I need to stop looking at the humane society and other shelters websites.. I want all of the dogs! Right now is and is not the best time to get another dog though.. maybe after I finish my new job training? I dunno, they're just so damn cute and sad and lonely and amazing looking. And I know my dog would love a permanent play buddy. Especially when I'm working! But they'd need to get along 100% and that takes time and I don't think I'd trust a new dog and my dog to be alone right off the bat. I want to start fostering too, but I know I'd end up adopting all of the dogs and then show up on Animal Hoarders or Animal Cops.

My big black dog died a few years ago. I loved him to pieces, and he was very friendly. I know that people are afraid of large dogs, and I had two of them, so I was always very cautious about letting them around people unless those people said they were fine with it. I once invited an elderly friend over for lunch, and my big guy was so excited to meet her. She was excited to meet him too, and she took her seat all ready to say hello to him. Much to my surprise, and in a move that was very uncharacteristic for him, he hoisted himself onto the chair and tried to climb into her lap! I was mortified and pulled him off of her. My elderly guest, however, was enchanted, and laughed and laughed. Thankfully.

I have a very big dog. I love her to pieces, but I know big dogs freak a lot of people out if they are too overly excited. I have her trained very well to not jump up on people, not to lick faces, and not to sniff crotches. She comes up to guests and wags her tail and loves when you pet her, but then she goes and lays down on the floor. I'll admit--I don't care much for dogs who jump up on you when you come over and start licking your face. I love dogs, but it's nice when they're well-behaved.

My dogs are little and used to being picked up and held. They are also allowed on all the furniture, but only on the first floor, not upstairs in any of the bedrooms.

I am a dogs on the floor, cats off the counters person. When I visit someone's house who has (a) dog(s), and they let them run wherever and all over whoever, I'm immediately uncomfortable--too many people don't know how or don't care to train their dogs and assume everyone wants a dog nose in their face/crotch. I love cats, but I prefer them not by my food surfaces. As nosy as they are, I'd consider them being by ovens and human foods/spills a danger to them. I'm fully aware of the mentality that I'm the "guest" and "my dogs live here, you don't" and that is fine. This will be a short visit.

As an adult, I've had 2 dogs and 2 cats. The dogs never shit or pissed inside, except when the previous one was really, really old and only a few times during the last 6 months of his life. My current dog has never had an accident in the house, not even when she was doped up post-spay surgery. They're pretty easy to potty train. Feed them, take them out 30-60 minutes later. My cats do walk on the counters, but I clean those often enough for it not to be an issue. I think the most annoying thing about my cats is that they like to open up all of the lower cabinets in the kitchen at night. My cats are long-haired and cough up hairballs somewhat frequently, though less often now that they're on higher quality food.

Sorry to be a broken record if you've already read my angst filled pet posts. I'm dying to have a cat or a dog. The kids would love it and a furry companion would be too cute for words. But I can't have a cat walking all over my counters and dishes (I have serious OCD issues), and I can't imagine being a slave to a dog's potty needs (seriously, what if I'm sick or one of the kids is having an emergency and the dog needs to go outside RIGHT NOW or it'll crap on the carpet???). DH says I'm being extreme, imagining the worst possible scenarios, how do millions of people have pets without their lives ending in disaster scenarios? I say I'm being realistic. Is there such thing as a cat that doesn't jump up on your counter and walk on your dishes? Do dogs need to sheit RIGHT NOW or you'll have dog sheit on your rug?

When we got our golden retriever I tried so hard to bond with him from the time he was a baby, we did everything together that we could. But eventually he became more attached to DH. He still loves his 'momma' but DH is his 'person'. When we got our Boston terrier he & I bonded immediately. He's been my baby from the time we brought him home. But now he's starting to gravitate more toward DH too. And I'm sad about it. Pathetic as it sounds I want to be his favorite! I guess DH is just the dog guy. He is excellent with dogs. It just comes naturally to him, he raises sweet loving well behaved dogs. BTW we've never had a 'papered' dog. We got our golden from a farm where his mom & dad were pets, and our Boston was the baby of a friend's Boston. In fact, when I was in my 20's I had a 'papered' dog and she was a holy terror with a ton of health problems. But then that was before DH and his doggy mojo.

I can't fake happiness. I'm in rescue and foster dogs. I'm not against breeders per se, but they need to be legit. I hate, hate, hate, when people blindly buy any dog, rescue or not. Co-worker wanted a Lab for hunting reasons. Okay, fine. That I can understand. Her husband changed his mind and they went and purchased an $850 dog (not used for hunting) that I could have found them in a shelter! But no, husband needed "papers". Papers do not matter. The breed of a dog is whatever society says it should be at that time. It changes through the years and with people's tastes. Not to mention, the backyard breeder they went to doesn't breed for the correct purposes, I'm sure. I will vent here and help her when she undoubtedly has potty training issues (since I know her husband won't help), behavior issues, or doesn't want to care for a 100lb dog. I hate how selfish people are.

I want to get another dog. I've been looking at the various shelters around here and want to take them all home. Especially the "unlovables," like the ones who need medical care or are "old." I found one that looks like she'd be the perfect friend for our current dog. She's a similar breed (or at least partial breed since both are super mutts- she looks like a black version of my dog), same size and age. The only problem is that she has the same name as my dog! It'd be weird to have 2 dogs with the same name, and impossible to change her name while calling/talking to my current dog. Though I do think it'd be kind of funny to have 2 dogs that look almost identical (minus the color) with the same name.