AM I CRAZY OR WHAT?????

[Bassett]

I must be nuts but I want a puppy so bad. All these precious puppies on here has me just drooling. I want one. It doesn't matter what kind but I want a little one this time. Preferably a rescue. The reason I think I must be crazy is because: We have one house dog and 16 huskies outside. We don't NEED another dog but I want one. Is this crazy? I've never had a dog of my OWN. I need something in the house to love on. And I can't bring my horses in. They are loveable but not like a puppy. My husband is in a nursing home and I want a puppy to sleep on his side of the bed. Something to snuggle with. So I want something little that I can put in a bag and take her with me wherever I go easily. (to the nursing home etc) In the past we have had a Irish setter/black lab, lived to be 14, our first dog after we got married. Have since had 3 golden retrievers, 2 german shorthair pointers. samoyed husky, 2 black labs, and at one time up to 27 huskies. (siberian and alaskan both). All of our dogs except two were rescues. I know I'm missing some but I WANT A PUPPY. Please Santa. I've been good. Am I crazy?

 

[Sterling]

There's nothing like the warmth and love of a canine soulmate. Those trusting eyes, those smiling faces...and yes at night the doggie breath and warm body to keep you warm! My little 25 lb. puppy turned into a big 130 lb., all muscle Sherman Tank. AND she keeps me warm at night and is my loving shadow. No, Bonnie, you're not nuts....

.

 

[Lisa]

I know exactly what you mean! I know so many people who have recently gotten a new puppy and boy do I want one!! Right now is NOT the best time to get one, but that means nothing to the wanting!!!

I think you should get one if you think you have the time for a pup!

 

[Slinkky]

I certainly don't think your are crazy. I will always have a small companion dog. Our Tabitha was a Papillion. Papillions make great small companion dogs. We had Tabitha for 13 years. She loved her travel bag and knew we were going to do something fun everytime I got it out.

I really miss her.

She's been gone for over a year now and Mike and I are ready for a new house companion.

 

[lyn_j]

IF you're nuts then so am I .... what did I need with a mixed breed yard dog who spends most of his time in the house under my desk..... I breed DACHSHUNDS to SHOW!..... yet here he is anyway.

Also dont need to BUY any puppies since I have factories here... but, I did buy Dragon and Jazz, justified them for different reasons ie. I didnt own a stud dog, needed a red AND a black and tan that carried for pie and dilute. I can think of all kinds of reasons why you need a new pupy!

Lyn

 

[mininik]

I don't think you're crazy. I will encourage you to seek out another rescue, if possible, or buy your puppy from a responsible breeder (no pet stores or bybs, please). I know you don't think you care what kind of puppy you want now, but you really should do extensive research on what kind of dog you want and need. You mentioned a few things already and not all small dogs are going to want to be calm, cuddly companions.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I don't think you're a bit crazy. . .

Though you may well FEEL a little crazy as you're potty training a puppy in the winter

Good luck, I hope you find an awesome cuddle bug!

 

[user 488]

You are not crazy at all. There is nothing like a new puppy.

 

[Marnie]

Bonnie, you should have a little house dog, like Maggie, wouldn't she be good at the nursing homes? She looks like a llasa apso but is actually half snauzer and half pekenese. I seriously think you should find a little one that needs a home, I know how much you have loved your dogs thru the yrs, I think you kept them all till their death, you're the kind of momma that a little dog would be lucky to have! And you'd have so much fun and comfort with it.

 

[Bassett]

Stop it Marnie, you just made me cry.

Thanks, yes we have never given a dog away. Once we have them the are ours forever.

 

[Jeannie B]

I think everyone should have a puppy! Or in my case 2

 

[Jill]

Doesn't sound crazy to me, either. The only animals I love more than our horses are our dogs! We have four shih-tzu's, a lab x chow mix, and a blue merle collie (my cover girl dog). AND I wouldn't mind a puppy, either

 

[Reijel's Mom]

Hi Bonnie -

I don't want to rain on your parade but I did want to warn you that SOME rescues won't adopt to people with outside only dogs. Maybe you already know that since so many of your dogs have already been rescues, I just didn't want you to fall for a pup and then be shocked/hurt that you don't meet a groups adoption criteria.

