Why do you have the dog(s) you have?

Willow is from Vermont.  My husband plays in a blues band that was invited for a weekend to play at this guys home. 

Willow was tied to a tree on a 10ft chain(a real chain) with a choke collar.  She was just a mess, her fur was so long you almost couldn't see her ears anymore.  She looked just pitiful.  She was underweight by about 10 lbs.  I have pictures of it, I can't even look at them.

They all kept saying not to go near her, she will bite, they were ready to put her down.  DH is not easily frightened by dogs so he went over to see her anyway.  And, she was so happy to see him, no aggression at all. 

So, since the guy that had her was going to put her down DH started to feel really bad about it and asked the guy if he could take her.  The guys in the band all helped him get the dog for "free" because the guy actually wanted DH to pay for her--which he would of done--but the guys in his band were like no way, we are getting her out of here for free. 

He calls me--I say NO CHOW--no WAY--I had heard the rep.  And, don't forget, she's my first dog, so I was scared. 

The next day, he called me from the road asking if we had anything to feed a dog!  I couldn't be mad for long.  And, I remember I ran out and bought a bag of Iams dog food because I thought that was a really good food to feed her.  But once we started seeing the behavior issues he felt really bad about not listening to me and I actually got quite a lot of new stuff at that time, LOL! 

But, now I look back and it MUST have been meant to be.  The part of Vermont that she's from is about 5 hours from here.  It's very rare that the band gets asked to play at a home party that far away.  I said no and DH took her anyway--which is very out of character for him. 

I've had her 6 years this June.

Kirby was the dog I had been waiting my whole childhood to get.  Growing up, I was the animal lover in the family.  Used to watch National Geographic and recite animal facts left and right.  Was also known for my ability to run on all fours faster than some people can run on two, and making a myriad of animal sound effects.  Needless to say, I convinced my parents to let me get a lot of pets over the years.  Had ponies, hamsters, birds, fish, guinea pig, cat, ferrets, turtle, lizards, and any sort of creepy crawler I could catch, not to mention the rescue animals I often fostered. 

Out of all those pets the one animal I couldn't convince my mom to let me get was a dog.  Now there were a few times I got her to break down, but in those instances she always insisted it would have to be an outside dog, which I simply wouldn't tolerate.  I couldn't see the point in having a dog if it couldn't do all the awesome doggy stuff like let it sleep in my bed, beg for scraps at the table, and chew my slippers.

When I graduated college, my mom decided it was time to finally let me get that dog, and my parents told me to go ahead and do the research to find the breed and breeder I wanted to purchase my pup from.  Now I have to admit I always pictured my first dog to be a medium- large dog, German Shepherd, Dobe or rottweiler were at the top of my list.  A powerful, confident dog that would be large enough to throw my arms around when I gave it a hug.  However, being I had just graduated college and I knew housing wise and financially things would not be set in stone so I figured a smaller dog would be a better choice at this point in my life. 

Really at that point I pretty much new it would be a papillon.  Although I researched a ton of other breeds just in case, papillons are really the only small breed I could ever see myself as owning.  I fell in love with them when I was little and used to spend hours playing with my Aunt's papillon Gizmo.

Initially, I had my heart set on a puppy.  Since I knew it would be a long time till I got a second dog, I wanted to go through the whole experience.  I was very stressed out when looking at breeders/researching them finding out about waiting lists and found the process somewhat overwhelming.  I wanted to make sure I got the right dog temperament wise for me, and was willing to put gender/coat color and such aside as secondary.  One night when I was feeling especially stressed over the whole process of finding the right breeder and dog for me and not making a mistake, I suddenly got this overwhelming feeling that it was going to be okay.  Not only that but I suddenly felt like not only would I find the right dog, but that he/she was already waiting for me.  The next day, I learned about Kirby from his breeder.  Initially she had kept him as a prospective dog she was planning to show/ possibly use in her breeding program, but exiting his growth stage he was not following down that road.  Upon talking to me and listening to what I was looking for, his breeder thought he would be a good match, and well the rest is history.

 Really though, how could I not get him after getting this picture of him emailed to me?  No one can resist that face and those ears.

Max - mutt of undetermined parentage.  I wasn't looking for a dog when I got Max.  A month earlier I lost a dog that was coming up on 16 and I went to the shelter to  bring them an unopened bag of senior dog food.  There was Max.   I filled out the adoption papers, answered their questions and picked him up the next day at the vet's office after the "big snip." It was a lucky day for both of us.

