people and their pets

**starbuck** · March 30th, 2006, 05:04 PM

to the poster who had their dog shot-----shameful. I hope the person who did it has jail time. Unless the dog is coming at you in an agressive manner and you fear for your life or the life of another person or pet there is no excuse for this action.

I have 3 dogs and as said in another thread they don't stay outside when we are not home. All three are inside dogs. they range from 7lb to 14lb to 95lb. I don't trust people at all. Sure I live in a good neighborhood but you never know who will be passing through.
I hate to see a dog tied up to a tree but sometimes that is all some can afford. If you just leave the dog in the backyard tied up that isn't a life. Dogs need interaction. they are pack animals. they love "family but also the best dogs can get that pack mentality when in large groups roaming free. No matter how unaggressive dogs are there is always that chance something in them will click wrong one day. how many times have you heard stories about the family dog all of a sudden becoming aggressive to a child that has been raised in the home with. that is why they say never leave your young children alone with even the family pet.
What really gets under my skin is when you see a dog tied up to a tree but the people have new cars, or they go out and buy $150 in video games or movies a month instead of saving a couple months and making a nice fenced in area for their "pets"..
as I have also stated on the board before there are a lot of people who want purebread dogs so they can say they have a pure so and so. Trophy dogs wasting away on a chain. Help save a life and adopt from a shelter. Shelter dogs can be so great but have their quirks too that you have to work through if you get an older dog.
If you have a dog they don't need to be treated like an animal. You made that decision to add to your family.You took the time to take it in, treat it like a pet or family. They see you as family and you should repay that or give the animal to a family that will treat it that way.

**imported_elp6n** · March 30th, 2006, 07:14 PM

Do consider rescue animals if you are looking into getting a pet. Mutts are great pets.
If you're dead-set on a purebred sometimes you can get purebred dogs from shelters.

We have 2 purebreds and 2 mutts, and a mutt who has taken up temporary residency with us in our basement.

The 2 housemutts are...umm....unique.

I got Omega from the Norton Dog Pound (the old one). He was a last minute rescue, saved from euthanasia while his siblings & mom were put down.
He grins (full mouth of teeth showing) when he's happy to see someone. He walks on his hind legs. He "talks." He was housebroken in one day and learned to "sit" in less than five minutes of instruction.

Aiko was from the Sullivan County pound.
She's a character too, although the jury is still out on her "skills" (she's just a puppy). She has a unique look that you dont get from a specific breed.

Also - mutts tend to be healthier. They dont have those breed-specific ailments purebreds are prone to:
Back problems & allergies in dachshunds
Skin problems in pugs, bulldogs
Breeding problems in bulldogs, boston terriers
Hip Displaysia in labs, german shepherds
Etc.

My sister, and also a forum member (Craes), work with a local group: In His Hands Dog Rescue.
Check them out: http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/VA378.html

**1inStripes** · March 30th, 2006, 07:16 PM

I agree starbuck. I have a beagle, and have kept them all my life. I do keep him in a pen when I am not home, but normally everyday I let him out, even if I will be home for a few minutes. I have one person in the area who I do not trust, or I wouldn't worry about leaving him out all the time, other than his love for deer.

**SWVA-Football** · March 30th, 2006, 07:17 PM

Great post, I agree 100%. If you're going to get a pet, take care of it like it's a family member!

Heck, speaking of that, one of my ferrets is sick right now and we're having to give it medicine through a syringe like a person at a hospital/doctor or something... but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do! He's sick, can't let him worsen! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Speaking of the dog chained up deal.. that's probably one of the more sickening things that I see everywhere. I mean, for Christs's sake, if you're going to get a dog and chain it up, just unchain it and let it run off to someplace else. Maybe that'd at least give the dog a chance of running into a better owner, or a place that would be 10 times better for it. No creature wants to sit on a chain all day long, all week long.