Hey guys, so I just got THE CUTEST OF THE CUTEST dog for my boyfriend, omg I'm obssesed with dogs just way too much lol OK so I'm going to give it to him on Valetines day but I don't know what to name it and I wann name it before giving it to him because if we ever do break up, I want him to at least remember me by the dog and the name.

Any suggestions! Pleaseee helppp!


I was thinking Kiss me because since its valentines day or dana because his name is danny and mine is ana or Daisy or Stacy :) please helpp!!

Why did you get this dog? Have you discussed it with him? Are you even certain he would keep the dog if you broke up? Is he going to be able to keep the dog for the rest of its life or even for the next few years? Pets are lifetime commitments, not impulse holiday presents.

Ana, have you really put a lot of thought into this? You are young, and of course all puppies are cute! You wanted to give your boyfriend a puppy, so whenever you aren't together he will just look at that cute little pupply and think... awwwww, she reminds me so much of Ana! How sweet and adorable! This dog will forever remind me of Ana!

How cute is little "Kiss Me" going to be when she starts chewing up Danny's stuff? How cute is she going to be when she poops and pees all over the place, and now Danny has to clean up after her and house train her? How cute is she going to be when he can't sleep all night because she is whining and crying all of the time. How cute is she going to be when Danny has to pay the thousands of dollars it takes to care for a dog?

Have you thought about what this is going to cost Danny? Just food alone will cost him thousands of dollars to feed him for the life of "his" dog. Then of course there are vet bills. Just the normal cost of booster shots, deworming, and yearly check-ups alone will cost hundreds of dollars. This is not to mention emergency room visits! Take a guess what my precious pup cost me in the last yr. She cost me in excess of $2500... not including food. (and worth every penny to me) Can Danny really afford that? Keep in mind---this is the cost of a dog for ONE year! You don't even know at this point if Danny and you are going to be together next year at this time! Oh, and trust me, although guys love dogs too?---they are NOT going to be looking at that dog and thinking about you when you break up. But I digress---he might be when the dog is pooping on his carpet.

Do you or Danny know what to do if the puppy contracted the parvovirus? Do you or Danny know what it is, how fast it can kill a dog, and what signs to look for? Do you or Danny know about other common deadly diseases a puppy/dog can contract and often times you are left with a dead dog and a huge vet bill? Do you or Danny know what foods are deadly to dogs if they are fed to them, or left out for them to get at? Is Danny going to look at you in a good light for giving him this cute little puppy, if she dies? You better start doing your research now!

Answer this question for me. Which one of these foods are poisonous and/or toxic to dogs? Pick a few, they are not all right answers.
---chocolate
---beer and alcohol
---peanut butter
---mushrooms
---onions
---nuts
---carrots
---potatoes
---milk
---grapes
---raisins

Can you pick them out without Googling them? Don't cheat now!

The point I'm trying to make is that a dog shouldn't be a "surprise" gift! I'm not trying to make you feel stupid, I'm just trying to point out why this wasn't a wise choice.

Do you even know if the place that Danny lives allows pets? Depending on the breed, do you know the laws in your area? Do you know a dog needs regular walks and exercise to burn her energy? That takes time! Does Danny have that time? If not, the dog will suffer the consequences. She will take out her excess energy by displaying bad behavioural problems. Danny will have to deal with that.

I know you meant well, and thought it was such a sweet thing, but a surprise gift of a precious life is NEVER-- EVER a good idea! This is why millions of dogs end up back at a shelter and have to die, every single year. :(

Oh my. I hope you've planned and discussed this with him. I have two dogs and I'd be very angry if my husband "surprised" me with another one.

If its his gift, let him name the dog. If he doesn't like what you pick, he'll rename it anyway.

It's never ever ever a good idea to buy a dog as a gift for someone.

A dog should match the personality and energy level of it's owner, no one else should pick out a dog but the person who's going to be caring for it.

I don't see this ending well.

If you think picking a name for this dog is your biggest dilema, well, you didn't give this enough thought.

Well I think it's a cute idea. If I gave my bloke a dog he would be over the moon, he loves dogs. Anyway we brought me a kitten and I have to say that was the best thing I ever got. I love her to pieces. I am sure she wouldn't have a bought him a dog if he didn't want one!

What kind of breed of dog is it?

well i think its a cute idea. if i gave my bloke a dog he would be over the moon, he loves dogs. anyways we brought me a kitten and i have to say that was the best thing i ever got. i love her to pieces. i am sure she wouldnt have a bought him a dog if he didnt want one!

I won't give you a disagree, but I do disagree.

Too many people buy dogs as gifts without asking first. Most of these poor dogs
End up at shelters, many never leave.

It's never a good idea to buy a pet for someone as a gift. NEVER!

If you really want to gift someone with a pet, why not a gift certificate for the
Local shelter? You can pay for the cost of adopting a pet but then they get
To choose the one they want.

No shelter that I know of will allow you to adopt an animal for someone else.

Pet stores, well, you, of course they will, most of them get their dogs from puppy mills
And don't give a darn where they end up as long as they can make some money.

A legit breeder also wouldn't sell a dog to someone who's buying it as a gift. They want to
Know where their dogs are going to and who will be taking care of them.

This is a very bad idea and only the puppy will suffer.

Ok why is everyone so negative. For the record, I have FOUR DOGS! I've been growing up with animals my whole life! I do community hours at pets smart. My boyfriend has had 1 dog and she recently died of cancer. He's been wanting a dog its not like I'm just going to so that if he doesn't even want one. He's mom knows and she said yes. He lives in a house and if we brake up I'm taking the dog back no matter what. 2nd, like I said, I have FOUR dogs I won't let a dog have a bad home.

I have two going to 3 family members that are vets, Im actually going to be either a vet or a lawyer in my future because I love animals, Me and my family rescued 4 dogs during hurrucan Katrina and Wilma and we found them ALL nice homes, and actually they are living the life now. Im not that much of an idiot to buy someone a dog out of random. I only asked for names not for opinions. He wants one, his familly wants one, and since I'm so attached to animals I have hooks ups of people that can give me one. Danny also have a cousin that is a vet. The dog will be fine because if I rescued 4 stray dogs that I didn't know where they've been and I didn't know anything about them and I didn't let them have a bad home, then why would I give this dog a bad home? My family NEVER EVER feeds the dogs human food, they eat their normal cracker dog food and they have NEVER EVER been sick that we've need to take them to the vet. They have all their daily check ups allllll the time etc. obviously you guys need to ask questions first. There something called ASSUMING which you guys are all doing. There is something called questions. Ask before answering something you don't know.

and thank you Charl. Im telling you, people now a days don't know how to ASK.

It's a baby jack russell. It came from my best friend's dog's stomach. She's pure breed. She already got her first booster shot and now when she turns 9 weeks she needs another one.

One of my siblings is going to neuter her when she is a little older BY THE WAY.

Why didn't we get any of this info before?

This


I wann name it before giving it to him because if we ever do break up, I want him to at least remember me by the dog and the name

And this


He lives in a house and if we brake up I'm taking the dog back no matter what

Don't make sense together.

Bottom line, no matter how much you love dogs, care for dogs, rescue dogs, blah, blah, blah, it's never a good idea to buy a dog for someone else.

One would thing that with all your "knowledge" and all the community work you do with dogs that you'd know this.

This is an accident waiting to happen. If you don't know that then you weren't paying attention while working at pet smart and resuciing dogs.

Name Her Val for Valentine's day. But if were me getting the dog I would name her myself.

One of my siblings is going to neuter her when she is a little older BY THE WAY.

You don't even know that female dogs don't get neutered, they're spayed.

You're getting this dog from a friend? Is she/he a licensed breeder? Did he/she have
The dogs genetically tested before breeding?

As for asking questions, we base our answers on the info given. If you decided not to tell us everything we needed to know to answer your question, well, that's not our fault. Sorry, my crystal ball is on the fritz.

Jack Russells are a difficult breed, stubborn, yappy, hard to train. Is your boyfriend up for the challenge?

You come here and rag on us for answering when we didn't know the info? How about giving it? Still a bad idea! Sorry if this upsets you. As Alty said before, you NEVER pick out a dog for another person. Again, they are all sweet and cute, but a person has to pick the dog with the right "energy" for them. This doesn't just mean physical energy. I stick to what I said. NEVER buy a pet as a surprise "gift!"

Also, I see that you didn't answer any of my previous questions! See, I WAS trying to ask some!

OK well 1st ill probably let him keep the dog because I know its in a good home, 2nd yes I meant spayed my mistake,2nd, umm you people have serious problems with attitude. Once again in only asked for names so if your going to keep on with the nagging, then you should stop commenting because once again I just asked for names!

You don't seem to be very optimistic saying you want to name her because if you split up she'll remind him of you, that's like some kind of revenge isn't it? plus if she does remind him of you won't he want to forget about you if you've split and hence 'move the dog on' or give you the dog back instead? for the name you could name her after yourself or one of your nicknames but I really don't agree with your reasoning for naming the puppy :(

ok well 1st ill probably let him keep the dog because i know its in a good home, 2nd yes i meant spayed my mistake,2nd, umm you people have serious problems with attitude. Once again in only asked for names so if your going to keep on with the nagging, then you should stop commenting because once again i just asked for names!

You posted on a public forum, did you think that we would just come here and say "Aw, cute, you bought a puppy for your boyfriend, here's a list of cutsie names!"

Sorry, my first concern is the actual dog, I couldn't care less what you name it.

As for the attitude. When you deal with 100-1000's of people every day, breeding their dogs when they have no idea what they're doing, buying a dog and then bringing it to a shelter or putting it to sleep because it peed on the rug, getting newsletters from the Humane Society telling you how many dogs had to be euthanized today because of people who don't put any thought into the cute little puppy they're bringing home.

Was I harsh, yes, but see what I see every day and, if you care at all about dogs, you'll have an attitude too when you see someone doing something totally irresponsible.

It's too late now, you already bought the puppy, hopefully it will all work out, but statistically speaking it doesn't look good.

Happy Valentines Day.

Name it Juliet!

(you know, Juliet and Romeo)?

Name it Juliet!

(you know, Juliet and Romeo)?

That story didn't have a very happy ending. :eek:

because if we ever do break up, I want him to at least remember me by the dog and the name.



He lives in a house and if we brake up I'm taking the dog back no matter what


OK well 1st ill probably let him keep the dog because I know its in a good home

You are constantly contradicting yourself. If you seek to argue with others, at least get your argument straight.

I think a good name is "Lesson"... or "Responsibility"

It's never ever ever a good idea to buy a dog as a gift for someone.

A dog should match the personality and energy level of it's owner, no one else should pick out a dog but the person who's going to be caring for it.

I don't see this ending well.

If you think picking a name for this dog is your biggest dilema, well, you didn't give this enough thought.

Couldn't rep you but I sure hope this dog isn't going to be called orphan Annie.

No I named her bela.


OK guys look I told him about it and he is very happy with it he can't wait to see it but I said:

If you do not take care of this dog, I'm getting her back. My mom already said if he doesn't care about the dog that we will keep it. And I'm also have another problem... she keeps itching. The girl I bought it from told me she showered her in the morning with a different puppy shampoo and she keeps itching... please help me with that... she already got her booster shot.

Where is she itching? Around her ears or eyes?. or another part of her body? Is she licking a lot at her paws or other areas? Have you changed her diet? It could possibly be the shampoo, but there are many reasons for itching, from an allergy to mange, which can be very serious.

no i named her bela.


ok guys look i told him about it and he is very happy with it he can't wait to see it but i said:

if you do not take care of this dog, im getting her back. My mom already said if he doesnt care about the dog that we will keep it. and im also have another problem....she keeps itching. The girl i bought it from told me she showered her in the morning with a diffrent puppy shampoo and she keeps itching...please help me with that....she already got her booster shot.

Sounds like an allergic reaction or dry skin. A lot of puppy shampoos are very drying to the skin, especially if too much is used and not rinsed off completely.

I would rinse her off, it's possible there's still some soap on her that's irritating her skin. Don't use a shampoo again, just rinse her really well, make sure you dry her completely afterwards and then wait and see.

Is her skin really red?

Nope she isn't red and she scratches everywhere and licks her paws. Can I rinse her off with warm water? Yeah that's what I was thinking and no I'm not going to use shampoo. BTW is it fine if I use baby shampoo to shower her from now on withmy boyfriend? Because my friend showered her with the dog mom shampoo. And since her nails are sharp when she scratches she cries because they are too sharp and also under her fur she isn't red she's just normal.

Also, do Jack russell's shed A LOT?

Or like a little?

Is she having hair loss? This could be ringworm, sometimes common with puppies, but again could be several things. If she is crying, it obviously hurts her. Your best bet is to take her to the vet, where they can do a skin scraping and figure out what is the cause.

Edit: Is this a long or short haired Jack Russell?

First you need to trim her toenails, that will help.

A lot of people use baby shampoo but I don't agree with it. Human shampoo doesn't have the right ingredients, their fur and skin is very different from ours. If you don't have a puppy shampoo then use a mild dish detergent, that's what I use on my dogs, it's gentle enough to not cause irritation but still cleans their coat.

Here's some info on JRT's

Jack Russell Terrier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russell_Terrier)

After you've bathed her, you might want to rub on some vitamin e oil, or some pure aloe vera to the places she's been scratching at the most. It will ease the itching until you can get her to the vet to find out the cause. I wouldn't let that go. If it is something like ringworm, it needs to be identified and treated. Also, be very careful if you trim her nails. She is still a puppy. You need to make sure you don't cut into the kwik, or you will have an even bigger problem on your hands.

Just a side note. When you're cutting her nails have a small bowl of flour next to you. If you do cut into the kwik put flour on it, it will help stop the bleeding.

I went to the vet today they washed her off and she isn't scartching anymore. They recommended me a shampoo which I bought for next time I shower her. I have a plant of aloe vera and in my country (venezuela) it heals everythinggggggg. The doctor said she was a healthy pup and that all she had was a little extra shampoo. Oh and he also trimmed her nails. Now when she scratches it doesn't cry.

At least now I know she's fine. BTW I blow dry my dogs after I shower them and every night I comb every one of them but is true that you should let them dry alone?

That's good that it was just the shampoo. Towel drying and letting her dry on her own is just fine too, as long as it's not really cold or drafty.

I went to the vet today they washed her off and she isnt scartching anymore. They recommended me a shampoo which i bought for next time i shower her. I have a plant of aloe vera and in my country (venezuela) it heals everythinggggggg. the doctor said she was a healthy pup and that all she had was a lil extra shampoo. oh and he also trimmed her nails. now when she scratches it doesnt cry.

at least now i know she's fine. BTW i blow dry my dogs after i shower them and everynight i comb each and every one of them but is true that you should let them dry alone?

Blow drying is okay, just don't blow dry the face, it can cause problems in the eyes and ears. Blow dry the body, give her face a good towel drying and then let it dry on it's own.

I'm glad she's okay. :)

Oh yeah I know, even if I wanted to dry her face they don't let them so I just dry them really good and stuff. She's so small there isn't a necklace size for her. Do I wait a little till she grows?

Most pet stores have adjustable collars, or you can buy a collar for a cat. You have to be careful with the adjustable ones though, because she's still growing and can quickly grow out of the collar.

If you buy an adjustable one then check it every few days to make sure it's not to tight. You should always be able to put two fingers under the collar, tight enough not to come off, but loose enough to be comfortable.

Oh yes of course, we haven't gotten one yet, were getting it tomorrow. Omgosh she's so cute and yeah ill make sure to adjust it little by little.

Post a picture, we'd love to see her.

Omg yess I will :D

Untitled.jpg picture by ana1606 - Photobucket (http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii138/ana1606/?action=view&current=Untitled.jpg)

That's my baby girlll<3

U could call her holly,polly,jessie,susie,betsie,and all of other kind of dogs names.mine is sooo cute when I got she was cuter I called her jessie.

Awwwww, you scared her lol, look at the 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING :eek:' look on her face :)

She's adorable. Bear's right, she looks like she can't believe you actually took her picture.

Lol! I know she was sleeping on my boyfriend and I took the picture and she was just like :O haha but I love her and I think she's the most spoiled dog on this earth lol

I guess the flash didn't satisfy her little eyes that much heehee :)

BINGO, it's a great name and if you play and never win... you will still be always calling it.

Ok why is everyone so negative. For the record, I have FOUR DOGS! I've been growing up with animals my whole life! i do community hours at pets smart. My boyfriend has had 1 dog and she recently died of cancer. He's been wanting a dog its not like im just gunna so that if he doesnt even want one. He's mom knows and she said yes. He lives in a house and if we brake up im taking the dog back no matter what. 2nd, like i said, i have FOUR dogs i wont let a dog have a bad home.

i have two going to 3 family members that are vets, Im actually going to be either a vet or a lawyer in my future because i love animals, Me and my family rescued 4 dogs during hurrucan Katrina and Wilma and we found them ALL nice homes, and actually they are living the life now. Im not that much of an idiot to buy someone a dog out of random. I only asked for names not for opinions. He wants one, his familly wants one, and since im so attached to animals i have hooks ups of people that can give me one. Danny also have a cousin that is a vet. The dog will be fine because if i rescued 4 stray dogs that i didnt know where they've been and i didnt know anything about them and i didnt let them have a bad home, then why would i give this dog a bad home? My family NEVER EVER feeds the dogs human food, they eat their normal cracker dog food and they have NEVER EVER been sick that we've need to take them to the vet. They have all their daily check ups allllll the time etc. obviously you guys need to ask questions first. there something called ASSUMING which you guys are all doing. There is something called questions. ask before answering something you dont know.

and thank you Charl. Im telling you, people now a days dont know how to ASK.

I totally agree with your last comments, Ana, people should stop jumping to conclusions. I was criticised by 'Tickle' for mentioning breeding although this person knows nothing about me! The facts are, that last year I bred a beautiful litter of Irish Setters in the south of England where there is a shortage of this lovely breed. If it wasn't for people like me this beautiful breed would die out. No puppies could have asked for a better rearing, they were extremely well cared for, socialised, wormed and loved with knowledge and they were given everything they needed. I kept one little girl and (having refused several unsuitable prospective owners) am in contact with every one of the carefully vetted owners by phone and e mail. Im just about to send off their birthday presents today actually! All the people who had one of my puppies know that if they couldn't keep him/her for any reason I would have him/her back without question. I have four dogs who live in my home and are my life. They are extremely healthy and well cared for and I spend a lot of time on agility and training. And I was warned that I would be considered a so called 'backyard breeder' whatever that is! I didn't bother to waste my time explaining but it did annoy me like you said about people making assumptions and not asking questions before jumping in. Your words inspired me to stand up for myself also so thank you.

