Would you Pick Your Dog All Over Again?

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#1
I had that question posed to me about Gambit by a coworker the other day. Had I known everything that I know about him now, the issues he has and will have for the rest of his life (barring a miracle, and come on, we're due one ;) ), would I have still taken him.

I won't lie, it required thought. I chose him specifically because I wanted a dog to dabble in agility with, and based on what the shelter told me (90% lies with a bit of sugar coating on top) he had great potential as far as being very handler oriented and easily picking up new commands. I'm not sure how they determined this, considering that they hadn't even bothered to leash train him, much less anything else, but oh, well. He'll never be the agility competitor I wanted, which is sad, because he would kick ass at it if he didn't have his fear issues.

But, yes, I would choose Gambit again. I would try to get him sooner, get him to a behaviorist sooner, and definitely put him on meds sooner, but I would have seriously missed out without having my coyboy.

What about everyone else? I know that we all love our dogs, but would you pick them again? What about those who are unintentionally living in crate and rotate, or have dogs with severe health or temperment problems?

I would have taken Argon again, but I always felt that I would have been able to place Argon in a different home, if the perfect one had shown up. I loved him, and I was happy to keep him, but I felt like there was a better match for him out there.
 

SaraB

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#2
The girls turned out exactly as I hoped they would, so of course I would choose them again.

Classic is a good example of this though. Would I have bought him knowing that he wouldn't ever be the show dog I wanted him to be? Knowing that we could never trial in agility? Knowing that I would have to drastically change my lifestyle to ensure the safety of my friends/family? Knowing that one day I would have to make the horrible decision to euthanize him for an injury caused by his issues? Of course I would. I learned so much from him, my life was completely altered by having him in my life. Some of the lessons were difficult to bear at the time, others were enlightening. I wouldn't change any of those experiences for anything.
 

Toller_08

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#3
You know, if I'd known then what I know now, I might have tried declining Keira. Might have. Not that it would have been my choice. But my reason being is simply because she ended up becoming 98% my responsibility as she's a terrible match for my mom, for whom she was intended. Or at least she was intended as more of a family dog. But she nearly feels like mine, because literally she is awful to live with if my mom is the one to be responsible for her. So in some ways it's kind of frustrating. For one thing, my mom doesn't have a dog that she can do whatever with, and for another, while Keira is an easy dog for me in most ways because I know how to manage and live with her, she's not really my type of dog, so I never would have chosen her for myself.

With that said though, I adore the dog Keira grew up to be most days. While she may be frustrating when other people are home, when it's just me and the four dogs or just me and Keira, she's wonderful. And she's taught me a lot about how to deal with a certain type of temperament and made me a better dog owner in that way, and she's taught my mom not to just say yes to a dog because it's pretty haha. The smart thing for my mom would have been for the family not to take Keira, though. But now that she's here, I can't imagine her with anyone else. She's stuck with us and we're stuck with her for the rest of her life. And I say that with a lot of love haha. Truly she's a wonderful dog, but her energy is just too frantic and pushy and anxious for the person she was intended for.

As for my other dogs, I definitely would have still taken any of them. Ripley didn't quite grow into the dog I was hoping he would be, but he's the sweetest dog in the world and is a lot of fun. Rarely do you ever get just the dog you hoped for. And Dance, for as much of a weirdo as she is and how I wish she wasn't and that she could just be a 'normal' dog, I can't picture life without her. She's so important to me. She's hilarious, brings so much joy to us all, thinks the world of me in her own little way, etc. Quirks and all, we all love her immensely. Lately I've been thinking that, regardless of quirks, no Toller could ever possibly even come close to living up to Dance. She's my world. And if I'd gotten a 'normal' Toller instead of Dance, regardless of the awfulness of missing out on a dog like Dance, I wouldn't have Journey right now either, and that would be horrible. And Journey, no way I would ever dream of saying no to her. She's just a puppy, but so far she honestly is the dog of my dreams, no matter how cheesy that sounds. It's true. If I made a checklist of all the things that would've made my future dog perfect, Journey would hit all the marks and then some. I feel very lucky to have her and feel like she's going to be one of those 'once in a lifetime' dogs. She already is. It would have been the stupidest decision of my life to decline her. And I'll be forever grateful that I hit the 'send' button the day I had a whim to e-mail her breeder.

When it comes right down to it, all of my dogs, be they necessarily ideal for us or not, have all been influential in shaping the dog owner I am today. They each bring something new to the table, and they each have taught me something be it about patience, training, how to live with a certain personality without getting frustrated about it, etc. Even Keira's 'maybe' is a very slim maybe, because she's helped make me a better dog owner. And if we hadn't taken her, there also would have been a lot of good that we'd have missed out on.
 

