Dogs

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

29 minutes ago, Dome said:

@D82

here's a good looking poodle in Portland...

I'm not gonna pay that much, I'm looking for a shelter mutt for about tree-fiddy... but good looking dog.

2 responsible options for buying a dog imo.

1. A shelter/rescue animal.  This should be the go to for most people tbh. 
 

2. A REPUTABLE breeder.  This would be a breeder who typically breeds one breed of dog a couple times a year at most and usually has a wait list. They don’t breed until the puppies are spoken for with deposits.  They do all the appropriate health and genetic testing and will offer lifetime support. You should expect a contract and limited registration in most cases. They will be interviewing you as much as them.  There’s a long list of things to look for, but this is the minimum stuff. Expect to pay $1500 at a minimum for most breeds.  Very high quality breeders 3-4k.

 

Unfortunately most people buy dogs based on looks or cool YouTube videos instead of temperament and lifestyle.  Sure the Belgian Mal looks cool as hell, but unless you’re going to be doing advanced training, French ring, whatever, those dogs will eat your arse up.  Same with Border Collies, GSPs, etc.  Many dogs have an energy level that most owners aren’t willing or in some cases even able to match.  And most people overestimate their willingness to match those levels as well tbh. A lot of breeds need an hour or two of exercise per day, and some breeds need that of hard exercise, not just following your fat arse around the block twice. Refuse to do that and all of a sudden you have a “bad dog” who is neurotic, destructive and a nightmare to live with.
 

If all you want is a companion who will lounge on the couch most of the time, play fetch, go for hikes, etc., there are tons of great options for a couple hundred bucks at the shelters/rescues.

jmo…

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

A couple of you already know, but my Chessie, Biscuit died about a month ago.  Absolutely crushing.  Anyway, this is her.

https://imgur.com/2M9FwhE
 

 

[Dome]

4 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

2 responsible options for buying a dog imo.

1. A shelter/rescue animal.  This should be the go to for most people tbh. 
 

2. A REPUTABLE breeder.  This would be a breeder who typically breeds one breed of dog a couple times a year at most and usually has a wait list. They don’t breed until the puppies are spoken for with deposits.  They do all the appropriate health and genetic testing and will offer lifetime support. You should expect a contract and limited registration in most cases. They will be interviewing you as much as them.  There’s a long list of things to look for, but this is the minimum stuff. Expect to pay $1500 at a minimum for most breeds.  Very high quality breeders 3-4k.

 

Unfortunately most people buy dogs based on looks or cool YouTube videos instead of temperament and lifestyle.  Sure the Belgian Mal looks cool as hell, but unless you’re going to be doing advanced training, French ring, whatever, those dogs will eat your arse up.  Same with Border Collies, GSPs, etc.  Many dogs have an energy level that most owners aren’t willing or in some cases even able to match.  And most people overestimate their willingness to match those levels as well tbh. A lot of breeds need an hour or two of exercise per day, and some breeds need that of hard exercise, not just following your fat arse around the block twice. Refuse to do that and all of a sudden you have a “bad dog” who is neurotic, destructive and a nightmare to live with.
 

If all you want is a companion who will lounge on the couch most of the time, play fetch, go for hikes, etc., there are tons of great options for a couple hundred bucks at the shelters/rescues.

jmo…

Not just exercise either, many breeds need tasks and jobs to feel fulfilled and they'll act out if they don't.

We had collies growing up too, some were harder than others in this regard. We had a couple collies that did fine just throwing the ball in the field half an hour every night. They never got too hyper or developed bad habits. Also had collies that were non-stop go-go-go and were never going to be satisfied with playing fetch because they needed more mental stimulation.

 My uncle had a collie and he would send it on errands (go check the horses, go find the kids, bring me a beer) that kind of stuff to keep her busy all day. He didn't have to exercise her too much because she was "working" all day. That dog was awesome. 

[Dome]

3 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

A couple of you already know, but my Chessie, Biscuit died about a month ago.  Absolutely crushing.  Anyway, this is her.

https://imgur.com/2M9FwhE
 

 

It's never easy. I always take time off work when a dog dies and get judged for it, but I don't care.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

1 minute ago, Dome said:

Not just exercise either, many breeds need tasks and jobs to feel fulfilled and they'll act out if they don't.

