puppy?

[caferacermike]

So my other half has been after me to get her a dog for several years. She really wanted a Doberman but I'm leery about our 2 cats. I think the younger one would be fine but I'm worried the old one will be so upset that she might waste away. I'm also worried that with such a large dog that a playful nip at the cat could end in death for kitty. So lately she has been patrolling the pounds and keeps sending me pics of other dogs.

I'm looking for a few ideas here. First: breed. Second: size. Third: demeanor. Fourth: hectic schedules. Fifth: where?

Breed:

So I would still personally like a Doberman. I've always liked them and have always wished to keep one. I've had min pins before. They were an absolute handful. I actually kind of liked the messages the pound would leave me when they would catch Pico running loose in the hood. The called him "Devil Dog" and his city mandated microchip papers identified him as such. However a min pin does not make a Doberman.

Other breeds: Whippet, Italian Greyhound (kinda the same thing), Screw Tail Boston terrier, most any of the terriers, blue heeler, catahoula, or my other all time hold out a salt and pepper giant schnauzer.

Size:

I have a decent sized back yard so that's not so much a problem. 1 problem is I only have a chain link fence. If necessary I could add an invisible fence and train it. Along with size I do have 2 cats to think about. I am also worried about having to clean up piles behind a large dog. Large dogs= large bills. Anybody have a preference?

Demeanor:

Of course the nice thing about a larger dog is that my house might seem a little more secure. I have been robbed twice while living in Austin so yeah that sucks. I'm stuck between wanting a warm fluffy rock that could care less if I'm there (that's probably from the cats) and a wild obnoxious always in my face dog. I'm really wanting to stay away from a middle of the road perfect dog. Either dead lazy or super annoying hyper. If it is ultra hyper I am much more inclined to take it everywhere with me and unleash it upon the unsuspecting.

Schedule conflicts:

I work a job with no set hours. I could be working 40 hours or 98 hours without warning. My Misses is currently working and taking a few classes so her schedule can be wacky as well.

And finally where?

Of course the first thing that everyone will say is "The Pound". Ok now that we are past that let's move on. As much as I don't mind visiting a shelter, and it is still an option, I am also the type that enjoys a pure breed and I also like getting papers with a dog. I'm no farmer so I'm never going to have an awesome paper trailed horse or anything, this may be as close as I get. I will not buy from Petland and I am also set against side of the road. I realize that some people just happen upon a litter of puppies and need to get rid of them in a parking lot, but good people breed good dogs and find better ways of passing them on.

So I want all the comments, even from fishypets. Any experiences with any of the dogs I like?

[diabeetus]

i just recently got a border collie/Sheppard mix and he is the smartest dog EVER!! so if you were looking at teaching it to be gentle with the cats, i think a good breed would be a collie or a Sheppard mix. i see you like the boston terrier. awesome. french bulldogs are awesome too! i think you, yourself should goto a rescue center and check things out. Town Lake Animal Center is a good one, but there are several all over austin. i bet you find one you absolutely cant live without within 2 trips. also, mix breeds usually dont have the health problems that pure breeds have. in my experience mix breeds are sweeter as well. but if youre absolutely set on a pure bred, i still say goto the shelters because they have pure breds too.

[caferacermike]

That's funny you say border collie as she was all about Scroll down to "****", and I kinda liked "Waffles".

So uh yeah bout the "shelter" thing, that's what we are looking at, as you can clearly see once you click on the link. It's just that I'm also interested in pure breeds such as the Doberman and Schnauzer. It's about 50/50 so I would appreciate not having to "argue" the shelter thing any further. Rather than saying "shelter" instead do us all a favor and and tell me a specific shelter that you think is doing an above average job and is worth going to.

*******************************************************ADDENDUM******************************

OK HONESTLY HERE FOLKS, REALLY? REALLY? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ON THIS FORUM THAT BELIEVES THE SWEARY FILTER IS KIND OF OVER THE TOP RIDICULOUS AT TIMES?

