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[amberdulen]

I called Julia last night for her 25th birthday (and got Smiley on the line too, of course). They both seem to be doing well...except Julia's murderous instints seem to be kicking in again. Another two pets died this month

Comments

[ketsugami]

I had a parakeet once that voluntarily dove into a bot of boiling water

[liwy]

In general, they aren't high-maintenance, and can spend hours unattended happily napping or barking at passerby. Make sure it has a decent amount of food and water.

A couple caveats do apply, of course: If your dog is not yet housebroken, then you need to keep it in a cage until it is decently trained. Also, if you're getting a dog from a shelter, then be alert for odd habits that can result from past mistreatment.

[tahmthelame]

If you get a dog I will SO get a cat regardless of your allergies and Dad's dislike. And anyway, are you even sure you can handle a dog? Why wouldn't you be allergic to them, too?

[quamicauzilot]

It all depends on the dog. Usually, the smaller, the more hyper, and thus, the more of a demand the dog has for all things from attention to exercise. This is not to say, of course, that you can't find large, hyper dogs. How the dog will behave will depend upon predisposition, previous experiences, treatment over the years, and what it's come to expect from you, once it's been around you for some time.

Unless you like that sort of challenge, you probably don't want a dog that's too smart. A smart dog will figure out how to get things off the table, eventually, among other things. Of course, with puppies, there's a whole new range of problems, from teething to housebreaking.