How often do you let your dog offleash

God bless you for taking in strays, we always adopted here as well, but now I have a penchant for German Shorthairs, as with a quality purebred, you can have a great idea of what the adult dog will be like and want to do, which is important to picking the right dog for the human.

I seemed to have landed with lauded dog types, even before I was born. My father and uncle were bird hunters, and had setters. This was in the thirties. One of my favorite photos of my father is with the english setter (I gather they are known to be stupid and so says farmerman here re the irish setters; no doubt they are not border collie graduates).

Anyway, I didn't have a dog of my own until I was in my early thirties, the puppy from the railroad track, a venice shepherd.


The guy was one of the people that came to our painting/drawing studio nights. I forget his name or I'd add it with permission. I can identify the art, but not right now in my brainpan.



On hunting, I get it out of necessity. No fan.

I remembered the name of the painter, Galya Pillin Tarmu. We both liked her work.

The puppy is adorable, was your father an artist? I had a less than brilliant German Shorthair myself, I was able to train her to be off leash, but never could teach her to sit on command, she would just look at me like I was punishing her with eyes that said what did I do wrong. Anyway I took a piece of pulled pork, and told my new pup to sit the first day we had her, and she did it, as I pushed her backside down gently. Anyway I walk out of the kitchen and my son screams, she is sitting and won't move now, she wants more pork. I got lucky with this one. However, unless you are breeding the dog, who cares what it's IQ is, a dog will love you for what you are and vice versa, as long as you are happy together, that is all that matters. Sometimes I think about adopting again, as it is the best feeling in the World, to know that you helped that animal, and you know that they know that as well. But now, I have become addicted to the German Shorthair, as they really need no training other than to come back when called, the rest of it goes too easy to be called training. Here we are when she was 3 months old.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/105281199@N03/13521824663/in/set-72157638055511795/lightbox/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/105281199@N03/15360000899/in/set-72157638055511795/lightbox/

I was extremely glad to have my last dog, because of a conservator type situation and a pal recommending me, Roger of a2k.
On my own I can't afford a dog, the care, so loving Katy was big for me.

I think I showed the photo of my father and the setter once before on a2k, maybe in the long lost early photo stuff.

There ought to ne a law, that as long as there are unwanted dogs, that everyone who wants one, should be able to have one, as this makes life better for all.

There ought to be a law, that as long as there are unwanted dogs, that everyone who wants one, should be able to have one, as this makes life better for all.

No, my father was a writer and a lot of other things. Nothing to do with the photo I showed.

Re people getting to care for dogs, even I see it as problematic if they/we can't afford responsible care. I hope some damn thing happens to fix that, but I'm not holding my breath.

Can you claim to be blind or a cripple, and get a free service dog......

Again, every good person deserves a good dog.....

If you find me a dog that doesn't like ossobuco, I will show you a goose in disguise.

Snort.
I'm also legally blind in one eye, but never mind.
I think there should be programs and maybe there are some, but administration of programs are money taking at best when cities/communities are beset with problems.

Plus, I had a contretemps with a goose once. Very funny.

Come on, forget the shepherd, couldn't you afford a Chihuahua, sheesh, you wouldn't even have to buy dog food, just feed em some table scraps.

Dogs ate what humans eat, for millions of years before dog food was invented by humans after all.

http://chihuahua.rescueme.org/California

http://ranchodechihuahua.org/

http://www.chihuahuarescue.com/

This is nuts, but this is where we are. If you are not willing to spends thousands of dollars in a throw at the vets they tell you you should not own a pet because you are negligent.

Urgh, they wiggle. It is possible I could like an individual one.
But I can't do veterinary nor can many others who still like pets.

As a newbie, not to push, you might like Roberta's threads. She is a woman who has undergone several cancers and is still kicking, with probably the major loved thread here, beautiful animals. One of her threads is about medical trials and the other is sancrosanct, re animals.

I bring this up since she is now fairly long dealing with not having animals..
and a visitor, who brings pit bulls to lap at her. This makes a lot of us happy.

Here - first post -
http://able2know.org/topic/89445-1

and latest, by me in this case - many years later
http://able2know.org/topic/89445-917#post-5833781

Anyway, even some of us can't adopt, morally.

Or can we. Tough question.

Yea it's nuts..... $1,500.00 in toys? Any dog will chase the tennis balls that you can find behind every tennis court in the USA, tie a few old socks together, and you have a stinky old sock pull toy that every dog will love. Toss an old sneaker, and they will fetch it just like the $30.00 fetching dummy. A mouthful of beef, pork or chicken, and a piece of potato and a Chihuahua is perfectly happy. Grooming $4400.00? I have had 7 dogs and never paid $0.01 cent for grooming, they shower with me occasionally. Supplements are also only needed for dogs with health problems. $500.00 for collars and a leash, an old clothes line will do fine as a leash, cost zero if you have or know someone with an old cloths line. I could go on.....but is there a need?

Conversing about dogs on the internet, is just not like having one wake you in the morning, nor is it like cooking a slice of bacon for your best friend......

except once in a while.


(I'm getting tired, ignore me)

that price list is nutty. I can understand if a dog has an illness that requires significant surgery that it can get costly but most of the prices on that graphic are just whack. I've had 3 dogs in various combinations over the past 17+ years, and the total cost for the three hasn't been 25% of that. Not even sure if the total would make 10% - and that's including a few minor surgical interventions (with one dog always requiring 2 vets when he had surgery).

Ditto.....

As a person who had a pet with a chronic illness I think that chart is pretty good.

Over the 7 years we treated our dog for Addison's disease I estimate that we spent about $12,000 on vet visits and meds. In the 3 years before that there were the regular vet visits, spaying, etc., so say another $1,000 for a total of $13,000 over the 10 year life of the pet.

My very healthy 8 year old dog has cost us next to nothing at the vet -- neutering, shots, allergy meds so maybe $1,500.

Our average between those two dogs would be right in line to what that chart says is average for vet/meds costs.

The things we don't use on that list, like grooming, are easily offset by things we do use, like a kennel, the extra costs of a dog friendly hotel room, pet deposits in rental properties.

They also didn't factor in the cost of the dog itself. Here, adopting from a shelter can set you back $250 easily.

In my experience that chart is pretty accurate