Looking for a family dog

[Baz]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

99% of the shelter dogs around here are pit bulls of some kind. I can't take a chance with those. Why were they given up for adoption? Where can I find non-pit rescue dogs.

Well....you can start with that 1%.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

99% of the shelter dogs around here are pit bulls of some kind. I can't take a chance with those. Why were they given up for adoption? Where can I find non-pit rescue dogs.

Try some rural counties and see what they have. Less red tape too.

G

[Aerkuld]

Here are our two rescues. We had big dogs in the past, and I was a little resistant to small dogs, mainly because I was going to be embarrassed to walk them. However, these two may be small, but they have giant personalities. Why do they end up in shelters?

Roxy, the black and tan, came from the Humane Society. My wife saw her while she was volunteering there and 'made' me come in to meet her. Roxy was nine years old when we got her. The Humane Society had picked her up from a high kill shelter, and it breaks our hearts to think she was in that situation. She was very well trained, and super sweet. She had to have most of her teeth pulled, along with a hysterectomy when the Humane Society got her. We were told they thought she was probably a Papillon/Chihuahua mix, but have since been told she's probably a Russian Toy Terrier. We don't know her background other than that, but speculate that she was owned by an elderly person who either couldn't take care of her, passed away, or moved into a home. She was a little shy when we first got her three years ago, but she has really opened up since. She is super attached to my wife and will snuggle next to her on the sofa.

Zoey we got later from a foster home. She was found abandoned, running around on the streets with a mini-pack of three other small dogs. Knowing her now that was probably the cutest pack of strays ever. She probably is Papillon/Chihuahua, and has a distinctly different muzzle shape from Roxy. The two of them love each other, although Zoey is probably only a four years old and much more playful, so Roxy tires of her quickly. When we got her a year and a half ago, I took her to puppy training. She has learned a lot, and is good at basic sit, down, heel, etc. It helps that she is massively food motivated. She has really bonded to me. I take them to work sometimes and she will follow me around the office and likes to sit behind me in my office chair, between my back and the chair back with her head poking out under my arm so she can see what's going on. When she stays at home, she'll 'sing' to me when I get back, and wag her tail so hard she bends 90 degrees in the middle.

Like I said, I was not looking for small dogs, but these two are great - very well behaved, not chewy or yappy, and super affectionate. They know they have a good thing going in their forever home. Keep looking - you'll find a great rescue!

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

99% of the shelter dogs around here are pit bulls of some kind. I can't take a chance with those. Why were they given up for adoption? Where can I find non-pit rescue dogs.

Not all were given up...
You’d be crazy to trust them. They all desperately want to eat you. The shelters don’t evaluate them for temperament and are in the business of matching you with the first vicious killer they get their hands on. Prejudice comes in many forms.






Just saying...

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

You are more likely to get hurt badly in a car accident than be hurt by your pitbull dog. I cant understand your irrational fears but then again M21sniper was afraid of sharks...

To each their own - who am I to judge?

But what about the general society outside the immediate family the dog knows? There are two sides, the dog owner part of the pack and the neighbor who is not. I dismissed our GSD many years ago. Sucked but a decision I had to make. Got him as a puppy, home filled with love. He would have died to protect us. He also would have attacked anyone who walked on our property. We spent thousands in help but to no avail. I was wrong to choose the breed as a family pet. We shared a fence line with neighbors that had very young children. When left alone in the backyard our GSD was basically hunting those kids ready for a finger or hand to come through/under/over the fence. No thanks. I get the love, the commitment to family. But if you are in an urban setting the arguments in favor of breeds that have these behaviors fall flat.

[KFC911]

I had a long post typed out.....deleted it.
It's all been said before here...

Happy hunting

[billybek]

My wife's uncle trains service dogs for autistic children and also for kids with other problems that may qualify them for a service dog. He will train and socialize the dog for the first year and then pass them off to another trainer who will finish the dog for a specific client.
You might want to look into a group that provides dogs for this purpose. Sometimes they will have dogs that washout of training because of an issue that wouldn't be a problem for a dog owner but makes them unacceptable as a service dog. A dog like this would most likely be between 1 and 2 years old and very well trained.
Just another option.
I should see if I can find some of the photos of the dogs he has trained working with their new client/owner. They are priceless.