I've got my own menagerie, all adopted from shelters or rescued. I want to be a vet tech and work my way up the ranks and maybe become a DVM. Anyhoo, I know a lot about animal health (much the same as ours, at least the mammals) so feel free to ask me questions, and if I don't know the answer I've got numerous DVM friends who can help.
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Adopt shelter pets!
- Thread starter cev79
- Start date
I see a lot of you guys getting pure breeds. Are you buying them? Many come from puppy mills. Trust me, I've rescued dogs from puppy mills. Private breeders are fine, but seriously, the best dogs are shelter dogs. Mutts. Mutts almost ALWAYS have fewer health problems than pure breeds. And typically very few behavioral problems. Save lives guys, don't buy, ADOPT! Until you've seen hundreds of innocent lives snuffed out by euth in a shelter you don't know. Man it's horrible it's burned into your brain for life.
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I agree with you that you should never buy a pure breed puppy from a puppy mill or backyard breeders. Puppy Mill kennels dogs live his or her entire life in a small wire cage with no human companionship, which essentially means they are not rasied in a very social and clean environment where they are loved and played with daily. Never buy from a pet stores! Pet store dogs might say they're purebred, but its not a good thing because they were most likely incredibly inbred at a puppy mill.
Animal shelters may be appropriate sources of pets for families with low budgets or the desire to save an unfortunate dog from euthanasia at a kill shelter but, adopting a dogs from a shelters does come with some of its own inherited problems. Shelter shoppers should beware that many dogs are impounded or surrendered because their previous owners failed to prevent or solve behavior problems. The vast majority of dogs in shelters are mixed breeds, so even if the dog is full grown, judging its temperament, breed-related behavior, and trainability is difficult for inexperienced pet owners to determine. Plus, although shelters are doing a good thing by spaying or neutering your puppy, they sometimes do this too early, and the puppy can get future complications. However, a patient and discriminating person can find a dog that appeals to his own personality and needs at a public or private shelter for a very reasonable price. IMO the major reason many people choose to buy prue breed puppies over shelter dogs is they feel they will be able instill proper obeisance training at a very early age.
With a mutt, you have no idea what kind of diseases it could have just in its DNA. IMO purebred dogs can be better than mutts because the lineage is known. When you buy a purebred puppy from a reputable Private breeders it can be a very positive experience, because a reputable Private breeders knows there bloodline lineage and have breed out health problems like joint disease, blindness, eye problems, etc . Picking a responsible AKC registered breeder is just as important, as choosing the best breed that will fit into your family. The Breeder should be able to answer any questions about the puppy they are selling and allways provide a health guarantee, Veterinary check, initial vaccinations, dewormed and health records on all the puppies that they sell. The breeder should always show you aleast one of the two sire or dam onsight. If the breeder does not offer these things. I would look elsewhere!!!
Sounds like you haven't volunteered many many years at shelters as I have. Yeah some have behavioral problems but that's what the volunteers are for, I've rehabbed many dogs and gotten them ready for family adoptions. Clean up enough shit, see enough pain and suffering, and watch the life leave their eyes and you might change your tune.
I was in the local paper one year for my shelter work. I don't have a scanner otherwise I'd post it, I was working with a dog who was terrified of men, would cower and growl at any of them at the same time, he'd been kicked so many times by a man his hip was destroyed. But I got him rehabbed and he went to live with a disabled girl and her family, she was in a wheelchair and mentally disabled and Butter Butt (they changed the name lol) was a perfect match. He had been through so much pain, as had she. It was awesome.
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Funny this thread pops up, cause my cousin calls me last night wanting to see if I wanted a 3yr old pure bread american bulldog. A friend of his was moving out of town and gave it to him. AKC registered and all. Turns out my cousin is allergic to the dog's hair. Rah and swoolen eyes. I am looking for another dog to keep mine company but wasn't looking for a BD. Looking for another APBT.
YOH CEV79, need to pick your brain for excessive shedding. My dog's getting good food and gets brushed but I think its the American Brittany side in him that makes him shed. He's Part pit also. What's your diagnosis Dcotor?
YOH CEV79, need to pick your brain for excessive shedding. My dog's getting good food and gets brushed but I think its the American Brittany side in him that makes him shed. He's Part pit also. What's your diagnosis Dcotor?
Funny this thread pops up, cause my cousin calls me last night wanting to see if I wanted a 3yr old pure bread american bulldog. A friend of his was moving out of town and gave it to him. AKC registered and all. Turns out my cousin is allergic to the dog's hair. Rah and swoolen eyes. I am looking for another dog to keep mine company but wasn't looking for a BD. Looking for another APBT.
