The Dog/Cat Adoption Zone

[wendybeth]

We got our dog, Mellie, largely because of Mini-Pinschers. We were looking for a smallish dog, and all of our area shelters were out- only larger breeds were available. Reluctantly, I went to a pet shop to see if they might have a mutt mix that wasn't going to grow too huge. They only had a few dogs available- a litter of Mini-P's, and an 8 week old Aussie Shep-Akita. They'd put the Aussie/Akita into the same pen as the other pups, and she was just sitting there, looking utterly dejected. I'm sure she had a headache as well, as those Mini's were frikking loud!!!! Anyway, the poor thing looked just like a little bear cub, and even though she was only 8 weeks old she was enormous next to the other pups. I made the mistake of picking her up, and the sales guy said that maybe she wouldn't get too big....? I just laughed at him- my sis has Akita's and I know how big they get- but I just couldn't put that poor puppy back. I found out that someone had taken her home a few days before, but returned her the next day. When I took her to the vet, it turned out she had serious hip displasia, which is probably why she was returned. I decided to keep her, and the vet put her on a some meds and a special diet to help with the dsyplasia. (For some reason, she wasn't a good candidate for surgery). She's been a great dog, and her hips give her minimal trouble. She's now 8 years old and still acts just like a puppy.