So i think im gonna buy my girl a dog for her birthday. I need to know where i can buy a decent smaller dog in the area for my budget of around 500 dollars anyone have suggestions? btw the dog i really want to get is a american eskimo
cocker spaniels are awesome dogs. but the first place you gotta look in the humane society. http://www.oregonhumane.org
I would seriously suggest telling your girlfriend about it on her birthday and taking her to the Humane Society to choose for herself.
dammit Chris! I try and be a macho man in everything I do... but I turn into a little girl when it comes to animals. ESPECIALLY ones that have been abandoned and neglected.
A dog (or any animal) is a lifetime (for the animal) committment from you to it to love and care for it. It is not a "present" or a "toy". It is a living creature, and it's addition to your life should be carefully thought out, prepared for, and committed to. If you or your girlfriend are not ready for this kind of long-term committment, then don't get it. Buy her an ipod. Don't set that animal up for a future dissappointment when it's not convenient for you to take care of it any longer.
good call. If you pick the dog yourself and she doesn't really love it, she's always going to resent you a little for foisting it on her. Or she'll get rid of it--again causing strife while also wasting a puppy's best opportunity to find a good home (since the younger they are, the easier they are to place).
By girl do you mean girlfriend, or daughter? Most small dogs aren't very good with kids, and can be a nightmare to potty train. If it's a girlfriend that you are buying it for, get one you like in case you end up living together. I hate small dogs because they serve no purpose. Buy her a German Shepherd or Mastif, and call it good. Either way, definately try the humane society first. Mutts are usually always smarter.
A puppy at the Humane Society can work, but I have to say it is not a great place to get a full grown dog. Obviously we had a bad experience and there are exceptions, but that's my take. Golden Retrievers are great, but too big. Goldendoodles too. The Oregonian has a great dog classified section.
My family and my in-laws have picked up 2 pretty good full-grown dogs, one utterly outstanding dog (best I'll ever have), and one dud at the pound. The dud was a real sweetheart, but she just had a bad hip and had to be put down. It developed about a year after adopting her and she was only 3, so it could've happened to any dog, especially a purebread lab like she was. We dropped $1500 on her before giving up. Obviously, your experiences will vary. One recurring theme I've seen in every one of the pound dogs is abandonment issues. None of them run away when you let them out. They are all terrified of the pack abandoning them again, so they just instinctively return when called. I love having dogs that don't run away. Fucking sucks to have to spend half a day looking for a dog when you want to be out fishing or hiking. One really nice thing about an adult dog is that if you have him for a few weeks and don't really like him, take him back to the pound. The dog will be no worse off than he was before (in fact, he's had a stay of execution), and you're only out $50 or so in fees. If you get a puppy and decide you don't like him when he's 2 or 3, you are really screwing that pooch over if you send him to the pound.
BTW--I think some people just have a knack for knowing when they see a good pound dog. I don't know why. Sometimes you can just see the dog they could be if they weren't trapped in that cage. But I've known people who suck at picking dogs too. *shrug*
Say hello to Rudy Fernandez! Got him from the OHS. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...d=1105064218&ref=fbx_album&fbid=1360233201614
