Shopping for man’s best friend
Sep 4th 2007
Karen RoseMy Life As A Plebe
I have a cat and I love her. Her name is Bella, short for Belladonna, apropos for a mystery writer, wouldn’t you say? We adopted her from the local animal shelter. Her likes: ice cubes in her water dish, sleeping in the bathroom sink, and leaving me kitty kibble at my place at the dinner table. (Better than a dead mouse for sure.) Her dislikes: being held and cuddled.
I do love my cat, but I miss the whole holding and cuddling thing. Plus I’ve been watching the Dog Whisperer on Nat’l G Channel.
So, I want a dog. I always had dogs, from the time I was ten years old until about three years ago. When I was growing up we had a Spitz named Jody. After I got married, Mr. R and had Bearded Collies. Byron was our first, followed by Maggie, Roxie, and Shelley. Roxie lived the longest and she left us at age sixteen about three years ago.
I love Beardies. They have a sweet disposition, are beautiful, and maintain practical herding skills. Byron was a certified herding dog - not with sheep but with ducks, which was a hoot to watch. I’d love to have another Beardie, but now I live in FL and it may be too hot for their long coats. Plus, I really would like a dog that requires less maintenance.
I want a sweet dog that will growl at intruders, but that I can train without a house call from Cesar Millan. I want one that I can walk but doesn’t need me to run (’cause that ain’t gonna happen). I want one with a low maintenance coat that is medium or large sized.
So anybody have an ideas? I’ve considered rescue dogs also, perhaps a Greyhound. There’s a dog racing track nearby and the rescue group finds retired Greyhounds good homes.
What dog do you love? What do you love about him/her? What don’t you like or what at least makes you annoyed? Any ideas about a dog who will get along with Bella the icecube-loving cat?
35 Comments »
35 Responses to “Shopping for man’s best friend”
Judy F on 04 Sep 2007 at 4:38 am #
Karen your Bella sounds like my Sammy. I love my cat but he is so not a cuddler.
My sister has a Westie, Trixie is the sweetest dog. Doesn’t park though. She will bring you anything when you walk in the door. Even my nephews gym shoes. LOL. I love going over there for no matter how bad your day ways she is always happy to see you. She loves to play and gets a long great with my sisters cat Callie.
I miss having a dog too. sniff
Stacy ~ on 04 Sep 2007 at 5:13 am #
Growing up, we always had dogs, big ones that stayed outside. My mother favored collies, and my favorite was Roscoe, who has half collie, half husky. Just a gorgeous, playful, affectionate pet. I miss him so much. Now where I live I can’t have dogs, but one day, I would love to have another big dog.
gannon on 04 Sep 2007 at 7:04 am #
Karen, we have two cats. One’s a snuggler, the other’s not so much. We will soon be adding a dog to the bunch–hey, the more the merrier.
I have two friends with rescued racing Greyhounds and they are wonderful. Sweet, low maintenance, and love to lie around. I believe their nickname is the 30 mph couch potato. Some are okay with cats–one of my friends has two cats as well. They “test” them to make sure that they won’t chase your kitties all over the house!
Good luck with you search!
Karen Rose on 04 Sep 2007 at 7:37 am #
Westies are so cute! I saw one recently that was a therapy dog. I think that would be cool, too.
Gannon - good to know your friends have had positive experiences. I guess after racing, I’d want to lie around too! Although from what I’ve read these Greyhounds spend the bulk of their racing life living in a crate, so maybe lying down is what they know. On our local rescue website, they have perhaps a dozen sweet-looking dogs. Most say “can’t live with cats.” One said the dog was cat-friendly. Good to know they test them first.
Stacy - I hope you’re able to get another dog someday, too!
Lisa H on 04 Sep 2007 at 7:53 am #
I have always wanted a black lab. I love labs, they are great with kids, and very smart and I think quite beautiful. I had one when I was a little girl and loved her dearly.
