[quote]Beast27195 wrote:
My three pits:
Bailey, Remy, and Alize. What the hell!?! They’re on my bed!!! [/quote]
Great looking children you got there! To bad ppl treat them like shit and want to exploit them.
I cant wait to get another dog
I have a beagle at home. Although he’s the opposite of every beagle description I’ve read except for the bale (beagle bark). He is a shelter dog and spends the majority of the time sleeping, following my mother, or looking for food.
[quote]Beast27195 wrote:
My three pits:
Bailey, Remy, and Alize. What the hell!?! They’re on my bed!!! [/quote]
Uhhh, Beast, looks like THEIR bed to me!! 
[quote]know nothing wrote:
Ever heard of Rat Terriers? I love these dogs and there are some great rescue organizations out there including http://newrattitude.org[/quote]
Luckily, they’re fairly common in the South. They are FANTASTIC dogs!! I’ve known quite a few and they are about 200 pounds of personality somehow squeezed into about 8 or 10 pounds of dog! They’re GREAT dogs!!
[quote]silverblood wrote:
Dogs are great but there are some things that you really have to consider that haven’t been brought up.
If you get a dog from the pound or rescue try to find out some of it’s history. Was it abused or beaten and if so was it by a man or woman? Has it been around children? Is it dog or people aggressive?
Will you make the time to take you dog to obedience class? It’s not so much an untrained dog as an untrained owner.
How large is your yard?
Do you mind if your dog runs up and down the fence killing your grass and leaving a rut?
Is it o.k. for the dog to dig holes in your yard?
Will you place stones, if necessary, along your fence so the dog cannot dig out?
How tall is your fence?
I had a whippet that cleared a 5 ft. fence and it took a week to recover it over 20 miles away! It ended up going to a greyhound owner that had 8 ft. fences.
The electronic underground fences will keep your dog in but won’t stop other dogs from coming in.
Will the dog be left outside during the day or kept in the house?
If left outside is it a barker or howler that drives the neighbors nuts?
If kept in the house will it be loose or crated?
If loose some dogs get bored or will be pissed at being left and will chew on everything that they can get their lips on, from shoes and clothes to cabinets and electrical cords.
If crated will you be able to come home during the day so it can go to the bathroom?
Will you go out everyday or two and faithfully clean up all land mines and spray the area with something to remove the smell?
Will you be doing the bathing, trimming of toenails, cleaning of teeth, and expressing of glands yourself or be paying for someone else to do it?
Will you be willing to spend money for good dog food?
You don’t want to see corn as the first ingredient. A lot of skin problems that dogs have are related to nutrition.
How do you feel about hair on your clothes?
Have you and your family spent a lot of time in a house with a dog?
Some allergies don’t show up right away.
Will you have to upgrade your homeowners insurance?
Will you be willing to pay a large vet bill in case of an emergency or severe illness?
Proud owner of a Miniature Blue Merle Australian Shepherd. These dogs are not for everyone.[/quote]
Thats a great post. Rest assured we are not going to get a dog on a whim. We are waiting for spring time to get a dog because we want to take our time deciding what breeed (or mix) is right for the family, and the dog. I also figured it would be hard to raise a puppy, if we get a puppy, in the western New York winter. The yard has a fence but I don't see leaving the dog outside on it's own....if it's going to be part of the family it needs to be with us! My wife is a "stay at home mom" so the dog will rarely be left alone.
I have become a little obsesive learning the breeds, training, crates, diet, etc. to the point I think I'm starting to annoy my wife. I'm all over the internet searching for information, which seems to be endless, and am constantly shouting for her to "Com'ere! Check THIS out!" (By the way, cool website, companionsforlife.net). Also just talking to owners, either on the net or on the street has been part of my life lately.
Anyway, all this is to say we are not taking this commitment lightly. The money, the vet bills, the time, the not having a landscapers dream of a yard and the enjoyment of having a new family member all figure into the equation.
[quote]frodolives wrote:
I have become a little obsesive learning the breeds, training, crates, diet, etc. to the point I think I’m starting to annoy my wife. I’m all over the internet searching for information, which seems to be endless, and am constantly shouting for her to “Com’ere! Check THIS out!” (By the way, cool website, companionforlife.net). Also just talking to owners, either on the net or on the street has been part of my life lately.
