# Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers - anyone own one?



## dmharris (Jul 29, 2008)

We're thinking of adopting a SCWT and wonder if anyone has any advice.  The boy we're looking at is neutered, a couple years old and available because of a divorce.  I'll have to drive 6 to 7 hours one way to see him before I decide.  I've read the AKC website and others I've found, but wanted to see what Tug SCWT owners might have to say about the breed.


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## spirits (Jul 29, 2008)

*I hope you have a lot of energy*

Hi.  A coworker raised and bred the breed and my neighbor has 2.  They are a terrier breed and are extremely intelligent and energetic.  The female was a wonderful dog but the male has some aggression issues towards other dogs.  They are very active and need a lot of attention.  However they have great personalities. The bottom line is that they are big dogs and need to be active.  At our age I think they would make great companions and force us to be active.  Is that what you are looking for?


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## dmharris (Jul 29, 2008)

We have over an acre fenced with an Invisible Fence and I've trained 9 dogs on it, including our now deceased, 80 lb Airedale Terrier and a wire-haired German Pointer.  So we prefer larger dogs.  I'm fostering a Bichon Frise and he's very cute, but more like a dog "accessory" than a real dog, if you know what I mean.  We have a spaniel/sheltie mix which is about as small as I like.  We have a large house and we all agree it needs a large dog.  They tell me this Wheatie is sweet and playful.


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## wackymother (Jul 29, 2008)

I would be careful. We've known of two Wheatens that were just not right (and none that were "perfect"). One was very fearful, to the point where it wouldn't leave the house. The other was aggressive. It sounds like you are completely ready to help the dog with problems, but...

If the dog is sweet and playful, you would think that either the husband or the wife would want to keep it.


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## dmharris (Jul 29, 2008)

True, but after splitting they might have lived in dwellings that would not accommodate a dog.  Only a look, square in those big brown eyes will tell me his temperment, along with time in a safe environment.  I would like to find out who the breeder was, if possible.


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## charford (Jul 29, 2008)

Friends of mine have a Wheaten. He is non-allergenic. At age 6, he is still very active. He is the baby of the house and doesn't like it when my 3 year old visits, because he doesn't get as much attention. This particular Wheaten steals food from the table and the countertop. He is a very affectionate dog. I have had 2 Bichons, and he has a very similar temperament -wants lots of attention - loves to run up and investigate (sometimes requiring some barking)- just a bigger dog.


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## dmharris (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks Charford.  This Bichon I'm fostering is under 2 and a playful guy so if this Wheaten is just a bigger version that would be grand.


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## dmharris (Jul 29, 2008)

just bumping this up!


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## MelBay (Jul 29, 2008)

A good friend is on their third one in 25 years of marriage.  They haven't had a dud or a problem child yet.  I'm a Boxer person myself, but her little dogs are very sweet and perky.  She always manages to get one from a rescue group which can be dicey, but she's lucked out.


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## Deb from NC (Jul 29, 2008)

I have a friend with a male SCW terrier and he is a very sweet dog.  He's now 6 years old and has never been any trouble.  To me he doesn't seem like a typical terrier at all...maybe he's just unusually calm!  (I also don't consider them to be big dogs, but my dog is a 135 lb Great Pyrenees !   If it were me, I would most definitely go look at him. (BTW my friend's dog is a rescue, as is mine..it's the only way to go....)


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## dmharris (Jul 30, 2008)

I'm going to drive 6 to 7 hours today to see him tomorrow.  Wish me luck!  Thanks for your encouragement.  I feel drawn to this breed this time around.  We will see.  I'll report back.


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## dmharris (Jul 31, 2008)

Well I'm here and the shelter doesn't open until 2:00, so I'm nervous as heck, like an expectant parent.  Oh wait, I was the one giving birth as an expectant parent.  Maybe l'm like an expectant grand parent.  Wish me luck.  I'll let you know what happens!


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## dvc95 (Jul 31, 2008)

I'm interested to see how it went. I have a Wheaten Terrier and absolutely adore her. She's a terrier so I had to break her of her digging tendencies (normal). I also have to spend a lot of time with grooming. Wheatties have something closer to hair rather than fur. It grows all the time and her face needs constant trimming to keep it out of her eyes. But the maintenance is worth it. She is sweet as can be (although fairly skittish around people--loves other dogs) and the snuggliest dog I've ever owned.

