SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion

Hi everyone...

So I hope you'll be able to help me... here are some details.

I have a big yard for the dog to run around.
I have two other dogs, who are old and not as active
I dont mind walking or grooming my dog, as my current dogs are one long hair and another short hair.

I love animals! They sleep in the house, even Shiba who is a bigger dog...

So, I need a bread and a name hehe, so help me please?

I always encourage people to get dogs from animal shelters, but the chances are that you won't get a puppy there. However, you can still get a young dog. Also, mongrels and mixed breeds tend to be healthier and hardier than pedigrees. Although I like pedigrees too, I've always thought that just getting a 'nice' dog was more important than any breed.

For breeds though, I'd go for a Rhodesian Ridgeback if you want a bigger dog, and a Jack Russell if you want a small one.

Will try and think of some good names :)

Thanks Lauren...
Those are great suggestions, my bf has a Jack Russel, and he is toooooo cute!

I know, I'd love a dog from a Shelter, but I'll be to sad to leave there with only one dog you see? I get very emotional about it

Well, you'd at least be helping one dog :)

If you choose a pedigree though, be sure to check where the dog comes from. Some people just breed dogs to make money, and they keep them in awful conditions. Sometimes those puppies can also be sick or infected with worms, fleas, etc.

Jip I know, thats why if I do choose a pedigree I like to pick a breeder that lives close by to me, so I can go look at the dogs.

Like Oscar, our Shnauzer, the people we bought him from breed with them, they have the mom and and dad and two of Oscars sibblings as well, they love their dogs very much and we still visit them often

Oh ok, that's cool then :)
My friend has a Schauzer called Higgins, he's adorable!

I get really angry at people who don't take care of their animals. You should love your pets. They're companions, not security systems, status symbols or toys.

I feel more sorry for pets who get mistreated than humans you know, and people who cant look after a pet and love a pet shouldnt be here I think, their horrible people.

Not only pets but all animals. Here in paarl we have a lot of squirrils and the people go out of their way to drive over them! How sick is that!!!

I love cats and dogs, I had a couple of fish but that was very traumatic for me, as when they died I was extremely sad and would burry them in the yard. Also had hamsters and when they died I was very very emotional as well, at least cats and dogs last longer.
Also had birds...

In my family we love animals. My one auntie lives with an open field next to her, and sometimes stray dogs will come there, and she'll feed them all! She also looks after the cats in the neighbourhood.
My uncle had a black crow, he use to talk. Coughed just like my grandmother! And my cousin had chickens and geese in his backyard. We all have dogs and cats.

I also go onto ads to see when people are giving away their pets if they have to move.

I love watching Animal Planet and Nat Geo, not to mention the Dog Whisperer on TV. I love animals and if it was upto me and I had a huge house I would have lots of animals. When I was little I used to dream of living on a farm, getting up early to milk the cows and mucK out the horses, hardly glamourous I know, and to my childish mind didnt seem much hard work either.

I think most people when thinking of getting a dog would want a puppy, its the same when people want a child, they always want a baby, and not a grown up child. There is something wonderful about a puppy, you know that it is new and that you can teach it from scratch. But older dogs are just as wonderful too, and need just as much love. Unfortunately today people get rid of puppies aswell as older dogs so there are plenty of animals needing good homes.

Personally If I had to get a dog today, even though I love pedigree dogs, I would get my dog from the shelter, I would find the saddest case and bring that dog home and give it the best life possible. Dogs are loyal even though we might not be loyal to them.

Although i have a dog, she is a Labrador - Galaxy :)

I would get a cat, a ginger one and call him/her Crookshanks. But thats only when i can really afford one (Galaxy lives with her boyfriend, my moms dog by my mom :P) and when my boyfriend stops being allergic!

But getting one at a shelter is the best way to go i agree!

Thanks for the advice Emma. :)

I always wanted to stay on a farm and adopt all the pets at the SPCA and so on.

