Well, any dog - when it's a puppy - being left alone for 8 hours straight is NOT good. Small dogs are really no different from big dogs, once they are housebroken & trained properly.

Yeah, my best friend's Bosty (her name was "Sally" :D ) would just go get in her crate & pretty much stayed there until my friend got home. They're "burrowing" dogs. They like to cuddle up in the covers. They're really sweet, too.

Don't be too hasty with your decision - there's a "perfect puppy" out there for you! Keep looking, and please try to adopt rather than buy... there's soooo many good dogs out there that need a home, and many of them are waiting on "death row". Also, here's a website you might like to visit - the ASPCA website, that's American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. www.ASPCA.org You can get a lot of information there.

:hug:

Beach Patrol - I will adopt if I can. Believe me when I say I have been looking. And I DEAD serious when I say I have not been able to find many small dogs as puppies anywhere around me. I have been to the SPCA and told them what I was looking for and they told me I was going to have to look for a breeder. I keep looking in hopes, I could find one but probably somewhere in the US that would have to be shipped.

At this time, I want a puppy tho, and that makes it a million times harder. I will keep searching, I have checked all the boston terrier resucses I can find and the one puppy I did apply for, I missed him by ONE application :(

I am starting to look at pugs now tho, although, I have never spent any time with a pug like I have with a boston, but they sound like a good dog from what I have read.

I adopted my beloved pet from a shelter in Northern BC. It's called Turtle Gardens and it's run by a dog trainer named Yvette. My Brodie was flown to me from Burn's Lake. I had Yvette pick him out, she knows all the dogs at the shelter. They actually all live at her ranch. I e-mailed her with what I was looking for, and she matched us with a dog. She was dead right in her choice. We adore our dog. The cool thing is that the agreement was that if Brodie didn't work in our home for any reason, she would take him back at any time. I think Turtle Gardens is listed with Petfinder. Good luck in your search. It took me weeks-months to find Brodie, and he was well worth the wait.

Sotypical, I have two springer spaniels so that is not remotely what you are looking for. One of the main reasons that I got the puppy was precisely because we leave them alone all day and, as springers are particularly sociable, we didn't want to keep leaving the older one alone :(

Whatever puppy you get will need to be visited at lunchtimes at first, because they need feeding 4 times a day. This meant morning, lunch, straight after work at 5.30ish and about an hour and a half before we went to bed. I can't remember exactly how long you are supposed to do this, but I think it was 4 times until he was 4 months old, then 3 times until he was 6 months old, so I was going home for lunch every day until he was 6 months old. However, if you can't do this, you could try asking a neighbour or friend who lives nearby. Maybe if you are very lucky, your work would allow you to take the dog in with you, it isn't very common in the uk but it has been know to happen. You just keep him in a crate in your office and take him out when you can.

In your email from the breeder, they said that they were feeding the puppies on adult food. I find that a little worrying because puppies do need different quantities of nutrients, just like human babies. Puppies should be fed on puppy food from the start to give them the best chances in life.

I kept a file when I was searching for my puppy, and among the stuff in there was a list of questions to ask the breeder. I'll see if I can find it tonight and will post it on here tomorrow. Any breeder that isn't happy to answer questions should be avoided.

Breeders should also not be breeding from their *****es more than once per year, but most female dogs have two seasons, one in vaguely the spring, and the other in the autumn, so you may find that more puppies become available again in the autumn if you can wait that long! Also, a local behaviourist told us that the autumn births were the most difficult to toilet train because of the dark, cold, horrible weather which even the dogs don't want to go out in! I know that Josh has only fully grasped the idea since spring came and the doors are open whenever we are in the house!

Finally, Mel Gibson is very cute and he looks like he'd be a lovely pet. However, I'd ask a few more questions about his behaviour with under fives if you are considering starting a family. I don't know much about shipping dogs, it does sound like it could be a terrifying experience for them, but puppies are quite resilient, and I am sure that they would be happy once they are on the ground again. You could try doing a bit more research on what it entails, and if there is any other way you could do it, such as take a long weekend and visit by train to pick up the dog (another advantage being that you can see it and feel confident that it is the right dog for you before you take it away).

Anyway, I hope this helps.

Pachyderm,

Thanks. I have decided that I want to get my puppy from somewhere near me if I can. I want to be able to meet the puppies first and pick one out. I emailed someone who runs the Boston Terrier Club of Canada and she seems wonderful and gave me tons of information. She said she always knows who has puppies and the good breeders, so I am hoping she can help me out. She sometimes has puppies too and she lives not too far from me.