I do not have one because they do shed. I am constantly vacuuming my house after the two cats we already have, so more hair is just not appealing to me at this stage in my life. However, after the children are gone, and my husband is retired, I may splurge and get a black lab puppy!
Karen Hawkins on 04 Sep 2007 at 7:54 am #
Oh, Karen! I’ve heard GREAT things about greyhounds. They’re remarkably quiet and gentle, which makes them a great house pet. I have goldens and they’re very laid back and restful, too.
Btw, don’t you love Caesar’s show? I’ve learned a lot from it, which I needed as one of my dogs is rescue dog and it helped me understand what he was looking for in a home. I think the guy is brilliant!
Karen Rose on 04 Sep 2007 at 8:09 am #
Cesar truly is amazing. I never would have understood what he meant about mental energy before I started studying karate, but how you position your mind makes such an incredible difference! Everything he says makes sense and you think, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that.” I think that’s the mark of brilliance :-). And he does it so humbly. I love his show! I’m a big Cesar fan.
Goldens are a great breed. I’ve considered one of them, too. I hear they shed a lot, though. Believe it or not, even with all that hair, Beardies didn’t really shed. When you brushed them you’d get huge handfuls of undercoat, though. I new one woman who carded the undercoat and knitted sweaters from it. I found that a trifle odd, myself…
Lisa H - I used to work for a vet in my college days and we had a few black labs that were seeing eye dogs. They were gentle and incredibly trainable. I know what you mean about the shedding though!
Kay on 04 Sep 2007 at 8:27 am #
Karen, you know my opinion abut dogs: there are Shelties, and then there are dogs.LOL
We have had three rescued Shelties. They get along with the cats just fine, and are remarkable guard dogs. They are wonderful, but the coat does not seem like a good fit for steamy FL.
Greyhounds are sight hounds, so you might want to have a one “visit” with Bella before you commit.
If you want to stick with a herding dog, how about a CORGI? They are small, very smart, and are great guard dogs.
Good luck.
freshechelle on 04 Sep 2007 at 9:31 am #
Mutts and rescues are the best. While I’m sure there are many good qualities in bred dogs, our shleters put down so many beautiful dogs every day. Our first dog was a beautiful mutt for the Humane Society. Her gentleness and her appreciation (if dogs can show that trait) made us a better family. Brandy was the first of our three rescues and each one had their own special quirky personality. When I was little, my father sang “Mandy” but changed it to Brandy. I kept hearing the line “but I sent you away” in my head all day. I had to hide my tears at the thought all day. That was a very long day. I know it’s corny but our Branners was so special to all of us. Viva rescued mutts!
SuzyQ on 04 Sep 2007 at 9:53 am #
I have always had a dog growing up and I miss having one now (allergies prevent it). I had a Shih Tzu which was the most loveable dog I ever knew. She was so content just to be near you. But she was a lot of work having to be brushed everyday. We finally kept her hair short except for her ears and tail.
My last dog, a Siberian Husky I got from the pound. What a personality she had! I think she was raised with a cat because she did many things that were very cat-like - stretching and pouncing just to name a couple. She was so playful and great with kids. We had so much fun together, especially in the snow!
Casee on 04 Sep 2007 at 11:11 am #
We have a Shih Zu/Yorkie mix. He is a great dog for our family. Unfortunately he’s only nice to the four of us. There are only a select few people outside our family that Mickey will not growl and bite at. It makes me sad because he really is very sweet.
Our cat, Molly, weighs more than he does. She’s also a dog that was born in a cat’s body. She constantly teases him and gets him to chase her. So I say that you should get a dog that is bigger than the cat. *g*
Good luck!
emmiebee on 04 Sep 2007 at 11:16 am #
Karen, Beardies are great dogs! The are typically very polite when they come in to see me for check-ups! Another medium-to-large breed that I love is the Standard Poodle. They are smart, loving, and have a bit of the class clown to their temperments. Greyhounds are so rewarding to know, because their gratitude is showcased in ther eyes every day- just make sure that you find a cat-friendly one! So many wonderful options- and don’t forget the breed rescue clubs if you want a purebred dog, but still want to save a life. Many rescues use Petfinder.com to put up pictures of available pets. Good luck!
