Dillards 79: Sex Education on the Fly

[patsymae]

On 9/18/2019 at 2:36 PM, Knight of Ni said:

Yep. Or a single exposure to a large amount of the allergen. I developed seasonal allergies after opening a beehive and was exposed to the massive amount of pollen inside. 

Sorry for you, and yes, that as well. I remember calling the pharmacy back in the day when there were pharmacists and they delivered, and asking for cold medication. Told you probably have allergies. I was like, no, I don't have allergies. And they were like, it is a really, really bad season for pollen and you have them now. I had no clue. Also explains why I was OK, I thought, around flowers but walking into a florist shop literally took my breath way.

[indianabones]

Jill wants a dog. To her credit, she does talk about adopting one rather than just soliciting breed suggestions, which every commenter is doing anyways.

If she ends up getting one, I reeeeeally hope she ends up adopting an older dog rather than getting a puppy. Puppies need so much exercise and training and proper socialization and I can't really see Jill and Derick being able to offer adequate amounts of those things.

Edited September 28, 2019 by indianabones

[Gnomewizard]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:36 PM, Knight of Ni said:

Yep. Or a single exposure to a large amount of the allergen. I developed seasonal allergies after opening a beehive and was exposed to the massive amount of pollen inside. 

Mine started the summer I went to help a friend develope her land into a hobby farm. I had always enjoyed gardening and working with my hands and I had the free time that year so why not do something I loved while hanging out with a good friend at the same time? I was fine then the next thing I knew I was unable to breathe. 

I went to get tested  and they found I was allergic to everything. Yehaw. I tried allergy shots and those made me sicker. When I was needing steroid shots and then had to see a psychiatrist for medication to deal the side effects of the steroid shots I gave up on any treatment. I just limit my outdoor time when in rural areas. I carry Benadryl, eye drops, and an epi pen when I have to go.

Even in the city I spend more time and money on my allergy routine than I do on the rest of my personal hygiene combined. I miss just brushing my teeth before going to bed. The whole nasal rinse, nasal spray, mineral oil, ear drops, eye drops, showering before bed no matter what, changing the sheets almost daily at allergy peek season and and and. Even Gnome offspring and Gnome spouse have to have shampoo and soaps I am not allergic to. 

I really miss gardening. I created a garden plan with Gnome Spouse and it was sweet of him to want to try, but he really doesn't have a clue what he is doing. 

[Kelseyj]

I did watch a movie with 

[PennySycamore]

Good for Jill to not be asking about small breeds.  Very small dogs don't mix well with small kids.  They are too easily injured especially when they're puppies.  

They shouldn't be thinking about breeds so much and unless Derrick has a lot of experience with large dogs, they definitely should not consider a giant breed.  Having said that a Lab mix or Labrador from the shelter would be great despite the shedding.  So would a beagle, if they get an adult and have a fenced-in yard.  Oh heck, there are lots of great dogs!  Poodles don't shed and are considered generally hypoallergenic.  

Rescues are  great (I'm sitting her on the sofa between my two)  but you need to be prepared for emotional issues.  They may not have been socialized and you'll need to socialize them as much as you can.  Some rescues never completely recover from their early trauma.  

I was reading yesterday that the creator of the Labradoodle regrets that he did.  A blind woman in Hawaii needed a guide dog and she had allergies so the usual Lab would not do.  Poodles are wicked smart so I don't know why he had to mix a poodle with a Lab to get the desired results.

[Four is Enough]

That is an adorable photo of Sam and Izzy.

Having said that, I hope they keep an eye on the droopiness of Izzy's left eyelid. 

[bella8050]

I really hope they talk to someone at a shelter or rescue about this first. They usually discourage pets as surprise gifts. 

[pippi]

7 minutes ago, bella8050 said:

I really hope they talk to someone at a shelter or rescue about this first. They usually discourage pets as surprise gifts. 

Good point--a careful planned transition usually works better for pets AND kids. 

[pippi]

Honestly, after some pondering, I commented with sincere advice about rescue animals and first time dog ownership. I figure they are going to get a dog if they want to no matter what, one way or another, so the more practical comments outweighing the "omg get a doodle puppy!*" type comments, the better. 

I really hope the dog wouldn't just live in the backyard, and would get to snuggle up on movie nights and stuff, but I know that's just wishful thinking given how they grew up pet-wise. 

