MsMagnolia Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Ok.. throwing my 2 cents in. If you want an amazing dog that likes to interact with it's family and does not shed at all get a poodle. They were bred to be hunting companions. I would reccomend the miniature varity. They can be up to 20 pounds. The standard poodle is quite a bit larger but still the same temperment. They do need training just like every other dog. They are extremely loyal and devoted to their families. I have had labs, Siberian huskies, Poodles, Shih tzus, Mutts, English sheep dogs, Chows, Border collies, Australian Shepherds, Irish setters, too many to name.... Sheesh we have had too many dogs. Each one has their own personalities and endearing qualities. If possible get to know the dog you choose before you take it home. Happy dog picking! Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsMagnolia Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Oh and goldfish are extremely long lived fish... they can live well over 25 years. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Poodles are great dogs. They're not for everybody, though. From what you shared of your household - this is what you need to watch out for: 1.) Poodles are very intelligent. They're a little bit different in intelligence than a Golden Retriever because the Golden Retriever are easy-going, always wanting to please dogs. The poodle is a bit more on the regal side where they have a "mind of their own" and can be stubborn. Basically, they can learn Sit very easily, but they will not Sit unless they think it's a good idea. So, this is what I mean by the importance of pack hierarchy. The poodle owner will need to establish pack hierarchy wherein the poodle knows and is comfortable with the owner being the Alpha. 2.) Poodles require grooming. You can't just let their hair grow like Golden Retrievers. The poodle hair traps shedded hair, skin cells, and dirt. Therefore, grooming is a must. Poodle owners usually send poodles to professional groomers monthly. 3.) Poodles are athletic dogs. Exercise is a must. They can get extremely attached to their owners that just letting them out in the backyard on their own is not going to work out. So, yes, you have an edge on this because you have children who jog. But this needs to be a consistent part of their day. If their energy is not spent, they will be "jumping out of their skin" in the house and they will bark constantly at any movement. Poodles have retriever qualities and have a relatively strong prey instinct. If they're not exercised enough and they get bored, they might give your cat grief among other things. A tired poodle is a happy, quiet, poodle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharky Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Wow! Our shelter lets you take them home for good the very day you walk in. No questions asked- literally. I get the feeling they are just glad to be rid of any animal taken off thier hands. When we lived in MN they were much more strict about what homes they would let animals go to. You had to pull serious strings to take a pet to home with little kids under three.Every place I've lived had County Animal Shelters (the "dog catcher"). Walk in, select the animal you like, pay the fees & walk out with it in a matter of minutes .... or put a hold on it, come back, visit a few times, etc, then pay the fees & take it home or change your mind.All seem to offer a period of time for a "no questions" return, some were 14-days others 30-days.Rescues on the other hand, some have a lot of hoops to jump thru with home visits & fences etc. Some are not as strict others are. Some, like our local "Dumb Friends" only requires "home visits" & applications with "large dogs" "livestock" & "special cases" (that would be like an agressive dog or a breed that is predisposed to aggression or a bred that some communities have banned). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishcolleen Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 I have a bichon. She is wonderful. We got her at a rescue. She had been horrible abused. You would never know it now. She is happy & playful. She is hypoallergenic and there is no shedding at all! Bichons have tons of energy. My dog can walk for several miles with me. They are sturdy even though they are small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 I have a bichon. She is wonderful. We got her at a rescue. She had been horrible abused. You would never know it now. She is happy & playful. She is hypoallergenic and there is no shedding at all! Bichons have tons of energy. My dog can walk for several miles with me. They are sturdy even though they are small.I have a bichon too! My husband calls him the cat. Lol. He has more cat qualities than dog - wouldn't chew on toys, wouldn't chase, wouldn't play tug, wouldn't eat treats... He loves to run around and around very very fast then jump in your lap and snooze... I love this dog. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SquidMom Posted November 7, 2012 Report Share Posted November 7, 2012 Well, what it will really come down to in the end is the dog's personality. Every breed has it's +/-, but you will know the right one for you when you find it. Might even be a female named Snickerdoodle! You can't control who you fall in love with, and I think it's the same with pets. We were actually looking for a small dog (for our tiny house) online when we both saw our poodle on a shelter website. We visited him 3 times before taking him home, but it was love at first sight.Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirkwood Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Get a cat or two, you will be happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlimac Posted November 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Get a cat or two, you will be happier.I have one. The dog isn't for me. I'm more of a cat person. I'm not crazy about their snooty independence but love it when they jump on your lap and purr. And they are so much easier to care for. The dog is for the kids and hubby. I know I will be the one taking care of it primarily, but it will be a family member and that's my job. To take care of any family member that's home with me during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirkwood Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 I understand, I was just perpetuating the cat dog battle I'm engaged in on another board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo2002 Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 You should try adopting a dog, mutts usually don't come with all the health problems of a pure breed. You can also find pure bred dogs in adoption groups. I have two Brussels Griffons, I actually think one might be an Affenpinscher. One is a rescue and one is from a breeder. They aren't good dogs for small children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leelin Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 · Hidden Hidden that is quite good Link to comment
carlimac Posted November 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 You should try adopting a dog, mutts usually don't come with all the health problems of a pure breed. You can also find pure bred dogs in adoption groups. I have two Brussels Griffons, I actually think one might be an Affenpinscher. One is a rescue and one is from a breeder. They aren't good dogs for small children.We've been to the pound several times. There were mostly pitbull mixes and Border Collies, neither of which will work for our family. I'm too scared of pit bulls. I know that many say they are wonderful gentle and loyal family dogs but I've read about too many of those gentle dogs that just "snapped" and attacked. I won't take the risk. Our location isn't conducive to Border Collies or anything that runs. We live too close to busy roads. My sister had a Border Collie that got out of the fence easily and ran ran ran. They finally took him to a farm. (a real one. Not "the farm" if you know what I mean.)We're now looking closely at Goldendoodles. Expensive but sweet, smart and non-shedding. They're a little bigger than I wanted but I could put up with a bigger dog again if it didn't shed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 We've been to the pound several times. There were mostly pitbull mixes and Border Collies, neither of which will work for our family. I'm too scared of pit bulls. I know that many say they are wonderful gentle and loyal family dogs but I've read about too many of those gentle dogs that just "snapped" and attacked. I won't take the risk. Our location isn't conducive to Border Collies or anything that runs. We live too close to busy roads. My sister had a Border Collie that got out of the fence easily and ran ran ran. They finally took him to a farm. (a real one. Not "the farm" if you know what I mean.)We're now looking closely at Goldendoodles. Expensive but sweet, smart and non-shedding. They're a little bigger than I wanted but I could put up with a bigger dog again if it didn't shed.I won't harp on the "pit bull" issue. I believe this breed can be a wonderful pet BUT they're not for everyone and not for my family either.I do strongly encourage you to continue researching more on various breeds and NOT resort to a backyard breeder. This expression refers to individuals that breed to make a buck through whatever means, such as, creating designer dogs by mixing breeds and slapping fancy taglines on them. This is not responsible, especially when there are already so many existing breeds out there that need homes. A responsible registered breeder will NOT sell designer breeds. If you run across an AKC registered breeder that is milling dogs, you can and should report them to the association, as this is very much frowned upon. There is actually a list available somewhere online that warns people of AKC offenders who have done this. Hopefully some things for you to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishcolleen Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 I have a bichon too! My husband calls him the cat. Lol. He has more cat qualities than dog - wouldn't chew on toys, wouldn't chase, wouldn't play tug, wouldn't eat treats... He loves to run around and around very very fast then jump in your lap and snooze... I love this dog. Lol.My Bichon is like a cat when it comes to obedience- she won't do anything unless you are offering her a treat. She is obsessed with her toys. She makes more of a mess with her toys than my kids did. She loves stuffed toys with squeakers. She has several and by the end of the day they are scattered throughout the house.Her goals in life are to catch a squirrel and a cat. She hates them with a passion! If she sees one outside she goes crazy. Just like in the movie UP, we can say squirrel or kitty and she gets excited and runs to the door to be let out.It is so funny when they run around! We call it the Bichon Buzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo2002 Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 There's two websites that I went to to find my dog Chewy. You'd be surprised at how many groups take in dogs, not just the City pound. Of course these groups usually charge up to $300 for adopting a dog.Pet Adoption - Search dogs or cats near you. Adopt a Pet Today. Pictures of dogs and cats who need a home. Search by breed, age, size and color. Adopt a dog, Adopt a cat.Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on PetfinderJust put in your State and what type of dog you are looking for. Some of these agencies will transport a dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlimac Posted November 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 I won't harp on the "pit bull" issue. I believe this breed can be a wonderful pet BUT they're not for everyone and not for my family either.I do strongly encourage you to continue researching more on various breeds and NOT resort to a backyard breeder. This expression refers to individuals that breed to make a buck through whatever means, such as, creating designer dogs by mixing breeds and slapping fancy taglines on them. This is not responsible, especially when there are already so many existing breeds out there that need homes. A responsible registered breeder will NOT sell designer breeds. If you run across an AKC registered breeder that is milling dogs, you can and should report them to the association, as this is very much frowned upon. There is actually a list available somewhere online that warns people of AKC offenders who have done this. Hopefully some things for you to consider.Not to worry. We're doing our research. The ones we're checking out are "certified". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Registered/certified breeders become BYB when they decide to irresponsibly breed designer dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo2002 Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 The only way you can tell it's a good breeder is if you can visit the home and see how the dogs are kept. If the breeder doesn't allow that I would look somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 The only way you can tell it's a good breeder is if you can visit the home and see how the dogs are kept. If the breeder doesn't allow that I would look somewhere else.THIS plus what I said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlimac Posted November 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) The only way you can tell it's a good breeder is if you can visit the home and see how the dogs are kept. If the breeder doesn't allow that I would look somewhere else.This is what we've been planning to do. When we were looking for our Golden Retriever we went to a home selling them and found the puppies with rashes all over them. The owner seemed surprised that we had found anything wrong. We hustled out of there. We eventually bought our dog from a vet who had bred the litter with two great dogs and kept the puppies clean and healthy. Our girl was the best dog ever! OK, she wasn't perfect. She DID take forever to find a place to poop and that's not fun to wait around for in subzero winters in MN. We didn't have a fenced yard that we could just let her out in and we lived on a park so we had to walk her out to a field to do her doodie. Leish laws are very strict in MN. I've heard this pickiness is characteristic of female dogs. So I think we're going to try a male this time. Edited November 9, 2012 by carlimac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlimac Posted November 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Registered/certified breeders become BYB when they decide to irresponsibly breed designer dogs.What's BYB?So you're basically saying it's unethical to get a Golden Doodle? To each his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 What's BYB?So you're basically saying it's unethical to get a Golden Doodle? To each his own.I suspect backyard breeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 My Bichon is like a cat when it comes to obedience- she won't do anything unless you are offering her a treat. She is obsessed with her toys. She makes more of a mess with her toys than my kids did. She loves stuffed toys with squeakers. She has several and by the end of the day they are scattered throughout the house.Her goals in life are to catch a squirrel and a cat. She hates them with a passion! If she sees one outside she goes crazy. Just like in the movie UP, we can say squirrel or kitty and she gets excited and runs to the door to be let out.It is so funny when they run around! We call it the Bichon Buzz.LOLOL!!!!! Bichon Buzz! That's completely accurate! LOL!You know, I'd say a Bichon Frise is better than a Labradoodle or any other whatever-doodle...They can be difficult to potty train but not too bad if you do the crate training. My bichon is potty trained but he's a "marker". He has anxiety issues so he would mark and mark and mark all around his "space"... he wears a belly band so the pee ends up in the band and not on the spot he wants to mark so he would go around and around and around marking and marking. LOL!I have to say - Bichons are quirky but they're super duper awesome cute loving crazy dogs. LOL!!!!!Yeah, check them out! They will jog, and if you're too busy to jog, they'll be just happy doing their Bichon Buzz. LOL. They are lap dogs - so they can get really attached to people. They're small dogs - mine is about 18 lbs. but I saw a Bichon at the meet that was 25 lbs and taller than my dog! The dog doesn't shed. Needs grooming, of course. May need a little bit more vet than Golden Retrievers as they are prone to allergies and teeth problems. But a good dog food should lower that. I use Earthborn Holistics Primitive Natural (grain free) which is $47 for a 28lb bag and besides the yearly check-up my dog has been super healthy. He's 5 years old.And here he is:Isn't he super cute? LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo2002 Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 You live in MN? I can see why you would want a bigger dog, I guess a smaller one would freeze to death in the winter, or refuse to go out to potty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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