Doggie!

[gilana]

kalliejenn2, you're going to want to come hang out at my place more often... my roommate is talking about getting a dog!  Since I've been lamenting the lack of Zip-dogs (like Zip-cars, you know... rent them by the hour, and never have to deal with maintenance) this makes me very very happy.  She's just starting to think about it and is looking for advice on breeds and where to get a good non-puppy-mill dog.  Anyone have any suggestions?  We're thinking maybe a medium-size dogs; neither of us likes yippy lapdogs, but our place isn't really big enough for a really big dog.  We have no yard, but we do have parks right nearby.  And it would be good if it can deal well with cats, since she expects to bring it to her parents house often.

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

how about a jack russell terrier?

a friend of my brother john's has a fine old one and just got an adorable new puppy -- i can ask what breeder she used if you want.

[gilana]

From what I'm reading, sounds like terriers in general tend to be a little too aggressive towards cats and too high-energy for us, not to mention a little on the small side. But thanks, I'll at least mention it to her.

And thanks for fixing the internet yesterday -- I appreciated having net access while doing my freelance magic :)

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

Oh no, no, no.

Not unless the roommate is home all the time and is willing to give it enough to do so it doesn't destroy the house. Really. Jack Russels go so very, very bad unless you they have "jobs" to do. Most of the ones I've heard of are bite-y and ill behaved because the owner wanted the breed and put in no research.

That being said, the yippy-ness of most small dogs has an awful lot to do with training. I met a very mellow toy poodle last night in Porter Square Books.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

There are Zip-Dogs now! Or FlexPetz, anyway. A number of other companies and orgs do something similar as well, although I don't know if there are any around here.

If she really feels strongly about a particular breed, I suggest looking up their rescue league, otherwise more general rescue groups will have a variety of doggies available that may or may not be purebred.

[gilana]

That's awesome! Wow, I had been joking about it -- so cool that someone is really doing it.

We're definitely talking about looking into rescues, and also exploring non-purebred if we can find a reputable shelter that can help us know what to expect from a given dog. I'm a big fan of mutts, myself, but it can be a little harder to know what you're getting into.

[vanguardcdk.livejournal.com]

We had a mutt when I was growing up, mostly golden retriever with a few other things mixed in. Just the most loving doggie you've ever seen. :)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

SQUEEEE! I hope FlexPet comes to Boston!!!

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

they ARE coming to boston!!! it's on their "just announced new sites" section!

[bismuthobsidian.livejournal.com]

According to their website they are coming to Boston.

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

OMG, HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS????? *faints*

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

Dog!!!!

My parents have a schnauzer/poodle mix. When they were doing their research on dog breeds, most of their sources said that schnauzers have really sweet tempers and aren't outrageously stupid as dogs go. They come in many different sizes, as there are minis, standards and giants which get mixed with other friendly dog breeds. :)

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

My parents have an absolutely wonderful pembroke welsh corgi. She barks, but not incessantly; she's energetic, but not hyper; she's a perfect medium size. She's beautiful and intelligent and she gets along swimmingly with my parents' 3 cats (although their latest cat is an only recently-neutered tom who bullies her, rather than the other way around).

Like most working breed dogs, she's intelligent and has a fair amount of energy. I've never heard of corgis going bad the way so many intelligent and energetic dogs do if they're bored or neglected, but I suppose it's more of a risk than it would be with a more laid-back breed. But a lot of that's a size thing, isn't it? The larger the dog, the more laid-back, generally? Anyway, she's wonderful. So I suggest looking into corgis (as well as other breeds & options) in her search, to see if it sounds like a good match for her!

[bacall.livejournal.com]

Although I grew up with purebred yorkies (oy, the yappiness!), I'm a big fan of mixed breeds. I highly recommend the Animal Rescue League in the South End. Not only did I adopt my cats there, I also used to be a volunteer. They do a very thorough screening of all animals that come through for adoption, especially the dogs. They test them for behavioral issues, cat friendliness, safety with children, etc., and give you the whole story before allowing you to adopt. It's a great program and definitely worth checking out.

And you probably already know this, but petfinder.com lists thousands of doggies looking for a home.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

The Animal Rescue League of South Boston and Angel Memorial have great pets that need adopting. Generally the Rescue League is cats, but Angel Memorial always has all sorts of animals and resources on how to find others in the area. The advantage of getting a rescue animal is that the place where you get them will give them all the shots and necessary surgeries, etc., at a low cost to you.

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

i have a really lovely book about puppies (it's a dummies book) that takes you through the different breeds and recommends which are good for apartments, people who aren't home all day, etc. you can borrow if you'd like. oh, and *SQUEEEE* - you will see me a LOT MORE!!! if there is a doggie nearby! (i'll even volunteer to walk it for free sometimes!)

[bismuthobsidian.livejournal.com]

www.petfinder.com

That site lists many of the rescue animals in your surrounding area w/pics and info. A general rule but not hard rule is that medium size dogs usually need more excercise. Big dogs don't need much space when it comes to being inside and your place has the space for one. They usually eat alot though.

[gilana]

Yeah, I'm thinking that my idea of a medium dog may be wrong, and that we really are looking for a big dog. Not a Great Dane or Akita, but a something about shepherd sized, maybe. And I like big dogs so much better!

[bismuthobsidian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a sheperd size is really good and usually they are ok w/hanging out for a while when you are on the computer. A basset hound would be the perfect size and you could train it to go in a litter box.

[gilana]

We're on the second floor, though; not sure we want a short dog that's going to have more problems with stairs as it ages.

[billmarrs.livejournal.com]

I'll cast my vote for a Welsh Corgi too. I don't really know much about them, but I had one lick my toes through my sandals once and it has been love ever since.