Dog Community

Advice...

Posted : 3/4/2006 6:40:42 PM

Today I was at my feed store (45 minutes away) with my two Aussies (blue and red merle both under 14 months). Anyway I had a gentleman come up to me and ask me if they were friendly (this is while they are wiggling their butts so hard they can hardly stand, so I told him they were very friendly. Most people bend down and pet them in this situation but he didn't. Then he walked away and I proceded to find my cats food as I was getting my dogs food (checking out the new hering and sweet potato ingrediants on Cal Nat) he came back up to me and started telling me how striking my dogs were and how he was thinking about getting a dog. He asked me if they were good guard dogs and if they were fine home all day by themselves without peeing all over the place. I told him once they got older but no puppys can be left alone all day and not pee and then he interupted me and went on about how beautiful they are and what not. Then he started talking about husky's too. I told him my sister has two husky's and they are not good guard dogs either, they need to be on leash all the time and that they are a lot of work. He kinda shrugged me off, so I said, golden retrievers are good dogs too (think that I could tell him about the local golden retriever rescue that we deal with all the time at work). At this point he interupted me and said that the markings on huskys and mine were "just so striking" that he would like one that looks like that.

At that point the light bulb went on and it occured to me that this guy just wanted a "striking" dog. I could have listed off 5 different rescue groups in the area that would have dogs that were less active then the two he was interested in. At that moment when the light bulb when on I spit out how much work they are and how they need to be run a lot or have agility or some other activity because if they get board they will destroy things. Again he cut me off.

At that point in time I began to get frustrated because there are TONS of husky's and aussies that you see up for addoption on petfinder or even in the classifieds. And the reason that half those poor animals are up for adoption is because of guys like this guy who just want a "striking" dog... Angry

so so frustrating!!!!!!

sillysally

Posted : 3/4/2006 8:23:56 PM

When I went to the IKC show and was visiting the ridgie bench area there was a guy that walked up and immediately started asking about breeders and where to get a ridgie, but never bothered to even touch the ridgie that had come up to greet him or interact or even really look at any of the other dogs there--it was weird--you want one of these dogs but are not even interested in seeing how it interacts with people?

dasher

Posted : 3/5/2006 7:19:34 PM

I agree, it can be frustrating to be in that situation. I got that a lot when I had my Dal (he was liver and white). I also get it now with Dasher (people think he is sooo cute). I do the same thing you did keva. When people show an interest in my dogs, I just try and explain how much work they are, etc. etc... Its funny, the people that show interest in Dasher, who is a JRT, and in Reese, who was a Dal are not very dog savy. They think Dasher would be perfect b/c he is small and they thought Reese would be cool b/c he had spots!![8|] If anything, I think that JRT's and Dal's are not for beginners! (Aussies and Huskies aren't either for that matter).

Wysteria Berkhoff

Posted : 3/7/2006 6:46:50 PM

My Aussies were my first ever dogs but I did research for about a year and a half before hand on the bread, I even tried to get involved with Aussie Rescue (the application I sent in never made it I don't think, or atleast I never heard anything). I was aware of what I was getting myself into and did my research. I knew I wanted one for it's energy and personality and not because it was pretty...then I pick the exact kind (blue merle, red merle, red tri, black tri) based on the way they looked. But this was after doing my research. And believe me I have learned TONS since I finished doing my research. All the research in the world can give you certain expectations it can't prepare someone that has never owned a dog for a dog...Plus my second (whome I got when my first was 9.5 months old) was a 7 month old rescue...he's a handful and had a ton of problems when I first got him....still does. But I wouldn't take it back ever....I will forever recommend waiting atleast a year if you are a new dog owner to get a second though! They sure keep me on my toes, wether eating something they shouldn't be or whatever...