i need a dog!

[snot]

i havent had any luck with traveling with people cuz most people irrate the hell outa and havent been quiet right after i lost my my dog in sf. so if anyone on the west coast has puppys that theyre looking give out to travelers ill come to u for a puppy

 

[HUMANCONTRAST]

If you lost your puppy, i don't think you should be having another dog.

 

[snot]

my ex stold my dog.... i didnt loose track of her. hes judt a dick

 

[1544c]

i recommend all travelers don't travel with a dog. that's just my personal opinion. most traveler kids suck shit at owning a dog. i've traveled with some cool kids with great dogs but they're been few and far between.

what are you getting the dog for? is it to alleviate loneliness? if so, that's a shitty reason to get a dog.
no one is ever happy by themselves all the time. but if one is never happy alone, that's a sign that maybe they have an issue or two that needs to be dealt with.

the reason people should have a pet is because they want to teach it and watch it grow. they want the deep and involving responsibility for another creatures life.
not because they are lonely, or they need something to yell at, or they want to shatter their alcohol bottles all over the ground only to have their dogs walk through it (i'm talkin to you oogles out there), or because other traveling kids have dogs, or because it's part of the travel kid uniform, or maybe they have absolutely nothing to say, social situations are painful because they don't know how to communicate, they get lonely, they get angry, they get sad, they get a dog.
Now all social interactions have a centeral figure (the dog) to focus on, turning down some of the pressure to be social, shifting the spot light away from unaddressed personal issues... ("huhuh my dog is so great ain't he? i can't talk about anything else but my uniform... oops did i say uniform? i mean dog").
i find myself in situations with animal owners and all they speak about is their animal. what the hell would they talk about if that poorly trained animal didn't exist?

 

[brking]

When you need the next dog it will come to you. Dont go looking for one, when its time it will come to you

 

[Shakou]

what are you getting the dog for? is it to alleviate loneliness? if so, that's a shitty reason to get a dog.

That's funny. I could of sworn getting a COMPANION ANIMAL for the purposes of COMPANIONSHIP was sort of the idea. And dogs, seeing as they're such social creatures and love being with their humans, are probably one of the best companion animals you can bring with yourself on the road. Being RESPONSIBLE for the animal's well being (training it, loving it, giving it's essential needs, making sure it's happy and looking out for it's safety and health) and actions (making sure it stays out of trouble), where ever you are, is what makes a good pet owner.

 

[soapybum]

If you do get a dog make sure to take care of it, it comes before your health, enjoyment etc. Its like havin a kid xD If you have an ID than you can go to a animal shelter and get one. Save it from being euthanized etc etc. Honestly though, if you get a dog and you're traveling you still need to get it all of its shots etc, make it look like a legit service dog and train it well so you can go on buses, amtraks and so on.

 

[brking]

yea for sure i have a dane mix that passes as a service animal all the time

 

[snot]

i know. i alwazys make sure my pets are tooken care of before i am. ive always had animals and it feels weird not having one

 

[1544c]

i agree with your description of what it means to be a good pet owner.
i'm well aware of the concept of companion animals and i think the idea of NEEDing a dog strickly on the grounds of your own social shortcomings is a shitty reason to get an animal.
it's just my personal opinion.

 

[Shakou]

i agree with your description of what it means to be a good pet owner.
i'm well aware of the concept of companion animals and i think the idea of NEEDing a dog strickly on the grounds of your own social shortcomings is a shitty reason to get an animal.
it's just my personal opinion.

If you're talking about getting a dog simply as an excuse to start up conversations with people, then I agree, but I don't think that's why this person wants one. There's nothing wrong with getting a dog for the companionship so long as they are willing to be a responsible pet owner and accept and are willing to do what they need to to ensure the dog is happy. I travel with my husband and our two dogs. I LOVE my husband to death, but the dogs are what keep me sane.

 

[Donnie]

I think 1544c may be talking about people who use pets as an alternative to socialization because of personal psychological hangups, therefor compounding the problem rather than treating it at it's cause.

Personally I've witnessed scenarios where I wished certain animals had been euthanized rather than being adopted by their abusive caregivers; some people are seriously disturbed and cannot be trusted around animals, leaving the animals irreversibly damaged. You only have to watch animal cops (on animal planet) for five minutes to get what I'm talking about.

So, point is: If you are prepared, responsible, and mature enough to really give an animal companion what it needs, then go for it! If you have doubts, then just wait.

Don't get an animal because you think it will make you "fit in", or because you've got some romanticized delusion of adventure, because your just going to make the poor creature suffer.

 

[Shakou]

I think 1544c may be talking about people who use pets as an alternative to socialization because of personal psychological hangups, therefor compounding the problem rather than treating it at it's cause.

Personally I've witnessed scenarios where I wished certain animals had been euthanized rather than being adopted by their abusive caregivers; some people are seriously disturbed and cannot be trusted around animals, leaving the animals irreversibly damaged. You only have to watch animal cops (on animal planet) for five minutes to get what I'm talking about.

So, point is: If you are prepared, responsible, and mature enough to really give an animal companion what it needs, then go for it! If you have doubts, then just wait.

Don't get an animal because you think it will make you "fit in", or because you've got some romanticized delusion of adventure, because your just going to make the poor creature suffer.

I've worked in animal rescue for 15 years. You don't have to tell me about how cruel people can be to their animals... But I can also say that cruelty and animal neglect is something that happens everywhere. It's not just a traveler kid exclusive. It's an individual by individual basis.

 

[brking]

in reality with just a few exception traveler dogs actually get taken care of better then most dogs. i know with me and the people i travel with we go with food or water before our dogs do. and all the people i know that have dogs there dogs pass as service animals almost anywhere. i have meet more dogs that live at a house or in an apartment that the dog treated worse then the travelers dogs do.

 

[Kim Chee]

there are more dogs than responsible dog owners, you should have no problem finding a dog.

 

[deanmoriarty]

my dog is the only one who always makes me feel better,no matter how bad shit is,we love and protect each other,and nothing is more important than that.dont know if this is any kind of answer,but its 430am,cut me a break....

 

[Dead horse]

Do you really "Need" a dog? I think you just "Want" a dog

 

[Keyser Soze]

have you seen this dog?? he ripped me off for a couple of bizkitz... avid crack smoker and tennis ball shredder watch out world

 

[panik]

people who use pets as an alternative to socialization because of personal psychological hangups, therefor compounding the problem rather than treating it at it's cause.

hahaha...yup.

 

[Shakou]

Only thing I will say in regards to travelers and dogs is please PLEASE, for fuck sakes, get your dog fixed. One of the personal observations I made I've a actually just turned into a rule. If a male dog is with them, he still has his balls and will eventually impregnate a female. If a female dog is with them, it's pregnant. You can just assume that, because 9/10 it is. For someone like me who has been involved with animal rescue for the past 15 years, it's EXTREMELY annoying. I could go on a tangent about how many puppies and dogs are killed everyday in shelters due to people being careless and allowing their dogs to breed, and to walk into a shelter on euthanization day to get the full effect for yourself, but I'll spare you that. Instead I'll say there really is no excuse. There are spay/neuter clinics all over the U.S. that will do it for either very little or free to those with little to no income. That was how we got one of our dogs spayed.