I also still want to figure out a way to raise money for the SPCA...
I also love watching all the animal shows on TV, and in America, if you mistreat your animal you get fined, and that money goes to the SPCA, why cant we have that in SA? We'd make a fortune becuase there are loads of people who mistreet their animals... and if they cant pay, take away the pet anyway and have them come volunteer to wash the dogs and stuff like that until their depts are paid off.

My bf's one dog Kaira is currently at the SPCA kennels cause he doesnt have enought space for her at the moment, but he'll be moving soon. He pays them for her to stay there, and he says its like any normal kennle, she even gets Pedigree food! He goes to visit her every weekend and he says she's doing great. But he is falling in love with all the other dogs that are there...

He also volunteered to do their books for them for free every month. Here in Paarl and Wellington there were a couple who were "helping" the SPCA but the ended up steeling the money :(

Ok so think of names?
I love that you want a Cat called Crookshanks hehe.

Here are some names I've thought of and dog breads I've thought of to.

So I'd love to have a bulldog, they are soooo cute, but alas, they cost about R7500 and that is not the kind of money I have for a dog. I also love beagles (and did you know that animal tests get done on beagles often as their immune system are very close to humans, weird but true) and also a Boerboel, Chocolate Lab, Boxer, St Bernard, Chow Chow, Scottish Terrior, boston terrior, French bulldog, Spaniel...
My list could go on forever!

Here are some names:
Wallace
Grommit
Riley
Rooney
Maya
Bella
Ben (Big Ben if it was a bulldog hehe)
Chuck
Harry
Ceaser
Kaizer
Jack
Gigi
Konjak (if it was a St Bernard, we use to have them when I was a kid and their names were always Konjak)

I like Riley!

So do I!
Courtney actually got me a few Irish names, as he is from Irish decendents...
Rowan is also one.
But for a girl I'm not sure

I remember years ago watching an undercover documentary in the UK. One of the reporters who went undercover got a job at an animal testing lab somehwere in England and it showed you how they treated the animals and what they did to them. It makes my stomach sick thinking of it. After watching that programme in my teens I was determined to buy all my products from The Body Shop, as at the time they were the leaders in producing goods that were "not tested on animals" fortunately now there are lots of companies whose products dont involve animal testing.

I have had 2 dogs gorwing up. One a West Highland White terrier called Freeway,we had him for 9yrs he was a rascal and he definately needed cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer. The other dog we had was called Dudley he was a chocolate Labrador, I loved him to bits, Labs are very placid dogs so great with kids and well everyone. We only had hm for 4yrs though as he got a very rare bacterial infection that was incurable and we had to have him put down. I have a picture of him on my fridge even now. He was a lovely dog.

I have never been a cat person but I like those cats that are very fluffy, and I am sure high maintenance.....Its the same cat that Blowfed has in Bond? Not sure of the breed.

Persian I think?

When I was a baby we had two St Bernards, Konjak (Like cognac brandy) and Heidi.
We had to give them away eventually as we moved to a house with a smaller yard. When we eventually moved again we got a new St Bernard, also Konjak. Oh I loved him so much. Then when he was 3 he got run over, his lungs colapsed and his front leg was of no use anymore. But he survived, I can still remember that huge dog sleeping on the couch, we took good care of him. He lived to be about 13 years old, and he was great. When I got my cat Kieter Konjak was still alive, and he would lie on the ground and she would lie between his legs, they were best friends.
Then we got Shiba also while Konjak was alive. She came from my fathers cousin, my uncle. My uncle loved her very much, but his neighbours had poisened one of his dogs and he didnt want to take the risk. So she was about 4 months when we got her. She's about 12 years old now, and what a loving dog! She was very afraid of men when she was young, because my uncle's neigbour would climb over the wall and hit her. About a year after Konjak died we got Oscar the Shnauzer, and he is a real rascal. My mom says his her child, and he is VERY protective of her! He's about 10 now... He is very cute, but he can be really tempremental sometimes :)

I had to put my cat down last year, and that was very traumatic for me, I loved her very much, so I just couldnt think of having another cat again...