Let’s see… my experiences with dogs. My first dog of my own was Sarah, a Cocker Spaniel from a breeder. She had a runny nose from the start. when we took her to the vet, he asked if she’d had her first shots. We said yes - the breeder had given us her shot records. She came to us with distemper, which may’ve been treated if we knew what we were dealing with right away. I lost Sarah after a couple weeks, the vet having figured out too late what she had.
Next Dog was Siddhartha. Sid was an Afghan Hound from a breeder. He was a wonderful dog, the companion of my childhood. He was so devoted to me that if I had to be away from the house overnight, I’d record my voice and the family would hide the tape recorder in different rooms so Sid would think I was just in another part of the house. I had him for 14 years. It hurt so much to lose him.
My next dog was Kate. She was a doberman/pointer cross I got from the humane society. The first day I had her, the garbageman came up to the back of the house to get the trash. She took a jump to stand between us to protect me. She was protective, but not aggressive. She was great with kids. The neighbors wouldn’t give their own dogs scraps so they could give her treats. My sister used to babysit for a little boy. I saw him once at the local mall and stopped to say hi. The woman he was with (not his mom) said, “You must be Kate”. I explained that Kate was the dog, and they said “Are you sure - Donnie talks about Kate all the time and never mentioned that she’s a dog.” When she got old and incontinent, I moved into the guest room so she could still sleep in m y room, in hte warm, easy-to-clean waterbed. Kate lived to be 13.
After I lost Sid, I said I wouldn’t have just one dog, because I couldn’t go home to an empty house. So when I bought my first house, I also got Mike. Mike was a German Shepherd from the local dog pound. He was a purebred. Just hours from being put down. Mike had a few screws loose. He suffered from separation anxiety when I was gone. He learned how to unlock the windows, open them up and let himself out of the house. That didn’t do the windows (or blinds) any good. And since the pound doubles the fee each time they catch the dog, the last time I got him out cost me $500. But he loved me. He didn’t want much, just me.
Simon was another Doberman, purebred this time, also from the pound. He was a stray they picked up. I didn’t really want another dog, but when they told me at the pound that they probably wouldn’t bother putting him up for adoptions because no one would want him anyway (he was very skinny). If they’re pressed for space they just decide if a dog is unlikely to be adopted just to euthanize it. Anyway, of course I took him. Simon was my fatty-boy. Having missed so many meals early in life, he was determined never to miss another. And opposite of Mike, he wouldn’t leave the yard if you paid him. Simon didn’t need the attention that Mike did - he was happy just to be in the same room with me. Wherever I was, he wasn’t too far away. He died after about 10 years with me - he was an adult when I adopted him, so I don’t know how old he was.
Ruffian was an Airdale. I got her because a friend of my mother had purchased her from a breeder as a companion for a 2 year old. Not a wise move. When they realized it wasn’t working out, they called me and asked me to take her. She was a typical terrier, my first ever terrier. She was brassy and pushy and I loved her. Last winter when it was raining so hard we were coming back from feeding my horse and she wouldn’t cross the creek because it was running so hard so we (4 dogs and me) went up to the road to cross there. The mailman ran over her. I have a thread about it somewhere. I brought her home, hoping that she would walk again, but she died.
Maggie is a Standard Poodle. A co-worker decided she needed a dog. this person had never had so much as a goldfish, and I knew that it wasn’t going to work out. I tried to pursuade her to get a doberman, but she thought a standard poodle was what she nneded. She found a breeder and I went with her to pick up the puppy. She was a geat dog. We took her back to the office, and she behaved perfectly all afternoon. I went home with the co-worker and set up a crate, gave her toys, a bed, etc. The next day was Saturday. She called me at 7:30 say "The dog has to go. She’s following me everywhere. " I explained that she was all the puppy had, that the puppy needed her, but she couldn’t take it. So back the puppy went, back to the breeder. The breeder told other people she wasn’t letting the dog go again. When I called, she said, “What took you so long?” So I paid for her, far less than my co-worker, and brought Maggie home.
Someone dumped Grace about 1/2 mile down the road. I found her wandering, lost and hungry and brought her home. A 7-8 year old doberman. I took her in, of course. She showed up just 2 weeks before Simon died. I’ve had an unbroken line of dobermans for 20 years. She fancies herself a hunter, but in reality she doesn’t catch much. A slow rabbit once. A rat in the barn once. She has a heart murmur, the vet says.
And finally Fiona. Fiona was at the dog pound, too. 90% of the animals taken in at the Rutherford Co. pound are euthanized. She looked like an Irish Wolfhound, although she was aboutt the size of a doberman. Maggie needed a playmate and she loved playing. She loved chasing butterflies. I brought her home only to have her bit in the face by a rattlesnake the second week. I nursed her through that, only to have her hit by a car as I was out working in the yard. She was chasing a butterfly, I think. The truck didn’t honk, didn’t slow down, didn’t stop after. In fact, I think it swerved to hit her. I got her to the vet within 15 minutes, but she was already dead. Perhaps she wasn’t meant to live, I don’t know.
So in my experience it doesn’t matter how you get your dog, but that you treat them with love, respect and discipline. Sure, there are bad apples out there, but most dogs just want those simple things.
StG
) I honestly feel sorry for breeds that have been bred innto a travisty of what dogs were intended to be. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, so if I talk about a breed that you just LOVE , please remember it is ONLY MY OPINION .