I found the CUTEST JRT today on the road. Great with my kids! Chases cats 
if you dont have cats can I send you this dog? I LOVE HER. I also have four cats. Sob.
I can see why they’d get bored leading someone around all day, but I have NEVER known a poodle to get bored of being petted, played with, doing tricks, etc. which is suitable for any family or someone else wanting the best companion.
There are a lot of poorly bred poodle hybrids and one should be very weary when looking for one.
OK, have to add in my 2 cents - our family dog is a Boston Terrier and he is awesome!!! We wanted a smaller dog that was not foo-foo. We had a pug that died of old age, and while we loved the pug we did want something with a little more pep. Everyone loves our dog, he is loyal, smart, easy to train. He is my husband’s best friend. He loves to sleep in your lap, but can then go running for miles with you. Loves people, other dogs, is best friends with the cat (which I think is unnatural 
) Barely sheds, and this breed does not bark unless startled. Great with the kids, and fairly sturdy for a smaller dog.
I have a friend who has a golden doodle who is very nice too if you are looking for a bigger dog. Very smart and friendly, doesn’t shed but does have some grooming requirements.
Good luck!
Maybe you should also get something that won’t disappear in the snow if you have a really bad winter (is there any such thing as a good winter?). Espcially since the weather bureau is predicting a bad winter. I hate winter.
Weeellllllll I don’t want to jinx it just yet but I think we have a prospect. I took my daughter over to the local pound tonight, as I’d seen they’d gotten in a bunch of dogs from another shelter.
It’s a 5 month old houndy thing, female, mostly white with a brown spot over one eye and one brown ear. We found her as we were leaving. I’m not really a fan of hound types but she just kept saying Pick Me! Pick Me! We watched her and another ShepherdX pup play for awhile and then asked to see her alone.
I made my daughter be the guinea pig. We did everything I could think of to test her temperament. She played happily with my daughter but was gentle and polite. No biting or nibbling. I took toys and treats away from her and she obliged. She’s a typical hound and wants to follow her nose so I’m not sure how reliable I’ll ever get her off lead. But other than that she was perfect.
And then she crawled up into my lap and wagged her tail and sat quietly for about 10 minutes and I was like Oh Crap… I think a hound just found me…
We have her on hold till tomorrow when hubby and littlest FG can meet her too.
Again, I’ve gotten so much awesome advice and input from people here. There should be some kind of COTH dog hook-up service… I got some great PMs from people all over the country who had super prospects for me. If hubby wasn’t so bent on wanting to meet the dog himself first, I would have jumped on some of them for sure.
So I’ll have to update you all if (when?) Miss Rainbow Butterfly Princess Sweetheart (or something like that) comes home. Yes that is what my daughter wants to name her. I think I shall be over-riding that one…
She sounds adorable. Honestly, I think it is so much easier to keep dogs on leashes outdoors anyways.
Standard Poodle!!! I have a 7 month old and he is a treasure. I bought him as an 8 week old puppy from a breeder and he was easy to train. Loves everyone, not hyper, very smart, playful. There are sometimes rescues for poodles, I know there is one in Houston called Poodle Rescue of Houston that occasionally has the standards.
[QUOTE=FlashGordon;5908120]
Weeellllllll I don’t want to jinx it just yet but I think we have a prospect. I took my daughter over to the local pound tonight, as I’d seen they’d gotten in a bunch of dogs from another shelter.
It’s a 5 month old houndy thing, female, mostly white with a brown spot over one eye and one brown ear. We found her as we were leaving. I’m not really a fan of hound types but she just kept saying Pick Me! Pick Me! We watched her and another ShepherdX pup play for awhile and then asked to see her alone.
I made my daughter be the guinea pig. We did everything I could think of to test her temperament. She played happily with my daughter but was gentle and polite. No biting or nibbling. I took toys and treats away from her and she obliged. She’s a typical hound and wants to follow her nose so I’m not sure how reliable I’ll ever get her off lead. But other than that she was perfect.
And then she crawled up into my lap and wagged her tail and sat quietly for about 10 minutes and I was like Oh Crap… I think a hound just found me…
We have her on hold till tomorrow when hubby and littlest FG can meet her too.
Again, I’ve gotten so much awesome advice and input from people here. There should be some kind of COTH dog hook-up service… I got some great PMs from people all over the country who had super prospects for me. If hubby wasn’t so bent on wanting to meet the dog himself first, I would have jumped on some of them for sure.
So I’ll have to update you all if (when?) Miss Rainbow Butterfly Princess Sweetheart (or something like that) comes home. Yes that is what my daughter wants to name her. I think I shall be over-riding that one…[/QUOTE]
Yep, a dog found you.
