Anonymous wrote:Lots (not all) of purebreds are highstrung and prone to health problems, as a result of a small gene pool. I'd recommend you spend a few Saturdays at the shelter hanging out with the mutts and see which one has the best demeanor for your family. Look for a dog that's calm and affectionate even in the stressful shelter environment. I know the shelters in this area have gotten a lot of press for being too selective, but it's no more than any breeder worth his/her salt should be.

If you do decide on a purebred, check out greyhounds. The hyper puppy years are behind them by the time their racing careers are over, and the rescue groups work really hard at making good matches. Plus, the groups generally re-home the dog if it's not a good fit.

I agree with this. Our terrier-poodle-dachshund mix, a rescue dog, is the best family dog ever.

Our neighbor has had poodles for ages and told me she'll never do it again - too many health issues due to breeding.

Any one out there who has a Schnoodle? What do you think?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the other poster raised uneducated questions, not legit ones. Genetics 101. But that poster is also the same poster who is probably OUTRAGED that I am not getting a rescue even though they said they won't give me one since I have an almost 4 year old. Go figure. I did give them a big donation when my lab died, as did our dogwalker and others who knew my lab, so maybe she will cut me a break on that basis?

Okay so I rasied uneducated questions, shoot me. I glanced at the website quickly. No I'm not the outraged one.

OK, outraged/Lab Mom in mourning poster here. Thank you for your follow on post. As you (and the whole blogosphere) can tell, losing my Lab was in the category of NOT SO EASY for me. Let's all raise a glass and toast to the big boy. You can repeat his initials - BVK - after me. Next, we'll raise our glass to all of those moms trying to find the right dog for their families and their children. I freely admit Labs are not for everyone.

I feel like I should say God bless or something to you all.

Outraged Lab poster, over and out.

Anonymous wrote:No, the other poster raised uneducated questions, not legit ones. Genetics 101. But that poster is also the same poster who is probably OUTRAGED that I am not getting a rescue even though they said they won't give me one since I have an almost 4 year old. Go figure. I did give them a big donation when my lab died, as did our dogwalker and others who knew my lab, so maybe she will cut me a break on that basis?

Okay so I rasied uneducated questions, shoot me. I glanced at the website quickly. No I'm not the outraged one.

I have an english bulldog and he's by far the best dog I could have with my 1-year old.

1) I don't have to walk him on a regular basis. In fact, he gets a bit irritated when I try to take him for walks
2) He's not bright so he's perfectly happy to entertain himself if I'm not around. And by entertain himself, I mean sleep.
3) He lets my son pull his tail, try to climb him, grab at his ears, poke his mouth and examine his teeth.
4) He lets my son try to eat out of his food bowl and rearrange his food into his water bowl.

The only downside is he snores. So loudly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best family dogs we've ever had are mutts from the pound. Currently we have a lab mix and she's a keeper.

I also agree with this. Our lab mix (part black lab, part sheltie) is amazing with the kids, smart, much smaller than the average lab, and the temperament of a lab. We got her from a rescue and one of the best family decisions we have made!

They can be great. Our Rottweiler mix is fantastic with children-- which is a good thing, because he's a baby magnet. Wherever we go, every kid wants to touch and greet him, and he's supremely tolerant of them. He's my daughter's best friend and true to his Rottweiler heritage, he thinks that he's also her nanny. Whatever else is in him makes him a more reasonable size, and more able to enjoy outdoor play without getting exhausted.

Our neighbor's rescued Finnish Spitz mix is another lovable, gentle pet that we trust near our daughter any time.

That said, my husband and I are very experienced dog people and I am a former horse trainer. Between us, we know a lot about animal behavior. So finding the "right" rescue dog is something we can be confident in.

Families who have less confidence in their ability to find the right dog alone and who want to get a rescue dog should consider two ways of maximizing your chances of getting it right:

(1) go to a rescue that has the dogs in foster homes with experienced volunteers looking after them. You will then know much more about how the dog behaves in a home with people, other animals, neighbors, riding in a car, etc. over a period of time. Often the coordinators of these rescues (like Partnership for Animal Welfare) will know which animal in their rescue might be right for you; and

(2) You can hire a knowledgeable dog trainer (not associated with a breeding operation, so they won't be trying to sell you their own dog) to assess you, work with you, and evaluate the rescue dogs that you are considering. This is a very worthwhile investment of your time and a relatively modest sum of money to make sure that the individual rescue mutt you find lives up to the reputation that mutts have. This will also help you avoid the heartbreak of having to give up a dog who seemed suitable but isn't.

No, the other poster raised uneducated questions, not legit ones. Genetics 101. But that poster is also the same poster who is probably OUTRAGED that I am not getting a rescue even though they said they won't give me one since I have an almost 4 year old. Go figure. I did give them a big donation when my lab died, as did our dogwalker and others who knew my lab, so maybe she will cut me a break on that basis?

Get a grip, PP. You sound a little too defensive . . . the other poster raised legit questions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you share which lab breeder you are using?

Thunder Labradors out of Wisconsin.

My sister has two rescued Newfies (including one who is blind), and urged me not to get a rescue with the age of my children, which was consistent with the discussions I had with the rescue group itself. My sister is a dog lover's dog lover. I am comfortable with my decision and recognize that this means I really do have to do potty training AGAIN. If this was about my convenience, I would be getting a local house-broken adult dog, not flying half-way across the country for a pup I will have to teach everything to.

When I am looking for my next lab after this one, which will hopefully not be for many years, I will adopt from Potomac Rescue.

