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I think I might be crazy to even consider this..; Another dog? Picture included.
Topic Started: Apr 6 2010, 04:08 AM (717 Views)
kady05
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My friend & I make it a point to visit some of our local shelters a few times a month, just to give the animals some attention, treats, whatever. We frequently go to the 'kill' shelters, since we know that might be the only attention (other than feeding) these guys will get.

The other day, I randomly ended up at one of our animal controls with my BF (we were out to eat in the area and I asked if he wanted to stop by). Walked in and saw this face:

http://www.beachpetpals.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=2322731

:o <3 (if you scroll to the bottom, there are two more pictures)

He apparently came in as a stray back in February, was adopted, then returned within days because the couple was separating and couldn't keep him :rolleyes:

The shelter staff LOVES him, he's obviously a shelter favorite. So, BF & I left, and my friend & I went back yesterday. I was hoping he would be adopted, but nope, there he sat. He is so quiet in his run (I didn't hear him bark once, even when the other dogs were going nuts), seems very calm and mellow. He reminds me A LOT of Wilson, which doesn't help!

When we asked one of the shelter workers if we could get a dog out, he asked which one. I said the little brown/white Pit Bull mix.. whoops, seeing as the shelter is about 75% Pit Bull mixes, that wasn't very helpful. So I started walking towards his cage and the guy was like "Oh cool! He's a really good dog!" It's very apparent that everyone loves him.

We got him out into a bigger area outside and played with him a bit. Still very calm and let us do anything to him. No obedience on him at all, but that's the least of my worries. He crawled into my lap and licked my face.. oy vey.

Shelter thinks he's about a year old, which I think is about right. Not neutered, so that needs done quick! Has been great with dogs every time people have brought their own dogs to meet him. Says he's good with kids as well, which wouldn't surprise me since he seems to laid back and tolerant.

Only potential issue is that he's apparently never been around cats. And the shelter doesn't cat test them, so I have no way of knowing if he'll try to eat mine. He doesn't seem to be the type to have a high prey drive, but you never know, and my cats certainly won't correct him if he gets out of line.

Any suggestions? I know you guys are like the worst enablers ever ;) but I wanted to post just to see what everyone thought! BF could care less, and I'm really not concerned with how Wilson & Piper would be since they love every dog they meet, but will definitely be taking them to meet him if I decide to proceed with this. I seriously must be crazy to even be considering this!
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Little Diva
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I SHOULD tell you to walk away.

But I won't. ;)

He has a lovely lovely face and if it was me I would see if I could take the next step of at least having the three dogs meet. I have to avoid websites like that because my house would be over run with dogs and kitties needing a home. And mr. diva is the WORST enabler EVER.

Good luck and I hope he comes home soon :innocent:
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Corey94
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Thank goodness for folks like you Kady! You are very sweet to consider making room.

The cat thing would make me nervous too, but could you try him? They you'll know...good luck either way!
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vxf111
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Didn't you have a little bit of an issue introducing a dog before? I find there's a delicate balance in houses with multiple pets. Hate to be a downer but I would think you really run the risk of tipping the balance/causing problems if you add another adult dog. It's been my experience that 2 dogs is one thing but 3 really becomes problematic/difficult/expensive/a balancing act. Especially with the boyfriend's allergies and the cats in the box. Sorry to be the naysayer but you have a good thing going right now. I wouldn't risk changing that.
Edited by vxf111, Apr 6 2010, 05:28 AM.
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headlesshorseman
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Ditto what Little Diva wrote.....

Having said that......I do have 10 horses and 4 cats... :innocent:

He is cute...but I think Wilson will feel left out :unsure: ...and that Miss Piper will be lost in the shuffle of being the MIDDLE CHILD :o ...

