Breeds of dogs you own or owned.... (shih tzu, poodles, shepherds)

[mikenbacismama]

The only dog I've had as a grown-up is a sweet Chocolate Lab. We lost our dear girl in June, she was almost 12 yrs. old.

We are a little unsettled in our home life, but definitely would get another Lab or Lab mix when we decide to add another member to our family!

[Valerie C]

While growing up, we had mostly mutts, beagle crosses, lab crosses, etc. I was given an Irish Setter who was all beauty but very few brains! Once I was ready for my own dogs, I adopted a husky/shepherd cross from the SPCA, and a few years later bought a German Shepherd to show in the breed and obedience rings. I have always loved the beauty and strength of that breed, however working as a vet tech and pet groomer as I did in my younger years showed me just how much the physical and mental health of the breed had declined. And the GSD's I saw in the show ring were sad caricatures of what I had dreamed. Anyway, my well-bred beautiful girl had bad elbows, developed tumors throughout her reproductive parts, and eventually I lost my beautiful girl at just 8 years old to bloat (gastric torsion). And found out through the GSD circles that 4 out of the 7 in her litter had bloated as well. Being a vet tech, I had always done "the right things" to hopefully avoid this from happening. Here is a link to her memory page: Now and Forever, These Pages are Dedicated to.....



Still having the older huskyX (with NEVER a health problem I might add) we were lucky enough to get a special-needs puppy from a rescue group. Seven standard poodle puppies had been found on the streets of Dodge City Kansas, the sad result of a puppy-mill dump (sometimes the puppymills dump the puppies on the street instead of killing them when they have grown too old to send to the mall puppy stores). Anyway, Chance needed alot of help to learn that people were good, and now, 8 years later, he is an awesome member of our family and I can't imagine life without him! I've owned, trained or worked with just about every breed of dog we commonly see in this country, and of them all, the standard poodle remains at the top of my list. Here is Chance's page: Chance's Page!

Now and Forever, These Pages are Dedicated to.....

[strangemood]

Tons of personality for such a little thing. Best dog I will probably ever had, he was like a little human with all the emotions he had. He certaintly would stand up to any dog of any size, big spirit little package.

He was a Good boy!!

[mbmouse]

I have had several dogs and cats, but this is about the dogs. I have had a beagle when I was little, a Black Lab, a Rottie/Springer Spaniel mix...yea he looked as funny as that sounds, Rottie body on spaniel legs hahahaha. Great dog. But the best dog I ever had was my Rhodesian Ridge back mix. I rescued her from going off to the pound when she was 5 weeks old. At the time, my oldest child was 5 and my youngest was 1. They all grew up together and that dog was part of the family. She never had to be on a leash (unless we were traveling) she just stayed in the yard, no fence, and when we walked, stayed right with us. She was friendly to everyone and I can not tell you the number of people that wanted to buy her once they got to know her. I had a neighbor that threatened to take her because we were moving away and he didn't want to not see her everyday. She did not lick or drool, never once messed in the house, nor would she poop in the yard, always went out into the field or woods....you can't teach that! hahhhaa. She refused to fetch, I think she thought is was beneath her, but she would play tag and tug of war. Lord help the person that tried to mess with us, cause she would go nuts on them. If any of us were sick, she would lay by our beds. She was a great mom too. I let her have two litters before I fixed her. She loved all babies, human or animal. When we got a new kitten a few years back, she thought she was the momma and it was more her cat than my sons hahahha
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She was so good with the boys, never let them out of her sight, had to be where ever they were. I had to drag her off the school bus twice! LOL!
If she wasn't with them, she was with me and always knew where all of us where at all times.

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She was such a pretty dog too.
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This is one of the last pictures I took of her, it was this past December and still with the boys and her cat.
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She past away this past May.....we are lost without her.

[bmantx]

I recently own 2 dogs at the moment b/c one passed away last year of cancer, and 2 years ago, one died of parvo. i now have a golden retriever named Brandi, a real sweetheart, and a catahoula named Tara. the 2 I lost, one was a german shephard/Chow/lab mix, named Bear, she was the sweetest dog ever. She was soo gentle and loving, not what you would expect a german shephard mix to be like. And the other one I lost was also a catahoula named Nicky. A real live wire but also a real sweet dog. Being a dog lover and all, those two dogs I lost really get to me. I think about them everyday. I love dogs, plain and simple!

[Katie1]

mbmouse..why not start a cat thread????

Those of you that have lost your dog & pets of any kind I sure know how you feel...If some one tells you that they are just animals then ignore them for they will never understand. After all we are animals too! In time you will remember to good times with out the pain of having lost them!

[jeanninefafb]

Here they are playing with each other one spring morning. They played so well together and then snuggled up for naps when they tired each other out.

[Guerilla]

I own two Australian Shepherds! Fudge and Chocolate! I love them both. They came from the same litter. I have some photos of them on my phone that I'll try to upload on here. They are both Black Tricolors. I am glad we have a nice sized yard, because they love to run around the back. They are so energetic and jumpy. We haven't had any training problems with them at all. They are about a year old.

[shades_of_idaho]

Great thread!!

As a child I had a doxie and a cocker. My mother got rid of them. I do not know how, they were just gone. I was only 4 and did not understand. She never told me where they went even when I was older.

Then I got a ,guessing, springer spanial spitz. He lived to be 18+. I did not let him out of my site. I was old enough by then to know what was going on. I took him to the neighbor on my way to school and picked him up on the way home.

Then I had a stray cocker mix came to me pregnant and had two puppies. All were fixed as soon as I could afford it. I worked for a vet and got a little discount. I had to find homes for them when my husband passed away, 1970, and I had to move into an apartment.

Then I had a samoyd shepherd mix. A great BIG guy at 100 pounds. Another stray and I lost him at 13 1/2 years.

Then I met my now husband and he had a schnauzer. We lost her at 14 years. She had had kidney trouble since she was a couple of years old so we had her on special food.

Then Groucho a border collie maybe MacNab ,we were told by a MacNab person. He came from my girlfriend that found the pregnant dog that had 13 puppies. We lost him at 16 years.

Now we have Tillie and Clancy. Both border collie mixes. Tillie came from a desperate add in the paper she HAD to have a home. She was 4 months old. Clancy from the shelter. He was 2 months old. We did pay for Tillie since the lady drove 75 miles to meet us to deliver her. We drove 100 miles to pick her up. Silly us. There was a reason she needed a home so bad. She is the shy dog and had all sorts of mental problems. We love her and she loves us and is getting better since Clancy came to our home.

Tillie LOVES TV. and that is old Groucho. Tillie was watching her David Dikeman training tape. She learned a lot from it. Heheheh

http://mail.ctcweb.net/~shadesofidaho/Tillie-TrainingB.jpg (broken link)

Chris

[millie61]

These are my two Pug babies