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I don't know about PBM, but I have also had several dogs and I am only 30. Shephard, border collie, pointer, 2 little shephard mixes, lab mix, shiba inu mix, and I currently have a boxer. Now technically non of them were mine, except the boxer I have now, but I considered them all mine. And they considered me their favorite person in the house. Dogs always know who the dog lover is!
Yes, there are thousands of dogs in shelters, but that doesn't mean people should not be able to get a puppy from a reputable breeder. It's not the breeders fault that there is an overpopulation of unwanted dogs. It's all the irresponsible back yard breeders and the people to ignorant to get their family pets fixed because they just want to have one litter, or they want a pup just like their current dog, or they just don't think it will ever be a problem. At least she wants to make sure that she is getting a pup from a reputable breeder.
Okay, to those of you who have been kind and helpful, I really, really appreciate it! DH and I are still having a pretty hard time with the whole Brooklyn situation, so it is nice to have people who really care. It really does help, so again, thank you!
That being said, I just wanted to let everyone know that... Seeing as how some people don't ever want to actually answer the questions I have asked, and they just want to question me, I am done coming on this site for a little while. I am not saying no one should ask me questions, I just think that if you are going to be posting in a thread that someone started, you should at least help the OP as much as you can with the questions they have asked before you start to question them. Just my opinion though. As I have said, I don't even know how many times, we are notagainst adopting, and whether we end up adopting/rescuing, or buying from a breeder, we will still be giving our time to help at a shelter. So, either way, we will at least be doing something to help, which I believe is more than a lot of people can say. I just don't enjoy feeling like I am being attacked because I might possibly buy from a breeder again this time, instead of rescuing again this time. Especially when there are so many people that own dogs right now, that they bought from breeders, and even people that will ONLY buy dogs from breeders. But, it's bad for me to look into breeders, as well as shelters?
I am sure it is just because I am still upset over loosing Brooklyn , I have been overly sensitive for the last little while, but this thread is really starting to get to me. So, as I already said, I am just done for a while. I need a little break from CD, and I will just be back once we have gotten our next pup, whether he/she is from a rescue/shelter, or from a breeder. Once that happens, I will get on here and post pictures and let everyone know what we ended up doing. I will also answer any questions that I haven't gotten to answer yet, then. I just can't take this right now, it is starting to become more upsetting than helpful. And to be absolutely honest, I feel like someone (I won't name any names right now) has tried to get to me, every possible chance they get, for as long as I can remember (in the time I have been a CD member that is). And now is not the time, IMHO. Before, I would get mad/upset and argue, but I don't have the energy for that at the moment. So, again, to those of you who have been helpful, thank you very much. And I will be back when we get our next fur-baby!
Oh, and P.S. ... We have also owned a couple Ball Pythons, and while they are NOTHING like having a dog around, if we don't find the right puppy for us (from a rescue, shelter or breeder) in the next several months, we might just get another Ball Python for now. Don't know yet though.
By the way, the dogs that I have owned, on my own, just MY dogs, have been Destiny, Jayda and Brooklyn. The rest were dogs that my parents had got me/let me get, when I was growing up. All of which, I got when I was old enough to care for myself. Obviously, my parents took care of them financially, but when it came to feeding, bathing, walking, training, socializing, etc, etc, etc. That was all on me. My parents also did the same with my younger sister and brother when they got old enough, to help teach us all responsibility. However, with "my" dogs, if my parents decided they didn't want the dog in their house anymore, or whatever, we had to re-home them. Every time they went to good homes, we even went to visit the them (the ones that we had to re-home), in their new homes, at least once. Just so I would feel better because it absolutely KILLED me every time they did that to me/the dog! Because I am the oldest of the kids, I was like the experiment child. By the time they got my sister and brother their dogs, they had already gone through all of that with me, so they knew exactly what they would and would not allow my sister and brother to have. So, my sister and brother have been lucky so far, they have been allowed to keep their dogs, and they both still have their dogs, to this day.