[/quote]
I’d like to make a suggestion. If at all possible, see if you can find a local/regional AKC dog show. This is a great time of year to still catch one outdoors and it’s a fantastic place to get hands-on exposure to a lot of different breeds. Most show people are very friendly and love sharing their take on their chosen breed. If you can, narrow down your breed likes and make an effort to visit and observe those breeds while you are there. Bear in mind that some professional handlers are not chatty and willing to share insights, but that’s because they are getting paid to do a job, not educate the public. Don’t try to chat up handlers who are getting ready to enter the ring … that’s a stressful moment.
The best thing to do is wander around the holding/grooming area. When I was showing my male ACD tons of people would stop by the area where the ACDs were set up and ask questions about the breed. (Most breeds tend to group together to some degree) My breeder sometimes had youngsters along for the ride so they could get some first-time show exposure. That’s a good way to really see the difference between cute cuddly little pups and the full grown version.
If you can, be sure to watch the obedience and Rally-O classes. This will give you a snapshot of the breeds that excell there.
If you do settle on a purebred then I would look up a local breed club or chapter and see if they are having any fall events. Contact them and ask if you can visit. Breed clubs are a great way to learn about your breed and get breed-related support and info. Most breed clubs have fun events of their own. My regional club has a few dog/family picnics and holiday parties each year. Oh, and if you haven’t found a pup yet your local breed club can often make suggestions and point you in the right direction.
Ideally, I would get out and try to attend a few dog events. Agility, herding, breed, disc … whatever you can find in your area.
I’ll see if I can find what’s happening in Western NY.
And you’re right … training a winter pup can be a real pain in the butt … I’ve done it a gazillion times and I gripe about it every single time! 
Cappy
[quote]Capacity wrote:
frodolives wrote:
I have become a little obsesive learning the breeds, training, crates, diet, etc. to the point I think I’m starting to annoy my wife. I’m all over the internet searching for information, which seems to be endless, and am constantly shouting for her to “Com’ere! Check THIS out!” (By the way, cool website, companionforlife.net). Also just talking to owners, either on the net or on the street has been part of my life lately.
I’d like to make a suggestion. If at all possible, see if you can find a local/regional AKC dog show. This is a great time of year to still catch one outdoors and it’s a fantastic place to get hands-on exposure to a lot of different breeds. Most show people are very friendly and love sharing their take on their chosen breed. If you can, narrow down your breed likes and make an effort to visit and observe those breeds while you are there. Bear in mind that some professional handlers are not chatty and willing to share insights, but that’s because they are getting paid to do a job, not educate the public. Don’t try to chat up handlers who are getting ready to enter the ring … that’s a stressful moment.
The best thing to do is wander around the holding/grooming area. When I was showing my male ACD tons of people would stop by the area where the ACDs were set up and ask questions about the breed. (Most breeds tend to group together to some degree) My breeder sometimes had youngsters along for the ride so they could get some first-time show exposure. That’s a good way to really see the difference between cute cuddly little pups and the full grown version.
If you can, be sure to watch the obedience and Rally-O classes. This will give you a snapshot of the breeds that excell there.
If you do settle on a purebred then I would look up a local breed club or chapter and see if they are having any fall events. Contact them and ask if you can visit. Breed clubs are a great way to learn about your breed and get breed-related support and info. Most breed clubs have fun events of their own. My regional club has a few dog/family picnics and holiday parties each year. Oh, and if you haven’t found a pup yet your local breed club can often make suggestions and point you in the right direction.
Ideally, I would get out and try to attend a few dog events. Agility, herding, breed, disc … whatever you can find in your area.
I’ll see if I can find what’s happening in Western NY.
And you’re right … training a winter pup can be a real pain in the butt … I’ve done it a gazillion times and I gripe about it every single time!
Cappy
[/quote]
Thanks, I appreciate that. The Animal Planet channel sometimes has the dog shows. Talk about a variety of breeds! In the show I saw recently the announcers had a lot of knowledge and said things like “great family dog” and “great dog but not for everyone” That would be cool to see one in person.