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Old 12-27-2020, 04:29 PM   #1
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We are looking for a dog

Hello, everyone.

We've finally decided (actually, I've finally got my wife ready) to get a dog next spring! A dream came true!
We would prefer a cocker spaniel, but we're not necessarily stuck on that. We would also like a mongrel.
We are both dog experienced, but as this will be our first dog together, we want a puppy. My heart tells me to go to the animal shelter, but my wife decided against it.
However it is also clear that we will not support any poor breeding. The animal should be healthy and happy in the first weeks of its life. I will also have a close look at the parents.
So I am trying to persuade my wife that we should get a dog from the animal shelter. Does anyone have any tips and good arguments as to how I can still convince her?
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Old 12-27-2020, 05:13 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by forestbrun View Post
Hello, everyone.

We've finally decided (actually, I've finally got my wife ready) to get a dog next spring! A dream came true!
We would prefer a cocker spaniel, but we're not necessarily stuck on that. We would also like a mongrel.
We are both dog experienced, but as this will be our first dog together, we want a puppy. My heart tells me to go to the animal shelter, but my wife decided against it.
However it is also clear that we will not support any poor breeding. The animal should be healthy and happy in the first weeks of its life. I will also have a close look at the parents.
So I am trying to persuade my wife that we should get a dog from the animal shelter. Does anyone have any tips and good arguments as to how I can still convince her?
Good luck having"a close look at the parents" of any dog you pick up at a shelter.
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Old 12-27-2020, 05:21 PM   #3
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Most animal shelters have more dogs than can be adopted so, when they're full, they have to kill the ones they don't have room for.

Adopting a shelter dog is truly saving one from being killed.

We've had dozens of orphan dogs over the years. Absolutely no regrets; they've all been great.
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Old 12-27-2020, 05:38 PM   #4
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Definitely try to rescue if you can ! There's so many dogs that need homes .You won't be disappointed.
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Old 12-27-2020, 06:07 PM   #5
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The best way to convince someone to get a shelter dog is to go to the shelter "just to look".
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Old 12-27-2020, 06:15 PM   #6
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Just to look ! Outstanding ! Lol
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Old 12-27-2020, 06:20 PM   #7
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Be sure to get a dog that does not shed. We have a small (12#) Poodle and she is doesn’t shed. She is also smarter than both of us.
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Old 12-27-2020, 06:22 PM   #8
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Yeah ,Like a Husky or a Shepherd lol They only shed twice a year for 6 months at a time [emoji1787]
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Old 12-27-2020, 06:32 PM   #9
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Shelter dog. It's amazing how some shelters have matchmakers for the owners. All I've ever had was shelter dogs. The are fantastic.
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Old 12-27-2020, 09:31 PM   #10
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You are certainly not going to see the parents with a shelter dog. We have a great Black Lab that we "rescued" from our local shelter. He was about 1 1/2 years old, and actually had heartworms. But there was (is) a program that paid for the treatment, since he was in the shelter for so long. So we took a chance. We certainly don't regret getting him, even though he has a couple of quirks (he's strong enough to jump the fence and chase the coons). But he unfortunately is not a camping dog. We found out he's a puker. We can't get more than a few miles down the road before he pukes. We even have dramamine for him, and he still does. But we still don't regret getting him. He is a neat little (well, not so little) dog.
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Old 12-27-2020, 09:54 PM   #11
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I think your wife has won this argument. If you want a cocker puppy, you're going to have to find a reputable breeder. The chances of finding one in a local shelter are very slim, but you certainly can check. Most of them have waiting lists for people who are interested in a particular breed.

We've had pure bred dogs and adopted one from the shelter. Frankly, adopting a puppy and training it was a whole lot easier than adopting a full grown dog from a shelter. With a full grown dog, it's got to unlearn habits from previous owners. If you were experienced dog owners or if both of you were committed to a shelter dog, the advice would be different.