We had collies growing up too, some were harder than others in this regard. We had a couple collies that did fine just throwing the ball in the field half an hour every night. They never got too hyper or developed bad habits. Also had collies that were non-stop go-go-go and were never going to be satisfied with playing fetch because they needed more mental stimulation.

 My uncle had a collie and he would send it on errands (go check the horses, go find the kids, bring me a beer) that kind of stuff to keep her busy all day. He didn't have to exercise her too much because she was "working" all day. That dog was awesome. 

Yep, and that takes training which again takes more time.

like, if you’re not going to put in an hour or two per day with a lot of these breeds, neither of you are gonna have a good time.

Biscuit was a retriever obviously and she had a fairly high drive.  Walking around the block didn’t cut it.  She needed fetch and to run it out.  Even just to walk around the block she’d be awful (pulling ahead) if you didn’t throw a ball or stick for 10 min before.  If you did, you could walk her off leash (I didn’t do that, but I could have).

For her the dog park and fetch kept her calm, walking not so much.

My other dog is a 10 year old Kelpie and he actually doesn’t need much activity at all.  A walk a couple times a week, dog park once every week or so, that’s about it.  He’s a lazy old man who likes to nap and wait for someone to drop cheese. He was like that even when he was young, which for the breed is surprising. He was a rescue btw.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

6 minutes ago, Dome said:

It's never easy. I always take time off work when a dog dies and get judged for it, but I don't care.

Judged by people who either never lost a pet or never actually cared about a pet.

Im not a terribly emotional person in general but I was a blubbering mess for a week.  
 

I’m not saying everyone has to have that same reaction, but anyone who’s ever actually cared about a pet at least “gets it”.

[Dome]

1 minute ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

like, if you’re not going to put in an hour or two per day with a lot of these breeds, neither of you are gonna have a good time.

We always had at least 2, usually 3 dogs growing up. Poodles, collies, labs and retriever (and any mix of those) were what we had pretty much at all times. But we also had a cocker spaniel mix, a terrier mix, a GSD mix, and a great dane mix over the years.

In my experience, golden retriever (most likely a GR mix if youre looking at shelter dogs) are very good family dogs for people who don't have a lot of time for training.

Like you said they don't have crazy exercise demands. If we let ours out to run and play catch every night and didn't miss a night they were always fine. No need to run with them or take them anywhere.

You can easily teach them to sit at the door when they need to go out, to lay down when its time to chill out and to come when they're called, and none of those tasks should be hard to teach even with just a few minutes every several hours. Most folks don't need anything more than that from their dog when it comes to obedience.

 

It kills me when someone is getting their first dog, its bound to be like a Corgi or Husky or something and they're doomed from the start unless they're pot committed to being a dog owner.

 

[D82]

22 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

A couple of you already know, but my Chessie, Biscuit died about a month ago.  Absolutely crushing.  Anyway, this is her.

https://imgur.com/2M9FwhE
 

 

My condolences Brownie, it's never easy. 

[D82]

29 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Unfortunately most people buy dogs based on looks or cool YouTube videos instead of temperament and lifestyle.  Sure the Belgian Mal looks cool as hell, but unless you’re going to be doing advanced training, French ring, whatever, those dogs will eat your arse up.  Same with Border Collies, GSPs, etc.  Many dogs have an energy level that most owners aren’t willing or in some cases even able to match.  And most people overestimate their willingness to match those levels as well tbh. A lot of breeds need an hour or two of exercise per day, and some breeds need that of hard exercise, not just following your fat arse around the block twice. Refuse to do that and all of a sudden you have a “bad dog” who is neurotic, destructive and a nightmare to live with.

And this is the issue. Not the breeders, it's the people buying dogs who don't do the research into the breed they want/are getting. A lot of people also think they want a dog, but then when the reality of the time and money it takes to have one sinks in - they aren't ready to commit to that. 

[Dome]

10 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Judged by people who either never lost a pet or never actually cared about a pet.

Im not a terribly emotional person in general but I was a blubbering mess for a week.  
 

I’m not saying everyone has to have that same reaction, but anyone who’s ever actually cared about a pet at least “gets it”.

My mom has trained dogs either professionally or as a hobby since she was a kid, she handles their death better than anyone else in the family even though she probably bonds the closest with the dogs.

