Wisdom of getting a new Dog for Mom...

[newbury]

<snip>
Have you contacted any breeders of the breed you are interested in? Sometimes they get "returns" of pups that the families realize they made a mistake but the dog is excellent.

Good luck.

I shouldn't have written

"returns" of pups

but

"returns" of FORMER pups

.

My new next door neighbor had a German shepherd and two of some form of lab-boxer mix, one a few month old puppy, the other a dog of about two years. The older mix they decided to get rid of because he had gotten to rambunctious for their two young (6? and 3?) daughters to handle after he grew larger than the German shepherd.

So they still have the German Shepherd and the pup. But someone could have gotten a great dog.

It seems your mom needs a similar size and demeanor dog to what she had.

 

[MF283]

Aussies are fantastic dogs, Drake our 1 1/2 year old is lying beside me now patiently awaiting for me to get up & do something. I take him to my job where i manage a flyshop in a outdoor retail store.
He loves people of all shapes, sizes & color, all dogs that come in to visit, calm as he can be. Thankfully, we have 35 acres for him to tear loose on when he needs to unwind daily & we actually play ball or soft frisbee with him in the store.
We've had Labs, Heelers in the past & still 3 of those here as well. The Lab is just as good, the Heelers wouldn't fit in these conditions, loyal to us though.
I'd keep visiting the Shelter & even see if they would contact you of incoming dogs that would match her needs.
Maybe even post an ad in local paper or Vet's office & see what happens.

Good Luck
Ronnie

 

[dmccarty]

We have rescued a couple of dogs. One we kept and the other we gave to a family member whose dog had died. Both dogs have been very good and with no problems. They were both 3-4 years old when they were adopted. We did pay around $200 to the rescue organization which took in the dogs, evaluated the dogs, updated their shots and got them health care if needed. Twas money well spent since the dogs have been healthy and not at all a problem.

Later,
Dan

 

[GLyford]

I got a "pet quality" Akita that was a breeder return just because I agreed to give her a good home, she was with us for 9 years. She was about 4 when we got her, and had none of the puppy energy that could be so taxing for an older person. Old dogs need good homes, and are usually pretty easygoing as long as they get their kibble and a place to nap, and usually have a good base of housetraining and obedience to build on.

Her replacement is a lab that I got trained, but young. Energy level was definitely something to be reckoned with for a couple of years until she settled down.

We have an Aussie we got as a puppy, and he is such a character. Similar herding drive to the cattledog that we had before him, but more family oriented, not such a workaholic obsessed dog (he had a job, fetch, and he took it very seriously). Aussies have such large personalities I can easily see that if your Mom has bred them that anything else would just not be the same.

So I like the idea of getting an older trained/mellow dog for her, and letting her know that if she gets a dog that it will have a home with you even if she can no longer take care of it (assuming of course, that you are willing to do that). And of course, an Aussie would be best because it is what she knows and is used to. Perhaps if you feel strongly that she should have a dog you could work the rescue angle, that "this dog really needs a good home" and playing down the expense. Make it more of a two-for-one deal where both she and the dog need what the other can offer, not just her needing a dog?

Yes rescue dogs are expensive, but their fees have tripled in 10 years pretty much because vet fees have also tripled in that time. Between fees for services, lab work (no pun intended), and 6 months of heartworm/flea meds it can get pretty close 400 a dog when I walk out again. I have no problem reimbursing a rescue for vet fees, vaccinations, and fostering a dog to make sure it is adoptable, as long as they are honest and up front about health and behavior issues and are working in the best interests of the dog (not just trying to do anything they can to get the dog into any house that will take them/out of their system). Sadly, I know those guys are out there too. I have had good luck with breed specific rescues, for what that is worth.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've definitely put the word out and confident...

Two years ago someone was moving cross country to a retirement home to be near her daughter and she was looking for a home for her dog through the church bulletin... very sweet older German Shepard that seemed small for the breed... it went to a family the next day.