Joyce

 Daisy we got in 1996 when I was still living with my parents we were just moving into our new house and got her few months before, My mom picked her out she had the most spots all her brother's and sister's looked like dalmatians the lady my mother got her from first said her dog was mated with the fire house dalmatian (this ladies dalmatian was pure) but then said a dachshund got a hold of her lol (but I think she's half beagle) but half her brothers and sisters grew up to have long legs and short legs

In 1997 about a week before I graduated my parents said I could get a dog so we looked in the newspaper and I see pitbulls but I wasn't allowed a pitbull and there was an ad for pure blacklab puppies 6 months old this is how I got my Princess we called these people everyday to go look at the dogs finally one night we were able to see them it was dark but you could see these dogs weren't pure black labs the lady said oh only one came out pure black lab we all just looked at each other Princess was the smallest so I picked her I actually wanted her brother he looked pure rottweiler but I wasn't allowed a boy

Then in 2000 my youngest sister came home with Lucky she was this small little fluff ball my parents told my sister no but she cried and they gave in lol at first her story was when I was on break (she worked at the mall) I heard this puppy crying and of course the puppy stayed in one spot until she got off that night lol

Then 2004 or 2005 Copper came along my brother found him along with his brother who my brothers friend kept were running around the streets and they picked them up and the owner came and said you want them there yours  

 Then I took them all when I moved out I couldn't split them up

Buster - believed greyhound mix - when we got him we were told GSD/pitbull...I never saw the GSD.  Anyway, my dad adopted Buster from the Animal Rescue League just before Christmas of 1994.  He was given to my sister and I as a gift for Christmas.  He was found wandering the streets, he was very skinny, and very timid.  Over time I bonded very closely with him.  We were together as much as possible (I lived there for 6 months of the year and every other weekend the rest of the year).  When my dad got sick in 2001, he came to live with me and I have had him with me ever since.  He is 14 now.

Lady - Beagle/terrier - 15 years old - Lady was bought at a Petland by my DH's family in 1994.  SHe was a gift to my SIL after their dad passed away.  She was approx. 6 months old when they bought her.  After I moved in and my SIL moved out of the house in 2004, Lady stayed with DH and I.  So she is now ours and has been for 5 years now. 

Max - believed GSD/ACD - 10 this year - Max was adopted at the Animal Rescue League in 2000 by my DH, his mom, and his sister.  I have known Max since the day they brought him home and lived with him since 2004.

Benny - Pomeranian - 3 years old - When I started working at Petsmart in August of 2006 at the boarding facility Benny was there.  He had been there with his brother, a 10 year old shih tzu, for a little over six months (benny was just turning one).  Everyone felt bad for them and loved them.  By January, they still had never been checked out or visited by their owner and she had made the decision that she didn't want either of them anymore.  I decided to take Benny and my manager took his brother.  I knew I was in for a lot of work, but I was afraid someone else might not have the patience to deal with a dog who was almost 2 years old with NO experience being in a house.  He went through a ton of training and has become a wonderful dog!  He now gets to do rally and agility and he loves every minute of it.

In early 2004 I got it in my head that I needed a dog.  I'd been wanting one for a while, but my lifestyle didn't make much sense for adding a dog.  Granted, nothing had changed to make it better, but I just decided that I'd make it work.

I didn't do any research or planning at all.  I made a HUGE mistake one day when I went to the county shelter and brought home a Shepherd-mix young adult female.  I was so unprepaired -- frankly, I shouldn't have been allowed to bring her home because I didn't have ANYTHING for her, but that's how the county shelter works.  Pay your $40, take a dog.  I took her back that afternoon because I was just completely overwhelmed by my mistake.  Even now with my increased experience in dog training, I still wouldn't want that dog.  She was very dominant and high strung.  Lesson learned!

A couple of months went by when I was running errands with my parents in the city.  I asked if they would drop me off at the Humane Society so that I could just look around and play with the dogs.  That's when I saw Luke.  He was 12 weeks old and looked ever so lonely in his kennel.  He was listed as a Lab/Shepherd mix, which appealed to me because in my little amount of research, I'd decided that a Shepherd would be high on my list.