Before anyone gets snarly about policies like that, please keep in mind that MOST of these groups put a ton of their own personal time and resources into these rescue animals, and they are just trying to find the best forever fit for them.

Personally when I have a foster animal I look at each situation on an individual basis, but that is a choice that I make for my rescues. If I visited your home and found your huskies to be happy and healthy I would certainly not let the fact that they are outside dogs be a deterrent to me in adopting a rescue pup to you.

Sure hope I didn't open a can of worms here, that wasn't my intention, just wanted to help Bonnie to be prepared, sounds like she's got enough on her plate!

I hope that she finds the best lil' buddy

 

[Bassett]

Hi Bonnie - I don't want to rain on your parade but I did want to warn you that SOME rescues won't adopt to people with outside only dogs. Maybe you already know that since so many of your dogs have already been rescues, I just didn't want you to fall for a pup and then be shocked/hurt that you don't meet a groups adoption criteria.

Before anyone gets snarly about policies like that, please keep in mind that MOST of these groups put a ton of their own personal time and resources into these rescue animals, and they are just trying to find the best forever fit for them.

Personally when I have a foster animal I look at each situation on an individual basis, but that is a choice that I make for my rescues. If I visited your home and found your huskies to be happy and healthy I would certainly not let the fact that they are outside dogs be a deterrent to me in adopting a rescue pup to you.

Sure hope I didn't open a can of worms here, that wasn't my intention, just wanted to help Bonnie to be prepared, sounds like she's got enough on her plate!

I hope that she finds the best lil' buddy

Just wondering: What would be the reason behind this? We have one house dog (12 years old) and what I want is a house dog. Why would the outside dogs affect this? I have been checking ads in the paper. There were some 9 week old bordercollie/australian shepherd mix for free. I called but they were all gone.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I think different groups would have different reasoning, Bonnie - so I can't answer that question for all of them.

Some reasons from some of the of the groups I've personally volunteered for are : they just think that NO dog should live outside, that they should all be allowed to be in the house with the people; they are very concerned with safety issues outside, such as cars, etc (and oh my do a lot of pets get hit by cars around here!). And some groups are concerned about quality of life for animals that are just kept in a small kennel outside, or ALWAYS tied to a chain. And there are probably plenty more reasons than that that I haven't heard of or thought of.

And then by extension, those groups decide that if a person is providing what they deem to be less than a quality of life for their current animals than what they'd want for one of their rescues they MAY decide not to adopt a pet out to them.

Like I said, if it's me who is privately rescuing/fostering an animal (I do some "independent" rescue and then I also volunteer through various groups) I make my own decisions about who I think is a good fit for one of my "independent" foster animals, and having outdoor pets is not an automatic "no" for me. If I'm fostering through a group I respect the policies that they have put into place, and they are also willing to listen to my opinions and take them into consideration.

I think that private rescues have every right to make up their own rules, adoption fees, etc, just like many good breeders make up rules about what sort of home they are willing to sell their animals to. And obviously if I'm looking for an animal to bring into my home, either to buy or adopt, if don't agree with a rescue or a breeders criteria I can always "shop" elsewhere - there are plenty of animals out there needing homes.

Can't wait to hear about your new furkid!

 

[Marnie]

Bonnie, Don't you want a "little" one? Hold out for a small one, that can snuggle in bed with you and go to the nusing homes, etc. I don't think you ever had a small one, you know I"m a "small" dog person, I just know you'd love any dog but I want to see you with a real small type dog, they're so easy to snuggle with and take along on rides, usually don't get car sick as easy as a big dog. I know they're harder to find then the bigger mix breeds, people want a fortune for them but you can keep looking. A girl at work just had some tinys for free, Papillion and Pug, I saw pictures, just darling but they are all gone but they're are some around. JMO

 

[Bassett]

Housedogs can also be hit by cars. That's what happened to our Misty. She was strictly an inside dog but one night we were outside with her and she decided to chase a rabbit and ran right out onto the highway. Sad day.

