about my Boxer

[Scorpner]

Sorry to hear. It's never easy, at least not for me. I've been there too, spent a lot to get another year or so of quality life for her. Rest assured with the fact that you are doing all you can for him. Make sure your decision of keeping him going is best for him and listen to your trusted vet on what is best.

[bigblockpaul]

yes i was thinking the same thing get a puppy while the great dog is still around good stuff gotta rub off on the new one.I cant even think about my little guy not being around.

[Scorpner]

Yes they will copy each other to some extent both good and bad.

[MisterCMK]

My dog is just starting to enter his senior years too. It really sucks because we're aware that this dog we have now is the best dog we've ever had and the best one we'll ever have. He's that one dog you compare the rest of the dogs you have to throughout the rest of your life. He's still perfectly healthy, thank goodness.

We are starting to kind of look around for a puppy. Our reasoning is that perhaps the puppy will take after our existing dog. Does anyone else here have any experience with this?

Dogs do take after each other it seems. When I brought my dog home she started to take after the daschund at home and some of the things that she does.

[Southern]

I dont really pray that much, but if I do I will put a good word in for your dog.

My Yellow Lab is losing his sight n one eye, but its weird seems like its getting better. He is 7 and is pretty much my best buddy.

[mnstang]

My dog is just starting to enter his senior years too. It really sucks because we're aware that this dog we have now is the best dog we've ever had and the best one we'll ever have. He's that one dog you compare the rest of the dogs you have to throughout the rest of your life. He's still perfectly healthy, thank goodness.

We are starting to kind of look around for a puppy. Our reasoning is that perhaps the puppy will take after our existing dog. Does anyone else here have any experience with this?

i know what you're saying but i wouldn't do that. for one, a puppy is too much energy for an old dog to handle. and, i would just raise your next dog how you did your current one. it would be unfair to your next dog to try to make it into your old dog, i wouldn't do that if i had kids and not with dogs either.
our family dog is like you say, imo she is the best dog ever, just like a brother to me. she is 12, and when she dies someday i'm sure my parents will get another, won't be the same, but they all have their own personalities and qualities.

plus, you don't want your pup acting like an old dog, they have to be a puppy and live that part of their life to become a great dog someday

[Black87GT]

my dog also just passed a few months ago, pancreantitus (no idea how to spell it) we spent over $4,000 and he just suffered and i regret it every day, he was the most well behaved dog ive ever seen in my life... he was a collie

[crazy]

thank you all i think i am going to have to put him down it is a spine disez it eats the spine tisue he is come pleetly blind now and just lays in the frunt room my mom whants to keep trying but he haze went from 110ponds of musl down to 91ponds last fri now he is less i no like 80 i bet shit i got more in to my dog now then my drag car. thats allot he is my best friend he was alwas there wen i needed him and the vet sead it mite be poson that started it so if thats the case my nabors rent the only house in the naber hood and we dont get allong i nocked there dad out 4months ago so it could be them and if it is well we now how my temper can be lol

[MadMatt]

Damn crazy, you type painfully. Uh, its best to do what's best. You got to do what's best for you and that poor dog. I'm sorry. I have fully prepared myself to kill all of my cats. It has to be done when you have reached the point where things are really far from them. It's the fairest thing. That would be my choice anyway. I don't plan to see them suffer more than they can deal with.

[95.0mark]

d/l a google tool bar with spell check good sir. sorry to hear about your pet, its not easy sometimes.

[MadMatt]

I'm done with pets when they are gone

[Scorpner]

Doesn't sound good Crazy. Let your vet help you decide what to do.

[Scotty07]

My dog is just starting to enter his senior years too. It really sucks because we're aware that this dog we have now is the best dog we've ever had and the best one we'll ever have. He's that one dog you compare the rest of the dogs you have to throughout the rest of your life. He's still perfectly healthy, thank goodness.

We are starting to kind of look around for a puppy. Our reasoning is that perhaps the puppy will take after our existing dog. Does anyone else here have any experience with this?

Stormy,

Not sure the kind of dog you have, but here is my experience with Labrador retreivers. I have been around retrievers my entire life. I use to belong to a very large retriever club and with some member's help I trained my dogs myself.

Not only did I run them in retriever hunt tests, but I judged a lot of them as well. Back when I hunted I would hunt them all year long running competition hunts as well as the hunting season.

When you say "take after our existing dog" I assume you mean to pick up the skills and mannerizms of that dog?? This is not always possible (or desireable) in dogs of different ages.

Socialization skills of a puppy begin shortly after birth and continue to develope as the puppy is in the litter, and then long after it leaves and goes home with it's new owner. Not only do you need to socialize the dog to other animals, but also to people and it's environment. Sure a young dog can learn things from an older dog, but this is not always a good thing.

For example: My male and female Labs were about four years apart in age. At the time I brought my female home my male was a very accomplished hunter and hunt test runner. The first few times I took her out pheasant hunting I would let her follow along after my male. You could see right away she was learning, but at the same time there was a dependance on him.

After this I kept them apart and seldom hunted them together. She built confidence much quicker and came to rely on her own instincts and natural abilites. It was easier to train her this way, too. A couple years down the road I again hunted them together and she was her own self, not one to follow him around.

I for one like the uniqueness that each dog has brought to the home. Although I consider my last male Lab to be the best hunting dog I ever owned, he was not the best family dog. My last female was a better family dog. I had to have my male put down almost three years ago and my female just this past summer. Hopefully this next spring will bring a new puppy into the household.

My advice would be to find a few reputable breeders and go out and spend some time with the litters watching the puppies. When I picked out my female I first saw her at six weeks of age. I brought some bird wings and a live clipped wing pigeon. She went nuts retrieving the wings and stalking the pigeon. This desire to retrieve was evident her entire life.

Once you pick out a puppy bring it home and properly socialize and train it. Accept it for what it is. Who knows, maybe it will turn out to be the dog you compare all others to.

Good luck!!

[95.0mark]

well we found scottys love. a pasion for pooches.

[Scotty07]

well we found scottys love. a pasion for pooches.

Yes. I have always had a great love for dogs and as I said spent my entire life around them. We now have just her dog. It happens to be at the foot of the bed as I type. It does not shed or it would be outside!