Heidi


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## Deb from NC (Jul 31, 2008)

We're all eager to hear how it went!  Do let us know...
Deb


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## dmharris (Aug 1, 2008)

Okay, so I arrived at the shelter (387 miles from home, but who's counting?) at 1:00 just to make sure I could find it and then drove around the cute town until 1:30. It was hot, so I parked in the shade away from the building and sat in my car. About five minutes later a woman pulls up next to me, gets out of her car, walks to the building texting on her cell phone. So I get out of my car and wander around. Later a man pulls up and sits on a bench with this woman. Several other cars show up. I'm getting anxious by then. Are they all here for the same dog? (It's a small shelter run by all volunteers.) 

Yes, they're all here for the same dog. I tell myself that whatever God decides I'm fine with. Two couples leave but the first woman and man are there for the Wheaten. We both are "nice" people, but after an hour, the President of the shelter decides on me simply because I e-mailed her first and showed up first. 

So we did the paper work, did a test drive to make sure he rode well in the car and took off for home. Six and a half hours later we arrived last night at 10:15 to the greeting committee of my husband, and two daughters 19 and 22. Other than being stinky from being in the shelter since July 6 (no one advertised him until last week!) he was a complete gentleman in the car. We stopped twice, once at PetSmart to buy some supplies and everyone loved him, very friendly to everyone. 

He is too tall to be a greatly bred Wheaten and has a little coarse hair along the ridge of his back. But very cute and a gentle giant. We took him and our spaniel mix girl (in two cars) across the street to a business parking lot to introduce them on neutral territory (both are altered). It went okay, but he is big and I didn't want to let him get too close to her just yet. So we walked parallel with distance between them and then some sniffing of each other occurred, then back home. We kept him separated from other animals in the solarium with tile floor, screen door to the outside, and I got up at 6:30 and he was great! No mess, did his business outside and now is laying down on the solarium floor (my home office is in this room) so he's not alone. 

He found the toy basket and picked out some stuffed animals and loves chewing on a big bone. 

Heidi, we've had an Airedale in the past and would get him groomed a couple times a year. What do you do with your girl trimming-wise? I'm not sure how "formal" he should be clipped. The AKC site shows the severe terrier look, but that seems to take away from that cute Wheaten look. His hair is 4 inches long, so he needs trimming.

Thanks everyone for your help and support! It was an exhausting, nerve-wracking day but I'm sure he slept better here than in the shelter. I'll let you know what we name him. I told my daughter to think of Irish male authors for names, so my husband suggested "Bono" or "Guiness"! Men!


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## falmouth3 (Aug 1, 2008)

I'm so glad you got him.  You certainly put out a huge effort to get him.  I can't believe that they had so many people coming for one dog!  

Best wishes for a long and happy life together!

A number of years back, we wanted to adopt a dog at the local shelter, but because she had been a stray, they had to keep her 7 days.  Day 7 was a Sunday and they were closed on Sundays.   So we went on Monday after work and someone else had the dog out.  When they put her back in her cage, we took her out and the little boy from the other family started screaming and crying.  As soon as we came back in with the dog, we found out that the family had filled out the paperwork and they left with the dog.   So we chose another dog and we had the same story, she wasn't available until the next day.  I asked if we could be sure that she'd still be available when we came back the next day.  So they put her in a separate area so she'd still be there for us because no one else would see her.  We still have her and love her dearly


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## vivalour (Aug 1, 2008)

*Advice for possible newbie dog owners?*

I'm following these discussions with great interest because we are about to launch into looking for a family dog at our local shelter. This is motivated by our 11-year-old son who has wanted a dog for some time, but mom (me) was reluctant. I have no expereince with dogs, although we did have a much loved family cat for many years while I was growing up. We don't have any animals at the moment.

We back onto a large conservation area that is heavily used by dog owners, and we have a backyard -- although it is not huge. We are pretty active as a family for walks, etc. but have severely cold, snowy winters from Dec to end of March when long periods of outdoor exercise are less appealing --though not impossible. 

