I am excited, but I am also nervous

C&K*s Mommie wrote: Chris mentioned last night that he is ready to get another 'ankle biter'. I had thought of getting another dog the other day, but since what happened was my fault, I did not bring it up. But I am kind of excited but nervous about getting another dog.
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Here is what happened in short: I killed our dog, Taison. On Saturday, August 28th, 2005--- a couple of days before Hurricane Katrina roared south of us heading to MS, I left Taison outside from 10am- somewhere around 1:30/ 2 o'clock when we got the phone call that he was slipping away from heat exhaustion.

The short of the long, is that I did not mean to leave him outside. It was a TOTAL accident.
But depending on where Hurricane Katrina landed, and if it did minimal damage to our town (which it did)-- we were planning that Wed following that Saturday to take him to the pound. That was more of a hard decision for me, than it was for Chris. Taison was Chris' & the girls' "buddy-buddy". He had bit my leg, about a week before, and in the days before the decision was made to take him to the shelter, he had tried to attack me while I was holding Kellie. In Jan '04, he bit my MIL. Chris was going to take him the next day to have him put down, but my MIL pleaded with him not to let it happen.
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So now I am nervous, but kind of excited about getting another dog. The guilt is still there, and everytime it rains hard, I think that Chris needs to go check on him . As he is buried in our back yard, by the back fence. Hurricane Katrina uncovered his grave with her heavy rains, and it took Chris all he had to recover him with dirt. Let alone bury him in the first place.

So we will see what comes about of this. Chris is ready, he has never not had a dog in his house growing up, and I think the girls are ready for another playmate.

coasterqueen replied: Good luck.

I know it must be hard, even though you didn't mean for it to happen.

CosmetologyMommy replied:

fashionmumofboys replied: I can only imagine how hard it must have been on you, especially that you didn't do it intentionally.

Good luck on getting another doggie.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Oh I'm so sorry. That is very hard to go through. I hope you find the perfect dog for your family.

3xsthefun replied: Good luck finding the perfect dog for your family!

mom21kid2dogs replied: So sorry about Taison.
Good luck finding a new puppy love!!

luvmykids replied: I'm so sorry about your other dog, I accidentally killed my stepdaughters cat a few years ago and I still check under the car b/c I'm so terrified to do it to someone else's pet.

I don't think we could ever be without dogs, what kind are you thinking of?

C&K*s Mommie replied: Thanks again ladies, you guys always give the best encouragement.

Well since he mentioned an "ankle biter" I am assuming he wants a small dog. I would love to a Labrador (except they chew-chew-chew as pups ), I would also consider a Yorkie (but they seem to be very hyper ) So I am not sure, what I want, Chris grew up with Boston Terriers all his life, though. Since Taison was more of his dog, then eventually the girlsdog, I think I will leave the final decision up to him.

But I will still give him my , and look around for different kinds --

jcc64 replied: That's a tragic way to lose a pet, and I'm sure the whole thing was traumatic for you. However, it kind of sounds like he wasn't the ideal family dog- I don't think I would be able to relax with a dog around that had the propensity to bite, particularly with young kids.
I just adopted my 2nd dog right after Christmas. She's a pit-mix puppy with lots of energy. While she has yet to show one ounce of aggression, she's a puppy in constant motion, always looking for a good game. Sometimes when my 3 yo runs through the house, the puppy chases her, believing it to be an invitation to play. It scares my dd, and I still don't totally trust the dog yet. Dogs and kids can be a volatile mix, even under the best of circumstances (just look at Teagansmom's post about the golden retriever today).
Pick carefully. Go back to the pound several times, and really observe the dog in several scenarios. Is she territorial? Does she get along with other dogs? If you give her a bone, will she growl at you if you take it away? Is she overly protective of her space? Does she pace alot in the cage? All these things will give you information about her temperment, which would reveal if she is or isn't a good family dog. Talk to the people at the shelter. Tell them the kind of dog that would fit into your lifestyle best. My mom works at a shelter, which is where I got my puppy. Shelter workers won't give you a dog that isn't right for you, b/c they know it will come back. Ask alot of questions, and good luck.

luvmykids replied:
We have an ankle biter, a Shitzhu. DH gave him to me when I was put on bedrest as a companion since he worked out of town. I was mad at first (how do you potty train a puppy on bedrest?) but now I love that dog to pieces. He is NOT fond of the kids though. We also have a lab who is 2 and he STILL chew-chew-chews. But he's an amazing watch dog, I'm suprised b/c I thought labs were supposed to be mellow but the UPS guy always has to call and have me come out to get my stuff b/c Bogie won't let him out of the truck. He's an awesome dog, and such a pal to the kids. He's a little big though and knocks them down a lot and whacks them pretty hard with his tail. And we also have a complete mutt who is part coyote and people assume he's mean but he's the sweetest, most mellow of them all!