Adopting a dog from a shelter means that you don't know its parents or anything about its history or its medical condition when it entered the shelter. It's also possible that it could pick up kennel cough in the shelter.
Do I believe in shelters? Heck yes. We're currently fostering a momma cat and her 4 newborns.
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Old 12-28-2020, 12:38 AM   #12
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Breed-specific dog rescue groups exist. Search for "cocker spaniel rescue".
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Old 12-28-2020, 01:13 AM   #13
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This^^^^^ What Chris said above. I also like the idea of going to the shelter "Just to have a look". I would not want to support a breeder. If you choose that route, consider going to a shelter and paying the up front costs to adopt the two oldest dogs there - paying it forward if you will.

My .02

PS.... Here are Daisy and Eddie, a brother and sister that were 7-years old and 8-years old when they rescued us.
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Old 12-28-2020, 07:12 AM   #14
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Dogs

Quote:
Originally Posted by HangDiver View Post
This^^^^^ What Chris said above. I also like the idea of going to the shelter "Just to have a look". I would not want to support a breeder. If you choose that route, consider going to a shelter and paying the up front costs to adopt the two oldest dogs there - paying it forward if you will.

My .02

PS.... Here are Daisy and Eddie, a brother and sister that were 7-years old and 8-years old when they rescued us.
Just wondering what your reasoning is for Not Want to Support a Breeder?
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Old 12-28-2020, 07:23 AM   #15
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Have her watch that ASPCA commercial - you know the one with the abused dogs and sad music? It gets me every time!!
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Old 12-28-2020, 07:27 AM   #16
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While I think rescuing a dog is a wonderful thing to do for the dog, it’s not always the most wonderful thing to do to you and your family. You have to be very careful when choosing your dog and think about the future — near and long-term. Many rescue dogs may seem perfect for you while you are looking, but many come with personality problems that won’t be obvious to you while you’re at the shelter. I don’t really know how one could predict how a dog is going to be after it is rescued other than taking the advice of the shelter, but I have seen many very upset rescue owners who are heart-broken after they discover their dog just won’t work for them and they end up having to give it up.

You never really know why a dog is in a shelter, but there are usually good reasons — aggressiveness being a common one. I have a customer whose specialty is “trying” to turn-around aggressive rescue dogs rescued by people who didn’t realize they were going to be aggressive. He is well-known here and he does a good job, but his success rate is about 75%. He’s not cheap, either.

You hardly ever know what a rescue dog has lived through and why it is in the shelter.

Of course, there are many, many happy rescue owners — I’m sure outnumbering the unhappy ones.

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Old 12-28-2020, 11:02 AM   #17
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Just wondering what your reasoning is for Not Want to Support a Breeder?
^^^^^ x2
A reputable breeder is not the same as a 'puppy mill'. Don't buy from a pet store who sell 'puppy mill' puppies.

We got both of our boxer dogs from families that bred the dogs in their homes and both parents were in the home. They'd had their shots and AKC papers were available at time of adoption. We had to answer lots of questions before they'd allow us to adopt one of their puppies. We trained them from puppies to be well behaved pets.
Our third boxer was a shelter adoption dog who was nothing but skin and bones. He spent years looking at boys on bicycles for his original owner and we did our best to retrain him to not jump on people. I think he was purebred, but you have to be careful because sometimes they breed them with more aggressive breeds. He was a great dog, but wasn't as well trained as our puppies. Didn't live as long either probably because of his history.

Unfortunately, those commercials on tv show abuse... not the origin of the dogs. Spay and neuter your pet so that we don't have unwanted animals. That won't stop all abuse, but it will help cut down on street animals.
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Old 12-28-2020, 01:29 PM   #18
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We've had three dogs (still have one of them) and they were all from a shelter. The first was a mixed breed and the second and third were West Highland Terriers. All wonderful dogs and we would only ever rescue. You'll find if you go to a shelter, the dog will likely pick you!
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Old 12-28-2020, 01:37 PM   #19
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https://www.petfinder.com

YOU CAN RESCUE A COCKER THROUGH THIS SITE.
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Old 12-28-2020, 01:50 PM   #20
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getting a dog

I don't like dogs.
We've had a couple of dogs live with us for long periods of time in the past. I'll never do it again, because all they do is hang around, be your BFF, then they go away and break your heart. I don't like dogs for that reason.
Unless you experience the unconditional love and devotion, you'll never know what you missed.
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