Adopting a pet

[Ayla]

I adopted a German Shep mix from our humane society about a year back. I believe rescueing a dog makes them more likely to be more 'appreciating'..can't really think of the proper word lol. I have 2 dogs. My lab, I got from a pet store as a pup, and now really her favorite thing is eatting Where as my GSD, I adopted him at the age of 6 months. He really is the most loving dog I know. As long as you pat and love him, he's super happy and grateful. If you're worried about house training, then an older dog is probably better.

I think it's great you want to adopt one from the shelter. The dogs (esp older ones) will be so grateful to you. I'm sure you'll find the perfect dog for you (if that's what you're looking for) they make awesome pets. I wouldn't be able to live without my 4 babies (2 dogs, 2 cats)

Zeke, my Shepard mix, is actually the only pet I adopted from the shelter. The others I got from a pet store or a friend. I definetly will go to the shelter for my next dog though. When I went looking for a new dog, there actually was only like 6 dogs there. Oddly, everyone was ignoring Zeke (6 months) for the small cute puppies. (I have no idea why, he was the cutest one there.... ) When I first saw him, he looked so depressed. He was laying in the back of the cage and didn't seem to care I was there. After a while, I got him to come to me and patted him for a bit. He totally purked up. He acted so different from how he is now, from when he was in the cage. I guess he was sad everyone ignored him (also a good reason to adopt and older pup )

pictures ->
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...r/DCP_1947.jpg
He doesn't really look that much like a GSD lol XD
http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/...r/DCP_1930.jpg

[StoneColdCrazy]

Originally Posted by Nothing Special

It's kind of pointless to get a puppy because they grow up so freakin' fast. Having a pet isn't a novelty. I figure that a quarter of the dogs at the shelter are abandoned just because they outgrew their cute, cuddly puppiness. A lot of them are around a year old.

Well, pet's definitely aren't a novelty. I can't quite explain the relationship between the pet and the owner, but it's a two-way relationship (as long as they have some intelligence, that is, and you'd best not underestimate that either) that can be extremely rewarding for both.

The point of getting a puppy is the same as any other dog - you take care of them and live together throughout their life. Puppy-ness is just one particular stage of that and isn't necessarily any more or less enjoyable than any of the others, unless you're particularly naive or narrow in your demands and requirements.

I don't see anything wrong with adopting a pet. My current (second) dog was taken from a rescue home for unwanted animals (one of the most stressful places I've ever visited) and because of this she was already house-trained and was already settled in many behaviours - she knows common commands and is used to being around people and responding to them. One advantage you will have with an animal from a rescue home is that the staff there will have spent some time with it, will know a little about it, should've had it well-vaccinated, taken care of and healthy and will also be able to give you tips if you're a first-time owner. Raising a pet can be one of the toughest stages and you will avoid much of that if you adopt an unwanted one.

SCC

[Cammie]

Ok! I need some advice. My brother and his girlfriend just got a puppy. I was asked to baby sit her while they were at work. (just for a week)*sigh* big mistake! I have no idea what i'm doing shes peed and pooped on my carpet and has been chewing on my sliding glass door blinds errr.... I can't get really mad at her because shes so cute! I've tried almost everything. I hate keeping her in a cage. HELP!!
Heres a pic of sweetpea

[durrem]

I'm not really a dog person, so I can't help you there. For the mess, use a paper towel to pick up as much urine as possible and then use this. This stuff is a must for all pet owners.

[MightyPenisLaser]

we (me and my family) got three dogs by now and although we're five people to look after them, it's really hard work....

if you want a dog, be sure that you can go out for a one hour walk two times a day at least and prepare to pay high amounts of money for dog food

our big dog has a bad stomach all the time so it can't eat normal dog food and the special we buy now is fucking expensive, we pay about 100 euro a month only for one dog's food.

and the final blow are the costs for the veterinarin, if you open his door you can be sure to leave with about 70 euro less in your pocket...
in bad times we had to go to the veterinarin ~10 times a month and you can nearly see your money running away from you.


a last tipp from me, the wise old dog guy: NEVER rely on children who say:" Pleeeease, buy a doggie, I'm going for walk with it EVERYday for sure!!"
- they won't and you are the one who can take the dog out while it's raining like crazy or whatever nice weather you can imagine

for further questions, only ask the dog man

[Shousha]

this are the best pets EVER!

[Sun_Tze]

Shousha: The words. "Hey, I want Taco Bell!" comes to my mind when i saw that pic.