When I clicked on the "preview post" to see if my link worked it did not. I cannot type the name ****, think short for Richard. It is a name. I work with a guy named ****. **** would probably be offended if he joined the site here and created a username of "****" and it could not be displayed. ****, ****, ****, Rooster.

So yeah Diabeetus please scroll down to **** on the page. D i c k. And mods I am not trying to "get around the swear filter" Sorry but I cannot type out **** as in the animal's name for others to look at and comment.

[+mcallahan]

Mikey...do you have a doggie door so the dog could let itself out, or would you consider putting one in?

border collies are smart dogs, but they needs LOTS of space to roam and play. They are herding dogs my nature so they want to work. All day at home with no one there = problem dog and not fair to the animal.

Blue heelers are in the same category: working dogs that want to work. They need some kind of outlet and playing tennis ball when you get home from work or when you get up isn't going to cut it. Given your hectic and erratic schedule, I wouldn't recommend anything in the working dog group. Also, they'd figure out a way to get out of the chain link fence as they are very smart.

Boston Terrier could be a fun one. I doubt it'd mess with the cats and if it did, It'd probably only do it once! The Boston would be loveable, but not over the top assuming you set boundaries (same with any dog). Robbers will largely leave a house if they hear dogs bark so even a Boston could be enough to have them avoid the place. And you can crate them while you are away and not feel guilty about it. Granted you can crate big dogs, but I'm personally not a fan of it.

Of course, why not get a pug?

[medi]

Personally, my favorite breed is the boxer. I have two here at home and they are both excellent dogs. They are incredibly smart; even if they look dumb as a post they usually are a very intelligent breed. Also, they can be quite the deterant to would be criminals. Ask any of the members here who have seen my dogs. They look and sound like they would eat you alive, but they really just like to announce their presence. They have become quite protective of my kids so they don't like strangers, but I am fully assured that they would never hurt a fly unless truly necessary. They have been excellent with my two young children. My kids climb and jump all over them, and they just lay there and let them do whatever they would like. My older boxer weighs about 65 lbs. and the one year old pup weighs around 40 lbs.

[diabeetus]

both d i c k and waffles look like amazing dogs!! Austin Pets Alive is an exceptional organization! my girlfriend fostered for them for a while and was amazed at how they run things. town lake is my recommendation, only because i have adopted from them a few times. but i didnt go straight to TLAC to find my dog. i went online like you did and it just so happens that all 3 dogs i found were from TLAC.

*** did you see spottie?** scroll down, he is like 3rd row down. i saw you like boston terrier, well im not sure he is any part boston terrier but he reminded me of one.

[diabeetus]

about 3 months ago when i first got Zorro:

today at the beach:

he is growing so fast! very playful but very well behaved. he never has any problems with other dogs. they all bark at him, but he just keeps on goin with his own business. he is so sweet to everybody, including other dogs, and children when playing and just in general.

[caferacermike]

Medi, one thing-Hip Dysplasia. For some reason it seems that most of the Boxers I've seen in the past few years have it. I do like Boxers and were once on my short list until 2 of my friends had problems with theirs. Yours look like very nice animals.

[medi]

I know they have that problem. I have been very lucky so far and haven't noticed any troubles. I was told by my vet that a good vet should be able to examine a young puppy and including X-rays should be able to rule out whether the pup will have a problem or not. Another thing we do is give our dog glucosamine which is supposed to help. Thanks for the compliment. We have really enjoyed them.

[reefpets]

English Bulldog. Great all around dog..

[chrisfowler99]

border collies are smart dogs, but they needs LOTS of space to roam and play. They are herding dogs my nature so they want to work. All day at home with no one there = problem dog and not fair to the animal.

Blue heelers are in the same category: working dogs that want to work. They need some kind of outlet and playing tennis ball when you get home from work or when you get up isn't going to cut it. Given your hectic and erratic schedule, I wouldn't recommend anything in the working dog group. Also, they'd figure out a way to get out of the chain link fence as they are very smart.

Heh...and we have a border collie/blue heeler mix. Exceedingly smart dog...has us trained very well.

Very lovable dog, but the cat hates him. As a herding dog he believes it's his job to herd the cat into the "proper" areas of the house.

