold. While we were at the show that weekend, Andy had an emergency with one of his beagles, so when I called & sent him a photo of Swagger, he said he couldn't afford a pup right then. I said "how about if we split the cost and co-own him?" and that is why I co-own an English dog. (I'm the queen of impulse buying.)

Autumn was also an Autumn Oaks purchase (my first year)... someone was selling feist/beagle crosses for $20 OBO I kept looking and leaving, looking and leaving... she was always still there, so I bought her for $15. She was retrieving squirrels by 14 weeks, and was the easiest puppy I've ever raised.

My husband adopted Keena after fostering/training/getting her over mange. I think his mom originally saw her at the SPCA, all mangy and sad, and told him he should foster her.

The Pom, my husband almost hit with a car last month. Lady at the address on the microchip claims it's not her dog, neighbors say it is, we've got some flyers up... if no one claims him he'll probably stick around.

Aaand... Bear was really Andy's dog, the first time I hunted with Andy I looked at Bear and said "wow, he's a good looking fella" and Andy asked if I wanted to take him to Nat'l Plott Days. I said HELL YES. And from then on, he'd spend a few weeks to a few months on & off with me until we left for California. I had dreams of bringing him out here to retire, but he passed away in March

So, to recap, the only ones still here are: Daisy, Keena, Liz, Rage, and the Pom.

 

[thehoundgirl]

I don't have a breed I wanted. I have dogs I wanted.

Buster - We were looking to add another dog and we adore hounds. I was home from school sick one day and looking at ads in the paper. Someone was giving hound pups away for free because he couldn't sell them. My mom went to look and picked out Buster and brought him home. He is a great dog and we love him very much. It's hard to believe he is 10 now.

Rudy - Rudy really wasn't.. chosen. We rescued him from an abusive home when he was 6 weeks. He was just kind of given to my parents it was that or take him to the shelter. Everyone would have wanted him so my parents took him. He is a pretty good dog.

Dixie - We wanted another dog after our two oldies passed away. She came into the shelter I worked at exactly a year after our old dog Rocky died. For some reason I just clicked with her. She was abandoned in a dark alley on one of the coldest nights of the year in December. She was 9 weeks and I told my boss my parents would like to meet her. My parents fell in love with her and we waited 3 days and nobody came for her so we took her home.

She is a great little dog and we couldn't be happier with her. She has my dad wrapped around her little paw lol. She is a sweetheart.

So we didn't really go for a breed of dog here.. we went for the dogs that needed us and we needed them too. In general I don't go for breeds after working with so many. It's about personality for me.

 

[Laurelin]

Um well I have no idea. I tend to research research research and then bring something home that is random and not what I researched.

Summer was supposed to be an Ibizan or a greyhound. But I couldn't get the roomies on board with an apartment that allowed pets. Once we moved into the place we did though they decided to allow dogs < 20 lbs. Summer's breeder knew my mom and was like 'Hey, you want Summer?' 'Okay!' and that was that.

Mia was going to be a border collie but then I chickened out and also thought a smaller dog would go better with Summer (who had terrible SA at the time). They got along great. I bought Mia pretty impulsively... Sometimes regret it because she's not what I wanted and her health is not great. But she's my heart girl and been the best dog.

Hank... Almost immediately after getting Mia I wanted another dog. I went through about every herding breed and a few others. Pyrsheps, koolies, shelties, aussies/MAS, and BCs. I'd have done fine with any. I would still be interested in these breeds in the future.

But the last few months I had really been drawn to a rescue. Partially because Mia had been so poor in health, partially because I will admit that I am just burnt out with the whole deal and just no longer believe in the whole show/breeding scene. I've just seen too much crap to want to deal with that again. Separating the good from the bad can be tedious and yeah... just didn't want to deal with it. Another reason was price tag. I'd be looking at $2000 or so for ANY of the breeders once you added in travel or shipping. I also started looking online and realizing the local shelters and craigslist got in some neat dogs. Particularly noticed that this area was saturated with cattle dogs and cattle dog mixes and that they don't always leave the shelters unfortunately . I started checking petfinder daily looking at aussies, border collies, and cattle dogs coming into shelters.