The kitty thing :huh:

HH :)
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kady05
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vxf111
Apr 6 2010, 05:27 AM
Didn't you have a little bit of an issue introducing a dog before? I find there's a delicate balance in houses with multiple pets. Hate to be a downer but I would think you really run the risk of tipping the balance/causing problems if you add another adult dog. It's been my experience that 2 dogs is one thing but 3 really becomes problematic/difficult/expensive/a balancing act. Especially with the boyfriend's allergies and the cats in the box. Sorry to be the naysayer but you have a good thing going right now. I wouldn't risk changing that.
Are you talking about the little evil puppy Hudson LOL? That's the only dog I've ever had an issue with, and I think they ended up putting him down because he was so aggressive :no:

Other than that, there are always 'strange' dogs at my house (or I'm taking them somewhere else where there are other dogs), and I've never had an issue. I'm lucky in that they both are very well socialized, and have submissive personalities.

I would definitely never risk upsetting the balance; if I were to get this dog and he would not work out, I would find him a more suitable home. I work with our local Pit Bull group, so I have connections in that aspect.

BF's allergies are not to short haired dogs (he only has issues with dogs that shed a ton, like Labs), thank god. Just the kitties. And actually, ever since I gave Brody (my Ragdoll) a lion cut, his allergies have been great!

A friend of mine brought up offering to foster him, to kind of give it a trial run before actually adopting him. I'm considering going this route; that way, if he didn't work out, I could at least put a couple weeks of training on him to make him more adoptable, and if it did work, then he'd stay here.
Edited by kady05, Apr 6 2010, 05:44 AM.
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FlashGordon
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vxf111
Apr 6 2010, 05:27 AM
It's been my experience that 2 dogs is one thing but 3 really becomes problematic/difficult/expensive/a balancing act.
Very much agree! I've had two dogs most of my life. We grew up with two, and when I moved out, I had two for a long time until our male passed away.

When we had to move into my moms, we combined her two dogs with our dog. It is challenging even on good days. Thankfully they all get along just fine, but very often a "pack mentality" takes over and they ignore human requests/demands. And my dog is significantly more... stressed... when she' around the other two. I frequently separate my mom's two and mine just to give them all a break from each other. I know too that the introduction of my dog has taken a toll on my mom's setter mix, who is 13. He's aged a lot since we brought Shandy into the picture.

It is draining!! I joke that the three dogs are much harder work than children. Honestly we are lucky they all get along in the sense that we've never had a fight or so much as a growl from any of them. Shandy knows she is bottom of the barrel, the terrier runs the show, and the setter mix is too old to get involved.

I'm actually really looking forward to moving, and being down to ONE dog again!!!

I will consider having 2 dogs again some day but will NEVER up that number to 3 again!

Not saying all this to be a killjoy, it is just that I was really amazed at how the dynamic changes when the household goes from 2 to 3 dogs....
Edited by FlashGordon, Apr 6 2010, 05:57 AM.
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OpticalIllusion
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I would be worried about the cats. I just feel that if he didn't like the cats, he may grab one and shake it, and that would be the end of that.

I'm confused why the shelter has not fixed him? I thought all shelters neutered and spayed before sending pets to new homes?

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doubledare
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Well, I will be an enabler. I have three dogs, all rescues and all males. Each was acquired when they were one to three years old and only one was neutered when they arrived. (I have three vizslas so they are about 55-60 lbs each.) I have no problems with fighting. I also have one cat, but have had two cats and have brought all three dogs in not knowing how they are with cats. A few problems with the cats, but not many. See how the dog is with your other two and go from there.
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kady05
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OpticalIllusion
Apr 6 2010, 06:42 AM
I would be worried about the cats. I just feel that if he didn't like the cats, he may grab one and shake it, and that would be the end of that.

I'm confused why the shelter has not fixed him? I thought all shelters neutered and spayed before sending pets to new homes?

Yes the cats are my main concern. He would only be allowed to be around them while crated or leashed for the first few days to a week, so I could see his reaction. Definitely would not be allowed to roam around the house when the cats were out. I do have my entire upstairs gated off; dogs have run of the downstairs, cats have run of the whole house but generally stay upstairs, so that does help.

