Why do you have the dogs you have?

Hammer-Head was dropped off at my farm last september, half starved and covered with demodex mange, you could count all his ribs easily. Now hes got some good flesh on him, could stand to have more muscle, tho. :)

Frankie was another drop off, we found him around Feb this year when he was about two months old to young to have walked here alone on his own.He was under weight and his stomace was HUGE with worms. Our neighbor de-wordmed him and later my mother and I took him to the vet. He is about seven or eight months old right now.

 I got Woobie after trying to go 2 years w/o a dog in the house.  I was looking for a border collie or BC mix to get involved in dog sports with.  I got a skittish pup from feral parents who's afraid of most of the equipment!    I got Indie because I found that Woobie was more confident when with other dogs and would do things he was normally afraid of if he saw a dog doing them.  I thought I might do dog sports with Indie, but I find he seems to be suited to therapy work.  Watching Indie with people has helped Woobie calm down alot and he's even beginning to approach kids on his own. 

The Hubs had the first RR, Bwana and I fell in love  since then we have had many .. With the exception of two all have died from old age. Currently we have our Jasmine, Her Daughters and Sons, Grandaughters, a  distant Nephew we are training for a puppy family and Zion our , we hope, next Resident Stud Muffin

Bonita of Bwana

German Shepherds and Malinois are my favorite breeds.  I settled on shepherds (tend to be a little less drivey and more forgiving in general, than working Malinois) and while I was in college spend literally years researching the breed, going to dog shows, meeting dog people, getting connections with breeders, etc.  I waited until DH and I were married, settled in, and found a home I thought would be suitable for dogs (our home is not big but our yard is and I have several places to take dogs).  We got Kenya from a reputable breeder.  I submitted an application to a GSD rescue and my app was forwarded to a breeder because of what I said I was looking for.  I said I wanted a dog with relatively high energy, focused, intense in work, trainable, a dog that would enjoy competitive obedience and agility.  Kenya is aesthetically the exact opposite of what I wanted, but a perfect match as far as temperament and lifestyle.  The breeder has been breeding, training, working, and showing dogs for over 30 years so I trusted her judgment in making a match.  That is why I have her.

Kenya had grown up with a large "pack" of dogs in the home and I've always felt that animals are happier in packs, so once Kenya was settled in we looked for another dog.  We found a shelter German Shepherd and were going to adopt him, but he had some severe separation anxiety and also did not get along well with Kenya initially.  Luckily, a friend of mine adopted him and at the time her husband was retired so they have worked really hard on his "issues".  He is now a good playmate with Kenya!  Anyway, since he did not work out, we just looked on Petfinder.  We wanted a bigger dog, but DH is not particular about breed.  We found Coke and immediately submitted our application.  A few days later we took Kenya to meet him at a neutral location and they hit it off well so we took him home.  Kenya is primarily my dog (I train and compete with her) and Coke is primarily DH's dog, though I do 90% of the responsibilities for both and Coke is equally bonded, Kenya is more bonded with me.  Coke is actually more of my "heart" dog, he seems to know what I'm feeling and all he wants is to make me happy or make me feel better.  I love both my dogs the same, but Coke thrives on a much higher level of affection than Kenya seems to need or care for.

After losing a nearly 16 yr. old lab/cocker X, I took a bag of unopened senior dog food to the shelter and decided to have a look around to see who was there.  Max came running up to me, licking my hand through the cage and doing the "please get me out of here and take me home" dance ... and that's why I have him today.

Joyce

I got Tia (a Catahoula mix) about four years ago. It was exactly a week after I lost my old lab. I cried all the way to the shelter, but I knew I had to bring home a dog. This was the right thing to do, in my particular situation. I picked Tia because we connected as soon as we saw each other. She's come a long way from the frightened dog she was.

Mr. Bitey (Nick) came home with me this last Feb due to him being the wrong match for his previous household. He's a 10 month old ACD/Bull Terrier mix. I been looking for a challenging younger dog. Looks like I found one!

Fluffy went to the rainbow bridge in 2006. It was hard to come home to a empty house so we got Molly as a pup from a breeder. I then got on this forum and now know Molly's breeder is a BUB. When Molly turned around a year or so we started looking for a sister and playmate for her. We got Bella about 2 and 1/2 months ago at a shelter. They are both 2 years old. They are like night and day. Bella is scare of noises (we are working in it) and nothing bothers Molly. Bella digs in the same hole (digging to China I think) and Molly thinks that is is so disgusting that Bella would do that and get her paws dirty. Bella inhales her food and Molly eats it one kibble at a time. Everyday is an adventure with these two girls.

Husband wanted a dog...I did not  but could handle it and gave in to him.  We researched several breeds and breeders and finally decided to go the shelter and adopt.  He pointed out shy little Sampson, just a wee 10 week old pup, scared to death.  We took him home that day and he was so sick, he was in the hospital with pneumonia within 2 days.  I poured all my time into researching dogs, dogs health, nutrition, obedience and anything else dog related.  When the doc told me he didnt think Sam would make it, I was crushed.  My heart broke.  He pulled through and he/s my best bud ever. 

We seen Maggie at the Dog Days of Denton and again...my husband wanted her.  She was 7 months old and just a sweetie. She was found abandoned at a dog park so the Great Pyr Rescue took her to the event and found her a home!  She was pure hell for a couple of months but then came around.  She is the biggest love bug ever.  I can't get enough of her.

