Erika *control freak* Shupe getting a dog????

[Queen Of Hearts]

Perhaps Hell has indeed frozen over. I just read this on Facebook:

 

 

Quote

SHIH TZU help please! We are seriously considering buying a Shih Tzu dog/puppy (shhh! It's a total secret from our kids!!!) But we need recommendations for a breeder (that doesn't charge and arm and a leg for a show-quality dog) or maybe a shelter - we're not sure which would be best for our family (we don't want to purchase a dog that needs to be retrained from bad habits, though, so we're thinking we'll have to start with a puppy?) We have looked extensively online with our limited knowledge of Shih Tzu's but really haven't found much. We'd also love any input you have about how to raise Shih Tzu's well! Thanks so much!

 

First she got birds. Even more shocking, she kept them for more than a week (birds are extremely messy, something Erika doesn't tolerate... remember, she is the one who claims dust mites have a bad odor). Then she was talking about getting a cat, but I have no clue if they actually followed through with this or not. Cats can not be controlled and we all know Erika loves control, so I am hoping she moved on from this idea. Now she wants a dog? Even more shocking, she wants a PUPPY? She will have a nervous breakdown the first time it pees on the carpeting! It makes me wonder if maybe Erika has gone on some kind of medication to make her more relaxed.

[thoughtful]

Oh shit.

:(

[nelliebelle1197]

How on earth can they afford a dog like that?

[PennySycamore]

Oh shit.

:(

I have a Shih tzu and there's a reason that people commonly call them Shitzoos. They are about impossible to potty train! My Shih tzu is maybe 7 years old and she's not that well potty trained even now. She also has bad skin and needs to eat grain-free dog food ($$$) and suffers from dry eye. She also needs a professional grooming every 6 weeks or so. She's not cheap! She is very sweet though.

[danvillebelle]

Oh shit.

:(

This times eleventy.

Not only should Erika *cringe* not get a dog at all *shudder*, a toy breed is about the WORST choice she could make *anxious for every Shih Tzu within a 100-mile radius of them.*

No dogs. No cats. No pets for Erika the control freak. The closest she should ever come to pets is a fish tank screen saver on their computer.

[ViolaSebastian]

I really hope any shih tzu breeder will check out her blog and her home situation and just say no to selling her one. The only one I've personally known was extremely vocal about everything and seemed to need professional grooming every two weeks.

[PennySycamore]

I really hope any shih tzu breeder will check out her blog and her home situation and just say no to selling her one. The only one I've personally known was extremely vocal about everything and seemed to need professional grooming every two weeks.

My Shih tzu only goes to the groomer every 6 weeks, but I'd think much more frequent grooming would be the norm for Shih tzu* who have a good quality coat. Not only do they need professional grooming, but their coats need daily upkeep. Those little bows that they wear aren't just for decoration! I wish my dog had a good enough coat to wear bows. She doesn't though. I'm content if she doesn't scratch herself raw.

*This is not a riffle where subject and verb don't agree. The correct plural of Shih tzu is Shih tzu.

[FJismyheadship]

This times eleventy.

Not only should Erika *cringe* not get a dog at all *shudder*, a toy breed is about the WORST choice she could make *anxious for every Shih Tzu within a 100-mile radius of them.*

No dogs. No cats. No pets for Erika the control freak. The closest she should ever come to pets is a fish tank screen saver on their computer.

Even MOPy would be too much of a hassle.

[feministxtian]

OH GOD NO!!! I have 2 big brutes and they are almost a full time job. There's feeding 'em, letting 'em out, letting 'em in, (lather, rinse and repeat), grooming 'em, playing with 'em, scooping the poop...dogs will NOT fit into Erika's anal-retentively scheduled life.

And with a house full of kids...an itty-bitty pup is gonna get trampled.

[Hane]

Ohhhhhhh, Erika. For the love of God, NO. As PennySycamore said, these guys are not exactly pros at getting housetrained. My Peke (Shih tzu, according to some sources, are derived from Pekingese/Lhasa Apso interbreeding) is 11 years old, calm, well-socialized, and great with kids and other dogs, but I have to watch her like a hawk or wind up mopping the floor. She also sheds like crazy, despite regular grooming.

If this weren't Erika we're taking about, I'd suggest a mid-to-large-sized good-natured mutt.

Because it IS Erika, I will firmly say NO WAY IN HELL. Even the smartest, best-behaved dog will have accidents and get into things s/he shouldn't.

[Jasmar]

Ugh - my mom (of the "My dogs are my kids!" Infamy) has two shitsooz. I if could see how they could be sweet dogs if they had been trained and treated like ... Dogs ... instead of spoiled children, but those things are smelly, pee all over the house, have to eat the $60/bag dog food, require monthly trips to the groomer, and yap at everything.

