Learn Me: Dogs

Teh E36 M3 said:

Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) said:

The main thing I took away from the OP is this.

They want a dog and you are going to get stuck taking care of it. You will end up hating the dog. The breed won't matter. 
 

My recommendation is don't get a dog. 

 

 

Sort of correct. The wife and daughter want something to cuddle with in front of the tv at night- something that loves them unconditionally, which our cat doesn't really do. It may be more than that, but right now that's what I'm reading, and probably the reason we collectively aren't taking it super seriously at this time. That's not a good enough reason to get a dog. 

I suspect I will be the one taking it for runs, and doing the physical activity part of upbringing. Probably some other stuff too. 

I don't know if we will do it- the point here was to get informed in case they start to get serious so I don't just abdicate all decision making ability because I don't know anything about them. truthfully, I think I'm becoming open to it in the same way I became open to being a parent- you get the idea in the back of your head and start looking at dogs/babies as more than just noisy E36 M3 machines and more like little companions - and in the dogs case, a little dude who never grows past 3 years older in human intelligence/maturity. I don't regret my children at all, and suspect I would develop a sort of similar love for a dog. 
 

ramble off. And thanks again for all the good information. You guys never disappoint. 

Giant breed dogs seem to do well without regular walks. ( qualification) I have a decent sized yard and my dogs were comfortable with respecting the boundaries I established for them. 
Invisible Fence  and the like did not seem to teach them bounderies.   I thought for sure it was broken so I held the collar in my hand and walked to the line. 
Bam ! I was down on the ground. But I'd put that on them and they'd wander back in forth across it like it was nothing.  Dealing with pain must be part of their makeup.  
So for a week or so I'd walk them around the edge of my yard just talking to them. Explaining why I wanted them to stay inside that area.  No I know dogs don't speak English but they quickly understood I didn't want them past those boundaries and Just didn't have any problem from them on.

I used to let my youngest daughter take them for a walk around the neighborhood more so she got the  exercise than any other reason.  
Car trips were special treats. Most time they'd stay home but occasionally I'd take them to a dog park and let them play. Dogs all have a universal signal that they want to play.  They  put both paws out and do a little dip with their head and  front knees.  
 Then they play. If one dog feels the other is too rough they give a little Yelp and the other dog will either give the signal to play again or turn and walk away. The yelp means , Hey that's a little too rough, and if they both give the play signal they'll try to play a little more carefully. 
It's how dogs play without fighting. Realize that dogs are pack animals. And play is part of their life. It's cruel to not let dogs play with other dogs. It's also how they establish Hierarchy.    Another natural part of being a dog. 
 

The dog park is great for humans too.  Friendships are formed there and it's a whole test of your ability to socialize.  Your dogs watch you for clues and learn from you. At least big dogs with large brains. Who aren't Afraid.  

Lots of good advice from others. My personal experience- 

My first dog ruined me for dogs. She was a Golden Retriever, and she was such a smart and well mannered dog that I thought I was the world’s best dog trainer.  My next couple were Heinz 57 mixes, and were great dogs, but no where as easy as my Golden. I currently have Bella, my 7 year old Terrier mix...

She’s a terrific dog and very loyal. She loves to just hang out with me when working outside or in the garage.

We got a new puppy last month. We were looking for an Australian Shepard. We found the perfect one, with a twist. She turned out to be a Mini Australian Shepard, which we didn’t know was a thing. Same personality and smarts as full sized, but in a medium package (She should end up around 30lbs..) They are also said to be a bit less hyperactive, and can be better house pets. So far she has been amazing. This is Bailey...

She is great with Bella, and with our cats. She listens very well to everyone in the family and is learning quickly. She is the perfect mix of warm and friendly but not hyper and in your face. Very much a cuddler. 

Boost_Crazy said:

We got a new puppy last month. We were looking for an Australian Shepard. We found the perfect one, with a twist. She turned out to be a Mini Australian Shepard, which we didn’t know was a thing. Same personality and smarts as full sized, but in a medium package (She should end up around 30lbs..) They are also said to be a bit less hyperactive, and can be better house pets. So far she has been amazing. This is Bailey...

