Puppy advice

[fljustice]

[quote=""Michy""]Needless to say I was very upset, but I think I waited until I got to my car before I started crying! [/quote]

Oh, I'm so sorry that happened to you, Michy! I regularly volunteer at our local city shelter, manage a small colony of feral cats, and foster cats and kittens for a no-kill rescue group. (I've got a pregnant feral in my basement who was too ill to spay, so we're medicating and waiting for her to give birth.) Most of the people I meet are wonderful; giving and committed. But occasionally I'll run into a person who is much better with the animals than people. Too bad, but they exist.

[Michy]

I can understand why people who work with rescuing and finding homes for animals are concerned that they might end up in unsuitable environments. Nevertheless, I felt this lady was unnecessarily militant -- after all, I had freely admitted that I wasn't going to take a puppy since I knew I didn't have suitable yard space. I was going through a difficult time emotionally, which is why I was looking for a pet, and which is probably why the incident made me cry. Oh, well, it's probably better that I reacted that way than by giving the woman an angry piece of my mind, which is probably what I normally would have done.

And the story ended well, after all, since I went back on a different day and did find a young cat to take home, and who gave me almost six years of wonderful company.

[Vanessa]

Have you thought about having two dogs? They would then be company for each other when left alone for long periods of time. Make sure that they are not two males, though. We got two males, not realising, and they fight - both of them think they are top dog. Or could you have a run built in your garden?

[N. Gemini Sasson]

[quote=""Divia""]I found a dog that I like and I think will be a good fit. I meet the breeder and her dogs are very quite and not at all crazy like your typical Australian Shperard because she breeds em for show quality not stock quality.

This is a huge investment and I don't want to plop down the cash and then have to give teh dog up in a few months.[/quote]

Hi Divia,

I've bred, shown (conformation) and trialed (obedience, agility and herding) Australian Shepherds since 1987. Our dogs go back to lines that were traditionally used as farm dogs and we do use a few of them to move our sheep from pasture to pasture, but . . . it's also important that they're good family dogs and can chill out in the house. Ideally, they have an On/Off switch. But in general, Aussies are energetic dogs that need to be part of their human pack. I've owned Aussies that were strictly from show lines that were bouncing off the walls and ones from strictly working lines that were so laidback in non-working situations it was amazing. So it's not really a matter of show vs. working lines, but the temperament, trainability and energy level of the parents that you need to pay attention to.

I think people who work all day can have an Aussie, but it is very helpful to have someone who can let the puppy out during the day and tire it out a bit. A bored puppy may bark, chew and well, whatever puppies do to entertain themselves. The best bet for building a good relationship with your Aussie and to ensure they can behave themselves is to take them to one, preferably two, puppy or basic obedience classes. When we've placed puppies, the people who do this very seldom call us asking for help with behavior problems later on. The ones who don't make that time investment are far more likely to have problems down the road. But on a general note, this is true of many breeds.

Aussies tend to be thinking dogs and I'm sure some of them are smarter than their owners.

Anyway, I'm off to an appt. but I'll read the rest of this thread when I get back. Our web site is http://www.imgnr.com and my e-mail is on there if you have any specific questions at all.

[N. Gemini Sasson]

[quote=""Divia""]
Anyway, my friend said she would watch the puppy during the day. I will drop the dog off at her house, which is on my way to work and then pick it up on the way home. By the time Sept rolls around again the dog will be around 1 and should be fine at home. Every dog I have ever had was OK with being in the house for that long.[/quote]

This is probably the best solution for your puppy. That way it will get a chance to establish a housetraining routine until it's old enough to wait longer. Once it's older, as long as it doesn't have separation anxiety issues (and many breeds do have this), it may do just fine with the cat around - or consider a second dog/puppy if you're up for it. But I don't advise getting two dogs or puppies at once. And many dogs do just fine as onlies - it really depends on the dog.

I have neighbors who are home all day and still tie their dogs out, let them run the neighborhood or leave them in a kennel to bark for hours, so an owner being at home is no guarantee that they will be a good owner. Why they even have a dog is beyond me.

I can say that after 20+ years breeding and placing dogs/puppies that some of the very best homes have been those who work full time - and I do turn plenty of people away who I feel are not right for the breed (or sometimes even dogs in general). The best dog owners understand that puppies will be puppies and dogs will be dogs. They make plans to care for puppies, provide exercise and mental stimulation, and through those activities bond with their dog and earn its love and respect.

Check in your phone book or with your veterinarian for local dog training clubs for classes. Obedience classes are great ways to socialize and establish that you are the boss. They don't need to be about preparing for competition.