As for going home at lunch to feed it, I work 30-40 min away from home :( I am going to see if I can keep it in my office tho, my work is pretty good - but I dont know if they are THAT good, haha. My boyfriend works about 1min drive from our new place, he might be willing to go feed and check on the puppy during his lunch. He also gets new shifts every month, and usually it is an afternoon shift, and he said if he gets mornings he would trade them away super fast so someone would be home with the puppy at least most of the day.

I could wait till the fall, but I was hoping for a puppy for my birthday. That makes sense tho, I would almost wait until NEXT spring - oh man, I don't think I could wait that long at all!

Thanks for everything!

I think you will have a problem finding an available puppy from the SPCA or other such organization IF you have a specific breed in mind. It is hard to get a pure/specific mixed-breed in this way because they are bred and sold for a reason, and rarely are turned over to the SPCA. Often, the purchase contracts state that if you don't want the puppy any more, you must return it to the breeder. With so many unwanted animals being put down every single day, I really hope that you give some thought to a non-purebred. Why not compromise? Get a mature dog from the SPCA, and once you have figured out the care/management of this, THEN find a puppy you like. This way, at least ONE unwanted dog is saved. Or, put yourself on the waiting list at your local rescue organization for the NEXT available puppy, REGARDLESS of breed.
Please give this some thought....

I wish people would listen to me, not only here but anywhere I have asked for help. I AM WILLING TO TAKE A DOG FROM THE SPCA or another place with the same idea. I do not have room for two dogs and I want a puppy, is that so bad?

As for "REGARDLESS of breed" of breed, I find that pretty careless. Not all dogs suit every person. So I end up with some 200 pound dog that I can't look after and then it has to go back to the SPCA anyway - what good does that do?

As for pure breed, I will say this again, I am TOTALLY HAPPY with a mixed breed, but when you buy a mixed breed you have a higher chance of getting a puppy mill then when buying a pure breed.

Am I such a cold hearted person because I want a puppy? I feel like I am this horrible person everywhere I go because EVERYONE says to me, "go to the SPCA who cares if you don't get a puppy!" This could be my only dog for the next 15 years, is it so wrong that I want a little puppy to raise?

Finding a dog is hard work, and I don't think most people realize it. I have probably spent at least 50 hours in the last couple weeks looking for a dog. I search petfinder everyday along with 3 or 4 other classified sites for 3 different cities. I read all the local papers and classified papers, I have been to the SPCA and the pet store (even tho I wont buy from there). I have emailed at least 50 people asking about dogs and have not been happy with any of the people. I have called 20 people (all long distance, I have called all across Canada and a few states) asking about dogs and have had no luck.

Why can't the puppy of my dreams just fall in my lap :(

No, I didn't mean to imply that you weren't a caring person, at all! I know that puppies DO get turned in to the SPCA, and most often, they are mixed breeds of probable, but not definite origin. My point is that if you want a specific breed of dog and want to get it as a puppy, you will have a tough time doing this through the SPCA. And, in your earlier posts, you have been discussing the pros and cons of various pure breeds, so this is why I put this remark in. No offense meant - just a comment on the thread details as I read them. Anyways, usually, the mixed breeds are identifiable as "mainly something" -- it will look like a german shepherd with some collie mixed in, for example. So, you can get an idea of size often by what the dog looks like (a mainly shi-tzu looks different from, say, a St. Bernard!). And the size relative to the age is also a hint -- a 3 month old mostly -chihuahua (spelling!!!) looks different from a 3 month old mostly doberman. As for waiting lists, my friend called the local Humane Society to see if there were any Siamese cats up for adoption. They said "no", but wrote her name and number down, and when one DID unexpectedly arrive, they called her and she adopted her cat (one of 7 cats, 3 dogs, and 5 horses, but I digress...). So, that is why I suggested contacting the society in the meantime to see what pops up.
I guess my point is that once you get to know your puppy, he/she will become the puppy of your dreams. And often, the animal you didn't dream about as your ideal pet will teach you the most about unconditional love and caring. At least, this has happened to me four times before...
I am sorry if I frustrated or offended you -- I just have a personal view that since there are so many discarded and unloved animals out there, it would be great to adopt one of these instead of a picture-perfect breed dog who will find a home regardless of your involvement (not that that was your mission, it is just a general statement about my personal philosophy)...
No offense meant, and good luck with your search...

Sotypical, sorry that I have not come back to you sooner, I kept forgetting to route out my old folder and only remember when I'm at work (I am very forgetfull I'm afraid, one of my less charming habits!).