She is great with Bella, and with our cats. She listens very well to everyone in the family and is learning quickly. She is the perfect mix of warm and friendly but not hyper and in your face. Very much a cuddler. 

what's up fellow mini aussie owner?  i'm certain you'll enjoy Bella, they are great dogs.  she's a beaut, i love the red merles/red tri's.  here's our boy Link:

he's our first dog and now we can't imagine the family without him.  very much as you described - regular aussie in a half size package, same smarts, slightly less manic energy level but make no mistake, they're still active dogs.  temps permitting he gets a 40min to 1hr walk morning and evening which keeps his energy level in check, otherwise he's mostly a couch potato until my son gets home from school and then he wants to play.  adores cats and children.  will quietly ride in a car as long as you can stand it - 11hrs for one leg is our record.  ours responded really well to clear, consistent instruction (lots of positive reinforcement) and setting boundaries early because they're smart enough to start training YOU instead of the other way around if you give an inch.  being bullheaded is sort of their thing though, so they can do livestock work without losing their focus.  do yourself a favor and socialize the hell out of her - every kind of people, all kinds of dogs and animals, take her to hardware stores and walk her around with strange people and noises.  all the aussies i've met that were standoffish were a result of poor socialization.  Link is basically the opposite, absolutely craves interaction with people as a result of taking him with us everywhere.

i WFH full time so he's used to being around me at all hours and generally wants to be at someone's feet constantly either to be a part of the action or get belly rubs.  i don't think they're the kind of breed that tolerates crate life well if they're in there, in an empty house, for extended periods of the day.  they also have a tendency to want to herd dogs at the dog park (don't recommend taking them there) and can do that with kids if they get over excited.  otherwise awesome.

If we're posting pics, this is Bodhi:

He said to tell yall Miata IS always the answer 

Dogs I've had:

German shepherd/Border Collie mix: "Tonto" (like the Lone Ranger's sidekick) was wicked smart. Herding instincts were strong. Part of the family before I was, but accepted me from day 1. Good security guard. Would patrol the perimeter of the house or property on command. Shedded like a beast. I credit him for me being a dog person since I had his snout in my face from the jump. My earliest friend, and lived to the ripe age of 15.

Black Lab: "Buddy" and there's never been a more fitting name. He was a bit smaller and more trim than most labs. Went berserk for squirrels and tennis balls. If you sat on the floor with your legs extended, he'd cuddle right up next to you for hours. An all around great companion. Terrified of loud noises like thunderstorms and fireworks. Lived to be 14 I think.

Cane Corso: "Luna" was the timid puppy of the litter. Became a truly amazing dog. Intelligent. Trainable. Took her role as family member very seriously. Gentle around kids, but had an absolutely hellacious bark (when used) that made even familiar family members take a step back. She sounded like she was going to burst through the walls and attack anybody that approached her territory or threatened her family by daring to ring the doorbell. Made the women in my life feel safer when she was around. Left the unfenced yard once in 4 years (tired to leave with my MIL one day and made it ~100yds down the road). We walked her around the neighborhood "off leash" most times and never had an issue. We'd stop and she'd sit any time a vehicle would drive past which some neighbors thought was neat. When she wasn't on her territory, she was pretty timid and apprehensive of other dogs or people. Unphased by loud noises. Barely made it to 4 years old before cancer took her.

Wife has her eyes on a Giant Schnauzer next, but I'm not fully onboard yet.

ShawnG said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Or, you know, keep the little murder machines indoors like ours.

This. I've had...idk how many cats over the years. All been indoor cats. Never killed a bird. Slay the E36 M3 out of a stuffed mouse though. 

Dogs are toddlers. Cats are teenagers.

As long as we're sharing pics. 

This is Apollo. He was my wifes dog when we met, and he's thoroughly turned me onto dogs as well. We've done a DNA test and he's a Boston terrier/Chihuahua mutt,  and he really does share a lot of qualities of each. He was a rescue, and he was trained as an older puppy at the state prison. He listens extremely well, is crate trained, in the last 6 years I can think of maybe 3 times where he's had an accident. 

The only unfortunate part, is i now he has ruined us on any future dogs. 

Man, why am I always late to the party?

I've had both cats and dogs over the years, but I've had way more dogs than cats. I've had the following:

-Miniature Toy Poodle

-Lab mix

-English Mastiff

-English Bulldog

-Pit/Shepherd Mix

They were all good dogs, but they all had/have their quirks. The most hyper was the Lab Mix, and I got that dog when I was around 12 as a puppy and before I understood that you need to train dogs (especially puppies). My dad and I saw a lady giving away puppies on the side of the road one day and randomly brought one home "because it would be fun". That dog ate everything in our family room because she was never properly trained, including a bumper pool table. That was on me and my parents, and I felt ashamed I didn't train her properly. Before too long, we had to give her away. That's an example of getting a dog for all the wrong reasons.

The others were all rescue dogs:

-The poodle was a nut, but he was a character. We rescued him before he was to be put down because someone couldn't keep him in their condo. He was a pup when we got him, and he used to team up with my cat to escape to meet up with the neighbor's dog for some "romance". 