I had a black, female, English Lab for 13 years. Best dog, never had a single problem with her, a total sweetie to everyone and everything. My parents did a lot of researching into breeders and found her breeder at a dog show in Boston they really liked. My parents and the breeder became very good friends, and a year later we had our puppy, named Pepper. At 13 years she was diagnosed with cancer, and passed a few months later. I was devistated. I probably cried every day for a good 3-4 months. She was my everything. I grew up basically as an only child (my brother and I are 13 years apart), so she was like a best friend living in the house with me. She was with me from first grade through my second year in college, we have videos and pictures of me growing up and she's in all of them. I said I'd never own another black Lab again, despite the fact they're my favorite, because my heart was so broken.

Three years later, I moved out, bought a condo, got engaged...and I wanted a dog. Jeremy was going to school in GA (another reason I wanted a dog), and I was just browsing their craigslist (I like to look), but I found some ads for "adoption days", which led me to a link to a high kill shelter, which led me to their forum, which led me to Apollo's Moms picture and info. I found someone to drive her from GA to MA, so I faxed in my adoption agreement. They called me and said she was all mine...5 minutes later I got another call. Since I wasn't physically at the shelter, and someone was there who wanted her the adoption defaulted to the other adopter. BUT...they had a younger male that needed to be adopted ASAP as he was to gassed later that day (nobody had interest in him due to "black dog syndrome" and his catatonic state). Of course I adopted him, no question about it. I didn't know what he looked like, what his tempermant was like....nothing. But, he's all I could've asked for and then some. Apollo is truely my heart dog.

Black Labs...they're my favorite hands down, and I always feel a connection with them that I just don't with other breeds. Weird? Maybe..lol! 

Chyna came to me after my older brother had brilliant idea to get a boxer puppy while he was in on leave from the Army.  I've never understood why he knowingly got a puppy when he was set to deploy to Germany in 3 weeks.  When he came home, 2 years later, he thought that I was going to willingly give her back...He was wrong.

Bevo was fate.  I was working at a vet clinic when I met Bev.  At the time, I was on a waiting list for a Dobie pup.  Bev was a puppy, & his owners decided that he was "too aggressive" so they wanted him euthanized.  I convinced them that I could handle the "killer puppy" and took him home with me.  He was a huge challenge, & there were moments that I thought that I'd made a big mistake.  Now, I consider him the best mistake I've ever made.

Brinxx was tied outside the vet clinic where I was working.  She was an itchy, scabby, mess due to scabies, but she was the most happy go lucky dog that I had ever met.  I decided to treat the mange & take her home with me. Once her hair grew back, I found that she was just as cute outside as she was inside.

Shooter was brought into the vet clinic by his ahem..."breeder" at 6 weeks of age.  He was diagnosed with parvo, & his breeder stated that she didn't want to waste the money to try to treat him.  She elected euthanasia instead.  I asked if she would be willing to sign the puppy over to me instead of euthanizing him.  She agreed.  We treated him & he fully recovered.  I intended on fostering him because I didn't need another dog, & I don't like Dachshunds.  Once he came home, I quickly realized that he was a complete sweetie, & I really fell in love with his "big dog" attitude.

Schatzi was given to my grandparents by one of their neighbors.  My grandmother had just been released fro the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm.  They had Schatzi a week when my grandmother starting having seizures, & was again admitted to the hospital.  Schatzi came to stay with me while she was hospitalized.  Eight & a half months later, my grandmother was released from the hospital again.  By that time, Shcatzi was "my" dog.

I remember asking my mom for a dog ever since I was 6 years old but I never got one,lol.  Then 2 years ago when I was going to college but still living with my mom I thought that the time was right to get some kind of dog, any dog really, I knew nothing about dogs then. My mom only asked that it be small.  So I went on our local shelter's website and found this cute little white poodle and though that she'd be perfect but when the next day we went to take a look at her they told us that she has already been adopted.  I thought that we lost our perfect chance to have a dog because they told us that they didn't have any small dogs at that time, and then we saw a pic of Martini taped on the wall.  I asked to see her because I didn't want to feel like we came for nothing.  And when they brought her out to meet us she was soo wiggly and cute that I had to have her even though she wasn't that small.    She turned out to be the perfect dog, I can't imagine having a poodle now, I'm so happy that we got her and not some other dog.  I had Martini for 2 years now and know a thing or two about training dogs and when I'm done with my nursing program I will be getting a second dog preferably a black and tan Dobe male.

LOL, the phone call went something like-

DH--Sweet, do we want a dog?

Me-Yes!

He proceeded to tell me all about her situation.  Then I said, what kind of dog is she? 

DH-A blue chow.

Me-No, do not take her, they've got a bad reputation and we don't need to deal with that especially if she's been outside. 

DH-OK.  And, we said a few other things and hung up.

The next day--

DH-Sweet, I'm on my way home. 

Me-Great. . .

DH-Do we have anything we can feed a dog?? 

willowchow

LOL, the phone call went something like-

DH--Sweet, do we want a dog?

Me-Yes!

He proceeded to tell me all about her situation.  Then I said, what kind of dog is she? 

DH-A blue chow.

Me-No, do not take her, they've got a bad reputation and we don't need to deal with that especially if she's been outside. 

DH-OK.  And, we said a few other things and hung up.

The next day--

DH-Sweet, I'm on my way home. 

Me-Great. . .

DH-Do we have anything we can feed a dog?? 

I love this exchange between you and DH..........LOL