By the time I was able to get into a meet & greet room to see him, my parents had come back to get me.  My dad (who was completely against me getting a dog) came with me.  Luke made a FABULOUS impression on him (both of us, actually), and my dad conceeded that if I got him, Luke could come to work with me every day (I didn't want a dog if it couldn't come with to work).  I filled out the adoption application on that Saturday and was told to call back on Monday to see if I'd been approved, as there were many other applications on him besides mine.

I decided to drive back down to the Humane Society to see him on Sunday, wanting to make sure that I was making the right decision this time.  There was another young couple spending time with him when I got there, so I had to wait.  This time I saw a COMPLETELY different dog than the day before -- on Saturday he'd been tired, sleepy & calm.  On Sunday he was a little fireball with teeth and also pee'd on the floor right in front of me.  Whooo boy, I did start to rethink things then, but I was still in love with the little black dog.

Long story short, my application was picked above the others and I went to pick up my dog on Tuesday.  He barfed in the car on the ride home, but he has been an absolutely PERFECT dog from day one.  I feel like I really lucked out with him.

Kaiser -- I'd been contemplating adding a second dog to my household after becoming hooked on agility (where MANY people run more than one dog).  I figured I'd eventually get a Border Collie.  That all changed last January when I was teaching a beginner obedience class and a 9 month old Alaskan Klee Kai female walked through the door with her owner.  I was immediately head over heels -- every week I would corner her owner before and/or after class and ask him millions of questions.  I loved that dog and was so impressed by how quickly she learned everything.  I could tell by looking at her that she was probably a fast little thing, but by this point I didn't really care if the dog could do agility or not -- I just wanted one!!

Klee Kai are still pretty rare and it's common to be on a waiting list for a VERY long time, especially if you're picky about coat or eye color, size, etc.  I did a lot of digging on the 'net and found the breeder that the above mentioned gentleman got his first dogs from.  She was located in Colorado and is the largest breeder of Klee Kai -- as a result, she has dogs of various ages available at almost all times.

I sent in my million-page application and got approved (bonus points for working at a dog training facility at the time!) -- then started to watch her web page for available dogs.  I saw Kaiser early on, but he was a little older than I was interested in -- I wanted an 8 week old puppy and he was already three months old.  I originally decided on a little black & white female, but changed my mind at the last second and decided to go for Kaiser.  I'm just so much more comfortable with the boys.

I had a really busy trial schedule in March, so I put off going to pick him up until April 1st.   It was my first time flying anywhere by myself and my first time taking an animal on an airplane!  Kaiser was so stinking cute that I got away with carrying him on my lap for the entire plane ride home.

Kaiser definitely wasn't the easy puppy that Luke was, but he came along in his training and has turned into a fabulous dog.  I will no doubt add another Klee Kai one day -- perhaps sired by Kaiser if I decide to get into breeding with him.

Maggie (yellow dog): 

We had just gotten married, moved to a trailer in the middle of nowhere, and for the first time in my life I was spending copious amounts of time totally alone in a house (I grew up in a six-kid family, the oldest), because Patrick was working three jobs.  I was starting to think in terms of sheep already (it's been a lifelong dream to have sheep), and when we passed the box of little fuzzy puppies at the flea market, the person said there was some "shepherd" in there, maybe.  I was kind of dog-dumb and didn't realize "shepherd" didn't mean Aussie.

So Maggie came home and changed my life.  Shepherd mix my Aunt Matilda - she was the Border Collie everyone warns you about, except she isn't all Border Collie - terrier and spitz in there, probably.  She led me into obedience, disc dog, agility, flyball, and then other dogs that could do the same.

Lu (Maremma/Pyrenees mix):

When I first started in sheep, we lost our little starter flock of Dorper ewe lambs to a pack of neighborhood dogs.  Halloween night we woke up to a gunshot and our neighbor yelling.  We went out to a sight I will NEVER see again, I hope, no matter how much it costs to keep a good livestock guardian around.  All our lovely little pedigreed lambs were lying around in pools of blood. 

Please note, a domestic dog typically doesn't chase and kill - they tear out chunks of the animal while "playing" - bits of shoulder, rear end, flanks, pieces of face - about a third of my flock lived a few more days after the attack, though in the future I'd put such animals down.  The dogs were caught and IDed and the owners denied any responsibility.

So I called the breeder of the sheep to get a market value on the lambs to give to the dogs' owners .  She said a friend of hers had bought an LGD pup but he didn't like it - she was too friendly towards people (!) and he disliked the extra step of having to catch her when he wanted to work Border Collies.  Of course, since they were beating her off them every time she came for snuggles, it made her a little hard to catch. (!!) 