-Emmiebee
emmiebee on 04 Sep 2007 at 11:18 am #
Oh, and talk about a true Alpha male! Caesar never needs more than a look to assure both people and dogs that he is in control, and that all will be well under his leadership. Talk about a man in total quiet command, whoo!
-Emmiebee
Marie Conley on 04 Sep 2007 at 11:56 am #
Have you done a dog breed selector. Purnia and other dog food companies have them. I am anxiously awaiting word on a new litter of Klee Kai’s. This is a type of dog that has been breeded to look like Husky’s, but are tiny. The biggest they get is like 16 pounds. I want a tiny puppy that I can carry around with me.
Karen Rose on 04 Sep 2007 at 12:05 pm #
Thanks, Emmiebee - I went to petfinder.com and it is a cool site. And yes, Cesar is a man of command. Amazing. I sometimes wonder how much of his ability is learnable, vs a gift.
I’ve also considered a Standard Poodle - I’ve heard they’re really smart.
Kay, I’ve experienced your Sheltie brood - very cute!
Fresh - I’m leaning toward resues at this point, still it’s good to know something about the breed and it’s compatibility with a person’s lifestyle. I checked out a few breeds that require a “good run” daily. I do not believe there is such a thing as a “good run.” Shudder. I’d have to get such a dog a treadmill. Don’t think they’d have enough coordination to use my elliptical runner, LOL.
Casee - I had neighbors back in OH who had a Great Dane and a Yorkie. That was an interesting mix. I think Bella would be bigger than the Yorkie. The Great Dane - he was as big as a horse. Sweet, but the size always intimidated me a bit.
Karen Rose on 04 Sep 2007 at 12:08 pm #
Marie, I did a breed selector but it wasn’t Purina. I’m trying now to remember the name of the site. Anyway, Beardie came up high on the lists. So did Tibetan Terriers (so cute!). I’ll have to check out the Purina site.
Ellen (Back from Maine) on 04 Sep 2007 at 12:28 pm #
Except for the snake my son brought home with the outline of a frog in its neck, all our pets have been treasured members of our family. Duffy and Archie were the German Sheppards I grew up with. They made incredible “safe bases” when some bully on the street was chasing moi.
Phil is our adored yellow lab…only his coat is fox red so I suspect a retriever jumped the breeder’s fence, if you get my gist. He is the love of my life. Right now he is sound asleep, snoring at my feet and will stay there until I leave the computer.
We just brought our Phil to Maine with us and his first time in the ocean was priceless. He turned to me with those big, brown eyes and thanked me for showing him what those funny little webbed toes were for.
So here’s my campaign for Labs. They love to run, but you get to stand in one spot so accidental calorie burning is never an issue. They love the water, but you don’t have to put on a cellulite revealing bathing suit if you don’t want to. They are smarter than the average teenager…Labs know when you are about to blow, teenagers don’t. They love to cuddle and kiss you even when you have morning breath and never mention the grey roots in your fur. I mean hair.
Besides…Lab rhymes with Tab. Coincidence? I think not!
twolilhahas on 04 Sep 2007 at 12:38 pm #
We had a half-greyhound once. I wouldn’t think that ‘not running’ would go well with greyhound. I’m sure they all have different personalities, but deep down, they’re hunting dogs…and that means they like to chase scents…hunt…run away. We had a lot of trouble with ours wandering off. And she was really hyper…hard to lead…short attention span. The other half of her was lab, and I’m afraid that without that she’d have had no sense at all! But maybe it was just a bad mix.
We have had several German Shepherds. They’re good dogs, but they love to play fetch…a LOT!
Karen Rose on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:01 pm #
Two - I’m afraid you could be right, althou’ I’ve heard the rescue greyhounds are a bit like couch potatoes.
