I went to pick out my puppy yesterday, from the breeder. My boyfriend had to work, so I took my best friend with me. I cautioned her on the way that I really didn't know what we would find. I knew the lady bred the dogs to show, and had looked up a bunch of her dogs, or offspring of her dogs online, and found a LOT, mostly show pictures, some of her and her current dogs. This all seemed good, but I also knew from talking to her that she: 1) lived alone 2)never married/had kids 3) referred to the dogs as 'my babies' 4) lived out in the middle of nowhere NH, in a somewhat poor and rundown area.
My exact words were: "She sounds like your typical crazy cat lady living in poverty surrounded by love, only with dogs."
Geeks.
I CALLED IT.
We get there and she haaasss:
13 adult basset hounds.
5 little yappy terriers
2 pekingese
3 litters of puppies, with a total of 20.
All cramped into a tiny trailer! Fortunately, she had a HUGE yard, divided into three or four big runs.
She had one wall covered in Christmas stocking for all of her current dog, a much larger wall and half of another with stocking for every dog she has ever owned, and a little bookshelf with pretty little handpainted boxed (labeled in glitter ) holding the ashes of every dog that she has ever owned.
Dog decorations. All of the dog decorations. Words cannot describe.
Now, this all paints a negative picture, BUT, of the 20 adult dogs only three looked noticably thin (one was Freds mom, and she had had a litter of TEN puppies and not holding weight, one was a 13 yo female, another was a year old male that in her words was 'outgrowing himself', all legit), only two seemed shy or bad tempered, one of which was a peke, the other was 15 and he just lay on his side and growled when the others stepped on him.
All of them were clean, the house was clean, the puppies were friendly and obviously accustomed to being handled, both parents let me play with their ears and nose and even obnoxiously poke at their eyes, and all of them were sweet and well behaved.
It was fun, and funny, and I am 100% comfortable getting a puppy from there.
No, it is a five hour round trip. Twice is enough.
She is going to send pictures though.
And Fred comes with all her shots, a blanket, a toy, and a bag of food.
No, it is a five hour round trip. Twice is enough. She is going to send pictures though. And Fred comes with all her shots, a blanket, a toy, and a bag of food.
I know! I can't wait! She will really be more my boyfriends dog than mine, he had the idea for a basset hound and chose the color and gender, but eeeee! I am still so excited!
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
I know, and I never have had, nor will I ever have, an inside dog or cat. I admire those who do, and still have a kept house. I know a couple people that, when I visit, I wouldn't even know there was an animal running around. I don't know how they do it.
Yeah, tell me about kids. But so far, they don't shed. I would imagine girls do, however.
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
I know, and I never have had, nor will I ever have, an inside dog or cat. I admire those who do, and still have a kept house. I know a couple people that, when I visit, I wouldn't even know there was an animal running around. I don't know how they do it.
Yeah, tell me about kids. But so far, they don't shed. I would imagine girls do, however.
Oh my gosh! Considering the amount of hair I lose in the shower, it's a miracle I'm not bald...LOL
I don't even notice it, FNW. I am sure my cats shed, but with the occasional vacuum it keeps clean amd I never find it to be an issue.
Of course, I have always had indoor pets of all sizes.
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
I know, and I never have had, nor will I ever have, an inside dog or cat. I admire those who do, and still have a kept house. I know a couple people that, when I visit, I wouldn't even know there was an animal running around. I don't know how they do it.
Yeah, tell me about kids. But so far, they don't shed. I would imagine girls do, however.
I HATED going to anyone's house with animals that shed and slobber. Then I got Sonny, I had to lower the bar on cleanliness in the house. I do keep it clean but dog fur is present everywhere except the spare bedroom and bathrooms.
__________________
Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
I know, and I never have had, nor will I ever have, an inside dog or cat. I admire those who do, and still have a kept house. I know a couple people that, when I visit, I wouldn't even know there was an animal running around. I don't know how they do it.
Yeah, tell me about kids. But so far, they don't shed. I would imagine girls do, however.
Oh my gosh! Considering the amount of hair I lose in the shower, it's a miracle I'm not bald...LOL
flan
Oh, I shed almost as much as the dog! I mentioned it to the doctor once, I was concerned how much hair I seemed to be loosing. He looks at me and goes, well, you have plenty *goofy grin*. I miss Dr Martin lol
The shower routinely looks as if a small animal has died in it, my bf is always harping on that I never clean it, and then I told him I clean it every morning when dry! He couldn't believe it u til he started showing before me, when it was clean and seeing the before and after, lol!
The shower routinely looks as if a small animal has died in it, my bf is always harping on that I never clean it, and then I told him I clean it every morning when dry! He couldn't believe it u til he started showing before me, when it was clean and seeing the before and after, lol!
I hope you have some kind of filter covering the shower drain, and a wet teabag between your cheek and the tooth that hurts.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
If you let a little hair throw you, you will never have an inside dog or cat. No matter how often you clean, in 5 seconds there is more hair. Comes with the territory. LOL
I know, and I never have had, nor will I ever have, an inside dog or cat. I admire those who do, and still have a kept house. I know a couple people that, when I visit, I wouldn't even know there was an animal running around. I don't know how they do it.
Yeah, tell me about kids. But so far, they don't shed. I would imagine girls do, however.
I HATED going to anyone's house with animals that shed and slobber. Then I got Sonny, I had to lower the bar on cleanliness in the house. I do keep it clean but dog fur is present everywhere except the spare bedroom and bathrooms.
My bathroom is the worst for cat hair. It's not possible to go to the bathroom alone when you have a cat. Sushi knows how to open the door.
Well, you get a free pass anyways, FNW, your kids would like to breath, thanks!
Thanks. I'm allergic as well, as is my father. And my mother is a neat freak so animals in the home were never a consideration. But since the boys' allergies, I'm even more opposed to it. It's personal to us, but not to anyone who has them, IYKWIM?
Well, you get a free pass anyways, FNW, your kids would like to breath, thanks!
Thanks. I'm allergic as well, as is my father. And my mother is a neat freak so animals in the home were never a consideration. But since the boys' allergies, I'm even more opposed to it. It's personal to us, but not to anyone who has them, IYKWIM?
It's entirely possible that you're allergic to them BECAUSE your mother was a neat freak and didn't allow animals in the house.
Doubtful. We had animals, outside. I played with them all the time, starting from a very young age. My boys were exposed to cat dander from birth. Lots of it. My father was raised on a farm with animals (cats & dogs) in the house. And yet, here we are.
Oh well, it was a hypothesis.
It's a fact that homes that are too clean contribute to childhood allergies.
We had indoor cats, dogs, ducks, a chicken, hamsters, guinea pigs and a rabbit who ate Alpha-Bits at the kitchen table with us in the mornings.
We had dogs, cats (that procreated regularly), hamsters, birds, tortoises and fish. Grandparents had dogs, cats, cow, pigs. Other grandparents bred dogs (Boston Terriers). Cousins had cats & dogs. I stayed in their homes regularly sometimes for a week or two. Misery.
And our home wasn't too clean. My parents were constantly remodeling, adding on, etc. Constantly. (My parents love change). If you've ever lived through remodeling, you know there's a ton of dust & dirt.