 

**not trying to rain on anyone's puppy parade, just think that if they insist on getting a dog, a gentle, sturdy pup that's a few years old would be a better choice...selected for temperament, training, etc, rather than breed/appearance. 

[Meggo]

We got a pup two years ago and our son was four. We had a super eager to please and smart doggie. 

That being said- I will never get another puppy. They are SO MUCH work. I don’t think she gets that it’s like having an actual infant for at least a year- more like 2.

[raspberrymint]

What's wrong with doodles?

My dog has doodle (half) siblings, and while I don't live with them, I haven't heard any horror stories.  I've thought about letting her make doodle puppies, too.

My dog is spoiled rotten.  Sleeps on the bed, never outside alone.  Very different from what my childhood pets were put through.

Edited September 28, 2019 by raspberrymint
Everything after the question. I almost didn't add more because it's tedious how much I'm commenting this way.

[Gnomewizard]

51 minutes ago, Meggo said:

We got a pup two years ago and our son was four. We had a super eager to please and smart doggie. 

That being said- I will never get another puppy. They are SO MUCH work. I don’t think she gets that it’s like having an actual infant for at least a year- more like 2.

Yep. Teen Gnome got a puppy at 6. The puppy was supposed to be a family dog but she decided she was that Gnomes dog. She was an easy puppy but Grandma Gnome insisted on having the puppy visit her daily so I had an easier time than most. Even still, getting up in the night to take a puppy outside then puppy wants to play instead of going back to sleep, I do not miss that.

My first thought was the Jill is seeing all the pregnant sisters and sister-in-laws and wants a baby and a puppy is a consolation prize so to speak. Was there anything to the rumors that she could not get pregnant after Sam? I only follow intermittently and tend to miss things, hope this hasn't been hashed to death.

[nvmbr02]

We like to get puppies, but we are super picky about our dog training and I just find it easier to work with a "blank slate". It is a ton of work though. We have a new puppy now that we have had for almost a month. He is from a breed specific rescue. He was surrendered by his first family after they had him for only a month. Since the breeder didn't take him back I can assume it was a backyard breeder. In any case, he is super naughty and a ton of work (like just a few mins ago he went out to potty and found a mud puddle and came back to the door covered head to paw with mud) but I wouldn't have it any other way. 

That being said, none of the Duggars have ever shown a willingness to properly care for animals. I hope if they get a dog, it is a slightly older, at least partially trained dog that they adopt through a rescue that provides at least some education in basic care.

[PennySycamore]

2 hours ago, raspberrymint said:

What's wrong with doodles?

My dog has doodle (half) siblings, and while I don't live with them, I haven't heard any horror stories.  I've thought about letting her make doodle puppies, too.

My dog is spoiled rotten.  Sleeps on the bed, never outside alone.  Very different from what my childhood pets were put through.

The guy who bred the first Labradoodle now regrets doing so even though he had a good reason for doing so:  he wanted a dog that was as good as working with a blind person as Labs tend to be if they have the proper training and the dog needed to have a hypoallergenic coat as poodles tend to.  He's found that while actual mutts may have "hybrid vigor",  intentional crossbreeds do not.  They tend to have the health deficits of both breeds.  There has been an explosion in intentional crossbreeds since the first Labradoodle: Puggles, Chi-Weenies and so on.

@raspberrymint,  PLEASE do not breed your doodle!  There are way too many puppies and older dogs already in shelters to "make doodle puppies".  She will be healthier if she never is bred and is spayed too.  There's a thread or two on the Maxwell forum about the nightmare that Sarah and Ellie, her Golden went through earlier this year when Ellie was pregnant and developed pyometra.  She was extremely ill and could have died if not for an emergency spay.  This sweet dog means the world to Sarah and I think she would have been absolutely devastated if Ellie had died.

[Vivi_music]

2 hours ago, raspberrymint said:

What's wrong with doodles?

My dog has doodle (half) siblings, and while I don't live with them, I haven't heard any horror stories.  I've thought about letting her make doodle puppies, too.

My dog is spoiled rotten.  Sleeps on the bed, never outside alone.  Very different from what my childhood pets were put through.

The problem is not the doodles themselves. THe creator of the Doodles didn't criticizes the dogs, nor their character. He regrets the craze it has created.