The reason why some people on this site''jump to conclusions'' is due to the lack of information given by the asker. Also because they want what is best for the dogs. Assumptions are made because it is not our place to ask questions it is our place to answer your questions and we will do so depending on what info you put in your question , for you the asker should give as much info as possible. You say the answerer should ask questions but that would be like if you wrote a question stating my dog sick, and then epected us to ask how he is sick and what symptoms does he have?? That is not how it goes you have to put the info that we need in order to give you the best answer, that is best for you and your dog. We don't know your life story and therefore you need to explain.

I totally agree with your last comments, Ana, people should stop jumping to conclusions. I was criticised by 'Tickle' for mentioning breeding although this person knows nothing about me!! The facts are, that last year I bred a beautiful litter of Irish Setters in the south of England where there is a shortage of this lovely breed. If it wasn't for people like me this beautiful breed would die out. No puppies could have asked for a better rearing, they were extremely well cared for, socialised, wormed and loved with knowledge and they were given everything they needed. I kept one little girl and (having refused several unsuitable prospective owners) am in contact with every one of the carefully vetted owners by phone and e mail. Im just about to send off their birthday presents today actually! All the people who had one of my puppies know that if they couldn't keep him/her for any reason I would have him/her back without question. I have four dogs who live in my home and are my life. They are extremely healthy and well cared for and I spend a lot of time on agility and training. And I was warned that I would be considered a so called 'backyard breeder' whatever that is! I didn't bother to waste my time explaining but it did annoy me like you said about people making assumptions and not asking questions before jumping in. Your words inspired me to stand up for myself also so thank you.

For your information, Tickle is one of our very valued members here, and has been for quite some time! We give of our "free" time to answer "your" questions, and we go on the information provided by "you!"

These are two entirely different situations had you taken the time to read, and noticed the difference! Although the area in which you live there may have not been many Irish Setter puppies available, I can assure you, they are NOT a dying breed! In fact there are an abundance!

Although I'm very happy that you seem to be a reputable breeder, who does research and has conditions when selling your puppies, this is NOT what we were talking about here! You said yourself that you don't even know what a backyard breeder is! If you don't know, then I suggest you do some research to find out! Have you any idea how many puppies of all kinds, purebred and mixed breeds, that came from backyard breeders or puppymills were euthanized in the U.S. alone, in the time it took for me to reply? I'm talking just puppies, and not including older dogs that are perfectly healthy! Well the answer to that is 40-60 puppies, and that is being conservative! Now, how many puppies do you think that would be if you added up the "world" figures!

The U.S. is cracking down on backyard breeders, and have made a very small dent, but many many countries practice backyard breeding every single day of the year. It's a disgusting and horrific practise! Millions upon millions of dogs are euthanized every single year, because some people have the mind set that you have, and think they are helping by keeping a breed alive. Although as I said, you sound like you are reputable in the way your breed and find homes, there are hundreds of other people that don't take this care with their litters.

*edit: I wrote a long post here and took it down after a few minutes to edit it. If you're wondering where it is, I have just submitted it as a new post on the next page.

(by the way, thanks starby! ) :) (*starby's comment applied to the original version, of which I have kept a copy. If the first one was better, you can tell me, lol.)

I was going under the assumption that sjjaw would certainly ensure these puppies are spayed and neutered, and I can only pray that I'm right in that assumption. Sadly, this just doesn't seem to be the case, since he/she doesn't even know what backyard breeders are, and thinks he/she is preserving a dying breed. Clearly this is not the case, as those of us that have actually done our research are aware and informed.

I don't think ignorance is an excuse when it comes to breeding. A reputable breeder should be licensed, and required to have their dogs genetically tested, along with many other requirements. They should be subject to inspection and have strict guidelines that are followed to the letter, or their license would be revolked.

I would only hope, although I know it's sadly a very slim possibility, that all dog owners would be required to have a license to breed under these terms, or be subject to punishment under the law. This cruel and reckless breeding of millions of dogs needs to be governed and there needs to be a stop put to this abominable and inhumane breeding of dogs for sport, hobby, and/or money making industry.

If you love your pets, have them spayed or neutered.

Ana, i think that Bela is a great name for her. she's a very cute little puppy, and she looks as sweet as candy. i'm really glad you've been enjoying her so much. i hope i didn't offend you earlier in the post. i wish the best to both of you. ;)

*edit: i put something up for a few minutes, but i'm editing it. i have a copy of the original, but i thought it was a little harsh. if you read it and are wondering where it is, i'll be returning with it. (by the way, thanks starby.) :)

Thank you Linney! I thought I was losing my mind! I was horribly confused why my greenie showed up on another post you made. I didn't think you were harsh whatsoever! I thought you only said what needed to be said.

I totally agree with your last comments, Ana, people should stop jumping to conclusions. I was criticised by 'Tickle' for mentioning breeding although this person knows nothing about me!! The facts are, that last year I bred a beautiful litter of Irish Setters in the south of England where there is a shortage of this lovely breed. If it wasn't for people like me this beautiful breed would die out. No puppies could have asked for a better rearing, they were extremely well cared for, socialised, wormed and loved with knowledge and they were given everything they needed. I kept one little girl and (having refused several unsuitable prospective owners) am in contact with every one of the carefully vetted owners by phone and e mail. Im just about to send off their birthday presents today actually! All the people who had one of my puppies know that if they couldn't keep him/her for any reason I would have him/her back without question. I have four dogs who live in my home and are my life. They are extremely healthy and well cared for and I spend a lot of time on agility and training. And I was warned that I would be considered a so called 'backyard breeder' whatever that is! I didn't bother to waste my time explaining but it did annoy me like you said about people making assumptions and not asking questions before jumping in. Your words inspired me to stand up for myself also so thank you.

I would just like to add some things to the responses you received on your last post.

We don’t have enough information to know if you’re a backyard breeder or not. Here are some questions that all responsible breeders would be able to answer. How did you choose who should be the mother and the father of your pups? What genetic comparisons did you do before deciding whether it was a good idea to breed from these two particular dogs? What genetic testing did you have done to make sure that you weren't carrying on any preventable medical issues through their heritage (preventable meaning that if they are carriers of certain genetic defects that they wouldn't have been bred from)? Do the mother and the sire have papers? Were the puppies granted papers? What breed club has you listed as a reputable breeder?

I sincerely applaud each of the things you've done right. We can only dream that everyone would rear their dogs by taking the each of the proper steps along the way. The importance of a very loving home, the right training, the screening of all potential puppy owners, and taking back any puppies or dogs if, for whatever reason, they are no longer wanted are unquestionably priceless. That's called taking responsibility, and it's what every dog owner should be doing. Unfortunately, as you know, not everybody cares for their pets so well. The truth is that a whole lot of dog owners just don't know enough about fully caring for their dogs, and improper breeding is one of the worst issues plaguing the dog world today.

Backyard breeding is a term that references the breeding of dogs by people (usually from their homes, and oftentimes as families) who haven't done all of their homework. Essentially, they aren't professional, reputable breeders; they don't know enough (if anything) about genetics and breeding, they lack expertise in proper dog training, they might not know about how to properly handle the different stages of development puppies enter as they grow, they might not have enough knowledge to give the mother and the puppies the proper nutrition or emergency care they need, or might need, along the way, they don't have breeding experience (which one could otherwise gain by learning from a professional, reputable breeder), they might not put so much thought into where the puppies go, and on and on.

This is why people who know better, including people who come here to help others with dog issues, take potential cases of backyard breeding very seriously. This isn't a matter of poking at people for the fun of it. It's about getting the right information out there to add to the prevention of the problem. We can't assume that everyone is doing all the right things when breeding because oftentimes these same people have come to ask such basic questions that any knowledgeable breeder would know. I wish we could assume that everyone is does all of the right things all of the time. I really do believe that as you continue to participate and post here, you will find that this is, in fact, a caring and supportive community of people.

With all of that said, I’m a little stuck on what you wrote about the underpopulation problem of Irish Setters in your area. It reminded me of a claim someone on this site once made about there being no chihuahuas in Alaska, which made her want to breed hers. By the way, there are enough chihuahuas in Alaska. I’m just wondering where your information came from and who might have suggested that you to solve this problem through your dog. At the bottom of this post you’ll find a number of links for people you can contact for top notch information on everything about Irish Setters in the UK.

I know I said that we don’t know what kind of breeder you are, but from your post it sounds like you just bred your dog for the first time. From your thread in which tickle responded, it sounds like you have another dog that you’d like to breed from as well. I’m assuming that part of why you’re doing this is to continue to solve the underpopulation problem of the breed in your area? Just out of curiosity, did you also encourage the new owners of the puppies to breed from them, too? If not, why? If you did, I have good news for you. We can do a little hypothetical math to show just how productive that continued breeding could really be.

I'll go conservative with these numbers. I don't know how many puppies were born in your first litter, so for the purposes of this experiment we can suppose an average number; let's say each litter is made up of 5 puppies. We'll be responsible here, so let’s say the dogs don't breed before the age of 2. here we go. Those 5 dogs each give birth to 5 puppies; now we have 25 more puppies. Let's wait 2 years again. Now we'll let the new 25 Irish Setters each have one litter. We now have 125 new puppies. Let's wait 2 years again. The new 125 dogs get 5 puppies each. The underpopulation problem is disappearing quickly. Breed those once and you get 600 new puppies. That's good, right? Let's wait another 2 years. The 600 puppies get 5 puppies each. Finally, 3,000 Irish Setter puppies. In just 8 years, you've helped to make a miracle happen. Should we stop? Just once more. 15,000 new puppies. This is all just in 10 years from the day you started. Breed them all one more time and you get 125,000 new Irish Setter puppies. Once again and you get 625,000 brand new puppies. In 16 years, you’ve made 3,125,000 new ones, and on and on and on.

Of course, all of this is assuming that the dogs only give birth to one litter in their lifetime. Otherwise we could have each female give birth to 4 or 5 litters each. The males could, of course, be making many more than the females. Really, the sky's the limit. Is there something wrong with doing this? Why would that be? Why should all of the new owners be deprived of the right to breed their dogs? What makes your situation more special or deserving? Puppies for everybody. Sure, there are those rescue and shelter dogs, but they're used goods. They're not our problem, right? Only some of them are Irish Setters anyway. Yes, Irish Setters also wind up in shelters. Unfortunately, they also have rescue groups made just for them.

By the way, I think it's strange that you're discouraging people from considering the effects of backyard breeding even though you've said that you don't know what backyard breeding is. You seemed almost satisfied that you don’t know or care to know what the term means. Why was that? Well, while you might not have heard of the term "backyard breeding," I'm guessing that you have encountered the terms "overpopulation," "animal shelters," "rescue groups," "irresponsible breeding practices," "abandoned dogs," "rehomed dogs," etc.. I will also assume that somewhere along the line, you've heard about the millions of dogs that are put down every year because of the overpopulation problem. Most of those dogs come from backyard breeders. They’re all related.

There’s something else I’m caught on, too. It sounded like you were suggesting that buying dogs for others is perfectly fine. Then I guess that it would only be a good thing if your children's high school girlfriends or boyfriends give them dogs for the holidays? And it would also be cool if the dogs are named after them? Most teen relationships last forever, right? I'm not sure if their university dormitories will accept the dogs, but you wouldn’t have any problem keeping the dogs instead would you? Remember, it would be even better if those girlfriends or boyfriends have any relatives who are vets. That might even guarantee that there won't be any problems down the road. Ana52408 obviously loves this puppy and wants nothing but the very best for her, and all of that is very, very clear. However, reading this thread from the beginning, the people who responded with their thoughts and opinions might not have been coddling, but they were saying all of the right things. They were saying the same things that are recommended by the experts in the world of dogs, and they were doing it with the right intentions. I'm that all of us want only the best for Ana and her (really adorable) pooch.

I hope you understand my intentions in this post. There is a lot of information out there. I just ask that you take what's been said into consideration. Ultimately, you are the only one who gets to make the decisions in your life. I wish the best for you and your dogs (by the way, Irish Setters are one of my favorite breeds). I am sure there are many others who come to this site who could benefit from your experiences and from the love you share in the care of your dogs. Again, there is nothing but praise and support for the things you've done right and the responsibilities you have taken seriously. I look forward to reading those posts from you in the future.

The following is a list of contacts in the UK that deal exclusively with Irish Setters. You are welcome to contact any of the following organizations to hear what they think about any potential underpopulation problem of Irish Setters in your area.

South of England Irish Setter Club:
South of England Irish Setter Club Website (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/soeisc.htm)
It looks like there are indeed enough Irish Setters in the south of England for them to have started a club.

A link to a large UK Irish Setter Rescue group:
Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/index.php)
It's hard to miss the expansive scroll of photos of absolutely stunning Irish Setters at the bottom of the page, who have each been given up and were or are still in need of new homes.

You might not want to miss the different sections of the site. Here are some of them:

Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/rescue.php)
Here are some beautiful Irish Setters that are looking for homes right now.

Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/rehomed.php)
Look at this enormous list of gorgeous and rehomed Irish Setters.

There are at least enough Irish Setters around for the rescue group to throw a party in their honor.
The Setter Party 2008: "Colin Waddell our Judge for the Fun Classes had a wonderful entry and every class was well filled."
Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/events.php)

Here are some more helpful links:

Irish Setters UK and Ireland
Irish Setters Uk & Ireland Website (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/)

Reputable Irish Setter Breeders across the UK
http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/Breeders.htm

Irish Setter UK Breed Clubs
Irish Setter Breed Clubs (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/breedclubs.htm)

Irish Setter Association, England
Irish Setter Association, England Website (http://www.isae.co.uk/)

By the way, Ana, I think that Bela is a great name for her. She's a very cute little puppy, and she looks as sweet as candy. I'm really glad you've been enjoying her so much. I hope I didn't offend you earlier in the post. I wish the best to both of you. ;)

Well thank you alll, I mean we alll have different opinions and that's what disscusions are for! You know, I'm only 15, and I'm pretty sure I don't know EVERYTHING about a dog. I might have 4, now with bela 5 even though she doesn't live with me, but they are all trained and loved and when my parents get home there like "hi ana, OMG NIKKI, JOEY, PERDI, TOBY!!!!!!!!!! im like oh hi to you tooo!!! lol but either way im the same! toby and perdi sleep with me on my bed and the other two sleep with my parents. those are the spoiled ones :P and i bought bela this huge bed thats pink and fluffy and it says princess loll its really cuteeee. you all have very smart answers and i appreciate it cause i can actually say i learned something. linnealand, you should really make that a sticky it's really good information for everyone. I love animals, any kind. Even if it's a cow, i still want to take it home! sajjw, im sooo happy my words inspired you and im pretty sure you treat your dogs very well and im sure they are all happy. i mean if nobody on here knows you face to face, they can't judge the way you are, but these people are practically experts and very helpful. I really like that all of you love animals because i really can't talk to a person that says "omg get your dog away from me!" if they don't like my dogs they can get out because this is their house!


Lol I also just realized that I went from asking puppy names to 6 page disscusion about dogs! Fascinating!

well thank you alll, i mean we alll have different opinions and thats what disscusions are for! you know, im only 15, and im pretty sure i dont know EVERYTHING about a dog. I might have 4, now with bela 5 even though she doesnt live with me, but they are all trained and loved and when my parents get home there like "hi ana, OMG NIKKI, JOEY, PERDI, TOBY!!!!!!!!!! im like oh hi to you tooo!!! lol but either way im the same! toby and perdi sleep with me on my bed and the other two sleep with my parents. those are the spoiled ones :P and i bought bela this huge bed thats pink and fluffy and it says princess loll its really cuteeee. you all have very smart answers and i appreciate it cause i can actually say i learned something. linnealand, you should really make that a sticky it's really good information for everyone. I love animals, any kind. Even if it's a cow, i still want to take it home! sajjw, im sooo happy my words inspired you and im pretty sure you treat your dogs very well and im sure they are all happy. i mean if nobody on here knows you face to face, they can't judge the way you are, but these people are practically experts and very helpful. I really like that all of you love animals because i really can't talk to a person that says "omg get your dog away from me!" if they dont like my dogs they can get out because this is their house!


lol i also just realized that i went from asking puppy names to 6 page disscusion about dogs! fascinating!


It did go from names onto many other things, but I'm happy you love animals like we do, and even happier that you learned something that you may have not known, from what we've said. We're not mean people Ana, we are just very passionate about our pets, as well as other animals. Many times we get upset to the point of tears, when we read about some people and the disregard they have for their pets, and breed them for profit, even though they profess their love for their pet. Or, they buy them from an ad in the paper, or pet store, and then they get mad because it is peeing in their house, or chewing their fave shoes, so into to the shelter it goes.

I'm so happy that you are not one of the people that are going to do this. I sure hope you or Danny will get little Bela spayed when she is 6 to 8 months of age. The health benefits alone, by having this done, often increases their life expectancy, and prevents some forms of cancer and other diseases. You and Danny can then cuddle and love Bela to pieces, knowing for sure that she will have fewer health problems and never have any puppies that end up in a shelter feeling cold and lonely.

I don't think any of us realized that you were just 15 either, so now I know why, in the beginning, our words to you may have seemed so harsh. I appologise if it seemed like myself or others seemed to have gotten an attitude. We get people here almost everyday, many of them 2 or 3 times your age, who just don't understand the message we are trying to get across to them, and they get very angry with us because they refuse to believe the truth, or think that their situation is somehow different. We've had people swear at us, call us and our families nasty names, and even threaten our lives here, so sometimes we are a little on edge too.

Stick around here with us Ana. You might even be able to help other people with their pets. Read some of the other threads too. We all learn a little more everyday when we do. There are many things that would have never even crossed my mind, that I have learned here.

Good luck with baby Bela! By the way, my little fur babes name is Niki too! :)

I think this is relevant, not to be an a**hole but come on!!

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/relationships/what-get-boyfriend-valentines-day-314232.html

Ana, I just read your other thread. Usually I will do some research first, but in this case I didn't! I really hope you are prepared to have FIVE DOGS! I don't think you have thought this through at all. I know for a fact that a teenagers brain does not give them the capability to see around corners, and realize consequences, but you didn't have a right to just do as you wanted when Danny's mom told you NO!

The things you said about Danny's mom are very disrespectful, and you should NOT gone against her wishes and gotten Bela for Danny. Danny lives in HER home, and HIS MOM pays the bills. Therefore, she makes the rules! You defied her, and did what she asked you not to do, just because you don't like her.

You've already said that Danny's mom has had 3 other dogs that she got rid of because she doesn't like them! I wouldn't doubt if it's because Danny doesn't clean up after them, or train them, and his Mom has to do it! Where did the other dogs go Ana? I bet they went straight into the shelter! I wonder how many of those dogs made it out? I would venture a guess and conservatively say one at least!

