Im looking into getting a dog.

Not sure of the kind yet, but I am leaning towards adoption.

Recommendations? Thoughts? Personal experiences?


[This message has been edited by LHIOB (edited 1/13/2009 10:02a).]

We are doing the same. We have been using the website below. It was linked from the SPCA.

http://www.petfinder.com/adopt.html

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Do you want to just go to the SPCA and rescue a random mutt, or do you want something in particular that you can rescue by breed specific, like lab rescues or great dane rescues?

As a reputable breeder and chair member of my breed association, the BEST way to find a dog right for you and your family is to attend a dog show. There are many in our area, and if you're willing to drive out a little way, there is one going on in other parts of TX if not in Houston.
http://www.hfrc.org/site/hfr.asp?sid=506393874

I say this is the best way to find a dog because you'll get first hand info from the people who know the breed the best. Getting info from a friend, and a friend of a friend who "have always had X breed" can be inaccurate because they could be basing their experience on their lifetime of getting badly bred dogs. Dogs get classified as hyper, anxious, prone to certain genetic diseases, aggressive when they are NOT if bred correctly.

If you're looking for a quick way, I would go to the local dog shelter and see what dogs they have. Make a list of the breeds you liked, take it home, and do your homework on the web. Then you can go back and if that dog is no longer there, you can also contact that breed's club, and they will put you in contact with either a good breeder or their rescue.



[This message has been edited by fourkids (edited 1/13/2009 3:23p).]

Go online and find the area kill shelters. Go rescue a pup from there. We got our lab from the City of LaPorte 5 years ago and she's been great. When we picked her up they let us take her with no fees as long as we promised to get her fixed. We'll be going back there again whenever we're going to get another dog.

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX645.html

there are rescue organizations for most breeds here in Houston. We've adopted a lab and a boxer mutt.

They will have purebreds and some mutts being fostered. Sometimes you go to the foster location to meet the animal and sometimes they'll have events at places like Petsmart.

Houston Collie Rescue. The wife and I foster/rehabilitate dogs for them from time to time.

How about Lucy?

http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=1328823&forum_id=50

We have always adopted from CAP (Citizens for Animal Protection).

www.cap4pets.org

Scout's Honor Rescue

www.scoutshonor.org

my wife and I have two adopted Greyhounds.. http://www.gpahouston.org/

They are awesome dogs!

Good luck with whatever you pick.

We just adopted a greyhound last summer from gpa and I recommend them as well if you want a big lazy dog that lays around and does nothing.

We adopted this guy from the Houston SPCA right before Christmas.

I got my dog from Scouts Honor, they are great. $125 and they take care of the shots and spay/neuter.

Red Collar Rescue is another good one. The woman who runs it is a former member of Scouts Honor.

Awwww... Bowser is so cute, Andy!

I just adopted the dog below from Happily Ever Dog Rescue. They were great to work with.
http://search.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?shelterid=TX1005&preview=1

We adopted this guy from www.houstonpekerescue.com



[This message has been edited by Linz02Ag (edited 1/13/2009 9:26p).]

Check out www.lonestarboxerrescue.com

Only check it if you are looking for the sweetest, most entertaining, loving and loyal dogs out there...

That is such a cute dog Linz.

My wife gets sad everytime she looks at petfinder...I think she wants all of the dogs.

I suggest lab, german shepard or boxer. Good work dogs, very obedient and smart. All are real good with kids and can be good gaurd dogs if you want them to be. My neighbors have a labs and they are perfect, my parents have boxers. My parents dogs are really bad at being gaurd dogs though. As you approach they bark, but if you get too close they will just lick you to death.

Thank for all the suggestions! Please keep them coming!

My roommate and little brother have boxers and as much as I like them I think I am going to go in a different direction...

Thanks fourkids!

Blue heeler. Great dogs, there are two where I keep my horses and both are awesome dogs.

I won't suggest pits, even though that's what I have. Hyper freakin' dogs when they are younger requiring tons of exercise and attention. Once these go to doggy heaven, I'll just donate to the pit rescues. Way too much energy for me.

We third the greyhound suggestion from GPA Houston. We're on our second. Great dogs...most seem very affectionate, and they don't require lots of exercise like you would think. Only thing is they need to be indoor dogs and you have to be extremely careful about keeping them leashed in unfenced areas.

Great dogs to have if you allergy issues as well (no undercoat).

Adopted this sweet young lady month and half ago on:
http://petfinder.com/

Where are all of these previously unwanted dogs coming from!??

i periodically checked petfinder.com for a specified age, gender, breed and found mine within 2 mo.

petfinder.com looks to be a collaboration of shelters and pounds within a given radius of your zip code.

I got a house trained, spayed, fully vetted, sweet staffordshire tarrier for a $150 adoption fee. I highly recommend the site.

Mine was found wandering around River Oaks. The lady that found him looked on PetFinder and got the contact info for Houston Peke Rescue. They picked him up and nursed him back to health before putting him up for adoption. As for prior to that, no clue. I can't imagine dumping such a cute dog. I guess they figured they were being humane by dumping him in River Oaks.

This place is awesome:

http://www.twyla.org/adopt.htm

I highly recommend getting your best buddy from them.

quote:

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my wife and I have two adopted Greyhounds.. http://www.gpahouston.org/

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Yep! :-)
http://www.gpahouston.org/

There is some good info online. Googling for dog shelters in Houston landed me with GPA 8 years ago. It sounded intriguiing (I like big dogs), so I started volunteering there. Within a few months I adopted and I still volunteer with them from time to time.

Generally they are lazy, but they have different personalities. My first greyhound was not as playful as the one we have now. He's higher energy than she was, and I joke that he's 5% labrador. ;-)

They come in all sizes, from 50-100 pounds, and all colors, from white to black and almost everything in between.

[This message has been edited by Photog (edited 1/14/2009 8:48p).]

Some nice looking dogs on here. +1 on the adoption option. I think that it is a good way to go.

LHIOB, is this your first dog or have you had a dog before?

i like this greyhound Shooter from the site above:



I bet she would be fun to watch run at the dog park...

[This message has been edited by thirdcoast (edited 1/15/2009 6:49a).]

This will be my first dog, though my family has had several

Will you (or SO or child) be able to regularly spend time at home with the dog? Do you have a yard or is there a park (or dog park) nearby?

If you answered 'no' to the above, you may want a dog (or breed in general) that is a bit less active.

Similarly, you won't want a Great Dane if you have a one bedroom or efficiency apartment; a Yorkie or Chihuahua may be better suited for that living arrangement.

I've had large and small breeds and it can stress you out (as well as be unfair to the dog) to expect too much out of your relationship especially when the dog's tendencies (or size, appetite, etc.) don't allow for the practical aspects of your lifestyle or a reasonable lifestyle change on your part.