I looked into the wheaten terrier and golden retriever breeds, but am a bit put off by heavy shedding and backyard digging (we also have a nice garden and I don't know which plants/bushes would be poisonous/harmful for dogs to chew).  We are not in a hurry, and want to visit the local shelter as a family to get an idea of what would be a fit for newbies like us. I would rather not get a new puppy so that we can see the temperament of the dog at the outset.

Any advice re best age or breed for newbies like us would be appreciated!


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## Deb from NC (Aug 1, 2008)

Congratulations !  Keep us posted on how he's doing and what you end up naming him.
Deb


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## dmharris (Aug 1, 2008)

Well we bathed him and he smells immensely better and the soft coat is evident, but he will need to be clipped as he has some mats at the base of his skin all over.  I wonder if he ever was clipped as he's not quite two and his hair measures 4 inches.  

I had my girls do a brainstorming of Irish names and the one that won was Guinness.  Since we lost our Airedale about 6 years ago, my husband still claims he was the best dog.  When I saw the Wheaten, I knew Doug/husband would love him as he's like a blond Airedale.  So Rory, Riley and Beckett were all name contenters, but I let Doug pick the name and he said Guinness hands down.  I wonder if that has anything to do with beer?  Hmm.   He also suggested Bono, but we girls said "Nah!"

Vivalour, good for you in trying to adopt.  Here are a few keys I've learned.  

1.  When you take a dog out of the pen, if he/she wants to bolt, you don't want that dog.  You want a dog that is interested in YOU.

2.  25% of shelter dogs are pure breds.  With economic hard times, you will see more of these.  I would check into breeds and decide what you like and then go to a rescue site for that breed.  Or as I did, register on Petfinder.com for a breed.  

3.  Altering is important to keep the dog from wandering and having behavioral aggression.  

4.  There are non-shedding breeds, bison frisce, lasha apsoe (don't grade my spelling) are a few.  

5.  Don't expect the dog to stay in your yard by itself.  It will need training and walked on a leash.  

6.  Seldom do they come house broken.  Read up on how-to's.

7.  I prefer a non-puppy, i.e. over two years as they're easier and their disposition is more clear.  

Hope that helps!


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## vivalour (Aug 2, 2008)

dmharris said:


> Vivalour, good for you in trying to adopt.  Here are a few keys I've learned.
> 
> 1.  When you take a dog out of the pen, if he/she wants to bolt, you don't want that dog.  You want a dog that is interested in YOU.
> 
> ...



Congrats on getting Guinness -- what a perfect name!  And thanks for the tips -- we also picking the brains of dog-owning friends and getting books from the library.  Hoping that by the end of the month we'll be "dog ready" ....:zzz:


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## Deb from NC (Aug 2, 2008)

Hi Vivalour,
I volunteer at our local shelter, and there are a lot of great dogs available thru no fault of their own, as I'm sure you know.  For a first time dog owner,
I love Labs and Goldens (or lab or golden mixes) because in general they tend to be smart but easy going.  Of course they are not small !  Bichons are nice little dogs too..and if you can find one (not easy) Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are just a joy.  I love my Great Pyrenees but he sheds massively, drools and digs!  But I wouldn't trade him for any other dog in the world  
Let us know what you end up doing!  Good luck!


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## swift (Aug 2, 2008)

We got our dog from the local shelter and we love him to pieces!!!


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## vivalour (Aug 2, 2008)

Oh so handsome (boys & dog!) -- lucky family!


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## vivalour (Aug 2, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions Deb from NC, we will put them on our short list. Big is ok as long as they don't knock us over, I guess! (I'm 5'2")


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## ColleenD3 (Aug 4, 2008)

As a fellow newbie dog owner, wanted to share the best adivce we've ever gotten... 
Every dog, regardless of size, needs to be walked.  Not a stroll around the block walk, but a purposeful, boundry-setting, you as the leader, walk.  Gets their wiggles out, helps with bonding, good for the souls.  Can't tell you what a difference this has made with our mini schnauzer, not to mention her people!  
Something to keep in mind when considering your Dec.-Mar. weather.


