Leslie Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 A photo of our new Sheltie puppy, Robbie! He is 3 months here. He is such a sweetie pie, but very rambunctious so I'm glad he (or rather 'we') begins puppy kindergarten tonight... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cathy Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Leslie, that is the cutest pup EVER!!! I'm so thrilled for you. Enjoy him! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Leslie Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Thank you Cathy. I was sure we were going to get another female, but when we went to visit the pups it was the male that won us over with his sweetness and cuddles. He sort of chose us! In that photo he has his puppy belly still (so cute!), but now he is a month older and is at that all legs stage, and losing the puppy belly. Still cute, but different. They grow sooo fast. Will post an update soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yvonne johnson Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 What a cute pup, Leslie. G told me he met him too--lucky him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mongo_jones Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 we'll be getting a dog soon--once we've moved into our own place (in about a month). we'll be going down to one of the shelters in the area--ideally, a dog with more yellow lab in him/her than anything else, but we'll see. however, i have not owned a dog in many years, and even then i was not the primary caretaker of the dog(s) in question. so, what should i be looking out for? the shelter dogs come spayed/neutered and with shots etc. administered. some even have some basic training. i don't want the dog to learn very much more than to heel and come when called and to sit when told sternly. what else? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
omnivorette Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Very, very cute. I'm just back from the vet, where Ezzie (that's the cat) was so well behaved, even when she got her shots. All is well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
flyfish Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 i don't want the dog to learn very much more than to heel and come when called and to sit when told sternly. what else? So you're ruling out poker then? Look for good clear eyes and a dog that seems alert and interested in what is going on. Watch his/her gait as he/she walks around, toward you and away. Look at the teeth, tongue and inside the ears - if you see or smell anything odd (besides normal dog-breath!) I'd be concerned. Some people prefer males and some females, both arguing about temperament, etc. I've known unpleasant dogs of both genders... But perhaps most important is to see how the dog reacts to you and yours. Like Leslie says, her new dog "adopted" them, even though they intended to get a female. If you don't feel a connection, try back again a couple of weeks later. It's a cliche but you will probably know when it's the right match. Fly Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mongo_jones Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 So you're ruling out poker then? Look for good clear eyes and a dog that seems alert and interested in what is going on. Watch his/her gait as he/she walks around, toward you and away. Look at the teeth, tongue and inside the ears - if you see or smell anything odd (besides normal dog-breath!) I'd be concerned. Some people prefer males and some females, both arguing about temperament, etc. I've known unpleasant dogs of both genders... But perhaps most important is to see how the dog reacts to you and yours. Like Leslie says, her new dog "adopted" them, even though they intended to get a female. If you don't feel a connection, try back again a couple of weeks later. It's a cliche but you will probably know when it's the right match. Fly sorry, i wasn't clear about what i am looking for help with. i meant more after the dog comes home: *particular brands of dogfood *how to choose a good vet? *need to take dog to vet soon after adoption despite/in addition to shelter shots etc.? *frequency of grooming/bathing? (not me, the dog) *do shelter dogs have indoor "accidents" for the first few days after they come home? if so, how to break this habit, reassure? etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tamar G Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Can we add " . . . but not in restaurants" to the thread subtitle? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kim Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 *particular brands of dogfood *how to choose a good vet? *need to take dog to vet soon after adoption despite/in addition to shelter shots etc.? *frequency of grooming/bathing? (not me, the dog) *do shelter dogs have indoor "accidents" for the first few days after they come home? if so, how to break this habit, reassure? etc. FOOD:Premium brands are worth the extra money, even though as soon as I type this, someone will invariably tell the tale of their pup that lived 26 years on tobacco and catfood, or whatever. Premium brands have a leaner form of protein, so each calorie counts more. large breed and small breed dogs really benefit from specialized foods, in my opinion. VET:I think personal recomendations are the best. Ideally, close by in case of an emergency. And, ask about emergency coverage..I prefer a veterinary group i/o a solo practitioner so that I know calls are answered. Puppie never eat a package of bic razors during office hour time. I always bring new additions within a day or two..I would say this is especially important for ashelter pup, since they have a greater exposure to various canine diseases ACCIDENTS:If its a puppy, it will need full training..it has been in the crate/cage for most of its life, so most likely has not been started on training. An older dog might have be trained, but depending on how/why they ended up in the shelter, might regress. MISC:I am a big advocate of crate training. Good Luck. leslie, Robbie has such a soulful look in that picture! How handsome! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Liza Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Oh. My. He is GORGEOUS. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bloviatrix Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Leslie, Robbie is adorable. And Blovie concurs. He just spotted his photo and went "awwwwwww..." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
flyfish Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 *particular brands of dogfood*how to choose a good vet? *need to take dog to vet soon after adoption despite/in addition to shelter shots etc.? *frequency of grooming/bathing? (not me, the dog) *do shelter dogs have indoor "accidents" for the first few days after they come home? if so, how to break this habit, reassure? Some of these things will be dog-specific (grooming frequency specifically). Some dogs adapt very well to new surroundings, others take more time. That's part of why the initial selection process is so important. If you are not experienced with, or willing to learn and take a lot of effort with, a stressed or damaged pet, by all means let the shelter folks know so they can direct you to animals with fewer "special needs." Some shelters actually require that you take an adopted pet to a vet within a certain amount of time (when we adopted our current cat from the local humane society, they actually asked us for the name of our vet before the adoption). For a vet, proximity is fairly key but local referrals are also valuable - you can also ask the shelter staff for recommendations. I concur with Kim about ascertaining if they have house call or after hours services. Are you planning on getting a puppy or a somewhat older dog? Fly Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mongo_jones Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Are you planning on getting a puppy or a somewhat older dog? Fly no fixed plans. the major effort will be to come back with only one dog. do shelters usually have a lot of puppies? i imagined they'd mostly have non-pups. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
flyfish Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 no fixed plans. the major effort will be to come back with only one dog. do shelters usually have a lot of puppies? i imagined they'd mostly have non-pups. They often have both, since people abandon pregnant dogs a lot , but the puppies tend to go faster than the older ones. Fly Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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