So that was Lu.  Lu's littermate Rose was a star on NPR's All Things Considered for a time so Lu has celebrity blood.  LOL.

Fast forward a few years, because around this time is where Ben (working BC and heart dog) and several other Border Collies go, who are no longer with us.  :(

Tully (Maremma) was the next one to arrive of the dogs that are currently here.  

I had a male that I had bought as a pup when Lu was about three or four, I guess, when drought brought intense coyote pressure on our farm.  He grew into a terrific dog, and was registered, so when someone approached me about bringing a female she had to him, I agreed to breed my first and only litter!  Tully was my stud pup.  I wanted a female but there were only two and we'd agreed to have the breeder keep one, and the other died. 

I'm glad now I ended up with a male - girl Maremmas are a little more standoffish - the males are big Teddy bears.  I sold his sire to a guy who desperately needed a dog and I didn't need three dogs anymore and liked Tully better - Tully's sire was a much grander sort of dog but a bit more people-aggressive which was less of a problem for the guy who bought him.

Zhi came next. 

I had just lost a good human friend and mentor in things sheepie and doggy.  I was feeling very vulnerable, I guess, because when I volunteered to transport/foster a Chinese crested puppy for a couple of days, I took one look at her scruffy, unhappy self and for the first time ever, failed Foster 101.  She was a "rescue" for about two hours - most of that time spent on the road coming to me.    Zhi is my personal therapy dog.  Grooming her is therapy for me and a nice change from my wash and wear crew.

The next working dogs came when Ben started slowing down, and I had just decided that the two pups I'd raised to work the farm, had no business on a farm.  One didn't like to work, and the other was a downright sheep killer.  Unfortunately, it took her actually killing a sheep for me to admit it.  Please note above how a domestic dog kills a sheep.  Imagine that being done right in front of your eyes.  But I did have a friend who trained dogs to work on airports, clearing large flocks of migratory waterfowl off the runway, and she had been after me for some time to have these two and a littermate I was keeping and training.  The sale of these dogs went towards Cord, Gus, and a puppy.

Cord (working BC) came as a result of a conversation I had at a trial.  Poor Cord - then as now, there just didn't seem to be a good place for him in life.  What Cord wants most is just to be someone's buddy.  But his pedigree kept getting in the way.  None of us could be convinced that a dog bred like him simply didn't want to work. 

So I took him to try on the farm.  He worked fine for a while but this year he finally quit completely.  But, I'm grateful that he held out long enough to fill the gap between Ben and Ted.  He also showed me what kind of pup I'm looking for next, ie, the style of working that goes best with Ted's style.

Gus (working BC) came from a good friend who had just discovered that Gus was going deaf, a problem that's been discovered in some good lines of Border Collies.  The amount of hearing he has, doesn't preclude his working on a small farm or even doing novice trials, so he placed him with us for a pittance. 

Gus is a terrific dog and I weep bitter tears because most of the great parts about him are from the now extinct line. They are working on a DNA test so that perhaps the line can be revived in the future, if the test doesn't come too late.  I got Gus because I was looking for a dog to help Patrick with chores, since his previous dog had been retired to a place where he could do much lighter work.

I purchased Ted (working BC) as a pup, when I realized that Cord wasn't going to make it for the long haul, and honestly I wanted a dog I could start from scratch with after making a career of other people's leftovers.  I will forever bless the  day that Ted's breeder mistakenly posted the breeding announcement on the BC Board, which is a no-no, and I saw it before it got taken down.  He's on the up-and-up - heck, he's an ABCA board member - he just honestly didn't know you couldn't announce a litter if the pups weren't all spoken for already.  There had been a bunch of such announcements at the same time and he just wanted to share his excitement, too. 

Anyway, Ted's breeding went back to the same combinations that made Ben the dog I loved.  And indeed it's happened that Ted is like Ben, on expresso, plus with moves on the sheep that make top trainers and handlers go "Oooh." 

Lynn (mix): 

I've told Lynn's story zillions of times.  She was a rescue from a shelter down east, and a friend of mine out west spotted her on Petfinder.  She was listed as a Belgian shepherd and indeed she sort of looked like a Terv puppy (in the pictures), and so they pulled her and I offered to be a waystation foster to get her vetted and ready for the trip to Texas. 