Why not something a little heartier, like a Boston Terrier: still small, great personalities, yet little/no professional grooming requirements and less fragile than a SZ.

But I vote for no pets for her.

[Meeka]

Oh my! She wants to get a show quality puppy for $300-$400 dollars!! That just doesn't happen. Show quality puppies are expensive and any good breeder will charge much more than that for just a pet quality puppy.

There's no way that she will be able to cope. Dog hair get everywhere even short haired ones.

My dog didn't even sleep through the night until she was 1 years old. Now maybe I'm terrible at sleep training but dogs are not for rigid people. You can't command them and expect them to immediately listne and behave and you may go to the bathroom and the entire family's supper will be gone in 30 sec.

I do have a large dog but i'm sure small dogs would be similar although it may be easier to save you dinner. The countertops are not safe in this house.

[ViolaSebastian]

Why on God's green earth does the puppy need to be show quality if it's just going to be a family pet? Surely perfection the show ring asks for isn't warranted in this situation...

[16strong]

Oh dear. Once again, Erika is harboring extreme delusions. As has been said, you cannot get a show-quality, or even just a full-breed like she is talking about getting for $300-400. First off, I'd imagine that to get a show-breed, you'd have to demonstrate commitment to actually show the dog, so the breeder's efforts don't go to waste. Second, it also sounds like she wants to spend $300-400 TOTAL, for all of the food, crate, toys, grooming items, etc. that will be needed. No way.

And the obvious? Every dog pees, poops, barks, bites, and makes a mess, at least sometimes. There's NO WAY Erika will be able to tolerate that. I would be surprised if the dog lasted even a month in the house before Erika either took it back to the breeder, put it up on Craigslist, or dropped it off at a shelter.

[Meeka]

It seem she is willing to pay an extra $250-$300 for supplies. I was just thinking about what I paid in the first year of my dog's life. She's 2 now.

$1500 - cost of dog (she is pet quality and not even show quality)

$100 - kennel

$200 - bigger kennel as she grew

$80 per month - food

$160 x 2 - vaccinations (2 visits)

$600 - spayed

$300 - 2 sets of training lessons

$300 - another 2 vet visits for various things ( this is an estimate is was probably more)

$20 per month treats/toys - probably more

$10 per month - nails trimmed

$40 per month - pet insurance

This is a total of almost $4000 in one year and I'm sure I spent more but I might be embarrassed with how much I spent.

That's all that i think of for now.

Can she afford this and will she do it willingly?

I know that you can have dogs cheaper than this but things really add up.

[Meeka]

Oh, I even forgot about the collar (dog will need several as they grow), a couple of leashes, bowls, beds etc. Dogs are expensive!! Also the time that it takes to train a dog in incredible. She may also have shoes torn up, clothes shredded, tables chewed on and couches torn up. How will she cope. It really annoys me when people think that dogs are toys that are cute and then will discard them when they realize how much work and expense they are. They are living creatures and have feelings too. All this while mine in lying on the foot of my bed breathing on my feet!

[Koala]

Oh my! She wants to get a show quality puppy for $300-$400 dollars!! That just doesn't happen. Show quality puppies are expensive and any good breeder will charge much more than that for just a pet quality puppy.

You are 100% correct. I have a Show-line West German Shepherd, and I paid $2000 dollars for him.

But a good breeder isn't going to give this woman a dog anyway. She won't make it past the application.

[PennySycamore]

You are 100% correct. I have a Show-line West German Shepherd, and I paid $2000 dollars for him.

But a good breeder isn't going to give this woman a dog anyway. She won't make it past the application.

Let's hope not!

My daughter's Husky is still very oral at several years of age. There is nothing that dog won't eat! He's eaten bras, underpants of both sexes, several pairs of glasses, his crate (!) and, IIRC, some of the car's upholstery. I think he recently chewed up my daughter's sunglasses. Dogs are not for the faint-of-heart.

[feministxtian]

Let's hope not!

My daughter's Husky is still very oral at several years of age. There is nothing that dog won't eat! He's eaten bras, underpants of both sexes, several pairs of glasses, his crate (!) and, IIRC, some of the car's upholstery. I think he recently chewed up my daughter's sunglasses. Dogs are not for the faint-of-heart.

My lab mix is still a chewing machine. He's 5 and will eat anything and everything. My shoes, TV remotes, the corner of the coffee table and the steps, he may or may not have tried to chew on the dryer vent. Not to mention, there is NO way that damn dog would do anything on a schedule except for dinner at 6pm. What he does one day is not what he does the next. Erika will not be able to get that damn dog to do shit on HER schedule!

