stripedsocks

My sister has a close friend with a six year old son.

His Dad has just bought him a puppy for his birthday - a Bull Mastiff.

The idea is for the kid to train the dog. They are enrolled in puppy classes. Due to start in 3 weeks.

Honestly I could not think of a worse choice. Massive strong dog. Young boy who has never had a dog before. Father who doesn't even live there!

My sister has offered to help out with the training, but I really think they should return the pup while it is still cute and has a chance of a new home.

The mother doesn't want the dog, but feels she needs to keep it because it was a birthday present.

I have no idea who bred it. They obviously either didn't ask the right questions, or weren't given honest answers.

I feel terrible for that boy and that dog. Talk about setting up a dog to fail.

I was by Pets Paradise once and they were selling as a Bichon.. that was well on its way to Golden Retriever size. I don't have anything against mongrels, often very pleasant dogs... but c'mon. It'd be the world's biggest Bichon, that's for certain.

One of the sizes of AE overlaps with Japanese Spitzes. The only difference I've heard is some AE's are biscuit rather than snowy white. I'd be interested to know too.

Not a cavvy person (will be if hubby gets his way!) but how often are their ears cleaned? Spaniel ears can get absolutely grotty, no offense. And that holds reek, especially if they get infected. It's quite humid there, isn't it?

Are their teeth good?

How is their coat is it like "ew you've been rolling" smell or "ew you have a skin infection" smell?

Is it terrible I secretly pray that the next article will involve "dog was fined and told to go to rehab and classes, tearfully agreed both owners must be put to sleep"?

I have never had a yard. Of course, I've never had a puppy, either. They also got walks EVERY day, LOTS of walks, and this was in a climate where winter is two feet of snow. And not pretty, Colorado snow that is all fluffy and white, angry East Coast USA grey sloggy snow.

The staffy was eight years old when we got her. The Akitas were about five years old each but never met each other or lived at the same time. The Bouvier was the most difficult by far, but he had been thoroughly abused as a puppy and was more energetic than the other three dogs put together, he was also only two years old when my parents got him.

These were houses w/ stairs, but no fenced yards.

At this point I am in a unit (no stairs) and have no dog. I'm still researching/figuring out what would be best and happiest. Looking at toy breeds mostly. I still like walking a lot and like the enforced gym membership aspect. And there's no snow! All-weather walking here is really painless for me in that sense. And I'm leaning towards an adult dog.