Dogs?

[bushytail]

LME, that sounds like a good plan. Rescue dogs are great too.

 

[rdavidson]

My wife said the same thing,"Is it fair to the pup" . I can look out our kitchen window and see three crosses of my best friends. I have come to the conclusion that I will get another dog but I am having trouble acting.

A rescue dog by all means. They deserve a chance.

 

[MTMountainman]

Thanks for you taking the time to offer me some advice. My wife and I are considering getting an older dog. I have a niece that will take care of the dog if my wife and I become unable to do so.

My wife and I went through the same thing. We've had huskies with us for 40 years except for about 1 1/2 years after we moved from Ohio to Montana. 40 years of marriage and there has always been the pitter patter of big feet running though the house! We had a brother/sister combination and had lost the male about 5 years earlier and then we lost the female when she was 16. We held out for about a month before I tracked down another pair brother/sister pups. We debated on 1 or 2 but went with 2 so they had company. Told my wife it would keep us young or kill us. LOL! Anyway, they are 2 years old now and there are some days, I think the dogs are going to kill us but we'd miss them if they weren't here driving us nuts. My wife hits 70 in a month and I'm 66. Hoping the dogs can slow down and age with us! Anyway, I'm with the others -- get a dog, the rest takes care of itself.

 

[LME]

My wife and I went through the same thing. We've had huskies with us for 40 years except for about 1 1/2 years after we moved from Ohio to Montana. 40 years of marriage and there has always been the pitter patter of big feet running though the house! We had a brother/sister combination and had lost the male about 5 years earlier and then we lost the female when she was 16. We held out for about a month before I tracked down another pair brother/sister pups. We debated on 1 or 2 but went with 2 so they had company. Told my wife it would keep us young or kill us. LOL! Anyway, they are 2 years old now and there are some days, I think the dogs are going to kill us but we'd miss them if they weren't here driving us nuts. My wife hits 70 in a month and I'm 66. Hoping the dogs can slow down and age with us! Anyway, I'm with the others -- get a dog, the rest takes care of itself.

You do know that a two year old dog will chew on everything in sight. I am going to get a rescue dog with a little age on it to keep the furniture from developing chew marks all ready been through that several times. I have said many times that a man that has a horse, a dog and one good friend is wealthy!

 

[Cutfinger]

What dog breeds do you consider H C when it comes to the muzzle loading period ?
Hounds , Spaniels , pointers- but not as we know them today ,
Back in the day the Newfoundland dog came in two types of pups in the same litter , the big shaggy ones which were used to pull carts etc became the Newfoundland as we know it today , and the smaller short hair type which went on the fishing boats and retrieved , lines , floats and fish, this dog became the Labrador when it made its way back to England in the early 20th centaury.
The Newfoundland dog L&C took with them would have been similar to but not identical to the breed we know today , Probably bigger , tougher and with shorter hair and a brain . Kennel club breed standards have a lot to answer for when it comes to hunting and working dogs .

 

[Bdamdifino]

I’ve moved lots of cattle over the years and I’d rather have no dog than one that won’t pay attention…makes for a long day.

Man that is the truth!!! A couple years ago the ranch I run on during the summer had a hand that thought he was a "cowboy" who had an aussie pup that wouldn't listen and just scattered my cows. I'd send my heeler out and gather em back & his pup would run into the middle of em again.

Finally, after a lot of cussing, I told him to get himself & his dog the hell out of the pasture. Kayli had had enough as well, the next time that pup went out, I told Kayli to "Get a bite" and pointed at the pup. She rolled that pup & chased it clear back to the barn. I whistled, she came back, and the 2 of us calmly put 150 head of cattle in the corral.

A good cow dog is worth it's weight in gold, a bad one makes for a very long day.

 

[SOLANCO]

You do know that a two year old dog will chew on everything in sight. I am going to get a rescue dog with a little age on it to keep the furniture from developing chew marks all ready been through that several times. I have said many times that a man that has a horse, a dog and one good friend is wealthy!

