Dogs.

[ljjhouser]

I guess we all may have different beliefs about dogs. I have always had a dog. I am old and so is my dog now. But I cannot imagine being without a dog. I only get rescue dogs. I believe dogs remember things like bad treatment. With time in the beginning, they will learn, and love their new home and relationship. I have had trained bird dogs in the past. There is no assurance that they have not been mistreated by the handler. As a matter two of them have been trained. The one below, Lulu (the Brittany I have now) was trained. Then she was turned over to the dog pound because she was mishandled and because of that, afraid of men - and then would not hunt. The first time NBRAN brought her to the house, she would not come near me. Hid from me. She has the absolute best nose I have ever seen.

This is how she was when we got her. This is her box. She ate one a day.

She has had a busy day!

I told my wife - That damn dog is going to eat our furniture. I was afraid she would eat the interior of my jeep, so I bought a small create to put in the car. We learned to keep the closets closed if we wanted to keep our shoes.

But she was very smart, she learned very quickly. This is her today. She still chews, but only on her toys. She is very good, I say get into truck, she jumps into truck, stay, she moves away from gate. And many others. Only by giving her time. She is with me all the time, every where. I can't pee without her following me. And remember, was one of the best POOR behaving dogs I have ever had - and was breed and trained to hunt. Then given up as a lost cause. Any dog, in the beginning, will be some work. But the payback is immeasurable.

 

[ljjhouser]

In retrospect, I suppose the real question is this - Do you still feel like the effort to take care of and play with a dog? Not so much where the dog comes from. If not, maybe an older adopted dog. But I think an older dog may be harder to change. Best Wishes.

 

[arizona98tj]

I'm retired and there has only been a 2 year period in my life when I didn't have a dog.....the first two years of my military service. Truthfully, I've had some of the best luck with adult strays, I believe they honestly appreciate being taken in and display their affection in return. I've also had good luck with the $25 pitbull puppy bought on the street corner on a Saturday morning. I've been fortunate to usually get most of my dogs as pups but the strays were adults. I've tried the pound two times and both times the adult dog came with more baggage than one could imagine. Nowadays, around here, it costs north of $300 to get a dog from the recuse/pound. I'm not spending that kind of money on a crapshoot dog given my previous luck with them.
(The black and white is a street corner pitbull and the other is a pitbull/red doberman cross given to us as a puppy. Two of the best dogs I've ever had.)

 

[JasperFrank]

Arizoina you do directly address a thing about adopted dogs from a shelter. They cost a lot these days. Current one, costed 170 dollars, 8 years ago from the shelter. It is odd to me that one needs to buy a dog, that no one wants, and go through an interview, to pass, as a potential owner. If they don't get adopted, they get put down. Its a strange economy.

 

[ljjhouser]

I'm retired and there has only been a 2 year period in my life when I didn't have a dog.....the first two years of my military service. Truthfully, I've had some of the best luck with adult strays, I believe they honestly appreciate being taken in and display their affection in return. I've also had good luck with the $25 pitbull puppy bought on the street corner on a Saturday morning. I've been fortunate to usually get most of my dogs as pups but the strays were adults. I've tried the pound two times and both times the adult dog came with more baggage than one could imagine. Nowadays, around here, it costs north of $300 to get a dog from the recuse/pound. I'm not spending that kind of money on a crapshoot dog given my previous luck with them.
(The black and white is a street corner pitbull and the other is a pitbull/red doberman cross given to us as a puppy. Two of the best dogs I've ever had.)

Nice looking pair of dogs. Look like good friends. I used to hunt Quail (when there were places to hunt). That is why my dogs are always Brittanies. There has never been a time I could pay a couple thousand dollars for a purebred or trained hunting dog. But, I was able to adopt and hunt with our family dog. One of them (Jenny) was a great hunting dog. If they didn't hunt, they were our family dog, and that was ok.

But you are right. It was about 15 years ago I had to pay about $350 or $400 to adopt a from a rescue organization. I have had 2 from NBRAN - National Brittany Rescue. And I also thought that was expensive. That is what I paid for Lulu. In the process of adopting Lulu, I became acquinted with some of their people. Because of my location, I have volunteered to help them on occasion. Before long, I was doing home visits, picking up some dogs that were lost, pulling some our of a kill shelter before they were lost.
The first Brittany I picked up was in a near by town, Louisburg KS. The dog has come out of the woods looking for food. The homeowner was glad to see us show up. We put her in the car, and I reported her to the main office in Chicago. I was to keep the dog for a week, during which time she was scheduled for several tests, including heartworm test and spaying. The discounted rate was $113 because it was a rescue organization. Papers were also filled out so the dog could travel - The Dept of Ag. All was in order, but then the heart worm test came back Positive. She was about 14 mos old.
Because of that, the I took her to a foster care and rehab home sponsored by the organization. She was treated for heart worms - a slow process. Cost was discounted rate. $360. After foster care, (about 6-8 weeks later) AND RECOVERED from heart worms, she was again ready to travel. Filled the health papers for the Dept of Ag again. An adoption request was received and processed. The dog was then transported to the new home - from Green Forrest Ark to Phoenix, Az. I transported the first leg, from Green Forrest to Emporia Ks, about 350 miles. I also am a pilot so sometimes they can fly in a crate, depending on the dog. This Organization tries to be able to transport dogs up to 1200 miles without cost to the person receiving.