A couple days after she arrived here, she came down with parvo.  $1000 later, my friend was not so much interested in Lynn, although bless her heart she would have anted up if I'd insisted.  Plus Lynn totally didn't need to travel across country while still recovering from parvo as she was still rather piddly at the time. 

Finally, PJ suddenly announced that Lynn was HIS puppy.  She had taken to sleeping on his bed and I told him it was because she was a mini-Leonberger, which are bred to guard children - mini-cheese burgers are his favorite food.  PJ loves the idea that "his" dog protects him - he's a child with a lot of insecurities so Lynn's been really good for him.

Min (Maremma): 

I got a call from someone who was frantic to find a home for two Maremmas that had been abandoned, a couple counties over - the whole farm had packed up and left and they were left behind because no one could catch them.  Now animal control, after some half-hearted attempts to live trap them, were getting ready to go shoot them. 

So we went and after a really interesting adventure that lasted about three hours, got them in crates in my truck.  I still think Providence was at work there, because I can't imagine catching Min today the way we did that night. 

Min's sister was actually pretty people friendly once you got her away from her sister.  And, she was older and more confident in her working style.  Min was a little uneven though I cuold tell she'd end up being the better dog once she got some maturity and experience. 

So I kept Min and her sister went to a friend who desperately needed a "Plug-n-Play" LGD.  Min did indeed settle down with a lambing and a feeding season under her belt. 

I'm getting ready to loan her to a friend until we get the sheep in more pasture, and she'll learn more up there (she'll also have some sheep from here, with her, so she won't feel like she's had her "babies" taken away yet again).

We just have one dog.  Her name is Dahlia.  Why did we get her?  Well, for any number of reasons.  The main one was that we wanted a dog.  I've wanted a dog for a long time.  I grew up with dogs, have always loved them, am involved in rescue, and wanted one of my own.  My partner had a dog with his ex-wife many years ago and just adored her.  We lived in places for a long time where we weren't allowed to have one and finally moved this summer to a place where we could get a dog.

 So why Dahlia specifically?  Well...

(1) We wanted a rescue dog...either from a shelter or a rescue.

(2) We were looking for a medium-sized (40-60lbs) dog with a longer coat (as my partner says, "we like dogs we can sink our hands into";).

(3) We were looking mostly for a black dog because we know they have a harder time getting adopted than lighter coloured dogs.

(4) We wanted a dog that was fairly active outside -- would want to hike, maybe swim, but was able to chill out and relax a bit inside.

(5) We wanted a fairly affectionate dog who loved being petted and getting attention from us.

(6) And ultimately, I met Dahlia on a transport I did, fell totally in love with her, then found out her personality completely matched what we wanted in a dog.

She just really fit our lifestyle and everything we wanted.

 Honor - DH and I were settled in an apartment, and decided that we really wanted a dog.  We discovered that we both had a BIG thing for Siberians and Alaskan Malamutes.  But in an apartment?  Not such a great idea.  So we started looking at breeds like the American Eskimo and Pomeranian, thinking we would enjoy a smaller spitz-type breed.  Then DH mentioned that "wouldn't it be great if we could get that puppy from your dog book?".  I had no idea that he had fallen in love with the Alaskan Klee Kai when he had been leafing through one of my dog encyclopedias.  I agreed, the AKK would be fabulous, but I knew they were rare, and I didn't know if we would be able to get one.  After researching, imagine our surprise that there was a good breeder only 1.5 hours away from us!  We got in contact with Honor's breeder, were approved, and waited for that right puppy to come along.  A few months after being approved, Honor's litter came along.  We saw some pictures of her on her breeder's website, and fell in LOVE.  We contacted Honor's breeder, and she agreed that Honor would be a good fit for us.  And the rest is history!   She's been the most wonderful dog I could have asked for.

Nike - DH and I purchased our first house, and knew that Honor would really enjoy having a playmate.  We wanted to see if we could find a dog who was a little more mellow, but still had energy to play with Honor.  After discussing breeds again, we both thought we would be interested in a herding breed.  We searched on Petfinder for Collies and Shelties for a long time.  Then I found Nike and his brothers on the page for Central Illinois Sheltie Rescue.  These brothers came from a situation of hard neglect, and would need some TLC to blossom.  We thought that one of these pups would be the one, so we applied, were approved, and went out to choose one of the brothers.  At first, I thought I enjoyed Nike's littermate, but DH said, "This is the one, this is him", and had picked up Nike.  Nike looked so...desperate of wanting affection, but was still afraid.  And we took him home.  Nike has since grown up into a more confident guy, enjoying wrestling matches with Honor, and showing an unabiding joy for obedience work.  His birthday is on the 22nd, he'll be a year old!

