[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Laughs_Last', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Laughs_Last', 'r')everse fetch.

[willjones4]

I used to think I wanted a dog, until I got one. Of course that is the story of many things in my life. The animal I got was a pound puppy with lots of lab in it. It destroyed my yard and garden, chewed pieces off the interior and exterior of my house, destroyed many personal items (including a $200 digital voice recorder which it somehow managed to get out of a desk drawer). I walked it twice per day to let it burn off the energy and took it to obedience school-nothing helped this dog. I gave it to a guy who ran a rescue mission for dogs and he got it adopted. It was nice for a little while-buying the toys and taking it places and what not. However it quickly became a pain in the ass. Guess Im not an animal person. My quote now when asked about pets is "I dont want anything I have to feed".

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('willjones4', 'I') used to think I wanted a dog, until I got one.

[crapattack]

I've wanted a dog all my life and I am finally getting one! This is an image of my 4 week old pup that I'll bring home from the breeders mid-end July. She's a red heeler (Austrailian Cattle Dog), more commonly they come in the blue variety. They are a medium sized dog, and lots of energy. They are bred for herding and are very smart, so I know I'm in for a handful!

[Dukat_Reloaded]

Thats my dog. Half German Shepard / Half Labrador.

[web]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~jrowl/DCP_0010.JPG[/web]

[web]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~jrowl/RIMG0088.jpg[/web]

[TheTurtle]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('crapattack', ' ')They are bred for herding and are very smart, so I know I'm in for a handful!

[WildRose]

My mom and dad just recently got a German Shepherd/Australian Cattle Dog cross. What a beauty he is! He's smallish, only about 40 lbs., and he's really smart and attentive. Mom and dad do have their hands full, though, because this pup likes to be really busy.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('crapattack', 'I')'ve wanted a dog all my life and I am finally getting one!

[TheTurtle]

An interesting bit of Australian Cattle Dog trivia is that the breed holds the record for canine longevity: 29+ years!

[Wednesday]

Thanks everyone for posting pics of your doggy friends!

I spent the evening at a house with 2 beautiful Siamese cats tonight. They are very pretty but it's just not the same.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Wednesday', 'T')hanks everyone for posting pics of your doggy friends!

I spent the evening at a house with 2 beautiful Siamese cats tonight. They are very pretty but it's just not the same.

[peaker_2005]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('crapattack', 'I')'ve wanted a dog all my life and I am finally getting one! This is an image of my 4 week old pup that I'll bring home from the breeders mid-end July. She's a red heeler (Austrailian Cattle Dog), more commonly they come in the blue variety. They are a medium sized dog, and lots of energy. They are bred for herding and are very smart, so I know I'm in for a handful!

[crapattack]

Thanks everyone for admiring my little bundle of bouncing energy to come! I love hearing about everyone's experiences with Cattle dogs as I do happen to love the breed (hence why I'm getting one). My best friend has one who is 6 and still gets bored mighty fast too, but I just think of her as the perfect dog. So smart and completely trained. I have signed up for puppy classes and definitely I (and I do mean I ) will need obedience training. I've never owned a doggie before so this is going to be wild ride I'm sure!

[crapattack]

Well, here is my new baby, "River". She's about 9 weeks old in these pictures, fast asleep with her "dolly Lhama" and playing with her other toys. I'm amazed at how smart she is. She's now 11 weeks and she is totally house trained, can sit, lay down, fetch and heel. She is very high energy but totally worth it.

[Wednesday]

Adorable. I'm still stuck with my stupid anti-dog restrictions.

Congratulations on your new friend! Lucky you!

[elocs]

I have had cats and I have had dogs, also a rabbit, ducks, and squirrels. Currently I have a cat, which is the only large pet allowed where I live. I love dogs, but I find cats to be far less trouble. I can leave town for up to a week and my cat is ok by herself--no way with a dog. I also believe in keeping my pets until they die, usually of natural causes. I have had cats and dogs so old that they had to be put down and I felt obligated to be with them when it happened and it was heartbreakingly hard. My current cat is actually one my daughter found when my daughter was 2 years old and the cat is now almost 13. She may live another 7 years or so and then that is it for me. I don't want to be outliving any more pets that I have grown to love and who have been a part of my life for years.

