Puppies!

[Admiral Squish]

Let's talk about puppies! I see a lot of cat threads here, and being a dog dude, I much prefer to talk of puppies and their adorable behavior. so, let there be talk of puppies!

I've had the good fortune of owning three adorable, friendly, and lovable puppies through the years.

First was Sue. Sue basically looked like a perfectly normal golden retriever, but her colors were reversed, with glossy black fur and brown around her muzzle and feet, with a white chest and belly. She was also quite small for a german shepard. We got sue when she was two because her prior owner couldn't keep her since he was going into a nursing home. She was really well trained, affectionate, and smart. She figured out where to lie down whenever we sat to dinner all on her own. She figured out how to make me and my brother stop playing video games and pay attention to her (A trick that involved setting her chin on the controller so when we looked down to see what the warm fuzzy thing on our thumbs was, we got a full-on blast from the puppydog eyes). She even developed methods of circumventing the baby gates we used to keep her in the kitchen when we left the house. She was a great dog. Quiet, well-behaved, and affectionate. We got to have her around for ten lovely years. She died a little more than a year ago, while I was off being in the Navy.

The other dog was actually my little stepbrother's. Annabelle, a big lug of a doggie. She was big and, to be honest, kinda dumb, but she was so cute and she was relentlessly affectionate. Like a juggernaut of fuzz and lickings. The only thing Annabelle did that really bugged us was that she ate things. Any number of things. Things which were often not actually food. Including things like dish towels, and socks. Unfortunately, this ended badly eventually. She knocked a glass off the counter and licked the pieces, getting a nasy cut on her tongue. The cut didn't kill her, though she was extremely loopy for a few days from the blood loss. However, the vet visit revealed that she had an intestinal blockage and she had to be put down.

They got a new dog, an EXTREMELY energetic australian shepard that my bro, currently enthralled with anime (Partially my fault), named Ryu. Ryu was ridiculously energetic. He never walked anywhere, he just RAN. or, at a minimum, jogged. Often in circles around me and my siblings as our feeble human legs struggled to keep up during our walks. He wasn't as affectionate as Annabelle, but he loved to play, and would attempt to make a game of everything. This habit was less than fun in the middle of winter when Ryu was playing tag and we three siblings were trying to get him to come inside because it's really cold and we can't leave him out overnight and we can no longer feel our toes. I haven't seen Ryu in a long while, but I assume he's doing fine.

Eventually, once I can finally get my own house, I intend to get at least one puppy. I was thinking one really big puppy and one little one. Some breeds I've considered include irish wolfhounds, corgis, ****zhus, leonbergers, and chow-chows.

So, tell me your puppy stories! Tell me about your current/future puppies! Talk about puppies you have met!

(Note: Thread is not specific to puppies. I refer to doggies of all ages as puppies, usually in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice followed promptly by furious petting and babbling babytalk.)

[Aiani]

Where is the thread for people who love both dogs and cats? :smalltongue: I have both a dog and a cat but since we're talking about dogs here mine is a little rat terrier named Daisy. I adopted her from the city animal shelter when she was about 2 years old and I've had her for a year now. She's a bit afraid of people (and most everything really) but once she gets to know someone she is very friendly and loves to give the kisses. One of her back legs doesn't work and my vet doesn't think it can be fixed but that doesn't slow her down at all. She loves to play and she can run seriously fast. She and my cat are best friends and they are seriously cute when they sit together on the couch and kiss each others faces.

[Admiral Squish]

Where is the thread for people who love both dogs and cats? :smalltongue: I have both a dog and a cat but since we're talking about dogs here mine is a little rat terrier named Daisy. I adopted her from the city animal shelter when she was about 2 years old and I've had her for a year now. She's a bit afraid of people (and most everything really) but once she gets to know someone she is very friendly and loves to give the kisses. One of her back legs doesn't work and my vet doesn't think it can be fixed but that doesn't slow her down at all. She loves to play and she can run seriously fast. She and my cat are best friends and they are seriously cute when they sit together on the couch and kiss each others faces.

D'awwwww!

When I was at my uncle's for thanksgiving, there were three dogs about. There was honeybear, this little fluffy puppy who, if given the chance, will NEVER STOP LICKING. As long as you remain in reach, she will keep licking, seemingly unconcerned with the passage of time. She's so adorable. Then there was my uncle's dog whose name escapes me. Very small, wiry dog. And she was absolutely terrified of everything. Took her an hour to stop yowling at me and my bro, but she warmed up by the time we left. there was a third dog, but he stuck close to his owners and didn't give me a strong impression.

[Savannah]

I love dogs :smallbiggrin: In fact, I'm planning to work as a dog trainer/behaviorist.

Despite this, I've only had two dogs so far.

Dancer was a german shepherd we got from the shelter when she was probably around 10 years old. We have no idea why she was at the shelter since she was spayed, well taken care of, and beautifully trained. She was the best dog ever....and she had this really cute way of lying down where she would always cross her front paws, like she was a refined lady (which she was).

My other dog was a cocker spaniel.....NEVER AGAIN. We really should never have adopted that dog, as he was a terrible fit for our family, but we got him way before I knew what I was doing. Had the little bugger for 12 years because, due to his behavior problems, we couldn't responsibly re-home him.

