Horsefeathers!

EEEK! Courtnek, I still have to work with him. I lease the space in his clinic, so that's where I work. I'm trying to look at this objectively (as if I could) and think on it a bit before giving him a piece of MY mind. I was truly offended by what he said, but I was just wondering if he had a point and if I was just blinded by good intentions. The more I think about it, the more the hurt feelings are turning into anger. I really think that was a bit pretentious of him. Now I'm thinking how dare he tell me what to do with MY resources! I'm writing down some things tonight that I want to touch on with him (because I suck at speaking... the only thing I could do today was this>> :o ), not that it really matters what he thinks, but well, yeah, it does. He's known me for five years and I've been nothing but responsible (I believe). As a matter of fact, every single time someone comes through that clinic wanting to place a small dog or Poodle mix, guess who the clinic staff contacts?? Moi! [quote name='Malamum']I know I personally couldn't manage as many dogs as you do but If you can then who is anyone to critisize.[/quote] Actually, I think that's a lot of it. He pointed out that he has four animals... 2 cats and 2 dogs and, by golly, he KNOWS what a job it is. In other words, he can't/won't do it, therefore he doesn't understand how anyone else could. What he doesn't get is that he has a life outside of his animals. He has a wife, kids, social obligations, vacations, lots of activities he's involved in (like flying lessons). Our lives ARE our dogs. We do very little that doesn't involve the dogs. Our lifestyle is very different from the vet's and I reckon he just doesn't recognize that. Aonir, that is a valid point, him worrying about me becoming a hoarder, but he didn't express concern that I might become one. He said I AM one. His whole tone with me was so incredulous, as if just considering it were ludicrous. My husband and I long ago set limits as to how many and what resources we could use and we've never exceeded it. Maybe I'm rationalizing. That's why it's good to have input. I would just let it go, but I don't want HIS input to be the SOLE nail in the coffin that sinks this thing with this Dobe. I can live with the rescue's decision if they decide our home is a bit more than Rocco could handle (maybe it is... good reason to ask questions and think about it, aye?), but I couldn't stand it if I thought the vet screwed it up. If it comes down to it, I'll just tell him outright that, while I appreciate his "concern," it really is none of his business how many dogs I have as long as I'm paying my vet bill. I don't want to approach it like that, but if it comes down to it... The ONLY thing he needs to do is validate that I do indeed provide adequate care for my dogs, whether he thinks I have too many or not. I think the "too many" issue needs to be decided by the rescue, not the vet. Thanks, guys.

I want objective and HONEST opinions. Am I a hoarder? My interpretation of hoarder is one who takes in more animals than they can adequately care for. I've read the stories of animals living in filth and squalor, overbred, malnourished, and all that stuff. That's always been my perception of hoarding. Have I been mislead? Are these only very extreme cases? I'll tell you what has me so upset. I told my vet today (who is also kind of a personal friend as I work with him each day) that the Dobe people may be contacting him about Rocco (the Dobe we have been considering adopting). He blew me off by saying I don't need another dog and he called me a hoarder. He can't give me any other explanation but that I have so many dogs. I pointed out that each is cared for... from hip surgeries to abdominal surgeries, Devin's Adequan injections and high priced Atopica allergy medication, Fifty's emergency suturing, the high dollar crap prescription cat food that two of my cats eat, every animal is altered, we do ANYTHING this vet recommends as far as medical care and I've never once scrimped or complained about price. Some people put their resources into things like flying lessons (*ahem* my vet) while I choose to use my resources in animal rescue. If I were a hoarder, wouldn't I keep every single dog I've fostered? I'm rambling, I know, but my point is this- is it hoarding if I have the resources to care for as many animals as I take in? What he said next upset me most. He told me that hoarders don't know they're hoarding and they go around thinking everything's fine. I'm so upset. Am I a hoarder?? All of my animals are obedience trained, socialized (if not necessarily sociable), housepets, couch potatoes, and bed buddies. I thought hoarding meant living in horrible conditions. Now I don't know if maybe my perception is just all wrong. My vet was saying that the hoarder cases I mentioned are only extreme cases. This really and truly hurt my feelings. I honestly need to know if my good intentions are all wrong. We've set a limit as far as resources go and we've never exceeded it. He never could give me a reason that he thinks I'm a hoarder other than just having so many dogs. He said nothing about their care, or any of that. I need a reality check. What's the difference in what I'm doing and, say, a hunting kennel with 20-30 dogs (not that I have that many), or a show/breeding kennel with that many dogs? I don't see him putting down the people with the kennel full of hounds that come in every week to buy a truckload of dog food, even though it's just the lady and her husband caring for the dogs. We aren't living in squalor with filth and debris. Of course, there are snark prints on the windows and dog hair on the furniture, but that's about the extent of any "damage." My vet means well enough. He can be very opinionated and judgmental at times, so I'm not always really sure when to just brush him off, or take his advice to heart. He didn't think I had too many dogs a few years ago when he placed a very special needs old Yorkie with me. His reaction today when I pointed that out was that the Yorkie was a small dog and therefore easier to care for by default. Does anyone else think that's flawed logic? This dog had to be handfed, pooped (by hand), walked in and out, was blind and deaf and had to be accounted for every second. The Dobe is in a wheelchair... some special provisions needed, of course, but can it be THAT much more difficult? He thinks I'm biting off more than I can chew, but he can think of [u]nothing[/u] bad to say about the care I've provided, and can't think of ONE incident where I've gotten frustrated with a commitment and bailed out. Why is he so opposed to THIS special needs dog when he's the one who placed the Yorkie with me?? Please, you guys be honest with me. If I am a hoarder, I need to know. No personal attacks, please, but I will certainly take into consideration any objective and honest input. I truly need to know if I'm paving a road to h*ll with my good intentions. I don't know what to think. :(