Ellen - TAB … LAB. HA! I’m glad you’re back from Maine and here on TGB again!
Ladytink_534 on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:13 pm #
I love pugs and minature schnauzers. They both have the sweetest dispositions but they aren’t exactly low maintenance dogs (the aren’t high maintenance either though).
Aemelia on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:27 pm #
I LOVE dogs…I have a black lab/beagle mix (Woody…short for Huntin’ Joe Woody, that my husband and (then toddler) son named), he looks like a lab, but is the size of the beagle, he’s the most laid back dog I’ve ever had.
My parents have a Westie - Willy…he is very undisciplined and NAUGHTY…though that’s, my dad’s fault, but I still love to play with him! My sister has a wiener dog-Bea, I love her, she is the kind of dog I want next and she has a Golden Retriever -Zeus the moose…he is very playful, and not the smartest…but again fun to play with!
Aemelia on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:31 pm #
Labs are my favorite breed though…they are so sweet and playful, and so easy-going.
Lismore on 04 Sep 2007 at 1:38 pm #
We have a shitzu who thinks he is a cat. Very loving, but still wants to play catch with stuffed animals. And this breed does not shed!!
Good luck with your pet search.
ladydawgfan on 04 Sep 2007 at 2:19 pm #
When I was growing up, the lady next to us had a cream colored Cocker Spaniel named Marshmallow who was the worlds sweetest dog. We took her with us on our paper route, and she sort of adopted us as her second family. One day, one of the local bullies decided that he wanted to cause trouble. Marshmallow sensed it as he approached us, raised her hackles, bared her teeth, and let out a growl worthy of the biggest German Sheperd. As soon as the bully backed down and went away, she turned around, gave me a doggie grin and a little woof, and we went on our way. Apparently Cockers are VERY protective of their families.
colinfirthfan on 04 Sep 2007 at 2:58 pm #
I would love to get a dog. But we go out of town a lot and I don’t want to leave the dog in a kennel.
Also, I can just about manage 2 kids I don’t yet want to add another “baby” to the mix.
I’d get a lab. I really really don’t like those tiny dogs that celebs seem to want to cart around everywhere!! I like big dogs!!
Suzanne Enoch on 04 Sep 2007 at 4:12 pm #
I loved my Cairn terrier, but they are the most STUBBORN dogs ever. And if you’re looking for a low-maintenance dog, I’d have to say don’t get a Maltese. Cute as buttons, but yappy and fairly high-strung. Mine doesn’t like men — which is strange and annoying, since I DO like men. *g*
darkshire007 on 04 Sep 2007 at 4:19 pm #
I have a german shepherd (Max) and a shiba inu (Japanese dog; her name is Shilo). Both are rescues and are the best dogs I have ever owned. The only draw back is the shedding. Max the shepherd sheds alot; all year round it seems. But he’s big; so people tend to be leary of approaching the house. I personally think that Shilo would be the first to bite someone. She patrols the fence line like a Marine on a mission; sometimes her hair stands up and she growls. But in the house, they are love junkies! They try to get in my lap and if all else fails one of them will lay on my feet. As for the cats; Shilo loves the cats and Max would rather eat them. My call would be to do your research (there are tons of rescue sites and the AKC site lists dogs with their abilities, body size, coat, training ability, etc.) As for our next dog (my husband and I are thinking of getting another!) we are looking at a Irish Wolfhound.
MJ on 04 Sep 2007 at 7:54 pm #
When I retire, I’d like to get either a Bishon Frisee (were bred as sheep dogs - might try to herd your cat…. but I’m guessing it’ll be the other way round, actually) or a poodle. Both feel just like little lambs to me, aren’t as tough on folks with allergies….and are intelligent and cute as a button….
I am a huge fan of black labs, but I think they’re better as family pets…..love kids and have tons of energy.