Eli - Eli was COMPLETELY unexpected.  Right after Honor got her Rally Novice title, her breeder and I were sharing a flurry of emails regarding how proud we were of Honor.  In one of the emails, she asked me if I had ever thought about getting another AKK (the answer was YES of course!).  Imagine my surprise when she asked me if I was familiar with her dog Eli, and if I would be interested in having him!  I was floored, the answer was a definite YES, but I was concerned about being able to afford another AKK, especially right after the Christmas expenditures.  I was shocked and grateful when she offered Eli to me for just the cost of his neuter.  She said she really wanted him to go to a home where he would be enrolled in obedience and agility, as he was VERY smart and agile.  So it was a done deal, and now I can't imagine NOT having Eli.

Twister-9yr old JRT I got after a good friend called me and told me about him.  The woman who had him at the time was the SIL of the original owner who bought him on a whim for her young daughter.  I had kept a friends JRT for about six months, years previous to this, so I was aware of the breeds personality but not really looking to get one at the time. My friend and I drove out to meet Twister, whose name was Oliver, and it was love at first sight.  He was twelve weeks old at the time and had been passed from house to house in this family, no one was prepared for his energy and intensity.  I whipped out my checkbook and off we went.  When my friend and I got in the car with him, she said "if you hadn't taken him, I would have".  Of course he then threw up in her brand new car, but fast acting person that I am, I managed to get a coozie under his little chin to catch most of it. LOL  He goes to work with me every day and we are the best of buddies.  He is not a wild, crazy JRT.  He is calm and greets visitors to the office with whatever degree of enthusiasm he senses they want.  He is the boss of all dogs at home and only the cat ignores his bravado.  I heard  and read lots of warnings from people about not having this breed with cats but we taught him early on that he could not chase the kitties (we had two at the time).  Twister is the first physically small dog I ever owned. 

Rex- About 3yrs old and adopted from a shelter when he was around 1 yr old.  I had been looking for a dog for about a year and wanted to adopt.  I thought I wanted an older, female dog.  Ha ha.  The friend I was with that day pointed him out to me.  I said I don't want a young male dog and kept walking.  I looked at all the other dogs and my friend said why don't you just get him out and see.  Well, I fell in love.  He is a shepherd mix and is way too smart for me but I really enjoy his entire personality and my life is so much richer because of him.  After being around Labs for so many years, he has been a great education for me in terms of training.

Belle- I always sigh when asked about Belle.  She is probably around 18 months old.  She was running in the street with a Cocker, in front of my office (stray dog magnet is my middle name)  I got them both inside and called the local AC.  I was in the throes of having to PTS our 13 year old Lab and absolutely NOT in a mood to adopt a dog, any dog.  Much less a wild, black Labbish dog!  Something in her face just got me and I kept calling and on day five, her last day to live, I went and picked her up.  I was not going to keep her, just find her a home.  Well, she had separation anxiety and showed some aggression to our small dog and the cat.  I knew she would be hard to rehome, so here she lives.  She is so much better now and I could rehome her now but we fell in love with her silly, goofy personality.  I've said it before, but she really does make us laugh every day and she and Rex are the best of buddies.  Twister even plays with her now and I was doubtful that would ever happen. On some days, I still threaten her with banishment but she leans on me and gazes up into my face and I sigh and say, "oh Belle". 

 The inimitable Bugsy.

Well I have wanted a dog of my own for decades.  But my life while single was too transitory and chaotic.  Then I got married and lived in the UK.  DH & I worked long hours, we traveled quite a lot and in general our set up wasn't ideal of a dog - the kind of dog I wanted.

So when we landed here in NC, with DH retired (since returned to work) and me working from home, a large house on an acre - no more excuses - ME WANT BIG DOG!

We considered some breeders (lab) and the lab rescue but then discovered that the SPCA adoption center was nearby.  We both started to visit it regularly - in private, but we did fill out all the adoption papers.  DH was getting cold feet and we had some arguments about getting a dog or not.  Then one day while my mom was visiting we were on our way out for a beer and DH said let's stop at the adoption center.