This was an educational process for me also. But I have done many. The trip from a lost stray to a healthy, evaluated (behavior dog), and placement into an exceptable home is sometimes a long and expensive trip. I am not inferring that this is always the case from a dog pound. Lulu came from the dog pound in Joplin Mo. Was transported to foster care in Green Forrest Ark.

I thought it was expensive. But to me, she has paid me back many times over a hug and laugh at a time. I realize that this is a successful story. Some are not. Yours is also a successful story of TWO dogs. That is fantastic. You may consider yourself an ordinary, run of the mill dog owner. But take my word for it, YOU ARE NOT, YOU ARE AN EXTRAODINARY dog owner who cares for his dogs. That is why they are the best dogs ever. The home visits are necessary, I have done many. One time there was a request to adopt a Husky in the Plaza are of KC, a high traffic area. It was an apartment and no fenced yard.

Sorry so long. I hope I did not say anything to offend you. That was never the intention. I know dogs from a pound see a vet first to protect others, but no more than that. I love to see people with happy dogs. And you have 2. And I think of all the dogs you have shared you life with over the many years. I bet there have been many happy dogs. The picture below is Peanut, the dog this was about, after all the work and ready to transport. Her fee was also $350. (I named her that first week) Since this Covid stuff, I don't think NBRAN is moving dogs for a while. Best wishes. Larry

 

[Sigarms]

I'm surprised at the "adopted costs".

We probably stopped fostering about 8 years ago, but the adoption fee was never more than $100, and that included spay and neuter, rabies tags and vet records. Honestly, a lot came out of our own pocket for care, but as mentioned before, owning a dog and having proper medical care is NOT cheap.

 

[Sigarms]

I've also had good luck with the $25 pitbull puppy bought on the street corner on a Saturday morning.

And the people "selling you the dog" just wanted to get rid of it, not caring what kind of home the dog would go to. Got cash? Take the dog. I have little doubt that you were a good master, the issue is most people who will shell out $25 for a "pitbull puppy" are most likely trash themselves.

Have to laugh, the dog in my avatar had way to many people who wanted to adopt her because they thought she would make a good guard dog.

That said, the dog in my avatar ended up with us because it was so hard to find a "good home" for a "bully breed" that she was one of the best dogs I've ever owned in my life. She was that good that she changed my view on the breed.

My father in law also agreed with my assessment LOL

 

[ljjhouser]

There are shelters around here that place large breed black dogs at the top of the list to be euthanized. They say large black dogs don't often get adopted. And, there are many people who put them on a chain outside as a "guard dog" and deliberately want to make them mean. I had a friend who was a mechanic where I worked. He bought a Chow puppy. Played and treated the dog rough. I told him, he may become more rough than you want as an adult. He thought it was funny and cute. At about 4 years, the dog was mean and he had to get rid of it. He could not understand why.

 

[Sigarms]

There are shelters around here that place large breed black dogs at the top of the list to be euthanized. They say large black dogs don't often get adopted.

That statistic would be accurate from our own local county shelter.

Ironically enough, one of the last dogs I brought home I found at our office right outside the airport. She is a 55lb black dog. That said, out of the 6 in our care, she is probably the least "issue" dog we have and actually has thrived in our care (I remember how she was shaking when I put her in the car to take her home LOL).

 

[ljjhouser]

That statistic would be accurate from our own local county shelter.

Ironically enough, one of the last dogs I brought home I found at our office right outside the airport. She is a 55lb black dog. That said, out of the 6 in our care, she is probably the least "issue" dog we have and actually has thrived in our care (I remember how she was shaking when I put her in the car to take her home LOL).

Nothing better than a big sweetheart dog. It is easy to look at a dog that is big and claim it is "Vicious." But is simply is not true. Puppies, like baby people are not born "vicious." They all form based external circumstances with the exception of a very small percentage of mental problems. Maybe, every once in a while a dog may be a mental issue.
But, if someone put me outside in the snow and ice without food on a chain and beat me, then they better not close their eyes around me because I would be a "Mental Issue" and their axxss would be grass. ha.

In thinking of animals and size, I was talking to someone who rode horses all her life. (I don't know much about horses). I mentioned - most horses are really big. It is amazing they let anyone ride them. She told me "Oh no, because of the size and shape of their eyes, they see everything magnified about 8 times. They see us as very big. Interesting.