Here is a quote from Psychology Today

Quote

He continues his lament, "Get on the Internet and verify it for yourself. All these backyard breeders have jumped on the bandwagon, and they're crossing any kind of dog with a poodle. They're selling them for more than a purebred is worth and they're not going into the backgrounds of the parents of the dogs. There are so many poodle crosses having fits, problems with their eyes, hips, and elbows, and a lot have epilepsy. There are a few ethical breeders, but very very few.

"I opened a Pandora's box, that's what I did. I released a Frankenstein. So many people are just breeding for the money. So many of these dogs have physical problems, and a lot of them are just crazy.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/canine-corner/201404/designer-dog-maker-regrets-his-creation

Of course, he paints a rather somber portrait here. I am sure their are responsible humans that try their best do to research and are aware of health issues. But I am glad he is at least able to be critical of his own contribution to the phenomenon.

I also wish the ''designer dog'' trend would die down, simply because a lot of shelter dogs need homes. Not to mention that breeding in itself is problematic for the dogs' health. I get that the creator of the Doodle, in his interview would wish for people to check the parent's background and health when breeding. But even the pure-bred dogs from the best breeder usually live shorter and are more prone to health problems than mixes are. Not to mention we do ha ve a problem of animal overpopulation in North America (US and Canada).

And believe I am not throwing the stone here. I grew up in an household that had both shelter dogs and breeder dogs. I am more aware now that my family contributed to the pure-bred industry. It doesn't mean we didn't adore our Poodle. He was in fact one of the easiest family dog to train, so friendly and with a huge personality. As an individual (because I believe dogs are individuals too, in the sense they have their own personality), I loved him to pieces.  I understand the desire that one migt have to buy a pure-breed. But people have to be aware that it is not always optimal. We also had shelter dogs when we were kids and they were awesome pets, provided us with tons a great memories and I hope we were able to give these pups a fun life. (PS: one of these shelter dog was a dalmatian, so do not believe their are no breeds in shelters)

[Kailash]

Something like 25% of dogs in a shelter are pure bred. 

[LacyMay]

I couldn't resist I posted a long (what I hope was informative comment) as a dog mom, rescue volunteer and someone studying animal assisted intervention it's something I'm really passionate about. And like someone said up thread posting or not she will do what she wants so the best we can do is hope she listens to good advice. 

Our current dog we adopted as an adult (he was about 6) and it was the best decision we could have made. Knowing his personality was a huge plus and as first time dog owners it made it easier. He's my sweet boy and I can't imagine life without him. 

We are looking to adopt a puppy in the next month or so (rescue again) but my plan is to work with this one and have it trained as a therapy dog so we will be being a bit more picky about temperament etc for this one. I'm excited but a bit nervous because a puppy feels like a huge jump but I'm home full time right now studying so now is the time. We also want to get it while our current doggo is in that nice age range where he's old enough that we won't have two puppies/he can teach the dog how to dog but young enough that a puppy won't wear him out or be too much for him. 

 

[nvmbr02]

9 hours ago, LacyMay said:

We are looking to adopt a puppy in the next month or so (rescue again) but my plan is to work with this one and have it trained as a therapy dog so we will be being a bit more picky about temperament etc for this one. I'm excited but a bit nervous because a puppy feels like a huge jump but I'm home full time right now studying so now is the time. We also want to get it while our current doggo is in that nice age range where he's old enough that we won't have two puppies/he can teach the dog how to dog but young enough that a puppy won't wear him out or be too much for him. 

 

It is a huge jump and a big commitment but it has been very fun too. Our older dog is 8 and she has done a great job of teaching the puppy the ropes. And he has helped her become more playful. They've really bonded and it melts my heart. 

Picture of them being silly under the tag

Spoiler

 

[WiseGirl]

19 hours ago, Kailash said:

Something like 25% of dogs in a shelter are pure bred. 

My Pomeranian is a rescue.

I too hope they go for an older rescue dog. Love both of mine but the Spaniel mix came with some PTSD so they need to make a careful choice.

[PennySycamore]

4 hours ago, WiseGirl said:

My Pomeranian is a rescue.

I too hope they go for an older rescue dog. Love both of mine but the Spaniel mix came with some PTSD so they need to make a careful choice.

