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

[moodygirl86]

Poor dog, whoever it is who ends up with her. Here's hoping this is just a passing fancy, and she forgets it before she can actually fulfil it.

[thoughtful]

I agree with all who have pointed out how much work, possible mess, expense, and non-rigid unpredictability is involved in having a dog, and how she's not even limiting that by getting a breed that is hardy, easily potty-trained and not in need of professional grooming.

A pet should be enjoyed and have life that is enjoyable (heck, in my household, pets are loved, but I understand if others can't go quite that far in their feelings for an animal) -- otherwise, why have a pet? I shudder to think about what a horrible situation her household is for a dog.

Having a dog can be a wonderful way to show children how learning happens and why training is necessary, how we forgive unwanted behavior in the very young and increase expectations gradually, how to teach and guide with kindness instead of hitting and yelling, etc. I imagine that none of that interests Erika at all. :(

As someone who adores both animals and children, it breaks my heart when a parent tries out a pet then dumps it, which I suspect will happen here. Putting an animal into children's lives, letting them develop feelings for it (while showing them the worst possible example of how to handle it), then whisking it away, may not be as cruel as some of the things those kids go through, but it's yet another layer -- another shitty thing to do to her kids. :(

Sometimes it's a mercy when someone who is clueless has a big dog -- they can't just pick it up and move it when they don't like its behavior. They have to learn how to get the dog to willingly comply.

Small dogs with clueless owners are more likely to remain untrained, and get hit, kicked, pushed or lifted out of the way, or plopped in a crate when problems arise. They are also more likely to be treated as a toy or object, and never get to have the life of a normal dog, because they are carried around so much. :(

Let's hope no breeder will sell to her, and that her misconceptions about shelter dogs keep her from going that route.

[Meeka]

I wonder if she really knows the difference between a show quality and a pet quality dog. A lot of non-dog people don't know the difference. For someone who doesn't show a dog there is usually no difference. All a pet quality means is that it does not exactly match the ideal breed charcteristics and it does not mean there is anything wrong with the dog. If you aren't going to breed or show a dog most pet quality dogs are just fine. I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback and on the top part of her ridge one side is about 0.5cm higher than the other side. This makes her pet quality because her ridge is not perfect and they get so many points for the ridge that she couldn't reasonable win in a show.

Some pet quality dogs do have genetic problems ie hips not aligned, bends in the legs etc but most of the problems are strictly cosmetic like my dog. I have no desire to breed or show her (Showing sounds boring to me) but I wanted a dog to talk out for runs in the woods off leash.

Just my rant as I hat to see people get dogs that they are not prepared for

[PennySycamore]

I wonder if she really knows the difference between a show quality and a pet quality dog. A lot of non-dog people don't know the difference. For someone who doesn't show a dog there is usually no difference. All a pet quality means is that it does not exactly match the ideal breed charcteristics and it does not mean there is anything wrong with the dog. If you aren't going to breed or show a dog most pet quality dogs are just fine. I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback and on the top part of her ridge one side is about 0.5cm higher than the other side. This makes her pet quality because her ridge is not perfect and they get so many points for the ridge that she couldn't reasonable win in a show.

Some pet quality dogs do have genetic problems ie hips not aligned, bends in the legs etc but most of the problems are strictly cosmetic like my dog. I have no desire to breed or show her (Showing sounds boring to me) but I wanted a dog to talk out for runs in the woods off leash.

Just my rant as I hat to see people get dogs that they are not prepared for

One of my granddogs is a pet quality GSD who is not show quality merely because she is blue and tan rather than black and tan. She's gorge,s nonetheless, and is an all around wonderful dog. She even alerted us to a bear outside out cabin in the Adirondacks a few years ago. I'm glad her barking scared the bear away because we found claw marks underneath the living room window and the screen pushed in a bit. The other two German Shepherds are pet quality, as well. Good dogs all around, but then my daughter and her husband love dogs. They have six of them.