Because of everything I went through with pets when I was younger, I swore I would never, ever give a dog up like that! That is why it was so unbelievably hard for us to have to re-home Desy and Jayda. But, again, that is what was best for them. Both of our girls were under 2 years old when they went to their homes, so it's not like they had been with us for years and years and years, and then we just decided to not deal with them any more, and they had to adjust to a new home after so long. We had no choice, and we had no idea that what happened was going to happen! Not to mention, Destiny and Jayda are in amazing homes now! We could not have found them better homes! Oh, and again, they wouldn't even be alive today to enjoy those homes, and all of the love and attention they get, if it wasn't for us. They are both as healthy as can be, and so loved and so spoiled! And, if they ever have to leave the homes that they are in now, for whatever reason, they will come back to us. So, I'd say they are pretty lucky to have so many people who love them so much!
As far as the Brooklyn thing goes, I really cannot repeat myself, AGAIN. It is just too hard to keep talking about. However, I will say, again, that we didn't leave Brooklyn behind because we couldn't bring him right away. We did what we thought was best for him. My MIL has always loved Brooklyn, from day one, and so have her 2 younger children. She offered to watch him, she didn't have to pay a dime for him while he was there, or anything! And, I did not feel comfortable flying him 5 hours or so after all of the horror stories I have heard about that! I wanted him to be happy, healthy and safe, until we could drive him out here. Obviously, now, we see that was not the best thing for him, but there was no way for us to know that at the time! And obviously, if we had any clue that something like that would happen to him, we would not have done that! We cannot take it back, no matter how bad we wish we could.
As far as if we are ready for our next dog or not, I am sorry because I know this sounds rude, but there's no other way to really put it... We do not need to explain ourselves or try and justify why we would like to get another dog around September, or where we will be getting our dog from. I just simply asked what everyone thought of that breeder! And again, even though I do not need to explain myself, yes, we are ready to start to look for our next puppy. And yes, we will be ready to actually bring home our next puppy around September. If we aren't ready for a puppy by then, we won't get one. I am not a horrible owner, I wouldn't say I am an irresponsible owner, and I an certainly not abusive. neglectful, or anything like that. And as I said before, because of what I went through with my dogs growing up, we would/will never just give up a dog, unless re-homing the dog is the best thing for them. And we do not ever plan on having to go through that again!
So, that is what I was trying to avoid by just not getting on here for a while. But, unfortunately, I felt like I had to explain myself, which I personally feel is wrong. Anyway, now that I have said all of that, I will just talk to everyone when we get our next pup and I get back on CD. Yet again, thank you to everyone who has been helpful and thoughtful, and I am sorry if this post was rude.
All I can say is if you cannot care for the dog for its entire life then let someone else give it that forever home it deserves. I realize people may pass away but moving away is the most common excuse for dumping a dog. I could never get rid of any of my dogs! My dogs are my family. They are #1 and always will be! When it comes down to it, breeding is done for money. Nothing will ever sway my opinion any other way! I see some breeders advertising their pups for $1,500.00 to $2,000.00! Who is kidding who here?
If the breed you are looking for is in a shelter somewhere, why not adopt? If not, you can go on a waiting list. One is sure to turn up sooner or later! Every shelter pet is worth the wait for adopting one! People need to be more educated.
PBM - Two things, I've only been on this board since October of 2007. And being a dog person, I've been browsing the Dog forum since joining. I've followed your threads about your three pit bulls and really was quite shocked when you rehomed two of them. Then the incident with Brooklyn and your MIL. I really expected you to have Destiny, Jayda and Brooklyn until they passed on to the Rainbow Bridge from old age. All three dogs exiting your lives within a few short months, and now you are already contemplating a new pit bull. What has changed again in your lives that you can commit 12+ years to a new dog?
Secondly, you are one of the most verbal champions of pit bulls and giving those in shelters another chance at a good life. And it's not as if you are contemplating a rare breed of dog, or even one that doesn't have so many THOUSANDS of them abandoned in shelters every year. There is zero good reason for you to buy a purebred pit bull from a breeder when so many pit bulls are stuck unwanted in shelters all over the US and the world. And since you are planning to NOT breed pit bulls yourselves, there is also no reason buy a "quality" pure bred pit bull and then neuter or spay it.
