Pets

[physicsfactor]

I bet she'll be hyper for a while but nothing a stern owner can't handle. Post a pic, dude!

 

[physicsfactor]

Wat.

 

[Thain]

That looks scary.

 

[deepdarkblue]

I ended up owning 6 Bearded Dragons when my son lost interest in them, and they were pretty neat but surprisingly expensive to keep.
Do Tegus need UVB? The lights for the beardies - one for heat and one for UVB - ran my electric bill way up, especially in the summer when my AC had to battle the extra heat the lights generated. Food was always kind of a hassle, so I wound up raising their food rather than buying it. I wouldn't let anyone other than family and close friends go in my garage for a few years, because I didn't want to have to explain all the plastic totes of roaches and superworms (giant meal worms) I had in there.
If you're serious about buying one, don't get it at a pet shop. Buy from a reputable breeder. You can find info here http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/ ... atings.php? and this is probably the most popular place to buy from http://market.kingsnake.com/
Good luck to you, Ben. I found reptiles to be kind of blah, but lots of people really seem to enjoy them.

 

[rhfarmer]

I hope all of you remember to release your unwanted reptiles into the Everglades after you're done with them.

 

[deepdarkblue]

I hope all of you remember to release your unwanted reptiles into the Everglades after you're done with them.

Nah, too far to drive. I just pop mine in the freezer overnight.

 

[physicsfactor]

but a lizard that you can potty train and won't viciously bite sounds like a winner to me.

Cue Mr Ford from Frisky Dingo..."Ah, talkin' about my penis"

 

[deepdarkblue]

One day there'll be a news story about that guy in the video being eaten by his pet lizards.

 

[Thain]

Just dropped one of my dogs off to have eye surgery. She had an acute cataract appear a few weeks ago. I always hate when my dogs go under anesthesia. It makes me so nervous. Also it's one eye and its going tocost $1700!! She better be able to see into deep space with her new lense.

 

[Thain]

I want one.

http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20839812,00.html

 

[deepdarkblue]

I want to get Ringo (my huge greyhound) a little sister when I go home. I'm looking primarily at three breeds, based on dogs that are active (to force me to run), intelligent, low tendency for being high-strung, affectionate, good in hot weather, and of moderate size (females <60 lbs). Highly prefer rescue dogs, just cause it's better to do so when possible. Avoiding pitbulls because Ringo was mauled by one and is terrified of most he encounters. Here are my top three at the moment:

Catahoula Leopard Dog:
General: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/catahoula.htm

Specifically, puppies: http://www.adoptapet.com/dog-adoption/s ... mily_id=33

Pros: useful as guard dog, can easily get rescues, affectionate, beautiful dogs.
Cons: stubborn, requires a strong hand (not an issue for me), if not socialized, can be a bit aggressive.


Vizsla:
General: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizsla

Pros: Sweetest dogs, beautiful, great size.
Cons: Very difficult to find rescues. Can be overly needy. Some health problems.

Aussie Cattle Dogs:
General: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Cattle_Dog

Pros: easily get rescues, incredibly intelligent, beautiful dogs
Cons: practically unlimited energy and aptitude for mischief if not exercised/entertained. a little stand-offish with strangers. tendency to herd everything.

CATAHOULA!! The only better breed in that size range is a Black Mouth Cur (it's what Ol Yeller was).
Up until only a few years ago, 'houlas were used almost exclusively as working/hunting dogs in the backwoods of the Southeast. Because they weren't raised much as household pets, they are far less prone to the health issues that are rampant in most purebreds today. (There is a cold, brutal reason for this - hog hunter aren't going to feed or breed sickly or cripple animals).
I've been around the breed my whole life, and I own one right now. They are amazingly smart, extremely athletic, but perfectly content to spend all day on the couch if that's what you want to do.
Viszlas - Too high-strung, hard-headed, shallow gene pool has led to lots of genetic issues.
Cattle Dog - Great little dogs, but easily bored and, since they've become popular, genetics have become an issue.

The only thing you need to be careful of with the 'houlas is deafness. A merle x merle breeding will typically throw a good number of deaf and/or blind pups.

Check out Catahoula Rescue Southeast. Florida probably kills 10 -20 Catahoulas a week (maybe more) so if you could pull from down there, you will definitely be saving a life.

 

[Pantone287]

My new goal in life is to own an English mastiff. I mean, how can you not love this:

There were a couple being walked around my apartment complex last week though, and my first thought was, "My god, picking up their shit must be so disgusting..."

 

[deepdarkblue]

I like giant breeds but their short little life spans and endless list of health issues rein me in from ever getting another one. Burying your best buddies every 7 or 8 years is very depressing :(

 

[torontoduke]

It has been a hard couple of weeks for our family. We had to say goodbye to our dog 2 Saturdays ago. We had him for 9 years, and he was a great gift.

This picture is from Spring 2010.

 

[CK86]

Sorry for your loss!!! My parents had to put down our family dog on May 11th so right around the same time as yours. Losing dogs suck.

 

[rhfarmer]

Toronto, I expected you to look older.

 

[DukeNukem05]

Toronto, I expected you to look older.

It helps explain why he's so nice all the time. The world hasn't crushed him yet.

 

[physicsfactor]

Kids got chins for ages! Sorry for your loss, toronto.

 

[dkst0426]

:( Sorry to hear that.

 

[torontoduke]

Thanks for your words, all.