In our shelter, that happens regularly.:yes:
There is really a happy forever after and rainbows and butterflies.
I sure hope all goes well, she also likes the rest of the family and your husband agrees she is the one.
Can you smear some peanut butter on the inside of his pocket, on the corner of his sleeves?
Congratulations! Though you might want to go for a more standard name. Otherwise, in 10 years, your daughter will be mortified when her friends ask how her dog got that name. I wanted to name our puppy Cutie-Pie. My parents held out for Happy, and I was still embarrassed as a teen.
Flashy-congratulations. And thank you for over-riding that name, since even the dog would be embarassed by that one. How about a ‘tougher’ name that will discourage people who hear it from being comfortable? And don’t be surprised when the dog is a lot less quiet at your house.
[QUOTE=JanM;5908795]
Flashy-congratulations. And thank you for over-riding that name, since even the dog would be embarassed by that one. How about a ‘tougher’ name that will discourage people who hear it from being comfortable? And don’t be surprised when the dog is a lot less quiet at your house.[/QUOTE]
Agreed on the last part. Every dog I have ever seen, save one, was a completely different dog, energy-level wise, away from the shelter. They all also had some seperation issues. Some workable, some not. However, in terms of their actual disposition, they didn’t change; they were still sweet dogs. Again except for one.
The two exceptions I mentioned above:
The first–A female we adopted at 5 months old. A rotty/shepherd/lab/aussie shep, etc mix. We tossed a ball for her to play with, she watched it launch, watched it fall, said “meh” and laid down. She also couldn’t be bothered to stand up while drinking; she’d lie down in front of her water bowl and go to town. She’s now 7 years old and it’s been that way since day one. She’s the best dog we’ve ever had. Smart, loyal, protective, loves everyone and everything, but lazy, lazy lazy.
The second–A full-grown male golden/chow mix. BEAUTIFUL dog, sweet as pie at the shelter. Wasn’t housebroken. We did the tether technique with him. My sister was on tether duty and he went to lift his leg and she said “No!” and this dog turned on her, didn’t break skin but put a hole through her jeans. We returned him, they re-evaluated him, said they couldn’t get so much as a growl out of him (they clearly thought we were crazy). He was quickly adopted back out. A few months later he was back on their site with the following description: Dog has some dominance issues that our shelter staff will be happy to explain to you. He’s been enrolled in training yadda yadda yadda." Sorry, no sale. BUT that was an adult dog, and a male, and a very late neuter (he was 5ish and the shelter had neutered him).
Oh yeah I’m sure she’s going to be perkier once she gets home. I know all pound pups come with some baggage, but I think her general disposition was very good and she’s young enough that we can work with her. Luckily I work from home, and have a fenced yard, and I walk my daughter to and from school. So lots of opportunity for exercise and training!
Waiting till this afternoon to see if she passes The Husband Test but I’m pretty sure she will.
[QUOTE=Big_Tag;5908915]
We did the tether technique with him. My sister was on tether duty and he went to lift his leg and she said “No!” and this dog turned on her, didn’t break skin but put a hole through her jeans. We returned him, they re-evaluated him, said they couldn’t get him to so much as growl out of him (they clearly thought we were crazy). He was quickly adopted back out. A few months later he was back on their site with the following description: Dog has some dominance issues that our shelter staff will be happy to explain to you. He’s been enrolled in training yadda yadda yadda." Sorry, no sale. BUT that was an adult dog, and a male, and a very late neuter (he was 5ish and the shelter had neutered him).[/QUOTE]
I’m derailing this thread for a mini second; I’d describe the dog above as Hard, not dominant. If I gave a hard correction to a dog that is part Chow for a reason that the dog didn’t understand then yea, I’d expect a strong reaction from the dog. Chow’s don’t back down. For potty training use the reward and ignore method. I reward like crazy when they potty outside, manage the dog by tether and just say “oops” in a bright cherry voice when the dog piddles at my feet. hustle dog outside and praise if they continue to potty outside. Nothing happens is they don’t. back inside clean up the mess witha good enzymatic cleaner then go on with your day as if nothing happened. Not to say that the dog above should go to ANYONES household. But it would do fine in a positive trainer type of an owners house… based soley on the post above.
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf
above link is the American Veternary Society of Animal Behavior position on Use of Dominance Theory in Behaviour Modification
http://drsophiayin.com/philosophy/dominance/?/dominance.php
Dr Sophia Yin, DMS, MS
Back to the regularly scheduled thread: CONGRATS! Very exciting but do try to be clear headed in your decision, don’t be afraid to say no if any red flags pop up. I did adopt a 6 mo male he was my heart dog. best dog and easiest dog ever to live with.