I have two rescued dogs and a rescued cat.  The cat was 8 when I adopted her.  I have no idea why she was surrendered to a shelter, but it's possible that her owners could not care for her anymore.  Maybe they had to move into a place that didn't accept pets or they were elderly and caring for a cat was more than they could do.  The cat has no issues that I am aware of.  The dogs were both rescued from hoarders when they were around 1.  Neither had been socialized at all and have/had a lot of anxiety.  Adopting the younger of the two has been good for my older adoptee although the younger dog has learned how to be a dog from a dachshund.  Dogs may live in the moment, but they also may never forget early abuse.  Despite their early trauma, they've got a good forever home now.

Edited September 30, 2019 by PennySycamore

[LacyMay]

I also hope for Jill's sake that they go for a dog who is a bit older. Derick is working and in law school he can't have an abundance of free time and she's still taking care of 2 young children and all other household stuff. I feel like of they get a puppy it will likely be her responsibility and that's a lot on one person. 

[Silas]

Honestly, I suggest getting a puppy to very few people. It is nice that you can train with somewhat of a blank slate, but a lot of people just don't realize the extent of training it can take to get the type of dog they want in the end.  This isn't meant towards anyone on here that mentioned puppies, I just mean in general. My sister was dead set on getting a puppy and she now has a monster dog because she couldn't socialize it properly. Also, so many people don't seem to realize that certain breeds fit certain lifestyles better. Yeah there are some breeds I'd love to have but it'd be a nightmare for everyone involved (including the dog) if I actually got one. Although my previous dog that passed away last April was a Boxer/Pit mix that lacked any of the energy that Boxers are known for. There's always that one rare dog that doesn't quite fix the breed.

Which is exactly why I tell folks to check out adult dogs. Not only might (big emphasis on might) you find one that doesn't quite fit the typical energy/temperament/etc of the breed...but you really can just find hidden gems. Our current dog is an nine year old, one-eyed, bloodhound mix. I've always been hesitant at the idea of adopting a senior dog but she's just the greatest girl. Calm, easy going, friendly...everything I wanted in a dog and I didn't have to suffer through those brutal puppy years lol.

The Duggars do NOT have a good track record with animals. I'd be hesitant to suggest they even adopt a Chia pet. But...if they're dead set on a dog, I'd recommend an adult one for sure. They need a good boy that'll just nap all day, lbr. I can't imagine them doing more than the bare minimum that it takes to have any pet.

(that was a novel - i just really like talking about dogs ?)

[HumbleJillyMuffin]

Can we talk about the Instagram Live story JillyMuffin did on Saturday evening? Apparently the church has a Saturday night babysitting program so mom and dad can go out on a date, so Jill dropped the kids off there. Dreck was delivered food for GrubHub, and Muffy was hoping for a rendezvous with him so she was sitting in a random parking lot waiting for him. I didn't see it but it sounded seriously stalkerish. I get it, it sucks your husband has to work on Saturday nights, but enjoy your time without kids and the man child! 

[Meggo]

17 hours ago, Silas said:

Honestly, I suggest getting a puppy to very few people. 

YEP. We were half looking for a dog when we got ours. I was looking at different rescue situations (one of the rescues by us often gets pregnant mommas as rescues - so you get to know about Momma at least). But Hubs found someone on line selling "Shephard Collie" pups. And was determined that our son grow up with a puppy. So we paid for her - which makes me crazy (it wasn't a nice home that we got her from - and I still feel like we should have scooped all the pups and run for it). And we did get her to the vet who kind of cocked her head at the breed mix and looked at our dog and said "Well - okay.....if you say so" 

I mean - we don't care what she is - but shepherd and collie are good with kids - she's a mutt so.. that helps. She's a good dog, healthy as a horse - but at 80 lbs - she's a bit bigger than my targeted 45 pound idea. She loves us, loves loves loves our boy, is pretty good with the cats, really just wants to be close to us and not ever be left behind (it helps that I work from home - so..), she is really quite a good listener and a pain in the arse on the leash. (But I am grown up enough to admit that's likely my fault since I don't take her out on it because she's a pain in the arse.) 

But I would NEVER get another puppy. 

[SassyPants]

Poor Jill realllllllllly likes newborn babies...first Ivy and now Sierra’s baby. Too bad her husband’s not on board.