Even though your mom says you will take Bela when Danny's mom wants to get rid of her, I can't see where you are going to find the time, with school, dating and such, to give 5 dogs the attention they deserve! :(

This wasn't thought through by anyone involved at all! I don't think you realise the cost and care involved in this at all. Sure, your parents are footing the bill now, but are they getting everything that's needed? You can love them all you want, but love doesn't pay for nutritional food or vet visits. Five dogs are a tremendous amount of work, IF you are caring for them like they need to be cared for.

Too true starbuck. Sorry, had to spread the rep. You may love animals, we all do here, but it take more then love to own them! It take money, time, and commitment, which most people often lack at your age. Are you really so sure you will still have time to manage 5 dogs, even once little Bella is no longer a tiny baby but a rambunctious adolescent an adult? Will the dogs actually get a fair amount of attention each? How do you know your boyfriends mom won't just dump off the dog, whom she might even grow to loathe just because it was against her will, while you two are at school? This was much more poorly thought out then I originally believed.

Ana, wow! This was not a good idea. Your boyfriends mother owns the house he lives in, she makes the rules, like it or not. If she said "no dog!" then it's "no dog!" no everyone wants to make that kind of commitment, and seeing as your boyfriend is only 16, his mother is the one that will be caring for, paying for and housing this dog.

You can't just have a fit whenever you don't get to do what you want and say "I'll do it anyway and they'll just have to accept it!" The real world doesn't work that way dear.

Say hello to your fifth dog, because if I was his mom, I would put my foot down on this issue.

I'm glad you realize that one benefit of this site is that you get access to other people's opinions. Although I'm quite sure you're not going to like mine this time, I'm going to share it with you. In the end, it's not going to change anything, but I hope that hearing it like it is will give you something or other to reflect on.

To tell you the truth, I'm really, really disappointed. I'm also pretty pissed off at myself for not looking up your past posts and for not saying what my gut was telling me from the beginning (and I know I'm not alone in that). I thought the nice approach would have been more productive. I don't think so anymore.

What I just read is the definition of immaturity. What's unfortunate is that your immaturity has spread onto the life of an innocent puppy, the life of a teenage guy that you're probably not going to be with for the length of this dog's life (sorry, but it's not likely anyway), and onto the next 15 years in the life of this kid's mom (the "cock blocker" who probably just doesn't want her child to be making babies at his age), who is still his caretaker, whether you like it or not.

I think you're playing the young and naïve card. The only thing is that I'm not buying it. I think you know better, but you decided to do what you wanted when you wanted to do it. Next time, get the boy some flowers, a box of chocolates, a teddy bear, a basketball, a jacket, a watch... just not a fur baby. In a way, what you did sort of reminds me of the intentions sick girls have when they get pregnant with their boyfriends so that they won't break up with them. I also think you're smarter than you've pretended to be in all of this. You know how some girls think that acting stupid is cute? Well, it's not. It's really, really not.

If Bela does get lucky enough to be able to stay in her new home, if she does avoid paying the price of any possible resentment from Danny or his mom at any point down the road, or even if she winds up living the life of her dreams (which I really hope she does), it would be despite the bad choices that were made, not because of them. Danny and his mom are going to have to make this work. If they don't, I hope you and your parents decide to take her back. I hope you'll even be given that chance. If things go really sour, they might decide that they don't care if you want her or not.

Are you planning to go to college? What about Danny? It would be very reassuring to me if you would post some of the names of universities that allow dogs in their dorms. If you think you can get an apartment that first year, I'd love to know what schools let you live off campus the first year because the one's I know don't. If you or Danny have to choose a different school because you need to take care of a dog, I imagine that would be a little upsetting. You might very well succeed in pawning the responsibilities for Bela onto your parents or on his, but that's not doing the right thing and being responsible on your side.

I realize that you really, really love this little puppy. Yes, that's an incredibly important part of having a dog, but it's only one part of a much bigger job. I think you know every single part of what I just said whether you want to admit it or not.

You're likely pissed off too, but you're going to have to consider what it's like from our perspective. Try reading the posts we just read, and then try telling us in all honesty that we shouldn't think that what you did doesn't have a single fraction of a note of manipulation, naïveté or some serious immaturity.

You are obviously a sweet girl with some very sweet intentions behind what you did. Still, that doesn't mean that you didn't know that what you were doing had some aspects that shouldn't have gone so ignored that they weren't respected in the end. A bubbly and honestly sweet demeanor might succeed for a little while in softening the story, but it doesn't give justification to the risks involved.

I have a feeling that you're never going to have to pay for making a poor choice, and I'm going to guess that Bela will also be okay. Let's hope so.

A big part of me wants to go back to edit and soften what I just said, but I'm not going to do it this time. Having learned a lesson, which is that not having anyone put their foot down and be real about should be said has probably resulted in some of the choices that have been made. I hope you learn the importance of making more selfless choices in the future. I wish the best for Bela. I also wish all of you a lot of luck.

Linny, I had to spread the rep but wow, wow, wow! I hope Ana reads your post and actually understands what we are saying.

I wish I had done more research, looked at previous posts when I first responded to this post, but I didn't. Good find neverme.

This was a horrible idea, I only hope that Bella isn't the one to pay the price.

Ana, you really are only a child still, and you can't expect adults to bow down to your wishes just because you want something. That shows your age more than anything.

There are rules in this life, you have to follow them, like it or not. Your boyfriends mother is looking out for her son, because she realizes that it's very unlikely that the two of you will be together forever. She's not being mean, she's being a responsible parent. You may not like it, but that doesn't mean that she's evil or mean, just a good mom.

Honey, I wish you all the best, as well as Bella, but I really don't think you thought this through very well, you just wanted a puppy and the hell with what everyone else wanted.

You need to grow up a bit, otherwise there will be severe consequences, trust me, I know, I was 15 once too. ;)

Good luck.

No matter what you do in life, no matter what the intention may be, you have to look at the consequences first and you failed to do that here. There is a reason why everyone on the other thread told you not to get a puppy, there is a reason why his mom said no, whether you like it or not. You can't always have what you want when you want it. The world just doesn't work that way. All you could think was what you wanted and getting instant gratification. You failed to consider anyone else including the puppy. Getting a puppy as a gift is one thing, which is already a bad idea, but you deliberately undermined his mother's authority which you have no right to do. If I sound a little harsh, good. It seems like you need a little more harsh discipline in your life to learn boundaries and the meaning of the word "No" and that you can't always have what you want. If you don't want to be perceived as a selfish and spoiled, then perhaps you should shape your actions and words accordingly.
I really hope things turn out well for Bella, despite your brash and ignorant actions.

guys... that was an old thread... before getting the dog... I SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO BOTH HIS PARENTS! I just can't delete the threads... so pleaseeeee... everyone calm down lol I was about to cry reading all this... I really made sure it was OK trust me... and she sometimes is mean to me in a disrespectful way not just normal and guys I wouldn't have gaven him the dog out of random... I had a talk with both the mom and dad! And ohh by the way... the last 3 dogs were the ones he had in her whole life and they all died after old age... they weren't put in shelters OK... and I have A LOT of spare time and in the weekends my boyfriend almost always comes over so I'm with my pets... im not kidding I love dogs and I wouldn't let anyone or anything harm them. ESPECIALLY the one I gave my boyfriend. His family isn't that low either you know she won't do that to the dog... she said yes before I got it you know I had a talk... that was just an old threat... ok? :)

We never thought you'd harm the dog Ana, but after reading that thread we did believe that you hadn't discussed this with the women who would have to house this dog, your boyfriends mom. You have to admit, that thread didn't bode well for you.

Maybe it's time to update that thread, let everyone know that you talked to his mom and dad and everything is okay, they've agreed to the dog. That way this won't happen again.

We can only base our answers on your posts, and I have to say, that one upset me, because it sounded like a spoiled little brat that just wanted her way and to hell with everyone else. We can't see you face to face, we can only read what you write and go off that when responding.

I'm glad you cleared this up. :)

By the way, I'm sure not calling all any of you names or anything similar so keep the "ignorant, and brash" , etc. to yourself please because I didn't make a wrong action OK? OK. And I'm not disrespecting anybody here and I really appreciate alllll the info and I super understand all of you but I'm 15 and I bet half of you and 20 something or 30 something and like alten said, she was 15 once. And every one of you guys were too. We all make stupid decisions in life and I did not just make one. I just want to say to slow down with the name calling, I'm not calling anybody rude names you know? Sorry and thanks...

We never thought you'd harm the dog Ana, but after reading that thread we did believe that you hadn't discussed this with the women who would have to house this dog, your boyfriends mom. You have to admit, that thread didn't bode well for you.

Maybe it's time to update that thread, let everyone know that you talked to his mom and dad and everything is okay, they've agreed to the dog. That way this won't happen again.

We can only base our answers on your posts, and I have to say, that one upset me, because it sounded like a spoiled little brat that just wanted her way and to hell with everyone else. We can't see you face to face, we can only read what you write and go off that when responding.

I'm glad you cleared this up. :)

I didn't know you can update! See I just learned something new. I really didn't know. Sorry for the lack of info.

Ana, we just had to assume that this was the situation from your other thread. That thread isn't really all that old. It's less than 2 weeks. Ago honey! Also, only 5 days before you posted this, and you've only had Bela for 5 days. Why did Danny's Mom change her mind so quickly? Why do you like her all of a sudden? Do you wonder why we came to the conclusions that we did? It's because we know that something doesn't sound right.

What we are trying to do here is make you think. Yes you are 15. Many here have been 15 several yrs. Ago, and many of us talking to you are female. We remember. We know what 15 is like! I also know that the reasoning part of your brain doesn't fully develop until you are in your 20's. This is why I said that you have the inability to see around corners. It wasn't a put down, it's just a medical fact. But you have to admit, that you were premeditating this, and you were being a little conniving with Danny, and especially the adults in this situation. It's beyond me why they would agree to this, but that was their decision.

We also know about puppy love, and I'm not talking about Bela! I'm talking about you and Danny. We've been there, we get it! Bela needs love of course, and I have no doubt in my mind that you love her. She's sweet and adorable! Who wouldn't want to love her. I've seen her sweet face. We are just trying to tell you that she needs so much more than kisses.

What it is that I really don't think you are understanding, is that it takes so much more than love. Love is usually the reason most people get a dog. But love can't supply the other things needed.

Let's just do a "for instance" here. Say you and Danny were at school, and Danny's Mom and Dad were working, or gone somewhere. Say it's Christmas time and they are out shopping! Bela gets out somehow and gets hit by a car, or attacked by another dog. Bela is still alive, but the vet says she is in very bad condition. The vet says that she will need surgery, have to stay at the clinic for a week, have some rehabilatation after this, then have to be on expensive medication, and you need to bring her back twice a week for her bandages to be changed, or for other problems that arose from the surgery. The vet tells you that the bill for this is going to be $3000. Do you think Danny's parents or yours will have that money?

Now that may seem like a pointless, ridiculous situation to you. But you know what? It's really not. Of course that is an extreme example, but it does happen. Do you know why I know that? I know that because I've had to pay those bills. I was very responsible, and did my best to make sure my dogs were taken care of, well trained, always on their leashes, and secure in the house or yard. In fact, I was with my dogs when these accidents happened, and they happened in the blink of an eye.

So you see, the point I am trying to make, is that you just never know what will happen in a split second. I don't think this is something that either You or Danny are prepared for, and the forethought was just not there!

Puppies can be just as big of a responsibility as a baby. There may be some differences, but nonetheless very expensive if you want her to live a long life and be happy and healthy.

I sure as hell didn't want to listen to people that were older than me when I was your age. Now I know I should have listened a little closer, because they aren't as stupid as we thought they were at that age. They say annoying things that piss you off, they are unreasonable in your eyes, and you think they just think they know it all. Do we know it all? Of course not! Do we remember being your age and getting pissed at our parents and other people trying to tell us what was a bad move? Hell you! But then we grew up and looked back and said, geez I wish I would've listened.

Yes, we were all 15 once. The point in which everything is changing, and every little thing seems epic from little arguments to puppy love, of both sorts. The problem is that this isn't just about you anymore. The choices you made are effecting the lives of not only you, your boyfriend and his family, but of little Bella as well. We are only looking out for what's best for her first and foremost.
Try looking at this from an outside perspective and seeing what we saw. What would you think if you were an outside party reading this and you were the stranger? Throw out any additional information that was never posted and put yourself and your boyfriend aside. The dog is what matters here. Would you think Ana made a good choice?

Ok why is everyone so negative. For the record, I have FOUR DOGS! I've been growing up with animals my whole life! I do community hours at pets smart. My boyfriend has had 1 dog and she recently died of cancer. He's been wanting a dog its not like I'm just going to so that if he doesn't even want one. He's mom knows and she said yes. He lives in a house and if we brake up I'm taking the dog back no matter what. 2nd, like i said, i have FOUR dogs i won't let a dog have a bad home.

i have two going to 3 family members that are vets, Im actually going to be either a vet or a lawyer in my future because i love animals, Me and my family rescued 4 dogs during hurrucan Katrina and Wilma and we found them ALL nice homes, and actually they are living the life now. Im not that much of an idiot to buy someone a dog out of random. I only asked for names not for opinions. He wants one, his familly wants one, and since I'm so attached to animals i have hooks ups of people that can give me one. Danny also have a cousin that is a vet. The dog will be fine because if i rescued 4 stray dogs that i didn't know where they've been and i didn't know anything about them and i didn't let them have a bad home, then why would i give this dog a bad home? My family NEVER EVER feeds the dogs human food, they eat their normal cracker dog food and they have NEVER EVER been sick that we've need to take them to the vet. They have all their daily check ups allllll the time etc. obviously you guys need to ask questions first. There something called ASSUMING which you guys are all doing. There is something called questions. Ask before answering something you don't know.

and thank you Charl. Im telling you, people now a days don't know how to ASK.



nahh she def. won't be looking out for the dog but she will have to buy the food which that won't be a problem. She's just stupid and annoying

okay, 5 days later does not constitute an old thread. On February 8th, his mom said definitely not. On February 13th, you were well on your way and looking to name the puppy you had already chosen. If you would like us to understand what you're talking about, could you please explain how Danny's mom flipped a full 180° in a matter of a few days? The probability of anyone doing something like that right in time for Valentine's Day is very, very slim.

I'm wondering what the conversation was like. This is how I'm imagining it: you tell her that you've already picked her out, and she's not that big (although Jack Russells are like big dogs in a little dog suit). Then you say that you'll take her back if they don't want her. How did you do it?

just because someone has owned dogs before does not mean that they have to own them ever again -- for whatever reason. Given the option, most people would like to be the ones to decide if they click with the dog, not have their friends and neighbors make that choice for them. I know you said the puppy came from your "best friend's dog's stomach." what does that mean? Just out of curiosity, although i don't want to get totally into this here, I'm wondering if she's a professional breeder? If not, why didn't you go to one, to a rescue, or to a shelter? As another aside, if you made his mom angry, she could actually harp on your imperfections while encouraging him to stop seeing you. Actually, since she is his mom, she could technically prohibit him from having any contact with you at all.

so, back to the story at hand, either you somehow managed to completely convince Danny's mom to have a total change of heart in her position, or you've lied about it so that you won't look bad here. I'm honestly wondering how much of what you wrote has been true, especially in the above post. By the way, i really don't believe anyone has written back to call you names. This is about growing up, a basic reality check, and a lot of people from all over the world being concerned for the best interest of that little dog.

okay, just one last question. Where are your parents in all of this?

I do have to agree with Linney. This story as taken so many twists and turns. The inconsistancies and loop de loops are flying through the air like flies heading right for the fly paper, and sooner or later you're stuck!

Starby, alty and silverfoxkit: you have been writing so many excellent posts over the last few days that my agrees can't keep up. I just want you to know how much I appreciate every one of them. This site is a much more wonderful place because of you! My pup told me to tell you that dog around the world have been sending big lickity thanks for everything you've done. Well, he didn't tell me, but I know it to be true. ;)

Oh, and starby, I loved the analogy. Someone needs to put that in their signature, lol.

Right back at you Linney! Niki is seeing your puppy licks, and raising you 2 treats and a cuddle!


http://www.postsmile.com/img/dogs/24.gif (http://www.postsmile.com/)

Thanks starby! :D by the way, cute animation! One day you're going to have to tell me how to do that!

As an aside, sajjw, I put a lot energy into responding to what you wrote. There's no obligation, but it definitely would be nice if you would write back.

Aww call it daisy :D that's a cute name, or sky, or star

OK you guys really have to stop assuming this dog isn't getting taken care of. First, she said no because she was undecided but my mom talked to her and I did too and I told her how danny would be so happy with her and she agreed and that she would love it if we surprise her with a cute fur baby.

1st-2 of my dogs have had glaucoma (I think that's how you spell it) there both poodles. Apperently they get that when getting old. You know how much the sugery was? 2000 DOLLARS EACH! My mom without even having to think about it said yes right away.

Danny's last dog had cancer. A few surgerys were done, and his mom paid Every ONE OF THEM. When the adults talked, my mom said that if this dog gets sick, will she pay for the dog? His mom agreed and told us the story about the dog with cancer. You guys have to understand that both our parents are involved with this as much as I am and he is and the dog is fine. She is happy she goes for walks everyday, she has her chew toys and her huge bed, she has cute little sweaters and everything, she has love and care, she has her shots up to date, she's having a wonderful life and you guys have to accept that. THIS IS ONE LESS FUR BABY IN THE SHELTER! She isn't going to one and she isn't going to travel like a foster dog house to house. She's already part of the family. His mom even has a picture of her in a frame at her job, his dad when he watches TV has the dog on his belly and they fall asleep together on the couch. Danny loves going outsie with her and playing with her and running around, he has a HUGE backyard where she can run and never stop, she isn't an outside dog( as she doesn't live outside she lives inside) she eats very healthy and she always seems so happy. BTW we go to different skools and we see each other at least 4 times a week. Sometimes more. All I know is that I made that family very happy with my present and they love her and cherish her like a child.

aww call it daisy :D thats a cute name, or sky, or star

Jessica, please read when you are answering questions here! The puppy has been named! Her name is Bela! Please read through!

Yeah forreal :) but I love daisy! Was about to name her that but I love bela<33

ok you guys really have to stop assuming this dog isnt getting taken care of. first, she said no because she was undecided but my mom talked to her and i did too and i told her how danny would be so happy with her and she agreed and that she would love it if we surprise her with a cute fur baby.