Ultimately I went with a shelter grab. I liked the idea that *I* could evaluate him. I wouldn't be at the mercy of a rescue who would X me out because of work. I just walk in, check out the dog, if I like him give them their $50 and walk out. In addition you're giving a needy dog a good home. Win-win. And if he washed from agility due to health or temperament... well I'm not out $2000 again.

So I did just that. I HONESTLY would not have gone to see him if he'd been labelled a terrier. I do think he has a lot of terrier in him but thankfully he was labelled as a cattle dog so I went to look at him. I liked his energy, liked the way he related to people, liked his interest in food and toys. So I chanced it. I'm glad I did. He's just the best dang dog ever. He's drivey and fun and stable. Excessive energy to burn and a fantastic off switch. Very athletic, game for anything. Super biddable and trainable. Easily motivated. Quick learner. Fun but with a real serious streak. He's not obsessive, not reactive. Swims. Plays ball. Tugs. Friendly and Confident. Just a GOOD, FUN dog. I cannot get enough of working with him, it's just so much fun. I wish I knew what he was because I'd want another. I do think he is PROBABLY a rat terrier x cattle dog just by the temperament I see in him and the opinions of a lot of dog people. Every cattle dog person I've met in real life, including a few breeders have said they believe he's a cattle dog mixed with terrier. But I'd totally buy that he's just a big rat terrier. Or even a cattle dog x JRT. Or even a feist. I will never know. But dang, he's fantastic.

I'd be very interested in a borderjack or borderstaff in the future because I think it would be likely to capture what I like in Hank but in a more predictable and well bred package. Or I may continue shelter grabbing Spotty Dogs, who knows. There's tons of Spotty Athletic Dogs around here.

 

[teacuptiger]

This is gonna be cheesy. Prepare yourselves.

Roxie is the dog that I've always wanted. We practically speak the same language. We work on the same brainwaves. She is the shadow to my Peter Pan, and she sowed herself right to me the day she met me.

After I lost Buddy, I wanted to adopt a dog. I didn't necessarily want a mixed breed, but Roxie is who I found. I had gotten a little attached to a dog I met at a different shelter the day before, but my family did not want him after he jumped up on my little sister. He was big and dark (some sort of Dane mix) and his name was Nero.

While I still wish I could have taken him home as well, Roxie popped at me. I can not imagine having gone home without Roxie. Yeah, I had pictured Nero at home in my head, but it never lasted long. I never really thought of ways to convince my family to adopt him, either. But with Roxie... I looked in her eyes and all I could say was, "she fits".


So yeah. That is how we chose Roxie. Everyone agreed with me, and my dad and sister missed a Badgers basketball game, but we got Roxie.

For my next dog, I've really got my heart set on a Greyhound. I've already been daydreaming about walking Roxie and a Greyhound down the street and taking them places and how the home alone situation would work out (Greyhound in a crate, loose, or do I get two more ex-pens for him? And it's gotta be a him since I doubt Roxie would be happy with a sister).

It's been more than a few years in planning, even though I waffle between breeds sometimes, but I think a Greyhound is right for me. I've been into sighthounds even while I still had Buddy, planning future dogs lol. But now I am set and ready.

 

[sassafras]

Well I have a habit of falling in love with random individual dogs regardless of what breed I think I'd like to research.

Pip... we had lost our greyhound and I was too sad to think about getting another, so I was looking on petfinder for the most un-greyhound like dog I could find. I believe I was searching boxers when Pip came up and I just knew I had to meet him. And then when I met him I knew I had to take him home.

Maisy... we had lost the late, great Roxy and for the first time in my life I wanted to try to get a similar breed/mix as a previous dog (she was a gsd/rott). So I was searching petfinder for rottie mixes and we met a bunch of dogs I just didn't click with. I had been avoiding meeting her because her name at the foster was Roxie, but pretty soon she was the only one left I had any interest in that I hadn't met, so off we went and fell in love with her. She is not at all a rottie mix, lol, but there you go.

