You're all going to think i'm mad but....

[ToniAnne8]

I dont think you are mad!!!
I am 24 weeks pregnant and we have a hyper 8 month old Cocker Spaniel.
He is adorable although pushes the boundaries at time. He is just a bundle of energy. We did think about selling him when we found out I was pregnant but he is part of the family & our 6yr old loves him.

He is going to his first obdience class tonite to just help us train him better & hopefully faster.
We used the training pads in the house at first & then had a dog flap fitted and he just loves it.
He comes and goes as he pleases & stopped using the training pads soon as the flap was fitted.

He is just so funny with some stuff he does.
I think children should grow up around animals. I did and now my children will. I dont want them to be afraid of animals.

One thing he is not allowed to do is go upstairs.
This is because he loves to chew and swallow socks and there always some on the floor upstairs!!!!

 

[NuttyJester]

Go for it! I've got two border collies, deliciously naughty girls! I'd have another one (or two, or three) today if OH would let me... will twist his arm one day!

 

[fruity]

Please think about this carefully. Weimie's are not for the faint hearted, they need several miles of exercise every day as well as mental stimulation. I am involved in dog rescue and actually cringe when I think that when your baby arrives the pup is going to be going through the teeneager nipping, jumping, chewing stage. Don't take this personally but breeders are in it for the money and not the welfare of the dogs. Any reputable rescue would NEVER place a young dog or puppy in a home where a new baby is expected. I am not having a go at you so please take thispost in the way it is intended, for the welfare of the dog.

 

[Vici]

fruity, I don't think you can say that all breeders are in it for the money, that is most def not true. My OHs mum was not allowed her jack pup until the breeder had visited their house twice! And my grandad has always have weimies and they have been absolutley brilliant around my 3 neices and his youngest was only 5 months when my first neice was born )

As a person who deals in rescue dogs maybe you could help me - we were told we could not have a rescue dog about a year ago as DF and I are both at work (even tho we have one at home now and either one of us comes home a few times during the day, if we can't she goes to mums), now we are told we can't have one as we are having a baby and yet my mums friends who are retired (she is 58 and he is 65) who are at home all the time were told they could not have one because they are too old. Who can get rescue dogs?

 

[fruity]

Hi Vici,
Not all breeders are in it for the money but you can bet your bottom dollar that very few would go to the lengths you have spoken about - most "breeders" are people who think they would like to breed a litter without doing all the required eye tests, hip scores home checks etc. Also a good breeder should ALWAYS make the new owners sign a declaration to say that should anything go wrong in the dogs lifetime and the dog needs to be rehomed that it is returned to the breeder.

Rescues vary on the criteria for rehoming but they tend to match the dog to the home offered and it is not a case of going along and picking out a dog you like. Good rescues place their dogs in foster homes where they are thoroughly monitored re kids, small animals etc and also given a thorough vet check, micro chipped and neutered. They also conduct rigorous home checks to make sure the gardens are secure and also that everyone in the family is prepared to take on the training etc that every dog requires.

I cannot comment on teh individual circumstances you mentioned but all I will say is that the rescue wants to rehome dogs but will only do so if the circumstances offered are perfect for the individual animal and to be honest, the feelings of the people are irrelevant.

There are several rescues I know who have rehomed to housebound pensioners who have carers attending several times a day but they match up the dog very carefully so if your frineds looked around, i am sure they would find a suitable rescue dog.

If you are still looking for a dog, go to the Dogpages website where you will see all types and ages looking for homes. You have the added benefit of knowing the background of the animal and knowing that it is healthy unlike many "breeders" who produce litter after litter of unhealthy pups.