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  1. #1
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    Pennsylvania
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    A house without a dog is not a home

    (I should have posted this in Fire Hydrant)

    Now that Jules is gone my house feels empty. Like, seriously weirding me out. I'm so use to having a fuzzy with a waggy tail around. ugh... not sure how long I can last without a pup. BUT I'm not going to rush into a new doggie just yet.

    I think we need to figure out some thing first such as (don't hate me!) do we get another Lab or something else? I'm debating whether I want a smaller dog for the simple reason that they're easier to take places and pick up. I want a dog that I can certify with something that allows me to take it anywhere. (Every time we were traveling for most of the day I felt guilty that Jules was home alone. I want my buddy to come with me.) Jules was 75 lbs but he didn't really have that drive to please so training him to focus just on me in public places was always a challenge. He loved everyone. Anyway, I'm considering other breeds. Some insight would be appreciated :-D

    I'm thinking maybe a small to medium size dog (do Labs come in a 50 lbs package??) I've been looking at Welsh Springer Spaniel. Anyone ever have one? I'd like a dog that can go on long walks with me whether on a side walk or a hiking trail. A pup who's fun to train and play outside with (we have 1.3 acres and most of it is cleared). A breed that's good with kids as we have a toddler. Preferably not a over-barker. I want energy in a dog but not craziness. Low maintenance, as in brushing weekly is not required. I found Jules to be super low maintenance. All he needed was an annual bath.

    Sooooo, any thoughts or suggestions? Where do I even begin looking for breeders (I got Jules from a store...I know, I know. Not doing that again.)

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
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    Of necessity, Baffle (chocolate boy) had been an only dog. We lost him rather suddenly at an early age and I swore I was going to take some time off from having a dog. I lasted almost a week before I was on PetFinder. I knew that I wanted a dog smaller than a Lab (my age was the main reason but Baffle had been a real fight for me to work with and I realized I physically would be better off with a pup easier to handle).

    The first dog I found, a Beagle, was spoken for by the time my rescue application was approved and the rescue coordinator spotted a pooch in Ohio that seemed like she might be a good fit. "Lovey" was a 55 lb. spayed female Lab mix with a very mellow personality. OK. They got the female and mellow part right...and the DNA test confirms the Lab...but "Lovey" was, in actuality, 42 lbs. and pregnant (which we found out after we committed to her...never regretted it). "Lovey" became my Sunnie and Danny was pick of the litter. And I just realized that this paragraph has pretty much nothing to do with your inquiry but that's the track my train took.

    Anyway...I understand the desire for a smaller dog. A friend of mine had a WSS who was the friendliest dog I think I've ever met...once you got past his grin. He looked like he was snarling and that was just his smile. I'm not so sure you want a spaniel of any kind if you don't want to brush, though. (and I definitely appreciate not needing to make of hobby of brushing...although mine get brushed every morning but they're super easy and it's just to control the hair on the floor)

    You might want to give PetFinder a look...sometimes they have puppies (like Sunnie's other four at the time) if that's what you definitely want. There's also the inmate training program that yields pooches already trained (might come in handy with a toddler). [You don't usually get one that sneaks past pregnant...I'm pretty sure Sunnie's condition was mis-stated only because we committed to her sight unseen just two days before the transport to Maryland was leaving and that pre-empted that shelter's neutering before placement mandate.]

 



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