want to get a shooing partner like ABHINAV has

[kuwar]

Friends,

I am thinking about getting a partner for myself a four legged companion, who is always there with u without any complain, yes I am talking about an angel (dog).
I use to own one when I was in my teens. I had the privledge to have a dog ( purebred Dobberman) and my first airgun . both were my love and never let them go away from me. then I grew up got bussy to make money, home all the other things. now I really miss my best buddy who passed on few years back and want to have one . In one of the interview Abhinav Bindra told he dedicates half of his meddles to his two dogs for their patients on the range with him .
How many of us have one , pls reply back with ur experience and suggestion for where to get a good breed and what r the breeds available in mumbai.

Regards,
Kuwar.

[Mark]

One of my earliest memories in life is crawling under a porch to get a puppy, a friend of my parents had a dog who had a litter way under the porch and I was instructed to go in there and get one. We named her Keka and had her for 16 years. We have always had dogs, right now there is one sprawled out at my feet trying to get some relief from the heat here. I have always said that when the time is right, the dog always finds you and not the other way around! In regards to breeds, you need to spend some time and really think about what qualities you wish to have. I've had big dogs and small dogs, and everything else being equal I like big dogs more. Small dogs tend to be yappy IMHO and while I like a dog to bark to let me know someone is at the door or something is in the yard, I don't need one to bark to let me know there are birds in the tree across the street or the mailman is 5 doors away. Other people are different though, so figure out what qualities YOU want to have.

Anymore, I like a dog with a "hard" coat as they shed a lot less. We had an english sheepdog once and it was a mess to keep free of burrs and tangles. Same thing with a cocker spaniel, we'd go for walks in the woods and he'd run through a burr patch and just get coated solid to where he'd have to get a haircut. For large dogs we've had Irish Wolfhounds, an airedale, and a rottweiler. All were great with kids.

Karl, the Rottweiler:




Karl passed away about 5 years ago, my kids are a bit older now. Nice thing about the 3 breeds above and also German Shepherds is that you can leave your kids with the dogs and feel pretty easy that nobody is going to trouble them.

Right now we have 3 dogs, all are either Labrador or a lab mix. I also like Labs and I believe that people can say they have gotten a particular dog with a bad temperament, NOBODY ever says they EVER got a bad Lab, just my opinion.

Here is Ginger, a Lab/Australian Cattle Dog mix.


Anyway my advice is to think about what qualities you want in a dog, and make sure you can commit to the responsibility of another being under your care which is a couple walks a day at a minimum, then start asking around locally.

Oh, one more thing- I've had a lot of pure breeds over the years, and a lot of mongrels (for lack of a better word) and in general the mixed breeds live longer and healthier lives, so remember that when I say "the dog finds you!" and do not think you need to search for a pure breed of any particular breed.

[choombak]

I am fond of labs, and think they make the best companions. I have had no-breed dogs as well, and as long as you can commit time and care for them, any breed is good. Good luck, dogs make a great companion, besides man.

[essdee1972]

I have a little Rottie, little as in age (4 months old), not size. My first dog, and he's a real cute guy! I get a free facewash whenever I come back home! If you want, I can give you the number of the guy I got him from, just PM me. This chap deals with all breeds, and has a reputation of getting very good puppies. The little 'un cost me 30K. A little on the higher side, as he's champ strain on both sides. Most good breeders are in South - Bangalore, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, plus a few in Punjab / Delhi. Some guys in Pune too breed large dogs. They'll load the puppy in the plane, and you'll need to just collect him/her from the airport!

Depending on where in Mumbai you live, a active dog like German Shepherd may not be a good idea. Labs and Rotties are basically lazy creatures - give them some exercise as pups, as they get older, they get lazier. Basically same as humans. You would also need to probably invest in a trainer for 4-5 months, unless you can be there 24X7. And I echo Mark above - smaller breeds tend to be great at yapping away to glory!

I have found Wikipedia entries on dogs to be quite informative. Also, there is an Indian site - dogspot.in - where you can get some contact details of breeders, etc., plus some owners who you can contact for feedback. Suggest you join the site.

One thing - you'll never regret getting a pooch!

Cheers!
EssDee

[dev]

Labs are overall great dogs but they are reasonably high maintenance. They get infections very easily as they will find ways to jump into water in the heat. Plus the rainy season will bring its own problems like ticks. Next they are very high energy and need regular runs, might be easier to keep a smaller dog for a while.

[Vikram]

Mark,

Good to see you posting.

You are so right about the dog finding you than you finding the dog.When our beloved Pedro the German Shepherd passed away,we went without a dog for a few years.It never even occurred to us that we could get another dog.Then I saw my mother,brother and sister feeding a stray that took shelter under the car.He was scared to see me, he was getting to be skinny,soiled and stained from the oil and grease under the car. I protested that we will be taking on a responsibility.All three of them came down on me piling like a mountain side.

Then I was out of station for a week.When I opened the compound gate, a furry streak dashed out of the front door barking loudly. I stood there looking at it.The moment he saw me,he put on the brakes,changed the tune ofhis barking into a friendly greeting and began to wag his tail.He was looking so clean and had a collar around his neck.While I was gone, my mom,brother and sister adopted him and took him into our home.Dad did not object to it.Before I said a word,all four of them stood at the door and declared that I have no say whatsoever about the dog.

They named him Dirty Dog.Dirty because he was found dirty under the car.

I always was partial to pedigree dogs.But,Dirty Dog turned out to be one of the best dogs we ever had.Very intelligent, exceptionally good natured that borders on universal kindness,and ever playful.I never expected of him but he once stood between my sister and my uncle's lovely Doberman and growled menacingly,thinking that the bigger dog wanted to hurt my sister. I never expected that dimension in him.