1st-2 of my dogs have had glaucoma (i think thats how you spell it) there both poodles. apperently they get that when getting old. You know how much the sugery was? 2000 DOLLARS EACH! my mom without even having to think about it said yes right away.

danny's last dog had cancer. a few surgerys were done, and his mom payed EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. when the adults talked, my mom said that if this dog gets sick, will she pay for the dog? His mom agreed and told us the story about the dog with cancer. you guys have to understand that both our parents are involved with this as much as i am and he is and the dog is fine. she is happy she goes for walks everyday, she has her chew toys and her huge bed, she has cute little sweaters and everything, she has love and care, she has her shots up to date, she's having a wonderful life and you guys have to accept that. THIS IS ONE LESS FUR BABY IN THE SHELTER! she isnt going to one and she isnt going to travel like a foster dog house to house. she's already part of the family. his mom even has a picture of her in a frame at her job, his dad when he watches tv has the dog on his belly and they fall asleep together on the couch. danny loves going outsie with her and playing with her and running around, he has a HUGE backyard where she can run and never stop, she isnt an outside dog( as she doesnt live outside she lives inside) she eats very healthy and she always seems soo happy. BTW we go to diffrent skools and we see eachother atleast 4 times a week. sometimes more. all i know is that i made that family very happy with my present and they love her and cherish her like a child.

Ana, once again, you have to understand, we can only base our answers on what you've told us, and this wasn't mentioned until now. I know that it seems like we're jumping down your throat but we're just thinking of Bela and what's best for her.

I truly hope that everything is settled, that Bela will be cared for in her new home, that Danny's mother will love her and pay for her needs.

I'm an advocate for dogs, that's what I do. I really don't care if I hurt people's feelings, if they aren't doing right by their dogs then I will rip them a new a$$, someone has to.

Remember at the beginning of the thread? We weren't too pleased with your choice, we did tell you it was a bad idea, but, when you came and asked a question about Bela's health didn't we come and give you advice? Didn't we do our best to help?

We don't dislike you Ana, not at all, we just want to make sure that Bela is going to a good home, a caring home, a home that will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. If that home is with you or with your boyfriends family, it doesn't matter, as long as she's cared for and loved.

I know it's hard to read that others think you made a mistake, but when we read your other post it was alarming, I was really upset. If you really have talked to Danny's mom and everything is settled, then great, but if not then you have to try and see it from our perspective.

We're here if you have any concerns.

Ana, if you want to try and understand our position a bit better go to some of the other dog threads, see what we deal with every day, maybe then you'll understand. Also, remember, we do this for free, in our spare time, that's how much we care about the dogs outs there. Okay. :)

Alty said it all! Ana, we are trying to make you understand what the consequences may be behind your decision honey. Have we gotten angry with you? Hell you! Have we wondered what the whole deal here is? You betcha! Will we come down on you when we think you need a wake up call? Yep! Do we have crystal balls? No! Will we help if there is a problem with Bela? ABSOLUTELY!

We are not the bad guys Ana. We are here to give advice, and as Alty pointed out, in our "free" time. We care about the animals. That is why we are here. If we have to get on your nerves to get our point across, we will. We answer questions like this everyday Ana. You have to give us some credit for sticking with you. You have to learn to swallow your lumps, and be open to learn things. There is no other way to go about it.

Like we've said, we've all been 15 at some point. We get it! But, sometimes you need to sit back and take a look. Things are not always going to go your way. People are not always going to be nice to you. It's up to you to know the right way to handle it, in order for it to make your life just a little easier. It will make for smoother sailing for you in the long run. :)

I like the name alona<333:)

Ana, once again, you have to understand, we can only base our answers on what you've told us, and this wasn't mentioned until now. I know that it seems like we're jumping down your throat but we're just thinking of Bela and what's best for her.

I truly hope that everything is settled, that Bela will be cared for in her new home, that Danny's mother will love her and pay for her needs.

I'm an advocate for dogs, that's what I do. I really don't care if I hurt people's feelings, if they aren't doing right by their dogs then I will rip them a new a$$, someone has to.

Remember at the beginning of the thread? We weren't too pleased with your choice, we did tell you it was a bad idea, but, when you came and asked a question about Bela's health didn't we come and give you advice? Didn't we do our best to help?

We don't dislike you Ana, not at all, we just want to make sure that Bela is going to a good home, a caring home, a home that will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. If that home is with you or with your boyfriends family, it doesn't matter, as long as she's cared for and loved.

I know it's hard to read that others think you made a mistake, but when we read your other post it was alarming, I was really upset. If you really have talked to Danny's mom and everything is settled, then great, but if not then you have to try and see it from our perspective.

We're here if you have any concerns.

Ana, if you want to try and understand our position a bit better go to some of the other dog threads, see what we deal with every day, maybe then you'll understand. Also, remember, we do this for free, in our spare time, that's how much we care about the dogs outs there. Okay. :)

At least your nice though, and I understand I see it from both perspectives. And I did reflect and I told myself I should have updated! But I didn't know till you told me! You know that's really nice what you do and everything, it is, just like starbuck. But guys another 15 year old would be cursing you guys out and telling you guys to f*** off or some really mean thing I wouldn't think of doing but some of you are already making fun of me (linnealand on my old thread) and OK understand I might not be as smart as you guys and I'm pretty sure you have alll made mistakes, and everything you tell me I keep telling myself they're right. And its true but bela is in a good home I promise. She really is. I wouldn't do anything to harm a little fur baby... especially bela since she's already part of the family. So once again, none of you have had bad answers in this whole thread just some of you are losing your patience but for what? I'm not doing anything wrong, it's not like I said I gave it to him and now the mom cooked it for dinner and it was yummy? Noo, bela is really taken care of and she's very smart and we all love and cherish her and her and her medication will be up to date. And I also appreciate the advice given for the scratching :)

i like the name alona<333:)

Good for you, but the dog has already been named, Bela.

You really need to read all the posts before responding. Thank you.

i like the name alona<333:)

Once again, please read before you answer! The dog has been named Bela! New people to the site, I beg you, please read!

Lol alona sounds nice but her name is bela :)

Please read posts before answering :P

At least your nice though, and i understand i see it from both perspectives. and i did reflect and i told myself i should of updated! but i didnt know till you told me! you know thats really nice what you do and everything, it is, just like starbuck. but guys another 15 year old would be cursing you guys out and telling you guys to f*** off or some really mean thing i wouldnt think of doing but some of you are already making fun of me (linnealand on my old thread) and ok understand i might not be as smart as you guys and im pretty sure you have alll made mistakes, and everything you tell me i keep telling myself theyre right. and its true but bela is in a good home i promise. she really is. i wouldnt do anything to harm a little fur baby...especially bela since she's already part of the family. so once again, none of you have had bad answers in this whole thread just some of you are loosing your patience but for what? im not doing anything wrong, it's not like i said i gave it to him and now the mom cooked it for dinner and it was yummy?! noo, bela is really taken care of and she's very smart and we all love and cherish her and her and her medication will be up to date. and i also appreciate the advice given for the scratching :)

Ana, trust me, I'm not always nice, I can be downright nasty when I have to be, but I really don't feel that I have to be with you. You have listened to what we said, and I respect that. :)

You do have to try and understand where we are coming from. I'm 38 years old, I've had every pet imaginable, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, birds, fish, hamsters, you name it. Right now I have a small zoo in my house, 3 dogs, 4 rabbits, a bird and a fish. I understand the love people have for fur babies, heck, I sometimes think that I'm overdoing it. Most of my pets are rescues, all of my pets are spayed or neutered, except for the beagle puppy, he's only 5 months old, will be neutered next month.

I've never impulse adopted a fur baby. Every one of my fur, feather and fin babies where well thought out, researched and planned.

I've seen things that I don't wish on any other human being. I've been present on euthanasia day at the SPCA, helped the staff put down these poor animals just because someone wasn't responsible enough to provide the care they needed.

I've seen dogs that were left outdoors with cancerous growths on their bodies, no food, no water, no shelter in -30 degree celsius weather while their owners lived in the lap of luxury without a care in the world.

I've seen videos of animals that were euthanized but didn't die the first time, where thrown into the pile of other dead dogs, still alive, still breathing, terrified and alone among rotting flesh and decaying bodies.

I've seen videos of animals skinned alive, still breathing and left to die a horrible painful death, all because someone wants a fox fur coat.

I've seen it all and that's why I fight for animals. They don't have a voice, that's our job, to give them a voice, to stop the inhumane treatment of living, breathing, feeling creatures.

I've met dogs that have seen the worst that human beings have to offer, they've been beaten, abused, starved, kicked, and yet they still come up to human beings and lick their hands and ask for hugs.

You're 15, I don't wish for you to see the things I've seen, but you do have to understand that the world isn't all puppy hugs and fur babies, tails wagging and tongues licking. There's a whole world of abuse out there that many people aren't aware of, or turn a blind eye to. I choose to watch, to listen, to witness, because to turn my back on these animals isn't something I can do and live with myself afterwards.

I don't make a hug difference, but I do make a difference, and if I have to do it by yelling, screaming, getting mean, well, that's a price I'm willing to pay, if I get through to just one person it's worth it.

So, yes, we can be harsh, but it's not without reason. I don't think you're a bad person, I think you really do love Bela and all your other dogs, and I'm glad, but please try and understand where we are coming from.

We don't know you, you don't know us, but maybe what I've said will make you understand us a bit better, because I'm not the only one that feels this way about animals. Starby and Linny are animal advocates as well, perhaps, one day, you will be too. :)

Ana, I know you haven't seen the horrible things some of us have seen that makes us so passionate when we talk about dogs or other animals. Some people will say, well it's just one dog, or one animal!. when in fact it's not. Ana, I really think you have the capability and spunk to learn more, and go out there and be an advocate for dogs and the other animals you love.

Here's just an idea for you, and maybe Danny would like to do it too! Find your local shelter, and when you are taking Bela, or your other 4 dogs for a walk, stop by and take one of the shelter dogs with you! You've got a whole crowd anyway! Take them to the dog park if you have one, or to an open field where they can run and play, and feel like they are part of a pack! This will not only let them get their exercise, but then you will be doing something to help out a dog without a home. If you volunteer and show how much you care, you never know what opportunities will come your way. There are so many dogs in shelters that are just waiting for some fresh air and a romp in the field!

Maybe you'll even decide to be a vet, or someone that wants to make a difference by rescuing others and placing them into loving homes. There are so many different things you could do to help out. I think I recall that you mentioned that you may want to become a lawyer? Well, maybe you could focus your energy and career on animal rights! You might even want to go into humane law enforcement, or something along those lines. Just a thought, but I think if you put your mind to it, that you could do it.

EDIT:: Do not be taking the other shelter dogs home. Help them find a good home if you can, but you don't need to be taking in anymore at this point.

I agree Starby.

Ana, you have your whole life ahead of you, you could make a huge difference in the lives of animals. You obviously love fur babies, so think about it, you could change the world! :)

Oh... I have to spread the rep! Alty, that was a deeply moving post. It gave me the chills! Ditto on the rep to you too, starby. Aw, you girls...

Okay, ana, I understand where you're coming from. You know, I had a high school sweetheart named Danny from when I was 14 until we left for college (he really loved dogs too), so I can totally identify with your intense feelings toward him. It's a unique time in your lives. I know how happy I still am to have had such a wonderful , stable and supportive boyfriend by my side during our teens! It really was a great experience for both of us.

Anyway, I think this might be my last post in this thread. I think you know what I wanted to say, and that's all I can do.

Here's where the problem set in for me. The sympathy I had earlier left me after I read that other thread. It was so over the top, it knocked me over. I can appreciate what you've said in your last posts, but I cannot tell a lie... I'm just not convinced in my heart that all of the right things were done. It was like pushing a square peg into a round hole. Maybe you were able to shove it in to fit, but... I don't know. I still feel like something very fishy went on along the way.

Here's the thing. What I can't recall reading was anything from you saying that you know that it's wrong to give a fur baby as a gift to anyone, let alone to the big crush of your teen years in a home where the mom did not want it, even saying that you'd do it anyway. What you said in that other thread was just awful. I don't know how you could have had that in you 2 weeks ago. I don't know how you convinced her. I still find it odd. If I knew you had learned from everyone telling you the same things on this subject, I might have felt differently. All I found were excuses and justifications. I just don't feel comfortable with this situation, no matter how it ends.

Honestly, I just love all of the good things you've added down the road to your previous posts. That's the way to take care of the pure bundles of love that make our families and lives so much better. I know I would not be the same person had I not grown up with animals from the day I was born. I'm sure you feel that, too!

I have no ill will toward you whatsoever. Quite the opposite! You are a very sweet girl. That's incredibly apparent. I love how much you are drawn to animals, and that says a lot about your heart and your character. I won't think of you in a bad way for the rest of your life. However, I get to cut myself some slack and be honest with my feelings here. I don't think it will do any good long term by sugar coating them now.

I wish you, Bela and the gang all the luck, health and love in the world. Take good care of her. I know you'll be watching out for her.

I agree with starbuck about trying to involve local animal shelters in every day activities, but make sure bella has had all of her shots before you introduce her to too many dogs or places where dogs have been sick such as dog parks, pet smart, etc. It is too easy for a puppy to get sick and then at best you will have steeping vet bills. All of us here would hate for anything to happen to little Bella, and I'm sure you would to. I know what its like to lose a puppy and it may start with a simple walk in the park but it certainly doesn't end like one.

Of course! Well, I do community hours at a local pet store here in Florida and they get pups to put up for adoption almost everyday and our job is to take care of them and to play with them and to take them out for walks, and also I don't know if the whole US does silver knights in high school but it's a community service project which you have to either raise money or build something for the community and everybody does it for cancer, diabetes, autism, etc. but I thought I would go with a new idea and raise money for animals with out homes, and also animal abuse and such. I can host walks, and different events and I will have a good amount of money by my senior year. Then after all, I donate it to the humane society and all those animal foundations. I'm starting on it now and I'm so excited! Oh and alten, I do know where you guys are coming from and trust me I understand you guys fully. Yes you guys have been tough, but I know you guys don't do it to offend me, I know your doing it for a good cause. You all have excellent points, and oh alten, I've seen a couple video's about the dog's getting their skin ripped while alive because little ms. rich rich wants a fluffy coat and she doesn't want to wear a cozy cotton one! From the first second to the last, I cry because that is just so cruel and so sad, that's why my silver knights project is going to be based on all the fur animals and all the animals that don't have fur either :)

Ana, good for you, I hope that you raise a lot of money to help the poor animals that cannot voice their opinions, whose lives are in our hands, often cruel, uncaring hands.

My kids are 10 and 6, I've taken them both with me to the humane society, they've both seen the good and the bad that we human beings have to offer. I refuse to let them see the worst, they're too young, but one day, I hope that they too will fight for animal rights, as well as human rights.

I'm glad that Bela has found a good family, I wish you all the best. :)

Aww thank you! Don't worry that that isn't a bad thing for them, that teaches them a lot and they well learn and be as brilliant as their mommy with the animals :)


I'm going to post another thread now because I need to find a couple animal foundations, I know the humane society is a bigg one that one is great so I can donate!

I'm in Canada, we have many foundations here. There are a lot of "No kill" shelters, they're usually privately run, the people who house these animals pay most expenses out of their own pockets, or rely on the kindness of strangers and donations.

Do a search for your area, just Google dog shelters, or cat, bunny, whatever you want. You should get a list of foundations in your area.

Post the link to your new thread, I'll do my best to help. :)

That would be an awesome help! I'm trying my best to find local foundations down here in south Florida and stuff but here is the link to my new thread :)

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/any-body-know-about-any-animal-foundations-320691.html#post1564049

Ana, I'm so glad you are doing what you are to help. One word of caution, and something that immediately jumped into my mind. This pet store where you walk the dogs? Where do they get the dogs? Are they selling them?

Many pet stores will claim that they are shelter dogs, when in fact they are from puppymills. I'm not saying that these dogs don't need love too, I'm just saying that if in fact they are getting them from mills or backyard breeders, anyone who supports their business is contributing to the problem.

One store in particular who claims to be selling rescued dogs that come from shelters, is Petland!. although there are many more. The only one I trust is PetSmart. I recently watched an undercover video, where Petland and others Pet Store chains were buying dogs from the mills, and they pups lived in disgusting surroundings. They were overcrowded in their cages, and were deprived of food and water. The place was filthy dirty. They were breeding the pups from the "breeder dogs" who were deformed. Some had no limbs, eyes, ears, etc.

So, I just saying that you should make sure you know for certain, where they are getting their puppies. Hopefully the place that you are helping at is not one of the pet stores that uses this practice.

I'm going to post a few links for you, where you can help a little. You can feed shelter dogs everyday, just with a click. Give me a few minutes and I'll have them for you.

Aww thanks! And no its petsmart don't worry :)

That's exactly where I do it and oh they come from families that can't keep them and people that just can't have them and stuff, don't worry I asked lol

I remember when I moved here from venezuela, I had to live in this little rented house and the owner after 3 weeks of us living there said we couldn't have dogs so me and my family begged and begged and he kept saying no so when we told him were moving out because were not getting rid of the dog he changed his mind right away!

Here they are, and everyone should sign up to receive notifications everyday. It only take a minute to click everyday, and you are feeding dogs and cats. Also, when you click on the first link, there are other places to click on where you can help with breast cancer, the rainforests, children, and litteracy.

www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Freekibble (http://www.freekibble.com)

Sajjw, while socializing a puppy is very vital in its development you need to be smart about doing it! You have no way on knowing if all of the animals in public places have all been vaccinated and in a place such as a dog park it could be very easy to pick up something like parvo especially since its incubates for up to two weeks and a puppy can be hopping around one day and on its death bed the next. Proper socializing can come AFTER the puppy has had its shots.

Sajjw, while socializing a puppy is very vital in its development you need to be smart about doing it! You have no way on knowing if all of the animals in public places have all been vaccinated and in a place such as a dog park it could be very easy to pick up something like parvo especially since its incubates for up to two weeks and a puppy can be hopping around one day and on its death bed the next. Proper socializing can come AFTER the puppy has had its shots.

Exactly, and I was very glad that you pointed out what I failed to say when telling Ana to walk the other dogs with Bela. Also another thing I failed to point out when I wrote, is even if a puppy is up to date with all shots, doesn't mean it is 100% immune. So I will have to say that the puppies that Ana is walking, even at the pet store, it is probably not wise to take Bela along at this point. Let her build up some immunity before she is around other young pups, so they are all free and clear. That way there is much less risk of Bela contracting the parvovirus.

Try naming it something that you guys call each other. Personally me and my wife ended up naming our dog pookie! Or just go with something cute like sugar.