Squash... I had been casually thinking of adding a puppy to our household sometime in the next year when I started following the story of his oops litter online on a different forum and at some point I just had a really overwhelming moment of feeling "hey that's my dog," so I succumbed and filled out an application. The stars aligned and his first owner agreed that he was the best match of the litter for me, and the rest is history.

 

[Larkest]

I had been looking for a set of characteristics, and had originally planned on a few different breeds that I had wanted to look at. I had tried to go the breeder route but I either couldn't find what I was looking for, or I just didn't "click" with what I did find.

I then tried to look into breed rescues, but the adoption requirements were just very silly most of the time, and I found it more stressful than fun or enjoyable to look through those.

I had been visiting a friend in Ohio and she knew that I was on the hunt for a dog so she suggested we visit her local shelter. I hadn't gone in expecting to find what I wanted, but I was open. I met with a few dogs, and for one reason or another was hesitant or just didn't make the right "click". I'd been browsing the dog display and happened to see a dog a bit larger and older than what I'd originally gone in for, but something about her just seemed "right". I asked to see her and kept feeling drawn to her, and everything about her matched what I had been looking for. :]

After bringing her home, the first few weeks have been very promising together. She gets on well with my cats, is housebroken, is quiet, and has a very affectionate nature. :] I wouldn't trade her for the world and I'm so very glad I decided to take her home.

 

[Equinox]

Roxie's and Squash's stories make me so happy. And Hank! Man, I'm so glad Hank's been working out so well

What made you choose your dog's particular breed (or mix)? What drew you do the individual dog? Was it a whim adoption, or did you plan for years?

As most people already know, I essentially chose German Shepherds because I liked the way they looked, and because of the way they were portrayed by media and those who love the breed. I had a very romanticized idea of the breed and also no clue that breed/type would matter so much.

After I was already set on a GSD, I started doing research. Mostly in order to find a breeder, but then I realized how much there was left to learn so I kept at it. I think I looked around for about a month or two before I put down a deposit, because having a puppy was my #1 priority. So it wasn't a decision made on a whim, but I also could have done a much better job of planning things.

Ironically, Trent did not come from the litter I originally had my deposit down on, and in fact I was unsure about his dam when I first met her (her obedience demo was beautiful, but she took a treat too enthusiastically and drew blood from her handler/breeder...LOL I was such a wuss!!). I wanted a puppy out of the gentle, calm black/red male that had greeted me at the gate.

As it turned out, when the litters were born there was not a male available for me, so my deposit was moved to another litter born around the same time. And once again, ironically, Trent was my LEAST favorite puppy in the litter :rofl1: I didn't want a puppy that dark, he was so small, etc. But the breeder picked him out for me and frankly, he couldn't have chosen better. Now I kinda prefer darker, smaller, angrier GSDs (even though Trent actually grew up pretty big, ugh).

As far as next dog goes... well, I've been doing research for the last 4+ years at least and my preferences have changed quite a few times. Still learning a lot, though I have a much better idea of what I want, what I can handle, and how to find the dog I want. Had been keeping tabs on a few individual dogs/breeders. Except, now there's a chance that all that planning will be for naught and I'll end up with something rather different but equally amazing.

 

[Toller_08]

What made you choose your dog's particular breed (or mix)? What drew you do the individual dog? Was it a whim adoption, or did you plan for years?

Dance: I'd wanted a Toller for a long time. I'd discovered the breed as a kid when my dad said absolutely no way to an Aussie or a Border Collie. Then we ended up randomly getting a Toller/Border Collie mix a few years later, but I still wanted a Toller. I just liked how they looked, their size, their fun, goofy, playful personalities, etc. I didn't pick Dance inparticular though and probably should have waited a bit longer and gotten the dog I'd dreamed of for years, but I adore her and in many ways she is a really great match for me. She was the last puppy left of her litter available, I met her, fell in love just because she was a Toller puppy and decided to bring her home a week or so later. I planned on adding a Toller for years, but Dance herself didn't have a ton of thought put in. I randomly found her on her breeder's "available" page on her website and inquired.

