Dogs.

[lou]

I'd wonder if anyone who owned and trained a German Shepherd from a pup would ever have a bad word to say about dogs.

In my experience they are fantastic animals and, though there are exceptions enough, generally much easier and more reliable company than people.

Id love a German Shepherd. Trouble is a lot of people who own them dont train them or give them the attention and exercise they need leading them to behavioural problems and giving them a bad reputation. I think theyre gorgeous, intelligent dogs but I know I dont have the time or room for one at the moment but fully intend to have at least one of them when Im not working and hopefully living in the country!

[Thracian]

Id love a German Shepherd. Trouble is a lot of people who own them dont train them or give them the attention and exercise they need leading them to behavioural problems and giving them a bad reputation. I think theyre gorgeous, intelligent dogs but I know I dont have the time or room for one at the moment but fully intend to have at least one of them when Im not working and hopefully living in the country!

They do need space. A woman from down the road called at my house some years ago begging me to take in her own alsation cos she'd "had enough". I asked her what on earth had happened and she said that it had wrecked her front room, destroying the furniture, the curtains and all sorts of other things.

It was summer, the weather had been quite warm and I asked her if she'd kept the dog in the room with the door closed."Of course," she said, "and a good job otherwise it would have ruined the rest of the house".

Turned out she'd effectively locked the dog in a room with the sun blazing through at certain times of the day and no place to go if it needed shade, a drink or simply somewhere to stretch its legs or get some fresh air.

We never closed any internal door on the dog. Not much point with part of her role being to protect the place but even if it wasn't she'd have been free to roam upstairs or downstairs as she liked.

Shepherds certainly aren't clumsy or destructive when properly trained. In fact there seemed no limit to what ours could learn during her younger years nor to her instinctive understanding of your state of health or wellbeing.

I dealt in antiques and collectable for most of her life and she became something of a legend among that community for all sorts of reasons as well as among the community where we live. Even now, nearly a decade after she died an old lady, she is so fondly remembered and talked about.

PS: One myth about shepherds is the mount of expensive food they need. We provided the best we could afford for the first months of her life but became concerned that her coat seemed a bit lacklustre.

By chance we mentioned this in conversation and a guy told us the best thing for shepherds is green tripe. It sounded horrible and was ridiculously cheap but within days of feeding on it, her coat was positively shining and she was full of vigour.

It stayed so for the rest of her life. Of course she had titbits from the table but her basic diet of green tripe saw her through 100 dog years of life with only two meetings with the vet - the first to have her injections and the next to put her to sleep. Even then she came and told me it was time.

[AyewJoking]

Yeah you have to wash them, feed them, pick up their shít, take them for walks etc but if you're not up for any of that what the fúck you doing with a dog in the first place???

[MC Prussian]

We used to have a Dalmatian, best dog I've ever met. Great companion. Passed thirteen years, then succumbed to joint issues and eyesight problems.

But overall, one can ask oneself what pets are really good for - just another waste of space and time or an easy replacement for a human being? Pets should be kept by those who not only can afford them but also afford to deal with them and keep them tidy and busy on a regular basis.

There's so many cases where people buy cats, dogs, birds, etc. as some sort of luxury item only to maroon them in a remote area a few months later because they can't cope with it any longer.

[Guest Bilo]

I've got a bloody noisy dog that barks like mad every time I step out of my house, definitely doesn't like me and am seriously considering feeding it some Round-Up.

NB: I'm not actually considering it, the mutt just annoys me!

[LCFC-ARAB]

i dont think i could love my dog anymore if i tried, he's a black labrador and amazing

he's 14 now and i've had him since i was 7, so grew up with him and he feels like a brother

will be the worst day of my life when he dies, even worse than when my granny died

dogs are so much better than cats and you can just tell a cat person from a dog person a mile off

[lookwhaticando]

The Cats thread is a little bigger at this point in time.

Just saying...

[ousefox]

Cats > Dogs

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

I like some dogs not others. Hate it when they are let off the lead in a park when you are trying to play football before a stupid mutt comes and tries to take the ball. Then there is always some little woman or man who says: 'He is only playing'.

Should not be allowed off a lead during certain times. IMO

[dogadug]

Cats are boring

Dogs are more clever, more active, and much more entertaining

Although dogs need a little more looking after

[Father Ted]

Cats > Dogs

Seconded.

[Samilktray]

Horrible things.

[Budweiser]

i dont think i could love my dog anymore if i tried, he's a black labrador and amazing

he's 14 now and i've had him since i was 7, so grew up with him and he feels like a brother

will be the worst day of my life when he dies, even worse than when my granny died

dogs are so much better than cats and you can just tell a cat person from a dog person a mile off

& he'll probably die soon

Oh, and cats are shit.

[Daggers]

Cats > Dogs

maddog > didwejustmissagain