She looks at it like she is developing a relationship with the species as a whole, each individual dog she has a relationship with and bonds too in a different way, but as a whole she looks at dog ownership as a lifelong passion and a skill she will improve more with each new dog she creates that bond with.

 

Not me man, they're all my best bud ever at the time.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

1 minute ago, Dome said:

We always had at least 2, usually 3 dogs growing up. Poodles, collies, labs and retriever (and any mix of those) were what we had pretty much at all times. But we also had a cocker spaniel mix, a terrier mix, a GSD mix, and a great dane mix over the years.

In my experience, golden retriever (most likely a GR mix if youre looking at shelter dogs) are very good family dogs for people who don't have a lot of time for training.

Like you said they don't have crazy exercise demands. If we let ours out to run and play catch every night and didn't miss a night they were always fine. No need to run with them or take them anywhere.

You can easily teach them to sit at the door when they need to go out, to lay down when its time to chill out and to come when they're called, and none of those tasks should be hard to teach even with just a few minutes every several hours. Most folks don't need anything more than that from their dog when it comes to obedience.

 

It kills me when someone is getting their first dog, its bound to be like a Corgi or Husky or something and they're doomed from the start unless they're pot committed to being a dog owner.

 

Huskies are a perfect example of buying a dog based on looks.

They tend to be runners, diggers, and noisy.  They are an absolute mess of hair at times.  They’re not terribly appropriate for hot arse climates.  They need a lot of exercise. 
 

I’m not saying they can’t be great pets, but you need to know the breed’s requirements and be willing to accommodate them.

[Dome]

1 minute ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Huskies are a perfect example of buying a dog based on looks.

They tend to be runners, diggers, and noisy.  They are an absolute mess of hair at times.  They’re not terribly appropriate for hot arse climates.  They need a lot of exercise. 
 

I’m not saying they can’t be great pets, but you need to know the breed’s requirements and be willing to accommodate them.

I've only personally known one husky owner that I felt like really met all his dogs needs... they are not for the uninitiated or unmotivated.

[D82]

1 hour ago, Dome said:

@D82

here's a good looking poodle in Portland...

I'm not gonna pay that much, I'm looking for a shelter mutt for about tree-fiddy... but good looking dog.

Dog doesn't look awful...but no reputable breeder is going to sell their dog on Craigslist.

People also need to know that just because a dog comes with "papers", doesn't mean you're getting a good quality dog. The AKC is just a registry, it doesn't screen breeders to ensure they're showing or proving their breeding stock. It doesn't screen to ensure the breeder is doing all the required genetic health testing for that given breed. 

If you're looking for a certain breed, check out that breed's parent club website. They often have great resources on that breed's temperament, activity level, etc. as well as a breeder referral page where you'll have much better luck finding someone you can get a good dog from. 

[Dome]

2 minutes ago, D82 said:

Dog doesn't look awful...but no reputable breeder is going to sell their dog on Craigslist.

People also need to know that just because a dog comes with "papers", doesn't mean you're getting a good quality dog. The AKC is just a registry, it doesn't screen breeders to ensure they're showing or proving their breeding stock. It doesn't screen to ensure the breeder is doing all the required genetic health testing for that given breed. 

If you're looking for a certain breed, check out that breed's parent club website. They often have great resources on that breed's temperament, activity level, etc. as well as a breeder referral page where you'll have much better luck finding someone you can get a good dog from. 

I was strictly commenting on dog aesthetics. Good looking poodle.

I would get a rescue from CL, not any dog someone was trying to impress me with, thats a scam.

 

Like that same dog where the ad says "its too hyper for me and my kids don't like it, $400 rehoming fee" and i'd probably be calling

Edited January 20, 2022 by Dome

[OkeyDoke21]

8 hours ago, RaidersAreOne said:

My GF and I are getting pretty close to buying our first pup. An F1 sheepadoodle. I am huge on minimal shedding and we love the looks of Doodles. Something big, goofy and friendly to have around. 

Anyone have any experiences with a Sheepadoodle?

My dad has one.  She's a little over a year old now.  They also have an OE Sheepdog, that's around 4.  Also a female.  The sheepadoodle is pretty crazy lol, but she's still young.  They've had OE Sheepdogs for around 25 years, so it is neat to see the difference in personality that the poodle brings.