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Why did you choose that sort of dog?

:D:D:D:D Love it ! I might just do it now Judy ! Could be quite a laugh showing people my grandpup :D:D and I am
very dotty ! Hehe ;)
 
I think buggies are great for less able dogs. It gets them out and about, they can hear and see everything, out for a little sniff, back in for a bit more. I definitely would do it.
 
Think you’ve convinced me :D they’re not too expensive either!
 
I had a Shih Tzu, he was a re home but fitted in very well. He developed a cancer of a nerve sheath, (it had a long name that I cant remember), it started by affecting his front right leg initially only slightly but it got worse until he couldn't use that leg at all. I was never sure if he couldn't move it or he couldn't feel what it was doing but fortunately he did not appear to be in pain. It did affect his exercise though he got tired quicker but still wanted to come out with us. So I got a buggy, (well ok I got two one for pavements the other for off road), and it was brilliant, when we got to where I could let Folly off lead I lifted him out and he enjoyed himself. Eventually when he got tired he came to me and looked at the buggy so I put him in and carried on with our walk. Eventually of course it spread and started affecting his back right leg as well. It wasn't long after that he couldn't stand at all so I had to let him go. Using the buggies allowed him to enjoy the last year of his life so I was glad I got them and I didn't bother what anyone thought, the people I know asked about him but strangers knew nothing they most likely thought I was a crazy fella. The big problem was Folly, all the time she just stuck next to him, on the floor or in a buggy she was next to him, for that year she only ran at racing.
 
He was a lucky boy to still get out and about in his buggy, I shall definitely do this for Lily :) might need an off roader then ;) also thought about one of those trailers that sit behind a bike but not sure if she’d enjoy it as our tracks are quite bumpy ...don’t want her getting travel sick :(
 
Hmmm... we always had dogs growing up. First was a lab called Lucy who died of old age when I was very young. Then we had a collie x called Sheena and a rescue white GSD x lab called Toffee. She had so, so many issues... all resulting from zero training and she was quite a big dog. She belonged to an alcoholic who used to leave her roaming the streets at night, then when the family were having a baby and asked my Mum if she'd have her and if not she'd be put down :/ they both died of old age. We didn't have a dog for years until my Mum got a little sheltie called Rosie who was just the sweetest little angel. She died last year at 14/15 of cancer and something else that I can't remember right now.

Then me and my husband decided to get a dog, I've always loved golden cockers and my extended family always had gundogs. So I thought a little show cocker would fit the bill. We were living in a rural part of Scotland at the time and husband was going away on tour later in the year so wanted him around to help with the puppy bit. Couldn't find any breeders or litters of cockers remotely near us. I would have travelled further had the kids been older... anyway we chose Teddy who, at a very large Springer size, is the biggest 'cocker' I have ever seen. We love him so much. The children absolutely dote on him too. He was a very full-on pup but has mellowed a lot. Especially since the last puppy I'd encountered was the very sweet, laid-back sheltie who house-trained herself. Teddy was a hurricane of energy and naughtiness. He has mellowed a lot now and absolutely completes our family. I even love his bigger size as he makes me feel a bit protected when I'm out walking him or when we are alone in the house. And he can keep up on runs with my husband too.
 
Mayblossom said:
That’s quite spooky as I was just about to ask how old is too old to take on a puppy :rolleyes: Lily is coming up 11 this year and I don’t feel old enough ( 68) to be without a dog :) My hubby really wants another spaniel because he misses Molly ( our girl we lost 7 months ago) so much and I catch him watching every spaniel we meet and getting quite emotional. I know it would be me that did all the training etc as he is still working. We’ve had our name down for a rescue spaniel but because Lily isn’t the easiest dog it’s difficult to find something suitable from rescue, a lot have problems which I’m not sure I’m brave enough to cope with but could I cope with puppyhood again :( Lily could live to a grand old age and by then I definitely will be too old :D
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We've recently has this conversation too. Hubby thinks as he is 56 that our two terriers might be our last lot....he thinks that he is too old then should we get good 14-15 years out of them.
I told him "OH NOOOO they are not!" Reasoning that he is not ready to keel over quite yet and as long as we've got some air going in and out of lungs, we shall have a pooch or two of some sort!!! :D
I read him some of these replies of this conversation to hammer it through his thick skull folk in a more mature range is still keeping dogs....why shouldn't us if we are well enough!? o_O
 
