Big Paws Only Dog Forums

My Timber takes his CGC on August 9th. We went to class tonight and WOO HOO it was tough! There were 12 dogs there and our trainer had us line up our dogs a foot apart in a down stay and we had to take turns walking over each of them. Like Hopscotch kind of! So not only did your dog have 12 people walk over it, it had to stay as you left it to walk over the other 11 dogs! Then they did a sit stay and we walked in a weave pattern...Then ...  drumroll... you had to walk your dog over each of the other dogs! Talk about socialization! Check out the pic below to give you some idea of what we were dong... This is the sit stay right before we started the weaving... My guy is the 3rd from the camera staring intently at me like "mom, where are you going?"

So a fellow rescue friend of mine pulled a VERY pregnant momma from a kill pound. She had her pups a day later. She looks like a beagle mix. Small, about 20 pounds. You can see her with my son in the first picture. I also attached some pics of the pups close up for your review! They are 17 days old in these pics. What the heck!? One of them looks like a saint bernard!!!! She has 2 black and white, 2 brown and white, and one pure black. Compared to her they are huge!!!! Any thoughtS?

So, after the long drama of waiting and praying and wondering about getting a 3rd dog... my friend moved in with me for a month in between homes. With her came her 3 month old boxer and 3 year old newf. I am in love. They moved out 2 weeks ago and I miss his big hairy drooling self. So, Ive decided I have to have one. Ive wanted one forever, but was worried about bringing in a 3rd dog with my 10 year old and 1 year old. Figured the 10 year old couldn't handle it. Well, after now having 4 dogs living here - it wasn't bad at all. My 1 year old played with the others and the 10 year old got come peace! So, I'm now on the search for a breeder. There are SO many out there. What should I look for? Any suggestions of great breeders? Ive always done rescue, so never had to go the breeder route, but I really want a puppy so I am gonna try a breeder this time. Help!

I am completely addicted to Petfinder! I check it every day, okay maybe a few times a day... I can scroll so fast down those critters and pick out a newly posted one that Petfinder should hire me as a consultant! It's hysterical when i think about it. Of course, I thought this was completely normal until someone standing over my shoulder said - slow down, I cant see any of them! Of course I always check the newfies and danes first still looking for the one whose eyes yell - "STOP Mom, Its me! I'm ready to come home!"
Any other addicts out there?

I am amazed at the ads for the furminator... but I am a skeptic. That is until my friend told me she got one and LOVES it. So, I am ready to splurge 50 bucks for a 4 inch piece of plastic with a blade. That being said... what size do I get? I have a golden and a border collie/ newf mix, about the same size as my golden girl. Do i get the large? or the medium? Any input into this overly priced miracle tool would be great!

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/pet/665311714.html

really cute goy looking for a new home. Posted on Craiglist.

Anyone ever own a Bernese Mountain Dog? A lady near here has a rescue. Heres my dilema. I need advice. My 10 1/2 year old Golden adores my 1 1/2 year old newf/border collie mix - but cant keep up playing with him. So she spends much of her day hiding from him! I really want my younger guy to have someone to grow up with. The question is... do I add a 3rd younger dog to teh family now so that in a few years when my golden passes it wont be a shock to bring in a new dog, or do I wait until she passes then introduce a new one? I dont want to stress my golden out too much with 2 youthful dogs here, but maybe they would play together and leave her alone. Thoughts?
Also, Im not sure what to get!!! I know I love BIG dogs, but my son Hates drool! My last newfie foster he called "slobber dog"!  "Mom, slobber dog wants to go out" "Slobber Dog, Sit" ... anyway, he would yell and scream whenever he got wet, which was often and he would change his clothes a few times each hour! (every time slobber dog put his head in his lap!) I think he did it on purpose But Im partial to Danes, Newfies... and now I am wondering about Bernese. I know they arent as big as the others, but do they drool? Heck, just give me one of each!

So here's the 411 - I decided I was itching for a great dane last summer. It started when a great dane stole my heart in our therapy dog class and I knew I had to have one. So a few weeks later I see this sign in a guys yard a few blocks from me advertising great dane pups for sale for 500 bucks. I about threw up since it was more like a yard sale sign and I saw them in a crate sitting in the hot sun.  I was on the way to obedience class and drove by on the way back ready to knock on his door and tell him the dangers of the hot sun on these pups - but he had taken them inside. Of course I cursed him as I drove by for a few days then saw the sign marked down to 400. Now, all of you who do rescue know why my blood is boiling. Breeders are great and necessary, but no reputable breeder puts a yard sale sign in there yard... anyway, over the next 2 weeks the sale goes on down to 200$. I finally call the guy and tell him I do rescue and can tell that he is having trouble rehoming the dogs and offer to help him find loving homes. He tells me he has the last 2 dogs and had 2 people coming to buy them now that they were only 200. So obviously no screenings were needed, just the cash. Anyway, I felt horrible but was glad I didnt buy from a backyard breeder and started my quest for a dane of my own. Its a year later and still NO DANE!!!! The 2 rescues in my area said this - Rescue 1 - you have a child under the age of 8 so we cannot adopt to you. I explained that I have been doing rescue for years and my children (5 and have been with me to dog training classes their entire lives and have fostered dogs over 100 pounds on many occassions. They have helped birth 12 pups from a lab foster we pulled from a high kill shelter. I assured them they were dog savy and that they even "hold on the the walls when they walk in the house" and "know which peanut butter jar is the dogs" Anyway, no dice - they said no exceptions. So I contact the other and they say I am 15 miles outside of their adoption area and they make no exceptions. So I politely ask them, "So, you are telling me there is no way I can rescue a dane. What should I do?" and they say - (sit down).... "GO TO A BREEDER!"   What The F?!!?!? Are you kidding me? Now I understand they have rules.. but are you kidding me? So, here I am a year later, trying to be the responsible rescue loving pet owner and not go to a breeder and I am being punished for it. I find myself driving past this guys house now and looking for another sign! Not that I want to help perpetuate bakyard breeders, but I can understand how poeple who dont really understand the whole rescue crisis would easily buy from them. (Did I mention his danes are pure blue and gorgous!) Anyway... I have seen some danes on petfinder at shelters and called to inquire about them, but many times they say they are way too out of control to be around kids... hence the reason I want to adopt from a rescue who can tell me the dogs history. Having to train a dog doesnt bother me, Id do that anyway, but I have kids and cats and dont want a dog that has aggression issues... Which I cant know from pulling one from a shelter. ive checked Petfinders classified for people rehoming their own but that hasnt worked either....So, guess I keep waiting... I know the right one will find me!