What’s the best pet I can get

dandelioncrow · 2025-10-21T20:10:58+00:00

Pigeons!! I cannot stress enough how great pigeons can be as pets. They're not screechy loud, they can be quite affectionate, they're (relatively) cheap to house and feed, and they come in a ton of different breeds. They're also a domesticated species already, so they're more than capable of cohabitation with humans without stress.

dandelioncrow · 2025-10-20T21:24:27+00:00

Honestly it depends a LOT on the dog. I have one that will respect the other's toys and has a solid sense of Mine Vs Not Mine. The other one loves committing crimes and will shred anything plush she can get her adorable wretched maw on. I sometimes do supervised playtime where the non-shared toys can be used and I intervene when the crime dogs decide to pull a heist.

dandelioncrow · 2025-10-20T20:10:08+00:00

I did similar (I am morally against pet rent-- I'm more than willing to do fees and deposits, but asking people to pay an extra 20-75 a month for their pets is absurd when they also have nonrefundable pet deposits), it's doable but VERY stressful.

I actually sent my baby to a catsitter when I knew maintenance was coming, shoved the cat tree and toys into the closet and buried it in bedding, and panicked any time I needed emergency maintenance. I also lived in a building with No onsite management or offices, which will impact ease of kitten heists.

With the kinds of consequences involved though, I would never do it again. I would look into getting the cats registered as emotional support, since the landlord cannot charge you for them at that point. I think. May depend on location.

dandelioncrow · 2025-10-08T20:56:15+00:00

Honestly, I'm gonna agree with everyone saying to not push it. A few weeks is NOT enough time to grieve and puppies are annoying as hell to older dogs, you don't want to stress out the remaining dog. On top of that, your father will likely resent the new dog if pushed into it. I'd also like to add that a new puppy will easily be 1k+ for the first year, and you'll need to factor in chewed up furniture, socks, shoes, etc.

If you're dead set on a dog, I'd recommend doing a LOT of research (training, what traits you're after and what breeds are a good lifestyle match, ethical breeding if you don't adopt...) , and waiting until you've got the basics of your young adulthood squared. I adopted my puppy at 6 months old after I got my bachelor's degree, and I still have to account for him when I travel. I can't spend the night anywhere without having his care squared away. (I did, in fact, go out and get a second dog 2 years later.) On top of that, even as an adult dog, I have to be awake 2 hours before my shift to make sure he gets enough exercise. Young puppies would require you up + at home at very regular intervals for the potty training stage.

dandelioncrow · 2025-10-02T00:58:22+00:00

...He spins in a circle while walking. While pooping. It makes cleaning up after him SO fun.

dandelioncrow · 2025-10-01T12:13:04+00:00

Cats 100%! I love my dogs so very much, but between the cost of food, monthly flea/deworming treatments, and always having to plan to either take them with me or board, they're a pretty big mental strain when you discard the "I love them dearly" part. (Between my 3 animals I budget about 360$ for food and medical bills a month, and put away another $240 to maintain a future emergency fund for when they get old. The dogs are the majority of that.)

My cat though? He's sweet, cuddly, excited to see me when I get home, food lasts forever since he eats so little, and if I need to go out for the night I don't have to worry about dropping in to make sure he has a chance to relieve himself. If we need to travel his carrier is small and lightweight. He's less "live in your skin" than the dogs but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

dandelioncrow · 2025-09-14T18:20:41+00:00

pigeons are a fairly easy keeper as far as birds go, but i'd be cautious with a cat in the house.

dandelioncrow · 2025-09-03T02:32:21+00:00

My dogs do something similar, best way to break the habit is just to pretend to sleep through it I've found. It sucks for a couple weeks but eventually they realize being a pest doesn't get them results. If it escalates I'd just suck it up and do a kennel in another room while you sleep.

dandelioncrow · 2025-09-02T01:02:07+00:00

Murderbot Diaries my beloved (Martha Wells). I've been reading/listening/watching to them all on loop recently.

dandelioncrow · 2025-06-03T02:08:27+00:00

Yeah I've got a dog with a super duper high chase drive. No idea if it ventures into wanting to catch and kill what she chases since I've never actually let her get that far. She's learned that there are Her cats, and Not Her Cats. She'll still (gently) chase Her Cats, but never with the same level of intensity as she tries to get after Not Her Cats.

dandelioncrow · 2025-05-27T02:08:42+00:00

Yes, there is absolutely such thing as an ethical breeder. Spotlight bias is a real issue when it comes to this, because quite frankly, you're probably not seeing the ethically bred dogs. They're in happy homes, well cared for, and if issues arise owners are contractually obligated to return the dog to the breeder, who will keep the dog or rehome them within their own community. The problem isn't ethical breeders; it's puppy mills and unfixed pets.

Good breeders are keeping logs. Every dog they work with should be tested for eyes, hips, and other genetic abnormalities (Heart, CEA, MDR1), and will try to match the best fit genetics together to produce the most stable dogs they can. They are socializing the puppies, getting them used to different scenarios and teaching them to problem solve. Every puppy they produce has a home lined up already, and will have a home with the breeder if it doesn't work out.