Have raised dogs from pups for 40 years or so. Found no consistency to furniture chewing. The ones that did usually could be trained to a chew toy of their own. Excerpt for a red setter our dogs have all been Labs. That setter was the worst furniture chewer of the lot.

 

[pilot]

I've lived with Airedales for the last 37 years. My current is a 9 year old male. When he goes, I probably won't get another Airedale. He is high energy still and I'm 67. The next one will be a more mellow breed.

This one is 100 pounds of killer. He was two years and a lot of work to make him "dog safe". Mostly. He is from a breeder that breeds hunting dogs, not show dogs. I feel like I haven't really done him justice in that we don't do as much hunting as he would like and needs. He has been a great dog, but he is really full of personality and that can get out of hand at times.

 

[LME]

Have raised dogs from pups for 40 years or so. Found no consistency to furniture chewing. The ones that did usually could be trained to a chew toy of their own. Excerpt for a red setter our dogs have all been Labs. That setter was the worst furniture chewer of the lot.

You are lucky not to have your dogs chew on the furniture. You can train a dog not to do just about anything but in order to do it they have to do the act to be taught not to. Then it is to late? I have had hunting dogs which stayed in their pen and house dogs and all of my dogs that were reared from puppys chewed something .

 

[MTMountainman]

You do know that a two year old dog will chew on everything in sight. I am going to get a rescue dog with a little age on it to keep the furniture from developing chew marks all ready been through that several times. I have said many times that a man that has a horse, a dog and one good friend is wealthy!

Chewed furniture has character and is part of the game. They get past it. With our last pair, the corner of my gun cabinet got 1 corner chewed, compliments of the female. We had to wrap the legs of the dining room chairs for the 2 current family members until they outgrew the phase but we do have some marked up chair legs. More important things to deal with in life than worrying about some chewed furniture.

 

[LME]

Chewed furniture has character and is part of the game. They get past it. With our last pair, the corner of my gun cabinet got 1 corner chewed, compliments of the female. We had to wrap the legs of the dining room chairs for the 2 current family members until they outgrew the phase but we do have some marked up chair legs. More important things to deal with in life than worrying about some chewed furniture.

My wife and I adopted a female, "heinz 57" variety dog, that my Carolina dog, Lucky, brought home when she came into heat. Lucky was a Romeo and would not stay at home. We had to watch Hannah constantly and if we didn't she would have chewed up all the furniture in the house. Hannah turned out to be one of the smartest dogs I have ever had! I think she was tied with my Border Collie when it came to being smart. I miss all my dogs but Hannah took a special liking to me and I can't forget her and how sweet she was.

 

[DixieTexian]

Friedrich Gerstäcker had a few dogs during his travels through America in 1837-1843 if I recall correctly. Not a mountain man, but still the same (late) era. And he was travelling and hunting, so similar activities. Anyone who hasn't should read his account in Wild Sports in the Far West. Available for free in the public domain.

Something like a Catahoula or any of the American cur breeds would probably be pretty correct for an all around working dog.

 

[FishDFly]

Currently reading "The Indians Of Texas by W.W. Newcomb, Jr. and he does mention that dogs came to North America by the land bridge which was mentioned earlier.

Another thing he mentioned was that multiple dogs were hooked in a line to increase the amount of stuff they could pull. He said the women would go down the row of dogs and clamp their heads between their thigh to adjust the harnesses.

He also said dogs were much more common to moving the Indians few possessions prior to them getting horses and dogs were not as important as before horses, though they were still a food source if needed.

 

[B P Arn]

" where man is there his best friend is. buried mine in August. maybe i'm next? "
Our dog is 12 but game and healthy. I am 75. The insurance company tables say my life expectancy is 79, but The One who knows is not saying.
I agonize over whether to get another pup when Chloe dies. We have had a Lab in the family for 40+/- years and I can not imagine not having one. But at our age, is it fair to the pup? I don't know....maybe a rescue dog?

I would advise toy to get an old dog from the local shelter. You will not regret it.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

So...,
Like a curious, stray dog, we have wandered far and wide away from the OP, or the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade....,

LD