All our outside dogs are very well taken care of. They are on 8-10 foot chains (16-20 foot run circle). Each has their own doghouse which is snuggly with straw in winter if they want to use it. Many of them prefer to be outside even in blizzards and sleet. Silly dogs. Then there is a fence all around the whole dog yard. So if they get loose they are not necessarily out. Each dog gets his one on one at least twice a day and more than likely 3-4 times a day. They are all close enough so they can touch noses with at least 2 other buddies. Face it some dogs are NOT meant to be housedogs regardless of what some people think. I just can not imagine keeping a sled dog in the house. They would be SO unhappy.

One time a woman came up to our door and hollered at us because we had all those dogs outside. She also felt they should be inside. She reported us to the police. Bernie came out and looked things over and found everything to be okay. He told her he found nothing wrong. She then sneaked up behind our land and vidio taped them and said she was going to give it to the tv station in Minneapolis. The sheriff told her if he heard anything more on this or if she tried anything he would arrest her for trespassing. Nothing more was complained about to our knowledge.

So I know I would qualify by any organization for a puppy if they saw our outside dogs. I'm not worried about that. But in our area they don't check things like that. There are just too few people to take a rescue dog. Our inside dog is just a big baby but she is 12 years old (we lost her littermate in June) and I think she may enjoy a puppy also. She needs a playmate. She acts like a puppy herself at times. I'm just going to keep looking until I find one or the urge to have one goes away. Whichever comes first.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I for one can't wait to see who you bring home, hope you are able to post pictures!

 

[mydaddysjag]

Bonnie, I know how great a new puppy can be, it seems everyone I know is getting one, but you may want to look into older dogs as well. First and foremost, they are usually house broken, then theres the fact that they are usually the ones that dont find homes in shelters. Everyone wants a puppy, so the older dogs end up not finding homes. Your current house dog is 12, and although she still sometimes acts like a puppy, shes going to be slowing down soon, and a young dog pouncing on her and aggrivating her might not be her cup of tea day in and day out. We have a rescue here that we have had for 12 years. We got her from a high kill shelter that day she was scheduled to be put down. We went looking for a puppy, and on our way we passed a cage with a pretty girl with big brown eyes. She looked like a small german shepherd mostly. She wasnt barking like a nut like the rest of them, just sitting there wagging her tail. Upon further inspection of her cage tag, we found out that she was due to be euthanized that day if not adopted. So, we got her out and played with her, and its been history since. Shes 15 this year, has her altzheimers moments (shes been caught licking the kitchen cabinets and floor lately, I personally think someone spilled something ahnd didnt clean it up good, but thats me, giving my old girl the benefit) Anyway, she has never had a major health problem other than Hip dysplasia, and that only set in about 5 years ago. Its easily managed with a supplement called glycoflex. Most people only guess her to be around 8-10 years old. Best thing about her? She came house broke, didnt have that nipping stage, and has NEVER chewed anything up. I say go for the older ones, they are more likely to get put down due to lack of adoptive families. And, small dogs are harder to housebreak (atleast I think so, and we have 6 chihuahuas) so getting one that is already housebroke would be an added bonus. Remember, a year old is still a puppy, and they are less likely to find homes than those 8-10 week old fluffy cuties. And the part where people tell you that a grown dog wont get attached to you like a puppy will is BS. Brandy is more attached to our family than any dog we've ever raised from a puppy.

 

[Bassett]

There is a neutered black lab mix 1 1/2 years old right now, named Max that I'm thinking of calling about. I do think you are right about the older dog. My only requirement is that it is not a really BIG dog when full grown (which I would know immediately if I got the older dog) because I don't have a large area for him or her. I have lots of room to run outside but small crowded rooms in the house.

Thank you for rescuing Brandy. She is so lucky to have you. I know a lot of the dogs we had really connected to us after we got them too. I'm just open to any and all information I can get from here. All will be considered.