Adopting a dog.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

As you may know from a previous thread, I had to have my dog put to sleep last week. We've gradually gotten to the point that we think we are ready to fill the vast void with a new best friend.

I went with my sister to the pet store today and we found a dog that we fell in love with right away, same breed and everything as our last, but I've heard bad things about buying from a pet store.

So my question for you Columbus zoners is, do any of you have any experience with shelters/animal rescues in the area? Any help at all would be appreciated, as I've never really gone through the process before. Best places to look, places to avoid etc.

[Red Leader]

The best dog we ever owned my wife bought from a pet store. She ridiculously overpaid for him, and he had a few issues (his tale, in particular, was cropped wayyy too short), but he was the best dog we've ever owned.

If you are going to adopt from a shelter or rescue place I would strongly advise getting a young puppy. Not a dog that has been in a home before. We rescued another dog from an owner's home. They advertised her as free to a good home and my wife went to pick her up and she was locked in a closet with a water bowl. The dog was severely messed up mentally and we recently had to send her off to a rescue shelter where they were going to put her through tests to see if she was capable of being "saved and later placed" or if she would have to be put down. That dog should have been put to sleep before we got her and shouldn't have been placed in another home. Just FYI, you don't want to adopt an already "damaged" dog. It's a lose-lose for you and the pet.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Yeah, I'm looking almost exclusively at getting a puppy. My brother actually got my dog from a pet store and he did pretty well for himself over all those years, I've just heard lots of propaganda against pet stores recently for whatever reason, so I'm not ruling it out, just looking at exercising all my options first.

[Yachtzee]

Yeah, I'm looking almost exclusively at getting a puppy. My brother actually got my dog from a pet store and he did pretty well for himself over all those years, I've just heard lots of propaganda against pet stores recently for whatever reason, so I'm not ruling it out, just looking at exercising all my options first.

It's tough with the pet stores. I suppose it helps to look online to see if there's anything about where that pet shop gets its dogs. The concern is that the pet shops go through puppy mills, which overbreed dogs for money making purposes, without regard to potential health or hereditary issues that breed might have, then keep the dogs in unsanitary and inhumane conditions. On the other hand, you see those puppies in there and even if you don't like where it came from, it's hard to say "no" to a puppy when it looks into your eyes.

[Joseph]

Conversely, remember that everyone wants a cute little puppy and many of those 'dogs' you will walk by will end up put down if someone with a big heart doesn't take them.

Sure there are going to be problem dogs, but I'd wager they aren't as prevalent as you might think and many of the dogs in the shelter are just fine and looking for a nice home.

[dabvu2498]

I PMed HHF with some info, but I also wanted to post here that I have been involved in Greyhound rescue, specifically Team Greyhound Adoption of Ohio (www.teamgreyhound.com) for the past 5 years. I'd encourage anyone looking for a slightly used dog to consider a greyhound.

Greys get a bad rap because the perception is that they are so mistreated as racers that they'll never socialize. This program is different. They take dogs from the track to Ohio prisons for 3-4 months to allow the inmate-workers to help socialize them. It's a fantastic program for dogs and humans. Greys are outstanding dogs.

I have three right now.

http://www.teamgreyhound.com/available_greyhounds.htm

[Yachtzee]

I PMed HHF with some info, but I also wanted to post here that I have been involved in Greyhound rescue, specifically Team Greyhound Adoption of Ohio (www.teamgreyhound.com) for the past 5 years. I'd encourage anyone looking for a slightly used dog to consider a greyhound.

Greys get a bad rap because the perception is that they are so mistreated as racers that they'll never socialize. This program is different. They take dogs from the track to Ohio prisons for 3-4 months to allow the inmate-workers to help socialize them. It's a fantastic program for dogs and humans. Greys are outstanding dogs.

I have three right now.

http://www.teamgreyhound.com/available_greyhounds.htm

A good rescue organization like this is also a good option because they take time to get to know the dogs so that they can match you with a dog that will better fit your household. For example, if a dog has a tendency to nip or is nervous around kids, they won't put them in a house with small children.

