I Want A Puppy For Christmas!

Flyer and Gilligan ^ | December 13, 2001 | From the heart

[Flyer]

I want a puppy for Christmas!

Okay, I don't really want a puppy for Christmas. Yes, I do want a puppy, but not quite yet. My last three dogs have come into my life as adults. I haven't had the joy (and aggravation) of raising a puppy since 1986.

I had four dogs until just a couple of years ago.I had to put one to sleep due to trauma injuries, and another that was old with failing health. A third I put to sleep just about six weeks ago. She had severe spondylosis, but lived 3 - 4 years longer than the vets had expected. I cherished every extra day we had together.

I have mentioned here before that I used to work with dogs (and cats), up until a year ago. I worked at an animal shelter for 3 years, a veterinarian for 6 years and 2 years at a first class boarding kennel. During those eleven years I touched the lives of about 10,000 different dogs. That's not an exaggeration. I crossed paths with about 100,000 dogs, but I'm just counting ones I, in some way,  have touched their lives. (yes, much of this was from the work at the shelter. We took in 35 - 40,000 animals a year) Of the ten thousand there were probably 500 that I knew very well from seeing them over and over at the vet and the boarding kennel. I loved them as my own dogs and they loved me as their own 'person'.

My new puppy will be a Golden Retriever named Re-Boot, in hopes of filling the shoes (paws?) of the Golden I recently lost. My remaining dog is a Golden and yes, they are my favorite breed. There any many other breeds I like, though. Border Collies are very smart and I will probably have one some day. Corgi's have taken a piece of my heart, too. I will probably never own a Standard Poodle but they are very fun dogs once you get to know them. Over the years it was quite an experience spotting the common traits in the different breeds.

I want a puppy for Christmas. So why don't I get one?? Raising a puppy properly requires time and money. The time I have now. The money - I don't. So I will wait. My puppy will be there when I am ready. (and please reconsider if you are thinking of giving a pet as a Christmas gift - but that's a chapter in itself)

So why am I posting this frivolous little story? Because I hope to get the attention of all of you that read these animal threads and ask a favor of you. Lately Tabitha Soren   has been a pest on these innocent, "G" rated animal threads. I want to ask you to join me and just ignore her and not give her the dignity of a reply. I know, she gets us all PO'ed, but if we just ignore her she will lose the satisfaction of the attention she gets, and she won't have replies to reply to.

BTW. . . post your pet stories here and we won't let this warm and fuzzy thread get hijacked!

 

Merry Christmas,

Flyer and Gilligan

[alcuin]

She's got a good doghouse and a nice heavy winter coat but she's lonely for us.

If it's an alpaca coat, try switching to plain cloth. A plain cloth coat will bring out her moral fibre.

As to odorphobia, it's an infringement on the Darwin-given right of animals to "just be themselves." Said intolerance may lead to pet alienation and that may mean LAWSUIT and you're out big bucks while Roverina is on Jenny Jones, barking about her "empowerment" and her release from a "prison relationship."

Pet stink ain't worth THAT stink!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Any relation to Yankeedoodle?

[Lurking Libertarian]

Well, she does wear a stars-and-stripes bandana around her neck.

[Old Professer]

He'd get himself all worked up, standing beneath a cat's cage, barking - so to speak - at the cat and hyperventilating until his tongue would turn blue and he'd pass out.

Let me guess -- his name was Carville, right?

[NewHampshireDuo]

There are "dry" dog shampoos you can buy - you just rub it in and towel dry the dog, brush, and you have a better smelling doggie. Look in one of those pet catalogs that sometimes come in the mail. You can even get breath "mints" for your mutt. We use it on ours. We have a joke around here that our beagle has "death breath". Beagles eat anything......

[RnMomof7]

Ahhhhhhhhh will try it. our beloved last cat ..never got on a table or counter..he lives to 21..awesome cat..This one doesn't do counters...but that table..Ohhh well

[Old Professer]

I live on a farm... that would mean love smells like horse-sh!t.... I voted for cleaning the dog somehow.

That reminds me of the time my wife's parents moved to a small farm in the middle of a larger farm where the owner had horses, cattle and a big garden; one day while we were visiting, my wife said to her stepmother that it smelled like manure all over the place, her stepmother just looked at her and said sweetly, "Honey, that's the smell of money."

[KneelBeforeZod]

There are some spray on cleaner and deoderant products out there for dogs... waterless cleaning..

I think it's called "Febreeze"

[rryoung]

The best place to find a dog or cat is at your local animal shelter or human society. I have five dogs now, four of them I found at the shelter or were on the way there. I would not trade them for anything. These animals need a home and will show their appreciation through their love.

[ruoflaw]

We have a two year old female Jack Russell named Katie and she about drove me crazy until she was a year old... she is extremely intelligent and very loving and she can leap tall buildings with a single bound!

[cephalopod]

Boston Terrier rescue is very active throughout the country. There have been several available in my area lately (MN). Check into it, they're great dogs, I have 2.

[HairOfTheDog]

But Febreeze is for furniture, carpets, etc (works great) I dont think you should spray it on the dog. (well, maybe in a small hidden area first as a test for color-fastness)

[KneelBeforeZod]

If you scotchguard your pets, they won't get dirty in the first place. Remember though, two light coats are better than one heavy coat.

[EnnisExile]

Thanks, Kassie. He kept me connected to the real world.

[SAMWolf]

Ha! Got her! I knew that spending money on a pet would get to her!!

[southernnorthcarolina]

My favorite dog was our Weimaraner (sp?) - she was the best (after a wild, wild puppyhood!). She was a great babysitter after my daughter became a toddler. No one got close to our baby - including grandparents - unless we told her it was ok and the dog would herd her away from the street.

Your spelling is exemplary.

I have noticed the same behavior as you noted, as far as Weimaraners protecting "their" human children. Not, of course, a trait unique to Weimaraners, but it is especially notable in the breed. I have no memory of it, but I am told that the female Weimaraner my parents had when I was young did the same thing. I assume some sort of maternal instinct taking place, in the absence of puppies of her own.

Speaking of puppies, here is a nephew of my Weim, at four weeks:

[EnnisExile]

Thanks for the prayers, AP, and I respect your position vis-a-vis grief. I may be visiting the SPCA to see who needs a home soon. In the meantime, I phoned my vet to let them know that if there's an animal in need of a home, I know where there's a home in need of an animal. We'll see.

[HairOfTheDog]

This is for HER!!

[Flyer]

she can leap tall buildings with a single bound

I think Jack Russells can leap a tall building just by thinking about it.