All my dogs over the years have just kinda come my way, ranging from young Alsatian crosses, heinz 57's, collie/lab, collie/spaniel, oap yorkies...and their ages at adoption have ranged from 8weeks to 12 years old! At the moment, after Jake, I am dog free.. but as I do 1 to 1 dog walks and 1 to 1 home boarding I have many dogs in my life, thankfully, all I have known these last few years so have a lovely relationship with. I would actually be lost without these dogs in my life. Sometimes I do hanker after having my own dog again but it would be difficult I feel to take on a rescue and then expect them to share their new home. With Jake I was so lucky as he was incredibly chilled out and all my boarders came and met him first and they all built a relationship with him over the years and it worked. So for now I will stick to what's working and enjoy being a part time 'mum' to quite a few dogs!:)
 
There's always been dog's in my life couldn't be without them.
My first was Sam our cocker spaniel he was my shadow went everywhere with me, when I got up early to go to the stables he came too, he died at 18years old still miss his cheeky face.
Then when I got my own home I took in Suzie she was a Heinz dog! Lots of varieties lol my first proper puppy she was a little sweetheart, when she was 3 we adopted Zak my best friend a border collie such a gentleman. Suzie became ill and started having lots of seizures she would constantly leak out her back end and got very poorly, at the age of 12 we made the decision to put her to sleep the vet's said it was time i miss her. Zak was lost without her so we decided months after losing her we wanted to get another dog along came Marley! The whippet problem started there :confused: when Marley turned 3 along came Oliver, 6 month after getting him Zak took a stroke and we had to put him to sleep, he's been the hardest lose I've ever experienced I still cry when I think of him. When Oliver turned 18mth along came Rolo my husband says that's my last but we'll see you can never have to many whippets!
 
At the moment we have 5 dogs at home. 3 of them are terriers and they are dogs that other people didn't want so we took them in. We also have 2 Chihuahuas that we bought from puppies, and the reason for that is that they are small, clean and funny little characters. Ours have turned out well behaved and get along great with the bigger dogs.

But, if I were to choose another dog breed to raise from puppy it would be a Border Collie. I say this because they are probably the most intelligent dogs, have a pretty good lifespan and are energetic/playful. We had one from the rescue home when I was little and he used to learn things so easily and was so smart he had selective hearing as he knew when something was good or bad for him. I find intelligence and athletic ability interesting and that's the main reasons i would chose border Collies as my favourite breed.
 
I adopted Hugo as a pup, as I thought he was a collie cross sighthound, to do agility with. Turned out it was Borzoi not collie. However, he still made Grade 6, when we took the decision to retire him, as the courses weren’t fun for him any more, lots of fiddly ins and outs, scoops, and pull through. It’s a very collie/shepherding breed sport, no matter what they say,
 
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Mitchell Perry, after having a number of Border Collies I would say that the same dog can be either one of the best or one of the worst dogs as a pet depending on the people. In my opinion if they have 'work' to do and are trained as the sensitive creatures they are then they make wonderful pet dogs when not working, but if they haven't or are not trained properly they can make a horrible dog to live with. For sure they have been the only breed we had that when you started teaching them something new you could see them thinking and trying to work out what you wanted them to do.
 
Biker John said:
For sure they have been the only breed we had that when you started teaching them something new you could see them thinking and trying to work out what you wanted them to do.
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My experience of working with Collies was that when I was teaching them something new they had already worked out what I wanted them to do and had usually come up with a better idea :oops:
 
I saw a lot of examples of what you’re talking about in agility, BikerJohn, The well trained collies were quiet, responsive, knew their jobs, had clear, quick efficient rounds. Others were barking mad, stressed to the eyeballs, whirling and twirling, knocking down jumps right, left and centre. We found with our smooth collie, who was unable to cope with the show environment, when we did run him for a season, you had to give him the command for the second obstacle before he was over the first. He loved working, but the whole environment was overwhelming fir him. Although there are only smooth collie show lines left now in the UK, it was almost like he was a throwback to the working smooth collie.
 
Mine is a toy cockapoo my first ever dog he is cute, small, well behaved and full of energy a ball of fun
 
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