I need a dog.

[alittlelark]

Mine had to be put to sleep in NM 3 weeks ago. It was wretched. She was only 5 years old.

I need a dog that is GREAT with cats and kids and loves road trips!! I am OK w/ 8-10 years old. The kids and I understand the cycle of life at this point.

Younger is fine, as long as they meet the prior requisites.

I will travel 250 miles for the right doggie.... any advice/input?

[HEyHEY]

1. Sorry to hear that

There's nothing like losing a Dog.

[alittlelark]

2. Losing cats is the only thing that comes close.

sigh

[HEyHEY]

3. I remember when Nicky died

I was on my bed crying... I couldn't control myself. My sister's dog, Cali, looked at men...jumped on the bed and lay beside me with her head on my chest staring into my eyes in the most understanding way... amazing experience. Cali is young but it'll be a tough day when she goes too.

[alittlelark]

4. I can relate... my other cat and my dog were 'telling me'

something was wrong. But I, as a stupid human didn't get it.


I wish I had listened,

Then I wouldn't have had to spend 3 weeks crying on the sofa/bed/floor/steering wheel.

[roguevalley]

5. I'm sorry about this, honey. I lost my Gretchen when she was

22. Half of my life, she was my girl, my daughter. The love of my life.

[alittlelark]

7. It's amazing how they can take over and improve our realities.

And those special ones are rare (but I love them all).

[HEyHEY]

6. Reminds me

We had two Cats.. Otis...and Sassy.

Sassy was themore people friendly the two...no matter who was around..she wanted to see them and be friends.

SHe dropped dead for an unkown reason on the neighbour's lawm

Later that night... I saw otis sitting on the desk with his head on his paws...looking straight ahead.. like he was reflecting

[alittlelark]

8. 'unknown reasons' are often getting hit by a car

The beasties will function for 3-5 seconds after the event. It is tragic, but they pass so quickly....


They always pass quickly in our time frames.

[SoCalDem]

9. Please... go to a shelter and adopt a rambunctious 1 or 2 yr old

Lab or Lab mix.. They are fantastic with kids and other pets.. They play hard their whole lives, and they are smart smart smart :)

[alittlelark]

10. I have 3-4 I'm looking at..... I am still in a state of loss

and am having problems figuring out what to do..... I NEED a dog (don't know why), and keep on searching... Haven't had this problem before.

[Jamastiene]

11. Toy Poodle

I had a poodle when I was a kid and he was my best friend for real. I'd go for a toy poodle, not the "teacup" variety. Toy Poodles will live longer than the tiny little ones do. They are super intelligent and friendly, great with kids, usually great at traveling (you could practically teach them to drive not for real, but they enjoy interacting with people a lot), and they tend to make friends with cats when other dogs hate cats.

[tjwmason]

24. Tony Blair?

Toy Poodles will live longer than the tiny little ones do.

Well the P.M. is certainly getting on a bit.

They are super intelligent

Being fair, yes he is very very intelligent.

and friendly,

If one counts saccharine as friendly.

great with kids

He's got four of them, so probably not bad.

usually great at traveling

Have you seen his foreign travel schedule, he's never actually here in England.

(you could practically teach them to drive

Woud guess so.

they enjoy interacting with people a lot

Well that's a major part of a politician's job.

[snoochie]

12. a boxer?

i'm sorry to hear about your other doggie. boxers are good with kids and i think other animals, too. good luck finding a good match for you and your family.

[Lizzie Borden]

13. Input. I've had many different breeds at different times.

As far as getting along with other dogs and with cats, I had more consistent luck with Dobermans than any other breed. Truly, I kid you not. No other breed comes close. They are also very very loyal. Many times you can find them in shelters of check your local rescue groups too (many are on line). Don't get a blue one. Blues can have very serious coat problems.

[Lizzie Borden]

14. Input. I've had many different breeds at different times.

As far as getting along with other dogs and with cats, I had more consistent luck with Dobermans than any other breed. Truly, I kid you not. No other breed comes close. They are also very very loyal. Many times you can find them in shelters of check your local rescue groups too (many are on line). Don't get a blue one. Blues can have very serious coat problems.

[LDS Jock]

15. try petfinder.com

They have pets listed from various shelters. You can follow the links around to the shelters in your area and find out more about the dogs. Often they will tell you how they get along with cats and kids and everything else.

www.petfinder.com

[RebelOne]

16. Yes, Petfinder is excellent.

[Vektor]

17. I'm so sorry about your loss.

Please try to look at animal shelters first, since you can save a life that way. Many shelters have surrendered animals that have lived with other animals and kids before, but the owner could no longer care for them for whatever reason - though they may be perfectly good dogs. Puppies need to be trained, but can be acclimated to just about any other animals already living at home, and can learn to like road trips.