Y'all are making me :oops: . Give it some time and you'll be calling me a hoarder (those who aren't already muttering it under their breaths). *snicker* :P Kiwi, I don't know about the visit yet. The lady I talked to still has to locate an application (she said a lot of data was lost when her computer crashed) and get that to me and then she has to locate someone involved with Dobe rescue in my area (probably out of Florida) for the home check. I have no idea how long it will take. I'm still taking it all in stride... I think it's very possible that they may think my home is too chaotic with all the other animals. That's their call to make, I reckon. As it is now, she said there hasn't been a lot of serious inquiries about Rocco, but I'm sure they aren't going to just ship him off to the first person who says they'll take him. I know for myself how diligent you have to be about finding suitable homes for special dogs. All I can do is live with their decision which I'm sure will be made with Rocco's wellbeing in mind. I guess I'll know when I know, aye? 8)

[quote name='courtnek'] I know you want to help, but please be sure you can do this, it will be alot of work. [/quote] I know. It's definitely something to consider. According to the lady, Rocco has full control of his bladder, but sometimes has poop accidents as he doesn't quite have control of his bowels. Well, pphhhtttt, Pauly has FULL control of his bowels and STILL occasionally "forgets" what outside is for :o . Good thing we basically have throwaway furniture and flooring. Also, there would be a lot of work getting Rocco "suited up" in his chair (I would imagine). We're still considering it and it's definitely a good reason to ask a lot of questions. Still, I can't help feeling like it can't be much harder than caring for Goober (anyone remember him?). This dog was tiny, but he was blind, deaf, jawless and toothless and had to be handfed soft foods, had Cushing's, was senile and somewhat incontinent. If the worst thing about Rocco is his chair thing, well, we have it made. :lol: [quote]have lots of kids[/quote] ACK! :o :-?

I just spoke on the phone to the lady involved with Rocco's rescue. She's going to send me an application for adoption and then we're going to set up a homecheck. We still don't know that we're the right home for Rocco, but we'll see. The main drawback is that I have so many dogs... not necessarily the number of dogs, but the commotion might be a concern for someone not familiar with my couch potatoes. I'm not getting any high hopes. I just want what's best for Rocco, whatever that may be.

I'm in Georgia and inquiring about Rocco. :oops: I don't know what they mean by "rowdy" dogs. I have several, but none I'd consider rowdy. Gotta find out more.

