If You Had Only Known...

ORIGINAL: Xerxes

However, I also wasn't prepared for how full of life pits are! Sally has a zest for life that few breeds have. I wasn't prepared for how sweet she was. I was not prepared for how affectionate she is. I was not prepared for such a cuddlebug. I was not prepared for the amount of love I could feel for her.....

That's an awesome thing to say.  I'm sure she wasn't prepared for someone like you that would love her unconditionally either.

 
Oh that gave me the tingle's. I wanna go home and hug my baby girl, he he
One of my favorite things is to watch Rory haul doggy butt through a open field. The way she really dogs in, butt tucked, ears back...ooh its amazing to me.
Mien is a cuddle bug too which is one thing I'm thankful for. If I'm sleeping she sleeps!

Sillysally,  I was shaking my head when I read your post, I can completely identify with what your saying! 
At the end of a hard day of insults I wouldn't trade the cuddly, one dog show for a dog that society approves of more. 
Another thing I didn't expect is how funny and entertaining she would be, she does the goofiest things that make us laugh so hard![]

I've had mastiffs in the past, and my experice was that they just do one thing, chill. They do get excited but you have to get them worked up. I thought I knew EVERYTHING there was to know about the Fila, I was aware that they are higher energy than the other mollossers, but man, I didn't expect it to be THIS much higher. Now, I know this guy is supposed to be lethargic in comparison to the Malinois I'm waiting for, I just wonder what suprise will the new guy bring us.

I wish I knew how crappy the GSD people treated newbies, or those that didn't agree with their breeding practices.
 
I love the GSD...hate most of the people.

I've already said what I like about Aussies, so you know what Sequoyah brings to my life, but here's my take on the others...

When it comes to my hound, the one thing I wasn't prepared for was - him. I wasn't looking for another dog at the time.  But, the big lug laid his head on my lap and claimed me for his own.  Now, I can't imagine life without my *other BF* LOL.  He's a comfort freak, and sometimes we just snuggle up and he lets me us him for a giant body pillow.   And, he's a weenie in the rain & snow - you'd be amazed how long he can "hold it" when the weather is bad.  I have to insist that he go out to relieve himself. []

With my Yorkie, I was not prepared for how un-Yorkie-like she is!  And, what a happy little character - that dog is never anything but joyful, except in the bathtub. [sm=eek.gif]

Sioux I *was* prepared for.  The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew we were destined for one another.  I lifted her out of the bin at the shelter, and never put her back in.  She was nine weeks old and not looking anything like the beauty she became (for the newbies, she's the one in my signature photo).  She looked like a little chocolate fluffball.  That dog has never disappointed me - ever.  Like Dancer, she's a once in a lifetime dog.  But, then, I think that about all my dogs, each in their own way. []

ORIGINAL: BEVOLASVEGAS

Doberman Pinschers
  1.  They have a huge prey drive.  I was expecting an alert watch dog, not a dog that chased anything that moved.  ie.. cats, squierells, skunks, falling leaves.
  2.  They always feel that they need to be close to you.  I thought I was getting a running buddy who would be focused on protecting my yard. Now if I am in th house, Bevo is in the house and underfoot.
  3.  Dobermans are very in tune with your mood.  If I raise my voice, Bevo is there trying to confirm that I am not angry at him.  It makes no difference that I was not raising my voice at him.  He is still concerned.  If I am worried, angry, or happy, Bevo's mood mirrors mine. 

I second all of that!  It amazes me how strong my dobes' prey drives are!  Even our old dog goes NUTS if she sees a squirrel, strange cat, or rabbit.

I also grew up with this breed but some other things:

- They bark.  A lot.  We have a chorus every time the mailman clinks the mailbox, or some strange person is walking on the other side of the street.

- They're incredibly goofy.  Everyone seems to think they're a very serious breed, but they're really not.  It seems they love to make you laugh xD

When I was told Willow was a chow I knew her temperment might be questionable.  What I didn't know was just how aloof and independent they can be.  While I've grown to love that I could see someone not realizing it ahead of time being very disappointed they didn't get a dog that just lives to please them.

Anne, I think your hound needs to get together with my hounds. They wouldn't take over the world, but they sure would sleep well! I love my living body pillows! I've seen Marlowe practically hover in mid-air in an attempt to fit himself between me and Conrad for a nap. He'd crawl under my skin if he could. For breeds typically kept as outside dogs, they really are ridiculous comfort obsessives.

I wish I had known about Dalmatians before I got them. I thought they were cute and honestly that is why I got Weston.
 
Dalmatians can be very stubborn, head strong and are very intelligent. Weston has a great deal of all 3 traits.
 
Marley not so much, she is very obedient and friendly. She lives to please. (I refer to her as my little angel dog)
 
I love him & would never give either him or Marley up.
 
 
 
 

I wasn't prepared for all year round incessant shedding. []  The little cocker/poo/terrier I had years ago didn't shed and when the little lab/cocker X needed grooming, he'd lose hair in a little clump. Max is like a hair machine and there isn't a surface that doesn't have dog hairs on it.
 
Joyce

Not that I can think of.  Riley doesn't dig.  Well, he does, but only in the sand and/or snow.  He's such a good boy!

Bella (10 month old Terrier Mix): Didnt know what a handful she would be in general. Very much a mind of her own and quite the chewer. Eats anything you put in her crate..so she is allowed no towels or blankets.
 
Charlie (1 1/2 year old Jack/Chi mix): When he was little, we were NOT prepared for the destruction of the table legs, coffee table corner, carpet, etc....he had a slight chewing problem... and after all this we were pleasantly surprised..he turned out to be an angel!
 
Beau (13 week German Shorthaired Pointer): I wasnt prepared for how smart he is, learned to go to the door for potty so fast, wasnt prepared for how loud he is and how strong he is already.
 
BUT MOST OF ALL....I WASNT PREPARED FOR HOW MUCH I COULD LOVE ALL THREE OF THEM! OR FOR HOW FULFILLING IT IS TO BE THEIR MOMMY!

catherinec, wyatt's butt doesn't touch the ground either! That's hilarious. Wyatt also barks a lot. He doesn't bark just to hear his voice, but any little suspicious sound and he's barking, even when i drop something on the floor. He's also got a high prey drive. He loves to pounce on leaves that are blowing across the sidewalk, chase cats, chase bugs...
it's so funny how alike 2 different dogs of the same breed can be!

What a great thread! I don't have much to say because I was so incredibly lucky to have found a really good dog.
 
I would say that sometimes shelters and rescues do not know everything about their dogs. For one thing, the organization I adopted my dog from said she was "sweet", "gentle", "good with the elderly" and the like. However, the woman who took her in did not know that she was dog-aggressive and very shy around strangers, particularly men and children. These things I wasn't prepared for, but I'm trying to help my dog with them everyday.
 
Also, that owning a dog eats up a large chunk of your time, energy and budget and that you do need to deal with shedding and the normal doggy odor. I've grown accustomed to the occassional smell and just keep the house extra-clean and the give my dog brushing to keep the shedding under control. When you love your dog, things like these hardly matter. [] 

i have found my chi has a hidey hole and if you are missing anything that is the first place to check.  they are like the squirrel hoarding nuts.  she will take a bolt you laid down while you went and retrieved the screwdriver from her little nest only to come back and find she took the nut that went with the bolt