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## dmharris (Aug 4, 2008)

*Here is Guinness!*


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## dmharris (Aug 4, 2008)

*Guinness with his new dad - Doug*

This gives you a sense of Guinness's height although his hair is 4 inches long.  He will be shaved soon as his hair is all matted at the base.  Good thing it's summer!


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## dmharris (Aug 4, 2008)

*One more, he's such a good boy!*


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## falmouth3 (Aug 4, 2008)

I'm glad he's working out so well.  The first few days could have been difficult while all the "adjustments" were being made to each other.

Sue


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## vivalour (Aug 4, 2008)

ColleenD3 said:


> As a fellow newbie dog owner, wanted to share the best adivce we've ever gotten...
> Every dog, regardless of size, needs to be walked.  Not a stroll around the block walk, but a purposeful, boundry-setting, you as the leader, walk.  Gets their wiggles out, helps with bonding, good for the souls.  Can't tell you what a difference this has made with our mini schnauzer, not to mention her people!
> Something to keep in mind when considering your Dec.-Mar. weather.



I know.... We back onto a major city conservation area famous for its dog runs. There are large "on leash" and "off leash" areas and so we have no excuse -- except for weather! This past winter in the northeast was probably the snowiest in 20 years, and on some days the drifts could be 3-4 feet high before clearing by city crews. We had winter-long snowbanks, over 5 feet high, on our back patio. So not quite sure what doggies & owners can do on the blizzardy days --I'll have to ask my neighbours with retrievers and labs how they did their walk/run routine.


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## vivalour (Aug 4, 2008)

Guinness looks like a very laid-back guy -- and so cuddly!


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## cerralee (Aug 4, 2008)

He just has a "friend" look to him, this time of year I get the urge to own a dog, I don't know how my four munchkins would take to it but the added incentive of possible unconditional tail wagging has a certain appeal to it.

But the what do you do with them in the winter question has always kept me from getting a new four legged buddy.  My husband just had a fence put up on either side of the house to keep the "cats" in.  I wish someone would explain to him that fences don't keep cats in but he is a little bit hard-headed.  I think he  might actually have a dog in the back of his mind.

We ran across a couple walking a wheaten a few years back while on a trip and really liked the dog.  I remember how soft the coat was.  Once you get him shaved down I bet the coat comes back in soft and fluffy.  I shave a couple of my cats because they just get too furry and eventually matted to be able to work with.  They are always happy to be shaved and prance around.  

Good Luck with your new wheaten.


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## Patri (Aug 4, 2008)

He's got a nice smile. You can see him. How can he see you?


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## dmharris (Aug 4, 2008)

Patri said:


> He's got a nice smile. You can see him. How can he see you?


 

Hopefully a professional groomer will help his visability! He seems to manage just fine; it would drive me crazy to have all that hair in my eyes!  I keep pushing it back.  Do you think he'd look cute with barrettes?  :hysterical:


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## RDB (Aug 4, 2008)

Diane,

I, just now read this thread. Great looking dog... I sure am sorry we didn't swing over and meet him and the rest of you.

Maybe it will work out for our return trip.


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## dmharris (Aug 4, 2008)

Hi Robert,

Yeah, we've been BUSY!  Do try to connect on the way back home!


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## Jestjoan (Aug 5, 2008)

He looks great. Have fun. I'm jealous. Now I can see why you drove so far.

I'm still working on getting my dog brought about from a TUG thread about a lost greyhound.

We are going to be putting up a deer/dog fence. The main obstacle is still the CAT. We want either a Borzoi or a Silken Windhound and they are sight hounds who will probably go after any little thing that moves.

Our cat went right up to our neighbors previous and present collie! Perhaps, the collies have been raised with cats.......For a long time I had thought that the cat had belonged to those neighbors before he found us.

BTW, our neighbors have 2 cats in a kennel! DH says he can hear them when he's outside. I never hear them. They previously kept two barking dogs in the kennel.


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## wackymother (Aug 5, 2008)

He's so cute! Glad it's working out!


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## Deb from NC (Aug 6, 2008)

What a cute boy!  Congratulations..I'm glad you got him.  Have fun with him!