He is getting proud in years now and not as agile as was.But you can still see the character in him.Not so dirty here.

Labs and Rotties are basically lazy creatures - give them some exercise as pups, as they get older, they get lazier.

Esdee, I respectfully disagree.Labs and Rottweilers are working dogs.You have to see the Labs in action,in the field working and retrieving.Our member and a friend of mine,Eugene, had a Lab called Ross.He was built like a Pitbull,all sinewy.He was a working gun-dog.They need exercise,when not given they tend to take it easy.Congratulations on a great dog/puppy.

Kuwar, Dogs like Rottweilers are not for everyone.I love the breed and would dearly like to keep one.But,unless well trained early and treated well and correctly by the owners, it is a disaster waiting to happen.There are too many around who want an aggressive and powerful dog to intimidate others.

Like Mark said, you need to be very clear about what you want in your dog and how you are going to train him.All the best with your search.

Best-
Vikram

[essdee1972]

Esdee, I respectfully disagree.Labs and Rottweilers are working dogs.You have to see the Labs in action,in the field working and retrieving.Our member and a friend of mine,Eugene, had a Lab called Ross.He was built like a Pitbull,all sinewy.He was a working gun-dog.They need exercise,when not given they tend to take it easy.Congratulations on a great dog/puppy.

Vikram, Sorry. I know about the working dog part. What I meant to say was that you can leave a Lab or a Rottie alone with only some exercise, they won't mind much, i.e. they are not the type of dogs to drag you into the park if you don't want to, like it happens to all of us sometime. E.g. right now, my puppy is perfectly happy with football games at home, as going out in Mumbai rains means he imbibes a lot of filthy stuff! Of course, whenever it is dry, we take him for at least 1.5 to 2 hrs every evening, plus we have hired a chap to take him out in the daytime, since my mom is too old to handle 8 kilos of boisterous puppy. So, if you are looking to lose weight, get a dog, 1.5 hrs of running every day!

By the way, Mr. Dirty Dog does not at all look like a stray. Probably a mix. But real cool! Esp the last shot looking at the camera! Does he try licking the lens?

Kuwar, if you take a big chap like a Rottweiler, GSD or Dobermann, make sure the breeder gets you show quality puppies, and get the pedigree certificate. Show quality dogs are bred to have proper behaviour, less aggressiveness, about 15-20% more expensive. As Vikram indicated, getting a big guy to scare people will be counter-productive. Also, if you want to shoot firearms while he looks on, maybe a gun dog breed (Lab or other retreivers), genetically conditioned to the "bangs", would be ideal. Of course, the stray mongrels are also excellent! One of my neighbours has one, great guy (the dog, not the neighbour)!
Cheers!

[Vikram]

Esdee, thanks for the good words about Dirty Dog.You are right.He must be a mixed.When we found him he wasn't as well groomed as he is now.He is pushing 12-13 years now.Been with us for the past ten years.

Best-
Vikram

[xl_target]

Man's best friend, what would we do without him?
Mark that photo of your daughter with the dog is great. That is so typically... er.. dog.

Vikram, great photos of your Dirty Dog. I'll bet you miss him.

My family has always had a dog, except for the time we were away from India. Luckily my wife is a dog person too and we have two dogs here. They are little yappy ones but they are trained not to bark in the house. They are long haired dachshunds, very intelligent, affectionate and very trainable.

[essdee1972]

Ahhhh.... the joy of seeing so many furry friends!!!

Mark, one question, did you get Karl neutered? My vet recommends neutering my little Rottie (Jojo), I actually want to let him have a bit of fun in life

Cheers!

[prashantsingh]

Vikram . The best thing about stray pups is that you never know what they will look like when they grow up.
Here's a snap of my dog.
There is a funny story I must tell you guys. There is this friend of mine who has a similar dog and lives close to the woods near Mussoorie. One day (while my freind was away)his new servant had this brilliant idea to put mehendi / hena on the dog . It would "condition" the hair . He had previously seen the lady of the house do so. When he finally gave the dog a bath that poor fellow looked like nothing on earth. The white turned a rich yellow. On regular morning walks people would always land up asking the servant what breed it was.
He came out with the most fantastic ideas. Idhar jangal me bahut tendua hai......"It's a cross between a leopard and a dog." Thankfully the colour faded in a week or so.

[MoA]

Kuwar, if you take a big chap like a Rottweiler, GSD or Dobermann, make sure the breeder gets you show quality puppies, and get the pedigree certificates!

There is big and then there is big.

[prashantsingh]

There is big and then there is big.

I remember this snap MoA. This is almost 6 months old. Your Great Dane must be "Bigger" now. They are the biggest dogs , aren't they.

Yaj ,
Let's have a snap of your Hounds as well.

[xl_target]

Prashant, That is a beautiful dog and MOA, that thing is HUGE.

[essdee1972]

Wooooow, MoA! That's BIG! Always wanted a Great Dane, but unfortunately cannot afford a house in Mumbai big enough . There's one in my neighbourhood (chap's got a bungalow and a transport company). Brown (I think technically "fawn") in colour. HUGE! But very cool with kids and all.

Prashantsingh, Irish Wolfhounds are of similar size. There's a pic on the net of an Irish Wolfhound (mascot of some Irish Regiment) being introduced to and shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth. The pooch, standing normally, is taller than Her Majesty!! And very solemnly shaking hands!!!!! Ah, the responsibilities of Royalty!!!