Dogs

[octopi]

I'm getting a dog next month!! Specifically a male Labrador Retriever. We visited the breeder a while ago and gosh the puppies are just so cuddly I'm going to die.

 

Look at these adorable little babies

[Tardigrade]

I love all animals but if I had to choose I'd say I'm more of a cat person. Dogs are awesome but sometimes people are dumb and don't know how to train their dogs and then their dogs are crazy.

[TikindiDragon]

I'm getting a dog next month!! Specifically a male Labrador Retriever. We visited the breeder a while ago and gosh the puppies are just so cuddly I'm going to die.

 

Look at these adorable little babies

They are so cute when they're baby, aren't they?

 

Just a word of warning - as a Labrador owner myself - they *will* chew through puppyhood. Labs are notorious for it. Despite being confined to the kitchen when we were out/asleep and given plenty of durable toys of his own ours still managed to destroy both the skirting board and the lino (although thankfully not any furniture - I know Lab owners that lost a lot of chair legs). Just be aware. DO NOT leave anything in his way that could be a temptation - it's easier to put your shoes where the dog can't get at them than it is to tell him off every time he picks one up, and then have to replace shoes when he played with them anyway.

 

They're also total gluttons. A lab will have *no* concept that it's full until it physically cannot get any more in it's stomach. And, yes, we saw that with mine at about 9 months old - he got his head into a feed bag at my Aunts, and he literally looked like a drum. He was also very ill afterwards. It's best just not to give them any hope of access to anything edible. And *do* control their diets - Labs put on weight like nobodies business if they're fed as much as they'd like. Fat Labs are at risk of a load of health problems, so for his sake and yours work out the ideal amount of food he should be getting and stick to it - regardless of the eyes!

 

Edit to add: Here's my boy!

Edited September 19, 2013 by TikindiDragon

[KoalaNoob]

Dogs can be well trained, well mannered AWESOME companions if they are taught to be. I'm sorry you've not met well behaved/well managed dogs. I get very disheartened when I see dogs blamed for their owners' shortcomings.

 

My life would seriously be a bleak & dull existence at times without the canine (and feline) companions I share it with. It's sometimes baffling to me that others feel otherwise.

Actually, I do like dogs that are well trained. I hate the dogs owners much more. But where I live, there's a park with about 50 signs saying "dogs on leash" and there are always fifty dogs not on leash. They poo everywhere, and the owners don't clean it up. They let untrained, vicious dogs loose on the playground.

I just think that generally, and naturallly, dogs are not well behaved. I much prefer cats.

[Doomy]

I've got a German Shepherd mix named Axel and he's super cute

He's really prone to ear infections and he goes through toys like CRAZY, but everyone loves him anyway x3

Edited September 24, 2013 by Doomy

[octopi]

They are so cute when they're baby, aren't they?

 

Just a word of warning - as a Labrador owner myself - they *will* chew through puppyhood. Labs are notorious for it. Despite being confined to the kitchen when we were out/asleep and given plenty of durable toys of his own ours still managed to destroy both the skirting board and the lino (although thankfully not any furniture - I know Lab owners that lost a lot of chair legs). Just be aware. DO NOT leave anything in his way that could be a temptation - it's easier to put your shoes where the dog can't get at them than it is to tell him off every time he picks one up, and then have to replace shoes when he played with them anyway.

 

They're also total gluttons. A lab will have *no* concept that it's full until it physically cannot get any more in it's stomach. And, yes, we saw that with mine at about 9 months old - he got his head into a feed bag at my Aunts, and he literally looked like a drum. He was also very ill afterwards. It's best just not to give them any hope of access to anything edible. And *do* control their diets - Labs put on weight like nobodies business if they're fed as much as they'd like. Fat Labs are at risk of a load of health problems, so for his sake and yours work out the ideal amount of food he should be getting and stick to it - regardless of the eyes!

