Where'd your love of dogs come from?

[Southpaw]

These are the things I think of when I'm trying to fall asleep at night.

So really, where do you get your love of dogs? Do your parents like them as well, or are you just the total opposite of them?

My mom loves dogs. I know if we had the money and space, she would totally want more dogs. She taught me that dogs (and other animals) should be treated with respect. I think she is the main reason why I am so obsessed with animals now, lol.

My dad, on the other hand, really does not like animals. He thinks dogs are the worst, but other smaller animals don't really bug him. The smaller they are, the better. He doesn't mind Molly because she is never really around him, in fact he practically showers her in treats and takes her for the super long walks that she loves. And he doesn't mind Lucy because she is small and again, never really around him. However, he really can't stand other dogs and I think he'd be a lot happier if we didn't have any.

Then there are other things about me that are very different from both of my parents--my mom shakes her head when I say that sometime in my life, I would LOVE to own a pit bull. She strongly dislikes rottweilers, though I guess that is understandable as my sister was attacked by one when she was younger. So, loving ALL dogs isn't really something I learned from my parents. I had to educate myself in that area.

Enough of my rambling--what about you?

 

[joce]

I was an only child till I was six and all I had till then was my dogs. We lived in the middle of nowere and all I did was play with the dogs all day. I have always thought of them as family probally because of that.

I was the barefoot kid being babysat by the dogs

My parents bred labs before I was born and my dad has always been on me about how to treat animals and taught me a lot about them. My mom on the other hand won't admitt she even likes dogs.

 

[SummerRiot]

My parents bred/showed and trained Shetland sheepdogs.

I never had a Play pen as a baby, I had a puppy pen! lol I was carted from show to show with them living in the puppy pen! lmao my parents used to get the funniest comments from on lookers and passer bys at the show lol

So, I grew up in a Dog Show home Its definately natural! lol

I was a handler before I was even born lol When my mom was pregnant with me she was in the show ring with the dogs lol

when my sister rolled around, they sort of gave up the training aspect of the newbies and breeding and just settled in on our current dogs for shows.

 

[RetrieverLove]

I've always had a love for animals and nature. This love came mostly from my dad. I grew up with more animals than I can name. I had toads, millepedes, frogs, turtles, lots of fish, 12 guinea pigs, birds, lobsters, crabs etc. I got my first dog when I was 4ish. He was my companion for five wonderful years. When he passed away I got Moco, and then I later got Emma. I've grown up around dogs for the majority of my life. I've so thankful that I've been able to have the companionship of such wonderful animals for the majority of my life!

 

[tessa_s212]

My mom grew up with dogs. Her dad used to breed dobermans(not show bred). So she carried on that love of dogs to us. We got our first cocker when we were 4, and we've been collecting dogs ever since.

 

[Dobiegurl]

I honestly have no idea where my love of dogs came from. My grandfather made all of his dogs evil and vicious and we were constantly in fear of them, the dogs (mostly Dobermans, Rotties and Chows) held us hostage one time and life was terrible with those dogs. I was also attacked by loose dogs roaming the streets. Then my grandmother got a Doberman named Likea and she was the sweetest dog ever, and nothing like the dogs I was used to. Then she had to be put to sleep at the age of 10 months because she had some sort of disease that was very painful and it got to the point where my grandmother had to carry her outside to use the bathroom because she couldn't walk (it was very sad, I cried for days). Then grandma got another Doberman, then another and a Dobie/GSD mix (the biggest dog I had ever seen) and then we got Jessica my Pittbul, such a sweetie. After having all those good experiences with dogs I didn't let those in the past ruin my love for dogs.

 

[MomOf7]

My dad is the dog lover in the family.
I was a bit extreme. I loved all animals. Fish, hampsters, birds, you name it.
I also would bring stray dogs home...or stray enough to follow me home
I grew up having
German shepard mix, Irish setters 2 of them, a Chocolate lab, Great danes,
then the last one was a cocker spaniel mix. The smartest was the cocker X
She knew things the blew most peoples minds. She was what I like to call human smart.
Now I raise labs and have one cocker who is my girl.

 

[Zoom]

Both my parents had dogs as kids and my mom grew up on a farm, which is where I spent a good portion of my summers. My grandma always had at least one dog, usually two. I perfected my reading skills on a setter/retriever mix named Shadow (I've got a picture somewhere).

 

[Toller_08]

I was born into a doggy family. My mom is a huge dog lover, my Dad loves them, but not as much as my mom or I. Somehow though, I think I became the biggest doggy person of them all in my family. I live for my dogs and almost everything I do involves them, they're the one thing in life I never get sick of talking about (which is why I joined boards like this). The rest of my famil likes time away from them and does get sick of talking about dogs pretty quick.

 

[tobylittledude]

My love for dogs began when I was really really young. Maybe 5 years old or so. And it all began with the move, "Annie". I loved her dog "sandy". From that day on, I have always wanted a dog......

