WTB small puppy

[mrairportjunke]

Re: WTB small puppy

u makin me cry nick.  thanks man. lol.  sad but true.

[justdoit]

Re: WTB small puppy

guess I have to jump on this too.  

A dog that you know it's breed personality [which IS a bred in trait] is a big must w/ kids.

Meg's dog has been the VERY best kid proof dog we could of ever choosen.            she was a surprising well bred  Pug that a guy wanted to make his fortune off of.        that was 9 1/2 years ago --- Meg  only 3 yr  & Pug was 2 yr.    brought her home to find her a permanent place after she whelped/ weaned the second litter of "8" puppies  --  the guy died [don't know details]         Meg & Pug chose each other           so, one more dog!!

o yeah --  Pug is thankfully still here --- her early use/abuse at such a young age has definitely cost her some years but she does pretty good for 12 years old.    

have to give the Pug breed a big thumbs up for companion    that is all this breed was ever bred for.      Pugs are small [18lb] but tough to handle kid mistakes.      

serious show breeders know not every pup will make the ring so these  quality pet dogs can be purchased healthy w/ temperments intact.    All pups are precious---mutts can change as they mature w/ the contradicting natures of some mixes.    Those pups deserve a chance but not at  risk of youngsters.   Mixes  better suited to adult or older child  homes that would take notice of personality quirks.

Yes these poor pups do need homes and the irresponsble owners need to be fined.   There are not reasons just excuses for these births.  There are low cost clinics avail. not just for low income.    ***The one just N of I45 just before FishRUs only charge $20 for females anysize w/ a rabies shot & kennel cough shot!!   &  $15 for males w/ same shots.***  Can't afford that how can you afford deworming/preventatives etc the dog will need to have a good life??

BTW  we have 6 dogs- ALL FIXED purebred or retired show dogs w/ one exception --
1 x Pug / 2 x Affenpinschers / 1 x Doberman / 1 x Anatolian Shepard      + 1 x Lab-x??

Sorry for long post but this is a big commitment .    The years shared seem so short / make good choices.   V.

[Nickintex]

Re: WTB small puppy

However, do keep in mind that not all pets surrendered to the shelters are mixed breeds. Many full breed animals get taken to the shelters. Besides the Christmas puppy scenario, many people get a dog on whim, not knowing all the traits that go with that breed, then end up surrendering becuase they cannot handle them.
For example I have seen:
1. Boxers surrendered because they are too hyper.
2. Toy poodles surrendered because "the dog wants too much attention".
3. Border Collies and Australian Shepherd because they dig holes in the yard (both breeds are highly intelligent, but need stimulation. They can be destructive if they are bored out of their minds).
4. Beagles and other hound breeds becasue they are too noisy.

Now, all pets surrendered to shelters must pass certain personality tests before they can be offered to the public. If the pet has certain restrictions like agression to other pets, they will inform you up front.

Just wanted people to know not to rule out the shelters just because they are looking for a full breed dog for companionship (not breeding) purposes. Although I do not own a dog currently, I did own chihuahuas in the past. When I am ready to adopt again, I do plan on a chihuahua again. That's my addtional 3 cents.

[szidlon]

Re: WTB small puppy

Ok, I'll add another 3 cents.  As mentioned earlier there are also the breed rescue groups in addition to the shelters.  Some friends of mine were recently adopted by a wonderful dog from the American Eskimo rescue group.  He is blind in one eye and apparently the original owners did not want a "defective dog".  He is the sweetest dog and plays very well with mine, he visits them a least once a month and there are three very tired dogs afterwards.  All of my pets have found me on their own.  I must have a sign on the front of my house that says to drop unwanted pets here, the crazy lady that lives here will take them in and care for them the rest of their lives.  And yes, proper care of furry pets is just as costly, if not more so than caring for our finned pets.

[Nickintex]

Re: WTB small puppy

Oh and BTW if you do end up purchasing rather than adopting, some things to BEWARE of:
1. Misleading labels and ficticous breeds: There is NO SUCH breed as a "red-nosed pit bull" or a "teacup chihuahua". These are just excuses to make the pup's price higher. And don't fall for the "champion" line excuse either. If you are only seeking a companion, the champion label means absolutely NOTHING! If I had a dime for every time I heard that "this pup is from a champion line" ....
2. Breeders who claim their pet is COMPLETELY vaccinated and the pup is only 2 months old or cannot provide proper medical documentation. Pups need vaccines until they are 4 months old and yearly thereafter. Heartworm prevention must be given year-round in Houston regardless if this is an "indoor" or "outdoor" dog. Their vectors, mosquitoes, are equal opportunity biters. Heartworms get to 13 inches long and they do not care if they infect a chihuahua or a mastiff. There is NO herbal or OTC alternative to heartworm prevention. Heartworms can be LETHAL!
3. Breeders who tell you that you must not spay/neuter you pet because they want you to bring it back for breeding or not to vaccinate  or give heartworm prevention. Are you purchasing or LEASING a dog?  And why would they object to preventative medicine?
4. Breeders who claim that genetic defects such as open fontanelles, luxating knee caps, and skin disorders like red mange (demodex) are normal and accepatble.
5. Breeders who tell you that diseases such as parvo and heartworm disease are something that vets made up to make money :!:

