DOGS

Heh. My hours are too irregular. Wouldn't be fair to a dog.

You're gonna have me considering doing things I ought not consider doing.

The heart wants what the heart wants. But you are right that not everyone needs a dog. Most of them are terribly neglected and it's impossible to give them all the attention they want. We didn't want to get another after our last one died, but the house seemed so sad and empty that we bit the bullet. We're pretty sure Lacy is going to be our last, but no guarantees.

Certainly think it through.

Most of our dogs in the past were excellent, the smartest and best was a rescue dog, golden lab mix.

After our American bulldog passed a couple years ago, my wife decided she wanted a dog, I did not want one because at this point in life I want to be able to travel at the spur of the moment, and I do not want to be saddled with the cost of paying for boarding, and I do not want to take a dog to hotels.

After the 30 day grace period passed on giving back Leo to the pound and accruing $400 in damages, no one wants him, no one will take him posted on several websites… took him to be evaluated at a boarding facility for an upcoming trip and they seem to only want perfect dogs. They referred me to another facility that would cost at least 1K for 10 days.

He is not necessarily a bad boy, but my wife insists she lacks the ability to work with her dog, and with my travel for work, when I am home I do not want a second job, if I was retired I might think differently.
I regret not saying “not no, but hell no”, instead of “well, you want a dog… whatever you want”



Your mileage may vary

For what it’s worth, Leo is part bull terrier and (we think) part boxer. He certainly is not a pit bull and is not aggressive other than wanting to chew up stuff that he should not.

He wants constant attention.

Having said that, he looks enough pit- bullish to most, that I believe people refrain from considering him as a pet.

We took one of those Texas pits off your hands via an adoption group.  I won’t try to sugar coat things, and I think your points are valid.  If we were overrun by stray pits here I’d not be happy.

Hyacinth is the first pit bull (or Staffy) I’ve owned.  I’m glad I had experience with dogs before bringing her onboard.  She’s taken a lot of work and patience compared to other dogs I’ve owned.  She’s rewarded our work with slowly coming round to being a fiercely loyal and intelligent companion.  But I can see where many would give up or lack the experience in training her.  I had my doubts at times, but am glad to have persevered; she has quite a strong will, only mine is a bit stronger and consistent.

It’s a shame people are irresponsible with their dogs, and my experience with Hyacinth tells me these should be a rare breed reserved for those willing to put in the time.

That was always a consideration in the past. With my weird hours, at least when I was away at work they'd have each other for company. Since COVID, though, I'm only at the office 2 days a week, so I'm somewhat less concerned about it now.

I'm hoping for a poodle comeback with a poodle winning Westminster this week. Smart, easy to keep, hyperalergenic and waterproof. Mine could speak about 20 words and understood many more. They are tough dogs too. Those ridiculous haircuts make them look silly. Straight lamb trim and they're all good. I don't like the toys, but either the miniature or the standard are fine.
The wife likes the Yorkies and they are OK and have their charm. Not like a real dog but suit our lifestyle better at this stage in life.

That's true. And there definitely is a criminal element in Memphis that would want them. I just find it hard to believe many of those buyers would be going to AKC breeders to get them. They're gonna go to some sketchy puppy mill. Somebody is keeping all these AKC kennels in business, though.

My older brother and his family have 2 Goldendoodles. One they've had for probably 10 years. They just got the younger one a couple years ago. The older one is . . . wired different. Bad stranger danger. She's sweet once she's gotten over having you visiting, but if you leave the house - and I mean for as much as a couple minutes - and come back in, you're brand new to her all over again. Kinda comical.

I contacted a person through the Rover app, that seemed ideal for our dog for her to host at home....$25.00 a day for 13 days, doable, she declined because the last three days we wanted her to watch Leo, she will be travelling. I was honest about his nature, not sure if that played a role in being declined.
Everyone else is $60 a day plus other fees...pushing the 1K mark again.

The beat goes on...

My point. If a poodle improves every other breed, just get a poodle.

And I am confident that you will find a great companion.

Investigating the breed will go a long way for your situation.