A shelter dog will give you more love and show more appreciation than any bought pampered puppy from a breeder.
And if we question you and your motives, it's because of how many detailed threads you've made about your life with your pit bulls. In a way, we've all come to know you quite well, and yet not completely. You're threads are akin to viewing a reality tv show.
And the money you save by NOT purchasing a pure bred pit bull puppy can go into a saving account for those few times you need to have someone else take care of your future dog. Next time, instead of asking your MIL to take care of your dog for free, you will be able to afford to board your dog safely at a reputable dog kennel.
MIU I agree with you, Having seen PBM posts over the years. Moderator cut: comment Plus shes dealing with renting where each place has its own rules about number & kind of dogs.
May I suggest PBM [and others in this situation] Consider doing Foster Care. That way You have a dog around that needs the love & support you can give it.
And you yourself have a group you can turn to when having a dog is not possible. And when you have a place that allows dogs you can foster.
This is Not to hurt any feelings...this is just to suggest an ideal way to be around & have a dog & help a dog with out the 12 yr commitment dogs need.
Last edited by Keeper; 04-04-2009 at 05:10 PM..
Reason: You have no way of knowing how this person was raised
I suppose my other thoughts are that PBM is very good with dogs, particularly pit bulls, and I think that whatever puppy or dog she gets will become a great dog companion to her family. So if she gets a rescue or shelter pit bull, it will turn out to be a wonderful companion. And the same results if she gets a pure bred pit bull puppy from a breeder, however if she goes the shelter/rescue group route, she will make more of a difference to the cause that she has tattooed on the back of her neck.
Since Brooklyn died alone and in a shelter, honor her passing by saving another pit bull from that sad tragic fate. And when people question you about your tattoo, you can say and show them what wonderful pets can be found at their local animal shelters.
So what if a pure bred pit bull puppy grows up into a better example of a pit bull than a one from a shelter? Aren't we in this Dog forum all more about the companionship factor than having a show dog? Do you think that a pure bred pit bull will be a smarter dog? More muscular? It just doesn't make sense to get a pure bred pit bull when your other three were so wonderful to you. It's not the lineage that's important, it's how they are treated and loved.
And I love the idea of PBM becoming a foster dog mom!!
Okay, so, last night I had decided to take a short break from CD because right now I am overly sensitive and don't want to say anything stupid because of that. But, I wanted to post in the thread about your favorite breed and I forgot to do that last night. So, I got on this morning to do that, and saw that there were some new posts in this thread and decided to read them. Which now, I regret, because again, I am getting more worked up than I should be or normally would, simply because of my emotional state right now. Anyway, I feel that I need to respond to these posts before I sign off today, because right now, it seems that certain people aren't understanding me, my life, where I am coming from, why I have done what I have done, etc. And while I don't think it's right for people to make me feel as though I need to explain myself or justify why I have done what I have done (seeing as how I try not to do that to other people), or why I am thinking about doing whatever. I guess, because I have shared so much, but not quite everything, in my past posts, I guess I should just tell everyone everything. Everything that I have chose to leave out in the past because it is more personal to me than other things that I have shared. So, because I am just going to lay it all out there, all of the stuff that is more personal to me that I have been through, hopefully this will help some people understand me and my decisions better and clear some things up.
So, let's get to it.... OH! And before I take the time to type all of this, I wanted to say, it's very obvious that people are not reading everything before they start posting responses! It's like people are only reading what they want to read. There are many things that I have had to repeat several times already, and again, I have to repeat them in this post! So, if you are going to post a response, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read everything FIRST!
Quote:
Originally Posted by miu
PBM - Two things, I've only been on this board since October of 2007. And being a dog person, I've been browsing the Dog forum since joining. I've followed your threads about your three pit bulls and really was quite shocked when you rehomed two of them. Then the incident with Brooklyn and your MIL. I really expected you to have Destiny, Jayda and Brooklyn until they passed on to the Rainbow Bridge from old age. All three dogs exiting your lives within a few short months, and now you are already contemplating a new pit bull. What has changed again in your lives that you can commit 12+ years to a new dog?