-The English Mastiff was 238lbs and the biggest, most gentle goof ball ever. We rescued him from a family that abused him, and he was 5 at the time. He would scare himself with the sound of his own farts. My nephews would ride him around like a horse when they were young. He only made it to 8 years old, which sucked. Big dogs are awesome, but they don't make it much beyond that.

-The bulldog was rescued with some health issues., Bulldogs in general typically have health issues, and he had plenty. He was a goof and a lard, but I loved him. He was notoriously stubborn, so training was tough.

-The Pit/Shepherd Mix is my current dog, and she might be the best of all. This is my wife's first dog, and we did training with a group run by a guy who trains show dogs for the big shows (like Westminster).We also crated her early, but she has free reign of the house now since she has mellowed out. She has her AKC Canine Good Citizen certification and is a certified therapy dog. Pre-Covid, my wife brought her to work and to adult group homes for therapy visits. We used to do dog shows with her and beat out the fancy dogs, which made their owners mad. We rescued her after she was found in a nearby city wandering around close to Christmas. The shelter named her Holly, and we kept it. She was about a year old at the time, maybe a little older. That was back in 2014; she's about 8 years old now and still going strong, although her favorite activity is lounging these days.



Dogs are great, but you have to get one for the right reasons. They can be a lot of work, especially early on. Training is VERY important, and doing it right takes time and continues every day you spend with them. We trained with Holly for years to get her to where she is today. Picking up the poop in the yard is the easy part! If you are willing to do the work, getting a dog may become one of the best things that's ever happened to you. Dogs rule!

Teh E36 M3 said:

I think I'm becoming open to it in the same way I became open to being a parent- you get the idea in the back of your head and start looking at dogs/babies as more than just noisy E36 M3 machines and more like little companions - and in the dogs case, a little dude who never grows past 3 years older in human intelligence/maturity. I don't regret my children at all, and suspect I would develop a sort of similar love for a dog. 

so i realize i never actually provided any input after my post, and that kinda sucks.  sorry about that.

what you wrote here hit me a bit because that's the same way i approached a dog.  we had a kid 10 years after we got married...it took us both a long time to come around to the idea because kids are gross and smelly and expensive and WOW look at all the cool stuff we can do with our days wide open.  but our perspectives changed over time and we're proud parents now and i see things differently.

same with a dog.  waited a loooong time.  watched some of my friends rush into getting dogs, have all kinds of issues with them, and it made me pretty gunshy on the whole thing.  but after a while, and particularly after having a kid, the downsides didn't seem so bad and we were able to find away to reconcile the things we didn't like with preparation and research, and ensuring we were honest about our time to provide an animal with a good life.  when that time felt right, we made our choice and felt like we did a decent job.  

kid worked out great, dog...so far so good.  wouldn't change a thing.  what's critical is that you're wading into this with consideration and caution, which is more than can be said for a lot of dog owners out there in the world, and their dogs reflect the lack of commitment.  i'll tell you the puppy stage is so much like a kid when they're a baby...wonderful and awful in equal doses.  if that doesn't sound appealing, there are a ton of great adult dogs out there that need adopted.  that might be the path we take next time.  

This is my full sized Aussie, McLaren, or Mac for short. He has all the energy you could imagine a dog of this breed would have. He came from the Dallas Shelter on $10 dog day. A real bargain.

Snowdoggie said:

Right now I have a 15 year old Alaskan Malamute who flat out refuses to die. He is the toughest dog I have ever had, and in 30 years of rescuing Northern Breeds through four different groups I have had many. I thought he was a goner last week when he fell and couldn't get up again the urinated and defecated all over himself. He spent 45 minutes trying to pull himself up again while I made arrangements for that final trip to the vet. Suddenly he just pushed himself up and walked right out the back door and kept walking until he regained his balance again. I fed him and cleaned him up and let him live another day. My rescue group got him about 12 years ago after animal control found him in the dog park with a broken front leg. Nobody knows how long he was there, who dumped him there or how much pain he endured before they found him and took him to the pound. The first vet we talked to offered to amputate his front leg. Instead we did a fundraiser, took him to the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center and they rebuilt his leg. He probably has more metal in him than my Miata. After 8 other foster homes he immediately bonded with me by climbing into bed next to me, then taking charge of my pack of huskies. We named him Rocky after his strength and desire to survive. 

All  these years later he is still fighting age and time itself to keep going. He is truly an amazing dog. I have never seen a dog like him. His strength. His dignity. His determination. I don't know if all Alaskan Malamutes are like him, but I know his time is short, and I will cry when he loses his final battle.

