Do you own/breed dogs under 20 lbs.? - Page 2

m0rgan · ‎09-30-2012

BTW I agree with NickNack, more than 1 breed is not a good thing. You do need to find a "Parent Club" for purchasing a new puppy.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

@NickNack, actually this breeder, only did breeding. We are against puppy mills and this is this man's business. You can tell by his home, yard, and the dogs, he's the genuine thing. Oh yes, we're dead set against puppy mills. The dogs were well cared for and just darling. Have no fear. Thank you for where to check and I will thank you.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

@m0rgan wrote:
BTW I agree with NickNack, more than 1 breed is not a good thing. You do need to find a "Parent Club" for purchasing a new puppy.

@m0rgan, I do agree with you and NickNack. My first warning to my husband was, check out the surrounds, no puppy mills. More than one type, maybe 3 I think it was, was what they had. Definitely will check out the parent club.

puglet11 · ‎08-07-2015

I'm sorry for your loss and know how heartbroken you must feel. Please take time for grieving. You'll know when the time is right to give another dog a loving home.

I rescued my Bichon almost 2 years ago. He'll be 10 in February. I've always had cats, but longed for a dog my entire life, so he is my first. His former family brought him to the shelter. They probably could no longer care for him. This upsets me greatly and knowing that puppies are grabbed up quickly, this is why I wanted to rescue an older dog. You'd never know it, though. He is still active and we go on 2-3 30-45 minute walks a day. He also looks great for his age (lol) and most people think he's 4 or 5. Also, there are so many dogs who have been brought to shelters for one reason or another, who desperately need a loving home.

The Bichon breed is generally a happy, happy breed and he completely fits this description. He is especially loving with a smile and waggy tail. He's a lap dog, but is happy sleeping in his doggy bed overnight. He occasionally vocalizes, but doesn't bark. He is obedient and aims to please. He weighs about 14 pounds.

The only negative would be grooming (as opposed to any short hair dog). Bichons are prone to matting, so I brush him out at least a couple times a week after I give him a coconut oil massage (not mandatory). We both enjoy the interaction. I took him to a couple of professional groomings, but didn't like the handling (not to mention the expense where I live), so I actually wound up bathing and trimming his hair every 3 weeks. It's not difficult for me at all. Very importantly, Bichons don't shed (just the undercoat is brushed out) and I believe they are considered to be hypoallergenic.

Maltese are nice too. They're similar, but grooming is a bit easier as they have straight hair.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

@qualitygal wrote:
@m0rgan wrote:
BTW I agree with NickNack, more than 1 breed is not a good thing. You do need to find a "Parent Club" for purchasing a new puppy.
@m0rgan, I do agree with you and NickNack. My first warning to my husband was, check out the surrounds, no puppy mills. More than one type, maybe 3 I think it was, was what they had. Definitely will check out the parent club.

I hope you're right, but through lots of research I've found that more than one breed is not good. Three different breeds is definitely not good. Find out what the health problems in each breed is, and get proof that the parents of the puppy have been cleared of these problems. You could be in for heartache later.

Most breeders breed for the betterment of the breed. They show their dogs because they want to better the breed and do not sell a lot of puppies. Breeding is not their main source of income. They make very little money from breeding, because of the health checks they need to do with their dogs. They do not advertise that they have puppies to sell. They do not take credit cards and do not ship puppies. It took me a while to learn all of this, but through other breeders and online resources I have learned.

I know that showing dogs doesn't matter to you, because you don't want a show quality dog. Good breeders do show their dogs, though. They wouldn't sell you a show quality dog, however. They would keep them for themselves or sell to other breeders they know to be reputable who do show their dogs. I'm not trying to argue with you at all. I just feel that education about how to buy a healthy puppy is very important and something that a lot (maybe the majority) of puppy buyers do not know.

Go to the parent club's website and read about how to choose a good breeder. As I said earlier, the parent club for Maltese is the American Maltese Association. You can just google "parent club for your specific breed" to find the website for each breed.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

@puglet11, thanks! We had a Bichon we rescued named Skipper. He was a riot.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

@NickNack, Nope, I know what you're saying. That's why we're waiting too. Need time to check things out. My aunt and uncle use to breed Golden's and they'd board dogs too. They were very active in the dog shows we had in town. I learned a lot from them. Thank you so much for your interest and responses. You can always use all the info, and I knew the dog mom's on here would. Thanks again!

Marp · ‎03-09-2010

@qualitygal wrote:

@m0rgan, We looked at Westies yesterday, among the others this breeder had. I could see the energy in them, so cute though. I love dogs. Part of my hesitation is our ages and back issues for us. I want to do justice to any dogs we have. Yes, a breeder is what I trust, we are just crushed to lose an animal. Very hard to take as any animal lover knows. Yes, we did look into rescue organizations too. We do need to take time and be sure. Thank you!

@qualitygal, in light of age and back issues I would urge you to look for a dog that has passed the puppy stage. A small dog being low to the ground can make it very difficult if you need to scoop it up in a hurry and a tiny puppy would be even more difficult. Think scooping the puppy up during housebreaking to rush it outside or to save it from one of the things you didn't think you needed to puppy proof (if it has been a while since you had a puppy there will be things overlooked).

As far as training goes a dog of any age can be trained to fit into your household and one that has outgrown the early puppy stage could be much easier to train as they are more likely to focus on you and what you are asking of them than seeing everything as a game.

Whatever your decision on the age and breed you select I wish you many years of happiness with your new joy.

The eyes through which you see others may be the same as how they see you.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

I tend to agree with @Marp about not buying a puppy. When my dog died a year and a half ago I started looking for a french bulldog. I'm 60 years old and just didn't want to go through housetraining again. I also didn't want to get up in the middle of the night each night to take the puppy outside. I found a 3 1/2 year old frenchie, and she is just perfect. She's perfectly housetrained and very well behaved.

The bad part is that I won't have her as long as I would have if I'd bought a puppy. This has worked out well for me, though, and I think this is the way I will do it with my next dog, too. Since there are two of you, you may feel completely different about being able to handle the housetraining though.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

@NickNack, @Marp, yes, that point is well taken too. See that whole start with a puppy thing again, I told my husband, might just be too much at this point. So I just went in and reminded him of this point. thanks ladies.