I hadn’t thought of greyhounds - thanks for that idea - will look into it, as ‘rescue’ would be a nice idea (they could retire along with me). (-;
And they’re really quite graceful looking…
Your cat sounds like quite a character. (That’s the great thing about cats, isn’t it? They’re so much like People…. dogs are a bit on the selfless side….)
Kay on 04 Sep 2007 at 8:03 pm #
MJ, dogs have owners, but cats have a staff. LOL
Karen, you were very kind not to mention how much my shelties BARK.
zambonigirl on 04 Sep 2007 at 8:23 pm #
Well, being a “professional animal rescuer”, I’d never get a pet simply because of the breed. I’d also never buy one from a breeder, and yes, my righteous indignation does keep me nice and warm at night with my menagerie of rescued pets.
However, if someone really is persnickity about getting a specific breed of pet, there are breeder rescues-wonderful people who accept pets that don’t live up to family’s expectations. Herding dogs are at the top of this list. If I had a yard, I would totally want a herding dog for it. They’re high energy, though, and they tend to “corral” their owners, particularly during party functions. Most people don’t have the time or the space to handle such rambunctious dogs, so perfectly good, often pure-bread dogs often end up at shelters or rescues. The average owner does not need a papered canine, so why not look for a breeder rescue in your area?
Next on the list would be a greyhound.
(TBC)
zambonigirl on 04 Sep 2007 at 8:30 pm #
Grayhounds are also high-energy dogs that often find themselves at shelters, hips displaced, joints aching with every movement, on the brink of being put to sleep. The lucky ones are rescued by the afforementioned breeder rescues. They are placed in foster care with many other dogs, and it can be very confusing and frustrating for them. Greyhounds are bred to run, and nothing more. They are often unsocialized, and some can’t even do simple tasks like walking up a flight of stairs!
Unfortunately, because of this conditioning, greyhounds tend to be suitable only for mature, childless, petless people with stable homes. That will probably never be me. I have no children, but I do have a niece and a menagerie, and I probably always will. I would love to own a greyhound, and if I could ever find one that could fit into my home, I would bring it home in a heartbeat. In the meantime, I donate to the rescue organizations and gaze longingly at the beautiful dogs.
There’s more!
zambonigirl on 04 Sep 2007 at 8:35 pm #
The one dog that I would love to own would be a boxer. I’ve done quite a bit of research on the breed, and as soon as I move into a house with an actual yard, I will be ready to go to the rescue that I have been supporting and adopt one. I want a female, because all my other pets are males. I also wouldn’t mind if it was a mixed breed, as long as it wasn’t mixed with pit bull or rottweiller. I have to be very careful because of my tiny, furry, toy-like guinea pigs. I would also need a dog young enough that I could train it very early to respect the personal space of my piggies. Still, I would never trust anything larger than a chihuahua alone with those boys.
I’d name her Ruby, and sing the Cat Stevens song to her, because that’s how I am.
In the end, any rescued dog would cut it for me, though. Rescued pets are always so grateful, so happy to just be. You can see it on their faces and in their eyes!
catslady on 04 Sep 2007 at 9:02 pm #
Our first dog was a papered beagle (before I knew better) and she really was loveable if a bit high strung but we had no kids then so it worked well. Next dog was from the pound and had to be the most easy going dog I’ve ever known. I had my first child a year later and there was never any question of total trust. In fact when learning how to walk she would grab her hair and pull herself up. Although Shadow would whimper in pain, she not so much as gave a growl. So add me to the list of a pound or recovered dog. At the moment I now have 7 feral or stray cats
Karen Rose on 05 Sep 2007 at 1:08 am #
Thanks, everyone! I’ve loved reading about your pets. Mr. R and I have been discussing and debating this issue and I’ll keep you posted as to where we come out!
pam on 06 Sep 2007 at 11:59 am #
Karen– I just had to chime in and say I have a cat named Bella, too– short for Bellatrix. Harry Potter fans know who she is. She’s a gorgeous black cat who’s a fierce hunter, like her namesake.
Her brother is named Snape.