Looks like $10 well spent.

ShawnG said:

Looks like $10 well spent.

He will chase the ball all day long. We are still working on frisbees.

As you can see here, purebreds and other great dogs end up in the shelter all the time. Don't be afrad to look there.

You only really need to know two things about dogs.

1) If it is in, it wants to go out.

2) If it is out, it wants to come in.

In reply to ScottyB :

Thanks dude.

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :

Do an online search, I saw a couple articles pop up a few months ago.

Guess I'm a little late to the party here.  Our dog, Buddy is, unfortunately, in his last days.  He's been the best dog I've ever owned, hands down, no exceptions.  I raised dogs for about 10 years, and my family always had at least one "house dog" as long as I can remember, so I've probably owned about 20 or so over the years.

He's a mini Schnauzer.  He's on the larger size for the breed at about 25 lbs.  He's very intelligent, extremely patient, stubborn to a fault, generally lazy and also tough as nails.  Overall, he's been very healthy for the 14 years we've had him.  Unfortunately, age is catching up with him.  I don't think I'll ever own another breed of dog, he's been that good to us as a family.  

Generally speaking, you need to figure out what you are looking for from a dog.  I used to be pretty good at pairing people with my pups if I could figure out what they were looking for.  I always sort of knew the personality of my pups, but if a breeder won't give you much info, try to get out to see the litter as early as possible.  Ask the breeder to have them confined in a pen or box.  Watch what happens when the pen/box is opened.  The one who comes barreling out at you is likely the alpha/most aggressive.  If your idea of the perfect dog is an one that will chase a ball or play tug with the kids endlessly, this may be your dog.  They also tend to be a bit on the aggressive side and may not hesitate to tear up your E36 M3.  On the other hand, there's usually one that doesn't come out of the box at all.  Often times, these are the runts.  They tend to be more on the clingy/dependent side.  Some people like this, I personally don't.  They also tend to have more health problems, and sometime tend towards being a bit neurotic.  Those is the middle of the parade out of the box tend to be just that, kind of the middle of the road personality-wise.  They are the "sweet spot" as far as I'm concerned.   NOTE:  These are gross generalizations, but are based on a pretty significant experience base.  If you can, pick your dog based on personality, not "looks" or pedigree.  (Especially not pedigree.  Selectively breeding for a "show quality" dog often does REALLY bad things to their genetic make up)

In reply to [Removed Account]:

I'd like to send you a very warm welcome and say that the GRM forum is more like a family that all happen to like cars.  You can ask about anything here and very few will comment when they have no clue what they're talking about.  We have liberals and conservatives,  straight, gays, neither and both, gun people, anti gun people, CEOs and blue collar grunts, drifters, drag racers, circle track, autocross, famous stunt drivers and people who's fame comes but once a year in Gainesville, women, men, children and Stampie.  If you need anything at all, everyone here will try, and one to a few will have the skills, materials, background, and proximity to help you.  I've had people give me parts and folks I've never met look at a car I want to buy 10 hours away, if you don't give a rip about cars we still have motorcycle, bicycle, big train, model train, artists, musicians and everything else here so join, hang out, or lurk, but definitely check out some other threads and learn about the $2000 Challenge 

Love ya Stampie

Snowdoggie said:

Snowdoggie said:

Right now I have a 15 year old Alaskan Malamute who flat out refuses to die. He is the toughest dog I have ever had, and in 30 years of rescuing Northern Breeds through four different groups I have had many. I thought he was a goner last week when he fell and couldn't get up again the urinated and defecated all over himself. He spent 45 minutes trying to pull himself up again while I made arrangements for that final trip to the vet. Suddenly he just pushed himself up and walked right out the back door and kept walking until he regained his balance again. I fed him and cleaned him up and let him live another day. My rescue group got him about 12 years ago after animal control found him in the dog park with a broken front leg. Nobody knows how long he was there, who dumped him there or how much pain he endured before they found him and took him to the pound. The first vet we talked to offered to amputate his front leg. Instead we did a fundraiser, took him to the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center and they rebuilt his leg. He probably has more metal in him than my Miata. After 8 other foster homes he immediately bonded with me by climbing into bed next to me, then taking charge of my pack of huskies. We named him Rocky after his strength and desire to survive. 

All  these years later he is still fighting age and time itself to keep going. He is truly an amazing dog. I have never seen a dog like him. His strength. His dignity. His determination. I don't know if all Alaskan Malamutes are like him, but I know his time is short, and I will cry when he loses his final battle.