Thank you!! Yeah we borrowed a whole stack of dog care books and the chewing thing did come up a bunch of times. I'm more worried about exercise right now though because I am basically a huge wimp and I'm pretty sure he's going to be dragging me along eventually :I

 

Also aah your dog is adorable *indecipherable screaming*

[Syaoransbear]

I've got a German Shepherd mix named Axel and he's super cute

He's really prone to ear infections and he goes through toys like CRAZY, but everyone loves him anyway x3

Are you sure that's a mix? Looks purebred to me. German shepherd's ears don't always go up.

[TikindiDragon]

Thank you!! Yeah we borrowed a whole stack of dog care books and the chewing thing did come up a bunch of times. I'm more worried about exercise right now though because I am basically a huge wimp and I'm pretty sure he's going to be dragging me along eventually :I

 

Also aah your dog is adorable *indecipherable screaming*

Thanks! I think he's gorgeous, but then I am a little biased. Although he did qualify for Crufts, so maybe not so much...

 

If you ever want to go "aaaargh, help!" at someone that's been there, done that with a Lab, feel free to shoot me a PM.

Edited September 24, 2013 by TikindiDragon

[rumor33]

I am physically unable to pass up an opportunity to talk about my dogs.

 

This is CJ! She's a Chihuahua/Corgi cross and adorable!

 

 

 

And this is Keelan (Kiwi!) He's a Swedish Valhund, and a pretty well bred one at that. If fact, his mom was the first female and second overall AKC Grand Champion in the breed.

 

Edited September 26, 2013 by rumor33

[Doomy]

Are you sure that's a mix? Looks purebred to me. German shepherd's ears don't always go up.

Nope, we're pretty sure he's a mix, although the ear has nothing to do with this assumption.

He was a stray, and when they found him he had a hematoma in his ear. They had to operate on it, which is why the ear doesn't stand up. c:

In person, his snout is really pretty long and pointy compared to the shorter, more 'square' snout most purebred GSDs have - more like a collie or a malinois.

EDIT:

This is him after the surgery :3 Photo from the humane society

Edited September 26, 2013 by Doomy

[rumor33]

^Fun fact, studies have shown that the mixed offspring of GSDs are more likely to resemble the GSD parent than than the other. That's why a lot of shelter dogs you see are labeled as 'Shepard Mixes' even if they are only like, 12.5% Shepard, those genes are the ones that are most likely to be 'visible' in the dog.

 

He's really cute Doomy! Looks GSD/Collie to me!

Edited September 26, 2013 by rumor33

[Doomy]

Why thank you! Your puppies are adorable too! Kiwi looks like a little wolf <3

 

Wow, so he might be even less of a Shepherd than we thought! I think it would be interesting to get him tested at some point but I don't know how accurate the mail-in tests are.

[rumor33]

Thanks! They are a little like wolf corgis

 

I've heard mixed reviews about those mail in tests. They can give you a general idea but sometimes they are really off base.

[DragonSpirit009]

Got to take this little fella to the vet today.

Seems like he has an allergy problem that doesn't want to go away

 

[Syaoransbear]

Nope, we're pretty sure he's a mix, although the ear has nothing to do with this assumption.

He was a stray, and when they found him he had a hematoma in his ear. They had to operate on it, which is why the ear doesn't stand up. c:

In person, his snout is really pretty long and pointy compared to the shorter, more 'square' snout most purebred GSDs have - more like a collie or a malinois.

EDIT:

This is him after the surgery :3 Photo from the humane society

There's so much variety within the german shepherd breed that there's plenty of lines that have that long narrow muzzle and then other lines that have the square one that almost look like rottweilers. My guy's snout looks pretty much the same as yours. Although I've only seen two pictures of your guy, I wouldn't consider that snout to be so long that I'd think it was a mix.

 

I kind of thought his ear might have been caused by damage, it looked too down to have just been from a genetically softer ear, especially when the other one looks so firm. Poor guy.

 

 

 

And this is Keelan (Kiwi!) He's a Swedish Valhund, and a pretty well bred one at that. If fact, his mom was the first female and second overall AKC Grand Champion in the breed.

 

I've never met a swedish vallhund but I loved everything I read about them. If I ever got a small dog they would absolutely be my number one choice.

[Rachel72]

I don't mind dogs, I prefer cats, tho

[Darien]

I'm a dog and cat person...

