We’ve got a cockapoo and I think she’s pretty cute! She’s got a lot more poodle on her outside than cocker. They say cockapoos are supposed to live to 14 years. Ours is 8 and still acts like a puppy (full of energy, always playing, etc.) She was about 11 months old when we got her and she was set to be put down right as we rescued her. Apparently, when animal control takes a pet, they give them a 5 day waiting period and then put them down. They don’t expect anyone to want a dog that someone else didn’t want. Anyway, she was brought in, and put in a cage far away from other dogs and I fell in love with her and we saved her! I’m all for rescuing animals and I love mixed breeds! I grew up with a peakinese-poodle-shelty mix…I don’t have any clue what happened there! We’re guessing the neighbor dogs got together!
[quote=kellyh57;963218]We’ve got a cockapoo and I think she’s pretty cute! She’s got a lot more poodle on her outside than cocker. They say cockapoos are supposed to live to 14 years. Ours is 8 and still acts like a puppy (full of energy, always playing, etc.) She was about 11 months old when we got her and she was set to be put down right as we rescued her. Apparently, when animal control takes a pet, they give them a 5 day waiting period and then put them down. They don’t expect anyone to want a dog that someone else didn’t want. Anyway, she was brought in, and put in a cage far away from other dogs and I fell in love with her and we saved her! I’m all for rescuing animals and I love mixed breeds! I grew up with a peakinese-poodle-shelty mix…I don’t have any clue what happened there! We’re guessing the neighbor dogs got together!
What you’re looking at is a Yorkshire Terrier, a young one at that. They don’t get much bigger but their hair gets longer and changes colour slightly. They can be very sweet little dogs but people tend to treat them as babies, dressing them up and carrying them around in ‘dog purses’. It’s a shame really…cute as they are, they’re still dogs and need what dogs need: walks, social interaction with other dogs, discipline, THEN affection. If given in the opposite order, what you end up with is furball with ‘big dog syndrome’ -a dog that turns into a yapping, snarling, 4 lb ball of fluff that quite literally will take over the home and assert itself as the pack leader. I’ve dealt with many Yorkies over the years and have helped to remove some of the behaviours that people have caused by humanizing their dogs simply by treating the dog as a…well, dog.
Well said! It is true, and terriers can be pretty hard-headed, so it’s important to make sure they know WHO the big dog is. I just discovered the show on Animal Planed called “It’s Me or The Dog”!!! Now THERE’S a way to learn what NOT to do with your dogs (small or large)!
I was going to make a different OT thread…but since we’re all dog lovers here…I hope this isn’t “hijacking” a thread… It’s amazing how each dog has a very singular personality and quirks.
What idiosyncrasies can you tell us about your dog…or what is a cute or unusual thing does your dog(s) do???
My Cricket (the one in the avatar at left with the teal Irish Hiking Scarf) is afraid of the X-Files theme. The eeeeeerie whistling makes her head pop up and she JUMPS in my lap for protection until it’s over…:roflhard: DH is a little jealous that she mostly comes to me because she’s kind of the apple of his eye…his little darling…but sometimes she goes to him instead.:woot:
Ripley (below) high fives, she also stands behind me when I am in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready to go out, putting makeup on and grumbles as if to complain :teehee:. It’s not a bark, it’s almost talking like Scooby Doo on the old cartoons.
LOL! My Peanut loves to steal stuff, from socks (clean or dirty…I have to keep the hamper door closed so he doesn’t wander in with embarrasing items. :roflhard: when I have company)…to kleenex, etc. You name it, he’ll eat it!
He takes it under my bed to chew in secret. I ALWAYS know he’s into something he shouldn’t be if he’s down there. :teehee:
Apples are good for their teeth. So are carrots. I give it to mine daily for ‘flossing’. At first they don’t like it, so I put it in my mouth, then give it to them. You know dogs love anything that has your saliva on it. :lol:
While mixed breeds are certainly wonderful pets, I flinch every time I hear about how they are so much healthier than purebreds. While purebreds from puppy-mills and backyard breeders (this term references those that throw any two cute/sweet/tough dogs together with no forethought and sells the pups solely for money and to anyone with the money, no questions asked) can have horrible problems, reputable breeders are doing their very best to eliminate genetic problems from their respective breeds.
Here’s an example. Doberman Pinshcers have some very horrible genetic issues brought about when there was a surge in popularity in the breed. Puppy mills and byb breeders were churning out dobe puppies but without any thought as to the breeds health. So, you like dobes, but don’t want those heath issues. You go to the shelter and find a dobe-mix pup, figuring that you have saved yourself the emotional and financial ache of a purebred dobe. Then the pup gets older and you find out he’s got Von Willebrands, cardiomyopathy, Wobblers Syndrome or Hip Dysplasia. But how, why?
Well, the mix pup most likely came from puppy-mill or byb lines. But the reputable breeders will keep a close eye on their pups. One shows up with one of these genetic diseases, the breeder will likely not breed from the parents again. (Or the breeder will perform a line-breeding to identify which parent carries the ‘bad’ genes) Rep. breeders will test the dogs they breed (OFA, CERF, Penn-hip, etc depending on breed disposition) to be certain that only healthy dogs are breeding.
Now, I am not against rescueing dogs. In fact, my current dog is a rescue. A few of the rats I have owned over the years have come from breeders, but all the rest of my pets are rescue/shelter pets. But I see nothing wrong with acquiring a pet from a responsible, reputable breeder if the person is looking for something specific. One day I’d like a dog that I can compete in Schutzhund with. This requires a dog with a rock-solid temperment. 99.9% of dogs out there will not fit the bill. I will go to a breeder for a Schutzhund prospect. If I am looking at a breed that has been over-bred (and poorly bred) by byb’s (German Shepherd Dog comes to mind) I will search out a good breeder. All-round family pet? You bet I’ll be looking in shelters first.
And of course, mixed breeds CAN get sick also, one cannot think that just because a dog is a mutt he won’t get Cancer (prevalent to Springer Spaniels for example), etc.
God bless you for rescuing!!!
It’s amazing how each dog has a very singular personality and quirks.
I totally agree with you.:woot: