April 20th, 2011 at 12:22 AM ^
or it didn't happen.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:26 AM ^
I am picking him up Friday morning after exams are done. I'll try to get them up ASAP.
9 months?
Haha I'll stay on top of it. Let's hope I improve upon the sweatervest's performance.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ^
April 20th, 2011 at 12:29 AM ^
He's a little guy. Mix between a Papillon and a Chihuahua. Was looking for a big dog, but I couldn't deny this little dude.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:32 AM ^
I completely agree. Especially when I see that commercial with Sarah McLachlan in it talking about animal cruelty; gets me every time.
Get me every damn time. As I'm sitting on the couch with my rescued dog... Little cartoon cats saying "Pick Me!" I know I'll have to adopt again... the question is when I have the time/funds/can make sure they get along with Maize.
Since people below have been describing their dogs... Maize is a 40lb Yellow Lab Mix with (best guess) Basenji and Whippet. Best decision I've made since graduation. She's got the frame of a lab, but she's really skinny. 40lbs makes her manageable without being emasculating (she fits on the bed/couch just fine). For the Pics-or-it-didnt-happen-crowd... Maize:
April 20th, 2011 at 12:33 AM ^
My girlfriend and I pet a Newfoundland at Petland once. She fell in love and wants one badly. I'm not going to have the heart to tell her that I'm not buying a 150-200lb dog.
They are cute though.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:38 AM ^
When I drove out to see it tonight, I knew I was gonna be leaving with my wallet a bit lighter. Dog's are most definitely "man's best friend". Well worth the money though.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:51 AM ^
April 20th, 2011 at 12:54 AM ^
Sounds like a nice looking dog. I have had dogs all my life, but it's definitely different once your out of the parents place and on your own. Something I am looking forward to for sure.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:56 AM ^
Never, ever get a dog from a pet store. Dead serious. I'm not f-ing kidding.
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/
Get your pet from the pound or from a breeder you research and visit. I can't over emphasize this.
I got my dog from a breeder in Cedar Springs, about 40 minutes north of GR. I go to school in GR, and am originally from the Flint area. I Have had dogs all my life, definitely would not buy from a pet store. Good link though, very sad.
It's a big deal. The only way to stop puppy mills and to minimize euthanized pets is for the public to not support puppy mills by not buying from pet stores--their primary customer. The puppies are often sick and have serious, long-lasting problems.
Only shopping at stores like PETCO, that don't sell puppies, lets you vote with your wallet.
I definitely think word is spreading. Throughout my search for a pup, I heard a lot of talk about avoiding pet stores.
Not planning on it. We live on campus and can't bring one home, so we go there to pet them.
One of my friends has 5 cats in his apartment. I spend a lot of quality time with the cats when I'm over there. It's so cute when I leave my jacket next to me on the couch and one of the cats curls up and goes to sleep on the lining.
April 20th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^
I have not looked for a dog in some time and I was ignorant of PetCo and puppy mills-etc. Weird because her in Kansas City the local rescue society actually has there animals in front of the store asking if you want to take one home for rescue. Dogs and Cats both.
April 20th, 2011 at 10:22 AM ^
Has adoption drives once every month or two. But they don't "sell" dogs, they work with local adoption agencies.
April 20th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^
A good choice, if you can't find a local pet store.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
One can also try some the breed specific rescues, if you have your heart set on one breed. Their adaption criteria is usually a bit more stringent, but its worth it to get a dog you really love. That is how my wife and I got George, our Airedale.
We got to rescue a dog that needed a home and the Airdale rescue only asked for a $300 donation. Win - Win
April 20th, 2011 at 12:56 AM ^
I have a Lab and I can't agree more about big breeds. My five month-old daughter is in love with the dog, and his size keeps him from being threatened or concerned about her. He'll never bite her out of anger or fear. My only concern is that he'll knock her down accidentally.
I know, she can fall on her bum all the time and I'll be fine, but he's 90+ pounds and I don't want him to slam her int o a wall inadvertantly.
When she was learning to walk, she grabbed our (now deceased) dog by the jowels and pulled herself up to standing. I wasn't close enough to stop it, but I was close enough to see him look at me, and with his eyes say, "REALLY?" and just take it.
He was a golden retreiver, and not a lab, but the temperment is very similar. They are just great with kids. We put him down when our son was 3, so all of the kids learned to move, crawl, and walk with an 80 pound dog around. He never knocked one of them down.
Now the kids are 13, 10, and 6 and we have a 13 month old golden puppy (Maizey). She still has some puppy nips from time to time, but *NEVER* a bite. They adore the dog and the dog adores them.
April 20th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
As long as the dog is well-tempered then they're usually pretty tolerant of small children, especially with big dogs as they don't pose a threat at all.
Whenever nieces/nephews are over, mine sees them as being part of his pack and constantly tries to herd them in to a group to keep an eye on them. Cute to watch, I imagine it's irritating as hell for the kids though.
We have a female golden named Maizey Blue.
Maizey is just a great name for a dog...it works well as a Michigan reference, and just a damn fine name on its own.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^
We have an 85 pound Lab-Coonhound mix (a "Labrahound")- a rescue we adopted 3 years ago. He's about 10 years old, absolutely adorable, and fantastic with our 14 month old.
He was a little bit of a bull in the china shop when first dealing with our little guy - not aggressive, just not realizing that the little hairless puppy nipping at his heels can easily be knocked down. Several knockdowns have occurred, none caused any damage, though a few prompted tears.
That said, our Labrahound been incredibly gentle ever since he figured out he needed to be, and since our toddler has become a steady source of food (high-chair castoffs), they've become the best of friends.
April 20th, 2011 at 11:58 AM ^
she's been my family dog for 17 years and we just had to put her into sleep because it was time for her to go. Great, great dog though. Never barks, doesn't make a ton of mess (except fur shedding but it's normal) and always friendly to people. Not a real big dog, pretty tiny(like 75 lbs) but that's perfect for us because she's not too big for us to handle.
Once I'm done with grad school and have a real job, I'm getting a dog. Not sure which kind but I would lean to lab retriever.
It's an eye opener. I thought I would know what I was doing because my family had a dog when I was a kid, but it turned out I had a lot to learn. Thank God I did this before having a kid.
April 20th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ^
Gonna be Glenn E.?
April 20th, 2011 at 12:30 AM ^
I like it! ha I might just go with that as a nickname
You should only call him that when he's dug holes in the yard or chewed up a shoe. It's like using a kid's middle name. He'll know he's in trouble if you're calling him Glenn.
I think I've mentioned it before on the board, but the 115 lb Doberman I had growing up was named Bo.
When I was very young and he was just born, my dad wanted to name him Brutus (from Popeye, not the buckeye), but when he tried to get me to call the dog Brutus, all I could pronounce at the time was "Bo", so Bo became the dog's name. Years later I realized the significance of that moment.
Thats a hell of a childhood memory right there. There is no topping the dog you had as a kid. Your particular situation makes it that much better.
I have a golden retriever waiting for me to come back home after exams next week and I love her to death. I'm also a fan of the bigger breeds. My golden is so mellow, although she was bouncing off the walls as a pup. Also, big dogs are just so much more fun to play and cuddle with. Her only downside is that she sheds constantly.
To solve shedding, get the "Furminator." It is a Godsend.
If you use it every couple of days, shedding will be a near non-issue. If you wait and do it weekly, you'll get about a grocery sack of hair from a full-grown golden this time of year (losing the winter coat).
April 20th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
I found one on Amazon for like, $9 and it is great. My dog has short hair but she still sheds a lot. I use the furminator daily in the spring
me n my girlfriend just got an english bulldog he is 4 months old now, but so well behaved and he can make me laugh all the time, a little higher maintenance than some breeds but def worth it
Named Boomer, after David Wells, one of my all-time favorite gritty Yankees... nickname, and what we typically call him, however, is Bo...
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<br>HE'S the best dog ever
I was hoping this thread was about dogs anal glands
Seeing as how this is man's best friend, anyone with Netflix (might be on PBS website too, I don't know) should watch "Dogs Decoded: Nova". Pretty awesome documentary that explains WHY they are man's best friend and how they likely evolved with us (they read our facial expressions the same way we read eachothers', from the right side of the face!).
While it seems like a great name "Bo" is a terrible name for a dog when you're trying to train him with the all powerful "No!." They sound too much alike. I had a roommate with Bo the Golden Retriever and he was always confused with the 2 words - dog not roommate. For a little dog I'd go with Vince, Martavious, Desmond, AC, or any other diminutive Wolverine from years past.
My 105 pound German Shepherd is Kaiser - no brainer.