My daughter is now nearly 15 and lives with her mother and stepfather in Chicago. When she was 10 they had a dog named Skip that looked like the dog of the same name in the movie. My daughter was told not to take the dog out for a walk until the leash was on him, but she did anyways. In front of the house the dog made a beeline run to the corner of a busy street at rush hour on a Friday. He turned and looked at my daughter and then she made the fatal mistake of moving towards him. Apparently, to him, that meant she was coming and so he took off into the street and was hit by somebody who didn't stop just as my daughter reached the corner. The next car stopped and she was able to pick up the broken and bleeding dog and take him home and to the vet. He was too injured to live and I wish if it had to happen it would have been me rather than her because if she lives to be 100 and can no longer recognize her own children she will probably remember when she was responsible for having her little dog get killed right in front of her eyes when she was 10 years old.

[WildRose]

Elocs, that is such a heartbreaking story!

My mom and dad recently had a very similar experience. For years they had a dog they loved dearly who died of natural causes. They were so sad when that one passed away that it took a year and a half before they could bring themselves to get another one. Finally, I went with my mom to the SPCA one day, specifically to look at a German Shepherd/Australian cattle dog mix that my mom saw on the web site. He was a beautiful dog, just 11 months old, mainly black with really neat markings. He was also the sweetest, best-natured dog you could hope to meet, though he was very active and tried several times to get out of the yard.

One evening, mom and dad had company over and as their guests were leaving, Chewie (my brother named him after Chewbacca) pushed past the guests as they opened the door. There was a hare (common in our city) sitting on the front lawn and Chewie took right after it. My brother immediately went out after him, but the dog was by this time a couple of blocks away. When my brother got to the main avenue nearby, some cars were stopped in the middle of the road and there was Chewie, lying on the road. The woman who hit him said she saw the hare run across the road in front of her and then a black streak. A kind guy in a jeep actually drove the dog and my brother to an emergency vet clinic but the dog was dead before they got there. Mom and dad only had the dog for a month. They think they'll look for another one soon.

I have an old German Shepherd. She's 14 1/2, best dog I've ever had. I'm hoping she'll just pass away in her sleep so I don't have to decide when to put her down.

I feel for your daughter. I've had to say goodbye to a few dogs over the years, but when you lose them tragically it's really hard. With time, and a few more pets to love, your daughter's pain will ease.

[elocs]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', 'E')locs, that is such a heartbreaking story!

My mom and dad recently had a very similar experience. For years they had a dog they loved dearly who died of natural causes. They were so sad when that one passed away that it took a year and a half before they could bring themselves to get another one. Finally, I went with my mom to the SPCA one day, specifically to look at a German Shepherd/Australian cattle dog mix that my mom saw on the web site. He was a beautiful dog, just 11 months old, mainly black with really neat markings. He was also the sweetest, best-natured dog you could hope to meet, though he was very active and tried several times to get out of the yard.

One evening, mom and dad had company over and as their guests were leaving, Chewie (my brother named him after Chewbacca) pushed past the guests as they opened the door. There was a hare (common in our city) sitting on the front lawn and Chewie took right after it. My brother immediately went out after him, but the dog was by this time a couple of blocks away. When my brother got to the main avenue nearby, some cars were stopped in the middle of the road and there was Chewie, lying on the road. The woman who hit him said she saw the hare run across the road in front of her and then a black streak. A kind guy in a jeep actually drove the dog and my brother to an emergency vet clinic but the dog was dead before they got there. Mom and dad only had the dog for a month. They think they'll look for another one soon.

I have an old German Shepherd. She's 14 1/2, best dog I've ever had. I'm hoping she'll just pass away in her sleep so I don't have to decide when to put her down.

I feel for your daughter. I've had to say goodbye to a few dogs over the years, but when you lose them tragically it's really hard. With time, and a few more pets to love, your daughter's pain will ease.

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('elocs', 'W')hen I visit my daughter I take pictures of the pets. I play with them and take the dogs for walks because I don't know it they will be there the next time I visit. I am very unhappy with this type of behavior and philosophy towards pets and too many people have it. The kids love these animals and then have to see them go. The dog that was killed was a tragedy, but the loss of the other pets is a tragedy of a different kind and their loss for these kids is something they will always remember. My hope is that they can at least keep the ones they have now until the pets die of old age.