 

When they look at you with that "look" DO NOT DELAY for their sake and truthfully y'alls do it  I'm not being callous I've got over 12 urns on the armoire in our bedroom......I lost two dear beloved buddies last month in less than a week apart  and currently have a 13 mo old buzzsaw in off leash training as we speak ......peace out  Brian

I neglected to get a pic yesterday but I was at the mediators office yesterday and their "office dog" was a purely awesome dude named Bernard.  A brindle English mastiff with a head the size of a basketball.  He came out to greet me and promptly stood on my foot and leaned his 180 lbs against my legs.

Such a big sweety!

since I forgot pics too... this is our 10 week old long haired GSD passed out in mommies arms. 

this is our 12 year old sheltie mix cat-dog. 

this was Jens baby, she was 10. Full blooded long haired gsd 

the black and white one was daddy's girl. She was 15 when we put her down. Both knees replaced at some point. We spent more money on that dog than I did my C10. And we would have done it again if asked. 

We lost both of our pups late late last year. They were from the same litter and passed two weeks apart. We figured we'd wait a while until getting dogs again.

About three months ago, we decided that the house has been quiet long enough. We wanted smaller dogs since that's our comfort zone. I figured two would again work for us. 

First thing we learned: Not many out there. We kept an eye on petfinder.com, local shelters, and saw very, very few. Talked to local rescues and got the same story. We visited the local shelter, too, and same story–and not many bigger dogs, either, as they were at about half capacity. During those first visits, though, we got an idea for how the shelter operates: dogs come in all the time and tend to quickly go. So we'd stop by whenever. 

We happened to be there when they brought a Rottweiler-ish dog from the "lost" side to the "adoption" side of the building. She was a hot mess–shaking, stinky, very thin hair on her back–and, at about 30 pounds, bigger than we wanted. They let us take her for a walk. She pooped soon after we got outside. House trained? She was good on a leash and seemed happy to be with us. She still needed her shots–this was Saturday and the vet wouldn’t be back until Tuesday–so we couldn't take her right away. They let us put a hold on her. We visited every day. 

Adoption fee was $35, and that included her rabies shot, microchipping and vet visit. They sent her home with medicated shampoo and antibiotics. 

Fast forward almost three months, and she's been a total princess. Knock on wood, very house trained. Good on a leash. Affectionate and happy. Very good in the car. Knows commands. Won't leave my side. The vet thinks the hair issue was due to allergies--either fleas or food--and we seemed to have it under control. Her hair is coming back nicely. 

This poster was hanging in the shelter, and she's been following it to a T. (Well, not any of the bad parts.)

So, my TL;DR. We went into this totally set on one thing--small dog and ideally a bonded pair--and took a total roll of the dice on something else. And, in the end, we're totally happy. (And the local shelter got a nice donation from us as $35 barely covered her expenses.)

759NRNG (Forum Partidario) said:

Snowdoggie said:

Snowdoggie said:

Right now I have a 15 year old Alaskan Malamute who flat out refuses to die. He is the toughest dog I have ever had, and in 30 years of rescuing Northern Breeds through four different groups I have had many. I thought he was a goner last week when he fell and couldn't get up again the urinated and defecated all over himself. He spent 45 minutes trying to pull himself up again while I made arrangements for that final trip to the vet. Suddenly he just pushed himself up and walked right out the back door and kept walking until he regained his balance again. I fed him and cleaned him up and let him live another day. My rescue group got him about 12 years ago after animal control found him in the dog park with a broken front leg. Nobody knows how long he was there, who dumped him there or how much pain he endured before they found him and took him to the pound. The first vet we talked to offered to amputate his front leg. Instead we did a fundraiser, took him to the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center and they rebuilt his leg. He probably has more metal in him than my Miata. After 8 other foster homes he immediately bonded with me by climbing into bed next to me, then taking charge of my pack of huskies. We named him Rocky after his strength and desire to survive. 

All  these years later he is still fighting age and time itself to keep going. He is truly an amazing dog. I have never seen a dog like him. His strength. His dignity. His determination. I don't know if all Alaskan Malamutes are like him, but I know his time is short, and I will cry when he loses his final battle.

 

When they look at you with that "look" DO NOT DELAY for their sake and truthfully y'alls do it  I'm not being callous I've got over 12 urns on the armoire in our bedroom......I lost two dear beloved buddies last month in less than a week apart  and currently have a 13 mo old buzzsaw in off leash training as we speak ......peace out  Brian

He has been to the vet twice since that picture was taken. He is still going. His legs are still a little weak but his eyes are brighter and he wags his tail. I am going to let this guy live as long as he wants to.