I just read this. Wow, that's just so sad. I'm truly sorry for your loss. :(

Some people are just plain stupid, I reckon. We spent the day today in two different towns at different dog functions. Funny how there's never anything to do around here for months at a time, then for whatever reason, all the surrounding towns want to hold their dog events on the same day of the year. Anyway, Devin was the only dog I had with me all day as it's always good to get him out for a refresher on his socialization (some of you may remember he used to be kind of nasty... glad to report he is now a comfortable people dog). Devin, for those who are new, is a Lhasa Apso, smallish dog. We were just walking along checking out the exhibits and minding our own business when this man with his very overweight Bulldog shouted, "NO, NO <insert dog's name here>!! That's not a snack!! Don't hurt him!!" in reference to Devin. How ignorant can someone be? First of all, this Bulldog was grossly overweight, was sitting on the pavement in the hot sun panting and drooling and trying to catch its breath. It hadn't noticed Devin, not as much as a sniff, and I'm pretty sure it couldn't have hurt Devin even if it tried. It took all the energy this poor beast had to breathe. I guess what bugged me about it is this guy was intentionally trying to perpetuate that bad dog myth. He wasn't really kidding as much as he was trying to insinuate that he had a "bad" dog. Moron. For every good bully breed owner out there, I shudder to think of the number of morons in comparison. Some friends went with me and had their two dogs, one being a small terrier mix and the other is a Pit(ish) Bull/Boxer mix. Some Boxer snob was SO rude to my friend. She walked by with her two big Boxers and said snidely, "He'd be a nice looking dog if he were a PUREBRED Boxer..." How rude! My friend didn't think quickly enough on her feet because I sure would have said, "That sure would be a pretty lady if it weren't for her FACE!" Maybe I'm just too old fashioned and believe that if people can't say something constructive, just keep yer trap shut! There's one other thing that just gets me every time... WHY do people come to an animal shelter fundraiser to SELL PUPPIES?? There is always someone at these events with puppies to sell while the shelter is trying to promote adoption and spaying and neutering. What goes through people's minds? Fortunately, the good dog people outnumber the bad dog people for the most part, so it was a great day. I'm not generally much of a people person, but I can spend the day chattering away with other dog people (except that I almost got into a fight with another lady discussing dog food :oops: ). I wish we had more events like these today. It's great to have something where dog people can gather. Oh, I've seen this before, but the police dog demonstrations are always fascinating to me, like how they use German commands. These dogs are so awesome. I could have done without the gunfire demonstration, though... especially since I was right by the gun toting "criminal" and wasn't expecting it. Holy balls, did I start cussing (a really bad habit of mine... reacting to fright with, er, colorful vocalizations :oops: )... "Oh, ____!!! what the...??? son of a...!! I'll be....!!! Mother......!!!"

I'm only one state away (in GA) and I can just imagine the ruckus if they tried to outlaw dogs from riding in the bed of a pick'em up truck. It makes me cringe when I see it, but that's just the way these good ol' boys are. Part of that Southern guy thing is having a pick'em up truck and a dawg on the back of it (gotta be a guy dog like a Lab or a Rottie). One client we have actually bought a pull behind trailer so their oversized Rotties could ride on it. If that's not bad enough, I absolutely lose my breath (literally) when I see these dogs standing on the toolboxes on these trucks. OMG, these dogs are standing above the sides of the truck with NOTHING between them and the pavement. No railing, nothing. One wrong turn, one bump in the road and the dog is gone. It's quite common here, but I can never get used to seeing it. It just makes my heart stop. I would be rich if I had a dime for every time we've seen a dog in our clinic that fell or jumped from the back of a truck. The owners ALWAYS say, "well, he's been riding like that for years and it's never been a problem before..." One stupid owner with a Cocker Spaniel spent a fortune having his dog patched up when he was thrown (or jumped) from the back of his truck. He didn't learn his lesson and as soon as the dog was able, he let him ride like that again. It happened a second time and the dog wasn't so lucky. He was killed. You'd just think some things would be common sense. :-?

Courtnek, it sounds bogus to me. I was thinking, too, that they couldn't just come in and take her away if there was no breach of the contract. I know most rescues make you sign contracts basically saying how you'll care for the dog. My contract for Perry was four pages long of stuff like how he'd never ride on the back of a pickup truck, be tied outside, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not even sure how much of it is enforceable if it came down to it (not that I'm not living up to my end of the bargain). I think it's just an earnest effort to find good homes. I'm not aware of any rescue/repo cases actually going to court, but I'm sure stranger things have happened. If you've met your end of the bargain, I wouldn't think they could retro fit new rules. I wouldn't sweat it. Besides, if it really came down to the wire, well, it would be a d*mn shame about Laurel escaping and not being seen since. I am pretty sure they can't kick down your door and force their way inside to have a look.

