Posted on 10/04/2006 7:37:38 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother
Oh, I do know all those rules and probably wouldn't EVER buy a puppy. But they are so adorable and I wouldn't trust my heart to say "no"! That is why I thought up the pumpkin "escape clause".
Max is a rescue dog from Golden Retriever of Wisconsin, but he was near adulthood when I adopted him; and I could see what I was getting. Although no one prepared me for a dog that doesn't bark (hardly ever) and that possesses a 12 hour bladder -- both real assets at my office. (He's a workin' dog. He schmoozes with all the clients and vendors.)
I just hate for someone to have the Retriever breeds spoiled for them by a bad experience! (a friend - actually our family real estate agent, she sold all our houses! - had a terrible experience with a chance-bred neighborhood Golden that turned out to have bilateral hip dysplasia and cost $6000 for surgical repair. And then the dog developed heart trouble -- and what a tough experience for her two sons, who were 8 and 10 at the time.) Of course, there are no guarantees, but the fact that my pup's mom's hips are rated OFA Excellent and her daddy's Good tips the scales in our favor.
GRRW is one of the best rescue organizations, they do a splendid job. Big article awhile back in GRN about their new high-class facility, which was inaugurated just in time to save a large number of Goldens from a puppy mill. Actually, if you're not going to go with a top drawer breeder, a rescue organization is just about the best choice because they foster the dog with a knowledgeable person before they place him.
BTW, a good friend of mine (an extremely experienced dog owner) has been "stung" on her dog purchases more than once. Standard Poodles that were crazy (ran in circles throwing sand all day), or that bit strangers, or that dropped dead suddenly, etc.
Then she switched to German Shepherds (good luck there), but if she'd wanted a guard dog, she didn't get it. She got a dog with a big bark but who cowers easily.
Most recently, she purchased a yellow lab puppy. I took one look at how stiff that pup was when getting up from a nap and I predicted that they will find that she has displasia. The dog is not yet two, and the stiffness she showed at 7 weeks has come back. I saw her last night and I think she is in bad shape right now because the college-aged son was home and played hard with her on the beach for a weekend. That should not wear out a healthy dog.
All of these dogs were pedigreed and each cost over $1000, etc. The Lab was bred by an agility instructor we both know and both of us know both the sire and the bitch -- both of them bench and agility champions -- nice dogs.
The problem is that you cannot X-ray and certify a pup's hips until after the dog is 2. The parents' background is a predictor, but it doesn't guarantee anything. And the breeder's warranty to take the dog back if something is found to be wrong is worthless once you have fallen in love with the dog (which you certainly will, unless you are totally heartless.)
My own personal take (from breeding cats for years) is that if you combine healthy parents with a good spread in the pedigree, you can improve your chances the most. In other words, not too much line breeding on either side. Sort of like the La Leche League's advice for avoiding problems with toxins in foods vis a vis breast feeding - eat a wide variety and not too much of any one thing.
Re: my friend with all the dogs. I have known her for almost 20 years. She had 4 black standard poodles, a mutt that looked like Benji, and a long haired dachshund when I first met her. Gradually all those dogs died.
She is an excellent dog owner and lavishes time and attention and training on all her dogs. She was without dogs for a couple of years and then she added the German Shepherd to her household. I think she added the Lab to that she wouldn't be so off-putting to strangers when she walks the dogs. The bouncy yellow puppy made the Shepherd seem less intimidating.
Truth be told, however, I think that her "mutt" was her most healthy and successful dog. He was beautifully trained -- a real companion dog who behaved impeccably. She kept him beautifully groomed -- he looked like a small sheep dog. I'm quite fond of her German Shepherd too, although I never thought I would like a GS.
I hope I'm wrong about the yellow lab, but she looks quite lame right now.
Funny thing, she (and her husband) thought I was nuts to take on a rescue dog, but Max had turned out to be wonderful -- despite his first night with me. A fine Persian rug in my living room still bears the evidence of his attempt to remove the import label. That is because we did not know that labels offend him and he makes every effort to remove all in his vicinity! LOL.
