Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[plecostomus enjoyer]

my mother got my older brother a whistle 3 for christmas to give him peace of mind when leaving for work, since his husky loves to run and explore and gets past the underground fence even with his collar on due to the fluffiness of his neck. he's been gone for over two hours before and my brother loves his dog more than anything in the world, kaiser is his best friend. it's great and the step tracker on the app is fantastic! it also gives you a notification if your dog goes outside the safe area you set for them. it's a really great device.

[Faybell]

My boyfriend will most likely end up with a dachsund mix from a shelter/foster home. I know several people with dachshunds though and I love their personality. Someone from the club is actually pming me about bichons and their personality. If I can't find a breeder for poms or a bichon I know I could 100% find one for a dachsund... I have more hunting/working breeds around where I live.

Chi's are a firm no. I have an aunt with 3 of them and they just feel to fragile to me... and they are shakey little things. Though to be fair they are probably from BYB or a puppymil.

I'd love a American eskimo since they are essentially just a bigger pom but if I don't have a pom breeder in my area I doubt their would be an eskimo breeder. I'll look into it though.

Shetlands are one of my dream dogs but they need a job to do so I don't think they would be happy with me. I currently don't have a way to make an agility course and we wouldn't be able to go to the park everyday. My mom actually asked about border collies but again I don't think I can handle a working breed. I had a corgi and they are supposedly easier of the working breeds to take care of... she could have just had more of a drive though and poorly bred.

[Imzadi83]

Ok, I think I'm ready to start thinking of what breed I'd like to get (probably in 1-2 years).

A couple extra things to Note:
- I have cone dystrophy, which makes me legally blind. As much as I'd like to, I can't drive across the country for a dog. My SO wouldn't mind driving a state over but I can't go 9+ hours away. I have my heart set on a pom but there might not be a responsible breeder within my area so it's probably best if I have another breed to look into getting.
- We live in an apartment
- My SO still wants to adopt a dog so we might have a 1-2 year old dog within the next few months. I told him I'll mostly consider it his dog. Not that I won't help take care of it but I don't want to become attached to it because I'm still hurt about taking Aika back. I told him it can't be over 30 pounds and it must be friendly with small animals, other dogs, etc.
- I don't want a dog that has problems breathing... it seems really wrong to me to breed dogs that struggle that way. (So no boston, pug, etc.)

Have you had dogs before? What breeds?
Childhood dogs: pomeranian, corgi
Adopted: Dachsund mix (After four months we had to return her because she didn't bond to us and her people aggression was getting to much for us)

Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why?
Pomeranian. I have the most experience with them, I know all their good and bad qualities. I had one as a childhood dog and I have multiple family members with them. Their clinginess to their owners and sassiness really appeals to me.

How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog?
Currently: All day (I'm stuck at home and trick training is really fun.) If I get someone who's schedule allows them to bring me to college again then probably 30 minutes.

What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle?
If it's a toy breed, pretty much would be able to handle any level. Ideally I'd like to take it max every 2-3 months to a professional and not every month. I'd really like to learn how to do it myself once I train it well enough to hold still for me because dog grooming looks/sounds fun.

What kind of energy level are you looking for?
Ideally medium energy. I don't want a dog that needs over 2 hours of exersize. NOTE: I have a seeing disability so when I take my dog out to walk I don't jog/run.... I'd probably trip and hurt myself. So something like a pappilion wouldn't be a good fit for me.

What do you plan on doing with your dog?
Mostly normal stuff; walking, fetch, parks, trick training, ect. In the future when we have a yard I'd love to set up my own dog course and teach it to go through the course. I'd never do competitions because I'm not able to drive myself due to my seeing disability though.

What size dog are you wanting?
Ideally Toy/small (Under 15 pounds).

What age dog are you looking for?
Preferably puppy. After what happened to Aika I want to make sure it's bonded to me and well socialized.

What kind of livestyle do you live? (Active, couch potato etc)
Right now? Couch potato. When I had Aika I was outside a bunch though. Sunlight blinds me so I don't like going outside unless there is a reason for me to.

Schipperke
Chinese Crested Powder Puff (there's also the hairless but the puff might be more your style look wise)
Havenese
Maltese

[eleutheromania]

@RWBY: Go for a mini version if you do decide on looking into an eski. poms and eskie are from the spitz group so yeah, though i honestly prefer kasper’s looks over that of a pom but that’s opinion. if you go for a dachshund breeder be sure to ask if any of their dogs or pups have had ivdd. try to stay away from those lines but it can happen to any doxie unfortunately.

kasper :3

[Taiger Lilly]

I personally wouldn't get a hairless chinese crested from a breeder. Considering the gene that makes them hairless is also what causes missing/peg teeth that have been known to cause further dental problems, and therefore can't be bred out. Not judging anyone, but just putting it out there.

