Yesterday, after about a hundred trips to the spca to find the perfect dogs to be a companion and guardian for my wife and kids, we finally adopted one. She is a two year old German Shepard who is was only up for adoption because her owner passed away. She is already house trained and has been perfect around my 2 small children and our family cat. She sits on command, stays, goes in and out on command and has shown no interest in my kids toys. We left her inside for 2 hours while we went to a party and not one single thing was touched while we were gone. The only negative so far has been her attitude toward other dogs when my wife took her for a short walk. Obediance classes are being scheduled and we hope to have a new family member for years to come. I'll post some photos after i get my camera back on Monday.
Congratulations on the newest member of your family! I hope she brings you many years of happiness and companionship.
Wow! Congradulations! I don't understand why people without allergy issues still don't like dogs/animals. A dog is the perfect friend for a child or a young baby. It'll truely grow to be a part of the family. Like a new baby. Please post pictures, I can't wait to see!
Speaking of dogs and the SPCA, the new PetsMart on Shepherd near Alabama is now open!! They're prices are a litte bit less than the PETCO down the street and the staff is not as cocky... I used to find that since PETCO was pretty much the only pet store in the area, the staff over there were pretty rude. Now that they have some competition maybe they'll wise up... anyway... there was a rep from Purina at the new PetsMart, he was offering a free bag of dog food. So I took one with all intentions of donating it to the SPCA. I wasn't going to switch my brand but I took the bag anyway and now we are off to the SPCA to drop it off...
That is a good idea rockhead. I may stop by there myself and do that also. She has been a perfect dog and is so well behaved I can't believe it. I'll post some pics on tuesday.
My only beef with the SPCA is this.... My folks were getting my sister a puppy because my father had accidentally run over a new kitten she had found. (God that was sad, I was right there when it happened.) Anyway, they're off to the SPCA to get her a puppy. They pay for him, sign the paperwork, and come home. The puppy is the tiniest little runt mutt I'd ever seen, and was very playful the first couple of days. (I still remember trying to train it those first few days.) Anyway, three days after he's been there, my dad goes downstairs and there is diarreah all over his kennel. All over the place. And he can't control himself. My dad goes straight to the vet, where they find out the pup has distemper, and probably inherited it from his mother at birth. The vet says there is nothing he can do. My dad brings the puppy back to the SPCA, and explains the situation. The SPCA takes the dog, and tells my dad that they'll see what they can do, and get back to him. They never call back. My father calls them a week later and they tell him they don't know what happened to the dog! Not that my dad asked, but they didn't offer a refund, or a new dog. He finally got her a border collie from a breeder. I know that the SPCA is a good cause, but even non-profits need to run a fairly tight ship. Just pure negligence if you ask me.
Congratulations! Sounds like an awesome dog! You saved this amazing little creature from almost certain death -- now, he'll be loved and given the life he deserves. Your compassion is inspiring, dude! Remember: every time you buy a dog from a pet store or a breeder, you're sentencing another dog to death!
I understand the crack about the pet store, but WTF are you thinking about on a breeder? Unless you mean like a puppy mill man, but all the books I have on dogs recommend you to buy from a responsible breeder. So, I don't understand why you would say that.
FatMan510, sorry to rain on your parade, dude. Not what I intended. I'm sure your pup is a perfect addition to your family. I was just saying that when you support a breeder, you're encouraging them to breed more dogs. The more dogs bred and purchased, the fewer dogs are rescued from local shelters. And, Manny Ramirez, you're right: puppy mills are phucked up. Females are kept continually pregnant, and most breeder dogs NEVER SEE GRASS. They're kept in cages their whole lives.
That can be a pain. My dog is pretty good in general but does not interact well with other dogs. So, I can't take her to play with other dogs and generally cannot let her off leash anywhere. Socializing her properly is hard. Last weekend, she got away from me and attacked a rottweiler -- not a smart move, but I dragged her away before she got hurt.
My father worked in the city offices for the city of Lubbock about 35 years ago. At that time in a town that size they had to dispose of 150,000 dog or cat carcasses a year from having to put them asleep, or had been killed on the road. Lubbock at that time was not a huge town. Imagine how many dogs and cats that are strays, or get killed in Houston. Support the SPCA and adopt a dog, and for goodness sake, if you don't want a dog anymore, give it to a loving family, don't drop it off to fend for itself.
awesome! i love german shepherds...my mutt looks a lot like a shepherd. great dogs!! good for you!! that's great!
Thanks Mad Max. Best thing is she has been great around my 2 kids. 1 year old boy fell on her and pulled her tail and she didn't flinch.
that's been the experience with my dog...like you, we adopted her from a shelter. my son chases her around...bumps into her..lays on top of her..pulls her tail (despite me telling him not to!)...and she has never so much as growled. when he was gone visiting his grandparents, she would go in room and whine...i guess she missed him too.