[Yachtzee]

I know labs are pretty popular, but I was checking out this page and couldn't help but notice all the pups with names of Reds players.

http://www.rescuealab.com/dogs/index.html

[dabvu2498]

A good rescue organization like this is also a good option because they take time to get to know the dogs so that they can match you with a dog that will better fit your household. For example, if a dog has a tendency to nip or is nervous around kids, they won't put them in a house with small children.

True, true. For the first grey that I adopted, TGAO did a home visit and everything. It took me longer to get a dog than for Angelina Jolie to adopt a Vietnamese child.

[TeamCasey]

Are you considering a particular breed? If so, I'd look for a breeder. Someone who shows dogs and raises that breed for themselves.

A shelter dog is great too. Talk to your shelter. They should be fine with you spending some time there before making a final decision. We used to encourage it because our goal was to make successful matches.

[TeamCasey]

I'm not a fan of cats and dogs from pet stores, simply because of the puppy farms.

[Red Heeler]

I'm not a fan of cats and dogs from pet stores, simply because of the puppy farms.

Yep, puppy mills are bottom of the barrel as far as I am concerned, although the dogs they produce do tend to put a lot of money in veterinarians' pockets.

If you want to buy a purebred dog, go to a reputable breeder. If the conditions at the breeder's place is not satisfactory to you, move on. If you are looking at retrievers or other sporting/working dogs, go to a breeder who uses their dogs "in the field" rather than for show.

My practice does work for a local rescue organization. In my experience, the dogs they have are there for a reason. Maybe you can overlook the flaws in those dogs, and maybe you can't. Make sure they allow a "test drive" period if you choose to go that route. On the other hand, my boss does have several greyhounds who were rescued off the track, and they are very nice dogs. Dogs out of shelters can run anywhere from wonderful to nearly unacceptable. The nicer shelters now have play areas where you can spend some time with the dog before making a decision. In the case of either rescues or shelters, the younger the dog, the better chance you have of getting less problems.

Wherever you decide to get your dog, don't make up your mind on the first visit. At the least, go out for lunch and talk it over. If you like the dog as well or better on the second visit, then you have made a good decision. If you don't like the dog as well the second time, keep looking.

Vaccinations, deworming, heartworm preventative, and flea control are all VERY important to the health of you dog. A visit with your veterinarian the week after you get your new dog is important. Also, please spay or neuter.

Good luck!

[paintmered]

Go here first.

http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/index.cfm?nav_area=future_dog_owners

[remdog]

I PMed HHF with some info, but I also wanted to post here that I have been involved in Greyhound rescue, specifically Team Greyhound Adoption of Ohio (www.teamgreyhound.com) for the past 5 years. I'd encourage anyone looking for a slightly used dog to consider a greyhound.

Greys get a bad rap because the perception is that they are so mistreated as racers that they'll never socialize. This program is different. They take dogs from the track to Ohio prisons for 3-4 months to allow the inmate-workers to help socialize them. It's a fantastic program for dogs and humans. Greys are outstanding dogs.

I have three right now.

http://www.teamgreyhound.com/available_greyhounds.htm

I have a deep love for sighthounds like afghans and greyhounds. (Met a terrific borzoi last night---she was beautiful!) Most people hear greyhound, afghan or look at them and think 'OMG, they'll need to run all the time!' Not so---yes, they like to run when they have the opportunity but they are just as happy as 'couch potatoes'. Stake out a cushy spot and they are happy as a pig in slop. Great temperment, good with kids and other dogs.

Remdog's 'running mate', Stevie (a blond afi named after Stevie Nicks for the similar hair) was a rescue from the pound. She was terrific, loving funny and, other than getting car sick whenever we tried to take her somewhere (:laugh: ) no physical problems.

Rem

[creek14]

We stole both of our dogs.

The one we had to put down last week lived across the street from my mother-in-law. He was just a pup and the people who owned him were abusive. My mother-in-law called the cops, but they said they couldn't do anything unless the saw the abuse or signs of it.

So one day he broke off his chain and was running out in traffic. My mother-in-law picked him up, put him in the car and drove him to our house. He lived a pampered and loved life for 16.5 years after that.

