24 replies to this topic

[Kermitlover]

I need some advice..because I JUST can't make up my mind and I was hoping those with more experience could lead me in the right direction.
Our background...family of 5, kids ages 7, 5, and almost 3 and 2 cats.. I am a stay at home mom and my husband runs his business out of the house...there is usually someone at home much of the time.
We have been wanting to get a dog but have been waiting until our youngest is out of diapers...only dealing with one source of poop at a time!
So I found what seems to be a great family dog, a labradoodle, 35-45 pounds..nice size dog for a family, but mighty expensive. Also..I am one to go to the pound to save a dog or cat, so there is guilt of even "buying " one.
BUT...my thoughts are about temperments and having young children in the house...getting a dog from the pound and not knowing it well enough to trust it with my soon to be 3 year old, much less my 5 and 7 year old children.
Having researched the SPCA websites all of the dogs are rated "B" behaviors, meaning that the children in the home should be 10 or older. Can't find any "A" rated dogs.
What are the opinions out there, to buy and raise the dog or get it at the pound and take the chance?

[Chad Vander Veen]

Get a pound dog - no animal will ever love you more. A guy here at work has a abandoned Lab-australian sheep dog mix that is looking for a home. He's older, not a puppy, but he swears it is the nicest dog he's ever met...his neighbors are interested in the dog though so let me know if you are interested.

[Al Waysrite]

Another option is local rescue societies. Many breeds have their own rescue societies. We got ours from Homeward Bound Golden Retriever rescues. Check the internet, the spca or even petco for info. on these organizations.

[Kermitlover]

Another option is local rescue societies. Many breeds have their own rescue societies. We got ours from Homeward Bound Golden Retriever rescues. Check the internet, the spca or even petco for info. on these organizations.

Thank you..we have looked into the rescue services online but have only found info on dogs that are in the pound which again leads us to the temperment problem and our kids. I am guessing that you probably have to call or get in touch with them to see if they have other dogs that will meet our needs.

[bordercolliefan]

I love the idea of a pound dog, but our last experience with one has made us very cautious. To make a long story short, she had a lot of neuroses, fears, and behavior quirks that were not immediately apparent at the pound, and that revealed themselves gradually over time. They were probably worsened by what was ultimately (I mean, after a couple years) diagnosed as a slow-growing brain tumor. We try to be kind and we believe family members are for keeps, so we kept her for her whole natural life (which ended up being about 7 years), but her increasing craziness made her unpredictable and I did not trust her around the children.

Pound dogs usually have a "past," and no one really knows what that is. If they had spent their early years in a loving, responsible home, they probably would not have ended up in the pound. They can make fantastic pets for adults, but I think it is often risky to have them around children (since children themselves can be so unpredictable). The pound environment is so artificial, and pound workers are so overworked, that they can't always accurately evaluate a dog's personality or health.

Also, nowadays, it seems like most pound "inmates" are the less desirable family dogs: pit bulls, Rottweiler mixes, etc. It's hard to find a medium-sized sweet family dog.

Well, that's my two cents. With our other dog (a border collie), we paid a farmer/breeder $250 for her as a puppy (which seemed like a lot) and raised her ourselves. She is the best dog ever... truly priceless.

[sat]

[quote name='bordercolliefan' date='Apr 13 2007, 09:03 PM' post='153763']
I love the idea of a pound dog, but our last experience with one has made us very cautious. To make a long story short, she had a lot of neuroses, fears, and behavior quirks that were not immediately apparent at the pound, and that revealed themselves gradually over time. They were probably worsened by what was ultimately (I mean, after a couple years) diagnosed as a slow-growing brain tumor. We try to be kind and we believe family members are for keeps, so we kept her for her whole natural life (which ended up being about 7 years), but her increasing craziness made her unpredictable and I did not trust her around the children.

Pound dogs usually have a "past," and no one really knows what that is. If they had spent their early years in a loving, responsible home, they probably would not have ended up in the pound. They can make fantastic pets for adults, but I think it is often risky to have them around children (since children themselves can be so unpredictable). The pound environment is so artificial, and pound workers are so overworked, that they can't always accurately evaluate a dog's personality or health.

