posted 01-26-2004 11:02 AM         

Jake - we decided to get a lab or lab mix, hopefully a dog that loves water to go boating with us. I was h**l bent on not getting a pure bred and my husband actually agreed. He went down to our humane society and after 3 ours of intense interviewing, applications, standing in line, he found a 6 month choc lab mix. Well the woman in front of him ended up with the dog, so he came home empty handed. E few weeks later he saw a litter of yellow labs advertised. Lets just go look, I finally relented. The breeder had 2 dogs left each from different litter. I had my heart set on a female and I wasnt buying a dog. Well there was butterball Jake, almost 12 weeks and my husband fell in love him. I caved in. The breeder then said he was a cheaper price because he had an overbite (recessive problem) and to make sure we get him fixed so it would not be passed along, because of this he also wouldnt give us the papers and we signed a contract to this effect. we stopped at petco on the way home and bought the necesseties. (it was in the summer time) So I am in the car and my husband comes back with a food dish about 12 inches in diameter and filled it with water. Jake jumped in and curled up in a ball in the water. So my husband got his water dog. ANd crazed Jake every time he would here the bath tub running he would go and jump in.

Midas my cat, my cat of 15 years had passed away several months before and now I was ready for another cat, and I didnt want to go thru the kitten stage. I was at petco and they were having adoption day and there was this beautiful maincoon. I just couldnt put my finger on it but i was unsure, so I went home empty handed and called the rescue place the next day, I went to see the cat at the foster place that night. OMg there like 8 dogs, 20 cats, mnay birds and she couldnt find the cat, finally found her hiding under the bed. I said no thank you, I will keep trying.

e few weeks later petco had another adoption day so I went and there was Midas, staring at me with the modst beautiful gold eyes and a fluffy orange and white coat. He foster said he like dogs and that he was origally adopted out thru their org as a kitten and the people had surrenderd him 2 years later to the HS. He was still wearing his rescue ID tag and the HS called the rescue place so they came and picked him up. Apperently he kept getting out and running away and they had enough. I took my chances and brought him home. he walked out of the cage like he owned the house, it took a few swats with Jake, after that Jake never bothered Midas. Well then I learned first hand about why they gave him up. YOu sign a contract saying they will be indoor cats. He did get out a few times and disappeared for a few days, then he started to howl like he was being tortured and it went on and on, THhats it! I started letting him our during the day and in house at night and he has been the greatest cat. Even my husband who is not a real cat person (Midas took to him over me) says he is the coolest cat and it has been 4 years.

Wylie. I was trying to convince my husband to get another dog to keep Jake company who was now a year old. He said NO. Jake is a very needy dog and he said try putting 2 like that, been there done that NO.

posted 01-26-2004 11:38 AM         

O.K. here's my story: A few years ago, a male mini was running in the road in front of my house, I just knew he was going to get it by a car! So I took him in and put him in my backyard. I posted signs in the neighborhood for people to see. I fell in love with this little guy! he had the cutest pesonality. I bought him toys and good, along with lots of love, about a week later someone finaly called for him. "I was heartbroken" but he wasn't my dog, so he had to go home. I was really upset with the lady that picked him up, she acted as though i had stolen him. Even after I gave her a bag full of stuff i had purchased for her puppy, there was not even a thank you! I was ticked! anyway that is how I fell in love with the breed. Over the next month I was on the lookout for a dauchy. I found Casey in an ad in the paper. I went to take a look and fell in love with her, she was so tiny and shy. I brought her home and she's been my babygirl for almost 3 yrs. now.

For approx. 8 mo. my husband worked in another city, I don't know what I would have done without her! she has been the best campanion! she's funny, stubborn, and very sweet!

Then came freebie!!! Oh he's a handful! My sister breeds Shi tzu's, when he was 8 weeks old, he was givin as a gift. (I don't suggest anyone ever do this, unless the person knows what she or he is getting) at first Casey would have nothing to do with him. Now they couldn't live without each other. He's a mama's boy, that's for sure! Thier personalities are very different, he's like a bull in a china shop! One thing I have noticed with him, is that, he's very protective of me. He'll growl at a stranger that comes too close to me, but maybe that's just the breed. And the puppy (I've named him Atticus, from my favorite movie "To kill a mocking bird" you know the story of how I got him. (Casey's pup)

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

posted 01-26-2004 12:02 PM         

So we saw Nala and her littermate in their kennel, and I thought they were really cute. But I didn't read the tag on the kennel so I had no idea that was Nala - she was much smaller in the picture on the web. We walked by all the other kennels, and then I asked someone to take Nala and her littermate out and let us play with them in the "hug room." We played with them, and then we tried a lab mix, and then a couple of shepherd mixes. It was only when we were going to leave that I noticed Nala's name on her kennel card. So I figured it was fate!