[PennySycamore]

I thought I'd add the list of grooming supplies the AKC lists in their "Meet the Shih tzu book:

Bathing:

A hand held spray attachment for tub or sink

A rubber mat for the dog to stand on

A tearless dog shampoo and conditioner (don't use human products)

Towels (a chamois is best)

A pet hair dryer ( you can use your own, but set it on low)

Spritz-on dry shampoos (handy if you need a quick clean up)

Brushing coat:

Soft pin brush or slicker

Metal Comb

Brushing teeth:

Dog toothbrush or child's toothbrush

Dog toothpaste

Premoistened canine dental wipes

Cleaning ears:

Cotton balls or wipes

Ear cleaning solution

Designing the top-knot:

Metal comb

Spray bottle

Small elastic hair bands

Bow (optional)

Trimming nails:

Dog nail cutters (scissor or guillotine type) or a grinder

Nail file (to file down jagged edges)

Styptic powder (in case you cut the quick)

Wiping eyes:

Doggie eye wipes or hydrogen peroxide

Cotton Balls

Cornstarch

You might also want to have a grooming table to make the whole process easier and you'll also need to add expressing the anal glands weekly to the grooming ritual. Can you imagine Lori squeezing a dog's butt every week?

[Marianne]

After reading this thread, I have had a looooooooong hug with my dog (wich became a long nap)

Poor children, poor dog...

[SunnyAndrsn]

Going to go look for a spot on the bed to nap with my three fur babies: I have a one year old St. Bernard/Newfie mix (anyone want to talk grooming issues, tangles and fur mats, oh my!), an almost 11 year old lab/rottie mix, and a 2 year old husky.

There's very little space on the bed for me, but I would have it any other way! They are my babies and I love them dearly.

Keeping dogs happy takes a lot of time and patience. We have done a lot of training, and have lots of toys, treats, squeaky balls, kongs, elk antlers, bully sticks, walks, walks, walks, and more walks. Let's not forget the trips to the local dog park too.

[usmcmom]

She doesn't seem to know anything about the Shih Tzu. Why that breed? Because it's tiny and she thinks it will make a cute and easy accessory? She's nuts.

Puppies are difficult, but I wouldn't trade the fourteen years we had with our dog for anything. Even those puppy days were worth the loyalty and love she gave us. She was a lab mix we rescued from a shelter when she was just six weeks old. Erika needs to remember not all shelter dogs are senior dogs that have bad habits. Some are puppies. Some are older dogs that are nice and calm and ready to spend their days taking quiet walks and napping. Our sweet dog was so wonderful in her last few years. She did have a routine - nap in the living room; have a snack, nap in the kitchen, take a walk, nap by the fire place, greet the kids at the door, have a snack, take a walk, turn in for the night on the loveseat. The loveseat I banned her from ten years ago, but yet was her bed every night for most of her life. Oh gosh, I miss that sweet dog and it makes me sick to think any dog might end up in Shupe-a-palooza crazy land.

I have two neighbors who each kept a dog for about six months before giving it away because they couldn't handle the mess and work. The kids were heartbroken. I see that happening to the Shupe family.

I hope someone talks Erika out of this crazy plan.

[DGayle]

She has no fucking clue. She wants one that doesn't need to be retrained from bad habits, so maybe a puppy? She has obviously never raised a puppy. I've raised a dozen, and they are HARD. I've also helped retrain adult dogs, and they are actually easier! They're calmer, so pay more attention than a distractible puppy.

Someone please call all the rescues and breeders in her area and warn them about her. I'm not even kidding.

[DGayle]

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.

I know people who breed dogs, and if you do it right with the shots and not kicking puppies into new homes right at 6 weeks and take the time they need, which is a full time job itself and means someone in the house probably can't work outside of it, and socializing, and vetting, it can cost double that much just to break even. It's not usual for rescues to charge that range for a puppy

[DGayle]

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.

I literally just started choking from inhaling a piece of a candy bar to laugh at this. I had a husky, and those dogs never stop being oral. But what did it was the upholstery. I had a GrandAm, and left my dog in it for about ten minutes one night (it was cold, windows down plenty, night time, no risk at all of a dog heating when it was in the 40's outside), and that dog ate the front passenger seat.

I learned after getting her, back before the internet made it easier to find the truth about dog breeds instead of those paint-a-happy-picture breed books that were all we used to have for research, that huskies can have separation anxiety really bad. I had to drug my dog if I was going to leave the house for longer than to check the mail and she wasn't coming with me. If I didn't, she would chew on her own paws.

Also because the breed is meant to live on seal fat in the arctic, it was hard keeping weight on her. Standard dog foods didn't have enough fat for her, so I had to get high fat hamburger, cook it, scoop out some of the meat to leave more fat, let that cool, and have her eat that. Twice a day. Or else she got too thin and sick.