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## dmharris (Aug 7, 2008)

*You won't believe this!*

Guinness got groomed! We think he has not been clipped ever, so now he's nice and unmatted so we can care for his hair properly. He looks like a 50's rockstar with a pompadour! He went to the vet afterwards and the vet concluded there was some skin infection from the mats, so he's on antibiotics. I hated to lose his cuteness, but it will grow back.


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## dmharris (Aug 7, 2008)

*Guinness loves his new daddy!*


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## dmharris (Aug 13, 2008)

*Guinness update*

Everything is going well.  He is such a puppy and thinks everyone and everything is a toy.  We're teaching him to be calm around us, other dogs, our cats, etc.  He seems to be settling in nicely.  We have to kennel him for two nights when we take our daughter to New Rochelle for her internship, which I hate to do and expect we'll see some regression when he's back home.  Our boarding kennel is great and they will take good care of him.  When we get back I'm going to start training him on our Invisible Fence.  Once he is trained on that, he will have more freedom and be able to run without us holding on to him.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.


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## falmouth3 (Aug 13, 2008)

I think his new haircut is adorable.

Sue


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## michelle (Aug 13, 2008)

Both with hair, and without, he is the spitting image of my Travis!  

DH and I both grew up with dogs, but once we got our Wheaten, we were sold and I could not imagine having any other dog! He is now 5.5 years old,  and I we have 2 kids, aged 2 and 4, but he has always been nothing but gentle. He would not even play tug-o-war with the kids, and that is his favourite game!

He has to go to the doggy salon about 5-6 times a year to get a cut. On the plus side: he doesn't shed! Even though his hair is short-short in summer, he hates summer and prefers to stay inside and lie on the air-con vents. Does not like to be walked in the heat. But in winter, he loves to be outside, and will even lie down on the snow until he is called in. Last year we gave him a hair trim in December, but he was still not cold at all (He was born in november in Minnesota... could this have anything to do with it?)

He rarely barks, is very friendly, eats only when hungry, isn't very jumpy, and is low energy when compared to other terriers. On the negative, he does not get on with other male dogs - *this is a common trait amongst male Wheatens, so I would warn you to keep an eye on Guinness when around males!*


Good luck!!


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## rcs249 (Aug 13, 2008)

Having had terriers, poodles, English Springers, goldens and Bernese Mountain dogs, all but the terriers were easy.  If you decide to get one from a breeder, visit onsite and look at the parents so you'll have an understanding of the temperament to expect.  If from a shelter or a rescue, just be sure you have an easy going dog, not one that appears fearful, shy or aggressive, because there could be some behavoirs that could crop up that you might not be as comfortable handling.  The puppy test that is easily found online that covers reaction to noise, tugging on them, laying them on their backs and all is a good way to see what your potential dog's temperament is.

Best of luck!


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## nerodog (Aug 15, 2008)

*He;'s a beauty !*

What a beautiful dog Guiness is !! And so lucky to have  a loving home.. to many happy years ahead.. we have a little cairn and she is just fabulous and we love her to bits...


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## taffy19 (Aug 16, 2008)

dmharris said:


>


I know I asked this before but in the many pages of the photo images thread but you may not have seen it with so many pages of new photos after that. Is his hair supposed to be in front of his eyes like that? Why is that? Do these terriers have weak eyes? How can they see? I always made sure that our little poodle could see out of her eyes even if her hair got too long between a grooming and the groomer did too when she groomed her so they don't do this with little toy poodles. 

I know you like bigger dogs and that you just lost one as I read that in this forum. I am so sorry for your loss but you are giving love to another rescued dog and he is so lucky. We preferred a little lapdog and she was always on our lap and competed with our two cats who also wanted to be there so had them often trying to jump up jump at the same time but we found a solution by putting Pumpkin, the dog, next to me on the chair and the little cat (Waltie) on my lap and the bigger cat (Taffy) on my husband's lap. What a joy they all were when they lived with us and now the bitter sweet memories because I wished they still were all here with us but we live longer than pets.   