JessLough

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#4
Absolutely. I didn't even choose Rosey, but she's just perfect for me. She can frustrate me to no end, but she's mine, and everybody knows it.
 

milos_mommy

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#5
My initial reaction, honestly, was "No way".

But, the truth is, after a minute thinking about it, of course.

He is not the dog I wanted. Not even close. Every day I worry that he'll need to be put down because of his temperament issues. We do crate and rotate unexpectedly. He will never interact or have a relationship with my child. If he wasn't a family dog and he was just "my" dog, I would have put him down a long time ago...I couldn't safely handle him without help, or in an apartment, or in a city.

I wouldn't give up how much he changed my life, saved my life, bettered my life, for any "perfect" dog. For all of his problematic traits, he has some quality that makes up for it. I've worked with A LOT of dogs, and I can honestly say I've never met another one who's as smart as he is, or as incredibly, fully, sickeningly devoted as he is. I'm not confident I ever will.
 

Baxter'smybaby

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#6
Traveler-absolutely, no doubt, don't even have to think about that--I miss her every day and wish I could have her back--what a great dog she was.

Baxter--absolutely--he is my little buddy, easy going dog and he really filled a need for me when I was going through a rough time, so I feel very bonded to him as MY dog--can't imagine not having him.

Wilson--he has been a challenge in different ways--he is a protective dog, and he is a reactive to other dogs beyond those he lives with. It took some figuring out how to work with him and/or manage some issues--but man I love this dog. So would I take him again--yep, hands down.
 

OwnedByBCs

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#7
Hard question. I have had a lot of dogs who I had hoped would be one thing, and they ended up another. Gyp, for example, was purchased as a show dog. He was monorchid, not structurally sound, has canine lupus and moderate slipping discs... yeah, not what we "wanted". But, he is a great dog, and was the perfect dog for a little girl growing up (I got him when I was 6). Honestly, I don't know. I love him with all my heart of course, but if I were being completely honest, he is not my type of dog and I wouldn't have picked a dog with that temperament. Its hard to say.

I bought Fiona to be my next show dog. Of course I knew she had blue eyes, so obviously that was going to make it hard. However, with that said, that dog is PERFECT. She has the most fantastic temperament, she is so talented and everything a BC should be. Realistically, it doesn't matter that she's not what I had envisioned, she is more than that. Yes, I would definitely choose her again.

Riot... oh what can I even say about Riot. LOL. She had a really bad experience as a puppy and is people reactive as a result. Although she is 100x better and is the love of my life, it is hard to deal with sometimes. Especially considering the plans for her that I had. I think she will be able to do disc dog and herding, because she is so driven for her frisbees and her sheep, but I know she will probably never be able to handle the intense pressure of the show ring. Again, this is hard, because she is my heart dog and I would definitely choose her again, but I can't deny that I wish she were different sometimes.
 

OwnedByBCs

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#8
When it comes right down to it, all of my dogs, be they necessarily ideal for us or not, have all been influential in shaping the dog owner I am today. They each bring something new to the table, and they each have taught me something be it about patience, training, how to live with a certain personality without getting frustrated about it, etc. Even Keira's 'maybe' is a very slim maybe, because she's helped make me a better dog owner. And if we hadn't taken her, there also would have been a lot of good that we'd have missed out on.
That is exactly how I feel about my dogs.
 

Lyzelle

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#10
When it comes right down to it, all of my dogs, be they necessarily ideal for us or not, have all been influential in shaping the dog owner I am today. They each bring something new to the table, and they each have taught me something be it about patience, training, how to live with a certain personality without getting frustrated about it, etc. Even Keira's 'maybe' is a very slim maybe, because she's helped make me a better dog owner. And if we hadn't taken her, there also would have been a lot of good that we'd have missed out on.
Exactly this.

If I had known then, what I know now - not just the bad, but all the good too - I would absolutely, 100% still fight to keep Zander.

But maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic like that.
 
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#12
All of my dogs, past & present, yes. definitely yes. They may not have been good examples of their breed *cough Earl cough*, but they were perfect for what we wanted/needed at that time.
 

babymomma

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#14
Even though casey (the germanshepxlab i used to take care of) wasnt my dog, I would still choose to walk to unchain her everday, and spend every waking moment with her. She was my dog. Through and through. Just because somebody else "owned her" she was still mine. I would choose all the heart break of not being able to save her from her life with her horrid owners. I would choose all the love she showed me. I would choose how much she taught me . I would choose having to go out of my way, just to make sure she got out for her daily runs again. I would do it ALL over again. God I loved that dog. If i could go back to the day before she got hit by that d@mn car and run away with her, i would. She was my dog before I was allowed to have my own and i am SO grateful that i could have her in my life before I got keely. She kept me going and prepared me for my own dog.

