Help us find a dog! Kids are so lonely (me too)...

[pat fan]

I've asked for help before with the pup we got from the pound, Charlie. Needless to say, we tried everything but he had to go back. Our vet wouldn't touch him and we had a doggie shrink come out and she said he was too far gone to be a safe animal . So now we have no one.

I can't believe how hard it is to find a dog!All the shelters around us have no dogs fit for a home with children (and don't expect any either!), we don't know a breed of dog to look for if we went for a pure bred, and if we did, there aren't very many breeders around here. Does anyone in western Ma. have a really good dog having a litter soon? How about your family dog who is great but you are moving? We don't need a puppy,just someone to love and sit on my lap while I watch football. It's so frustrating.....

 

[Nutsy]

Why not watch the papers. Surely you must have for sale adds in your papers over there.........that is often a very good source for finding a lovingn pet. People move house & can't take their pet with them or even elderly move into a retirement home & can't take their pet......various reasons people need to give their pets away...................so I would keep an eye on the adds in the papers & see what you can find there.

 

[Ibelieveinfairies]

We have a beagle and a chocolate lab...both wonderful dogs for children!

Definitely watch the paper for ads. We tried the shelter route and found the same thing...almost every dog there they deemed unsafe for children.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

We have a golden retriever and we have never had a better family dog. Keep watching those ads! But don't settle for a dog unless you are 100% sure it will work with the kids. Be patient. I know it's hard! When our last dog died it was the end of January, and we had to wait until June to get another one (I teach and need to train the dog in the summer). It was a LONG few months!
Robin M.

 

[chrissyk]

I'll ask at my vet tomorrow when I bring my sister's dog in for her visit. She always has great family pets in need of homes. She's in Hopkington, so probably not that all far of a drive for you.

My sister has a Bichon, and she's a great dog. Of course, I babysat her last night and she kept me awake all night, but that's another story She's still a puppy, though. There are bichon rescues throughout the country, so perhaps you could find one through them. Also, www.petfinder.org is a great place to find a pet

 

[kidzmom3]

If you can drive this far, the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, Ma is wonderful. They are a no-kill shelter and have many wonderful animals. We got our dog their as a puppy. He is 1/2 pure bred walker hound and half black lab. He and his litter mates were sent up from West Virginia, to this no-kill shelter and they were all adopted the first day. They have older dogs also, but they get puppies all the time. Its not free, but the prices arents bad $200 or so.

 

[phillybeth]

Check Petfinder.org . Not only do they have the shelter listings, but there is an area where people post pets that need homes.

If you have an idea of a breed, try a rescue group. Labs and goldens are good with kids, so are boxers. Try to avodi the small terriers as they can be yappy and nippy (YMMV of course!). A well-bred cocker spaniel is an option, but I would not get one from a shelter or rescue, only a reputable breeder- cocker spaniels have lots of problems with over- and in-breeding and can turn violent without warning or provocation.
Standard poodles are also good family dogs, and I've heard good things about labradoodles and goldendoodles- lab or golden crossed with poodle. Beagles are good with kids.

 

[JPN4265]

Originally posted by pat fan
I've asked for help before with the pup we got from the pound, Charlie. Needless to say, we tried everything but he had to go back. Our vet wouldn't touch him and we had a doggie shrink come out and she said he was too far gone to be a safe animal . So now we have no one.

I can't believe how hard it is to find a dog!All the shelters around us have no dogs fit for a home with children (and don't expect any either!), we don't know a breed of dog to look for if we went for a pure bred, and if we did, there aren't very many breeders around here. Does anyone in western Ma. have a really good dog having a litter soon? How about your family dog who is great but you are moving? We don't need a puppy,just someone to love and sit on my lap while I watch football. It's so frustrating.....

I CAN'T SAY THIS LOAD ENOUGH! Go to your local Golden Retriever rescue center. A Golden is the best family dog you can ever get. They are a perfect indoor/outdoor dog, and will give you years of love.

 

[pat fan]

Thanks.I have been to petfinder.org and there isn't much in in our area.That is actualy where we got Charlie, from a shelter that was on there but I will NEVER go to that shelter again.So angry with them.I will keep looking in the paper, but all I've seen has been the Pioneer Valley Humane Society's ad and the only dog they have that we could get is 6 yrs. old, partly deaf with cataracts! I don't mind 6, could handle deaf, but blind too?It just seems a little much.

I CAN'T SAY THIS LOAD ENOUGH! Go to your local Golden Retriever rescue center.

Where is one?I assume you'd look on the net, but if you know of one........I called a Saint Rescue in Sudbury, but she has it out of her home and that put me off.Shouldn't she be qualified somehow?Not just "I think I'll offer dogs to people"?Just made me nervous.Anyway, we'll keep looking.

 

[chrissyk]

The local golden retriever rescue is actually in Hudson, MA. It's called "Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue". I am intimately familiar with this rescue, since they saved the life of my neighbor's golden when they went away and basically abandoned her YGRR is a wonderful organization. They worked with me every step of the way to save this dog.

Be aware that it may be a very long wait before you get placed with a golden through them, though. They are very thorough, and very careful with their dogs. You have to do a thorough application through them first. If you want more info, PM me. This rescue organization is very dear to me.

 

[phillybeth]

Originally posted by pat fan
Where is one?I assume you'd look on the net, but if you know of one........I called a Saint Rescue in Sudbury, but she has it out of her home and that put me off.Shouldn't she be qualified somehow?Not just "I think I'll offer dogs to people"?Just made me nervous.Anyway, we'll keep looking.