Uff da! You wanna know the irony? I was just sitting here googling through some eye disorder stuff in another window... for my husband because HE'S the one going blind. Maybe I should rethink my strategy. :oops:

Kendalyn, she is a glutton for punishment! Not only a puppy, but a Fox Terrier puppy?? EEK! The high energy of most puppies combined with that terrier energy and stamina... my goodness, it's a job even I wouldn't want. I really and truly hope she'll reconsider. There are so many benefits to adopting adult dogs. I actually prefer adult adoptions. *They are quite often already housetrained. If not housetrained, contrary to popular belief, it's not any more difficult to housetrain them than a puppy. *They are also quite often already altered. *Also often current on vaccinations and if not, it doesn't take much to get them current... unlike the full puppy series of vacs, wormings, etc. $$ *Their personalities and temperaments are pretty much set and apparent. No having to wait to see what they're going to turn out like. *They're usually past that destroy everything in their path age. *You don't typically have to get up with them 2-3 times a night to take them out. *Did I mention those little needle like puppy teeth as they are teething? *Maybe she can appreciate this.... an older dog would appreciate a loving companion just as much as, say, SHE would. You don't see dogs running around saying, "hey, forget about old folks... I want a YOUNG owner!!" :wink: *They would be able to enjoy their time together without all the added stresses of keeping up with a young puppy. Think of sunny afternoons together sitting on the porch and watching the world go by. That's a treasure you just can't buy. If all else fails, I'd love to send Fifty to live with her for a few days (he's in his forever home now, but still...). He's already a year old and not even a terrier, but he would be the perfect deterrent for someone who lives a quiet, non-active life and thinks they need a puppy. Seriously, I hope she'll reconsider. She couldn't be looking for a more high energy type of dog, period, much less puppy. Makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

COLLIE (ROUGH) OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG SAMOYED POODLE (STANDARD) At least Standard Poodles were on the list :D . I like the others, actually, but there's really no way I'd want to own such dogs in our hot, humid Southern climate.

I'd better elaborate a little on why I think it's important. Last week, when Devin went after those children who were hiding in my yard in the dark, all h*ll was breaking loose in the yard and the dogs inside were barking their fool heads off because they saw the whole thing through the window. My husband was right there with them, watching tv, and never moved away from in front of the tv. Guess who got a good ol' fashioned butt chewing about not looking to see what the commotion was? His excuse was that the dogs always bark in the window when I drive up, so he saw no need for concern. However, things could have been MUCH worse that night and I could REALLY have used his assistance had he just gotten up to see what the problem was and not assumed that they were just barking as "normal." To say I was upset is putting it very mildly.

I'm glad it had a happy ending. Now... not to be a downer, but it's a good example of why to ALWAYS go see what the dogs are barking about. I know my own bark at every squirrel, bird, falling pine cone, passerby there is, but there have been occasions when they were barking at something worth checking out. I know it's a pain in the butt, but I ALWAYS check out what they're barking at before telling them to knock it off (mine are mostly in the house, so it's usually just a matter of going to the window... however, if they are outside barking, I always go to the door and look). Chances are it's nothing; it usually is, but you just never know... I'm not trying to be confrontational. It just, IMO, brought up the perfect opportunity for others as well to learn why it's important to check on barking dogs. 99 times out of 100 it may be nothing, but that 100th time may make it worth having checked.

[quote name='Nookie']i wish for anyone who is aganist pit bulls ;their cherish pet becomes a ''dangerous breed'' and they have to put their pets to sleep!![/quote] While I know it's frustrating, I wouldn't necessarily wish someone else's pet be harmed because the ignorance of their owners. Let's just remember who it is we're angry with.

More dogs??? Nooooooooo!!! If I'm ever out of the unofficial foster/adoption business, and once my now beloved gang is gone, I'm sure I will always have more Standard Poodles and Lhasa Apsos, but will likely be adding Airedale Terriers to the mix in the way off future.