Dominance theory debunked
[QUOTE=NRB;5908976]
I’m derailing this thread for a mini second; I’d describe the dog above as Hard, not dominant. If I gave a hard correction to a dog that is part Chow for a reason that the dog didn’t understand then yea, I’d expect a strong reaction from the dog. Chow’s dont’ back down. For potty training use the reward adn ignore methinod. I reward like crazy when they potty outside, manage the dog by teather and just say “oops” in a bright cherry voice when the dog piddles at my feet. hustle dog outside and praise if they continue to potty outside. Nothing happens is they don’t. back inside and start over again. Not to say that the dog above shoudl go to ANYONES household. But it would do fine in a positive trainer type of an owners house… based soley on the post above.
Back to the regularly scheduled thread: CONGRATS! Very exciting but do try to be clear headed in your decision, don’t be afraid to say no if any red flags pop up. I did adopt a 6 mo male he was my heart dog. best dog and easiest dog ever to live with.
Dominance theory debunked[/QUOTE]
This is probably true. Probably also a reason I don’t like chows/chow mixes. I do not like a dog with that kind of reaction to “no.” It’s not like she kicked him.
I’m sure people have chows they love but I’ve never met one I felt all that comfortable around. However, I know lots of people feel the same way about rotties and rottie mixes and our girl Callie is the best tempered dog I have ever met
Thanks so much! I have no problem walking away if the dog (or any dog) doesn’t seem like a good fit. I think all the years in horses have helped me in that regard-- making decisions with my head instead of my heart! Working at the vet clinic, I saw so many people make hasty, quick, emotional choices when choosing a dog or puppy and it often ended badly… mostly for the dog.
[QUOTE=Swishy-Tails;5904299]
Poodle. I AGREE.
I grew up with several different breeds of dogs – we had a lab, golden retriever, beagles weenie dogs, and my miniature poodle has been the best dog in the world.
Poodles are absolutely brilliant, loyal, super easy to train. My dog can get real hyper outside wanting to play fetch but she knows to calm down inside. She doesn’t shed as long as I keep her hair brushed. I gave her a few bad haircuts at first but I eventually learnt to give her decent ones and can cut her hair in under 30 minutes. She sits there and waits patiently. She is seriously the best dog. She listens to me, I swear she can understand every word. She is VERY quiet and doesn’t bark unless there is a real reason to. She is a small(er) dog but does NOT have small dog syndrome. I was able to potty train her in 2 days. She has only once or twice had an accident inside and it was my fault really for being away too long. She is even barn trained and walks OUTSIDE the barn to do her business. BO was amazed when he saw. I cannot brag more about this dog.
Just the other day, she totally amazed me. She has her way of telling me where to go when she wants to go somewhere. she runs a little ways, looks back to see if I am following and if I am not she whimpers a little to get me to come lol. She had me follow her to the bathroom. I thought it was weird as she normally avoids the bathroom cause she really doesn’t like bath-time (but tolerates it very well!). Well, she went up to the toilet and was pawing on it. I swear, the dog was telling me that she had to pee and wanted to learn to use the potty. lol!!! And let me tell you when I picked her up and took her outside she was totally appalled! hahaha.
This dog is full of personality. So very well behaved. I take her everywhere I can, including the barn. She sits and waits at the gait outside of the arena until I am done riding/lunging/ whatever with the horse. She waits patiently and watches intensely, and sometimes looks at me like is it my turn yet.
When you talk to her, she tries her best to talk back to you. She has a really cute voice and comes real close to having really clear words come out. Deep inside I know she really talks, I am just not able to understand her fully.
She is NOT aggressive at all. I give her pig ears (which she LOVES) and kind of growls when I get close to her. But sometimes she comes up to me when I am at the desk and is holding her pig ear and growling wanting me to play with her. She growls pretty angry sounding but she always wags her tail at the same time. She would NEVER hurt anyone.
She doesn’t even know what other dogs are. She is not bothered by them or anything, but she REALLY thinks she is human (or a princess? lol). I take her to the park a lot of times where a lot of people walk their dogs. I do not use a leash sometimes because she is SUPER loyal and would NEVER run away. She does not normally walk more than 5 feet away from me and always looks back to make sure I am following if she is up front. She listens very well too so if she were in danger she would listen. Anyway, she walks past dogs, unleashed, while the other dog(s) is going crazy wanting to sniff her, and she normally looks at me like WTF is that? WTH does he want? and turns her head and walks off. However, whenever she goes to the vet for a day (full comprehensive exam) she says that my dog loves to socialize with the other dogs.
