Should I adopt this dog?

He is a Pyranees/St. Bernard Mix. We adopted a black lab from our local shelter about a year ago. My concerns:

1-Our current dog was abused to some level we haven't really determined. He is now comfortable and fully bonded with us. I don't want him having to live in fear again. This dog is considerably bigger than him.

2-The long term health costs with this dog. We met him Saturday and his a great dog, gets along well with other dogs and has an ubelieavalbe sweet dispostion. BUT I have heard some breeds are more apt to have genetic problems i.e. breathing problems with bulldogs and hip problems with St. Bernards.

3-He wasa farm dog. The owners turned him overto this group because he was chasing their cows. Pretty funny, in a way. We have a nice backyard forhim so I dont think that would be a problem, but we will be converting an outside dog into an inside dog. Been through it and it ain't fun.

So if you are asking me? YUP.. Adopt him.!

All of my animals are rescues. I live on 2.5 acres though and can have a pile of dogs. I currently have 3 rescued dogs, and 4 rescued cats.

Good luck. Chasing cows isn't too bad!~ It is funny.

but I'm a sucker for dogs. Would there be anyway you could have the two dogs meet and see if they get along?

The real hangup is we close on our house in two weeks and move in three. Our landlord doesn't mind the one dog, but this dog is huge. I dont want to jeapordize a $500 deposit but Im stuck with worrying about will he be there in three weeks?

He's a favorite at the shelter which tells me he's been there for awhile most likely because of his size.

Funny thing is, we went there to try and find my wife a lap size dog but we both fell in love with him. Im going to call the shetler tommorow and see if we can bring our dog up there to see how it goes.

Pay for his boarding and visit him after you adopt him. They will work something out.

Can you introduce your current dog to him before making the decision?

I think size really doesn't matter with dogs - I had a chihuahua get all agro on my bulldog today. The bulldog tried to run away. Dogs don't seem to understand "size" as a concept - it's all in the attitude. If the new dog is nice and submissive to your current dog, it could be good.

Also, the mixing of breeds MAY help alleviate some of the health problems of either individual breed.

because the animals need us to be there for them. But if you are worried about giving him the care he needs, changing his habits, your other dog, etc, I would have to say no.

Really, it's admirable of you to want to take another dog in. But what would be the point if you can't give him what he needs?

And he's really cute!! I'm sure there will be someone who can give him what he needs.

I wouldn't worry about hip problems because he is a St. Bernard cross.

I hope that you can adopt him because he needs a good home. Good luck!

Don't worry about the health problems. Really, any purebred or mutt is likely to have some genetic disposition to some health problem. Like children and spouses--no guarantee of what the future will hold!

Your other dog may be put off for a few days but in the end, dogs generally like to hang out with other dogs. It's just bonus pack members to them. More pack members, more strength, better survival, more fun. I'm pretty sure that's how dogs think. And if the people in your house are gone during the day, two dogs have company instead of being lonely all day.

The farm dog thing is tricky, but I still say go for it. In all likelihood, the dog will be incredibly happy/grateful for the chance to be an indoor dog. You don't say if he's housebroken or not, so that could be an issue. Worse case scenario, you get the dog a well-insulated doghouse in your back yard (assuming you live someplace where it gets cold) and have him stay out there. Then your other dog would have someone to play with when outside, but each dog could have its own space. But I think a sweetly dispositioned dog could be housebroken easily enough so the banishment to outside wouldn't be an option.

But then, I'm an unabashedly biased dog-lover who currently can't have a dog where I'm living. So it may just be that I'm trying to live vicariously through you! :P

Keep him, I bet he will be your best friend. As for health problems, just remember nothing is a guarantee. You can buy the best dog in the world, but things happen. The same with humans, we don't want to have physical or mental problems, but we do, that is life and we cannot prevent this. Bet these two will bond but that is up to you.

The dog is beautiful, just beautiful!

animals then human beings,it just seems like we take care of animals better then our own kind.

I'd adopt that dog though,kinda cute.

We're not completely sure we do. If for some reason we couldn't have them on their own, we're open to adoption. I just don't know if I want kids.

sorry,just a thought i spoke aloud :-)

It's a valid point in many ways.

He's pretty. As a previous poster said, the shelter will work something out for you until you move, if you let them know whats going on.

I adopted my second dog a year after the first (he was also abused). There was definitely a settling in period for both, but al is well now.

1. Your current dog was likely abused by people, as opposed to being abused by another dog. He'll probably love a friend that he can play with;

2. Mix-breeds have much less of a chance of having the health probs of a pure-breed dog. Still, nothing is guaranteed. He looks old enough that you could see if he were dysplastic by now;

3. Chasing their cows? Probably got some herding breed in there...or maybe he just wanted to play. Having a dog who's housebroken already should make "converting" this one a little easier. I bet he catches on.

Thanks for adopting!

nice doggie :)

YES! You know what we're going to say! :D