Cammie: I had a female puppy before, and if she really is a puppy, you will have to get used to it... Puppies if not trained well ussually do that.


BTW: I'm waiting that a friend of my father finishes training a dog of this species so i can have it:
http://www.cpc.pt/7_racas/port/images/podengo02.jpg

(Looks like the second to the left). For those that don't know, it's a Portuguese Podengo. To be more exact, the small short hair race

[Access]

Originally Posted by Nothing Special

Looking to adopt a pet by the end of next year. What's your experience with an adopted pet? Had any behavior problems? The issue of most concern for me is how an adopted pet deals with other pets in the house so if you've got stories, please share.

If anyone's curious, I'm looking for a dog, preferably a German Shepherd (my favorite breed). Wifey's allergic to cats so they're out of the running.

(When I was at the pet shelter a few months back, I was amazed by how many pets were abandoned. If you're looking for a pet, consider adopting one, as I am.)

I adopted a piggy several months ago. He was very timid at first and can be very tempermental, but overall he is quite friendly once he gets 'used to' a specific person. He is chew-crazy, he likes chewing on just about anything and has destroyed many printer cables and power cables. Using his favorite food (carrots) I taught him how to stand upright and how to climb up things.

For a cat or a dog (at a shelter) you might have to get on a waiting list. Unless you're willing to adopt an older cat or dog that no one else wants. Most cats or dogs under 1 yr are gone within hours of when the quarantine runs out.

For smaller pets like bunnies or piggies or the like you can almost always find young ones at a shelter. If you want a bunny wait till a little after easter. Exotic pets like a chincilla or ferret or snake you may need to go straight to a breeder.

There is no reason to buy a pet from a petstore or any other middleman. Buy from a reputable breeder or get one from a shelter. Even the best pet stores will buy the same pet from a reputable (or not-so-reputable) breeder and then sell it to you with a markup, what's the point in that. Also especially with small animals like piggies or bunnies or rats or hamsters the conditions of the pet stores are not good and the critters don't get the human attention they need early in life so they won't be 'tame' enough for pets.

If a dog pees or poops on the carpet, once you clean it up well, take away her food dish and put her food right on the carpet. Make her eat right off the spot on the carpet where she messed. After a few times of this she will be very adverse to messing up any part of the carpet since that is where her meals are going. After a few times you should be able to switch back to putting her food in a bowl and the behavior should stick.

pig -> http://www.live-evil.org/sindo/pig01.jpg

[Green²]

Originally Posted by Cammie

Ok! I need some advice. My brother and his girlfriend just got a puppy. I was asked to baby sit her while they were at work. (just for a week)*sigh* big mistake! I have no idea what i'm doing shes peed and pooped on my carpet and has been chewing on my sliding glass door blinds errr.... I can't get really mad at her because shes so cute! I've tried almost everything. I hate keeping her in a cage. HELP!!
Heres a pic of sweetpea
http://i.myspace.com/15/55/25551/11692122_l.JPG

Wait unit the dog piddles behind where your computer is located. Once the puppy realizes the mistake made, assuming that it will be walking again before the week ends, run some similar looking cables all over the carpet.

Perhaps you can try using diapers for the puppy?

P.S.
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/109...ycomputer1.jpg
Just don't let that happen.

[Wandering_Youth]

Wow, somebody sure brought this thread back from the grave. Anyways....guess what? I found out that the stray kitten I adopted so long ago was a male and not a female so for half a year I thought my cat was a female. Ugh, I feel so dumb! I need to change his name now.

[Access]

You're probably better off just leaving his name the way it is, it's not unusual I mean there are guys named 'stacy' or 'chris' and I honestly don't think the cat is going to care that you gave him a funny name by human (not feline) considerations. Whereas if you start changing what you call him after 6 months he may get confused.

[Lioness]

Originally Posted by Cammie

Ok! I need some advice. My brother and his girlfriend just got a puppy. I was asked to baby sit her while they were at work. (just for a week)*sigh* big mistake! I have no idea what i'm doing shes peed and pooped on my carpet and has been chewing on my sliding glass door blinds errr.... I can't get really mad at her because shes so cute! I've tried almost everything. I hate keeping her in a cage. HELP!!
Heres a pic of sweetpea

There is nothing wrong with crating a dog to train it as long as the crate isn't used as a punishment. It is very easy to tell when a puppy is about to go to the bathroom, they will start to sniff the floor and perhaps circle before they squat. When you see this start, rush the dog outside in a hurry.

Yes, you do have to keep a constant eye on a puppy or a non-housebroken adult dog, that's just how it is.