Anyway, you are beginning to sound very stressed. I know it is hard looking for puppies, I had huge problems with getting Josh. I looked everywhere on the internet and started calling lots of breeders. Some of them were such snooty people I couldn't stand it. My biggest problem was that I didn't want a springer with a docked tail. Our older dog doesn't have one, and I don't see the need for it. I also didn't want it to have had its dew claws removed, and everywhere I looked, the puppies had been docked and dew clawed! I even spoke to one breeder and asked about taking one from the next litter she would have if she wouldn't dock it, but she said she wouldn't do that because there was no guarantee which one I would take.

I know it is very difficult and very stressful looking for a puppy so don't think that you are alone. In the end we did find our little ball of fluff that hadn't been docked (but unfortunately we had to compromise - he has had his dew claws removed, and he definately misses them when he chews on a bone or something like that, our older dog finds it a lot easier to hold one in place using his dew claws). We had to drive a long way to get him as well.

Anyway, I understand why you want a puppy. Our older dog is a rescue dog and he is a lovely, kind-hearted and gentle dog, but he is very nervous. When we got him he was even frightened of our fish, and he still doesn't like children, men and most other dogs (our rescus cats have no problems though). Some people are extremely lucky and have no problems at all (I consider us to be lucky with our lovely dog as well), but some people have more problems.

When we first started thinking about having a second dog, we did the usual search of the rescue places, and a lot of the animals had to be without other dogs, or without cats (we have cats too), were distructive or just the wrong sort for us, like needing a different kind of exercise from our first dog. We eventually decided to look for a puppy so that we could bring him up to be exactly the right sort of dog for our home and as a companion to us and our other animals. He is much less scared of things than our older dog, he is friends with our cats, he likes to go for long rambling walks in the country like our other dog, and he is a happy and well-rounded little dog. I'm not saying that you wouldn't get this with a rescue animal, but with a puppy, the effort we put in to training and socialising is rewarded by a dog that I know loves me and is right for our home.

The other thing that would upset me about some rescue animals, is the thought of getting an older dog or cat. I know that these animals also need a loving home, but I don't think that I am strong enough to put all my love into an animal that I know doesn't have much time left in this world.

Anyway...this is not why I am posting, I can't believe that I used up so much space after just reading the latest posts! What I really came on to post was the list of questions we asked breeders. I compiled this myself after reading a lot of information about what sort of things I should know, and what sort of things breeders should be doing or thinking about. I don't know if you really need this as you seem to know what you want, but if nothing else, it could be interesting for you to know what someone else asked!

1. What age/sex/colour are the puppies you have?

2. Have they been docked or had their dew claws removed?

3. Where have the puppies been kept? Ideally kept either in the family home, or a busy part of the back yard, visited regularly by many people and taken into the home to play and experience the sights and sounds of the house

4. How old is the dam / mother?

5. How many litters has she had / when was her last litter? *****es shouldn't be bred every season, it suggests puppy farms if she has

6. How does the mother get on with the puppies?

7. What has been done in terms of socialising the puppy?
*Should ideally have met with a variety of family members (not just the breeder)
*Should have been brought into the house to experience the noises, smells and sights (washing machines, fridges, vacuum cleaners, radios, tvs all sound very loud to the sensitive hearing of dogs)
*Should have experienced the outsite, feeling the wind etc
*As they became older, the puppies should have been taken away from their parents for short periods of time to play and have fun with people (reduces the pain of the final separation), taken into cars and possibly shops
*Introduced to children and vaccinated dogs
*Seen cars, bicycles, other animals etc

8. Can we visit the puppies and have a look?

9. (If some time before the puppy is ready) Can we leave something with our smell on it for the puppy to get used to? When we take the puppy can we take something with a familiar smell (part of blanket or toy)?

10. What type of food are they on / will they be on?

11. (If over a few weeks old) Have they been wormed? How often?

12. Will they have had their first set of vaccinations?

13. If our circumstances change and we are unable to keep the puppy, will you be able to take it back / help us find new owners?

14. Will we be able to call you for advice after we have taken the puppy?

I hope you find this useful. I apologise for the long post, and I hope you can find a beautiful and lovable little friend soon!

Hi Courtnie--I just saw this thread. I'm a bit behind due to being away visiting my family. As you know, I'm partial to Boston terriers. I'm going to PM you with some links about rescue/questions to ask breeders. I'll also send the link to the Boston terrier board I read, which is a great source of info!

Pachyderm - thanks I will be sure to keep all those questions handy. Unfortunaly everyone I called had no puppies, other then one person, and I didnt like the fact that she want 2200 for a french bulldog with no papers of health cert, so I just stopped right there.

lovemygordie - that would great, I am having a hard time finding one. Some breeders around here will have some in the fall but I was hoping to spend the summer with my puppy.