Someday we'll have the edge of the rug re-woven, but not until we're CERTAIN that he is over his puppy chewing stage. He's about 5 now, so it would probably be safe to have the rug repaired. But it might be safer to wait until he's over the Rainbow Bridge.
All dogs have "things". Mine (I have to start saying "my oldest") absolutely hates all the labels on stuffed toys and will chew them off flush with the body. I usually beat her to it and trim them. She also hates hard plastic parts (eyes, beaks, etc.) on stuffed toys and will chew them off too. Thankfully she doesn't eat the bits, she spits them out.
The new pup is a bit wobbly behind, but not frankly lame. She jackrabbits a bit (pumps with both hind legs together), but so did Shelley at her age, and she's sound as a nut.
OOOOO pretty girl!! I know you're having a blast!
susie
LOL!
I used to take my *swamp collies* into the field, but I'm afraid of gators down here in S. FL. I wish I could move back to TX!!!!
susie
He sounds wonderful! I love Golden Rescue. Our golden club here is planning a grooming thing next month, with the proceeds going to our local rescue. They do a phenominal job finding homes for these dogs. It's a real special mission in my opinion.
susie
I rarely see crippling dysplasia with OFA cleared parents, however people need to look at a broader sample than just Mom and Dad. They need to look back into the pedigree at siblings, grandparents etc. The OFA website is a fabulous tool. Additionally, for golden retrievers there is www.k9data.com Not all goldens are listed there, but it is quite an extensive database of pedigrees, many with Hip/elbow/heart/eye/thyroid clearance information. A great resource to check up on info a breeder may have given you.
BTW I don't require anyone to return a dog if it has a health issue, since as you say, it's generally become part of the family. I do the best I can to make it right, either through another dog (when they are ready) or a refund. So far (knock on wood!) I have been blessed with very few problems. However, it could happen any time!
susie
I take her to the beach and let her run wild there.
She just isn't happy unless she's on my feet -- she's lying under my desk chair right this minute with her little fat tummy lapping over onto my feet. My husband is upstairs with Shelley giving her some quality time -- but Shelley gets to sleep on the foot of our bed and feel all superior while the pup is whining in her crate (she has the idea about "going" OUTside down pat, but not the corresponding idea that it's NOT o.k. to go INside. Hence the crate. When I'm with her, I run outside with her whenever she wakes up from a nap or eats/drinks anything, but at night it's crate time.)
Beautiful little pup!!
You are giving me puppitis! Pauli is going back to TX to be shown and I have a co-owned litter on the ground right now....maybe I should take one of the little buggers to get her housebroken.... hehehe
susie
Oh, why not. If your carpets are anything like ours it can't do a bit of harm. (Our carpets came with the house, and it was built in 1982, so far as I know they are all original! and extra bonus they are a medium mustard yellow! SO glad I never got around to recarpeting the downstairs!)
Thank you! She's a real sweetie . . . now if she'll just stop pestering the older dog and running the cats . . .
Well, the beauty of S. FL is that we have almost no carpet in the house. It's all either tile or hardwood (bedroom is hardwood). The 2 extra bedrooms have carpet, but it is old and icky, and soon to be transformed into cork flooring! So, yeah, puppy accidents are not a very big deal anymore!
susie
But we'll get all the cat barf and dog accidents out of the way - THEN we'll replace it.
learned to trim labels with Max pretty fast. He went through hundreds of dollars worth of toys and dog beds -- some itemslasting only minutes -- whether the labels were trimmed, or not. Then one day, he just stopped!
I just found a bag of toys that I had prchased "ahead" and stored for later. I don't know how long I've had it. I gave him a toy -- a copy of an old favorite -- and you'd have thought he was a puppy again. But, he didn't try to chew it up.
He has 3 others just like it that are chewed down to the nub, and he still plays with those too. They are a tough rubber ring surrounded by a really tough rope with a loop handle that you can use to throw the ring. His old ones have the rope chewed all the way off, but they are the most fun with the rope still attached. I don't think they make them any more, so finding a brand new one hidden in the back of a drawer wasa real treat for him.
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