Try naming it something that you guys call each other. Personally me and my wife ended up naming our dog pookie! Or just go with something cute like sugar.

The dog was named pages ago, it's Bela.

Welcome to AMHD, but please, read all posts in a thread before responding, otherwise you miss stuff that has already been discussed.

Thank you.

Thanks alty lol aww pookie is adorable!! I call him squishy but I think that's boy name :) lol I love bela though and nahh I won't want to risk getting bela in between dogs I don't know where they have been. I mean she is still a pup and of course I love to walk every one of them but bela loves to run and play chase and play with toys and she mends my heart when I'm with her :) the other dogs I get so happy when I see them enjoying my play time with them, but again I don't want to mix little bela with the other doggies, she's so cute! Lol oh and alty I read on your other post you have a zoo! Hehe I'm almost there! I have 4 dogs, 6 beautiful fishes, a conure (amazing bird), and of course now little bela but she's with my boyfriend :) but I still count her as my dog of course lol and now my family is saving up because we want a rainbow parrot, it's the bird I've always wanted and wow its beautifull!!

I've always wanted a parrot, but my hubby isn't a bird lover. He adores our cockatiel, she's a rarity, very quiet, very loving, very gentle, hubby is her human, they have a bond.

I have the three dogs, 14 years old, 7 years old and 5 months old. The 4 bunnies, ranging in age, the bird and the fish from hell! I kid, but really, this fish is huge, I was told he wouldn't outgrow his tank, I was also told he probably wouldn't live more than a week or two, the lied! He's over 4 years old, still growing and will probably outlive us all! ;)

Each of my animals get quality time every day, have their run around, their pets, scratches and affection, except of course the fish, not much you can do with a fish. ;)

Sajjw, while socializing a puppy is very vital in its development you need to be smart about doing it! You have no way on knowing if all of the animals in public places have all been vaccinated and in a place such as a dog park it could be very easy to pick up something like parvo especially since its incubates for up to two weeks and a puppy can be hopping around one day and on its death bed the next. Proper socializing can come AFTER the puppy has had its shots.

Sorry, Silverfoxkit I thought we were talking about after a puppy had its shots. I won't let my puppies on the ground outdoors whatsoever until it is vaccinated. Then I take it to all the most populated places I know so it can socialise and learn doggie communication skills. I have always had the importance of doing this drummed into me. 'It' sounds awlful but quicker than keep typing he/she!

Dear Linnealand
As promised in a previous thread, I am writing in response to your post. Sorry for the delay, I should have done this sooner, its just I have been discouraged from the subject of breeding as I was so upset by some of the comments I have received previously and didn't want to start it all off again. I now want to post a question about backyard breeders in the general discussion area so thought it best if I clear up some misunderstandings first.


i would just like to add some things to the responses you received on your last post.

we don’t have enough information to know if you’re a backyard breeder or not. here are some questions that all responsible breeders would be able to answer. how did you choose who should be the mother and the father of your pups? what genetic comparisons did you do before deciding whether or not it was a good idea to breed from these two particular dogs? what genetic testing did you have done to make sure that you weren't carrying on any preventable medical issues through their heritage (preventable meaning that if they are carriers of certain genetic defects that they wouldn't have been bred from)? do the mother and the sire have papers? were the puppies granted papers? what breed club has you listed as a reputable breeder?

I hope that the following information will help you to realise that I am not a backyard breeder.
If you look below where it details a setter party 2008, the judge was a Mr Colin Waddell. He is a well known setter judge and if you go to Irish Setters Uk & Ireland Website (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk) you will see that this chap, Mr Colin Waddell deals with the advertising of irish setter pups produced by reputable breeders. His e mail address is [email protected] and his phone number is (England) 01206 256400. He will confirm for you that A) He is extremely fussy about whose puppies he will advertise and B) He advertised my puppies for me this time last year. I had to be vouched for and introduced by someone he knows before he would agree to put them on his site as he did not know me. This person was Miss Jilly Turner, my sires breeder and a friend and mentor. Her web site is Dazycutter Irish Setters - A Bravenet.com Hosted Site (http://www.dazycutter.bravehost.com). If you go to her main page, you will see pictures of my Jess with her babies and their Dad too. Their fathers pedigree is on the tab at the top. Their mothers grandsire is a very famous setter called Starchelle Chicago Bear who was the supreme champion of crufts in 1995. I am happy to private message you my real name in order for you to speak about me to either Colin or Jilly. Colin kept nagging me to join the Irish Setters Breed Club (isae.co.uk at the bottom of the page) but at the time I was so busy with the pups I didn't get round to it and have not bothered since either I must admit.
Both my Jessies sire and dam are hereditarily clear of C.L.A.D. therefore she cannot possibly be affected. My Rueben's sire is C.L.A.D. clear and his mum is C.L.A.D. unaffected so he cannot be affected either therefore their puppies cannot possibly have it. Both Jess and Rue have had their eyes checked (for P.R.A. -progressive retinal atrophy or night blindness, which is a condition one has to be careful of with setters). I can provide their hip scores if you require these. Both Jess and Rue and their pups are all KC registered (again, I will PM you my real name and you can check) I can also provide the telephone number of my vet who knows me well as I have so many dogs, saw all my puppies and would be happy to vouch for me. I spent thousands of pounds on raising the last litter and sold them for £500 when Colin Waddell advised me to charge £750. It was very very hard work and I did not make a profit.
I decided to pair my two because they both have fantastic temperaments and are healthy, attractive and intelligent with good teeth and the correct bite. Rue has a very long coat which can be pain for picking up the entire contents of a field but looks gorgeous and Jessie has a rather short coat which is more practical. Jessie is prone to putting on weight whereas Rue is very slim. There are other factors I took into consideration but feel I am getting carried way here and typing too much.

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with all of that said, i’m a little stuck on what you wrote about the underpopulation problem of Irish Setters in your area. it reminded me of a claim someone on this site once made about there being no chihuahuas in Alaska, which made her want to breed hers. by the way, there are enough chihuahuas in Alaska. i’m just wondering where your information came from and who might have suggested that you to solve this problem through your dog. at the bottom of this post you’ll find a number of links for people you can contact for top notch information on everything about Irish Setters in the UK.

In hindsight , that probably was a bit of a silly thing to say. The thing is, there really are hardly any setters in my town and surrounding area. Nearly every time I take my dogs out, someone or other will stop me and exclaim " its rare to see one of these " I believe its because setters have a reputation for being scatty but neither of my three or any of the litter are like that so always dispute it when people say that to me. Also, many of the people who bought my pups complained that they had ever such a job finding a setter pup.

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i know i said that we don’t know what kind of breeder you are, but from your post it sounds like you just bred your dog for the first time. from your thread in which tickle responded, it sounds like you have another dog that you’d like to breed from as well. i’m assuming that part of why you’re doing this is to continue to solve the underpopulation problem of the breed in your area? just out of curiosity, did you also encourage the new owners of the puppies to breed from them, too? if not, why? If you did, i have good news for you. we can do a little hypothetical math to show just how productive that continued breeding could really be.

No, I have Rueben, my boy who is the puppies Dad, Jessie, the puppies mum and their daughter Katy who I kept. I also have a castrated golden retiever boy of 8 years old. Im almost completely sure I dont want another litter but if I did it would be with the same parents. Of course I have not encouraged the new owners to breed, in fact quite the opposite. One of them mentioned they might like to and I said everything I could think of to put her off. I don't feel that people should breed unless they are experienced and know what they are letting themselves in for (and have no life and lots of money to spare!)

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by the way, i think it's strange that you're discouraging people from considering the effects of backyard breeding even though you've said that you don't know what backyard breeding is. you seemed almost satisfied that you don’t know or care to know what the term means. why was that? well, while you might not have heard of the term "backyard breeding," i'm guessing that you have encountered the terms "overpopulation," "animal shelters," "rescue groups," "irresponsible breeding practices," "abandoned dogs," "rehomed dogs," etc.. i will also assume that somewhere along the line, you've heard about the millions of dogs that are put down every year because of the overpopulation problem. most of those dogs come from backyard breeders. they’re all related.

I don't understand why you are saying this. How/where have I said anything that discourages people from considering the effects of backyard breeding? I feel that everybody should be aware of what goes on and its consequences. Its horrible. I felt I was fighting the cause of the reputable breeder as I misunderstood and thought that even they were being condemned. I knew of course about backyard breeding, just had not heard that particular term for it before - is it an American term? I dont understand how I came over as satisfied. Why would anyone be satisfied with their ignorance??


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there’s something else i’m caught on, too. it sounded like you were suggesting that buying dogs for others is perfectly fine. then i guess that it would only be a good thing if your children's high school girlfriends or boyfriends give them dogs for the holidays? and it would also be cool if the dogs are named after them? most teen relationships last forever, right? i'm not sure if their university dormitories will accept the dogs, but you wouldn’t have any problem keeping the dogs instead would you? remember, it would be even better if those girlfriends or boyfriends have any relatives who are vets. that might even guarantee that there won't be any problems down the road. Ana52408 obviously loves this puppy and wants nothing but the very best for her, and all of that is very, very clear. however, reading this thread from the beginning, the people who responded with their thoughts and opinions might not have been coddling, but they were saying all of the right things. they were saying the same exact things that are recommended by the experts in the world of dogs, and they were doing it with the right intentions. i'm that all of us want only the best for Ana and her (really adorable) pooch.

All I was commenting on was that people on this site are so quick to start criticising when they dont know the facts. All Ana asked for was suggestions for a name. If people wanted to lecture her about buying dogs as presents it would be better if they checked with her things like 'does your boyfriend want a dog?' first. Likewise with me, before tickle starts saying "you would be considered a backyard breeder" perhaps she could establish if I were one or not. It has been explained to me that its the experts job to answer questions not ask them but I still feel that people on here are very quick to judge. It has also been explained to me why that is -that you do gets lots of stupid questions from backyard breeder and have all seen some horrible cruelty and I sort of understand. I never suggested that buying dogs for people is OK. I didn't comment on that.

the following is a list of contacts in the UK that deal exclusively with Irish Setters. you are welcome to contact any of the following organizations to hear what they think about any potential underpopulation problem of Irish Setters in your area.

South of England Irish Setter Club:
South of England Irish Setter Club Website (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/soeisc.htm)
It looks like there are indeed enough Irish Setters in the south of England for them to have started a club.

a link to a large UK Irish Setter Rescue group:
Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/index.php)
it's hard to miss the expansive scroll of photos of absolutely stunning Irish Setters at the bottom of the page, who have each been given up and were or are still in need of new homes.

you might not want to miss the different sections of the site. here are some of them:

Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/rescue.php)
here are some beautiful Irish Setters that are looking for homes right now.

Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/rehomed.php)
look at this enormous list of gorgeous and rehomed Irish Setters.

there are at least enough Irish Setters around for the rescue group to throw a party in their honor.
The Setter Party 2008: "Colin Waddell our judge for the Fun Classes had a wonderful entry and every class was well filled."
Irish Setter Rescue (http://www.irishsetterrescue.co.uk/events.php)

here are some more helpful links:

Irish Setters UK and Ireland
Irish Setters Uk & Ireland Website (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/)

Reputable Irish Setter Breeders across the UK
http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/Breeders.htm

Irish Setter UK Breed Clubs
Irish Setter Breed Clubs (http://www.irishsetter.org.uk/breedclubs.htm)

Irish Setter Association, England
Irish Setter Association, England Website (http://www.isae.co.uk/)

;)

All I was commenting on was that people on this site are so quick to start criticising when they don't know the facts. All Ana asked for was suggestions for a name. If people wanted to lecture her about buying dogs as presents it would be better if they checked with her things like 'does your boyfriend want a dog?' first. Likewise with me, before tickle starts saying "you would be considered a backyard breeder" perhaps she could establish if I were one or not. It has been explained to me that it's the experts job to answer questions not ask them but I still feel that people on here are very quick to judge. It has also been explained to me why that is -that you do gets lots of stupid questions from backyard breeder and have all seen some horrible cruelty and I sort of understand. I never suggested that buying dogs for people is OK. I didn't comment on that.

Once again I have to say, if someone comes on this site claiming to be a breeder and is asking a question any breeder would know, then we have to assume that he/she isn't a breeder. A breeder knows that when a dog is hemorraghing that dog should be brought to the vet. A breeder knows at what age a dam is ready to breed A breeder knows how to care for pups born to the dam. So, if someone comes here asking these sorts of questions, well, they're quite obviously not a breeder and have no business breeding their dog.

Sajjw, we've all been her a long time and we get questions like the ones I mentioned every day. So, when a person comes to ask one of those questions, we know they are reputable breeders and they will get our wrath because we've done our homework, we know how many unwanted, unloved, genetically defective dogs are out there.

When someone comes online and defends these backyard breeders, it's usually because they themselves are backyard breeders and they want to justify what they are doing.

I know many breeders, none of them would ever recommend that someone just mate their dogs and hope for the best. None of them would give someone a pat on the back for trying to be a breeder without any info on breeding and without having taken the necessary precautions. You see, legitimate breeders don't only care about their dogs, but others as well. They want to ensure that only the best genes are brought out in each specific breed of dog.

So, when you defended a backyard breeder, we had a very hard time believing your claim to be a legitimate licensed breeder. Do you understand?

I don't want to keep fighting back and forth with you, that's not something I enjoy doing. But, rest assured, if you do side with the backyard breeders coming here to AMHD, don't expect me to slink off into a corner and say nothing, that's not something I'm willing to do, no matter how many people end up hating me for it.

I'm sorry that you felt attacked, but when you've been around for a while longer, start answering the same questions over and over and over again, because you feel you must, well, sooner or later you're going to get frustrated that so many people are doing something so very harmful to dogs. It's gets to you, it's gotten to all of us, but we still come here every day hoping to get through to these people and make them understand.

No hard feelings.

The problem with a lot of these "breeders" who come here is that they jump in the ocean before they can swim, so to say. After the fact is not the time to be doing research or asking questions. There shouldn't be any "I think my dogs in labor but she's just bleeding and straining...." or "how can I tell if my dog is pregnant?"
They should have already been responsible enough to have those sort of answers before even considering breeding, let alone doing it! Breeding should not ever be treated like a trail and error sort of thing. An "error" can easily cost the dog and/or the puppies their lives. No dog is "just a dog". Dogs are living, breathing, thinking, feeling, loving creatures that deserve to be treated like such, not puppy factories, not money makers.

Silver, I had to spread the rep. Great post, so true. You said what I wanted to and did it with a lot fewer words. Bravo! :)

FYI, my poodles name was Silver. :)

Thanks. I just wish that people would start getting the point, but no one ever seems to learn. They just get angry and defensive, some of it is probably from sub-conscious guilt that they know they are wrong, but instead of admitting it they choose to deny it and get angry. They wrap themselves up in a web of illusionary justifications.
"It's just one litter......" What if every dog had just one litter?
"I found them good homes..." Are you so certain that your puppies won't end up on the curb in a few months or years? The statistics argue otherwise, and they weren't made up either.
"I want my children to learn about birth..." Yes, lets raise another generation of people who taking breeding with a grain of salt. Its seems you need a lesson about death. Go assist in shelter euthanasia of puppies just like your own and see how you feel about it then. If you really want to teach your children. Why not search out a local reputable breeder and ask if your children may be witness to one of their dogs giving birth? Teach your children that not every dog should have puppies and that it should only be done by special people and with special dogs.
"If everyone stopped the breed would die out..." Not everyone should quit breeding, only the uneducated, unqualified breeders, which is probably 75% or more of them. We should be more worried about quality and not quantity.
"I want to have fun and make a few bucks at the same time.." Yeah? So do drug dealers. Does that mean they should have the right to push drugs?

Hi, sajjw. For the record, as you and I know this but others members probably don't, we got to talk a little about some aspects of these things in private. From my side, I wanted to let you know that you had managed to soothe some of the concerns I had because of some of the things you had included in other posts. Unfortunately, it appears that the post in which you had included the information that inspired me to think differently about the kind of person you are (for the better) was pulled, and the thread was also closed, so there was no way for either one of us to establish that there. At that point I had mentioned that, personally, I didn't need you to do what you just did for my benefit, but I see you went through the trouble of posting it just the same. I'm a little curious to know why you didn't mention any of it again in your message and why this post was worded in a way that made it seem like that conversation never happened, but I suppose this is really about clearing some things up for your image in the public eye. I'm sure it might give any other members who were also (at that point legitimately) questioning some of the things you had brought up a chance to get to know more about you.

I know that it can sometimes be difficult to transition into becoming a part of the community here. I think there are a number of reasons for this, but one of the most significant can often be because this site runs a bit differently than many other sites. While there are a lot of places that have a "post and run" style, these boards have some "post and run" members, but its foundation is really based upon a good community of people who believe in supporting each other and are passionate about making sure that they can help dogs get the best care they can. I also know it can sometimes be as difficult for new members to learn the right approach through their tone and their content as it can sometimes be for older members to guess the real ideologies, backgrounds and reasons behind the information that different new members post here. I think this is something that you've also realized, and I'm impressed that you are attempting to establish yourself as a responsible player.

Overall, the fact is that this site can only benefit from people who do (and want to do) the right things, and people who are able to share their knowledge and experiences in various facets of dog care can do a lot to help the people who come here seeking good advice.

It looks like you've become inspired to do some good things through this site, so I'm looking forward to seeing you do your best to achieve that success in the future.

p. s. for future reference, there's a quote button above the reply box that you can use to separate another poster's quotes from your own responses. Using that method can help keep your post from getting lost in the original quote, or from making it seem as if the other poster was responsible for the new additions.

EDIT: p. p. s. silverfox, if I could have rated both posts back to back, you would have gotten 10 gold stars. I'm so glad you're here to say the things you say. And alty, I've got to spread the rep for you, too! Aw...

Hi Linnealand, thanks for your post. I didn't mention that we had sorted things out via private message because I was concerned that this information might cause problems for you as other members seemed to have taken against me so strongly. Also, I didn't want it to sound like I was saying "well Linnealand thinks I'm OK". People should decide this for themselves based on information they are provided with. Yes you are right that its more others that I was trying to clear things up with because I want to be able to post questions on here without getting nasty comments in reply because members believe I am a backyard breeder.
I'm not sure which bit of my message on the closed thread you are referring to that I didn't mention in my recent post but I think it is the following... When I said that if nobody bred dogs, they would more or less die out eventually, I meant NOBODY. I was not in any way trying to justify backyard breeding. I had misunderstood things that had been said and thought that ALL breeders were being condemned, even the reputable ones like me. I was then misunderstood and taken to mean that its OK for peole to backyard breed when this is not whatsoever what I was saying. Of course I would never defend backyard breeding , I think it is a depicable practice.
Thanks for your advice Linnealand, it is much appreciated.