Ripley: We didn't choose Dobermans really. We adopted Winston in 2005, loved him, and then got to know Keira and Ripley's breeder really well and next thing you knew, we were convinced to get a puppy... and then another haha. Ripley was my payment for helping to raise the litter he was out of. Originally we chose him based on colour if his temperament seemed to develop in a way that would be what we liked in a dog, but as I cared for the litter, he also was just super attached to me from a young age and I couldn't help but bond with him too. He definitely wasn't planned and was a bit impulsive. We'd just lost Winston in January 2009, Ripley was born in April 2009, and my mom was missing Winston and thought another male Doberman would help. We weren't seriously thinking of bringing Ripley home though until a little while later. But I'm glad we did. He's come with his own set of challenges, but he's really a good dog.

Journey: I'd liked Aussies for years. I like that they're active, good at most activities, eager to please, quick to learn, fun and goofy, their size, looks, etc. I bought an Aussie magazine as a child and there was this photo of a really pretty red merle and I thought I had to have one someday. A few years later, I even wrote something in school for some assignment when I was about 12 talking about how I wanted to have an Aussie and we'd play frisbee on the beach all day haha. But my dad had a strict "no nippy herding dogs" rule (really, he just didn't want anything bigger that wasn't a Rottweiler) so I decided that my Aussie would have to wait until I was an adult. Then I kind of lost sight of the breed for a while, focused on Tollers after experiencing some less than stellar Aussies, but they'd always been in the back of my mind and have forever been a breed that's caught my eye. Then a few years ago working in a pet food store, a couple of really nice Aussie customers of mine encouraged me to look a bit more into the breed again as I was thinking about my next dog and what I wanted. Then I decided I didn't want a dog with lots of hair and no tail, and I wanted to decrease my chances of getting a reactive dog, so I decided to try a Koolie instead and focused all of my time and energy there. Then I had a change of heart due to multiple reasons, and Fran kept posting some super cute Aussie puppy pictures, and I decided on a whim one day to email Journey's breeder just to see what she'd say, fully expecting no pups to be available still. I had been planning on adding a dog in 2012 or 2013, and a certain dog had been planned, but Journey herself was pretty much a whim. But she was the best random, last minute decision I've ever made. I didn't choose Journey herself. Journey's breeder chose Journ for me and I'm so glad she did. She chose her based on her temperament based on what I was looking for and it's crazy how good of a fit she is for me. While I really liked Journey and she was my favourite based on personality traits, I was a bit colour blind at the time and if I'd chosen for myself, I would have chosen one of the red girls I'm sure. But now I know that colour isn't everything, and lo and behold, I strongly prefer black Aussies now anyway.

 

[Southpaw]

With Juno it was planned, we had a boxer before her and she was fantastic so... yeah. The obvious choice was to just get another boxer when she passed. And Juno is even more fantastic so that worked out well

Lucy was supposed to be an Aussie. SO. She was not planned. But my family really did not want me getting an Aussie so my mom saw Lucy's litter in the newspaper and thought it would be fun to "just look" and we came home with one.

Happy again not exactly planned. I mean I guess I've wanted a BC for a really long time but I didn't want a geriatric BC mix exactly :rofl1: But I saw her shortly after I started my vet tech job and felt bad for her knowing no one is going to want to adopt her. I knew I had the means to take care of her. And honestly I thought she was on borrowed time and would be living out her "last days" here, so I was kind of like "yeah, I can have an extra dog short-term." Well it's been 2 years.

Cajun was actually planned, as far as my mom was looking for a Dobe. We were on a waiting list for a litter and there wasn't going to be a dog for us because my mom would not budge on her color choice. At the time when we were getting this info is when someone pointed out to us Cajun's Craigslist ad, so it worked out.

 

[GipsyQueen]

We didn't even know that there was such a thing as a beauceron until we met one walking Gipsy. Gipsy and the other Beaucerons were best buds up until she passed away. We loved his personality and his looks, so when it was time for a new puppy, we did a lot of research, poked around different breeders and finally decided on Zora's breeder, who was expecting puppies.