In response to that, we were more shocked than you, I'm sure, when everything happened that caused us to have to re-home our girls. I am so beyond sick of people acting like we had a choice! As I said in my post when I told everyone about us having to re-home the girls, a lot of stuff had happened unexpectedly and we had NO CHOICE! If there was ANY WAY, AT ALL, that we could have kept them, WE WOULD HAVE! I have said since day one that I would never EVER give up my fur-babies and that they would be with me until the day they died! And I meant that, I just couldn't help what happened. My younger sister (now 18 years old), who still lives with my parents and my younger brother (now 15), first got appendicitis, which ended up being pretty expensive, then right after that she went through some horrible stuff. Stuff that I myself went through shortly after I first moved out of my parents house when I was about 15 years old. I'm not going to go into detail about that stuff because first of all, it's not my place to tell people what my sister went through, and it is no ones business really what I went through. However, I will say, if you think of one of the worst possible things someone (normally girls/woman) can go through, you can get an idea. Anyway, as a result of all of that, my sister ended up with a broken rib and ended up in counseling. And she was going to a doctor to get steroid shots for her broken rib. However, somehow they ended up giving her more than she was supposed to get and as a result of that she had a stroke! At 17 years old! Because of that, she started getting physical therapy and more counseling! Now, my parents make good money, my mom is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and my step-dad (who I have know as my dad since I was 1 year old) works for the FAA. However, because they had decided to move from their $750,000 house in FL to a 1.2 million house on a mountain in UT, they were already struggling financially. Don't ask me why they bought a house that was that expensive, it wasn't me that did it. Anyway, after all of the money it took them to move across the country, and all of the extra money they had just started to have to pay in bills by being in a 1.2 million dollar, 6,000+ sq ft house, they were already struggling financially. And then, to have all of that happen to my sister, right after they moved, they really couldn't handle it! So, even though my husband and I don't make the most money, we had to move to Utah to help out. My family has always been there for us, so it was the only right thing to do. We had to help drive my sister to all of the stuff she had to go to, and help her with pretty much everything she did for a while there. Seeing as how my parents have to work all of the time to afford everything they have, I don't know what they would have done if we didn't come to help. We also cashed out my husbands retirement fund, which didn't have a whole lot in it yet anyway, to help out financially. It wasn't much, but it was something, and again, you just have to do whatever you have to do to help family. We had no idea how long we would be out in Utah that first time, so my husband started working out in Utah, to bring in more money, and I just did everything I could for my sister and around the house.
Now, we couldn't bring the dogs for several reasons, and because of the fact that we couldn't bring our dogs, I almost just didn't go help my family! First of all, with everyone working all of the time, with my sister not even being able to take care of herself very well, and with me having to take care of the house and my sister, it was a struggle just to take are of the 2 dogs my family already has. Not to mention, the 2 dogs they have don't get along with other dogs, so we would of had to keep our 3 dogs separated from their 2 dogs, all of the time. I would have been going non-stop 24/7, and the poor dogs would not have been able to get the love, attention and exercise they they need and deserve! Oh, and also, with everyone struggling financially at that time, it would have killed us to spend all of the extra money to get the dogs out here, AND I would have died of a heart attack from the stress of flying my fur-babies. I have heard so many horror stories that it would have just killed me. So, while we probably could have brought our fur-babies out to Utah, it would not have been right for us to have them in a situation like that! We did what we thought was best for them, and what I still feel, to this day, was best for them. And got them into homes where they would definitely have all of the love, attention, exercise, etc, that they need and deserve! And as far as Brooklyn goes, because we did have someone that he knew and loved and who knew and loved him, who was willing and able to care for him until we could either 1, get just him out to Utah, or 2, get back to Florida, that's what we did. And while Brooklyn was with my best friend, we paid for all of his food, all of his vet appointments, etc. They didn't pay anything extra for any of that. Not to mention, we also sent them money to have their car fixed when they were having trouble with it. Even though we really couldn't afford it. Because they were so kindly watching after our baby for us when they absolutely didn't have to!