I just read the other thread where PrettyKities lost her cat and about the loss too of your Joshua. Such a sad experience to go through but life goes on but we can treasure their sweet little personalities as each cat or dog is so unique but all are loyal pets.


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## taffy19 (Aug 16, 2008)

dmharris said:


>


Oh Diane, I missed this picture.  I should have looked first before commenting on the other picture I saw so the eyes should be clear.    Your husband loves the dog and the dog loves him. All I can say is that both are lucky and most likely the whole family too.


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## taffy19 (Aug 16, 2008)

michelle said:


> He has to go to the doggy salon about 5-6 times a year to get a cut. On the plus side: he doesn't shed! Even though his hair is short-short in summer, he hates summer and prefers to stay inside and lie on the air-con vents. Does not like to be walked in the heat.


I have read that long haired dogs stay cool in the summer because of the hair or fur. Our little dog would get real long hair but then it was too difficult for me to comb and brush her so I had to have her groomed. I never had it cut real short because I prefer the longer look. She never liked walking in the sun either so we walked her early in the morning or after dark and she would sit and wait in front of the door until we would take her out. She made us walk! 

I need to find my pictures of our little dog. She was adorable but this was before the time of the digital camera. We also had other cats I have no digital photo images of. Can all of you find your old pictures and negatives from so many years ago? I can't but I know we still have them.  This would be a nice project to do one day and then scan them and make digital images of them so I can upload them to my photo albums online. I can always find them there.


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## michelle (Aug 19, 2008)

iconnections said:


> I have read that long haired dogs stay cool in the summer because of the hair or fur. Our little dog would get real long hair but then it was too difficult for me to comb and brush her so I had to have her groomed. I never had it cut real short because I prefer the longer look. She never liked walking in the sun either so we walked her early in the morning or after dark and she would sit and wait in front of the door until we would take her out. She made us walk!



Wow, this is interesting! Would never have thought! Will see if I can find out more.

Travis' hair is extremely thick, and we do notice that he is more active after a cut. I too prefer the longer look, but just looking at how happy he is after a cut, makes us go as short as possible. (That, and the fact that the shorter the cut, the longer we can wait in between cuts, as it is not cheap!)


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## dmharris (Aug 19, 2008)

Hi Emily,

Guinness can see now and even his eyelashes were trimmed. How come we girls don't have eyelashes that grow so long they need to be trimmed?? He is much less scary to our other dogs without his fur, because he looks 1/3 of his furry size. I intend to keep his eye hair trimmed so he can see. It really bothered me that he couldn't see, but I guess they adapt. I was constantly pulling the fur away from his eyes until he was groomed. 

Thanks for your concern and sympathies about Joshua. Here is a photo of Joshie taken through a window so it has a "soft" look. Gosh, I miss him.


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## Steve (Aug 19, 2008)

Diane,

Congratulations on your new dog.  He looks extremely fun.  I also send my condolences on your loss of Joshua.  He certainly was a handsome and sweet looking dog.  I have two cocker spaniels, and they are so much more than just pets...they're family.

Steve


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## dvc95 (Aug 19, 2008)

Diane--sorry I fell off the face of the earth but you did what I had/have to do with Maizy--shave her. Once they are shaved you can keep up with it to a certain extent but you'll still need to bring Guinness in a few times a year to de-matte, clear the eye path and generally keep him looking good (along with regular brushing). I have to do it mainly for the hair in front of Maizy's eyes. She's a puppy and is prone to sudden movements. If she's sleepy, I can trim in front of her eyes but that never lasts long so it's easier to bring her in and let them do it. No sense in putting a sharp object in front of the eyes of a puppy!

Good luck--Guinness is adorable!!

Heidi


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## dmharris (Oct 23, 2008)

*Guinness after 2 months*

So here's our boy Guinness after 2 months of fur growth.  I think he's looking pretty darn cute!  Now if he weren't such a toddler!  I birthed girls, so little boys are new to me and this one does try my patience some days, but also is quite humorous others, like the time he was jumping up and down on our mattress like a 4 year old boy.  Gleeful!


