Childhood pets growing up

[Britster]

Post about your childhood pets you had growing up!

This was Sadie, our German Shepherd. We got her when I was 10yrs old and she was like *my* dog. We had such an incredible bond. She was amazing with the family but became very territorial when it came to strangers and had turned pretty aggressive. We knew nothing about dog training or the breed in general when we got her, which makes me sad now. When she was 4yrs old (I was 14) she attacked a workerman who came up to our house unexpectedly and got put down by AC. I came home from my FIRST day of high school in a brand new city and was completely devastated. I cried for days and I still miss her.

Sadie is the GSD.

"My" first dog Daisy was a Golden who lived to be around 11. She was an amazing family dog and taught me everything about the bond you can have with a dog. I need to get more pics of her on my computer.

The last pic is me & Daisy as a puppy.

[CJxDanielle]

My first childhood pet was a Labrador Retriever name Diamond. I adored her but at the time I was also afraid of her. She was truly my dad's dog after one of his friends gave her to us (it was either that or the shelter). I think she was 2 years old when my dad gave her to a hunting family that could care for her properly. She would be probably in her teens today (if she is still alive).

Next would be Tweety, my (now) grandparent's Chihuahua. My parents had a nasty divorce so my mother and I had to pack and move out. The apartment we found didn't allow pets but it didn't matter anyways because my grandparent's were falling in love with Tweety as they just lost their dog Hershey that they had for about 15 years. I've seen and still do see her everyday for the 7 years she has been with them (she is 9 this year). I've attached some recent pictures of her, that is also her I am holding in my avatar

[AllDogBoots]

My first dog was a terrier mix that we rescued at a local shelter. My entire family passed her by as we were looking at the cages, but for some reason my dad stopped. He wanted her. Ugh, she had lost her hair and was a total mess.

We took her home and she was as emotionally messed up as she was physically, although we totally adored her. I have such fond memories of loving her while I was growing up. She tore up the kitchen pantry and went in the garbage all the time and although Mom kept saying we would get rid of her, we never did.

Terry will forever be in my heart. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of her, but her memory remains forever.

[terlis]

We had a springer spaniel named Brownie. He used to get into the rabbit hutch my dad had in the backyard. We would take him swimming in the creek across the road from our house. My father passed away when I was 8 and we had to move. We didn't have much yard and my mother had to go to back to work so Brownie went to live with my uncle.
I then had a cat named Oswald Archibald. A big Maine Coon looking cat. Don't know if he was or not. He was huge and had some extra toes. He was a great cat.
That was many years ago.

[CouversMom]

When I was born, my family had a lab mix named Brandy who lived until I was 10. She was the sweetest dog. She would sleep outside of our bedrooms to protect us girls when we were growing up.

While Brandy was still alive, we got a dalmation from a local breeder and named her Patches. She lived to be about 16 years old. She was very partial to me and had a lot of anxiety issues. She would chew her leg raw and was very skittish.

While Patches was still alive, we adopted two shih-tzus, Maggie and Peanut about two years apart. Maggie was very much my dog, and my Mom adopted Peanut to be her dog. I was not allowed to even touch Peanut because she was afraid she would bond to me. Peanut is now 13 years old, and very bonded to my mother. Maggie is also alive, blind and loving life.

Here are their pictures

1. Brandy and me as a baby
2. Patches on the Oregon coast
3. Maggie and me on the Oregon Coast
4. The only pic I could find of Peanut on my computer.

[mizzwanned]

This was my first dog Charlie..got him when I was like 9 or 10. He was King Charles Spaniel. I also had birds growing up, hamsters, and a bunny

[SophieKatesMom]

My first dog as a child was a Weimaraner named Thor.

Thor was actually my Brother and Dad's dog but in reality he was my Mom's dog (she was the one who cared for him).

Thor used to pick on me since I was the youngest, now I realize he was the leader of the pack between him and I.

I should have known I was a Yorkie person back then because I used to dress Thor in my clothing (no wonder he picked on me).

[Cha Cha]

We had a big ol Brahma bull named Candy Man (he was part of my dad's breeding cattle program). He was a gentle giant. I used to sit on him and ride him (not literally, but he would walk around with us on his back and no restraints), and when he was laying down, I would sit in the bend of his neck and wrap his big ol head around me and pet him for hours. We had him for years, and one day when we were moving the cattle off grassland for the winter he got spooked, jumped a fence, and broke his neck. It was a tragic and terrible way to lose him. I will try to find a picture of him.

I also had a siamese cat named Toby. I used to dress him up like a baby, push him around in a stroller, and put him to sleep in my little doll bed. He became blind but lived to a ripe old age of 18.

[Britster]

Aw, great stories! I love the pics too! Sooo awesome you had a Dalmatian, Michelle. I always wanted one after I saw 101 Dalmatians, hehe. Kinda glad we didn't get one though because I heard they tend to have lots of behavioral problems. And the King Charles Spaniel is adorable- I love those dogs!

I forgot to mention I did have a kitten, 2 guinea pigs, and hamsters growing up as well, lol.

[celstu1]

I don't have any pics of our dogs/pets growing up... but we always had pets of all kinds around our house. Most memorable would be a Samoyed named Kimba. A co-worker of my father's, his wife was having a child and this dog did not like children so he gave her to my dad. (with 3 kids at home LOL) Anyways... I worked with her night and day to make her like me for months on end. Finally I was rewarded and she turned out to be the BEST dog we ever had. Even when she was 13 or 14 years old and completely arthritic, she would still walk the 350 feet of the driveway to wait for us to get off the school bus. We had to put her down when she was 14ish because she collapsed and could not walk anymore.
Another pet was a German short haired pointed named Taylor. He was big and clumsy and goofy and such a sweet dog. We only had him 6 years when he was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor that eventually took his life. My dad still gets teary eyed talking about Taylor, he missed that dog to no end!

We always had rabbits, ducks, turtles, frogs, fish, snakes, mice... whatever we found on the road came home with us for nurturing and a home! LOL My poor parents!

[CouversMom]

Originally Posted by Britster

Aw, great stories! I love the pics too! Sooo awesome you had a Dalmatian, Michelle. I always wanted one after I saw 101 Dalmatians, hehe. Kinda glad we didn't get one though because I heard they tend to have lots of behavioral problems.

Yeah... she definitely had issues. She would snap at kids, but luckily never really hurt anyone. She was also very neurotic. I loved her, but I will never own one again!

[Ute White]

We had a dachshund mix named Beppo. He was full of mischief; he loved to chew buttons off jackets or chewed holes in my mother's beloved table cloths, he would wander in the basement and got hold of the smoked sausages my mother was keeping there, he would steal the lunches of the construction workers next door, he would make a nest in the gardens and eat all the peas, he would only eat if my father pretended to take the bowl away...I have fond memories of dressing him up and carry him in my doll's stroller.
When he passed we rescued a short-haired pointer, her master wanted to shoot her because she was not suitable as a hound dog. Mira was the most gentle dog unless it came to cats...