There might be the standard, mini, and toy but Poodle but they are all the same breed with all similar characteristics and personality traits. I think a miniature poodle or standard would suit your family greatly. You just have to get past the stupid stereotypes of the haircuts and stuff. Poodles are brilliant dogs (ranked #2 as smartest dog breeds), and make the BEST and most PERFECT dogs. They were actually bred to do similar jobs of retrievers, i.e. duck hunting. They are great swimmers and normally love water (but not my dog, lol).
*******Also, I have recently been doing research and Poodles are also really healthy dogs and are less likely to come down with cancer, hip dysplasia, and other nasty diseases than other breeds. They live upwards of 12 years, close to 20’s if they are taken care of (kept at healthy weights, good exercise, kept happy, SPAYED and NEUTERED!!!) and bred properly. Look up dogs with longest life expectancies and Poodles come up in top 10. They can double the lifespan of other dogs. I read that most large breed dogs only have life expectancies of 7-9 on average. My dog is 12 and shows NO signs of aging, has perfect bloodwork, etc. I take her for a geriatric exam every 6 months and they check everything.
Get a poodle and you’ll have the best dog for your family. Your child(ren) will never forget the great companion you choose for them.[/QUOTE]
Another vote for poodle. I grew up with one, who became a member of our family when I was 6 years old. We did EVERYTHING with that dog - hiking, biking, boating, and I suppose a rudimentary version of agility - we set up our own rough course of jumps and things in the backyard and took him through it. It was just a game; we had no idea this was an actual recognized sport. You could teach him anything in 15 minutes - he had a real repertoire of tricks.
He was calm, intelligent, and welcomed everyone into the house. Even got along with the cat. I do remember we had to keep all the hair pulled from the ear canals, but that was pretty much it in terms of health issues.
Great dogs.
Flashy-you might go ahead and make a vet appointment for whenever you think you’ll pick the dog up, and just stop by on the way home. That way if anything major is wrong you don’t have the dog around for a few days and return it to the pound and break a bunch of hearts. Also, maybe it would be a good idea to have the vet staff wash the dog for you, since they are usually pretty stinky from the pound, and you don’t want to have your bonding experience in a new place for either of you to be the messy dog washing procedure.
Flash -
Congrats! Hound mixes are great, and they sing! LOL
If hubby agrees, post pics please.
POODLE!
First of all, Hope your shelter dog works out!
If not, I vote poodle!
I have two minis (both around 4-5years old). One I bought from a breeder, and she’s by far the smartest dog I’ve ever been around. It takes her about 1 Kraft Singles to learn a new trick. Some tricks she picks up all on her own, just to get a pet for being adorable…
My other mini poodle is my ‘feral poodle’. My mother found him in a rice field last winter. Checked him for a chip, put flyers up, no owner. Nicest stray I’ve ever me. He’s in heaven if I just let him cuttle around my feet while I read or if I go on a trailride, he stays about half a horse length behind and trots the whole way with me.
I will say that minis are more active than the standards are, and neither are the wimpy fru-fru dogs that people seem to think. The only major downside I have with my poodles, is that they are horribly embarassed if I ever give them a bad haircut… I’m getting better at it though!
Of course I had to add pictures…
Hams for the camera
And for fun
[QUOTE=amm2cd;5909347]
First of all, Hope your shelter dog works out!
If not, I vote poodle!
I have two minis (both around 4-5years old). One I bought from a breeder, and she’s by far the smartest dog I’ve ever been around. It takes her about 1 Kraft Singles to learn a new trick. Some tricks she picks up all on her own, just to get a pet for being adorable…
My other mini poodle is my ‘feral poodle’. My mother found him in a rice field last winter. Checked him for a chip, put flyers up, no owner. Nicest stray I’ve ever me. He’s in heaven if I just let him cuttle around my feet while I read or if I go on a trailride, he stays about half a horse length behind and trots the whole way with me.
I will say that minis are more active than the standards are, and neither are the wimpy fru-fru dogs that people seem to think. The only major downside I have with my poodles, is that they are horribly embarassed if I ever give them a bad haircut… I’m getting better at it though!
Of course I had to add pictures…
Hams for the camera
And for fun[/QUOTE]
Agreed - they are NOT wimpy at all! (Except Beau really hated bathtime. He was good about it, but most unhappy).
One thing he’d do, if he wasn’t sure which trick was being requested, was go through his entire trick lineup to get. That. Treat. One after the other - he figured sooner or later he’d hit upon the one the treatholder wanted to see. It was precious.
I also have a hound mix! He doesn’t sing, but yeah, is pretty darn mellow and friendly.