Best of luck to you!!

[RadicalMom]

18. If you also try a private rescue like a breed rescue, they often know

the dog's history, regarding how they get along with different situations, behavior info, etc., either from the original owner, or a foster home which works with them. Good luck, and you'll usually know the right new family member when you meet.

[Rhiannon12866]

19. I am so very sorry. I have also been through this and feel your pain.

I lost both of my cocker spaniels within six months of each other, and just still can't think of it rationally. Barney was 18, but Sheena was 11, young to me, and I really know how horrible this is and how much it hurts, even now, for me.;(

What sort of dog are you looking for? Small? Large? I have a dear friend in animal rescue who is seeking to place an American Eskimo dog, male, 2-3 years old, with papers, and an adorable little Jack Russell terrier, female, also pretty young. She actually wanted to adopt this dog, herself, since she fell in love with it, but learned that this dog could be dominant, and she already has two large, older dogs.:-(

She placed both of my dogs with me and I love them dearly. I'm in NY. I'd love to make a match with you and my friend and these sweet dogs. If you have other doggy preferences, she has other dogs and I have other friends. Let me know. I've been where you are, and I know that this is a space that only the right little being can fill. It took me almost a year to find my Sara, since my little guy went off on any dog he met, big or small, LOL! But I managed to find him just the right companion. I was very lucky and my friend came through for me, twice. Meet Meneken and Sara, both not cocker spaniels, LOL, but still right for me.
:loveya:

Meneken


Sara


on edit: I checked your location. *sigh* I wish so much that my friend could have also helped you. She's so good at this. But I also recommend petfinder, which her rescue group uses to place dogs. It is a great resource, since you can choose what sort of pet you're looking for, among those needing homes, and find those nearest you, plus it has info on how they get on with other pets and children. Good luck and please keep us posted.:-)

http://www.petfinder.org/

[radfringe]

20. have you thought about adopting a greyhound?

dispite the misconception that they are hyper-dogs -- they are really couch potatoes. Greyhounds are sprinters -- not marathon runners -- so after couple of quick laps around the back yard they are ready to curl up for a nap.

they are great with kids and love to ride in the car -- as far as cats go -- most adapt to cats as buddies quite easily

Most greyhound associations try to match up the dog's personality and temperment with the prospective family.

When we went to adopt our greyhound we told them we had cats and small nieces that come to visit -- so the dog would have to be one that gets along with cats and kids. About a week later we were matched up with a wonderful greyhound -- ignores the cats, loves kids and rides. A greyhound would most likely just walk away if a kid gets tooo rough.

Most greyhound adoption associations do foster out the dogs for a few weeks before permanent placement. Keep in mind that these dogs have only known kennels and racing for most of their life and need to adapt to a home environment. Fostering gives time for them to acclimate to a home, and provides time for evaluating their personality and temperments so a good "match" can be made. they have to taught about cats, stairs and what belly-rubs are all about.

Cost varies depending the association -- there are two in my area, one charges $150 -- the other $250 (but the dog come neutered/spayed hence the difference in cost.)

Dogs are usually 2-3 years old, some may be older due to different circumstances. Life span is between 10-15 years -- my brother had one that was 16 when he died, and a friend of ours lost her's at 13 years.

Color can be anything from fawn, brindle, white, black, or "blue". Size also varies -- ranging from 24"-over 30", weight from 60-70+ lbs.

for an association near you -- google it or ask your vet for info

[auburngrad82]

21. I can give you e-mail addresses for cattle dog rescues if you want

we have two cattle dogs and they are great. There are many, many adult cattle dogs that need rescue. They are smart dogs and are usually good with kids. They can sometimes be too smart, as is the case with our year-old female. Our nine-year old male is the sweetest dog. Anyway, regardless of the breed, I would definitely go with a rescue.

[democratic pride]

22. get a puppy

from a shelter, or pet store. He/she will be bullied by your cats and kids. The pup will grow up loving all of you, or he'll hate you and eat your cats. Good luck:)

[Cooley Hurd]

23. I'm so sorry for your loss, alittlelark...

:cry:

Here's a website dedicated to Airedale rescue:
http://www.aire-rescue.com/
As you can tell by my avatar, I love mine!:loveya:

[Samurai_Writer]

25. Go to the SPCA

They have plenty of dogs that will be put to sleep if no one takes them, and they also test the dogs for their affability with children and cats, etc. I got a great little cocker spaniel who had heartworms, that they were going to destroy because of it. I adopted him, got his heartworms treated, and he's doing great... and he also is great with my two older cats (15 and 14). However, the 15 year old cat is still pissed about hav ing a dog in the house a year later. She tolerates him though.

Good luck with your search and sorry to hear about losing your dog at such a young age. :(