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DIVA DOGS!

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
At the risk of sounding mean and selfish, can I just say I wish everyone looking for a “Covid puppy” would just go away for a while? Just until I’ve brought a new pup home myself, that is. I’ve been checking Petfinder daily for the past few months. It seems every pup I think could be a good fit for our family has been spoken for by the time their posting goes up. Thought I had a lead on some golden retriever pups this morning. Until I looked up reviews and found out they don’t fall in the “responsible breeder” category. And every responsible breeder has a waitlist for 2022, maybe late 2021 if you’re lucky. If I thought I could get away with bringing Q back from his new home at college ... but I think the kid would put up a fight.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Hi @diymom - try Sonshine Golden Retrievers. That’s where my very good boy Spencer came from (I adopted him after his original owner had to rehome him). It’s really hard to find a breeder that breeds for the right temperament - a lot of pet golden retriever breeders turn out goldens that are neurotic and sensitive these days. They’re all the way out in Indiana close to Chicago, but I plan to contact her in the future when I’m ready to welcome another golden retriever to my life!
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks for the referral, they do look like a good breeder. I'll keep an eye on their site. They currently aren't taking reservations, and don't know when in winter/spring their next litter will be. Even the local golden rescue group isn't taking new applications at this time, they have so many already. Not that it has to be a golden though. We have had several goldens in the past, but our most recent dog, Q, is a funny looking rescue mutt. They called him a bassett mix, but other than the stubby legs, it's anybody's guess what he might be. My current check list when I do my morning petfinder scan is for 40-75 lbs when fully grown; longer fur; if no longer a puppy then good with other dogs, kids, and men; adoptable to MA. That list will probably get shorter as time goes by.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
@diymom - We adopted a pup about 2.5 month ago, but probably searched for 2 months, put in 12-ish applications and 3 phone interviews...it was a process to find a dog that fit our criteria. We were pretty set on size (medium) and age (young but housetrained), but very flexible on breed. I filtered my Petfinder to only show dogs that were on there for 1 day...checked first thing in the morning, then periodically throughout the day (they definitely update throughout the day). If you’re open to traveling to pick up your dog, definitely expand your radius. As soon as one is available that you’re interested in, apply immediately. Even if you don’t get that dog, you’re now in that rescue’s system and it’ll be easier to reach out and apply if another one comes up.

I was also following a number of rescues on Facebook...as they often post there before putting dogs on Petfinder.

Good luck!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I filtered my Petfinder to only show dogs that were on there for 1 day...checked first thing in the morning, then periodically throughout the day (they definitely update throughout the day). If you’re open to traveling to pick up your dog, definitely expand your radius.
I found our dog on Petfinder when my daughter was 4. Was also looking for a young dog who was already house trained. I was willing to drive an hour or two to meet a candidate dog. Worked out very well. Even the cat we had before the dog eventually decided the dog was okay. Foxy was with my family for about 14 good years.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
@elemmac gave great advice. If you can target shelters in rural or poor areas, do it. Get their social media updates.

Definitely include rural areas! That’s actually how we ended up with our pup...I was searching towns north of where I live to set the radius rather than searching my town. If I searched from my town it included Boston within a 100 mile radius...so instead I searched a 50 mile radius from a town 50 miles north of me.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
...checked first thing in the morning, then periodically throughout the day
Glad to hear I'm not alone in checking so many time each day! Yep, I also have my search refined by 1 day. And since DH is a little more particular in who he welcomes into the family (if it were solely my decision I would have a house full of different sizes, ages, number of limbs... I'm a sucker for a cute face) I no longer search within the 100 mile radius, but set the filter for "anywhere" and just keep scrolling. Of course that means screening out the shelters that only adopt locally or certain states (many New England rescues won't adopt to MA because of the extra 2 day quarantine when they arrive from the south.) And it might mean a road trip if that's what it takes.

It had taken a couple of months and multiple applications before we got Q a little over 5 years ago, so I had tried to encourage DH to consider starting the search well before we were dogless. But he wanted to wait until we were really missing having a dog. Which was about 2 days after Q moved out. Then again, he thought we could just contact local breeders and get a pup instantaneously. Besides DH being more particular, my search is also complicated a little by being -mostly- dogless. I know Q will be coming home for holidays. So that rules out pups that need to be the only dog in the house. And it also rules out postings that say they will only adopt to you if you already have a confident dog to be a good role model for the pup.

Well, when we do find a pup, it will be extra spoiled after all this!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
@diymom - Any news? Fingers crossed for you.

Little Sprocket, now 20, is starting to fail. We are keeping him comfortable and cleaning up his frequent messes. His vision and hearing are just about gone, and it seems he may be losing his sense of smell, too. We are keeping him loved up.

Hope the photos are right side up.
 

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ilovepugs

Angel Diva
@diymom - Any news? Fingers crossed for you.

Little Sprocket, now 20, is starting to fail. We are keeping him comfortable and cleaning up his frequent messes. His vision and hearing are just about gone, and it seems he may be losing his sense of smell, too. We are keeping him loved up.

Hope the photos are right side up.

Good job little dude! What a sweetie. Hope he is feeling lots of love!
 

gingerjess

Angel Diva
@diymom - Any news? Fingers crossed for you.

Little Sprocket, now 20, is starting to fail. We are keeping him comfortable and cleaning up his frequent messes. His vision and hearing are just about gone, and it seems he may be losing his sense of smell, too. We are keeping him loved up.

Hope the photos are right side up.

Sprocket looks incredibly cozy! He's so lucky to have you as his family.
 

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