# The universe decided I needed a puppy??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846 "2013-04-04T18:51:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/21 "2013-04-04T21:14:57Z")
> [@](#): > > This ragamuffen dog was trotting down a major street, trying its best to get run over. I ran over to it, fulling expecting it to run the other direction, but I had to at least try to herd it away from the street. But as I approached, it just sat down and wagged its tail at me. Then it trotted over to my car, and I’d left the door open. And so the fiendish plan worked yet again. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/22 "2013-04-04T23:30:56Z")
What a pretty dog! Maybe you can take a picture of her to the nearest shelter, and if anyone comes looking for her, the shelter can contact you. But secretly, I hope you can keep her. She chose you, after all. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/23 "2013-04-05T00:05:08Z")
That is one cute pup. I wouldn’t call her thin, though, she looks to be a lean, healthy weight for a young dog to me. I hope you keep her, she looks like a sweetie and sounds like your older dog likes her, too. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/24 "2013-04-05T00:49:01Z")
Definitely looks like a lab-something mix. I’ve noticed that many lab mixes look like pit bulls even if they don’t have any pit bull in them. Aren’t you the person who posted here a while back about how a different pit bull-like stray dog ended up at your house a while ago? If so, glad to see you’re continuing to try to help the poor lost souls out! ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/25 "2013-04-05T00:53:12Z")
OMG, she is so cuuuuuuuuuute ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/26 "2013-04-05T00:54:11Z")
Cricket sounds like a winner to me. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/27 "2013-04-05T01:06:46Z")
She looks just like my boxer/pit mix, who just happens to be the best dog on the planet. Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/28 "2013-04-05T01:09:24Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > Definitely looks like a lab-something mix. I’ve noticed that many lab mixes look like pit bulls even if they don’t have any pit bull in them. > Aren’t you the person who posted here a while back about how a different pit bull-like stray dog ended up at your house a while ago? > If so, glad to see you’re continuing to try to help the poor lost souls out! Oh yes, many dogs make a stop here at our house on their journey in life, but we usually can reunited them with an owner, or we find a neighbor who is willing to adopt them. But every once in a while one ends up staying… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/29 "2013-04-05T02:11:35Z")
She does look like my sister’s dog, who is a pit- lab cross. She’'s just as adorable too - love the white toe! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/30 "2013-04-05T02:17:52Z")
I am really a cat person but that is a beautiful dog. Grats to both of you (and to the rest of your family too)! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/31 "2013-04-05T02:24:35Z")
There aren’t too many black pits, but I’ve seen them. Structurally, she looks roughly like a classic American Pit Bull Terrier. Of course, that’s _roughly_ like a lab/pit or a lab/boxer or a pit/boxer. I’ve read that lab/boxer crosses are almost always misidentified as pit bulls because She might be a relatively straight-up pit or any sort of mix. Does she like swimming? That’s a labby trait that many pits (certainly not all) lack. Anyway, she’s cute as a button! Thank you for doing the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/32 "2013-04-05T06:21:49Z")
She’s so pretty!! ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/33 "2013-04-05T15:04:08Z")
Uh oh. Maybe this isn’t going to work after all. After a few days of mostly ignoring the cats, she has started chasing them with intent. I know that pits have that small prey instinct, but if they are raised with cats it can be overcome. But she is definitely seeing my little fuzzballs as a meal, not as members of her pack. If this continues, we can’t keep her. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/34 "2013-04-05T15:30:28Z")
Shes adorable…I have a feeling she might have found her new home 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/35 "2013-04-05T15:34:36Z")
The prey drive issue is common to most of the terriers, and “pit bull” usually means American Pit Bull…Terrier. Does she rush them every time she sees them? Or only when they run? Our Simone is uninterested in the cat until the cat gets the night-time crazies and starts running around rapidly, at which point Simone goes nuts wanting to chase him. In our case, at least, it appears to be that she’s bored (the other dog won’t chase her or wrestle with her) and finds the speed exciting. In our case it’s manageable, since she isn’t being predatory, and we separate them when no humans are home to supervise. If your little black beauty is chasing _every_ time she sees them, **and particularly if you observe stalking behavior** , it might NOT be manageable. Edit: How responsive is she to your direction/instruction? Can you try holding a cat and petting the cat and telling Black Beauty “easy, girl, this is a friend?” ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/36 "2013-04-05T15:37:41Z")
Our dobe (and a previous greyhound) have been able to live peacefully with cats. Hopefully you will be able to train her. ---
**Author:** ![Junkman209](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/junkman209/32/5522_2.png) [@Junkman209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junkman209)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/37 "2013-04-05T15:38:09Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > She’s not wearing a collar, but she might be microchipped. Any vet office should be able to scan her for you for free and see if she has one. If not, congrats on your new puppy. I second scanning for a microchip. Have the vet scan all over the body in case the chip migrated. There may be a devastated family mourning over their puppy’s disappearance. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/38 "2013-04-06T14:11:43Z")
You might want to try contacting the organization [BADRAP](http://www.badrap.org) to see if they have training resources for cat-tolerance in pit bull-type dogs. I know they do have a lot of tips on how to manage dog-dog aggression in pit bulls but not sure about cats. ---
**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/39 "2013-04-06T20:41:41Z")
Chasing isn’t that much of an issue if your cats have claws and the chasing is caused by the cats running. My Catahoula is nice to the cats and submissive to them unless the cats run. Then chasing ensures, but always ends up with the cat standing ground, the dog giving up or a sharp slap to the dog’s nose. Game ends. Cats are never really traumatized. Watch and see what happens at the end of the chase. Also, I’d agree there’s definitely lab in that pup, and she doesn’t really look skinny, actually looks well fed, just gangly. She may very well have decent owners. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846/40 "2013-04-08T01:54:13Z")
Aww who’s a good girl?!?!?! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-universe-decided-i-needed-a-puppy/654846.md?page=3)