New puppy comin' - need advice!

[Trek420]

While I agree with Lisa that rescue is best, Mae the wonder dog is a shelter pet, I've had near countless rescue cats over the years I can also understand if your purpose is show/agility wanting to know certain traits will be there.

I know Mae would enjoy agility, she does jumps with ease, enjoys going down the slide in the playground which is fun to watch.

I may try to build some "playground equipment" in my patio, she'd love that.

But though she's made tremendous progress vs. when I got her she's reactive to other dogs so we work mostly on our own.

She's now sitting in on her 3rd obedience class which is good. I now know I should never have stopped going to classes, should be constant for her.

There are Agility leagues for rescue dogs, if she passed Cannine Good Citizen she could go on to therapy dog work but that's probably not going to happen.

If I'd known that I might enjoy agility and or obedience training with a dog would I have "temperment tested" her? If I had done that she was part pit (how'd I miss that?) I'd have got another dog and I'd have missed her.

I've read that the good thing about a rescue (besides the karma points) is that you get the dog you're gonna get. The bad thing is you get the dog you're gonna get Whatever occured in her puppy'hood is there and we may never be able to completely erase that.

I know she tries to be the best dog she can be.

I'm sure that Dogmamas pup will be a great dog, and perhaps can use her (his?) skills to help other dogs like Mae to excell at being the best dog they can be and that will be wonderful.

[Aggie_Ama]

I agree rescuing is wonderful. In my case I have two purebreds. I needed to know how big my dog would be because I lived in an apartment with a strict weight limit. I couldn't find a shelter pup that was grown and under the limit, the puppies it was hard to tell what they might end up being. The only small dogs I could find at the shelter were Chihuahuas and no offense but I don't care for them! If you want a dog for a purpose (agility), purebred is sometimes best. My next dogs (way in the future) will probably be pound puppies because I will have a house!

About traveling, I know my Director at work just got back from Chicago and flew the entire flight back sitting next to a full grown Westie. The owner bought the dog a seat. She also said her dad flies with his dog tucked under the seat. I think he has a Jack Russell.

[DDH]

My long haired GS dog is a rescue dog. He is a great dog, but if you want to show, you cannot do it without registration papers. I don't know aobut agility, but a show dog can't show without papers and they cannot be fixed where a pound puppy must be spayed or neutered.

I adopted a dog from the pound once that we had to take back. She was nipping at the kids and going for their faces. She wouldn't do it to the adults, but with the kids, and bad thing was she wouldn't quit until she actually got them. I had already gotten her shots, gotten her spayed, and had her about 8 weeks or so and it just got worse so we had to take her back. I don't know what happened to her, but I told them that she would be a good dog for an adult couple or older couple but no one with kids. Sad thing is, she was for my son and he had picked her out. I didn't want her put down and told them so, but I am afraid that is probably what was going to happen.

So I have had mixed results with rescue dogs. The GS is great, was a year and 1/2 old when we got him and the mixed breed we got was a little aggressive towards kids and was a medium sized dog. They said she was a beagle mix, but who really knows.

[Trek420]

When I was looking for a dog we surfed the animal rescue sites.

My ex wanted a Papillon (small breed, very smart dogs). The Papillon rescue association would not agree to let us have a dog. They wanted retirees, not people who work and would be gone during the day, and I guess they can find enough of them so that was out.

Off we went to the pound.

In a perfect world I'd be retired or win the Lotto and devote my time to Mae and my bikes. I have a neighbor who walks her, Mae loves the dog walker and vice versa and that has made a noticable difference in her behavior.

I wanted a mutt, felt some breeds tend to have specific conditions, dalmations often are blind, hip conditions in Shepards etc and a mutt could be healthier. Actually I did not want a dog at all, guess who the dog bonded with?

[roguedog]

Hey DogMama

I'm there with ya. I never wanted to fly my dog. Heard all the horror stories and besides I like driving anyway.

So..hmm.. if it's too much time to drive.. ya know what I might do?? I have a couple friends who are pilots (private) and they always seem to love to fly...

If you can find a couple flying clubs in the area I'd see if there might be a volunteer willing to log some hours while you pay for the fuel

These pilots always have to have hours logged for their various certifications so it might be a win-win..

I dunno.. seems like a better idea for everyone all round.

Also.. if that doesn't turn anything up, I'd also google pet transportation services.

[Pascale]

I flew my 12 week old borzoi pup up from Tampa - when the big cargo door opened there she was, sitting up in the crate saying "HERE I AM!!!!!!". I swear nothing fazes this dog.

At the zoo, we'd fly animals all the time cargo - animals with much higher stress levels than domestic dogs, and in my 14 years I don't ever recall a negative incident.

If you fly them, be sure to follow the directions about proper crating, crate identification, and securing the crate. It wouldn't hurt to have the pup microchipped ahead of the flight as well, but honestly, an 8 week pup isn't running too fast too far if it gets loose (which, yes, happens, it makes the news, but it's pretty rare).

That being said, I'm personally driving down to Missouri to pick up my new Borzoi pup in person on Friday (it's cheaper than flying him, actually)