Well this Friday I am going to take a look at a few pups that might be making the journey back to DC with me.

Its been a while since I've had a new dog.

I've had 1 boarder collie and 2 german shepherds in the past though so not new to dog ownership.

I am looking at APBT's. Always been a big fan of bully breeds.

Here a few pictures of the little guys and girls.

 

lol cute....

i wanna get a dog but they arent allowed where i rent

 

aww those look so cute

 

Nice looking pups. Always a big decision selecting a dawg.
I've always been fascinated by this breed, Koolies/Coolies. Often referred to as German Koolies, but are in fact Australian.
Working dog though & smart (so lots of work) & you have to beat curious people off with a stick. Anyway, good luck with the adoption.

 

+1. Cute pups.


But.... what's wrong with another border collie?
Sorry, but I'm partial to borders and australian shepherds. All the ones I've had or been around have been sooo intelligent, affectionate, friendly, clean, etc. And they have so much personality.
I've had many other dogs, too, but dam... I'm hooked on the breed.
Shedding does suck, though.


Raider says: "What you doin' over there, Nate dog?" lol...

 

Heh... You trying to be my doppleganger Nate?

Well seriously now... Kai wasn't a casual decision. I actually researched a lot of breeds that would fit our space, lifestyle and personality. The only "look" that factored in was Spitz type.

We live in a one bedroom apartment so a large / giant breed was out of the question. True working dogs need to be worked to be happy, which living in the city would make difficult. Or every walk would be really long walks. And as much as Yuen might want a fluffy piece of froo-foo to dress up and live on her lap, Kai has well... other thoughts


What we didn't take in account is that Kai's breed is one of the most independent, strong willed and onery ones period. On a recent episode of Dogs 101, they said the Shiba Inu is one of the hardest breeds to train. I'm not finding it that difficult cause I'm independent, strong willed and onery too. But we weren't quite ready for 30 minute contests of wills either.

Just think hard about what you want and what you're capable of. APBTs are great dogs when people raise them right. Raise it wrong and Kai will come down there and learn ya both.

 

What's wrong with a mutt from the local animal shelter? They have puppies there too and just think of the humanitarian aspect of rescuing one of them from prison life. A dog doesn't have to have papers be a great companion.

 

Nothing... So long as the shelter is upfront about the dog in question. And the owner knows what they're doing.

Some shelters aren't completely forthcoming with information about some of the issues the dog has. "Best in one pet home" has also been used as a euphemism for "dog / cat / anything furry reactive". And there are cases when the cute little puppy the shelter thinks is a small breed mix is actually a large / giant dog mix. And suddenly that medium size crate makes a great footstool since 6 months later Pixie doesn't stand a chance in hell of fitting even her tush in it because she's not a Toy Poodle but actually a Standard Poodle mix.

A purebred does provide some predictability on what the owner can expect in terms of future size and temperment. There are some pure breed rescue organizations out there. But there's still the risk of adopting a dog with serious issues. And personal opinion, some of those rescue organizations are more invasive and particular about the prospective owner than some child adoption agencies.

I don't recommend rescues for everyone. Actually I don't recommend them at all for the first family dog or households where both 'parents' are working. Even with a perfectly normal, healthy pound puppy the time spent in the pound can lead to separation anxiety issues

 

Never seen those Pace - very cool looking little guys!

Damn you Dylan - I got a little choked up looking at that little furball thinking of my BC! Talk about smart too. I think she genuinely understood half the English language and she used most of her intelligence for mischief!

Hahah Kuro - you and Kai and should come down anyways.

As for the breed, my college roommate had an APBT when I had my German Shepherd, Zeus!, so I have some time directly living with the breed. I'm a very active guy myself so city living with a dog just is an excuse to keep my active. This chisled amazing physique doesn't happen overnight ya know.

I initially wanted a Czechoslovakian Wolf Dog - if you're not familiar google them. Awesome story and great looking animals, but they are a bit too large for my current living situation I felt.

And I hear you on dogs not being an impulse buy and this one certainly will not be.

Oh and +1 on the shelters. My Boarder Collie, Boots, was a shelter and one of my Shepherds was a rescue (Winston). You should indeed take extra precaution when taking these type of animals though.

Winston


Zeus!

 

Heh I googled the Czechoslovakian Wolf Dog. Wikipedia said
I'd have to pass on that note

When looking for Kai, I did come across another Japanese dog: Kai Ken (no I didn't get his name from them). Little bigger than the Shiba Inu, a lot easier to train. Problem is they are very rare. North American Kai Ken Association. Siberian Husky was also a thought. A fairly amusing one that involved dragging my girlfriend down the street (she's looking at me now and wondering what the snickering is for).

Only thing I'd warn about on the APBT is check your local laws and be prepared for the "vicious dog" reaction. A lot of municipalities have breed specific laws, which are generally aimed square at Pit Bulls. And regardless of whether or not there is one, you're likely to get painted with the Vicious Dog brush. Add in your alleged "amazing" physique and you're gonna run into a lot of prejudice. Lord help you when he bites someone.

And yes, I am automatically it'll bite someone. I assume Kai will bite someone as well. Bound to happen with the amount of idiots we encounter that don't listen when we tell them "Don't grab for my dog" or "Don't reach over his head" cause he doesn't know them.

But a Pit Bull owned by a motorcycle riding macho meat slab is almost automatically going assumed to be a vicious dog in training for underground dog fights.