I’ll never get an older dog again. I had a chow chow, Indigo, that I raised from a puppy. I shared a house with a buddy of mine, his wife and two toddlers at the time. Chow chows are known for being one man dogs. I had moved out and 6-7 years later my buddy visited me and brought the boys who were now 8-9 years old. My neighbor’s sheperd/dobbie mix got up in the kids’ faces and was growling and baring her teeth. My dog saw that from across the yard, bolted, and whooped that dog’s ass.
The dogs had been around each other plenty and never had a problem before and didn’t after that day. Indigo just wasn’t going to let that dog threaten those kids. Even after 6-7 years, from toddler to kids, she knew who they were and protected them. So much for one man dogs.
I’ve taken in a few strays here. People from the small city decide they don’t want them or can no longer afford them or get evicted or whatever so they drop them off out here in the country figuring someone will take them in.
One or two were cool dogs but the rest were ill in the head, probably like their owners. Someone ends up putting down more than half. Sometimes we, meaning people that live out here, keep one or find a good home for it but most have to get put down because they’re mental cases raised by mental cases.
I’ve got a mental case guarding the goats, soon to be replaced. He’s great with the goats but not so much with people. Not too long after I got him, I walked across the yard with a stick and he put his head down and scurried out of site. Obviously abused which is why he’s a mental case. Came as a package deal with another. That one’s already been put down because he was broken. They completely broke his spirit and the one I still have would just kick his ass every day. It was pitiful. No way I was going to find a home for a 100+ lb broken dog that had likely never been in a house, let alone house broken. They were raised like the livestock they lived with.
No more pre-raised dogs for us. We did get lucky with a half pit. She’s still with us after 10 years and we got her when she was four and she’s been a good dog but I’ll probably have to put her down this year. Getting health issues due to old age. I’ll have to take her to a vet to be put down. Can’t do it myself with her. Zero pain for Mollie.
I had a male chow chow show up and wouldn’t leave when I had the female, Indigo. He bit my landlord so I took him to the humane society. They always ask if the dog has bitten anyone. I told them yes knowing his fate.
Plenty of dogs in the world. No reason to let the dangerous ones live to bite a human. Unless of course it’s a working guard dog but that’s a special cases and you need to be a good handler and again, have raised the dog properly from a puppy.
Little town up the road has a jackass of a K9 cop. His last K9 killed some woman’s little dog.
key phrase there is mental case raised by a mental case.
We all know Joe is a mental case.
Power hungry Dr Jill is probably a joy to be around I’m sure. /s
Pit bulls and pit mixes are extremely popular here in central PA, but for reasons on which I won’t speculate, they are over-represented in shelters.
I’ve raised three Chow Chows from pups (one at a time) and am now about to get number four (Want to have two to keep each other company). I love the breed so much. They are very protective and also very territorial, but out in public they have all been friendly and sociable. Current boy is my first male, and he is the most social of all— loves to play and run with other dogs at the local dog park and is extremely friendly to people as well. I agree with your observations on pre-owned dogs; many of them have serious behavioral and health issues, and these days they are not inexpensive, so why take the chance. I want a healthy dog from a breeder I know and trust.
I’ll never get an older dog again.
The dogs put up for adoption are screened to eliminate aggressive behavior towards kids and small critters like cats. Our greyhound isn’t fond of kids, but she isn’t aggressive towards them, just backs away.