As far as room to roam and play, he's a bit odd. He'll tell us when he wants out, he'll go run a lap of the back yard (which is pretty small) and then be ready to come back in and lay down.

[diabeetus]

border collies are smart dogs, but they needs LOTS of space to roam and play. They are herding dogs my nature so they want to work. All day at home with no one there = problem dog and not fair to the animal.

Blue heelers are in the same category: working dogs that want to work. They need some kind of outlet and playing tennis ball when you get home from work or when you get up isn't going to cut it. Given your hectic and erratic schedule, I wouldn't recommend anything in the working dog group. Also, they'd figure out a way to get out of the chain link fence as they are very smart.

Heh...and we have a border collie/blue heeler mix. Exceedingly smart dog...has us trained very well.

Very lovable dog, but the cat hates him. As a herding dog he believes it's his job to herd the cat into the "proper" areas of the house.

As far as room to roam and play, he's a bit odd. He'll tell us when he wants out, he'll go run a lap of the back yard (which is pretty small) and then be ready to come back in and lay down.

haha my collie mix walks over to the door and sits. then will ever so gently tap his nose to a little bell we have set up on the door handle when he wants to go out. he is a very active pup but luckily i love to do stuff too so i have no problem taking him out wherever i go. like to the beach this weekend! he loves it!!

and at 14 weeks old when we got him, he was already house trained. this is my second border collie mix and im not sure ill ever NOT have one.

[s_griffin]

I commend your efforts to find a new pet from an animal shelter!!!! The last two dogs we have gotten have been from a shelter. The first was a schnauzer mix that was 2 when we got him and lived till he was 15. The second is a long legged rat terrier and has turned into the best companion dog, he was also 2 when we got him. It is true that you truely dont know what you are "getting" personality wise from a shelter dog but you can spend time with them before bringing the home. At Williamson County Animal Shelter they have an area sent up like a living room, including you might a cat. We were able to set in there with Max (the terrier). He jumped on the furniture and barked at the cat, but did mind when i asked for him to get down. I know I am bragging. You might want to consider if you want high maintenance hair, brushing trimming....

[+Dena]

APA pulls a lot of dogs from the shelter so adopting from them will be quite similar, just more expensive. They don't do the type of screening a good "rescue" group would, but they are saving lives. There are a lot of groups in Austin and one may have exactly what you are looking for. If you are looking for something particular, it will be hard to tell if a dog at a shelter will have that quality. They tend to take a week or so to settle in and show their true personalities. The shelter does occasionally have dogs fostered out...usually pups that are too small to stay in the shelter due to health risks. You may want to look at a rescuer that keeps their dogs in foster homes. This is what we do...this way we get to know how they are in the house, around other dogs, around cats...and children if the foster happens to know of any. And we see their true personalities after they finally relax, trust and settle in. There is a website call austinrescue. You'll have to figure out what "dot" it is because I've heard you can't post an actual website or something LOL. I don't want to get in trouble.

I do also agree with Mark. Herding breeds need a bit more than just play time with dad, esp. Border Collies and Heelers. You may luck out and get one that is a little more laid back, but typically they have energy and are very smart and if you add those two with bordom...they get into trouble. I was going to send you photos of one of my girls. Despite what I just said about these breeds, we think she's Border Collie with maybe some Heeler and Catahoula. She's five years old and although she does have a good amount of energy, she can be laid back and LOVES her crate. She feels secure in it so crating her long hours would not be a problem. She typically goes outside to potty and runs back to her crate...I have to tell her she can come out of it...although she doesn't care for one of our other girls so lately she's crated more than I like. In her last home she was afraid of the cat. I am sure she'll find a way to get out of chainlink, but if she's only out there to potty and with you present, she won't go anywhere. Here's a picture of her. Her name is Kat and her biggest downfall is she's scared of strangers and it takes her a bit to warm up to them...more so to men. Her last owner of 2yrs was a man...which is proof she will settle in. And if someone tries to get in...even if she's in her crate...they will know she is there. She's awesome at alerting us to strange noises outside...like the UPS truck. She's got a mid to high energy, but at the same time she can flop around the house with you and amuse herself.