Huskies are such a hard breed that I will never have a husky again without owning a lot of land and having at least 2 or 3 of them. Some huskies are fine alone, or eating dog foods, but it's a crap shoot if you don't get an adult from a rescue where someone spent time with the dog and knows what kind.

[moodygirl86]

She doesn't seem to know anything about the Shih Tzu.

She's so dim she probably thinks a "shit zoo" is a not very good nature centre.

[DGayle]

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.

We've got a couple senior dogs, about 65 pounds each. Our monthly dog food bill alone is about $80. So about a grand just to feed these beasties. One of them has a sensitive tummy, and any change in her diet or schedule, and she's going to have accidents. We bought a steam cleaner (about $300), and still have to have the carpets professionally done every few months at about $120 each time. Sensitive tummy on a senior dog and a few flights of stairs to walk down if she needs to go potty, and you get a dog who goes inside when getting down those steps would take too long. When we were in the RV, the dogs just laid on the bed. They're sleeping right now. Old doggies. Still not cheap.

There are days I get frustrated and wonder why I ever wanted dogs. But when I think about rehoming them, I cry. Even kids are frustrating and it's like why did I want kids, but you love them, and can't imagine life without them.

A dog won't fit in Erika's world. A cat, probably. Just ass in feeding and litter-scooping, and if the cat is indoor only, no problem with mud. She might have a freak-out over furballs, but there are cats that don't have hair. She really needs to not get any animals though.

[DGayle]

One of my granddogs is a pet quality GSD who is not show quality merely because she is blue and tan rather than black and tan. She's gorge,s nonetheless, and is an all around wonderful dog. She even alerted us to a bear outside out cabin in the Adirondacks a few years ago. I'm glad her barking scared the bear away because we found claw marks underneath the living room window and the screen pushed in a bit. The other two German Shepherds are pet quality, as well. Good dogs all around, but then my daughter and her husband love dogs. They have six of them.

Some show standards are harmful to dogs. GSDs are an example. The slant of their back puts a lot of pressure in their hips, so dysplasia is a problem. GSDs with level backs have a lower rate of this problem because weight is balanced, but they won't win shows.

Show-quality King Charles Cavaliers have heads so small that their brains are squished and can push down into their spina columns. http://cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm It's fucking AWFUL!! But if you have a KCC spaniel who doesn't have that tiny head that causes this brain problem to be common, your dog won't stan a chance of getting near a ring.

Sometimes show-quality is the worst thing you can look for.

[PennySycamore]

Some show standards are harmful to dogs. GSDs are an example. The slant of their back puts a lot of pressure in their hips, so dysplasia is a problem. GSDs with level backs have a lower rate of this problem because weight is balanced, but they won't win shows.

Show-quality King Charles Cavaliers have heads so small that their brains are squished and can push down into their spina columns. http://cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm It's fucking AWFUL!! But if you have a KCC spaniel who doesn't have that tiny head that causes this brain problem to be common, your dog won't stan a chance of getting near a ring.

Sometimes show-quality is the worst thing you can look for.

The backs on the other two GSDs may be too level for competition. I can't stand to see GSDs competing in the ring. Those dogs look like they're in pain, practically walking on their pasterns.

I dogsat a Cavalier a few years ago that suffered from Syringomelia. She constantly snapped at flies that weren't there.

[nelliebelle1197]

My mom has 5 of those things and bred the two oldest by accident. They are high quality show quality dogs and the pups she sold fetched $1,000 per. The younger three are puppies she could not bring herself to sell from the litter.

[Curious]

do we know where Erica lives?

[Seven Severn]

do we know where Erica lives?

Washington state, specifically Skagit Valley.

[Cheetah]

Just reading the comments on her FB post... someone wrote that you get what you pay for and this was her response:

"*sigh* I know that logic...hopefully the Lord will move on our behalf since this was His idea. We can only afford what He has provided for us to be able to afford."

I guess it's all "the Lord"'s idea. Kind of like every other harebrained scheme these fundies come up with. God forbid they should ever have an independent thought of their own...

[PennySycamore]

Why doesn't God want Lori to have a "Godly" breed like the St Bernard instead of a Buddhist dog like the Shih tzu? Shih tzu and Lhasa Apso were originally bred by Buddhist monks in Tibet. I believe the Dalai Lama has a Lhasa Apso which I think is pretty cool.