We also had 2 coon tick hounds but had to get rid of them because they peed on the kids all the time!

Anyway, thats what I know about dogs!

aspenblue1 replied: Good luck finding a new dog. I would definately read up on which ever dog you like to make sure it will fit with your family.

C&K*s Mommie replied: that is hilarious!! I wish I could have seen that the first few times the UPS man got spooked by Bogie! There would have to be a BIG poster made about your house, for all UPS drivers to see if anyone new came to your house.

Jeanne, thank you for the info. I will have to mark your post, to reread & tell my DH about what to look out for. He is wanting to go with a breeder to get a puppy, I want to stick with the shelter (since they usually are adult dogs). I really appreciate the info.

Thanks to you Carrie for the good luck!!

MomToJade&Jordan replied:
Our Heidi was a pit-mix. After we got past the puppy and learned it was best to keep her in her kennel while we were gone she became the best dog. She was great with Jade and put up with so much. I am still so heartbroken that we weren't able to bring her with us. She was a big dog and between the cost of shipping her and the fact that it was such a long trip we just couldn't do it. DH would really like another dog, but with Jordan there is just no time to take care of one. I really do miss having a pet in the house though.

holley79 replied: What kind of puppy are you going to get?

Don't feel bad, accidents happen.

CAMSMOM1 replied: I know all to well the pain of losing an animal. DH & I are BIG animal lovers! I had to get rid of my cats when we got married. Justin is allergic.
And we had a Sybirian Huskey/Wolf..yes wolf, mix. He was a beautiful dog. Big, white with blue eyes, and a total love. Either we poisioned him, or one of our neighbors. But he ate anti-freeze, and died when I was 6 months pregnant. It was really hard to deal with, we didn't have all the answers and had to see him in pain for 2 days.

But we have had our other dog, actually we call her our daughter, for 5 years. She is the BEST dog! She is a German Shepard/Chow mix. Looks like a German Shepard, the only way you can tell she's a chow is by her black tongue. She is apart of our family. She does really well with Cameron, they are best friends! They are great companions.

I bought her at a local pet shop, and I'm so glad that we have her, and that Cameron gets to grow up with a pet.

I think Jeanne gave great advice and tips. Be picky, and do a lot of praying before you make a decision.

I've always liked larger dogs, but lately I just fell in love with PUGGELS! Have you seen them???? They are part Pug...part Beagal....and that's where the name Pugels comes from! But they are pretty expensive! Look them up online, they are the cutest!

Let us know what you decide on. I saw go for it! If your family loves animals, and you are ready for the responsiblity, go for it! Animals bring so much love into the family!
Ann

luvmykids replied:
They are soooooo cute!

luvmykids replied:
Nicole,
When I first read that I thought you meant he wanted another baby! Oops!

C&K*s Mommie replied: I could only wish.... he knows that baby bug has bitten~ but it is a negative for more children with us. I want just one more.... a little brother for the girls to grow up with.

3xsthefun replied: I'm not trying to start anything here. Because I do love mixed breeds I have 4 dogs that are all mixed breed.

But please, whatever you do, do not buy a mixed breed from a breeder. Please go to the shelter if you want a mix breed. Believe me these people try to trick you into believing they are a breed but they are not. Such as the Puggles, all of the Poo mixes, anything that has a cutesie names.

I've also noticed these cute mixed breeds cost as much as a purebred dogs.

I would suggest looking on Petfinder if you want a mixed breed. They do have a classified section or you can go and look at rescues and shelters in your area.

Again, I'm not trying start anything. I have bought a mixed breed before. She is a Chihuahua/ Miniature Pinscher mix that cost me $75 about 5 years ago. Do I regret it. Nope I don't she is a very loving dog and loves the kids to death. I have noticed now Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher mixes have gone up in price. It is because these people are wanting make money off of the puppies.

My other dogs were all "free to good home" in the newspaper. Yeah, I could have gone to the shelter, but I don't regret getting them.

Again, I'm not going judge anyone for getting a mixed breed. I love them.

I will more then likely never buy a mix breed again, unless I go to the shelter to adopt one.


Oh, and if you are looking for a purebred. Sometimes the shelters have them also. I still also suggest looking at Petfinder.com since they do have the classified section. Some people do have purebred dogs up for adoption.

MamaJAM replied: Good Luck.

I am a complete dog-lover. I like larger dogs though....especially with small kids in the house...the kind of dog that can be played with (and on) and used as a pillow without getting hurt. We have a golden retriever who is really part of the family.