If you wanted to meet her, let me know. I'm negotiable on the adoption fee. She needs her shots so I'd take care of that first. I can usually get my vet to do all shots for about $100. I tried to hit up a low cost clinic, but missed it. She also comes with a 42" wire dog crate, first month of heartworm and flea prevention, and some dog food to get you started.

Dena

[+Dena]

Also, dog poop size can vary depending on what you feed them. We feed a raw diet and it's less than half the size and less than half the stink of regular dog food. When it dries up it turns white and you can go over it with the mower or step on it and it turns to dust...or a rock depending on the weather LOL.

[hobogato]

we have a collie - would stay away from that bc of pure breed issues with health, but we also have a couple of australian shepherds that are great. there is still a chance of hip dysplasia, but that will be the case with any med/large dog. as far as food goes, we have switched to kirkland brand food from costco, chicken and vegetable formula. no corn filler, so smaller/less poo.

Edited September 27, 2010 by hobogato

[+mcallahan]

Good looking dog Dena!

[+Dena]

It's weird how purebreds have more health issues. I've lost four to cancer in the past 1 1/2 yrs...my latest was on Monday. I've had a mixed breed GSD and something else just as long as this last dog and he's perfectly healthy. My breed of choice is just breaking my heart...I wish they would live longer.

You can get a Pekingese too...they are great guard dogs. Just ask anyone that has come to my house. The Peke barks like mad and the Rotts swarm for attention.

[+Dena]

You want to adopt her Mark?

[+mcallahan]

You want to adopt her Mark?

If I:

#1: had more room

#2: had a wife that was over the loss of her 13 yr old lab

Yes. However, #1 and #2 don't apply so I'll pass.

[+Dena]

I tried...I need a break from having so many at the house. I've got three fosters here...eight total. Jays mom may adopt one when she moves here...IF she ever moves.

So Mike...whatcha think? Want to at least meet her?

[diabeetus]

It's weird how purebreds have more health issues.

isnt this because they are ultimately inbred?

[caferacermike]

Oh sorry, Mike works during the day. I just read the reply about above dog. I'll need to run it by her and see what she thinks. I do think we were looking more for a smooth hair or a groomed dog so as not to have more fur everywhere.

I'll let ya know.

[Elizzy]

Hi!

You know, it sounds like you really want a doberman, I think you should get what you want so that you are happy about it and have no regrets. That being said, I know you mentioned papers, but what you need to realize with papers, is that all they are is verification of purebred parents. Purebred does not always equal good. Think of papers like a driver's license... Some people are great drivers, others not so much

That being said, HERE are dobie breeders in Texas.

this is a great resource for rescue animals: petfinder.com - a preliminary search on dobermans in the Round Rock area turned up THIS.

Good luck with your search --please post pictures of new pup!!

[caferacermike]

Oh I appreciate that.

As much as it sounds as though I do want a dobie, I also don't want to clean up land mines. I don't even like to mow the grass.

With that said, this is definitely why I'm reaching out to see what others like, have had experiences with, what they wouldn't do again etc..

I had a friend with a wonderful blue heeler, I would never realized that he was probably just lucky that his was ok with being a house dog. He took the dog all over, but it did not have any place to roam or "work". That was a reason why heelers were on my list. Same goes for the catahoula and border collies. Not having a place for them to run and work, I'll cross them off my list. And it's not that I wouldn't be willing, it's just why take the chance if it's unnecessary.

The other half has suddenly jumped on the Boston Terrier band wagon after doing more research. Sounds like a right sized dog, smooth short fur, light on the food bill, smaller dogs tend to be cheaper at the vet, obnoxious like it's possible future owners, cats could easily defend themselves, might be able to climb a chain link fence but less likely to just jump over it, shouldn't frighten or "put off" guests, and a few other reasons.

We certainly are not set on one, and we may still not ever get a dog. We have been "looking" for a dog now for at least 6 years. Then again I want a serval cat but I don't want a zoo. Been down that road before. So now I would rather put a lot of planning into picking the right one for our home.