If you are going to purchase a dog, these are just some precautions to take

[Nickintex]

Re: WTB small puppy

duplicate post deleted

[justdoit]

Re: WTB small puppy

Yes shelters are one place to look as well as rescues.   Extra precaution is needed because of the involvement of small children.    Also be sure to have a vet check done after purchase as costly/dangerous health issues are sometimes missed due to the volume of animals they process thru these facilities.    That is stated on personal experience.

Only one of our 6 dogs were bought and when she stayed too small at maturity she was spayed and retired from the show ring 1 major from her championship.   The other 4 purebreds were "given" by breeders for differing reasons of not being show quality ---either already altered or I had to alter as the fee.     The Mix was a stray pup who wondered up.  
Purchase price or FREE should include  proofs of vet care.        If sounds too good to be true  well you know the rest of that line too.

[Tiapan]

Re: WTB small puppy

Ok i know a few of you may have been waiting for my opinion to pop up in here. (you know with me being a dog trainer and all  :wink: ) I can honestly say that there is no such thing as a "perfect" dog BREED for a household, thought there is of course a dog that fits right for anyone (except those nasty evil anti-dog people) If a smaller dog is what you are looking for then size does limit you. yorkies, and terriers in general can be loads of fun, i know i have a schnauzer/yorkie mix. but they also have lots of energy (more often then not, it isnt a rule) Maltese can be great but also quite expensive and fragile as well. With Children i always recommend a medium size dog, somewhere between 15-30 pounds. big enough to take play but not soooo huge as to cause major problems. (at least size complications) I have kept both purebred dogs, and now i have a mutt. they both have advantages. But to give you a heads up Texas is Notorious for bad breeders (if a breeder even lets you take a dog earlier then ten weeks old i dont like them, 8 weeks is the bare minimum) Also as Nick said there are purebred rescues and you can find puppies through them as well. about 25 percent of rescue dogs are purebred. I dont believe that the average person (as in one not doing only breeding) should keep an intact(as in not fixed ) animal, there really isnt a whole lot of money in it and there really are too many animals currently, plus having them fixed extends there life by and average of 2 years 8O . that doesnt mean you should never buy a dog, we would not have different breeds if people did not like certain things. I do encourage to rescue though, mutts dont have more health problems then purebred ( purebreds are often inbred and thats where a lot of breed specific problems occur, they are much less frequent in mixed breeds. In fact someone made a comment about dog age, the world record for oldest dog is held by a mutt, the higher averages come from two longer lived purebreeds being crossed,) anyway, there are countless dogs in shelters that need goo homes, and usually just a little effort and training, especially if yu get them as puppies. it is soooo easy to work with a puppy (If you get them younger, dont get a puppy right around 7-10 months  thats their adolesence and they are very rambunchious. I will gladly answer any questions you might have about my experiences with different breeds, cus i know we all have our favorites, or about dogs in general, feel free to pm me. oh and the suggestion for pugs above may seem to fit your criteria fairly well. If you go into a petsmart they have a phone number sheet with most of houston's shelters and resque organizations (at least i know my store does) and you can check on petfinder.com or petharbor.com Ok I am leaving my soapbox now, peace and love  I mean why else would you get a dog :wink:

[Cesar]

Re: WTB small puppy

Heres what we finally got, she's exactly what we were looking for!! Very smart,doesnt shed,good with the baby and will stay relatively small. Here she is her name is Roxy, she is a
rescue from the Spca,only 3 mos old half german shepherd half border collie from what they told us. She looks more like a boxer/akita cross to me but what do I know!!!



Oh and David I will need some dog training, if you noticed I said I would, not that she would  
We couldnt have found a better pup, thanks every one for your input!!!!!
-Cesar

[Nickintex]

Re: WTB small puppy

She's so cute! See, adoption is a wonderful choice. I'm sure she'll bring you many years of happiness!

[Cesar]

Re: WTB small puppy

Nick did you get my PM??

[Tiapan]

Re: WTB small puppy

she looks adorable, and from her face an akita/boxer look is there,but that would not have stayed small, but by looking at here paws she doesnt look like she is gonna get big, so who knows what she is other then really really adorable, congrats.

[Fire_chair]

Re: WTB small puppy

Too bad they don't stay that way forever. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[fishlady]

Re: WTB small puppy

she's adorable....welcome to the box Roxy......i hope we all get to meet you some time soon.....

[eklikewhoa]

Re: WTB small puppy

Cool looking pups!

another one to clean up after with the rest of the liter.