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## taffy19 (Oct 23, 2008)

dmharris said:


> So here's our boy Guinness after 2 months of fur growth. I think he's looking pretty darn cute! Now if he weren't such a toddler! I birthed girls, so little boys are new to me and this one does try my patience some days, but also is quite humorous others, like the time he was jumping up and down on our mattress like a 4 year old boy. Gleeful!


What a contented dog and he looks really nice with the longer fur but not too long.     Your other dog looked such a sweet and loyal dog too.  It's so hard to lose them but the memories are sweet.


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## Patri (Oct 23, 2008)

I just found out this is the kind of dog my sister wants. There is such a sweetness to the face.


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## dmharris (Oct 23, 2008)

Patri said:


> I just found out this is the kind of dog my sister wants. There is such a sweetness to the face.


 
Yeah there is, but it is masking the mischievousness in their hearts.   

I suggest Petfinders.com to find a dog that needs a home rather than buying direct from a breeder.  That's how I found this guy at a shelter in NY.


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## falmouth3 (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for the update.  I love dog stories.   

Sue


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## mamiecarter (Oct 24, 2008)

*Good things come in small packages!!!*

Don't dis small dogs. My two toys are more dog than most of these overgrown giant breeds and real tough guys. Not accessories!!


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## dmharris (Nov 2, 2008)

Mamie, didn't mean to offend you; I also own a bichon so I know that small dogs have big dog attitudes.  But they seem like such an "accessory" when dealing with the physical strength and potential real danger of a big dog.  There is a very significant difference between an aggressive 14 pound dog vs. a 50 pound dog.  I can pick the little dog up with one hand, thus the accessory analogy.


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## mamiecarter (Nov 2, 2008)

*Not Offended. Just Love the Little Guys!!*

I would love to have big dogs but for apartment life my 10 to 20 pound little guys are perfect. Paris Hilton thinks small dogs are accessories.  My toys have more class than Paris paws down. May be we could borrow Paris to accessorize my pack!!!


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## Sir Newf (Nov 2, 2008)

DM, congratulations on Guinness, may you have many happy, healthy wonderful years together with your family.
I also have been wanting to tell TUG dog lovers that Sir Newf died 6 weeks ago- I miss him terribly. He was a beautiful, gental giant at 140lbs and a heart of gold. He lived to be 11.4 yrs, which is very long for a Newf which averages 9 to 10 yrs.  Sir Newf had a beautiful Maltese sister who lived to 17 years old, she was a rescue which we adopted at 7yrs of age...they were the best of pals.. Sister had run of the 2 floors and Newf was on the 1st main floor, he loved our heated floors and his temprapedic bed....anyway, we miss them terribly and will adopt again in not too long a time...All the best to animal lovers everywhere and a BIG Hug to Guinness from me!!!!


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## taffy19 (Nov 2, 2008)

Sir Newf said:


> DM, congratulations on Guinness, may you have many happy, healthy wonderful years together with your family.
> I also have been wanting to tell TUG dog lovers that Sir Newf died 6 weeks ago- I miss him terribly. He was a beautiful, gental giant at 140lbs and a heart of gold. He lived to be 11.4 yrs, which is very long for a Newf which averages 9 to 10 yrs. Sir Newf had a beautiful Maltese sister who lived to 17 years old, she was a rescue which we adopted at 7yrs of age...they were the best of pals.. Sister had run of the 2 floors and Newf was on the 1st main floor, he loved our heated floors and his temprapedic bed....anyway, we miss them terribly and will adopt again in not too long a time...All the best to animal lovers everywhere and a BIG Hug to Guinness from me!!!!


Anna, so sorry to read about the loss of your sweet dog. I feel your pain. Believe me, it will get better but we will never forget them. Take your time mourning and the new one will win your heart 100%. Dogs are great and so very loyal.


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## dmharris (Nov 2, 2008)

Oh Anna,

I know how hard it is to publically acknowledge the loss of a pet. Some of us need to grieve privately for a time otherwise we'd be uncontrollable in front of others. I heard recently that the loss of a pet is often worse than that of a family member because they love us soooo unconditionally. It is true. Here's a BIG HUG (((())))) from me and Guinness (and Molly, Alfie, Rajah, Alice and Cleo too).

P.S. the last 3 are kitties.


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