As some of you might remember Zora was a little funny looking as a puppy From the pictures the breeder sent us, she was also our least favorit female (we wanted a female). We visited the breeder when the puppys were about 4ish weeks and ended up falling in love with the little funny looking fuzzy puppy. She fell asleep in my arms - and when I tried putting her down, she just looked at me like - um, no, thats not what I wanted. So I picked her up again and she wouldn't leave my side until we left.
At that point we still weren't sure, which puppy we wanted (her, or her sister, that my mom liked alot). We visited the puppys again around 6 weeks, and after Zora came right to me again the decision was made, she's ours.

 

[LostAndConfused]

I grew up with BYB german shepherds, and we always joked that our last GSD was a Golden in a Shepherd's body. I knew that while I loved our GSDs, that I didn't want a real GSD. I've always been drawn to herder-brains, but I don't particularly like the vibe that BCs throw - it creeps me out. I like Aussies, but they tend to be too big, too furry, and too bouncy. For a long time, I was set on the Berger Picard, but after meeting a few and being on their yahoo group, I decided that they were too much like a GSD. Too sharp of dogs, plus the breeders I contacted never replied. I had been eyeing English Shepherds since high school and knew a few people with them. I was hesitant because, honestly, I like short-coated, prick eared dogs. A Sheppie is not going to be short-coated and probably won't have prick ears. I started looking around for a breeder east of the Mississippi and north of South Caroline.

The breeder picked Hudson for me. I wanted a dog that was game for whatever I want to try and confident enough that I could take him where ever we were going. I haven't tried agility with him (which was my original plan), but he is game for whatever we try. Dock dogs, barn hunt, herding, hiking, etc.

 

[Shai]

Kim: Because she was adorable and the timing was right.

Webster: Because he was adorable and needed a safe place to land and the timing was right. Gave up my deposit on a litter in favor of him.

Mira: Because I love her mother beyond all reason and had the opportunity to bring a daughter home and grabbed it.

Lodin: Because sometimes fate works out in awesome ways.

 

[BostonBanker]

Meg, because she fit the basic requirements of what I was looking for physically, and she was such an unbelievably good dog, who tried so hard, that I was willing to give up my plans for agility just to have her in my life.

Gusto, because I saw his picture and wanted to die from the cuteness. That's acceptable, right?

 

[Stingr69]

I had experience with rescue dogs as a child with different levels of success. My wife and I used to have cats years ago. The cats were bad for my Mom's allergies so she could not come visit. That was a problem so we wanted to stay away from the kitties. The wife did not enjoy dogs at all and loves cats so no pets for us at that time.

Some friends of ours had several dogs. One was a Papillon and she was a real charmer. I kept that dog in the back of my mind and when we were thinking about getting a buddy for my youngest son. Wife was reluctant about getting a dog but said it would be OK as it was truly needed for our son. I went looking and found that nice Papillons were rather difficult to obtain. There was one available from an out of state show breeder listed as a pet/companion. We looked at that dogs pictures online and fell in love with that little 4 month old puppy before we even met him. We passed the application/interview process (WTH was that all about??? - We were new at this ). The breeder was going to be near us in a few weeks on her way to a show. I met the puppy/breeder on their way to the show and we picked him up as they were driving back from the show a few days later. He has been the most amazing dog we could have imagined.

Fast forward a year and my wife is just sick worrying about when the day comes when my son leaves the house and takes this amazing dog with him BIG change in her opinion of dogs due to this little puppy. So... I was back to looking for ANOTHER papillon . Not much easier this time around but I have way more experience with the process. A cold call to a distant out of state show breeder produced an available puppy that my wife INSISTED we obtain. As it turns out, we later discover these 2 dogs ended up being second cousins! Totally random.

We have little interest in showing dogs so both have been fixed. They both have exceptional bloodlines from top show breeders but there are some circumstances involved that made them less desirable for the show ring. Nothing that prevents them from being loved members of our family and that is all we care about. We love the Paps and probably will always have a few. They are like potato chips, one is never enough. :lol-sign:

-Mark.