The other dog lived in a home where she was ignored. Totally. The parents got a divorce and asked us if we could keep her until one of them found an apt that would take pets. FOUR years later the wife asked for her back (hadn't even called to see how she was all that time). We refused. That pup is now 16 and queen of the house.

So I said all that to say this. Rescue a dog. Maybe a little more conventionally than we did, but a rescued dog is a great dog.

[WebScorpion]

So I said all that to say this. Rescue a dog. Maybe a little more conventionally than we did, but a rescued dog is a great dog.

That goes for all other pets too. Cats, Ginuea Pigs, Turtles, Hamsters, Gerbils, Ferrets, Birds, Fish, Snakes, Horses, etc. I was amazed at how many different types of pets need to be rescued. :eek:

Try PetFinder (http://www.petfinder.com/) for starters.

You can try PetSmart (http://www.petsmart.com/adoptions/index.shtml) too, and I'm sure there are more if you don't find what you want in these two places.

[zombielady]

I PMed HHF with some info, but I also wanted to post here that I have been involved in Greyhound rescue, specifically Team Greyhound Adoption of Ohio (www.teamgreyhound.com) for the past 5 years. I'd encourage anyone looking for a slightly used dog to consider a greyhound.

Greys get a bad rap because the perception is that they are so mistreated as racers that they'll never socialize. This program is different. They take dogs from the track to Ohio prisons for 3-4 months to allow the inmate-workers to help socialize them. It's a fantastic program for dogs and humans. Greys are outstanding dogs.

I have three right now.

http://www.teamgreyhound.com/available_greyhounds.htm

I worked at the Greyhound park in Dubuque, and adopted a female. She was so awesome. I got her straight from the park.

[chicoruiz]

One thing that worked for us: letting the shelter workers "scout" for you. We struck up a conversation with a shelter volunteer during a visit and established a rapport, asking her to keep her eyes open for something special. We later got a call from her saying "we have one here that's just so sweet; I can't imagine him having to be euthanized". We adopted him and he's been terrific.

[Spring~Fields]

That goes for all other pets too. Cats, Ginuea Pigs, Turtles, Hamsters, Gerbils, Ferrets, Birds, Fish, Snakes, Horses, etc. I was amazed at how many different types of pets need to be rescued. :eek:

Try PetFinder (http://www.petfinder.com/) for starters.

You can try PetSmart (http://www.petsmart.com/adoptions/index.shtml) too, and I'm sure there are more if you don't find what you want in these two places.

We used petfinders to get dogs from Columbus, Dayton and London Ohio.

[dabvu2498]

I was thinking about this thread last night.

I went out to do a little fishing at a spot about 10 miles from my home that's owned by the ODNR. Real rural area,close to the Butler-Preble County line. Nice little lake with some decent fish in it. I was planning on fishing from the bank and was on my way to my little spot, hiking through some pretty heavy cover. Came upon a beagle. Appeared to be older.

So I figured somebody was further along the bank fishing and had lost sight of their pooch. Walked on around the bank until I got to a point where the "path" vanishes. Nobody was around that way.

The dog had followed me fairly closely, so I turned around and the dog just plopped down on the ground. I cautiously approached and saw that the dog had been severely injured (I'd guess by a coyote) and had stitches running from his neck, along his right side, and almost to his groin. He had a collar, but no tags.

I had some cheese in my bag and he ate that right up. Finally convinced him to follow me out of the woods, back to the parking lot. There was an old, soggy salami sandwich that someone had dropped and he ate it right up.

If he'd gotten in the car willingly, I'd have another dog right now, but he wouldn't. So I called the PC dog warden. He's in the animal shelter in Eaton right now. If no one claims him before his "time is up" (10 days, I think), I guess I'll have one more animal in my odd little menagerie.

[Edskin]

Won't help much for those of you in Ohio......but this is THE best animal shelter I've ever seen or heard of. Got our dog from there, and we know many people who have done the same. Amazing work these people do.

http://www.petsandpeople.com/browse/petdirdogs.htm

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I figured I would update this thread. We ended up waiting awhile, but today we finally started the process of adopting a new dog.

http://www.franklincountydogs.com/dog_view.asp?id=7333

We've got to go through the adoption process, but this little guy will be in the family soon.