Most rescue volunteers work from their homes. The cost of building and running a 'physical' shelter is prohibitive. And also, these dogs are going to be living in a home environment- isn't that the best place to evaluate their behavior?
If she is a reputable rescue person, she can give you references to breeders, adoptive families, the vets she uses. There is no 'rescue license'. We are just people who love animals and want to see them in happy loving homes.

Most rescues do a 3-step adoption process. First you fill out an application. Then the group checks your references and probably does a home visit (to make sure your home is a safe environment for a dog). Then you will be matched with a dog and get to meet it.

 

[phillybeth]

http://www.ygrr.org/

The group that chrissyk mentioned.

 

[marymrg]

I love Golden Retrievers. Our current dog (from the animal shelter) is a golden retriever mix but his personality is all Golden. We were told if we got a dog from the pound, that we should get one that was a year old or less. The shelter said they usually don't know the "history" of the older dogs and would not recommend them for children. We spent some time with the dog and as excited as he was to be out of his cage, I could tell that he would listen to me and that he was gentle with the kids.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

I concur about labs and goldens. Most are fantastic family dogs. Our "Mr.B" (short for Mr. Black Dog) is a mostly lab we rescued from homelessness. He's a darling year old plus fellow who is full of love and playfulness. He protects Isabella from bugs and loud noises, cuddles with her and kisses her until she runs away giggling. Good luck finding the perfect dog for your family.

 

[chager]

I know how hard it is to find the right match for your home! We adopted our Eskie from the local humane society. She is honestly one of the best dogs we have ever had!! My parents have owned 2 in the past. (they can also be referred to as a Spitz sometimes) The 2 they had were males and they were more hyper then our female is. Sasha is very laid back and loves going places with Nick. She even sleeps with him. We were actually going after another dog we had on hold when we found her. It turned out the other dog was not a good match with our cats. (We took a cat with us to visit the dog and she thought our cat was a play toy!! Not a good match at all!) Well as we were walking out we looked over and saw the saddest brown eyes looking up at us. Needless to say she won our hearts right away and has been a super dog. She has a couple little oddities...like she will only go to the bathroom if there is grass..lol...but she almost always come when we call her. Eskies are hard to find sometimes but I would say they are also great dogs to have.
Good luck in your search!! The right one is out there just be patient.

 

[Kallison]

Labradors are good breeds too. WE got ours at 11 mos. at the SPCA. He was a nut for about a year. Getting the invisible fence is what saved our sanity, he could run in and out as much as he wanted. Now he is 5 and really a sweetie. Yesterday I took him for a walk in our corn field with no leash and he came back every time I called him. What a change from the first day we got him and he DRAGGED me down the street.

 

[heart4pooh]

A friend of mine is looking for a good home for her 7 month old lab. They do not have the time for her. It breaks my heart that they may have to bring it back to the pound. Her other dog passed away a few months ago and she sent her husband to the pound to get an older dog to keep her beagle company. He came back with a puppy!! She has tried to make it work, but its just not the right dog for their family. We are in NC, so I know it's to far from MA. But, any NC dis'ers interested? Thanks!!

 

[AWD]

We have a yellow lab, and several of our neighbors
have golden retrievers. They are the most loving
dogs......Our breeder lives in southern New Hampshire.
We located them through the Boston Labrador
Retriever Assoc (I think that's what the organization
is called) You can do a search online. They should be
able to give you some ideas. Also, there is a wonderful
dog obedience school in Rowley....Canine Consulting.......
They might be helpful in your search.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I usually suggest adopting a dog, but sometimes with children, it's best to get a purebred from a good breeder so that you have a very good idea of what you are getting, which sometimes you don't with shelter dogs.

The first breed that comes to my mind for children is the Bichon Frise. They are generally very loving, gentle and smart. I have never heard anyone say they were not good with kids.

Other breeds that tend to be good with kids are Shetland Sheepdogs, poodles, corgis , Cairn terriers and pugs.

Daschunds are great but if your kids are rough, they could hurt a daschunds back. English bulldogs are amazingly good with kids but can have some health problems and tend to be very expensive.

I assume you don't want a large breed? Golden retrievers are sweet but big. Sometimes the big size can overwhelm kids.

Not sure what breed Charley was, but I would avoid most terriers (I love my Jack Russell Terrier but would never in a million years suggest families with kids get one), herding breeds (which tend to 'round up' children) and dalmations.

If it were me, I'd go for a Bichon or a Cairn terrier.

Good luck! Check out this site
http://www.terrificpets.com/dog_breeds/

Also, I would make sure when you get a puppy, that you meet it's parents and if possible, get references from other people who have gotten dogs from this breeder.

Do a search for " dog breeders MA " on Yahoo or Google. You'll find some.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by heart4pooh
A friend of mine is looking for a good home for her 7 month old lab. They do not have the time for her. It breaks my heart that they may have to bring it back to the pound. Her other dog passed away a few months ago and she sent her husband to the pound to get an older dog to keep her beagle company. He came back with a puppy!! She has tried to make it work, but its just not the right dog for their family. We are in NC, so I know it's to far from MA. But, any NC dis'ers interested? Thanks!!

I am SURE if you put an ad in your local paper, or put signs up at the vets and pet sup[ply stores someone would adopt this lab.

PLEASE do not bring it to a shelter or pound where it may be killed. Check around online for lab rescues that have no kill policies. A 7 month old puppy should not have to risk losing it's life because someone did not fully research the responsibilites that come with dog ownership before bringing one into their home.

If you need help finding a shelter, please PM me and I will help you find one online.

Edited : I just PM'd your two links with various no kill lab shelters in NC. Please forward them to your friend.