 

[Ozfozz]

With Cobain, I had the breed picked out for years.
When I was younger my family took in an older retired farm Border Collie from a friend that had a stroke and could no longer care for the farm. I fell in love with the breed at the age of 4. The seriousness, the intelligence, and the speed.
I settled on a breeder a few months before I got the "ok" for a pup. And when the time finally came, we were originally going to pick up a b/w female who's purchase had fallen through and was ready to go that day. However, by the time we had gotten there a friend of the breeder had decided to take her. We were shown a litter of 2 week old pups. 3 yellow/white males, 1 b/w male, and 1 b/w female that was spoken for. At 2 weeks there wasn't much in terms of personality. I originally wanted the b/w because he was smaller and a "traditional" colour. But I was talked into a yellow by my family, so I took the one with the spot on the top of his head.
I'm happy I did.



Oz: Similar story, though I was much younger and more naive. My mother had owned hounds growing up and supported the idea. Went to a hunting breeder and picked out a pup at 2 weeks again from the bitch with the best temperament.

Rigby: Total whim. I was casually looking into rescue dogs for the purpose of keeping Cobain company when I moved into an apartment. With no real seriousness to it, just off-handedly looking for the "right" dog.
Then I saw Rigby. Giant eared "Kelpie Smooth Collie mix", I went to see her the next day, and brought her home the day after that. Something about her just spoke to me.


Ruby: Dumped on us, thought she might have some BC in her and would make a good sport dog.

 

[RBark]

Kobe - seemed like a good idea at a time.

Syl - seemed like a bad idea at the time.

 

[TexasRanger]

Zane: When we moved to Texas from Oklahoma in 2008 we had two dogs, Nala and Chevy. We had to put Nala down several months later due to lemphoma (she had been diagnosed back in OK) and decided to get a friend for Chevy. Zane was one of two puppies in the office of the shelter (the other was a black female) and the only quiet dog in the whole place. He is a brindle ABT mix. He was about 9weeks.

Abby: In early 2009 I got interested in S&R and started looking at bloodhounds. Could not find a good breeder and so I started looking at GSDs. I saw her at an adoption event and fell in love with her. I was going to train her for S&R. Sadly the group broke up and she became a pet. As she aged it became apparent that she did not have the temperament for it anyways . She was 8 weeks olds. So I had Chevy, Zane an Abby.

Deputy: Saw his "free to good home" ad in 2010 and feel in love with him. He was 4yrs old and a big puppy. We where up to four dogs Chevy, Zane, Abby and Deputy.

Kieber: In 2011 we had Chevy PTS due to failing health and for the next three years had only three dogs. Iin January 2014 Deputy was diagnosed with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction and the vet said he had only a few more years left. Kieber (then called Simon) was brought to the shelter I volunteer at as a stray that a lady had found running along a busy road. He was cute, but insane. Kids loved to play with him, but no one wanted the wild beast in their house. He would spin, chase his tail, growl at himself, howl/scream/cry/moan, destroy all toys (including Kongs) and my vet ended up diagnosing him as OCD and neurotic. The shelter gave him to me for free.

I don't think I've had a "planned" or "researched" dog in my life. :rofl1:

 

[Lyzelle]

Zander: I didn't choose him. My mom brought him home one day and he chose me. The rest is history.

Quinn: I had been on the puppy hunt for a while, but nothing worked out right. I adored her mother Fiona and from the time Fiona was born I knew I wanted a pup related closely to her. When the time came, I remember sitting on the ground in the park, cuddling a sleepy Fiona in my lap and asking her for a sassy little girl marked just like her. The first breeding didn't take and we were all devastated. Her breeder had remarked that they weren't going to try again, so I looked at other breeders. But I knew I wasn't going to touch any other breeder or their lines with a 50ft pole. So I was eyeballing a Rhodesian breeder for a while.

One day I got a text from Fiona's breeder saying they had tried again and she was confirmed pregnant. Quinn was mine from the moment those puppies were conceived. After several years waiting, Fiona gave me exactly what I wanted. Exactly. Fulfilled my wish to the letter. A sassy little girl marked just like her. No more, no less. Fate is a funny thing.