We filled out the papers and left the deposit that night, and went home to tell my husband.

So now, even though I have been trying to not look at petfinder anymore, I am craving another dog and my husband is saying no. I went to the shelter last weekend and the dog I wanted to see was being spayed, but another one caught my eye and I really liked her.

I went home and tried to convince my husband to go see her, but he refused. So I went back the next day to see the girl who had been spayed the day before, and I really liked her, too! We were out in back in one of the enclosures to let her meet Nala, when I saw a little pup that I had noticed on the web. She was so cute, I ended up asking to see her. She is about 3 months old - the age Nala was when we got her - and an aussie mix. We cat tested her and she wasn't very interested. She also was not hyper at all and didn't nip once - Nala practically ate us when we first looked at her in her shelter.

So I asked the name of the pup and it is Elsa. If my memory serves me, Elsa was the name of the lioness in Born Free, which I read as a child. I looked it up, and sure enough I am correct!

So how can it be anything but fate, when Elsa is named after a lion, just as my Nala was? I mean really now, he HAS to go along with that, right?!

posted 01-26-2004 12:58 PM         

Sadie is nearly 10 years old and was born with severe hip dysplasia (product of a BYBer before I knew such a thing existed). I know it was destiny cause most people would have either brought her back to the breeder or have her PTS cause of the severity of her hip dysplasia at such a young age.

Well...we choose to not replace her hips or have the ball joint removed (that was a no guarantee surgery by the vet anyway) - just kept her active and watched her weight. Yeah Sadie is slowing down (has other health issues now) but she's had a good life and I stopped totally up vet bills long ago.

Shortly before we got Sadie my aging cat passed away and she was prone to illnesses from the day I adopted her as a tiny kitten from the shelter. Again...destiny.

Tami developed scar tissue in her spay site (a 2nd surgery after her spay to remove it).

She had severe allergy issues requiring meds.

She developed CRF at the age of 6 and I managed to get her to the age of 15 with a controlled diet and many trips to the vet for IV fluids.

She also had a heart murmur.

posted 01-27-2004 07:20 AM         

Tawny is still there, who I did like a lot. And Princess, but I worry a bit about her because her front legs look "funny" to me sometimes and also she may be a horrendous barker. And there's a guy named Titus who is in Aussie rescue and has an adoption pending, but they said they would contact me if it didn't work out. Beautiful guy who finds hissing cats to be scary so he stays away from them.

I'm still working on the husband angle. I would really rather he agree to it rather than just having a dog suddenly show up in the house, but at this point even if he finally agrees it is because of the pressure put on him.

Then again, he didn't want to get a dog yet when we got Nala (he wanted to wait longer) but he loves her to death. The new dog will be MY dog, though - calmer and willing to cuddle. So he may never like the new dog anyway, even if he fully agreed to another dog.

I just don't know what to do.

posted 01-28-2004 12:51 PM         

As for my dogs, I believe that Charllotte is actually Maralyn Monroe traped in a dogs body. I'm serious. Seh's so picky about everything, loves men, will not get dirty, nor go potty if the ground is wet, raining, or if she's moody. SHe has to have ALL of the attention, ALL of the time. Must ride in the FRONT seat of the truck ALL the time.

She dresses up and loves it. Will even lay next to her clothes until you put them on. Then she prances around.
When daddy comes home, She walks on her hind legs and followes him!
I'm telling you, she's the girliest, most spoiled rotten thing in the world!

When we go through town to get feed or to our monthly trip to PetsMart or Pet co...she will whine and cry when she see's the McDonalds arch...Its pathetic...daddy stops and gets her and Smokey a hamburger patty every trip to town.....

Smokey, I think he was meant to be mine. A friend of mine bought him from the man who had gris. (he's kin to him... same daddy diffrent momma) anyhow, I played with him as a pup and fell in love with him...Then I didn't see him for almost a year.(the guy got married and had a baby, well his wife had the baby...uh, you know what I mean!) So he calls me up and said "come get him, my wife doesn't want him around the baby".

I dashed right over! He's never been so happy, the guy said in his life. He was always solmn, and sad around him, but when I picked him up....he was sooo happy and hyper and loving....Richard, the guy I got him from, said he couldn't believe it. Smokey wasn't the same dog...

I love them both, and I hope they love me. Couldn't ask for more.

posted 01-30-2004 06:35 PM         

Well Spec came into our life through the Trader too about 6 months later. I was looking for a friend for Minnie and there the ad was for Chihuahua/toy poodle mix and I just want to go look and again feel in love with him. My husband had just went active and his rank was SPEC so we named him that and he has a spec of white on his chin. He is now 1 1/2.