Sajjw, I'm glad that you came back to clear that up. You're correct, we did think you were condoning backyard breeding and that's why you got our wrath. I have no patience for backyard breeders. I just finished answering a thread about a 4 week old puppy that can't poop. The OP, obviously a young girl, said that the puppy was given to her early by the "breeder" because they were selling the dam. No puppy should be taken away from its mom at 4 weeks. These are the posts that make me sick to my stomach.

You are more than welcome here, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. A little secret, when Linny first came to the site she got a bit of our bad temper too, a big misunderstanding, do you remember Linny? Now she's one of the first people I PM when I need help with a dog question. I respect her greatly, her knowledge, her compassion, her love for dogs.

So, can we start fresh? I hope so.

I hope to see you on the boards.

Alty :)

I agree that there could likely have been a misunderstanding here. We get so many posts from backyard breeders that aren't registered or licensed to do so. Many that are only in it for the money, and will breed any and all that they can, just for that extra buck! Many claim that they are breeding for the love of the breed, and truly believe they are doing the right thing, when often times they just don't understand that the breed that they have is in fact not a dying breed.

Then of course there are the backyard breeders that say they do it because they love their dogs and want their dog to just have the "experience" of having one, two, three litters. They are unknowledgeable, and ignorant to the reality of it all. They get very angry with us, because we know the damage and hurt that it causes, to these precious lives, and how many other dogs have to die, because of this.

I've not heard your credentials Sajjw, but if they are good enough for Linny, they are good enough for me. I know of Linny's dedication, as well as Alty's, and my own. And yes, I remember our little short lived spat Linny. We were on a different page in the same book, and we were both trying to find the same page! Haha! ;) We love you to death, Linny. We couldn't do without you here!

Hello again, sajjw. The post that inspired me to write to you, in part to save you the time of posting the details of your test results, was the one where you had offered to do so. I assumed that you were being honest, and, truthfully, a lot of those questions were really rather rhetorical in nature in the first place. I don't expect that others need to satisfy my criteria to make me happy, but I do just hope that more people consider the kinds of questions I included in my post to you for the benefit of their dogs. I sincerely applaud the things in your response post that you've done as a responsible owner, from using a mentor to testing your dogs. I cannot overemphasise the importance of these things, and I'm glad you also take them seriously.

Okay, I'm in for a soapbox moment to discuss, simply as a point in general, why this is the case. In my opinion, genetic testing is surely amongst the most responsible things a breeder can do when choosing the parents of a litter. It's fairly expensive to have done, so most people who don't think it matters, for whatever reason -- because they aren't breeding extensively, or simply don't want to be bothered with this step (and in some cases don't even know this option exists) -- just don't do it. The truth is that this method of testing is still relatively new as far as breeding is concerned. Obviously, since it wasn't even an option before, everyone just bred without it. However, long term, some devastating consequences took place because of this lack of information, unfortunately including many cases where the breeders weren't aware (or couldn't have known) that they were breeding from dogs that were carriers of various hereditary diseases that weren't showing up in their dogs of breeding age. When a dog with one of those hereditary diseases was used to give birth or sire litters within the breeding world, it was a little like opening Pandora's box. Following generations could continue to breed other carriers, populating beloved breeds with some of the devastating hereditary issues we've come to know all too well. Among them range serious eye diseases like CEA (collie eye anomoly) and late onset progressive retinal atrophy, which causes blindness (although this can also be discovered in younger dogs), to other infamous muscoskeletal disorders like hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, those are just the beginning. For example, I'm swept away with love for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but the extent to which a number of extremely serious genetic disorders has infiltrated the breed, from mitral valve disease and luxating patella to the horrors of Syringomyelia (a truly devastating brain and spine disease) is beyond belief; more than 90% of the breed is believed to carry the genes responsible for SM. Although the cost of testing for "rare" diseases such as SM can be extremely costly, I think that testing is going to be the hope and saving grace to really help this breed to survive, and I can't imagine anyone could even consider breeding them without having them fully screened beforehand.

Technically, even if your dog's parents were cleared for the diseases that are most frequently found in their breed, the offspring that are being considered for breeding are also supposed to get tested (if you think about it, it makes more sense that one might initially assume, and there are a number of reasons this is considered the ultimate standard. For one, although a dog's parents may have been tested for a well planned pregnancy, there have been cases where more than one sire mated with the mother during her heat cycle, of which the breeder was not always aware. I think much of it comes down to the old "better safe than sorry" adage.)

Now that genetic testing for hereditary diseases is available to prevent some of these problems from continuing to infiltrate the world of breeding, I think it's the most ethical choice as far as big breeding is concerned. It does cost money to do, but I don't think the price of testing can even be compared to the veterinary costs associated with trying to handle a serious problem once it arises, not to mention the immense suffering a dog with a serious hereditary disease can endure, and the heartbreak and emotional pain felt by all involved.

It's very easy to get carried away with these thoughts, and perhaps I've just digressed.
Anyway, the point of all of that was simply to say that it's important. Of course, there are so many other aspects that are involved in breeding and overall dog care that are at least as important as all of that is. It's good to know that you're looking to take so many of those elements seriously, and I've appreciated your changes in the threads, which have been quite apparent. I've enjoyed many of your latest posts.

Because of the major difference in the tone and content of your posts, since you have been putting forth big efforts, and since you have gone back to try to clear up some of the things you had talked about, I'm surely willing to keep looking forward and chalk the past up to some elements of miscommunication, and I'm not only one willing to do that. So you understand things from our position, the difference between the earlier posts and the recent posts is tremendous. I think it would have saved a whole lot of time and concern had some of those significant details been referenced earlier. I know that a lot of members were thrown off by a lot of the things you wrote earlier on, and, whether it was your intention or not, I do think there were occasions where it was a little too easy to read as argument for argument's sake, or as appearing to defend the people who were making poor choices while putting down people who were saying a lot of the right things, as waving some significant looking red flags in general. I think the proof of that was in the reaction they stirred up, and many of us were naturally concerned about what you meant in writing them. Despite all of that, I'm glad we're moving on to better things now.

I know that some of us can be tough cookies when it comes to red flag posts in general, especially if there is any possibility whatsoever that the person posting them might appear to be doing anything that could be bad for the well being of any pets or animals. I'm sure you realize is that it's all based on the best intentions. Frankly, while, in the end, you might not fall into elements of the risky category, there are some eagle eyes watching out for those big red flags at all times simply because there are people who regularly brush through here asking the kinds of questions that can only lead others to assume that they haven't done a fraction of a fraction of the work needed to care for their pets with the utmost level of responsibility. For that reason, I really do think there are times when a somewhat stern reality check is certainly in order. I don't think that's anyone's favorite time of day. Things like that are usually very sad or plain old frustrating to deal with. The best times are when we get to be totally supportive, caring, and compassionate, and fortunately there are so many occasions to celebrate all of that as well. Surely this site benefits from everyone who is here to help others, and I'm glad you've really turned things around to become one of them. That's great news.

As for you, alty and starby, you lovely, gorgeous little devils... :D I'm so glad I get to just love and adore you girls as much as I do. No doubt, to some extent, we're all tough cookies (probably always have been, probably always will be)... but we're still cookies, aren't we? ;) yes, it's all true. Even li'l miss linny went through a little initiation process via the pet board machine. I could compare it to the existence endured by some pledges at some hardcore sorority house at a crazy party school, including the hangover but excluding the alcohol with which one could otherwise hope to numb the awful pain, ROFL (I think that analogy might wind up in my signature). As the story goes, we got into a discussion on a subject in which we all agreed completely in the first place, but fortunately the "beating in" didn't last too long, LOL. Really, the best part is that it didn't take long for us to become friends, and I honestly can't say enough good things about them today. I'd be there for them in a flash whenever they need me, and I know they'd do the same. Tough cookies we may be, but we're also sugar coated, heart shaped and topped with rainbow sprinkles. I swear. :)

p. s. I love the avatar. And the links to the pics... totally gorgeous.

tough cookies we may be, but we're also sugar coated, heart shaped and topped with rainbow sprinkles. I swear.

Don't forget crunchy, we're crunchy! ;)

Aw Linny, right back at you sweetie, love you to bits, don't know what we'd do without you.

Believe it or not I also had a tough initiation into AMHD. I made one mistake, a little spelling error/wrong word and got knocked down a few notches by the experts. I stayed off the site for 2 months and then one day I got a notice, "we haven't seen you in a while, why not check if there are any questions you can help with" heck I didn't even remember my password, had to request a new one.

Then I started getting into a groove, got some greenies, started feeling like I was making a difference and voilà, I'm still her a bit more than a year later.

Sneezy and I actually fought the first time we "met" as did Scott Gem and I. Cred and I got into so many fights that as soon as the mods saw us on the same thread they were likely to shut it down before the fireworks began. I extended an olive branch, we became friends, albeit with very different views, and we've never looked back.

It's funny actually, some of the people I hold most dear on this site started with a difference of opinion. So Sajjw, who knows, maybe one day we'll all be saying "remember when you first joined, boy did we disagree!" ;)

AMHD: cookies + advice. If we were licorice, we'd be All Sorts + advice. If we were donuts, we'd be donuts + bear claws + advice. If we were... okay, I think you get the point.

Perhaps the reason we've been more prone to discussions from the get-go is because we're a solidly passionate bunch. The truth is that there are a lot of people here with great intentions and a lot of character. We're all pretty different, too. No doubt, there are some truly amazing, beautiful and magnificent people on this site. Sure, there are some crazy, poop-caked monkeys in the mix too, but you'll find some of those in any group this large. Sometimes striking the perfect balance between being nice and being "honest" ain't so easy. Admittedly, there are some people whose company I always adore, and there can be others whose posts will have me tapping the ignore button in my mind with abandon. I think it's simply par for the course. We're also fairly limited in being able to understand who we're speaking with since everything we do gets written and read over the internet. It would be much easier if we were face to face. (plus, a lot of us girls and boys have some very pretty faces, which would make the experience even easier. Alty and starby run high on that list.) ;) I'm waiting for the profile feature to start working again. I think that could help quite a bit regarding new members. The introduction section can be a big help, too, although I still have to put my intro together. Hmm...

Alty, wouldn't I jump at the chance to chat away like silly girls in a statue tipped piazza with some espressos on the way! Of course, you, starby and I could just as easily crack open a bottle of Chianti and accomplish the same thing. Ah... Canadian snow angels and a whole day of sledding? Love it. Oh, what I wouldn't do just to see icicles! It feels like forever since the last time I touched snow. (well, it's only been a year, but still. You know I'm a winter's winter kind of girl.) of course, window shopping (um, yes, I meant going googly eyed over the tall dark and handsome types) on a sunny beach wouldn't be so bad either. Okay, so we're not on the market, but I'm buying into the "you can look but you can't touch" rule.. . were we talking about puppies and our beloved dogs? Okay, we must bring them along. Do Italian trained dogs bark with an accent? We'll have to ask Chewy and the gang to find out, eh? :D

Okay, I'm off to start cooking. It's cold and rainy out, and today is a homemade chowder and pajamas sort of Sunday. Loving it!

Poop-caked monkeys?. ROFLMAO! I can send you a box of icicles my sweets. How 'bout the 10 pounder that hit me in the head a few weeks ago? Lol. I could pack it up tight with a bottle of Chiante, and it would be nice and chilled, by time time we get to Italy. You want to jump a flight to Italy right Alty? I know you do! :D L'italiano degli uomini inchinandosi a nostri piedi, e swooning noi! Lol!

Of course, we could also be ski bunnies, and sit in the lodge with a cup of hot buttered rum, around the fireplace, and wait for the muscle bound ski instructors to arrive! We of course would need our sled dogs to bat their adorable big eyes, so the guy behind the bar would keep them coming! Then of course, we would have to go out and make snow angels, and build a snow hunk!

Oh so much fun! ;) :D

Not sure when this thread went from "naming a dog" to something else...

But... I heard I'm pretty good at naming things... dogs... cars... girls...

not sure when this thread went from "naming a dog" to something else...

but...I heard I'm pretty good at naming things...dogs...cars...girls...

Darnit, it's true. Sneezy named our beagle puppy, I don't know how it happened but it did. He's like mold, he grows on you. ;)

As for girls, sweetie, I'm still not terribly fond of the nickname you gave me and Sydney absolutely despises hers. :(

HAhahahaha, I'm in. snow hunks. That's excellent. Rum buttered ski instructors? Lol, emergency! I'm on my way. Madam, I don't know how you put that translation together, but I got your message. :) I would love AMHD in Italian. Languages unite! By the way, what's up with everybody on the language pages getting translations from English to Sanskrit for their tattoos? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be getting a tattoo on my body from something a total stranger told me over the internet. Couldn't they be lying? Or wrong? Yeah. You know, one of the reasons I stayed with AMHD was to keep my English in gear. It has gotten rusty! It sounds weird, but I live 99% of my life in another language. I think that's nuts. You know, we wouldn't have to limit those plans to Italy or Canada. I think there's a line of umbrella tipped pineapples with our names on them in Jamaica.

Sneezykins, you're totally right. I know Bela got her name, but the next dog that comes in here should be named Jamaica. See how that works? It's like tying a bow. ;)

Alty, what names could possibly be that bad?

Then again, sneezy named himself after a dwarf.

alty, what names could possibly be that bad?

then again, sneezy named himself after a dwarf.

Trust me, they're bad. ;)

He calls Sydney (my daugher) "Dimples" she hates it, actually growled at him once. It's cute.

He has nicknames for all his girls because he has trouble remembering their real names. Personally I think the nicknames are harder, but that's just me.

But he did name our Chewy and the name fits. :)

My husband wants to get a dog and name it Chewy. I think it's a cute name for a dog. And by the way, I did read the whole post. I know that the dog's name is Bela. Lol

my husband wants to get a dog and name it Chewy. I think it's a cute name for a dog. and btw, I did read the whole post. I know that the dog's name is Bela. lol

LMAO, wow, you read all those pages? WOW! :)

The only regret I have naming him Chewy is that he's living up to his name. He eats everything that isn't bolted down, I've lost a few shoes, mittens, a pair of underwear, the kids homework, a book, you name it, he's chewed it. I should have named him "Good boy". ;)

ZoeMarie agrees: what kind of fish do you have?

He/she is a 27 cent feeder fish, in other words a gold fish. We god him/her for our daughter because her brother had gotten a hamster (he's 4 years older) and she wanted a pet too. We figured a fish was the way to go, bought the tank, bought the fish, expected it to die within weeks because it's a gold fish and then sat back and watched it outgrow three tanks. I always joke that he's overstayed his welcome, but really, I like him. He's in my kitchen, on the counter, keeps me company when I cook. :)

Want to guess his name? Remember, my daughter named him when she was 2!

Goldie? Lol. I don't know. I got one of those fish when I was little and I named it Tom Priefer. I think that was one of my dad's friend's names at the time.

Trust me, they're bad. ;)

He calls Sydney (my daugher) "Dimples" she hates it, actually growled at him once. It's cute.

He has nicknames for all his girls because he has trouble remembering their real names. Personally I think the nicknames are harder, but that's just me.

But he did name our Chewy and the name fits. :)

That's not bad at all! Actually, I just love "Dimples." seriously, could that be any cuter? Plus, it suits her. To be fair, though, Syndey is allowed to hate whatever she wants to hate. Maybe she could pick her own nickname? I've got to say, from the sound of things before, I would have thought he had named Syndey "Chewy" and Chewy "Dimples."

We lived with a lot of animals when I was growing up, but I think my sister won the name game when she crowned one of our gerbils as The Princess Bride.

I have kind of a hard name. Well, it's not hard, but it's not common (at least not outside of Scandinavia). Basically, I'm named after the Swedish scientist Carolus Linnaeus, also known as Carl von Linné, who was the father of botany, taxonomy and ecology. It's also the name of a flower he had named after himself, which grows wild in northern Sweden where my mother was born and raised. In the states people call me Linn-EE-ah. In Italy they call me LINN-EH-ah. Honestly, it gets complicated. No joke, Linny has become a resolution to that problem. It does away with any potential complications in its pronunciation. Plus, I like it! (although it's not as cute as Linnykins!)

I was named after my Uncle. Yup, my UNCLE! What where my parents thinking?

Actually, in Germany Andreas is a male name, Andrea is the female version. In Germany they call me Undreeah, in Canada it's Anndreeah. I suck at this. :(

I chose the name Jared for my son because of a TV show I liked, the main character was named Jared. Sydney I chose because I loved the sound of it and hubby and I couldn't agree on anything else. Both my kids have grown into their names, it's funny.

Ya, Sydney does not like the nickname Dimples at all, she gets really angry when you call her that, of course that just makes Sneezy say it even more. ;) I call her my little Sydney bean (Kidney bean but cuter), when she was a toddler we called her "Boo" because she looked like the little girl in Monsters Inc.

Ahhh, got to love nicknames, right Linnykins?

Fish can surprise you sometimes! My nephew won one of those fair fish one year and we figured eh, it's a fair fish, won't last more then a few days. The sucker lived 6 years and grew to be about 4 inches long in body and about 5 inches in just the tail! I've never seen another goldfish with as beautiful tail like that one had! I don't remember the fish's name though. Right now he has a bearded dragon named Iggy, as little sense as that one makes, Two gerbils named Marco and Polo, and a rotty/healer mix puppy named Max.
As a kid myself I tended to be a more creative then the average 5-6 year olds with my names. There was a terrier mix named Chiwa, a cat named Zachary Binx, I don't really remember any other per say that I got to name, although I'm sure there are more. I grew up around a plethora of animals, but most of them were my older sisters, at least until I was 8 and we moved. In my opinion all kids should be raised on a "zoo." Children that learn to love and respect animals grow into adults that do to, and we by far need more of those.

I should have named him "Good boy". ;)
My boyfriend now thinks I'm a nutter because I laughed out loud at that

alty, what names could possibly be that bad?

then again, sneezy named himself after a dwarf.

I DID NOT name myself after the dwarf!

Last time I checked, ms. smitty linny...

The dwarf named himself after ME!

I DID NOT name myself after the dwarf!

last time I checked, ms. smitty linny...

the dwarf named himself after ME!

I guess you lucked out though, we could be calling you Dopey!