Also, nowadays, it seems like most pound "inmates" are the less desirable family dogs: pit bulls, Rottweiler mixes, etc. It's hard to find a medium-sized sweet family dog.



I had a similar experience with a pound dog. He was a lab mix, and just the sweetest dog. However, he suffered from severe seperation anxiety that could not be cured. We tried training, animanl behaviorists, even a boot camp for dogs, all to no avail.

Whenever we left the house, there was no telling what mess we could come home to. He would chew threw the drywall, he chewed up two mattresses, destroying them, destroyed kitchen cabinets, ruined a couch and a dining room table. Of course, we tried leaving him in a cage when we left, but his rage was so much that he literally could bend the metal of the cage to get out. We even bought one of those big outdoor dog runs, and he managed to escape that, also.
My husband figured we spent at least $20,000 fixing or replacing the things he destroyed, and that does not include all the training fees.

This went on for over a year, and the stress it caused our family was too much to bear. Because of this dog, we became prisoners of our house. We did not want to leave for fear of what would happen while were gone.

One of the hardest decisions I have ever made was to give him back to the SPCA. Like I said, when he was a very sweet, gentle dog, at least when we were home. We got him from Placer County SPCA, and he went back there. They have a no-kill policy, but I told them he is definately not adoptable. I never knew what happened to him.

I am sure for one bad experience, there are several good ones, however, I will not bring a dog from the pound again. Our family has a 6-year-old Poodle (great dog, and very good with my kids), and an Australian Shepherd puppy. He's great also, loves the kids, and loves to run around with the kids.

[Kermitlover]

Thank you all for your input...I am thinking that maybe when the kids are older I can try a dog from the pound, kids more trustworthy and dog more trustworthy.
The labradoodle that we were looking at costs $1800...again a bit pricy for a dog right, or is this reasonable it today's market. They do have the dog fixed, microchiped, first two rounds of shots, and a 26 month guarantee from disease. so there is about $500.00 they are telling us.
Getting a dog from a rescue sounds like the best option for us. That way we may have a little more background on the dog, right?
Also, the whippet looked great, what other breeds do you think would work for our family...not looking for a fluffy, small dog but somewhere is the 30-40 lbs. range.

[Chad Vander Veen]

Thank you all for your input...I am thinking that maybe when the kids are older I can try a dog from the pound, kids more trustworthy and dog more trustworthy.
The labradoodle that we were looking at costs $1800...again a bit pricy for a dog right, or is this reasonable it today's market. They do have the dog fixed, microchiped, first two rounds of shots, and a 26 month guarantee from disease. so there is about $500.00 they are telling us.
Getting a dog from a rescue sounds like the best option for us. That way we may have a little more background on the dog, right?
Also, the whippet looked great, what other breeds do you think would work for our family...not looking for a fluffy, small dog but somewhere is the 30-40 lbs. range.

Not to make you feel guilty, but getting a dog is not like buying a tool or an appliance. You're expanding your family. Do you really want to spend some $2000 when thousands upon thousands of wonderful dogs that desperately want a home can be had for a few dollars?

[Kermitlover]

Not to make you feel guilty, but getting a dog is not like buying a tool or an appliance. You're expanding your family. Do you really want to spend some $2000 when thousands upon thousands of wonderful dogs that desperately want a home can be had for a few dollars?

No Way...$1800 is a very hard pill to swallow and I really feel bad about supporting the process...but I want the best dog possible for my family/situation ...and really would like a mixed breed anyway.

[bordercolliefan]

The breed rescue societies may be a good compromise. I know a family who has had two Golden Retrievers from Homeward Bound. In both cases, the history of the dog was known (I believe one had been a pet of someone who was diagnosed with cancer and could no longer take care of it). They turned out to be excellent family pets.

[EAH]

I have to agree with BoderCollie (and ideally C_ Vanderveen, although a pound puppy may not be the best option for your family) I think $1800 is absolutely ridiculous to spend on a dog when there are so many wonderful dogs that need loving homes. My neighbors rescued 2 Newfoundlands from a Newfie rescue society and they were the most wonderful dogs. My best friend rescued her dog Buddy from a Golden Retriever rescue and he practically raises her 2 boys. And of course our "furry children" are both from a Boston Terrier rescue. I really think you might want to try a rescue society that is specific to the breed you want. Most of these dogs are placed there because the original owners have passed away (in our case), relocated to a place that doesn't allow pets (Buddy) or allergies ( The original owner of the Newfs discovered that her little boy was allergic to the dogs). There are wonderful loving animals that are literally dying while waiting to find a loving home.