[Imzadi83]

I personally wouldn't get a hairless chinese crested from a breeder. Considering the gene that makes them hairless is also what causes missing/peg teeth that have been known to cause further dental problems, and therefore can't be bred out. Not judging anyone, but just putting it out there.

You could say that about a lot of breeds/health problems though. There are a lot of problems that either can't be bred out (although that may change with further advancements in genetic understanding) or crop up even in lines that have been clear for generations. I can't think of a purebred dog that isn't prone to something.

You are right that dental problems do occur in the hairless. Chloe has had dental problems. The fact that she doesn't have full dentition and has primitive dentition isn't a problem to me, just cosmetic. She has had teeth where the roots have died with no outward signs of those particular teeth being bad. Heart disease is also a problem in Cresteds, specifically mitral valve problems which she also has. She didn't come from a responsible breeder though, she was a rescue, so that likely plays it's part too.

[Skysong]

So I left a laundry basket of clean laundry out to be folded and left the room to go to the bathroom.
I came back to Thor sniffing through it and attempting to run off with a sock when I caught him with his face in the basket.
I walked up to him and he had just sat down, asked him where the sock was. What does he do? He shifts and looks at me with the most guilty look he's ever given me. :lol:
I showed him the sock and told him No and walked away with it. He followed me back to the basket and laid with me while I folded the laundry.

I bathed Lilly yesterday with the coconut lime shampoo and her fur is softer than ever.
I had to leave her collar on her so she wouldn't jump out of the tub as we using the shorter of our two bathtubs.

She absolutely refused to look at me while I was bathing her.

I also clipped and filed her nails after the bath.



Now... if I could only get Thor in the bathtub....

Also this happens a lot when someone i nthe computer chair has snacks.

[maninkari]

@RWBY Rose, have you considered a Bichon Frise? A lot of grooming, but they're gentle and easy to train. They're energetic, but don't need a crazy amount of exercise. Also very affectionate, I love them lol

[Taiger Lilly]

There is a difference between being prone to something, and being directly linked though. Sure, purebred dogs are prone to specific diseases due to their homogenized genepool, but it is usually still possible to responsibly breed out the issue. Cases where the cause of the disease is not known are also different, since there is no way of predicting that the animals you are producing will be ill.

The FOXI3 gene that causes hairlessness is a mutation in a protein that activates the development of hair and teeth. This causes weakened teeth that are prone to breaking/dying/falling out/becoming diseased, as well as the primitive structure. No amount of responsible breeding can change that.

I'm not trying to make it illegal to breed them or anything. I'm just critical of any breed/breeder that puts aesthetics over the animals health (especially in cases where you cannot seperate the two through selective breeding).

It would be a major fault in almost any other breed, and I feel the inability to chew properly is something that effects the basic functions of being a dog, and is not something I would want to support the intentional creation of.

That being said, I agree that no breed is perfect, and I'm sure there are breeds much worse off. Reading my post it comes off as super negative against the breed, I was just trying to outline my points as clear as possible.

[Faybell]

@RWBY Rose, have you considered a Bichon Frise? A lot of grooming, but they're gentle and easy to train. They're energetic, but don't need a crazy amount of exercise. Also very affectionate, I love them lol

Lol yes, Flossie was messaging me about hers and giving me info on them and their personality. If I can't find a good pom breeder that will definitely be the next breed I search for! They sound like they have an amazing personality and fits me quite well!

So far I'm interested in

Pomeranian - most wanted! My SO likes this dog as well. Really hope I find a good breeder in my range.
Eskimo - though I highly doubt I find one... like really doubt. I don't even see BYB from a quick google search.
Bichon - 2nd most wanted
Havanese - I doubt I find one but it's basically a less girly bichon? (My SO thinks the bichon looks girly so it would be firmly "my" dog so this could be a better option if I find a good breeder)
Maltese - this is a maybe. I've heard they're a bit high strung? I have a step mom with one so I might ask her or try and visit to see it.

I wish
Shetland or Schipperke fit my personality but they're too hyper or independent for me.

And my boyfriend will probably end up getting a dachsund mix but if not I'll consider getting one. If he happens to find a corgi mix though I know he'd 100% go for that but I doubt one ever pops up in a shelter or foster.