Lovelyish

Having gotten my little Rocko about a month ago, I’d recommend not getting a puppy. Rocko’s about nine months to a year old and was already housetrained when we got him from the shelter, but he’s still driving us mad. I love him to death, yes. But jesus christ I can’t wait until puppyhood is over.

Go to a shelter and get an adult dog, especially if you’ve never had a dog before. It may already have some training and chances are you’d be saving it from euthanasia — everyone wants puppies so I hear adult dogs are usually stuck in the shelter until their time is up.

Just thought I’d give some advice

@thepsychoticraccoon@xanga - Thanks! I actually have a dog that lives with my parents so this wouldnt be my first. I thought about getting an older dog, but I kind of want to go though the whole young puppy training thing. What kind of puppy is Rocko?

I love all animals, but in all 24 years of my life I haven’t gone without a black pug. Pugs are my absolute favorite dogs, and I have a Pug collection of over a hundred miniature Pug trinkets and toys. I’ve owned one regular fawn Pug, but my favorites are by far the black ones because they are a little more rare. My first Pug that I owned myself, not my mom’s dog or dad’s or family dog, I helped birth at 5 years old. Me and that dog were inseparable and he lived with me for 18 1/2 nice long years. So instead of a dog or cat person, I’d say I’m definitely a Pug person. They have awesome personalities and each one is like their own little person.

@EmberCove - THATS WHAT I WANT!! Pugs are the cutest! I want one so bad!

@EmberCove - PUG LYFE.

@KatieK - Rocko is a basenji-chihuahua mix and is actually pretty well behaved, considering what he could’ve been. My parents got their German shepherd at about a month old and she was an absolute terror for several months, lol. Total sweetheart, but we called her the Nightmare After Christmas.

Training is probably the least pleasurable experience of owning a puppy, at least I think so. It depends on how stubborn that particular puppy is and how trainable the breed is. I might take Rocko to a puppy training school just to teach a few basic commands. I’ll try it myself first as I’ve been successful with teaching him “get in your crate” (when he doesn’t play dumb to get a treat put on the table, lol) but he’s so stubborn.

If you still want to go through training, I’d at least recommend getting a dog that’s housetrained. That, if anything, has been just beautiful.

@KatieK - Plus, they really aren’t bad puppies at all. Every one that I have had has been so good, no chewing, no real problems. They learn fast and they’re lazy little dogs so if you want to sleep in they’ll let you more often than not. And they bond to you. Polo actually follows me everywhere I go – when I go to the kitchen he’s laying by my feet, when I go to the room he runs in and is either on the bed or by my feet. The only real problem I’ve had with him is he won’t come to me when outside…which all my other Pugs have. He knows what the command is, he just has his own little personality.  

@thepsychoticraccoon@xanga - I would get one thats potty trained for sure! Thanks for the advice! your dog sounds super cute!

I love dogs. I grew up with my parents’ several Boston Terriers, plus a sweet Weimaraner they found on the side of the road from being dumped there by her past owners. So, ideally, I’d love to have a Boston  Terrier someday, but would also like to adopt a shelter dog/puppy as well.

Right now my family still has Daisy with us, a Boston and Rat terrier mix we’ve had since she was six weeks old in 2001. I love how the craziness of the Rat terrier half complements her more mellow Boston side (they are sometimes called “the American gentleman,” which is so true for every Boston I’ve ever met.) She’s just got her own personality, like she sees herself more like a human at times. When I was in middle school, she would wait by the front door for when the bus would drop us off after school.  

Photo 6 is my fav.

I would probably not get a puppy again, although to be fair the pound told me she was “at least a year if not two years old” but it turned out she was 6 months old.

Shasta (my dog) was the ONLY mutt in the pound not barking or jumping around and I fell in love with her 10 pound brindle body but she wasn’t up for adoption yet because she was considered aggressive. My mom went down to the shelter while I was at school that Monday and on Wedneday I was surprised with a brand new dog, the one I wanted…. who was a lot younger then originally informed.

She also ended up being HYPER, not the quiet little thing at the pound,, tricky tricky dog lol.

But I have had her for 10 years this year and she is my heart, we have been through a lot together and I am thankful she is healthy and still hyper in her old age.

So, yea. No more puppies for me.