So, now that I have pretty much been forced to share my personal stuff with everyone, I have to say that I think it is wrong for anyone to tell me that 1- We were wrong to drop everything and go help my family, as much as we could, while they were going through such a hard time. And 2- We were wrong to re-home the girls in that situation! To say that we were wrong is basically saying that either we shouldn't have helped my family, or we should have dragged them across the country, risked having something happen to them on that trip, and have them locked up in a basement, all alone, without the attention and exercise they need and deserve, just so that WE would be happy?! Just so we could still keep the dogs we love so much?! I'd say that incredibly greedy and selfish, not to mention cruel! Trust me, there is nothing more that I would have wanted than to bring my fur-babies with me! I would have died for them! But, I had to think about THEIR well-being and happiness, not my own! And it's not like we could have possibly known that my baby sister was going to go through all of that! She almost died!!! It's not like we WANTED that to happen! At 21 years old, I have already been through more than anyone I have ever met, and my sister had never had to go through anything hard (except seeing me go through everything I went through). I could handle what she went through better than she could. I HATE that that happened to her, if I could take that whole experience from her, and have to deal with all of that pain myself so that she wouldn't have to, I would do it in a heartbeat! Gladly! So, I apologize to everyone that thinks we did the wrong thing in that situation. I don't know what to tell you? We did what we felt was best for them, because we love them so much! You don't think it didn't kill me to have to do that? To have to give up my babies?! Especially after I vowed to never do what my parents did while I was growing up?!
As for what has changed in our lives that would make us think/know we can get another dog around September... We are not going back to Florida. We are staying in Utah for at least the next few years. So, even if something horrible like that happens to one of my family members again, we are right here with them. So, we won't have to leave to go help them. My husband and I are both working again, and we will be getting back out on our own in a month or 2. Several months before we get our next pup. As I have said several times now, I have vowed to never do what my parents use to do to/with our dogs. So, unless re-homing them is without a doubt, the absolute best thing to do, for them, we will NEVER do that again! And God willing, we will never EVER end up in a situation like that again, where the best thing for our dogs is for us to have to put aside our feelings and find them a good home. We will also never have more than 2 dogs at a time, to make sure we can definitely afford to have them. We could afford to have our 3, they never went without anything, or missed a vet appointment, or anything like that. But it was pushing it at times. So, just to be safe, we will get one, and years down the road if we want/can handle another, we might consider that. We have also already checked out the laws in our area as far as "pit bulls", and other so-called "dangerous" breeds go, and as long as we don't get a place in Sandy (a neighboring city), we are allowed to have APBTs. Oh, and we have also already checked into many, many apartments, duplexes, house, etc, in the areas that we can have APBTs in, and the overwhelming majority will allow us to have an APBT. As long as they aren't one of the way over-sized ones, seeing as how a lot of places will allow small-medium, but not large dogs. OH! Also, not that it is any ones business, my family is suing that doctor (the one that ODed my baby sister on steroid shots) for medical malpractice. And even though we might not accept it from them, my parents have told us several times that they will be paying us back. So, if we do happen to need extra money around that time, we will have it. My parents are doing much better financially. My sister is back working, and everything is much better. So, now that my husband and I have fallen upon hard times, my family is here to help us through it. So, after going through everything we went through, we would not get another dog if we hadn't already thought about everything, and were sure we could handle it.
Quote:
Secondly, you are one of the most verbal champions of pit bulls and giving those in shelters another chance at a good life. And it's not as if you are contemplating a rare breed of dog, or even one that doesn't have so many THOUSANDS of them abandoned in shelters every year. There is zero good reason for you to buy a purebred pit bull from a breeder when so many pit bulls are stuck unwanted in shelters all over the US and the world. And since you are planning to NOT breed pit bulls yourselves, there is also no reason buy a "quality" pure bred pit bull and then neuter or spay it.