ETA: I know I bitch about my dog...but he is my baby and I LOVE him (and his "brother"). We brought them from Virginia to Arizona when we moved and will be bringing them here to LV when I get us settled. I can't imagine life without my sweet boys.

[themothership]

I'm guessing she will get a high maintenance breed and *bitch* and *moan* about everything it does. The dog won't last a month.

Poor Karen is going to have to take care of a puppy as well as make daddy's lunch and cook meals for the whole family.

I just pray it isn't a girl because you know crazy ass Erika will shove it in a crate in the girls room, there already isn't room to walk in there!

[Coco]

I'm guessing someone hacked her fb account. :lol:

But if they do get a dog, they need a dachshund. One like Hundley. (the snooty super-clean lobby dog in Curious George).

Or another short hair breed, maybe Jack Russell terrier like Wishbone, but those are very active. I can imagine a hairy, pet dander-y dog would give Erika permanent eye twitch.

My aunt is very similar to Erika and she had two dachshunds in her type-a clean house. They survived! But cost a fortune in care and time invested. Professionally installed doggie door, obedience training classes to make them understand that the furniture was off limits, expensive vet care, doggie dentist appointments... and my aunt only has one child, whom she did NOT homeschool.

My mom once babysat a dachshund and he got so mad when she left him alone for a while to run errands that he forced himself to poop on the carpet as revenge. :D

But i don't think the Shupes should have a dog. Maybe visit a neighbor dog. Maybe buy the kids one of those furreals. Anything else will make Erika lose it. Or she'll become a wine connoisseur. :lol:

[Stephanie66]

Why does she seem like she is going to lose her mind any second?

I agree, she does NOT need a dog. Some large families do great with pets. Hers is not one of them.

ETA: Isn't her house also very small? With all of those children and even a small dog, it will really add to her cleaning schedule. Plus a PUPPY? Ugh.

Also, I got a little twitchy about not getting a shelter dog because they have "unknown histories". Well, a shelter dog has been temperament tested, spayed/neutered, all shots, is healthy, etc. If she plans to buy the cheapest purebred possible, she will still need to invest all of that money, plus training.

[Howl]

Ditto on all this. Can't even imagine why she would want a puppy in her perfectly ordered world.

Plus, she doesn't let her kids play in the yard while it's wet -- what happens when the puppy comes in muddy? Yup, this makes no sense AT ALL.

PLUS, with that many kids, at least one or two will be allergic to pet dander. Count on it.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Erika, and a dog?????

Seriously, Erika, why do you want a dog? Why not get something that fits more into your lifestyle, like a pet rock? Especially a puppy. Puppies need training, and you cannot take a short cut by hitting them like you do with your kids. Also you cannot use the potty training in a day method with them. They bark, chew things and you need to clean up their poo.

I cant imagine Erika, the person who is terrified of dirt, picking up doggy poop.

[Curious]

No one with an army of kids should be getting a toy breed or relatively small dog. That is just asking for things to end in tears. These are puppies that weigh less than 2 pounds at the age of purchase in most cases. They are much like babies and they need to be fed and monitored so they do not become hypoglycemic.

They are also fragile, in comparison to larger dogs. A puppy this size can be killed by a child playing with it (or another big dog playing with it for that matter).

I've had toy dogs for 15 years and I'm still a wreck when we get a puppy because just like babies things can happen to them that you can't predict.

You can't predict how much you will pay in extra costs either. We've probably put a couple kids through college thanks to our vet bills. Just in the last couple months we had a dog in ICU when he had a pancreatitis flare up, the puppy was spayed and had a liver biopsy and then the middle child had to have a check up on her knee (loose patella...very common in toy breeds) that was causing her a lot of pain (surgery estimate just over $1k, but fortunately restricted activity and supplements seems to be doing the trick to heal her patella). We also had almost everyone get kennel cough from the dog that was in ICU and one of them had to go in for antibiotics when she couldn't shake the virus like the others did and someone needed a rabies shot. I might have missed something in there.

Two of my girls have liver issues so they have to have routine blood work and a yearly bile acid test (they are asymptomatic thankfully). I have another dog on allergy shots because he's allergic to pretty much the entire planet.

On the plus side, any decent breeder will see red flags from miles away and won't sell her a puppy. Breeders *hate* people looking for "cheap" show quality dogs and in my experience aren't very fond of people looking for 'cheap' dogs, in general. If you want a cheap dog, you go to a shelter. Even most reputable rescues look upon that mentality very dimly.