[DustyBelle]

I have always wanted a Yorkshire terrier. Growing up we had Springer spaniels and cocker spaniels. Both are wonderful dogs.

 

Dogs reflect the treatment they are given. Feed them and love them daily and definitely no abuse and they are usually a great dog. Some breeds are bred as watch dogs and tend to be one person dogs. Others are inbred and not such great people dogs either. In general though if you treat them right they will be a wonderful loving pet.

 

I am more cat oriented currently.

[Totts]

I have a sprocker spaniel called brooke, she's strange in the fact that she's a pedigree hybrid, her parents were a pedigree springer and a pedigree cocker spaniel.

[7Deadly$ins]

I have a sprocker spaniel called brooke, she's strange in the fact that she's a pedigree hybrid, her parents were a pedigree springer and a pedigree cocker spaniel.

Sprocker Spaniels aren't a recognized breed because they're just mixes between those breeds. Many hybrid and "designer" breeds are like that. Many of the Goldendoodles and Cockapoos and so on have pedigrees somewhere in there lineage, but that doesn't justify their pricing.

[TikindiDragon]

Sprocker Spaniels aren't a recognized breed because they're just mixes between those breeds. Many hybrid and "designer" breeds are like that. Many of the Goldendoodles and Cockapoos and so on have pedigrees somewhere in there lineage, but that doesn't justify their pricing.

I agree about ridiculous prices being charged for some 'designer' breeds - especially when you must remember that these dogs can't actually be registered with a Kennel Club. All the pedigree papers of the parent dogs show is that good breeding practises have been used in the past. But as far as any registration body is concerned a 'designer' breed (those with portmanteau names) is no different to a mutt in a rescue center.

 

That said - crossbreeds can be, and often are, lovely lovely dogs. And that shouldn't be taken away from them. We had a wonderful Gordon Setter cross (we think with either a Collie or a Springer) that we hand-reared from a week old and who stayed with us for life. And to a certain extent there can be really good reasons for specific crosses, especially when you're looking for certain traits. Let's remember, here, that the Labradoodle was originally bred in order to train guide dogs for blind people with allergies.

 

Some 'designer' breeds may, one day, become recognised breeds in their own right. But only if breeders are working with them, breeding F2s, F3s etc, and trying to fix they type. In a lot of cases this isn't happening, because breeders are simply repeating the original crosses (with the associated wide variety of results). I believe the Labradoodle is one of the few that actually *is* being worked upon - laregly because of the desire for Labrador temperament dogs that don't shed so badly.

 

@Totts - I'm glad you have a dog that you love and are happy with! At the end of the day *that* is the most important thing. Whether it's a pedigree, a 1st-gen cross, or a Heinz 57.

Edited October 17, 2013 by TikindiDragon

[7Deadly$ins]

See, and I'm fine with the attempt to be come an actual breed. The lack of direction, willy-nilly breeding in other hybrids just seems to me like a quick way to make a buck without going through all the trials of reputable breeding.

 

But I mean of course they can still be good dogs. Most dogs can be good dogs. I just can't justify crossbreeding like that (with no goal, no direction, just "cute puppies, repeatedly") when there are so many shelter dogs who would also be good dogs. In my opinion you either find a reputable breeder for something or go to a shelter.

 

There probably are a few highly reputable breeders here and there for crosses, but they still probably have some sort of program in mind when they breed. In the cat world I've seen people shell out $500+ for Bengal "mixes" that I cannot fathom. Pay moggy prices for moggies, just because one of it's parents was maybe a bengal doesn't suddenly make a moggie worth $500.

 

I'm not against animal breeding with purpose, but otherwise there are just too many mixed breed puppies and kittens as is.

[Totts]

Well my dog was quite cheap, not very expensive at all, £100.

[dark_kitsune]

I love dogs but don't own one. I have two cats and finding a dog to adopt that would be good with them is kinda hard.

 

My friend has two corgis...cutest darn things. She did an awesome halloween pic of them. Barking Bad, LOL!

 

https://www.facebook.com/PETCO?app_data=m_9...235498509935239

[Rachel72]

I want one of these!!