I'm not equipped to go to the pounds... I find myself wanting to take home every single one of them.

[MWM]

We just adopted our second dog yesterday. We adopted the first dog in February and we also got a beagle. Beagles have a hard time getting adopted some times because there's so many of them and they can be difficult to train. We love our little guy and he's been a great dog.

We've been reading recently about how black dogs have the most difficult time getting adopted because people see them as "just another black dog." They're alwasy the first to get euthanized at shelters and pounds because of this. We decided we wanted to get a black dog and we struck gold with a 60 pound one year old black lab. He's as chill a dog as I've ever seen. Nothing startles him and we spent a decent amount of time with him and our beagle. They're a very good match. He's playful when you want to play, but otherwise he just chills out. And he's incredibly obedient already. And we named him Larkin. :)

For anyone considering a dog, I'd strongly encourage you to consider a black one. They're great dogs and I think they're very sleek looking as well.

Here are some pics of our little guys.

[Edskin]

MWM--

How anyone can look at the picture and not LOVE what dogs can bring to a family is beyond me. They look like best friends!!

And congrats HHF, it's always exciting to bring home a new member of the family. He looks great!!

[Redsfaithful]

Nothing startles him and we spent a decent amount of time with him and our beagle. They're a very good match. He's playful when you want to play, but otherwise he just chills out. And he's incredibly obedient already. And we named him Larkin. :)

Great name, my golden retriever is named Larkin. Wife and I have been talking about getting a black lab in addition for awhile now, and I hadn't ever heard that about labs having a tougher time getting adopted. I'll have to tell her that.

[vaticanplum]

Try PetFinder (http://www.petfinder.com/) for starters.

I've probably wasted five years of my life on petfinder.com. It's a great site -- you can browse not only by breed but by area too, and many of them are located at shelters close by so you can go and meet them. Be warned, though, that you will really have to be firm with yourself on what you want when you go visiting a shelter, because for me anyway the mindset immediately switches from, "no, no, I'm not home enough, I don't have enough money" to "oh my god I have to save ALL of these dogs" when you see them stacked in cages three high. Many, many shelter dogs are healthy, trained dogs too, whose owners just couldn't take care of them for whatever reason, and as someone else mentioned good shelters will be honest with you about any problems and what the dogs require because they want them to go to good-fit homes.

I became severely attached to an Akita at a shleter close to my house in Brooklyn. His name was Bear, he weighed about 160 pounds, and he was the sweetest dog I've ever seen. I used to go take him for walks about once a week, and it was heartbreaking because his owner had been an elderly man who had to give him up when he went into a nursing home and couldn't care for him anymore. It broke my heart because no matter how trained and good he was, I knew that no one on earth was going to adopt a 10-year-old Akita. Give a good dog who needs one a home. There are so many of them out there.

[MWM]

Great name, my golden retriever is named Larkin. Wife and I have been talking about getting a black lab in addition for awhile now, and I hadn't ever heard that about labs having a tougher time getting adopted. I'll have to tell her that.

If you go into any humane society or pet shelter, you'll see a large percentage of the dogs are black. They're almost always the hardest to adopt out.

Here's a couple of links:

http://www.glendalehumane.org/blackdog.html

http://www.blackpearldogs.com/


Here's an excerpt from the site of the shelter we've adopted our dogs from:

"WHY SO MANY BLACK DOGS? We often hear people complain about the number of black dogs we have in our program and feel that now is the perfect time to educate the public about how hard it is for black dogs to find homes. Black or darker colored dogs, especially the larger sized ones, are often the first to get euthanized at pounds, shelters, & humane societies when space becomes an issue. People tend to overlook the black/darker dogs for the lighter colored dogs - they see darker dogs as "just another black dog" rather than as a unique individual. It doesn't matter if the dog is purebred or not - if a dog is brought to a shelter/pound/humane society and they have dark colored fur, their chance of getting adopted is very slim. This is a shame because black dogs are just as wonderful as lighter colored dogs. Please consider adopting a darker colored dog!"