 

[dr2little]

This sounds really bad but I think in part my love for dogs and all animals came from disappointment and pain I experienced with the humans in my life from a very young age.
I won't elaborate but suffice it to say, no dog or any other animal has ever made me feel anything but overwhelming love and peace. I owe more to animal kind than I can ever repay..

 

[Zoom]

That's actually a fairly common reason people get into dogs or pets in general. They get the love and acceptance they need without risking the rejection offered by most of the human population. I guess you could call it "Risk-free damage control".

 

[dr2little]

That's actually a fairly common reason people get into dogs or pets in general. They get the love and acceptance they need without risking the rejection offered by most of the human population. I guess you could call it "Risk-free damage control".

So true Zoom I really try hard not to depend on my dogs for my happiness, it's hardly fair. You know the saying "Dogs aren't my whole life but they make my life whole"...I think they're really are my whole life, I'm working on that

 

[Zoom]

Bah...dogs are turning into my whole life and I'm mostly ok with that. I like to keep a few non-dog circles of people and interests, but it all usually circles back to soemthing furry and four-legged, so I've quit fighting it.

As far as the happiness goes, I think most dogs are ok with it. I know my Aussie is never as happy as he is when I'm around and I'm the same.

 

[LabBreeder]

As I type this, for some reason, I'm starting to cry! But I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that my father is the reason I love dogs (and all animals). My dad has a great heart!!! He has always taken in strays, be they cat or dog. He would feed the one's that didn't want to be touched until they finally relented. He would care for the mom that had kittens and either found homes for them (if they were tame enough) or kept them himself. My dad used to work at the airport in Alexandria, LA (it has been shut down and turned back into an AFB/training facility for a few years now). There were many, many stray cats and a few stray dogs. My dad always fed the cats and tried to get them medical attention if they needed it (and he could catch them). He cried when one, or more, would die or turn up missing because he had made them his responsibility when no one else cared. I got my first "real" dog of my own in H.S. Someone had thrown a catahoula leopard pup in the ditch on the side of the road...he'd landed in an ant bed by a bridge...my dad was mowing (riding lawn mower) and almost ran over him. He brought my brown/black spotted dog to the house and after begging my mom, I got to keep him. I named him Bridger...he died a few years ago from heartworms. (my mom and dad have been divorced since i was 4 btw) Anyways, me and my step brother could bring any cat, turtle or other animal home and as long as it had a chance at life we got to keep it. Currently my dad has close to 15 cats (some indoor some outdoor), a maccaw and 3 dogs (rottie, mastiff/mix, pit). Any time a cat dies my dad cries...we've yet to have a dog die, but Harley and Buster (rottie and mastiff/mix) are getting old. Harley is around 10 and Buster is closer to 13. Both are turning gray and Buster limps with artheritis, but my dad still loves them all and takes care of them. If it weren't for my dads love of animals and wanting to save every one he finds...I might have just been a "cat person". I love my dad and the love of animals that he's passed on to me. I can only hope that I will pass the same love of animals on to my children.

I think I'm crying cause I haven't seen my dad in a few years. With all the moving we've done and not having the money to visit, it's hard. I only get to talk to him once a month pretty much cause of the hours he works. God, I'm 26 and crying cause my dad helped me love animals...and cause I miss him. how sad is that???

 

[Zoom]

Not sad at all. I think it's great that your dad has that big of a heart and isn't afraid to show it. I think it's doubly great that it was passed on to you.

I hope you get to see him soon!

 

[LabBreeder]

I love my dogs, my dogs love me...that's as happy as I'll ever be!
My husband is great, the love of my life...but he's nothing without his dogs and his wife.
We all love each other, we leap and we bound. But God be with us, if one should go to ground.
For then we will cry, we'll weep with sorrow. Wishing we could see them, again, tomorrow.
But if you believe and your love never dies, maybe you'll see them in another's eyes.
Perhaps, better yet...you'll see them...then we'll cry...when you go to ground, are gone and die.

 

[yoko]

from being a young child i've loved all animals. i've had turtles, spiders, scorpions, hamsters, rats, fish, guinea pigs, dogs, snakes, hermit crabs, frogs everything

i really love dogs though my dad loves dogs but has never been a 'lets get a dog or two' he just likes them but doesn't like them enough to want more than one at a time.

my mom doesn't really like animals and she thinks dogs are dirty, but she tolerates them and will even pet and spoil them at times

 

[Kase]

I've always loved animals and had had rabbits all my life. I wanted a dog so bad but none of my parents or siblings were 'into' animals. When I was 10 I got Casey, my first dog.

 

[Giny]

I'm not sure where my love for dogs came from. My mom thinks it's from my Great Grand Father. I've only met him a few times, once when he lived on his farm and once in a nursing home when he was 95yrs old. I remember him wanting to leave so he could start his gardening and get some animals. My heart broke for him. Both my parents love dogs but not to the extent that would make them want one in their lives. The only reason we had a dog when I was going up was due to my constant nagging, they finally gave in a got me my heart dog, a sweet little mutt.