https://www.petfinder.com/
almost all U.S. animal shelters participate and the site is easily searchable for desired characteristics ...
we got this little Bengal boy kitty that way:
Posted on 03/31/2022 1:04:37 PM PDT by DallasBiff
My daughter had a bull mastiff that was the biggest lovebug. Loved kittens. Never hurt anyone or anything.
oh no! That IS very sad. your daughter’s okay now?
When my friend’s beloved Shepherd died, she went to the pound and adopted the biggest, blackest dog she could find. We named him “Maximum,” or just Max. He is half Newfoundland and half Labrador. Dearest, most loving, smartest dog ever.
As I understand it, large black dogs are rarely adopted, which is so unfair. If you can afford to feed such a big guy, take a look.
Never wanted a small dog but one was kind of placed in my lap (yes, I did that on purpose). A Maltese. She was sweet and so easy to care for. No shedding and easy to groom. Small dog, small food bill, small poops to clean up. She did have one annoying habit that could not be broken - she licked. Anything and everything. Even just licked the air like a snake sometimes.
After she passed I ended up with what was supposed to be Bichon/Maltese mix. And he probably is. But definitely more Bichon than Maltese. He’s a joy! The breed is so into pleasing the master. Same easy no-shedding coat. Loves everyone and everyone loves him (he looks like he’s smiling all the time). Only downside versus the Maltese is the coat is more curly/kinky so when his coat gets longer it becomes nearly impossible to comb out. So he get frequent groomings. Barks only at door knocks and doorbells. Sometimes when he sees someone walking outside.
The think I learned about small dogs is they don’t KNOW they’re small dogs. That said, I know there are some breeds that can be very yippie with constant barking.
I’ve always kept a plot hound as house dog. Very social, don’t stink, excellent senses, sleeps on the bed (no flea in ak), gets along with all the local moose around the house, and keeps everything on the straight and narrow. I’ve had 5 of them over the last 35 years.
https://www.petfinder.com/
almost all U.S. animal shelters participate and the site is easily searchable for desired characteristics ...
we got this little Bengal boy kitty that way:
My own best adopted dog was a Keeshond. She had “come from a bad situation” probably, a street person’s dog, was filthy, and at animal control on the last hour of her last day. I dropped her off at the groomer immediately, bought a bag of “the best food for a dog like that” from the local pet store. Big bag of Nutro. And the next day drove her home to my wonderful little house in Mendocino on a fenced-in five acre lot.
You should have seen the dog smile on her face. She lived to be 17, finally just couldn’t put another paw on the ground. That was 15 years ago and I still cry whenever I see a Keeshond.
BTW, I still buy Nutro crunchies for all my pets, both cats and dogs.
We lost our Pit Mix several years ago she was found in the desert by a friend who could not keep her, She was great loyal and loving. Cancer took her much too soon. We Waited 6 months until we tried again. Walking through the city animal shelter most dogs could be observed in their cages easily, as we walked further we came to an area not well lit with cage crates put in double decker formation. Then we saw this poor sad dog looking at us, it was hard to see him and there was no way to get closer. We were able to get the cage info and went back to ask to see him. It took them a little time to retrieve him, we could see them bringing him in but he didn’t want to go through the door they had to pick him up and carry him over to us. At the time he was about 40 Lbs. His information said he was a year old, and that he may have had an abusive owner . Since it said he had been removed. We took him home the next day. I could go on. He’s three now and a beautiful pet. When my wife walks him she has actually had people stop their cars roll down their windows and tell her how beautiful he is. When we first got him we thought he was done growing, not so. He’s very big now but without an ounce of fat at 105 Lbs. Lol. He’s part Pit, lab, collie and bulldog.
We had a German shepherd who was very intelligent and well-behaved. He was also friendly with our cats.
All the corgis I have encountered have been very well-behaved.
If you find a particular breed you like, don’t forget to check that breeds national rescue website.
Our best dogs found us.
We adopted an older Blue Heeler from a hay customer (cowboy) going back to Texas and afraid she couldn’t take the heat. In her day she was more helpful working cattle than another human (or, so said Hubs ;-)
After she died we didn’t want another dog but our daughter had a friend who had to down-size from a home to a condo (long sad story) who had a “medium sized” mixed breed dog who had been to obedience school.
He turned out to be a 105-pound Lab mix who had flunked obedience school at least 2x. Maybe 3. Whatever the mixed part is gave him good watch dog tendencies. He’s one of the best dogs ever.
‘There are no born-bad dogs. People do bad things to dogs.’
I’ve been watching the Dog Daddy youtube channel. The guy has an amazing way of reading dogs and training them sometimes in minutes.
I’ve learned that bad behavior in a dog is more a fault of the owners than it is the animal.
I’ve got a beagle terrier mix and had to teach it to howl. She will only do it if I start.
you can always check pet finder for ideas. My daughter went to our local pound and adopted a retriever-lab mix . He was 1 year old and huge. He jumped and barked loud. Scared all of us. But not my daughter. She was gentle with him and showed him love and patience. He is a big baby now and so gentle. He just needed love.
He is a beauty with long black hair.
We have had Long hair white German shepherds just wonderful dogs. We now have 2 rough collies and they are so gentle.
Backstory, In the 3rd grade this dog followed me home and we ended up keeping it. She went with me everywhere and would walk with me to the school bus stop in the mornings and be waiting for me there in the afternoon to walk me home.
She was killed by a car two years later. Her death tore me up bad.
Cleaning up the estate we found a box of slides that Mom had saved and found this. First time I had seen a pic of that dog in 50+ years. It is my screen saver and my heart swells every time I look at it.
Spring spaniels rock. Please avoid a toy dog with high vet bills. Toy dogs are bred to be cute and not to be durable.
Been there, done that! Great advice. My "Jerry" who passed in 2006 was such a dog. Golden Retriever/German Shepherd Mix (Retriever coloring, Shepherd hair length & texture) picked now ex-wife and I as we wandered the shelter after our "Sandy" passed a month prior.
Jerry was the last dog in the last run on the last row of the shelter and it was almost closing time. As the ex walked by his run he went to the front to greet her and stick his head out.
Three couples passed by after she'd gone by and he stayed in the back of the run.
He saw me approaching and came to the front of the run, stuck his head out and whimpered for me.
We brought him home that day. Six years later first son was born, and Jerry was his protector. When second son was born, Jerry was his protector too.
Smiling through the tears in my eyes right now. Great dog. Treasured every minute we had with him.
It took six months to get another when he passed in 2005. Yep, another rescue named "Teddy" a black labradoodle. Smart, great family dog and shed worse than any dog I'd ever had in my life. Had to vacuum every day. Still, what a beautiful, intelligent and loving dog.
Teddy's been gone almost 4 years now and this thread has me thinking it's time to get rescued again. They really do rescue us. Not the other way around.
Just damn' this blurry screen
They need to humanely euthanize those problematic dogs and reduce the number of pit bull or pit bull mixes as much as possible. Very dangerous dogs.
Post no. 17:
The two of you are incredibly wonderful people.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.