Lol alty! Too bad that chewy is wayy too cuteee! Haha and aww I love dimples! Lol too bad that when I got my first dog, it was in 1998 and I was 5! The dalmations movie was in style and everyday I got home, I would watch the movie! When my dad surprised us with a dog, I named her perdita! The mom dalmatian in the movie! My mom was like "umm....ok sure honey..." then 2 days later she found out why! Haha and I still have my little bunch of oats<3 heehee and then I got tobby and then I got Joy and nikki :) and then one day we went to petco and the dog food was by the birds and we saw a conur (bird) that was 300 dollars! But we just fell in love with him and now were getting a african grey! :D and once I got a fighter fish at a party when I was like 9 and I thought it was going to last like 2 weeks also and he lasted 5 years!! I'm telling you, animals are incredible!<333

Lol and it's funny when little kid's name animals, I had a friend that her little brother got a hermit crab and named it hermie! Lol!

Nice names, ms. alty, very nice names. Sydney is particularly good. Now, are you promising me that you don't keep a zoo just to have more things you can name? I want a cat named Crayon and a dog named Huggy Giorgio. I get the Andrea Euro-Canadian toss-a-roo. What's confusing to me is when someone asks me my name and I have to pause while I decide what I'm called. I lived in France for a summer with one of the kids I grew up with, who is named Keith. I've never heard a name butchered more than his. "kee-ff" would be considered a successful attempt. The "th" thing ain't so easy. My parter goes by Mimmo (from Domenico), and 0everyone back home want s to call him Nemo, like the captain... or the fish. My dad had a goldfish pond made in front of the house where I grew up, and he added the goldfish about 15 years ago. I don't know how, they've survived every winter and grown to koi proportions. We had a lot of goldfish growing up, and they usually don't make it to live nearly as long as you described, Alty, but that's probably because someone's younger sister decides to secretly (and mistakenly) overfeed them one night, and their tiny goldfish brains, which lack the "stop-eating, you're-eating-yourselves-to-death" button, fail to save them from their gluttonous doom.

That sad story has kept me from wanting more fish. Maybe one day, if I get a very big aquarium, I'll reconsider. They are so pretty to watch.

Well, I decided to investigate the facts, and I'm really impressed by them. Um, Alty, you could be in for 49 years or more. At least 8 or 9 could be likely. 15 inches makes for one big goldfish!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldfish

"Goldfish can grow to a maximum length of 22 inches (58.42 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg), although this is rare; few goldfish reach even half this size. The longest goldfish measured was 47.4 cm (18.7 in) from snout to tail-fin end in Hapert, The Netherlands.[5] The longest fancy goldfish measured was an oranda called Bruce. It was measured at 37.2 cm (15 in) in 2002. Bruce has since died but not before attaining an additional 2.8 cm, making Bruce's length in excess of 40 cm.[6][7]

In optimal conditions, goldfish may live more than 20 years, but most household goldfish generally live only six to eight years. The oldest recorded goldfish lived to 49 years,[8] but most household goldfish generally live only six to eight years, due to being kept in bowls.

The collective noun for a group of goldfish is a 'troubling' of goldfish.[9]"

more interesting facts:

"In many countries, the operators of carnivals and fairs commonly give goldfish away in plastic bags as prizes for winning games. In the United Kingdom, the government proposed banning this practice as part of its Animal Welfare Bill,[25][26] though this has since been amended to only prevent goldfish being given as prizes to unaccompanied minors.[27] Rome, Italy, passed a law in late 2005, which banned the use of goldfish or other animals as carnival prizes. Rome has also banned the keeping of goldfish in goldfish bowls, on the premise that it is cruel for a fish to live in such a small space.[13]"

I DID NOT name myself after the dwarf!

last time I checked, ms. smitty linny...

the dwarf named himself after ME!

Okay, okay, I really do believe you. I just assumed you were a lot younger than the dwarf, you know, with the beard and romantic clothes and all. RipVanSneezykinns has a cute ring to it. Pretty please, will you forgive me? What I'm really, really hoping is that we'll be able to celebrate your sneeze with you on YouTube. It's as if YouTube and your special sneeze were made for each other, don't you think? "isneezespecial" would have worked just as well. Come now. You know you want to. ::shaking pepper, shaking pepper:: ::brushing nose with feather, brushing nose with feather:: ::rubbing cat under nose, rubbing cat under nose:: ::shaking pollen, shaking pollen::

Well how 'bout that? I've seen some big goldfish, but dang! I didn't realize how big they could get. My cousin has some pretty decent sized ones. I have cichlids, which I named myself, bluey and stripey because I don't know if they are boys and girls. I suppose I could have gone with name like Pat, but I didn't. Lol

We had 20 neons in our old tank and all 20 of them were names Phil lol

okay, okay, i really do believe you. i just assumed you were a lot younger than the dwarf, you know, with the beard and romantic clothes and all. RipVanSneezykinns has a cute ring to it. pretty please, will you forgive me? what i'm really, really hoping is that we'll be able to celebrate your sneeze with you on YouTube. it's as if YouTube and your special sneeze were made for each other, don't you think? "isneezespecial" would have worked just as well. come now. you know you want to. ::shaking pepper, shaking pepper:: ::brushing nose with feather, brushing nose with feather:: ::rubbing cat under nose, rubbing cat under nose:: ::shaking pollen, shaking pollen::

Sadly, ms. smitty linny, I am much older than you think I am.

Just turned 23 last week. Oof.

And of course, I forgive you. All you have to do is send a smile.. . or breathe. Either one.

Ooh, same thing goes for the sneeze. As I said before, it's between an orgasm and a cough.

23! You're a baby, still wet behind the ears, not fully grown, reckless, dangerous, oooooh, damn, why is that a turn on? :(

Linny, you should make him your boy toy, he needs someone to teach him the finer points of being a man. Go on, you know you want to. Oh, bring a whip, handcuffs and a gag, you'll need them, he's 23, stubborn and may try to escape. ;)

Keep me posted on how it goes!

I might sound like a stalker but... what date is your birthday
I just turned 23 too :cool:

I might sound like a stalker but... what date is your birthday
I just turned 23 too :cool:

He just turned 23 lastweek. Haha!

24th of feb.

Y-o-u-T-u-b-e Sneezy! Woohoo! Come on! We can't live our entire lives without ever having known what a Pisces' sneeze that falls between an orgasm and a cough is really like. I realize that you might want to protect your privacy. What about blurring out your face or imaging in one of those nice black bars over your eyes like they do on the news? Of course, it doesn't have to be that high-tech. Technically, you could just slip on a paper bag with sneeze holes cut out of it. When you do make this video, promise you'll let me know. Lol, Alty can see it too. I mean, if that's okay with you.

I remember hearing that you're in med school (or applying to med school?). Is that true? If so, have you been able to pinpoint the possible causes of your special sneeze?

Yep. Applying to med school. Got a few interviews coming up. Closest one is...

::drum roll::

New York, next Friday, the 13th.. . ruh roh.

NY! My home turf. You know, if you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere. It's up to you, New York... New York.

I've got a lot of professors and doctors in my family, and even more through family friends. There are a lot of great universities (and hospitals) in the area.

Are you already interested in a specialized field of medicine? Or are you going to take a little time before deciding what suits you best?

By the way, don't worry about the 13th. In Italy, 13 is considered a lucky number. Ironic, but true.

orthopedic surgery. Less people dying, more money making.

13's a lucky number in Italy... perhaps I should take a little trip.. =D

Sounds like an excellent plan. I especially like the less people dying part, but they're both good. Methinks sneezy might be earning another nickname. Doc something, doctor something...

The people here call me Doc Sneezy... or Doctor McSneezy. You can call me sweetie.

... wait, sorry. Went on a tangent...

Sneezykins, you are incorrigible. :rolleyes::D

It's amazing how far off topic you guys managed to move this thread. ;)

It's amazing how far off topic you guys managed to move this thread. ;)

I was thinking the same thing! It's gone from here to there to everywhere! ;)

15 pages is pretty impressive.

How do you cope when your entire image of a person is altered within 15 minutes at the walmart bread section. I went from thinking this lady I ran into I've known for a while was one the most wonderful people I've ever met, to struggling not to vomit. She is going to be a very poor backyard breeder. She too has a Great Dane, and she is going to breed it, and her lack of information is appalling. Her lack of want for information is even more appalling.

I tried to explain things to her, but it was like talking to a brick wall. For example she was adamant that large breed puppies didn't need to stay with their mothers until they were at least 8 weeks.
"I bred schnauzer puppies before and sold them at 6 weeks and they were just fine."

She didn't know that only one shot didn't guarantee parvo immunity. She even asked if inbreeding her dog was okay! Mind you this is a dog obtained through a pet store, with no health tests to speak of. A breed of dog that already isn't known for good overall health.

*sigh* There's nothing illegal about being stupid though. There's nothing I can do but see my image of her get flushed down the toilet.

Some people just wake up and eat a bowl of stupid for breakfast Silver. It's maddening isn't it?

Lastweek, an acquaintance of mine msg'd me out of the blue, and asked if I wanted a puppy. I asked her why? She said, well we got this puppy from an ad in the paper two days ago, and my other dog doesn't like him. She said---I know you love dogs, so I just knew you would take him! Grrrrrrrr!

Of course she got him from a backyard breeder, and she didn't even know what kind of dog it was, other than it may have had black lab in it. The pup was 10 weeks old, hadn't had any shots, or even been to the vet yet of course.

I told her that she needed to get him into the vet, and give it more than 2 flippin days for her other poor dog to get used to him. She said,---"nope, he's gotta go!---my dog never liked other dogs anyway, and my dog comes first!"

Well, I just about hit the roof, I was so furious! Why buy a puppy from a backyard breeder, that has none of his shots, and bring him home to your "special dog" that hates other dogs? (according to her)---Dumba$$!

She knew that I have torn ligaments in my leg right now, and couldn't possibly take in a pup! Nor would I put Niki at risk.

The pup was dropped off at the shelter, 2 hrs. after our conversation, and she was so proud of herself, because she said she was being responsible by not "selling" it to someone else! She was also very annoyed that the shelter charged her $20 to drop him off. How dare they!

I'm still fuming!

I never understood, why people do this...
And 20$ for a shelter fee is very cheap. I mean at least at the shelter he will be loved and well taken care of. It's a good thing he is a puppy as he will have better odds of being adopted.

But like you said if she knew her dogs didn't like others then why would she get another puppy?? And to try and put the responsibility on you is crazy.

People need to start taking responsibility for their actions. And need to think about the dogs not only themselves.

Giftiana

Giftiana

Huh?

I never understood, why people do this....
And 20$ for a shelter fee is very cheap. I mean at least at the shelter he will be loved and well taken care of. It's a good thing he is a puppy as he will have better odds of being addopted.

But like you said if she knew her dogs didn't like others then why would she get another puppy??? And to try and put the responsability on you is crazy.

People need to start taking responsability for their actions. And need to think about the dogs not only themselves.

I kind of disagree with that... I don't know what shelters are like where you are from but in Aus the dogs are only there for a few weeks before they are put down. It probably would have been better if she had resold the puppy in case the shelter can't find a home for it.

I kinda disagree with that... I don't know what shelters are like where you are from but in Aus the dogs are only there for a few weeks before they are put down. It probably would have been better if she had resold the puppy in case the shelter can't find a home for it.

The puppy shouldn't have been SOLD to begin with! This is the reason that people are working so hard to fight to have backyard breeding banned, and punishable by law! We are also working to have all of the shelters be no-kill shelters. I know they also have no-kill shelters in Aus. as we have many here. I think she got off incredibly easy having to pay the mere $20 that she had to pay to drop this poor dog off with someone that would make sure it got veterinary care, and was neutered, and had up to date shots before he is able to leave the shelter. The dog had a much better chance in a shelter. Anyone that would buy a dog from the newspaper, is likely as ignorant as the person who bred their dog to begin with, to have this litter of pups. The dog would almost certainly not get vet care, and would not be neutered. In fact, that little un-neutered pup would have likely grown up to sire more litters, and then we've got thousands of other dogs that end up in the shelters once all is said and done, just from that one pup that wasn't neutered.

My fiancé bought me a puppy last Valentines day. Granted we live together and are getting married in less then 10 weeks now, but that is beside the point. Marley was the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. We had to put our family dog down a couple months prior and I was heartbroken. My fiancé knew we were moving in together once our home was finished being built in March, and he also knew how sad I was without a dog. Going nearly 3/4ths of my life with a companion and then all of the sudden not have anything was miserable. So on valentines of '07, I received the dog of my dreams... a chihuahua! He was from a breeder, and in perfect health. Sometimes getting a pet as a gift is the best thing for a broken heart.

My fiancé bought me a puppy last Valentines day. Granted we live together and are getting married in less then 10 weeks now, but that is beside the point. Marley was the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. We had to put our family dog down a couple months prior and I was heartbroken. My fiancé knew we were moving in together once our home was finished being built in March, and he also knew how sad I was without a dog. Going nearly 3/4ths of my life with a companion and then all of the sudden not have anything was miserable. So on valentines of '07, I received the dog of my dreams... a chihuahua! He was from a breeder, and in perfect health. Sometimes getting a pet as a gift is the best thing for a broken heart.

Yes, there is no better healer in the world then a furry friend! They are there when no on else is, they listen when no one else cares, and they never judge you. Yours is a warm story, however keep in mind that most aren't! While your relationship remained stable and strong, very few do and the dog ends up paying for it.

Yes, there is no better healer in the world then a furry friend! They are there when no on else is, they listen when no one else cares, and they never judge you. Yours is a warm story, however keep in mind that most aren't! While your relationship remained stable and strong, very few do and the dog ends up paying for it.

That's exactly the thing. In this situation, it may have worked out fine. In most it doesn't turn out like this. A dog is just never a good thing to give as a gift. I'm glad that this situation worked out well, and I hope it was gotten from a licensed and reputable breeder. This is all too often done on a whim, thinking it's a cute thing to do, while the two end up breaking up in the end, and the dog is left behind. It's very sad... but true!

My fiancé checked out the breeder and qualifications long before he even purchased my little man.

The pup was dropped off at the shelter, 2 hrs. after our conversation, and she was so proud of herself, because she said she was being responsible by not "selling" it to someone else! She was also very annoyed that the shelter charged her $20 to drop him off. How dare they!

I think stupid is the most widespread epidemic in the world, effecting not only us but every single living thing through us!

This is outrageous! No one should ever feel proud that they put an animal in the shelter, especially since they only have it because they were being stupid, and too impatient to even let the puppy and dog adjust.

My fiance checked out the breeder and qualifications long before he even purchased my little man.

That's great. I wish that were the norm! Unfortunately in most cases, it's not. Good luck with your pup! :)

I think stupid is the most widespread epidemic in the world, effecting not only us but every single living thing through us!

This is outrageous! No one should ever feel proud that they put an animal in the shelter, especially since they only have it because they were being stupid, and too impatient to even let the puppy and dog adjust.

I was incensed! I could barely contain myself. If I didn't have torn ligaments in my leg, I would have been at her door, and quite likely have had the cops show up. I needed to call Alty to try and calm me down. That's how furious I was with this sorry excuse for a human being! :mad:

Originally Posted by KARIEMELIA View Post
My fiancé checked out the breeder and qualifications long before he even purchased my little man.

Good man! ;) Your chi does look like a cutey! I don't think I could have a chihuahua because of the way my dogs play. They get rough and tumble with each other and with a tiny dog one playful pounce could really hurt the little thing. I admit I am pretty fond of the long haired ones though! Don't see them much around here.

Heck, once upon a time, (a few weeks ago), I thought we were going to have to remain a one cat home until the day god called Hefty back because he didn't like other cats but with some wonderful encouragement from Akoue we adopted not one but now two kittens (we got one and my conscious screamed until I went back for the brother), and everything has worked out fine! Yeah it took Hefty 3 days at first to accept it fully, but as I sit and type with Olly and Putty sleeping in my lap/considering eating my typing fingers, and Hefty sitting in the window sill behind me batting me on the head through the curtains, I couldn't be happier!

Heck, once upon a time, (a few weeks ago), I thought we were going to have to remain a one cat home until the day god called Hefty back because he didn't like other cats but with some wonderful encouragement from Akoue we adopted not one but now two kittens (we got one and my conscious screamed until I went back for the brother), and everything has worked out fine! Yeah it took Hefty 3 days at first to accept it fully, but as I sit and type with Olly and Putty sleeping in my lap/considering eating my typing fingers, and Hefty sitting in the window sill behind me batting me on the head through the curtains, I couldn't be happier!

I'm so happy the new kitty fit in Silver! Akoue loves his "kids", and is very knowledgeable when it comes to both kitties and pups! He takes very good care of the kitto's, and his Rosie girl. :D

Aw, kitties, Silver, post a pic!

Starby, I'm still mad about your friend and her stupidity, I wish I could grab her and drop her off at a shelter. :(

I wish I could post pic, but my digital camera stopped working. :( I've taken tons of them with my phone though, if there was any way to transfer them from phone to computer...

If there is I don't know it Silver, I'm still shocked I got on this site without a glitch. ;)

I wish I could post pic, but my digital camera stopped working. :( I've taken tons of them with my phone though, if there was any way to transfer them from phone to computer...

There is a way to do it. My sister took pics of Nikkers when we brought her home from the shelter on her phone, and she sent them to me from her computer. I'm not exactly sure how she did it though. I could ask her the next time I talk to her. ;)

I've had a couple of hilarious episodes this week with the babies.

First Putty was drinking from the large dog water bowl on the floor and Olly decided he wanted to pounce his brother. He crouched and mustered up all the power his tiny body could and lept... overestimating the jump and sailing right over Putty's head to land in the bowl with a splash.

Then just the other day I looked up to see Putty exploring the seat of the master bath. Toilet when Hefty trotted up, stood on his back legs, extended one paw and pushed him *splash* right into the toilet.

I've had a couple of hilarious episodes this week with the babies.

First Putty was drinking from the large dog water bowl on the floor and Olly decided he wanted to pounce his brother. He crouched and mustered up all the power his tiny body could and lept....overestimating the jump and sailing right over Putty's head to land in the bowl with a splash.

Then just the other day I looked up to see Putty exploring the seat of the master bath. toilet when Hefty trotted up, stood on his back legs, extended one paw and pushed him *splash* right into the toilet.

It could be a lot worse. One of my guys jumped into the toilet... um... pre-flush! It was within the first week and he was tiny and clueless. I was lowering the lid and he just leaped right in. And that's a splash no one wants to hear. So he got a really, REALLY, thorough bath. Funny, but he hasn't done it since. Wonder why that could be.

When we first adopted Hefty one of his favorite places to sleep was in the master bathtub, who knows why? One day I had run myself a nice bath and went to the laundryroom to grab a towel before I bathed and as I opened the door I heard an enormous splash and saw a soaked Hefty dashing past me looking like a half drowned rat. He stopped sleeping in the tub after that.

LMAO, poor Hefty!