We did, I spotted 'Boscoe' and let myself into the room and was completely taken.  He was so alert and bright and confident and handsome.  I knocked on the window and told DH to come in.  Boscoe sat right in front of him and then brought him a toy.  Then we got in trouble from a volunteer because apparently the rooms are supposed to be locked 

So we asked to see him in a visitation room and my mom kept saying I think he's going to be pretty big LOL - and he's got awfully long legs for a lab.  I was in love with the devilish look in his eyes.  DH was still on the fence until he heard someone else say they wanted a visit with Boscoe - he then said hurry up and say we'll take him.

My favorite part is that DH told the adoption girl that we would pick him up on Tuesday, his face was priceless when she said oh no you have to take him now.  So we bought lots of stuff from them including a crate and drove the 3 miles home.  Bugsy took a look around then plopped himself in the sunshine at the front door and that is the day we were adopted by him.

He is of unknown pedigree - however there is some bird dog in there, a mastiffy something and may be some hound.

Boscoe!

That gives me an idea for another thread.
 

Kuaui  - little short haired chihuahua/Dachs mix, reminds one of the exact replica of the Taco Bell dog. Found him at the Friends league, he was on *death row* just because no one had adopted him at that point; he was barely a year old and just very friendly. He's been a great dog that I haven't had to teach much to.

Dakota - Little party colored Pomeranian of whom we found in a truck-stop dumpster in Wyoming at around 9mnths old. Fantastic personality, probably abused in his previous home however.

Rivers - Nova Scotia Duck Toller mix, actually ended up with him on impulse. Just happened to be a dog, 4mnths old at the time, that stuck to us like glue...something in his eyes just told me. He came from the Red River Humane Society out of Texas.

Shadow was bought by friends of ours at a pet store. She had him for a year and could no longer keep him. Her family was going to surrender him to the shelter, which is a kill shelter. Down here, they kill for space and resources. I had wanted a dog for a long time and not been able to keep one for long until we got the house we live in. So, Labor Day Weekend 2004, our friend's son's girlfriend, J, asked if we would want Shadow. We said yes. She left that very moment and I am not exaggerating. She was back in a while with him and his two little food bowls, fit for a dog less than half his size. So, he's visiting with all of us at the Labor Day get-together. I'm telling him about our big backyard and all the squirrels in it. Squirrels was the magic word. He was all over me. And he's been my dog since then. Even when I went outside to bring my truck around, he was howling that I had left. I took him outside and opened the door and he jumped up on the seat. "Let's go."

Sadie - Partly an accident why we have her. I had wanted a dog my entire life and my mother had always refused. Fiance and I were finally on our own and in a place where we could have a dog. One day I just wanted to go "look" at these beagle puppies I saw in the paper. My intentions were truely just to look. I didn't know much about beagles at all, little did I know, fiance loved them. We went to look at these beagles and she was the only one left. She came out to see us, looked at us and went passed us down the stairs, she fell down the stairs. We loved her right then. Clumsy little beagle. We visited with her, and then the girls who was selling her, her sister came over with three beagle "purebred" pups, eight weeks old. (Sadie was 16 weeks). We visited with the pups, but our eyes kept drifting back to Sadie. I now absolutly love beagles. They are fantastic dogs. Super cute, cuddly, awesome on hikes can climb way better than Timmy and anything she cant climb, we pick her up against our chest and she knows to hang on. She is a very "durable" dog. Doesn't have any health problems (so far, at least).

Timmy - We wanted another dog, so immediatly we started looking into Rottweilers. I had loved them since I was a kid and fiance loved them too. He loves the shape, their large head and muscular build. I had always pictured myself with a large or giant dog. I think Rottweilers are absolutly adorable (its hard for me to understand how people see them as scary!) and I was attracted to their personalities.  I also like the idea of having a dog I feel completely safe with. I can go on hikes in the forest by myself or walks at night and feel safe with him (not that there is any crime where I live anyway...haha). Also, we wanted a low maintenance dog, with short hair, another healthy durable dog. As far as health problems go, they don't have nearly as many as some other breeds we were considering. We also didn't want a dog that requires a large amount of excercise as we are sometimes very busy and don't have time for hours of excercise. It was also important that we got a dog who would get along with our existing beagle. The other large muscular breeds are not known for their dog friendliness. We found a breeder near us to get Timmy from. She is fantastic, dogs are raised around her two smallish children and we just got along great. We waited two years from the time we found her to get Timmy. A ton of research was put into getting him.