[super skeptic]

I hope she never goes through with this. There is NO WAY she can handle an unpredictable puppy who bites and chews and pees on things. Dogs are a commitment and a long-term family member, not an accessory to keep neatly tucked in your line of Stepford Children of the Corn.

(Also a shi tzu? Good luck with the barking and the hair! She couldn't handle it for more than a week. I have a poodle and he sheds constantly and I had to hide my rugs because he likes to pee on them when in sight. He is not allowed on the furniture and I STILL find dog hair from every surface of my house. He's dug up 2 very good-sized holes in my backyard. I am impressed because he is small. Erika Shupe can't handle a normal child let alone a hyper non-verbal furry child.)

[StellaMarie]

Just reading the comments on her FB post... someone wrote that you get what you pay for and this was her response:

"*sigh* I know that logic...hopefully the Lord will move on our behalf since this was His idea. We can only afford what He has provided for us to be able to afford."

I guess it's all "the Lord"'s idea. Kind of like every other harebrained scheme these fundies come up with. God forbid they should ever have an independent thought of their own...

This is just so offensive on so many levels! First of all, now The Lord wants her to have a Shi Tzu? Seriously?!?!! To what end? Will the puppy minister to the ill? Carry tracts in its mouth?

This woman is cruel to her own babies, who speak a "language" she can understand. She has no business having any other living being. ARGH.

Also, I know this is a rant and not directed at her -- but, really? There's no excuse to buy from a bad breeder -- and any breeder that will sell her a Shi Tzu in her price range (or, frankly, at any price!!) is a bad breeder. But there is also nothing inferior -- at all -- about rescue dogs. Mine is my heart dog. I know I'm a little sensitive, but his "purchase price" has no bearing on his worth.

And, to echo others' comments, dogs are -- or at least can be -- crazy expensive. There are no guarantees, whether you get a dog from a pound or from a fantastic breeder, that you won't have health issues. Not to mention the every day stuff; my guys have a line item in my budget (which probably exceeds a lot of fundie food budgets!).

[ViolaSebastian]

Just reading the comments on her FB post... someone wrote that you get what you pay for and this was her response:

"*sigh* I know that logic...hopefully the Lord will move on our behalf since this was His idea. We can only afford what He has provided for us to be able to afford."

I guess it's all "the Lord"'s idea. Kind of like every other harebrained scheme these fundies come up with. God forbid they should ever have an independent thought of their own...

I can just see God throwing up his hands and this and proclaiming "It wasn't ME!"

[feministxtian]

This is just so offensive on so many levels! First of all, now The Lord wants her to have a Shi Tzu? Seriously?!?!! To what end? Will the puppy minister to the ill? Carry tracts in its mouth?

This woman is cruel to her own babies, who speak a "language" she can understand. She has no business having any other living being. ARGH.

Also, I know this is a rant and not directed at her -- but, really? There's no excuse to buy from a bad breeder -- and any breeder that will sell her a Shi Tzu in her price range (or, frankly, at any price!!) is a bad breeder. But there is also nothing inferior -- at all -- about rescue dogs. Mine is my heart dog. I know I'm a little sensitive, but his "purchase price" has no bearing on his worth.

And, to echo others' comments, dogs are -- or at least can be -- crazy expensive. There are no guarantees, whether you get a dog from a pound or from a fantastic breeder, that you won't have health issues. Not to mention the every day stuff; my guys have a line item in my budget (which probably exceeds a lot of fundie food budgets!).

Re the bolded...my boys are rescues. My one pup is a Giant Schnauzer/GSD mix. He's the sweetest thing. He was abandoned by his original family when they moved. They dumped him at the SPCA. He was malnourished and scared out of his mind. We've now had him for 9 years. He's about 10. He's happy, healthy and spoiled rotten! Our other pup is a Lab/??? mix. We've had him since he was a 9 week old pup. He's my baby! We're the crazies who drove the dogs across the country (from VA to AZ) and in a few weeks we'll be bringing them from AZ to NV.

Their "purchase price" has NO bearing at all on how much they are loved. As a matter of fact, before I left, I sat with my boys and explained to them that mommy had to go but I would find them a new house and they'd have a new house and a new yard and that I would NEVER, EVER leave them. They are mine (ours) from now until...I am sad knowing that they will not live as long as I'd like them to live and I will have to say "until later" to them at some point...

Ok...off my rescue soapbox now...

[Curious]

Washington state, specifically Skagit Valley.

Thanks. I will sleep better tonight :)