When I was younger (before I married and had kids) we had cats. My favorite was Whiskers, he was born to the neighbours cat, I was there when he was born, I chose him right away, ran home and told my mom about the kitten that was mine. We got him for a pair of my old boots and skates (their daughter was 2 years younger than me). I loved that cat, still miss him.

He followed me everywhere, to the point where I don't have a decent picture because he was always directly behind me.

I remember the day that my mom decided to give him a bath. He had gotten into something, smelled horrible and my mom really didn't know that cats and water don't mix well.

She ran the tub, grabbed Whiskers, put him in and was thouroughly scratched, bitten, you name it.

When my dad came home he found a very angry wet cat under the couch and my mom at the kitchen table dressing her wounds. He started laughing.

My mom pointed her finger at him "not one word, Alty already told me it was a bad idea".

We bought cat wipes after that. :)

Now I live in a home where 3/4's of the people are allergic. I miss having cats, but I make up for it with my other fur babies. After all,
3 dogs, 4 rabbits a bird and the fish from hell, I can't handle anymore, I'm running out of room.

LMAO, poor Hefty!

When I was younger (before I married and had kids) we had cats. My favorite was Whiskers, he was born to the neighbours cat, I was there when he was born, I chose him right away, ran home and told my mom about the kitten that was mine. We got him for a pair of my old boots and skates (their daughter was 2 years younger than me). I loved that cat, still miss him.

He followed me everywhere, to the point where I don't have a decent picture because he was always directly behind me.

I remember the day that my mom decided to give him a bath. He had gotten into something, smelled horrible and my mom really didn't know that cats and water don't mix well.

She ran the tub, grabbed Whiskers, put him in and was thouroughly scratched, bitten, you name it.

When my dad came home he found a very angry wet cat under the couch and my mom at the kitchen table dressing her wounds. He started laughing.

My mom pointed her finger at him "not one word, Alty already told me it was a bad idea".

We bought cat wipes after that. :)

Now I live in a home where 3/4's of the people are allergic. I miss having cats, but I make up for it with my other fur babies. After all,
3 dogs, 4 rabbits a bird and the fish from hell, I can't handle anymore, I'm running out of room.

What about Maine Coons? It's my understanding that most people with cat allergies do just fine with a Maine Coon.

What about Maine Coons? It's my understanding that most people with cat allergies do just fine with a Maine Coon.

Never heard of them. Are they the hairless cats? A cat without hair is just sad. ;)

I'll look into them, but even if they are okay for people with allergies, they probably wouldn't be widely accepted by my dogs. Indy wouldn't care, but Jasper, the border collie, he might not do so well. Chewy is still young enough to learn, but oh what an adventure it would be. ;)

Also, I doubt they have many of this breed in the shelter.

Speaking of which, would you guys like to see my shelter picks of the day?

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Binks, 4 year old domestic longhair, M, Binks was a stray. He became a picky eater in the shelter, likely because of the stress of being here. He is eating canned fancy feast and some other brands of seafood canned cat foods. The new adopter is going to have to continue offering canned foods initially and monitoring his appetite.

Binks seems to be a really friendly cat. He is ready to settle down and try out the indoor life!

Binks requires regular brushing.

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Gretchen, female angora, Gretchen is a wonderful bunny who is easy to handle, carry around and play with. She loves to hang out and loves company!

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Pepper, 3 year old Shihtzu, Pepper is social and sweet, and is well suited in a home with children of any age.
All family members must attend adoption process to ensure best adoption match.

These are three of the animals available for adoption at the Edmonton Humane society right now. Any takers? Come on, you know you wanna! :D

Never heard of them. Are they the hairless cats? A cat without hair is just sad. ;)

I'll look into them, but even if they are okay for people with allergies, they probably wouldn't be widely accepted by my dogs. Indy wouldn't care, but Jasper, the border collie, he might not do so well. Chewy is still young enough to learn, but oh what an adventure it would be. ;)

Also, I doubt they have many of this breed in the shelter.

Speaking of which, would you guys like to see my shelter picks of the day?

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Binks, 4 year old domestic longhair, M, Binks was a stray. He became a picky eater in the shelter, likely because of the stress of being here. He is eating canned fancy feast and some other brands of seafood canned cat foods. The new adopter is going to have to continue offering canned foods initially and monitoring his appetite.

Binks seems to be a really friendly cat. He is ready to settle down and try out the indoor life!

Binks requires regular brushing.

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Gretchen, female angora, Gretchen is a wonderful bunny who is easy to handle, carry around and play with. She loves to hang out and loves company!

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Pepper, 3 year old Shihtzu, Pepper is social and sweet, and is well suited in a home with children of any age.
All family members must attend adoption process to ensure best adoption match.

These are three of the animals available for adoption at the Edmonton Humane society right now. Any takers? Come on, you know you wanna! :D

Check them out. They're big and gorgeous. Oh, and very hairy, with fluffy manes. One of my guys is a Maine Coon. He was a stray and his brother (litter mate) got run over before I could take him in too. I have seen them at shelters (they've become more popular recently, which means more are being bred and so more are ending up on the streets and in shelters, alas). They are also about the most mild-mannered cats you could imagine: Great with kids, dogs, other cats. If your local shelter doesn't have one, I'm sure we could find one that does. And we will, oh, we will!

Just something to think about.

Oh goodness! Gretchen is such a cutie! It's hard to believe a doll like that would even need a home! I don't see how anyone could give something like her up.

Akoue dear, I'll think about it. :)

Silver, she'd be here already if I could talk hubby into it. But, she's young, I usually adopt older rabbits, they're harder to find homes for, Gretchen likely won't be there for long.

Gretchen reminds me a bit of Cotton, our lionhead bunny. Too cute, as are the others.

Oh, if only I had a huge farm, they be out of animals at the shelter, I'd adopt them all! :)

Akoue dear, I'll think about it. :)


Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!! Can we get one? Can we get one?

It's going to be really hard not to be a total pain in the a$$ about this now. If only I could figure out how to send pictures. You have one of a Maine Coon (probably my Maine Coon) in your inbox every day until you break.

I've never really been into specific cat breeds. The only ones I ever really see in person are Persians or Siamese cats, but usually its just good old fashion mixes. I do however hope to one day get a Scottish Fold.

I've never really been into specific cat breeds. The only ones I ever really see in person are Persians or Siamese cats, but usually its just good old fashion mixes. I do however hope to one day get a Scottish Fold.

I'm with you. I don't like pure-bred anything. Too much inbreeding going on. We need more outbreeding (as I saw asking put it once). But for people with allergies, it is good that there are hypo-allergenic breeds out there. I like taking in strays. One of them showed up looking just so weird. It turns out that he was starving and his hair was falling out. Once I got him in and well-fed, he turned out to be magnificent. He looks like a small saber-tooth. I'm happy with whoever shows up at my door in the middle of the night.

More out-breeding and less all at the same time! Cats have no trouble out-breeding on their own if they're allowed to. People just seem to care less about spaying and neutering cats, and sadly less about adopting them to.

More out-breeding and less all at the same time! Cats have no trouble out-breeding on their own if they're allowed to. People just seem to care less about spaying and neutering cats, and sadly less about adopting them to.

Silver, a friend and I started a group on Facebook. We are raising money in our community to get both dogs and cats spayed and neutered. We have raised money to get several dogs and cats fixed. We are trying to think of more idea's to raise money to get it done. There are so many people that want to be responsible, but they just can't afford it. I came up with an idea for a "walk with your pet" fundraiser. I wouldn't be able to participate right now in the actual walk, but I can do my part in other ways. Just something for others to think about, if they want to start a group in their own area. :)

... and it gets people out to walk their pets too! :D

The local Humane Society here has to operate differently then most, they do not have an actual building, but they mainly work through the animal shelter and through individual volunteer's homes.

Since they started with the $50 off vouchers for spaying and neutering pets, and since the shelter's adoption fee is only $10, and it only costs about 60 for the surgery, it has helped a lot with the adoption rate. Perhaps your group could find a similar way to do things. Just a thought.

Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!! Can we get one?! Can we get one?!

It's going to be really hard not to be a total pain in the a$$ about this now. If only I could figure out how to send pictures. You have one of a Maine Coon (probably my Maine Coon) in your inbox every day until you break.

You're worse then my kids! Bad boy! :D

Just fyi, it doesn't take much to make me give in when it comes to an animal. Great, now I've given him the keys to the castle, he knows I'm weak. Sigh, should I just give in now and save myself the trouble? ;)

Our shelter used to give vouchers too. But they found that many people weren't using them at all. So now they have changed it to where no dog or cat leaves their facility without being spayed or neutered. It costs a little more to adopt, but the cost of having them fixed, and being up to date on shots and vet check-ups, save them the money doing it themselves anyway.

Here the surgery is can be $150 to $200 plus dollars. It's insane to have to pay that much. I'm not happy with the ridiculous prices that these so-called animal loving, vets charge. It's not a shock that well meaning people have got pets that are not spayed or neutered.

Good idea though. I just don't how we would be able to control if the vouchers were actually used.

Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!! Can we get one?! Can we get one?!

It's going to be really hard not to be a total pain in the a$$ about this now. If only I could figure out how to send pictures. You have one of a Maine Coon (probably my Maine Coon) in your inbox every day until you break.

Who's going to pay for Alty's ZOO LICENSE? Hahahaha!

Okay, I looked up "maine coone" on Google and this is what I found.

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That's not a cat, that's a tiger! Those cats could eat Indy, forget about poor Chewy, he'd be toast. What about the bunny's?

Um, I may have to put my foot down on this one. :confused:

Some vets are just better priced then others. I think a lot of it has to do with location to. When we had found that puppy on the roadside with the umbilical hernia it had only cost 100 and some change for the repair surgery and the spay, which he did at the same time even though the puppy was much younger then the norm spay age. It would have been too hazardous to open her up again in the future for another spay, and since she was already having surgery he combined the two.

WOW! Those are some HUGE cats!! My goodness, and I thought Hefty was a big boy!

Okay, I looked up "maine coone" on google and this is what I found.

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That's not a cat, that's a tiger! Those cats could eat Indy, forget about poor Chewy, he'd be toast. What about the bunny's?

Um, I may have to put my foot down on this one. :confused:

They aren't all that big. My guy is just over fourteen pounds.

Keep in mind that their fur grows in a way that makes them look substantially bigger than they are. But yes, some are enormous. But lots aren't. Females are of course smaller than males.

And they are the most gentle and compliant cats I've ever met as a breed. You don't have to get a monster. But if you get a big one, the dogs might think it's cool. Dogs love my Maine Coon. And he loves dogs and other cats.

Who's going to pay for Alty's ZOO LICENSE?? Hahahaha!!

Whose side are you on, anyway? C'mon, help me talk her into this!

Darnit, now I'm back at square one, I thought I'd found a loophole.

Hubby! Sweetie! Can we get a cat? No, you won't be allergic to this one, either will the kids, I promise. PWEEEEESSSSSE! :)

This may take some persuading. Where's my whip? ;)

WOW! Those are some HUGE cats!!! My goodness, and I thought Hefty was a big boy!

I think Silver meant to say: Those are some BEAUTIFUL cats!! My goodness, and I thought Hefty was a handsome boy!

Really, Alty, they're amazing cats. And you can find them ranging from ten pounds and up.

Akoue dear, my heaviest bunny is under 4 pounds and you want me to bring a cat that may or may not weigh under 10 pounds into the house? Can you see this ending well? I can't. ;)

Poo, I'm tempted. I love cats, heck, I love all animals, I'd adopt a tarantula if hubby would let me, but don't I have enough? Don't I? Tell me the truth. This is my household right now.

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There's more.

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Wow, Chewy came out big, didn't he? EEK!

Wow, Chewy came out big, didn't he? EEK!

Yeah, Chewy's big head! Kind of like my BIG head in pics of our members when you posted it a few weeks ago! :eek::p

Starby, beggars can't be choosers. :)

Starby, beggars can't be choosers. :)

Okay... okay..! :o Starby bows down to picture poster. :p

Well, Alty, I think you have a beautiful family. And my guess is that it isn't lacking in any way.

But now I'm going to play really dirty: Isn't there a cat in a steel cage that needs a home? That needs to be part of a family and loved and treated better than many adopted cats end up being treated? Would a bif thumping kitty heart add something to the love that already binds your family together?

I could go on, but now I really am starting to feel like a jerk. I'll stop pushing. But if you do decide to look into Maine Coons let me know. I've been living with one for a little over eight years, so I can offer a little insight.

Okay, one last try: Pleeeaaase!

I'm good. It's out of my system.

Oy, I feel guilt, going to go to shelter, feeling guilt. Bad Akoue, bad boy.

YBABBNGTMR! :)

Got to run kids.

Later.

What lovely babies! The black and white dog in the first pic look like one of my aunts recently departed dogs, and could Chewy be any cuter? We nearly had a heart attack today when a beagle following its nose, oblivious to anything but whatever smell it was after tracked right across a busy highway, we were able to slow down enough to miss it thankfully, and I really hope it didn't go back on the road. That wasn't a spot where you could stop and turn around, and it had a collar so it couldn't have been far from home.

What lovely babies! The black and white dog in the first pic look like one of my aunts recently departed dogs, and could Chewy be any cuter?! We nearly had a heart attack today when a beagle following its nose, oblivious to anything but whatever smell it was after tracked right across a busy highway, we were able to slow down enough to miss it thankfully, and I really hope it didn't go back on the road. That wasn't a spot where you could stop and turn around, and it had a collar so it couldn't have been far from home.

Poor little guy. I hope he/she made it home safe and sound.

http://www.postsmile.com/img/dogs/57.gif (http://www.postsmile.com/)

I don't know what happened... I meant to post this, after I wrote my last post! ;)


http://www.postsmile.com/img/dogs/57.gif (http://www.postsmile.com/)

... my computer is screwing up!

I still don't see how Snoopy from the Peanuts is a beagle. Kind of off topic, but then again this thread hasn't been on topic for what, 10-15 pages?

Good man! ;) Your chi does look like a cutey! I don't think I could have a chihuahua becuase of the way my dogs play. They get rough and tumble with each other and with a tiny dog one playful pounce could really hurt the little thing. I admit I am pretty fond of the long haired ones though! Don't see them much around here.

Sorry, I didn't back on yesterday. Yeah I am so afraid when we take Marley for a walk because we live by big dogs. I am overprotective of him... my fiancé hates it, but he is so tiny that he is like a treat to them.

Sorry, I didn't back on yesterday. Yeah I am so afraid when we take Marley for a walk because we live by big dogs. I am overprotective of him... my fiancé hates it, but he is so tiny that he is like a treat to them.

Its better to be safe then sorry! When my husband was working on one ladies air conditioner she told him about her chi's near death experience. She was walking her dog when a hawk swooped down and snatched him up. Then began the struggle because the dog was leashed. The lady held on with all of her worth until the large bird gave up on its prize. Even still the chi had to be rushed to the vet for serious wounds from those talons. The dog survived, but only because it was on a leash.

Its better to be safe then sorry! When my husband was working on one ladies air conditioner she told him about her chi's near death experience. She was walking her dog when a hawk swooped down and snatched him up. Then began the struggle becuase the dog was leashed. The lady held on with all of her worth until the large bird gave up on its prize. Even still the chi had to be rushed to the vet for serious wounds from those talons. The dog survived, but only becuase it was on a leash.

Now I am going to be even more over protective of him!!

Now don't get me wrong, danger isn't at every turn. If you get yourself too tense your dog will pick up on it and he too will get tense. The best thing to do is just be wary of your surrounding without freaking the little guy out. If you live in a more urbanized area then it is much less likely for a bird of prey to eye your pup.

I know. We live in an area that was just built. We have our townhome section, family home second, and condo section. We are right next to cornfields and everything else!!

Well guys, I have terrible news. :( Remember that beagle we saw sniffing across the road a short while back? I had been keeping an eye out for him since then, but I hadn't seen him-until today. He was hit and killed right by where I saw him last. It makes me so sad and furious, at his owners for consistently letting their dog get out near a busy highway, at myself even. Maybe if I had done something more the last time I saw him. I just don't know. He didn't deserve that. No dog does.

Awwww, that's so sad! I wonder who these moronic owners were? They had to have known that the dog would get hit sooner or later. Poor little guy. :(

How about Fluffles?
x]

How about Fluffles?
x]

Kati Katt, will you PLEASE read back before answering questions here please!! The dog was named Bela a month ago! For crying out loud, how many times do we have to tell people. This should be a very simple thing to do! :rolleyes:

Ana call your puppy "BEAUTY"...

Beauty as in the beauty of the relation that you share with Danny...

Beauty as in the beautiful, living friend that you are going to gift him...

I am sure he'l like her...

All the Best dear...

Ana call ur puppy "BEAUTY".....

beauty as in the beauty of the relation that u share with Danny....

beauty as in the beautiful, living friend that u r gonna gift him.......

I am sure he'l like her...

All the Best dear.....

Holy Mother of God! Do you people NOT READ?? Did you even read the answer above yours? Can you read? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

THE DOGS NAME IS BELA!!

I would also like to add, as stated over 200 posts ago, that it is NEVER a good idea to get a puppy as a gift!

Sorry...
Did not read because the page did not load properly...

I can read

Only my browser played some mischief with me...

M really so very sorry

Nice Name Bela...

Sorry once again

Sorry......
Did not read because the page did not load properly.......

I can read

Only my browser played some mischief with me.........

M really so very sorry

Nice Name Bela....

Sorry once again

That's okay. It was just that within minutes, I saw two people do the same thing. Don't worry. Guess I lost my temper a little. :)

Comments on this post
Akoue agrees: Starby, do you need a hug?

All hugs, all day, all the time! The 24 hr. a day hug network! LOL! Thanks Akoue.

http://www.postsmile.com/img/animals/47.gif (http://www.postsmile.com/)

If it has brown eyes- name him BROWN EYES!
I have a kitty witch hazel-green eyes and I wanted to name her that but I could not.

What the holy heck is going on here tonight? Have I missed something? Seriously... is this a practical joke? Is this an early April Fools Day joke? Are we being punk'd This is getting absurd!

Luscious Leo! READ ABOVE... AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!

THE DARN DOGS NAME IS... B E L A! She was named over a month ago! 2 people tonight right before you have been trying to re-name Ana's dog! It has a name! For all who missed it... again... her name is BELA!

One more time! Please read other answers before answering questions here PLEASE!

Name her wuzzy!

Name her wuzzy!!

Okay! Now seriously! Are you kidding me?? Is this some kind of bad dream?

BELA BELA BELA!!!!!!! THE DOGS NAME IS BELA!! Geeeeezzzzz people! JennyJane... look UP!!