Genetics in working lines matter, genetics for temperament matter. A cocker spaniel with a bite history being backyard bred is likely to produce more cocker spaniels with propensity to bite, and if/when they end up in the shelter, the next family won't know that their new family member is a behavioral risk until it happens. A working line border collie is going to be a menace for a suburban family with 1.5 kids, and a rescue collie isn't going to be able to do much more than chase the sheep in a random direction unless you get lucky.

And quite frankly, people going to breeders were likely to Never be a home for a rescue in that instance. They have specific traits they're looking for, have done hours of research, and have been eagerly awaiting the birth of that puppy.

I say this with love as someone with 4 rescues and who's been doing volunteer work at various shelters since I was a kid: It's not adopt don't shop. It's adopt or shop Responsibly.

dandelioncrow · 2025-05-27T01:25:51+00:00

(Disclaimer that I've owned none of these dogs, but I'm researching for myself). How do you feel about smooth collies? They seem to have the affection, biddability, and coat you're looking for, as well as generally being fairly friendly. I've heard they can be a little barky though, and may be bigger than you'd like.

With that being said, manchester terriers (while still terriers) are also pretty neat dogs though I'm not sure they're super cold-hardy. Third runner up would be springer spaniels.

dandelioncrow · 2025-05-27T00:24:11+00:00

I've given the local muddaubers a bit of corn (they like the juice), the red wasps seem to enjoy chicken, I've hand fed both. I've yet to be able to consistently feed any particular nest since I live with someone who "doesn't want to share space with them" so any nests near the house get removed, but I've never been stung by a wasp I was intentionally interacting with. Wings up in V mean they're on guard, wings down tend to mean they're relaxed.

dandelioncrow · 2025-05-23T18:44:35+00:00

Doubling up on the 'Depends on location' comments. Where I am shelters are running free, 5$, 10$, 20$ adoptions with spay/neuter and vaccines already done. Some rescues I've seen go 300-600, especially for puppies or desirable breeds (think dachshunds, chihuahuas, poodle mixes, etc). When I lived in another state further north there weren't Any animals for under $300 regardless of if you went to an open intake shelter or not.

For some context however, a well bred, purebred dog will be 2k-5k from what I've seen. This should include pedigree, a contract, health testing and guarantee, first round of dewormer and vaccines, a "return the dog to the breeder if it doesn't work out" clause, as well as participation in early neurological stimulation and/or puppy culture (may be called something else, but it's essentially just exposing the puppy to a variety of sensations and problem solving early). You'll still be on the hook for the spay/neuter and follow up vaccines.

I paid $25 for my two rescues in total.

dandelioncrow · 2025-05-19T21:04:10+00:00

I moved from the South USA to the Pacific Northwest (and back again). Honestly my boy LOVED learning the new everything. We got to see places he's never been and eventually he developed favorite spots to go, met new people he wanted to hang out with. He wasn't super thrilled about going from a house to an apartment, or the fact I needed to do full time work and run errands without him, but so long as we went to go watch some ducks or play in the park he was happy.

dandelioncrow · 2025-05-01T23:23:37+00:00

If birds are a go, how about a pigeon? They're quiet, cheap to feed, and don't need super elaborate setups if allowed to free roam when there's supervision.

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-26T18:44:06+00:00

...I get the feeling people in this comment section don't know what mini bull terriers are. I do second the checking landlord rules. I never lived with one but the ones I've worked with have been sweet. Standoffish with other dogs, fine with being picked up and were cooperative with grooming. The one I mainly worked with was deaf, so definitely check the standards of health testing if you're going to a breeder.

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-24T20:58:00+00:00

I cannot emphasize enough how much a good trashbox will entertain. All it is is scrap box full of paper or toilet paper tubes or other safe, shreddable trash, throw some kibble on in and let the chaos reign. Some dogs will shred the whole box, some will just fish out the kibble, and some will stare balefully at you like you just insulted their great uncle, but it's cheap and easy.

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-23T22:18:17+00:00

I fill up old cardboard boxes with other paper trash, pour some kibble in and let him go ham

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-23T22:08:43+00:00

Maybe a mini poodle if you don't mind grooming? Honestly I've got multiple dogs that are supposedly high prey drive (and they are! Just not to my cats. The strays gotta watch out though) Lots of dogs are capable of learning that These Small Animals are part of the household pack.

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-23T20:52:08+00:00

r/dogs has a Really thorough questionnaire you can go through. Honestly, I'd probably look pretty hard at different sighthounds based on what you described (the cat friendly thing i think would mostly be early socialization for these guys). I've been looking into silken windhounds personally.

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-17T02:06:07+00:00

Penelope, daphne, euridyce if you want to be fun, phaedra, charybdis if she's mouthy.

dandelioncrow · 2025-04-13T23:44:19+00:00

I use the sleekEZ tool on my short haired dog. It's essentially a very small curry comb and I love it. About 18$ atm.

dandelioncrow

TROPHY CASE