Gibbons
January 22nd, 2008, 09:04 PM
Sorry about the length of this- I can NEVER make anything short and sweet.
So my husband and I (and our roommates) have been planning on getting a puppy for about 6 months now. Due to my inability to decide on anything, and my desire to be SURE I was making the right decision, we still don't have a puppy.
After spending months researching breeds - all we knew in the beginning is we wanted a medium to large dog- I am no closer to having any idea on how to decide on which breed. I like shepherds, labs, collies, huskies, goldens, etc . I've researched the pros and cons of each breed, analyzed our lifestyle (active, like to be outdoors, love to go for long walks and go camping, swimming, biking, etc and want a dog that can travel well- so large breed works for us), our likes and dislikes, etc and STILL can't decide on a dog.
While we couldn't decide on a dog we did figure out: training methods, found a trainer in Ottawa we liked, looked into dog parks in the area, play dates, friends we have with dogs, vets we like, costs for food, toys and vet care, whether to feed raw or kibble (raw, says I- hubby says "eww, that's gross"), have a crate on hold with a friend, and I have read almost every post on this forum! Hubby, roommates and I all grew up with dogs. I'm also walking dogs at the shelter to give me a better idea of what I'm getting into AND we're now fostering 2 dogs so we're 100% sure and going into this eyes-wide-open.
So! Long and short, we've decided we'll skip getting a pure-bred dog from a good breeder (tips on this forum for finding a breeder are hugely valuable) and go rescue a mixed-breed pup. I put in an application before we got our fosters with a rescue in Quebec, excepting to hear back in a few weeks. I got a call today - they got my application, it was one of the best they've seen in a long time, and did I want to come in and have a look at any of their dogs up for adoption?
Obviously, my answer was no (dog walking at the shelter, 2 fosters, a jealous cat, a new husband, a full time job, AND a puppy?) But they said to give them a call whenever I'm ready, I am pre-approved. Sounds sort of like I'm getting a credit card.. but that's what she said!
I'm pretty excited. I'm also a LITTLE bit sad because they had the most adorable pup listed on petfinder - I'm thinking it's a golden/shepherd cross? I doubt he'll be around for the next few months as he is just TOO adorable (I posted a picture, just to torture myself :rolleyes: )
Only question- what should I look for in a rescue? I'm assuming the picking a puppy thing is similar to picking a puppy anywhere else - check health, aggression, interest level, friendliness, etc - and think with your head not JUST your heart (I'm a sucker for a sob story, so I'll need to be careful there). But for the rescue - anything I should watch out for? How do I know they're ACTUALLY a rescue, and not some weird version of puppy mill pretending to be a rescue?
So my husband and I (and our roommates) have been planning on getting a puppy for about 6 months now. Due to my inability to decide on anything, and my desire to be SURE I was making the right decision, we still don't have a puppy.
After spending months researching breeds - all we knew in the beginning is we wanted a medium to large dog- I am no closer to having any idea on how to decide on which breed. I like shepherds, labs, collies, huskies, goldens, etc . I've researched the pros and cons of each breed, analyzed our lifestyle (active, like to be outdoors, love to go for long walks and go camping, swimming, biking, etc and want a dog that can travel well- so large breed works for us), our likes and dislikes, etc and STILL can't decide on a dog.
While we couldn't decide on a dog we did figure out: training methods, found a trainer in Ottawa we liked, looked into dog parks in the area, play dates, friends we have with dogs, vets we like, costs for food, toys and vet care, whether to feed raw or kibble (raw, says I- hubby says "eww, that's gross"), have a crate on hold with a friend, and I have read almost every post on this forum! Hubby, roommates and I all grew up with dogs. I'm also walking dogs at the shelter to give me a better idea of what I'm getting into AND we're now fostering 2 dogs so we're 100% sure and going into this eyes-wide-open.
So! Long and short, we've decided we'll skip getting a pure-bred dog from a good breeder (tips on this forum for finding a breeder are hugely valuable) and go rescue a mixed-breed pup. I put in an application before we got our fosters with a rescue in Quebec, excepting to hear back in a few weeks. I got a call today - they got my application, it was one of the best they've seen in a long time, and did I want to come in and have a look at any of their dogs up for adoption?
Obviously, my answer was no (dog walking at the shelter, 2 fosters, a jealous cat, a new husband, a full time job, AND a puppy?) But they said to give them a call whenever I'm ready, I am pre-approved. Sounds sort of like I'm getting a credit card.. but that's what she said!
I'm pretty excited. I'm also a LITTLE bit sad because they had the most adorable pup listed on petfinder - I'm thinking it's a golden/shepherd cross? I doubt he'll be around for the next few months as he is just TOO adorable (I posted a picture, just to torture myself :rolleyes: )
Only question- what should I look for in a rescue? I'm assuming the picking a puppy thing is similar to picking a puppy anywhere else - check health, aggression, interest level, friendliness, etc - and think with your head not JUST your heart (I'm a sucker for a sob story, so I'll need to be careful there). But for the rescue - anything I should watch out for? How do I know they're ACTUALLY a rescue, and not some weird version of puppy mill pretending to be a rescue?