[FIDOPres]

I would encourage you to contact a rescue group who's dogs are in foster homes. I foster dogs regularly and am able to give potential families a good picture of the dogs personality and temperament. I encourage potential families to take dogs home for an overnight before making a final decision, offer support and follow-up, and will always take a foster dog back, at anytime, no questions asked. I have over 40 dogs in my network of foster homes right now and would be glad to chat with you about the needs of your family and match you with a great dog.

This is the last dog I placed... Rudy, he was about to be PTS when we got him from the shelter. He's such a cutie

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[1901FrasierCrane]

I would encourage you to contact a rescue group who's dogs are in foster homes. I foster dogs regularly and am able to give potential families a good picture of the dogs personality and temperament. I encourage potential families to take dogs home for an overnight before making a final decision, offer support and follow-up, and will always take a foster dog back, at anytime, no questions asked. I have over 40 dogs in my network of foster homes right now and would be glad to chat with you about the needs of your family and match you with a great dog.

This is the last dog I placed... Rudy, he was about to be PTS when we got him from the shelter. He's such a cutie

As someone who has benefited from adopting a dog from a foster home, I can completely tell you this is a great way to go. I have also purchased from a breeder.

Several years ago, I too thought I should go the pure bread route to ensure a "good dog." I researched breeders and bought a lovely puppy. Seven months later, she turned into a totally aggressive pooch. I learned that she had of a brain tumor and had to put her to sleep. This was a rare diagnosis, but I bring it up because "pure bred" is not a synonym for "perfect dog."

Just last September, I adopted a WONDERFUL senior dog from the SPCA. The dog was in foster care so I was able to visit her in the home and observe the dog's behavior. She lets cats walk all over her and adores children (which is exactly what the foster mom told me). I proudly walk her around Folsom and girl scouts yell out to her to say, "Hello!" Little yappy dogs (whose owners think because the dog is small, they can roam all over the place) run at her and yip, but she just takes it in stride and looks up at me as if to say, "You have GOT to be kidding."

The foster home in my case was an angel. I keep in touch with her even today and I can tell you that when it is time for me to adopt again, I will not hesitate to go the foster route again. God bless any foster homes reading this post... you're heroes in my book. :-)

P.S. For the person who referred to Pit Bulls and Rottweiler mixes as "undesirable family dogs," I beg to differ. Rottweilers are wonderful, loving dogs and should not be condemned just because of their breed. Yes, it unfortunate that there are some undesirable owners who do not train their dogs to be good canine citizens, but it is not the breeds fault. There are undesirable animals in every breed. I am sure you meant no harm and I do understand your perspective on "dogs with a past" in the pound. I just hope that we can all have open minds about dog breeds and not judge a particular breed unfairly. Thanks!

[Kermitlover]

I would encourage you to contact a rescue group who's dogs are in foster homes. I foster dogs regularly and am able to give potential families a good picture of the dogs personality and temperament. I encourage potential families to take dogs home for an overnight before making a final decision, offer support and follow-up, and will always take a foster dog back, at anytime, no questions asked. I have over 40 dogs in my network of foster homes right now and would be glad to chat with you about the needs of your family and match you with a great dog.

This is the last dog I placed... Rudy, he was about to be PTS when we got him from the shelter. He's such a cutie

Hi FidoPres,
I was searching thru petfinder.com and there are a couple of Poodles with other breads mixed in. Do you know of any medium sized dogs with that mix locally? All of the dogs are out of the area...althought I am willing to drive a little bit. How about maybe a lab with a little mix in it? Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thank you so much for your help.

[Al Waysrite]

Hi FidoPres,
I was searching thru petfinder.com and there are a couple of Poodles with other breads mixed in. Do you know of any medium sized dogs with that mix locally? All of the dogs are out of the area...althought I am willing to drive a little bit. How about maybe a lab with a little mix in it? Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thank you so much for your help.

I know there is a local lab rescue society. They set up a table outside Petsmart just last Sunday.
Call the store and find out more or when they'll be back.