The Dog Thread

[Lee]

My almost 13 year old pit got very sick from Pancreatitis. My wife and I were afraid this was the end for our "oldest child.' I am happy to say $1500 and 2 weeks later our dog is healthy and back to his old self. I am realistic that it only gave him a year or two longer, but since we can afford it, I felt it was money well spent. Truly our pit has been the best dog ever, our at least to us.

 

[David.]

seriously considering getting a second dog. Morgan couldnt be happier with her dog friend, but she is only a visitor.

saw three dogs wth my child:

1: very cute.. playful as hell.. athletic.. submissive to morgan.. barked while in cage.

2. cute, morgan licked her ears which means she really likes her.. this dog didnt give a shit about morgan. barked while in cage.

3. sweet dog.. nibbles hands, softly... got along with morgan really well.. not the prettiest dog. DOES NOT BARK.

i know thats not a lot to go off of, but is there a clear cut winner as to which one to get?

 

[The Oi]

I never understood the "don't get puppy mill dogs from pet shops" take.

All dogs need a home. Why discriminate based on where they were bred from? Eventually all these dogs end up in kill shelters if they aren't given homes. Why is a puppy mill any worse than a dog found wandering the street or pulled out of a dog fighting ring as a bait dog?

 

[Jack Brickman]

I never understood the "don't get puppy mill dogs from pet shops" take.

All dogs need a home. Why discriminate based on where they were bred from? Eventually all these dogs end up in kill shelters if they aren't given homes. Why is a puppy mill any worse than a dog found wandering the street or pulled out of a dog fighting ring as a bait dog?

Because buying them from puppy mills encourages puppy mills to keep doing what they do. If no one bought the puppies that came from mills, the mills would inevitably go out of business.

 

[The Oi]

The way to stop them is to regulate them or crack down on them harder if they're doing something unethical or illegal. Getting people to stop buying something en masse is extremely difficult unless you can prove to them that it's killing them. It's why cigarette smoking has gone way down over the years, but why fast food is still doing just fine.

Legislation and law enforcement will need to step in, because people aren't going to stop buying puppies at whatever place is most convenient to them.

Not buying the dogs once they exist will just get them killed.

 

[Jack Brickman]

The way to stop them is to regulate them or crack down on them harder if they're doing something unethical or illegal. Getting people to stop buying something en masse is extremely difficult unless you can prove to them that it's killing them. It's why cigarette smoking has gone way down over the years, but why fast food is still doing just fine.

Legislation and law enforcement will need to step in, because people aren't going to stop buying puppies at whatever place is most convenient to them.

Not buying the dogs once they exist will just get them killed.

I agree that legislation and law enforcement should be much more involved than they are, but until they do it's up to people to stop supporting practices that are abusive to animals. Plus, why anyone would want to shell out big bucks to buy a puppy mill dog is beyond me. You're probably going to end up paying thousands in medical bills over the life of the dog that could have been likely avoided by adopting a mix or buying from a good breeder (for a comparable price, no less!). Of course, the medical future of any dog is a crap shoot, but there's no denying that puppy mill dogs are much, much more prone to having severe medical problems than mixes or well-bred dogs.

And let's be real here...when puppies end up in kill shelters, they almost always get adopted or picked up by a non-kill humane society before they are put down. Puppies are easy to adopt out. It's adult dogs that are the ones really at risk at kill shelters, and that's not really relevant to the issue at hand.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Bringing this thread back in style.

And finally, some dog-related 4th of July patriotism:

 

[Jack Brickman]

Took the dogs on a hike up King's Mountain yesterday morning:

 

[ZooCrewDude]

Good looking dogs @Jack Brickman! I adopted a Rhodesian ridgeback earlier this year - she's just over 1 yo now. Below is from our hike up on Mount Hood this morning. And to try and trump your patriotism photo, also below is our backpacking trip on the 4th this year in Three Sisters Wilderness. She's been a great hiking companion thus far!

 

[Andrew]

I saw ridgebacks on tv before, their color is beautiful

Sent from my KFJWA using Tapatalk

 

[Jack Brickman]

Ridgebacks were one of the breeds I was considering back when I bought Loki (my Boxer). They seem like pretty great dogs, and there was a good breeder in Ohio. You don't see them too much, but they're great looking dogs.

 

[CleveRocks]

Yellow Lab. Best dog I have ever had.. She is 11, and went blind last year, but you wouldn't know it because of her enthusiasm for everything. Great with kids, nearly bulletproof, and very trainable. If I had had enough bacon, I could have trained her to play piano...

Black labs are solid as well. Chocolates are more intense though.

 

[Jack Brickman]

What did the five fingers say to the face?

 

[Chris]

I'm pretty much a Sheltie guy. I grew up with one and we had to put him down in 2009 when I was in college, we'd had him since I was 6. It was really sad but he was the best dog ever. I'll see if I can find a picture of him. My brother lives in Stow and has two Shelties and they are ornery as fuck but awesome dogs. I think the Sheltie is the most beautiful breed of dog ... I couldn't see myself owning another breed besides Sheltie, except a husky or malamute. If I ever finish my degree, get a good job and buy a house with a lot that has open space and a decent amount of land I'd like to get a husky or two.

But, that's honestly just a dream.

edit: This is my dog (and cat), from growing up. I thought I had posted it in this thread before but it must have been from another thread a long time ago.

 

[Jack Brickman]

The people across the hall from me have a Sheltie.