YOH CEV79, need to pick your brain for excessive shedding. My dog's getting good food and gets brushed but I think its the American Brittany side in him that makes him shed. He's Part pit also. What's your diagnosis Dcotor?
Oh cool part Brittany I had one growing up on the farm. It could be any number of things, around this time of year they are ALL shedding, cats and dogs alike. We're constantly vacuuming up huge chunks of fur everyone is leaving behind. Keep brushing him, if parts of his coat look "thin" or spotty looking or going bald, def take him to the vet. Otherwise it's pretty typical this time of year. I have this pillow from a friend that says "no outfit is complete without dog hair". And the pillow is covered with, you guessed it, dog hair LOL. I try brushing my JRT but he's too mouthy he wants to chew on the brush so it's impossible. My main coon female cat is a total psycho bipolar and hates to be brushed so she gets clumps we have to cut off during spring molting season. Be glad your dog doesn't mind being brushed!
Do you have a pic of him? I don't think I've ever seen a pit crossed with a Brittany I'm curious to see what that looks like.
Wish I was a DVM! I'm just a wannabe tech in the making, but I've learned tons from the DVM's I've worked with. When you're an intern as a DVM you get "Doctor Death" duty in whatever hospital you're starting off in. That means you get rotated in to do euths. Lots of interns become partially alcoholic when it's their turn for Dr. Death. Especially when it's an unnecessary euth like kittens no one wants or there was one woman in NYC, rich bitch, her dogs didn't "match" her decor anymore, so she wanted them put down. We all wanted to kill her.
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I had him for three years now. Got him from my local SPCA. He's an ass clown but I love the mutt! hahaha Three years I have been putting up with his shedding. He's all white with a few small spots of black. Folks confuse him al the time with a dalmation. BUt he's not. He only has about 7 little black spots! How is that dalmation? hahahaha I have to take him in to get his rabbies and destemper in 2 weeks. So at the same time I'll have them draw some blood and see. Come summer time his coat gets really thinned out. BUT zero skin conditions. No rashes or anything. So I guess it's just a natural thing. But I'll find out soon. Hopefully. If you can do it, go for it. Get your degree and license brother. The U.S. has a large shortage of Vet's.
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I was in no way was attacting your point of view. In fact, I appaude you for volunteering your time to any cause you feel that passionate about . I just disagreed with your blanket statement that "Many come from puppy mills an Mutts almost ALWAYS have fewer health problems than pure breeds. And typically very few behavioral problems". That statement IMO is misleading. A Private Breeders that knows there bloodline lineage has the ability to breed out health problems like joint disease, blindness, eye problems, etc... with CERF, BAER, OFA Patellas testing and hereditary behavioral problems within a purebreed can be controled by a responsible AKC registered breeder that properly chooseing a Dam that does not show signs of undesirable temperament like very shy or fearful, dogs that are domineering, and dogs that have an atypical energy level for the breed and the Dam must be responsive to training.
Just my 2 Cents...
Just my 2 Cents...
Oh good yeah I'm sure all the vet will do is run a comb through his hair, that's usually enough to tell if there's something going on dermatology wise. But sure get his bloods done. Yeah sounds like it's just his "thing" to shed a lot. Trust me I know I've had plenty of mutts and pure breeds who do nothing but shed lol.
I love it, he's an ass clown. Oh man, my dog, the jack russell, he's such a huge ass clown lol. He sleeps with the damn ball in his mouth. He's obsessed with his ball. We have to play allllll the tiiiiiime with him outside with his stupid ball. First thing he does in the morning is run out to the kitchen and stand up against the fridge where we put his balls for the night, and scratches until we take them ALL down lol. He's got 5. He doesn't care about the other 4 he just HAS to have them down. It's only one he's obsessed with. And when he is trying to get us to play, he stands on us and stares right into our eyes and makes pathetic noises. It's kinda freaky how smart he is making eye contact like that. And when you talk to him his head tilts while he's listening to you, never breaking eye contact. He'll get right up in your face and do this.
Animals are so damn smart. We gotta take care of them, domestic pets and wildlife alike.
Well sure, all that you said can be very true. But why pay hundreds, thousands, when you can save an innocent life? It's greedy and cruel. All cuz you want a pet you can show off? Oh look my dog/cat has special breeding la di da. It disgusts me. And regardless of how hard a breeder may try to weed out "defects", they're usually still bound to happen, I worked at the largest animal hospital in the world and it was almost always the pure breeds that had gene specific health problems. We're talking upper east side money too. People paying top dollar to get the top dogs.