Are you sure Thunder Labrador is a "reputable" breeder? I just looked at their website and they sound more like a puppy mill. I hope you did your homework before you have a puppy shipped from them. Their health guarantee sounds meaningless because they do not have pedigree and clearance information of the boys or girls (not even listed on the page) and because the warranty runs out long before most of those problems will be diagnosed in most labs. Good luck.

Thank you for your concern. Thunder Labradors is not a puppy mill. I am not having a "dog shipped"; my husband is flying out personally to inspect and select. If you knew about dog genetics, you would know that for the conditions where the mother's pedigree is silent, it requires that both parents be carriers for the pup to be affected. Sort of like how I am a carrier for CF but my husband is not. I received a detailed questionnaire from Richard Spike before he would accept my deposit. Most puppy mills sell to to pet stores. The stud dog pedigree is there, btw, so I wonder how carefully you looked at the site. I have had a number of extended phone coversations with the breeder, Richard Spike.

But, please, take all the pot shots you want. Just a month ago, I held my dying Lab in my arms while I sat on the floor at Friendship, singing the song I made up for him while he was a puppy. I was by myself - my husband was not available to go. This past weekend I spead his ashes at his favorite spot in the mountains. That dog - that incredible amazing fabulous dog - was bought for about $250 from a rural farm in South Carolina as a Christmas present to my then-fiance and now DH through an ad my in-laws found in the paper. The owners of his parents were not professional breeders, and he didn't have a champion title to his name. My in-laws didn't check DNA, they didn't check the pedigree, they didn't do squat. But please, feel free to piss all over my new dog all you want. Maybe you're right and this is a crappy dog we are getting and he is doomed to get something horrible the second he arrives in DC and my $1,000 is for naught. That's a chance I am prepared to take. If Richard Spike is a con man, he sure spent a lot of time talking to this "mark" as she sobbed about her dead Lab.

Anonymous wrote:The best family dogs we've ever had are mutts from the pound. Currently we have a lab mix and she's a keeper.

I also agree with this. Our lab mix (part black lab, part sheltie) is amazing with the kids, smart, much smaller than the average lab, and the temperament of a lab. We got her from a rescue and one of the best family decisions we have made!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you share which lab breeder you are using?

Thunder Labradors out of Wisconsin.

My sister has two rescued Newfies (including one who is blind), and urged me not to get a rescue with the age of my children, which was consistent with the discussions I had with the rescue group itself. My sister is a dog lover's dog lover. I am comfortable with my decision and recognize that this means I really do have to do potty training AGAIN. If this was about my convenience, I would be getting a local house-broken adult dog, not flying half-way across the country for a pup I will have to teach everything to.

When I am looking for my next lab after this one, which will hopefully not be for many years, I will adopt from Potomac Rescue.

Are you sure Thunder Labrador is a "reputable" breeder? I just looked at their website and they sound more like a puppy mill. I hope you did your homework before you have a puppy shipped from them. Their health guarantee sounds meaningless because they do not have pedigree and clearance information of the boys or girls (not even listed on the page) and because the warranty runs out long before most of those problems will be diagnosed in most labs. Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a no-shed dog, I love my mini schnauzer. She's terrific with my daughter, too (and we had the dog first).

I SO LOVE not having dog fur in my house. I grew up with cats, and so was used to fur everywhere, but LOVE LOVE LOVE that my pup doesn't shed a hair. (Of course, she does have to be groomed every 8-10 weeks but it's a small price to pay).

I am so glad to hear that. We are considering a mini schnauzer for sometime in the future. There is a rescue organization for them based here in the metro area, which makes it even better!

I can't seem to locate the local Schnauzer rescue. Can someone post a link, please.

http://www.schnauzerrescue.net/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a no-shed dog, I love my mini schnauzer. She's terrific with my daughter, too (and we had the dog first).

I SO LOVE not having dog fur in my house. I grew up with cats, and so was used to fur everywhere, but LOVE LOVE LOVE that my pup doesn't shed a hair. (Of course, she does have to be groomed every 8-10 weeks but it's a small price to pay).

I am so glad to hear that. We are considering a mini schnauzer for sometime in the future. There is a rescue organization for them based here in the metro area, which makes it even better!

I can't seem to locate the local Schnauzer rescue. Can someone post a link, please.

We have a English Spainel, who is wonderful with all ages of kids. He is the sweetest, gentlest dog I have ever owned. When we researched we wanted a breed that was good with kids, not too big, and slightly active so that we could take a dog on a hike. We found all of that with our spainel.

I always thought it didn't make a lot of sense that rescues won't adopt to people with young kids but they are ready to burn people at the stake that give up pets because they have kids.

I think that's because people with kids are the most likely to give up the dogs. The rescues don't want a dog going in and out of homes, which makes it less adoptable. At some shelters, if a dog is returned it cannot be adopted out again. So they are really trying to save the dog and have the dogs' best interest in mind.

HOwever, what the rescues say officially and what they do may be different. We found that if you showed dog experience, shelters were much more willing to adopt to a family with kids. The story we got from one person was that puppies nip, so they didn't like to send puppies to houses with kids. But once we said we were aware that puppies nip/jump/have accidents and that we planned to train our dog, the doors were open wide. I think too many people imagine a cute little puppy to play with their toddler without realizing that there is a TON of work involved in bringing a new dog home. Add in a demanding toddler and its a recipe for disaster for an unsuspecting family and a tragedy for the dog.