[remdog]

I've never heard the 'black dog' thing before but I'm not saying it is or isn't a fact. What I do want to say is that my favorite dog of all time (and the basis of my handle here at Redszone) was a black dog (as well as a large dog since he was an afghan hound). You could not have found a sweeter, more wonderful, more well behaved or well rounded dog anywhere. So, I too, urge you to look past the steriotypes of any dog and consider the individual dog before you. If you do your homework you, and your pet, will have a love affair for the rest of your lives. :thumbup:

Rem

[gm]

We found a free 5 year-old male beagle on craiglist, last fall. "Cooper" can be ornery/noisy but he gets along famously with our 12 year-old male Cocker ("Ollie") and now our boys have a frisky dog to play with.

[MWM]

I love beagles. They can be incredibly annoying at times as they will do theri own ting most of the time and are consumed by their noses, but they're the sweetest dogs. They're great with kids as well.

[Yachtzee]

I wonder if a lot of it has to do with shedding. Black fur has a tendency to show up on light colored carpets. Personally, I love black dogs. The best dogs I've ever had were a black lab mix and a border collie (tri-color, but predominantly black). Were I to get another dog after Traubi passes on, I'd prefer a black lab, a chocolate lab, or a newfoundland.

[Red Leader]

I wonder if a lot of it has to do with shedding. Black fur has a tendency to show up on light colored carpets. Personally, I love black dogs. The best dogs I've ever had were a black lab mix and a border collie (tri-color, but predominantly black). Were I to get another dog after Traubi passes on, I'd prefer a black lab, a chocolate lab, or a newfoundland.

If you like those three, don't rule out a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. A friend of mine in college had one and he was one of the best dogs I've ever known. Smart and had the demeanor of a golden, or a yellow lab. Cheseapeake Bay retrievers are chocolate colored with a wavy coat on their backs. Other than that, they look almost identical to chocolate labs, *without the hyperness because of that recessive gene.

http://lc.k12.mn.us/StudentSites/ECommereProjectExamples/InternetClass2005.2006/ClaffeyJim/images/Chesapeake.jpg

*for Puffy

[Edskin]

Dogs rule......

[Yachtzee]

If you like those three, don't rule out a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. A friend of mine in college had one and he was one of the best dogs I've ever known. Smart and had the demeanor of a golden, or a yellow lab. Cheseapeake Bay retrievers are chocolate colored with a wavy coat on their backs. Other than that, they look almost identical to chocolate labs, *without the hyperness because of that recessive gene.

http://lc.k12.mn.us/StudentSites/ECommereProjectExamples/InternetClass2005.2006/ClaffeyJim/images/Chesapeake.jpg

*for Puffy

Thanks for the tip. They're beautiful dogs.

[Yachtzee]

Here's my border collie mix, adopted from the Lorain Co. Animal Protection League in 1997.

[Puffy]

Chesapeake's are great dogs. Very smart and friendly, eager to please.

* By the way, for those wondering, the reason Red Leader knows so much about recessive genes is because he is a victim of a recessive gene.

[SunDeck]

The best dog I've ever had is a mutt. She's loyal, has a great disposition and was a dream to train. The girl will down stay in the middle of the street if I ask her to and is perfectly walkable off lead. Couldn't ask for a better dog.

I've had pure breeds and I worry about the disposition. Golden Retrievers, of all dogs, now have this strain of snippiness running through them from poor breeding. It's not that I object to breeding, but I think you have to be careful because some people are churning them out right and left without regard to temperment.

My vote is to go to a shelter and find a nice medium sized mix female. The girls are much easier to train, especially if they are edging out of puppyhood IMO. If I were going to adopt tomorrow I'd look for something with terrier shephard or retriever tendencies. My old girl has a lot of sheephound in her, which can be a little on the annoying side (she herds things, like kids and other dogs), but overall I think whatever else is bred into her has evened out the oddities of her sheephoundedness.