Right now, I don't have any dogs, but I volunteer at the shelter twice a week. So I've got lots of shelter dog stories.....

[John Cribati]

My aunt had a ton of dogs when I was growing up. There was Toro, who would let me ride on his back (he was kind of huge; I was about 5). I don't remember much about him, beyond that; he died when I was pretty young. Next dog was Coffee, a nice brown... something with a white underbelly. He and I were best friends when I was down in Jamaica. Every day, I'd wake up and step outside, and he's jump on me and start licking like crazy. And at night, he's come lay down on my feet. He was the best. He died a few years ago. Poor thing. Then there's Zanntoro, I'm not sure what breed he is, but he's blond, with this triangle of dark fur on his head. He's a little glutton. He knocks over babies and steals their chicken. Other than that, he's a great hunting dog.

[thorgrim29]

We've had two miniature schnauzers.

The first one, Ralph (salt and pepper), was a quiet and affectionate dog, and we loved him very much. He had skin problems (oversensitivity, making combing him a pain for us both), and had stomach problems a few times (at one time he puked crap, that was disgusting). He died 3 years ago, when he got a very fast brain tumour, and gradually lost control of his body functions until we had to have him put down.

The second one, who we call Blanche, is black (irony!) with hints of brown. She's super sweet, very affectionate, and likes everyone. But she barks a lot when people walk near our house or she thinks she's going on a walk. Also when people hug or wrestle a bit she gets jealous. She also does this thing where when someone comes in the house she greets them then runs to tell other people someone's here. She also got 7 kidney stones a month ago and had to have surgery in a hurry, and now she's on a special diet forever.

So yeah, schnauzers are great dogs, but the have digestive and kidney issues.

[LOTRfan]

I have a teacup Yorkshire Terrier. He is about two years old, and just came out of surgery. Apparently, when he was very young (this had to before we owned him, probably when he was still living with his first owners), he swallowed a shoelace. The poor little guy has had it sitting in his intestines for a while now, and we only found out because his pancreas became inflamed.

Anyway, one surgery (and a loss of sixteen inches of oxygen-starved lower intestine) later, heis recovering. Poor little guy should be back to normal in two weeks or so. :smallfrown:

I have to say, I'm grateful though. If we waited a little bit longer, the vet said he would've died. Plus, now that his body doesn't have to fight off infection, he should be a lot more energetic. Like Thorgrim's dog, mine is going to have a special diet for the rest of his natural life.

[CrimsonAngel]

Where is the thread for people who love both dogs and cats? :smalltongue: I have both a dog and a cat but since we're talking about dogs here mine is a little rat terrier named Daisy. I adopted her from the city animal shelter when she was about 2 years old and I've had her for a year now. She's a bit afraid of people (and most everything really) but once she gets to know someone she is very friendly and loves to give the kisses. One of her back legs doesn't work and my vet doesn't think it can be fixed but that doesn't slow her down at all. She loves to play and she can run seriously fast. She and my cat are best friends and they are seriously cute when they sit together on the couch and kiss each others faces.

Holly? Is that you? :smallconfused:

[Magdela]

Holly? Is that you? :smallconfused:
Possibly awkward situation coming in fast from six o' clock!:smallwink:

My dogs are boring. Mut and a Shih-tzu here. They yap at each other all the time and bark incessantly. The Shih-tzu hates everyone but loves me, the other is the opposite thereof. Kind of funny. I suppose us anti socialites stay together.

[AshDesert]

My uncle just adopted a terrier puppy (she's just old enough to leave her mother). I've never had any dogs, although my uncle's dogs have always been cool. I might get a border collie when I have my own house, those are cool dogs.

[THAC0]

I don't have a dog, but I want a spaniel. Probably either a brittany or a field spaniel, but we might end up with a water spaniel due to the Husband's allergies.

[Mauve Shirt]

Puppies!
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/017/3/6/Ridgeback_puppies_by_EvilELQ.png
My own Ridgeback is the top one. He's 6 now, old pictures is old, but he acts like a puppy.

[THAC0]

Puppies!

My own Ridgeback is the top one. He's 6 now, old pictures is old, but he acts like a puppy.

I dogsat a ridgeback once. She was the most wimpy, needy dog evar.

Also, terrified of my cat. Not that I blame her, because did a number on her and continued to evilly plot her demise at every interval.

[Aiani]

Holly? Is that you? :smallconfused:

No, not Holly. Does Holly have a cool dog and cat too? :smallsmile:

[Mauve Shirt]

I dogsat a ridgeback once. She was the most wimpy, needy dog evar.

Ralph is pretty much a beta dog, but he's good at his job, which is protecting our home from lions.

[dish]

I have owned and loved many dogs over the years, but only have one at the moment. He's snoring under the bed as I type.

Qiqi was a rescue dog and is of undetermined parentage. I suspect there's some shi-tzu in him along with other stuff.

He's got the sweetest, friendliest personality and loves people. Unfortunately, he looks like a dirty mop. It's quite disspiriting to spend ages washing, drying, brushing and generally grooming the dog to have him look like ... a slightly fluffy dirty mop.

[Assassin89]

I have a Labradoodle named Ginger back home. My family got her about six years ago, before Labradoodles cost $2000 or so.

She doesn't like the neighbor's Pomeranian, and she is friendly with a black lab that first wandered into my family's yard in May of 2008.