I love it! I have to admit, I have somewhat of a foot fetish on dogs. Two things that I always look at on a dog... feet and back ends (tail sets and rear angulation... I'm a sucker with too much free time to look at dog feet and rear ends) :oops: . Very nice feet! I'm absolutely jealous. I dremel, too, but with so many dogs in the house and fosters coming and going, their feet get a bit neglected sometimes. Never long enough nails to impede efficient movement, or splay toes, but certainly not those nice tight feet you display so proudly. *drool* I notched my Lab's nails with the dremel just yesterday in an effort to try to work the quicks back about like that Doberman's. Thanks for the motivation! That really is a stunning Doberman. :)

I have a lot of issues. Are you offering help, or just your professional observation? If just your observation, well, thanks. I'll be sure to take it into consideration the next time I decide to just "snap." Just send me a bill... :)

It gets worse. I got home tonight and was doing some stuff and slung my cell phone. It whacked my Lab, Tucker, right smack in his side as he was soundly sleeping. He's black as night and I didn't even see him laying 2 ft in front of me. I got yet another, "wtf did I ever do to you??" look. I'm going to bed before I maim or injure anyone else. :-?

Seriously. I beat a dog today. Before the lynching, let me plead my case here... I was at my friend's house just watching tv and minding my business. Peyton (black Standard Poodle) was laying at my feet. Out of nowhere, some kind of bug, or fly, or something landed on her. It scared the crap out of me because it just came out of nowhere and I can't stand things that just drop out of nowhere... 'specially bugs. It looked like a fly, but it wouldn't fly away. In my panic and effort to "help," I grabbed the nearest thing to me which was a nylabone type of toy and began whacking the fly... on the dog. My friend said, "you wanna stop beating my dog with that bone?" :oops: Peyton gave me a look as if to say, "wtf did I ever do to you??" and went and got on the couch... far away from me. My friend said she's glad there wasn't a hammer or tire iron within reach. :oops: Poor Peyton. :-?

The only way I was able to get a large adult dog house trained was to leash him to me virtually 24/7. He had to stay with me night and day. If I was moving about the house, naturally he had to, too, and when I sat down, he was at my feet. When I went to bed at night, he was tied to the bed. It was virtually impossible for him to sneak off and potty. I was able to catch him at the first sign he was even looking for a spot to go. Then I could rush him to the door and have a virtual party every time he did his business OUTSIDE. This was a dog who had been in a kennel his entire life and had never even seen the inside of a house. It worked like a charm. It's kind of a pain in the butt at first, but it usually doesn't take long and it's still much easier than cleaning up messes. It's the same theory as Kendalyn offered, but I really prefer a much shorter leash... only 4 ft. The more control, the better. Besides, mine is a big klutz who would wipe out tables and furniture with a much longer leash. When you aren't home to monitor him, you might want to make his "space" a bit smaller by confining him some instead of giving him free range. He doesn't have to be crated, but perhaps confining him to the kitchen, or a bathroom might help. He needs a space that he considers his own and he's not quite as likely to soil it once he takes a notion that a certain space is his where he has to live. Once he's learned to hold it for longer periods in his own space, he should become more reliable in more open areas. For a dog with housetraining issues, I don't think allowing free range of the house is a good idea.

In reference to purchasing puppies vs. adopting: [quote name='doglover']First of all, I in no way said it was an assurance, just a betterment of the odds... Please do not twist my comments to reflect what you want to believe of me. [/quote] These are your words exactly which do not leave much open for interpretation. There is no twisting. [quote]it stands to reason that someone who is going to lay down cold hard cash for a pet is going to give the whole thing a lot more thought [/quote] [quote]A purchased puppy has a better chance of finding willing and able owners.[/quote] [quote]most people do at least trouble themselves to find out all they can about a breed before spending money.[/quote] [quote]a financial investment helps to ensure a better home for a puppy.[/quote]

[quote name='ellieangel']You're just not getting it are you :roll:[/quote] That's what I believe. Many of us once felt as s/he does, but evolved our thinking, yet WE are narrow minded. :o

[quote name='doglover']If breeding was as rare as you people seem to want, prices would skyrocket to the point where potentially great dog owners would be unable to afford a dog that might actually work well for them [/quote] This caught my eye. Even if I believed that, using your logic, wouldn't that be a GOOD thing? You are the one who believes that "financial investment" in a dog is an assurance of quality of care. Now you seem to be concerned that these dogs don't cost TOO much. That's what I meant by rationalizing. It's so easy to spin things to meet our ethics rather than look at them objectively. ? :-? ?