A shelter dog will give you more love and show more appreciation than any bought pampered puppy from a breeder.
And if we question you and your motives, it's because of how many detailed threads you've made about your life with your pit bulls. In a way, we've all come to know you quite well, and yet not completely. You're threads are akin to viewing a reality tv show.
And the money you save by NOT purchasing a pure bred pit bull puppy can go into a saving account for those few times you need to have someone else take care of your future dog. Next time, instead of asking your MIL to take care of your dog for free, you will be able to afford to board your dog safely at a reputable dog kennel
As far the above statement(s)... I guess I need to repeat myself, yet again! We have NOT ruled out adoption/rescue. We are simple researching all of our options. Seeing as how we will soon be volunteering at a shelter, I am sure we will end up adopting! I know that we are going to fall in love with a pitty there and we won't be able to leave him/her there. So, the chances of us actually buying from a breeder instead of adopting/rescuing, are really slim to none. Regardless of how bad I want a puppy from a breeder at the moment, we won't be able to say no to a rescue, just like we couldn't say no to Desy or Jayda. Also, we will no be comfortable getting a puppy/dog until around September, just to make sure we are back on our feet. So, we don't want to start checking out shelters/rescues for adoption right now. At the moment, no, we are not ready for a puppy/dog. So, it makes a lot more sense, to me anyway, to check shelters/rescues closer to time for us to get our next fur-baby. After I found out about Brooklyn, I did go to the website of the shelter we will be volunteering at, and I already saw a couple dogs that tugged at my heart strings. But again, we can't get a dog right now, so I don't want to torture myself by falling in love with a dog at a shelter a good 5 months or so before we can actually get a dog.
Moderator cut: deleted quote removed
Quote:
May I suggest PBM [and others in this situation] Consider doing Foster Care. That way You have a dog around that needs the love & support you can give it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by miu
And I love the idea of PBM becoming a foster dog mom!!
As far as the foster thing goes, I have said that many times already. I have told everyone that we will be volunteering, no matter what. And regardless of where we get our dog, we are definitely going to continue to volunteer for the foreseeable future. And I have told everyone that as soon as we start volunteering we are definitely going to check into fostering. And that we are considering fostering at least once before we get our next pup.
Last edited by leorah; 04-05-2009 at 03:17 PM..
Reason: OP's request
let us be honest breeders dont really know what happens to the dog once it leaves their sight and their presence . I knew people who bred these dogs for just that purpose to fight them . I used to work with some people that thought that it was cool for them to let their dogs fight . I dont reccomend breeding any dogs . there are enough and then some in the over crowded shelters we have now . Please think twice before supporting a breeder that is part of the problem not part of the solution . I used to foster dogs and I see what happens when people get tired of the dog or the dog does not work out it ends up in a shelter or pound and if not adopted it is put to sleep . I wont be part of the problem I instead intend to be part of the solution .
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It really does help, so again, thank you! 
I am done coming on this site for a little while. 
Every time they went to good homes, we even went to visit the them (the ones that we had to re-home), in their new homes, at least once. Just so I would feel better because it absolutely KILLED me every time they did that to me/the dog! 
People need to be more educated.
Anyway, after all of the money it took them to move across the country, and all of the extra money they had just started to have to pay in bills by being in a 1.2 million dollar, 6,000+ sq ft house, they were already struggling financially. And then, to have all of that happen to my sister, right after they moved, they really couldn't handle it! So, even though my husband and I don't make the most money, we had to move to Utah to help out. My family has always been there for us, so it was the only right thing to do. We had to help drive my sister to all of the stuff she had to go to, and help her with pretty much everything she did for a while there. Seeing as how my parents have to work all of the time to afford everything they have, I don't know what they would have done if we didn't come to help. We also cashed out my husbands retirement fund, which didn't have a whole lot in it yet anyway, to help out financially. It wasn't much, but it was something, and again, you just have to do whatever you have to do to help family. We had no idea how long we would be out in Utah that first time, so my husband started working out in Utah, to bring in more money, and I just did everything I could for my sister and around the house.