kendalyn

[quote name='Courtnek']The shelters are shooting themselves in the foot with this policy.[/quote] I agree. Here's who the rescues want to adopt dogs to: An adult homeowner with a fully fenced in large yard, an endless supply of money but never has to leave the house, someone with no kids or other pets of any kind who plans to live in that house until the day they die and never go on vacation. :roll: yeah that's realistic.

[quote name='DivineOblivion19']I'm thinking that a breeder is where I have to go to get my next dog since the rescues can't evaluate people on different levels.[/quote] I would let the rescues know this. They are being way too restrictive. It is totally possible to be a good dog owner and not have a fenced in yard. Try telling them that though. :roll:

That's absolutely ridiculous! :x You know, rescues shouldn't even be able to complain about having too many dogs to adopt out when they turn down perfectly good applicants! It's one reason some people go to BYBs. They figure, why deal with the spanish inquisition [i]and[/i] still be turned down? While I wouldn't do it, after seeing some of these rescue applications I can't blame them. I'd try another rescue or shelter if you really want another dog! You should be approved somewhere.

I would recommend you make an appointment at the vet so she can be looked over more carefully than the vet at the shelter did. And while you're at it you can set up the appointment for her spay (unless they already did it at the shelter). Also, it would be good if you could find a place to take her for some obedience training. She's the perfect age to start teaching her good manners! Good luck and be sure to post some pictures of her on here! :-)

I don't think sending her away would be a good idea at all. Zoey has had a lot of changes in her life in a very short time. Justin's gone, plus there is a new dog in the house. It's no wonder she is stressed. Training classes sound like a good idea for her as she sounds a bit out of control at the moment. It would also help you learn to get to know her better. :-)

awww, poor Ford is probably confused about his sexual indentity because you've been calling him a girl for all this time! You'll have to take some time and straighten him out!

Whatever you do, don't hesitate to take her to every vet in your area for different opinions. And do it quickly. I've seen how fast an older dog deteriorates once he/she stops eating. It is remarkably rapid and in my dog's case, too quick for the vets to figure out what was wrong despite many many tests. Is she still drinking at all? When my dog stopped drinking (in addition to not eating any longer) we could get him to take in a little fluid by adding some sugar to warm water. You may need to come to grips with the idea that your girl has decided it's time for her to go. :(

You need to take her to the vet so she can get the proper medication and diagnosis.

I think this thread is starting to sound like what a lot of uneduated people say about pit bulls. :-? [quote]Labs are a thorn in my side. Two labs viciously attacked my assistance dog a couple of years ago[/quote] This could easily be a statement someone would make about pit bulls [quote]Shoot, I've always been more nervous around labs, than other dogs. [/quote] People say things like this about pit bulls all the time. Why breed bash at all? Obviously any breed of dog can be aggressive. There isn't any breed that doesn't have it's bad representatives. How about the millions of labs in this country who do not bite people? There are a ton of labs here and believe me they are not all unpredictably attacking everything that moves. :roll: Generally, they do make very good family pets, as do many many other breeds of dogs.

awww poor thing! At least she doesn't try to eat them!

I probably wouldn't have had the guts to say anything either. And anything you could say in line at the pet store probably wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. Don't feel bad. I was at the pet store today and saw somebody with a really cute 8 month old pittie. The sad thing was that she was buying it a muzzle. :-( She said she was sick of people complaining that the breed was dangerous so she thought maybe if she walked him with a muzzle on it would shut people up. I told her not to buy the muzzle. I'm not sure if she did or not. I felt bad though.

[quote name='Mutt_Lady']Also, what do you do with your dogs when it is raining? Do you still walk them or do you find a fun indoor activity to do?[/quote] Buck wouldn't miss his walk for the world! He doesn't care how hard it's raining/snowing/hailing/sleeting. He wants his morning walk no matter what. So I bundle up and take him no matter how miserable it is outside. :) One game that we do like to play indoors is tag. It's very simple. I try to tag Buck and he trys to make it so I can't tag him. It's a lot of fun and always gives Buck the zoomies!

Wow this is taking forever! I don't know if I could be as patient as you're being! I'd probably be planning covert operations to go snatch Hogan myself! :lol:

Your vet sounds kind of incompetent. I'd see another one next time. Good luck on your puppy's recovery!

hmmm, that's strange. I'd just watch him closely since he seems OK otherwise.

Poor Tigger! It must be strange to have your eyes close up! I'm sure she'll do wonderfully at the vet and she'll be very happy to see her Mum again! :)

I [i]really[/i] wish I were in a position to have another dog! I live so close to you! It would be so easy for me to drive over and pick her up! Unfortunately, she would be better off with someone else because I just can't have another dog right now. :-(

[quote name='JudyHoffman']he money is receive pays for high quality food, xrays for the adult dogs, dog toys etc. [/quote] [quote name='JudyHoffman']You paid money for a mix breed?[/quote] Don't all dogs deserve this, purebred or not? If someone has an accidental litter, is it wrong for them to expect potential adopters to reimburse them the same way people reimburse you? I don't see what the dog's breed has to do with it. BTW, when you adopt from a rescue you are in effect "paying for a mixed breed."

[quote name='Horsefeathers!']I guess I can't understand why, if someone wanted a virtually shed free (sorta) breed and one that is intelligent, a plain ol' Standard Poodle won't do. Highly intelligent AND a user friendly coat.[/quote] I have always wondered the same thing. My Kody was easily trainable and big enough to do the work as well. Maybe people don't like to deal with the necessary grooming?

[quote name='Hillside']She is showing Diego, that is why he is intact.[/quote] Oops, I missed that. I would still wait. You've got one show dog already and it sounds like that's a lot to handle as it is.

What you did isn't the best thing you could have done and it's also not the worst. Next time instead of confining yourself to the local shelter, also check petfinder.com and look at surrounding rescues as well. You'll have a much larger selection and rescues can generally tell you more about the dog you want to adopt. Here's another option. Look in the classifieds because people are always trying to get rid of their young (6 months - 2 years old) dogs. They may be mixed breeds and they may be purebred. I look in the classifieds regularly and I'd say it's about half and half. Some people might disagree with this but in my opinion these dogs are just as needy as a dog in the shelter because they are either headed there anyway, or living with people who do not want them and are probably not taking the best care of them.

Before you decide anything, I would really look into how realistic it is for you to get into showing. If you want to start having kids soon you may not have the time to finish your dog's showing career. That's a lot of time and money traveling and other show related expenses. It can be hard to do with a newborn and 3 other dogs on your hands. Is there a reason Diego isn't neutered? If you're planning on showing him and this new boxer I'd maybe wait on kids because with two show dogs you really won't have any time. My best advice would be to wait. People say life is short, but life is loooong! You'll have lots of time to get a Boxer. And you'll be doing it then because it's the right time for you and the dog. It's a big decision! Good luck on whatever you decide to do! :-)

Spaying will be a lot cheaper than having an emergency hysterectomy if she gets pyometra. When I saw her the first thing I saw was Black and Tan Coonhound as well :-)

yay :-)

[quote name='AllAmericanPup']Watched it...poodle won....big surprise...not..... [/quote] How about a spoiler alert next time!? I didn't want to know who won! :(