Oh how i miss her so :(

If I could choose to get keely again?
Of course I would. I would walk over hot coals then over shards of glass for that dog. She is my heart dog. I will never have a bond like this with any other dog. Ever. To me, she is perfection.

And the Casey of today. Well, My boyfriend already had her when i met him. She was the hyperactive, always in overdrive, silly black lab pup that liked to chew my arms. She used to drive me nuts. But , she is the dog that I Chose to take full responsibility for. She is without a doubt MY girl. She has been a learning experience in the least. She has blossomed into a wonderful adult dog. She could melt the coldest of hearts with just one stare. So yes. I would choose her. I would choose her everyday if given the choice. I love her.
 

Fran101

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#15
Romeo: This was a tough one, because for a while I was just sick with guilt over the whole thing. He was a spoiled happy dog from a great breeder that I got, and my life was shaken up and he went home to my parents and then got attacked and I felt like it was 100% my fault. That he would've been happier if I had never stumbled across him at all.
..but the whole ordeal, I look at it now and think, if not for me, I am happy that Romeo was around because of my cousin who has him.

Here was this little dog who needed constant post-op care, and this girl who had lost EVERYTHING to a natural disaster (both her parents, her grandparents, her home, her country).. and they found each other. Just like that. I was never a believer in fate or whatever, but this pair really makes me believe it. They nursed eachother back to health in so many ways and are inseparable. Even if for nothing else, I am happy to have had Romeo because he went on to find his person and fix a broken heart.

She has told me numerous times that some days it felt like her life was nothing but darkness and she went through some serious lows and she doesn't know what she would've done without Romeo there with her.

That right there is enough for me to say 100% yes, I am happy I got Romeo. Even if he didn't end up with me.

Merlin Yes. Without a single doubt in my mind, yes. Even though I haven't had him for that long.. there is nothing else I want in a dog. Nothing. If I could I would sing his breeders praises 24/7.
I look at my puppy questionnaire and the things I wrote down to "describe my perfect dog" and am amazed by how well Merlin fits.

he is exactly the dog that I wanted, actually, he is more than I could've even though to ask for lol
he is my shadow, my sunshine, my alarm clock, my fuzzbutt,cuddle buddy, smarty pants, wiggle bum..
There is not a single doubt in my mind that this dog is special and perfect for me. I would be a total idiot to say no to him.
 

PWCorgi

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#16
yes...no...yes...no...yes....no....dammit, I can't decide!!

But for reals, if someone had told me when I picked him up that he would become the monstrous being that he has....maybe. He just has so. many. issues. I often joke that he has NO redeeming qualities...other than being cute. :p

But as it stands, I love him to death, I'd never get rid of him, but there are many days where I'd like to throttle him. He has taught me SO MUCH, but he has also made so many things that much more difficult in life because of the issues he has.

So if someone had shown me a video of all the issues he was going to have when I picked him up? No, I probably wouldn't have taken him. If I ever find a rescue dog that has his same issues, HELL TO THE NO I would not sign myself up for that again and adopt him/her!
 

BostonBanker

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#17
In a heartbeat. Meg wasn't initially at all what I wanted, but she became that dog and made me into a much, much better trainer than any other dog could have.

Gusto is pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
 

Zhucca

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#18
Yep, definitely.

He's not the dog I'd hope he'd be. He's a bit low drive, has separation anxiety, and his health issues recently are really frustrating, but he's amazing. His pros outweigh any of his cons any day. He's an old soul and my best buddy.
 

JacksonsMom

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#19
I can honestly say with 10000% certainty that I would. He's really the perfect dog for me. And I got very very lucky, considering I just chose him based upon a picture out of a classifieds ad. I could've ended up with a dog that did not fit me at all. But it just so happened that he does. He's done anything I've ever wanted him to or attempted to, and he's really just an all around great dog. I just consider myself lucky!
 

Southpaw

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#20
Yes.

Honestly it has probably taken me a while to feel that way. Juno was a bit of a hellion and we clashed horribly for a while. After we had put our deposit on Juno, another buyer had backed out and so another female was available, my mom thought well maybe we'd rather have that puppy. I said no. When Juno was between the ages of about 6-18 months old.... I so badly wished we had taken that other puppy. I was convinced we had the demon spawn.

But now? Seriously, I adore this dog. And it's so cheesy and corny but I know I'm pretty much her whole world, too. Oh, she's not perfect, but neither am I. The longer she's around, the more I love her. It's just all the little things about her. The things that I take for granted, but when I'm around other dogs who don't behave the same way... I'm reminded of how spectacular Juno is. Not to mention she has taught me SOOOO much, I thought I knew lots about dogs before but turns out I knew NOTHING until Juno came into the picture.

With Happy, well everything was pretty transparent with her; what you see is what you get. She's actually better than I thought she'd be and I'd definitely pick her again in a heartbeat!
 

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