ANY dog can be trained or rehabbed, you just have to know how to do it. There are very few that are beyond the point of no return. Watch Animal Planet. Many of the Vick dogs were able to be rehabbed and go on to live happily in normal homes. It just takes time and effort and patience. Animal behavior is an area of study that takes time to really be able to practice. And you have to have a "gift" for tuning into an animal's behavior and needs. You have to be able to "listen" to them, they're communicating for sure. Most people just can't, don't want to, or don't want the ability to hear. Oh they think, it's just a dumb dog. HA! Animals, in so many ways, are far wiser than we homo sapiens. I've seen it too many times. It's undeniable. So to get a pure bred dog is like treating the animal as if it were currency, not a soul which it is. For show? Messed up. I stick by my statements because in my personal experience and in others experience it's truth. Shelter dogs are the way to go. As well as shelter cats. I had a shelter cat live to be 20. Fred. When he died it was utter agony for me I had him most of my life.
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IMO a major reason why dogs end up in shelters has to do with people seeing this adorable little puppy and immediately want to own it. Puppies should never be a impulse purchase. Buyers need to know from the start if they want a watch dog, a calm companion for you and your family, or a dog to take on long walks that has a lot of energy? Purebreeds are selectively bred for specific appearance and behavior qualities. Perspective owner should invest time studying these different breed traits and weigh the pros and cons of each breed, your lifestyle and the needs of the dog. If people would do this it would lower the need for euthanization in a shelter.
In any of the shelters I've worked in, whether it be in a wealthy area or in a depressed rural area, we rarely got pure breeds as drop offs. Mixes and mutts, a good 80% of the time I'd say. And you can train a dog to fit your lifestyle, it just depends on the OWNER and how willing they are to learn how to train the dog to suit their lives. Dogs WANT to learn, they are dying for TASKS. Their biggest pleasure in life is to PLEASE the alpha. Some are more difficult to train, sure, they're just like people. But I've seen miracles. Dogs who were once cowering in the corners of their cells, snapping at anyone who came near, becoming loving, calm, obedient and fully rehabbed. Never underestimate the intelligence of an animal, even the animals we consider the "lowliest". If you devote your life to the study of animals as I have, you learn so many truths that a lot of people, like politicians, don't want you to know.
I'd love to shoot at Sarah Palin from a prop plane like she likes to do when she's "hunting" defenseless wolves who are running for their lives. No honor in that kind of hunting whatsoever. No respect for the animal. I understand certain kinds of hunting, done PROPERLY, can have some benefit and I've had the honor of meeting TRUE hunters who follow the Native American's rules of hunting, even the spiritual aspects of it. These men and women are marksmen and sharpshooters. Ok I won't go there, off my box. Just respect life. Peace.
I'd love to shoot at Sarah Palin from a prop plane like she likes to do when she's "hunting" defenseless wolves who are running for their lives. No honor in that kind of hunting whatsoever. No respect for the animal. I understand certain kinds of hunting, done PROPERLY, can have some benefit and I've had the honor of meeting TRUE hunters who follow the Native American's rules of hunting, even the spiritual aspects of it. These men and women are marksmen and sharpshooters. Ok I won't go there, off my box. Just respect life. Peace.
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It seems to me by your statement that stray and unwanted mutts are the majority of sheltered dogs. A responsible person buying a Pure Breed puppy is not the problem but, I admire your compassion for animals rights.
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Thanks. We should ALL speak for those who cannot. There's no excuse. Support the Humane Society, ASPCA, or PETA. Peace.
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I agree with you,also ,people need to educate themselves on pet nutrition.Most vets know nothing about it as it's an elective course,usually sponsored by the poison pushing feed companies.I only feed my dogs raw,free range proteins,and organic fruits and vegetables.I only use a vet when its time for vaccines,which they are also over vaccinating our pets
To Each there own I prefer a pure bred dog, and for ppl to say a shelter dog is the best I disagree i have volunteered at shelters and ppl drop off dogs that they cant handle or there problem dogs, matter of fact I just got back from one and sure as shit i was in the kennels with hyper ass golden retrievers jumping all over me sounds mean but I see why there in a shelter it probably isnt there fault but who wants another mans problem and before u jump all over me about not all shelter dogs are like that, opinions are like assholes every one has one and this is mine is give me a pure akc ast or uck apbt which are the same dog and i have one of each and im happy oh yeah and PETA can kiss my ass they have put out false facts about pits and want them all terminated yet they take the lime light and fight for vicks dogs what a joke those ppl all need to be euthanized like they said in the past about pits
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Agreed,PETA are a bunch of lying,hypocritical,fucking idiots.I have seen undercover video of them mass killing dogs with carbon monoxide gas without even trying to adopt them
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