This particular shelter is an animal control, not an SPCA. One of our AC's does spay/neuter before you adopt them (it's included in the fee), but most don't, and leave it up to you to do that (has to be done within 30 days). This shelter has a pretty high euthanasia rate, so it's not like they can spay/neuter everything they get, that'd be a lot of money lost. It's a sad reality, but that's what it is. :no:
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kady05
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doubledare
Apr 6 2010, 06:53 AM
Well, I will be an enabler. I have three dogs, all rescues and all males. Each was acquired when they were one to three years old and only one was neutered when they arrived. (I have three vizslas so they are about 55-60 lbs each.) I have no problems with fighting. I also have one cat, but have had two cats and have brought all three dogs in not knowing how they are with cats. A few problems with the cats, but not many. See how the dog is with your other two and go from there.
That's kind of my plan, see how it goes with my two and go from there. If I see any issues with my guys, then it won't happen, not worth the risk. That's why I would LOVE to foster him first, so I plan on asking about that.

This guy is right in between sizes of Wilson & Piper.. Piper being the smallest, Wilson being the largest. I'd say he's about 40-45lbs. They have him listed as 70lbs. NO way he's that much.

I do have ages going for me as well.. I'd definitely never introduce a dog older than 3 or 4 to my guys.. while they are generally couch potatoes, get them around other dogs and they have a blast, which can be over bearing to older dogs.. although my parents 9yr. old Lab sure keeps up! Wilson turns a year old tomorrow, Piper just turned 5 months, and this dog is around a year, so they're all very close.

I'm also home A LOT, so the work load doesn't bother me at all. Anyone that knows me in person knows that my dogs are my life.. I'm only at work for a few hours a day, and the rest I'm at home (other than running errands and whatnot).

So I'm going to call the shelter tomorrow and ask about fostering.. and go from there I think. I'm off work tomorrow, so I can taken my two down to meet him as well and see how they get along. I have a feeling him & Wilson will have a blast, from how the shelter workers described how he played (sounds just like Wilson), but we'll see. My current dogs are my #1 priority, and I won't do anything that won't be good for them!
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onwego
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He does have an adorable face!
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vxf111
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Fostering sounds like a good way to give things a try. Like I said, for some reason 3 dogs becomes way way more work than 2. Not sure why that is, but 2 seems to be the magic number.
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Buryinghill1
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OpticalIllusion
Apr 6 2010, 06:42 AM
I would be worried about the cats. I just feel that if he didn't like the cats, he may grab one and shake it, and that would be the end of that.

I'm confused why the shelter has not fixed him? I thought all shelters neutered and spayed before sending pets to new homes?

Both of mine were sent home with me not knowing if they were spayed. Neither has a spay scar. One came into heat (and was fixed shortly after her heat cycle). The other never came into heat (and there is still no apparent scar!). I think it depends on the adopter? Probably a rare thing...

Three big dogs is a lot of work, money, time, and poop clean up. I would say adopt, but I sure don't have to pay those bills (or do the poop scoop!).

As for the cats, I taught my dogs to not attack a guinea pig - who grazed in my yard. They have wicked prey drive, but my dog-training skills won over their instinct. Lucky, I guess.
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Delia
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As for prey drive, our adopted hound dog has an intense prey drive, particularly for raccoons and cats. Last year he killed 2 raccoons in our back yard, and when we first got him I have no doubt that he would have offed our cat if given the chance. It took a lot of work, but after about 6 weeks he was about 80% reliable around our cat, who also isn't the type to correct. After 3 months he was 90% reliable, and now -- a year and a half later -- they sleep together. Any other cat, however, he still considers fair game, so we have to be alert when walking him b/c there are lots of friendly indoor/outdoor kitties in our neighborhood.
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