Settle this debate

[GLC1968]

I'm actually surprised cats haven't been bred to have miniature versions. Not that there ought to be more cats, there are so many out there who need homes.

If they can make rottweilers into ~40lb sizes, I would be all over them!

You may find a mini Rottie mix at the pound. I had a shephard/dobie from the pound who was barely 50 lbs full grown. She was awesome! Her bark sounded like a full sized Doberman and behind a closed door, she'd scare the pants off anybody!

[badger]

You may find a mini Rottie mix at the pound. I had a shephard/dobie from the pound who was barely 50 lbs full grown. She was awesome! Her bark sounded like a full sized Doberman and behind a closed door, she'd scare the pants off anybody!

have you seen big dogs crossed with basset hounds? the low-riders. I once saw a black lab, or so I thought, until he got up and he was barely off the ground!

[GLC1968]

have you seen big dogs crossed with basset hounds? the low-riders. I once saw a black lab, or so I thought, until he got up and he was barely off the ground!

Ha! I have one!! One of our dogs is a golden retriever/bassett mix now. He's got the golden shaped head and coloring (and personality traits), but bassett fur type and body/legs. He's got a huge chest and his front feet are huge and turn outward when he's facing forward. He's really funny looking but we love him nonetheless. Most people think he's just an odd looking yellow lab, actually.

His freakishly loud hound-dog howl sends the coyotes scurring away, too!

[snapdragen]

Oh crap. Now I want a mini-donkey.

[badger]

Ha! I have one!! One of our dogs is a golden retriever/bassett mix now. He's got the golden shaped head and coloring (and personality traits), but bassett fur type and body/legs. He's got a huge chest and his front feet are huge and turn outward when he's facing forward. He's really funny looking but we love him nonetheless. Most people think he's just an odd looking yellow lab, actually.

His freakishly loud hound-dog howl sends the coyotes scurring away, too!

cute!! pic??

[Zen]

Oh crap. Now I want a mini-donkey.

Me too.
Seem to me they'd make fine hiking partners!

[OakLeaf]

have you seen big dogs crossed with basset hounds? the low-riders. I once saw a black lab, or so I thought, until he got up and he was barely off the ground!

Ha, you remind me of our Ickey - I still miss her Who knows what-all she had in her, besides a generous dose of pit bull (coloring, forehead, and personality - i.e. more personality than any other 5 dogs combined, sweeter than honey with people of all ages, but aggressive with adult animals other than the ones she was raised with)... No identifiable basset/dachsie/anything else you could place, but she had these short little legs that were just comical on her.

She had a whole range of odd voices, too.

[GLC1968]

Let's see if I have anything good.

Ok, here you can kind of see his big barrel chest and how his front legs sort of bow out:


Here you can see the size of his head compared to his body:


And while this is a totally odd photo - it kind of shows his big bassett feet and short legs:

Yes, he curled up this way on his own so we had to take a photo! Boneless dog, anyone?

[teigyr]

I love the boneless dog pic

I used to have a donkey when I was younger. He was a rescue donkey from New Mexico.

They ARE highly protective. Once my friend ran away from him and fell down. He went to her and sat on her but more like hovered without putting weight on her. It turns out that is what they do to protect their young when they are injured.

They are also intelligent. He did things like pick me up by the back of my neck to move me out of the way when I took too long to feed him. I was in elementary school at the time so I was more moveable than what I am now. When we'd saddle him, he'd de-bloat enough to make us think he wasn't holding in air. He would then go to the rose bushes, release the air and put his head down, and let the saddle start sliding down toward his neck so I'd go off in the rose bushes. He could break out of any corral, he liked beer, he liked to go in the house, and he chased cars.

If you have a donkey, be prepared to do more interaction than you would if you had a horse or pony. Donkeys have a lot more personality (at least I think they do) and are a lot smarter. At least our donkey was smarter than any of the horses Sometimes it was frustrating, especially when we discovered he could open any latch on his gate and when we also chained the gate, he stuck his neck through it and lifted it off its hinges. He never ran away, he just either wanted to be with us or he wanted to chase cars.

[Biciclista]

teigyr, great donkey story. they ARE smarter than horses, that's why mules are so valuable. They theoretically get the size from their horse mother and the smarts and cattiness from their jackass father. Although it's not ALWAYS the case of course.
I miss my donkey too. if i could get away with having a pair here in the city, i would.

[badger]

Ha, you remind me of our Ickey - I still miss her Who knows what-all she had in her, besides a generous dose of pit bull (coloring, forehead, and personality - i.e. more personality than any other 5 dogs combined, sweeter than honey with people of all ages, but aggressive with adult animals other than the ones she was raised with)... No identifiable basset/dachsie/anything else you could place, but she had these short little legs that were just comical on her.

She had a whole range of odd voices, too.

I'm thinking of fostering a pittie, actually. I think they are SO misunderstood. While they may be dog-aggressive due to their breeding, they are so loving and loyal towards humans. They say they make horrible guard dogs because of them loving people, and the Staffordshire terriers are actually recognized by the AKC to be good with children.

Look at this face!!

and I might be fostering her

[badger]

GLC: yep, i can see the stumpy legs. cute!

[Biciclista]

[Aggie_Ama]

I told my husband donkeys are good for protecting from coyotes (which incidentally he heard commuting home last night). His response? "And what are we protecting with your heard of little asses?" I replied "My goats I want for amusement and brush control and the chickens for eggs and they are keeping my alpaca I have for the wool company." I really don't think he gets the farm animal as pet reasoning, he thinks dogs (and not cats he is resisting adding one) can be our pets.

[Aggie_Ama]

Badger- she is so cute, who could not melt with that face?