Hey everybody. (I'm so sorry this post is so long)
So for those who don't know, yesterday we had to give up Cthulhu. He had attacked a neighbors dog, and the owner freaked and went to our apartment's office. The management (sadly, within their rights) gave us 24 hours to remove the dog.
That's the sad part. The good news that we found Cthulhu a new home, with a nice family. He'll have 4 kids, a mom, and a dad to play with; a yard to run in, and I think he'll do just fine.
So, Erin and I are very upset with both the management and our neighbor, but we have decided to move on and just get a new dog. Neither of us is happy without a dog in the apartment, and it's very difficult to wake up and realize that you don't need to take anyone out to go potty.
Here's where I need some help. We've already decided that we are absolutely getting a puppy. Nothing older than 6 months. We also agreed that we want a bigger dog (yes, partially because we want our neighbor to be scared of our next dog.) So right now we're looking pretty hard at Rotties and GSDs. We were thinking maybe a Staffy, but neither of us has the natural "alpha" personality needed for one.
Here's the problem. Erin and I both have moderate allergies to dog dander. We also have a strong dislike for pet hair. That's why we got rid of our cats, and that's why we got a dog that almost never sheds. But there are so few hypoallergenic dogs that match the size we want, we've decided to sacrifice. They make pills for allergies after all.
Finally, my question. For those of you who own dogs in hotter climates (think Texas hot), how much do your dogs shed? I'm perfectly fine with brushing once a day. But if my dog is still going to shed a ton, then I need to factor that in. My thinking is that since Texas seasons don't change drastically, or even all that much, the dog probably won't need to shed it's normal twice a year. Also, the dog will be kept well groomed, and even a GSD will likely have a shorter coat than normal.
Again, sorry this was so long. It was a combination of needing help and getting things off my chest. Thank you all so much for having some sympathy when I lost Cthulhu, I appreciate it.
So for those who don't know, yesterday we had to give up Cthulhu. He had attacked a neighbors dog, and the owner freaked and went to our apartment's office. The management (sadly, within their rights) gave us 24 hours to remove the dog.
That's the sad part. The good news that we found Cthulhu a new home, with a nice family. He'll have 4 kids, a mom, and a dad to play with; a yard to run in, and I think he'll do just fine.
So, Erin and I are very upset with both the management and our neighbor, but we have decided to move on and just get a new dog. Neither of us is happy without a dog in the apartment, and it's very difficult to wake up and realize that you don't need to take anyone out to go potty.
Here's where I need some help. We've already decided that we are absolutely getting a puppy. Nothing older than 6 months. We also agreed that we want a bigger dog (yes, partially because we want our neighbor to be scared of our next dog.) So right now we're looking pretty hard at Rotties and GSDs. We were thinking maybe a Staffy, but neither of us has the natural "alpha" personality needed for one.
Here's the problem. Erin and I both have moderate allergies to dog dander. We also have a strong dislike for pet hair. That's why we got rid of our cats, and that's why we got a dog that almost never sheds. But there are so few hypoallergenic dogs that match the size we want, we've decided to sacrifice. They make pills for allergies after all.
Finally, my question. For those of you who own dogs in hotter climates (think Texas hot), how much do your dogs shed? I'm perfectly fine with brushing once a day. But if my dog is still going to shed a ton, then I need to factor that in. My thinking is that since Texas seasons don't change drastically, or even all that much, the dog probably won't need to shed it's normal twice a year. Also, the dog will be kept well groomed, and even a GSD will likely have a shorter coat than normal.
Again, sorry this was so long. It was a combination of needing help and getting things off my chest. Thank you all so much for having some sympathy when I lost Cthulhu, I appreciate it.