Homes Needing Dogs

Hi,

I don't regularly follow this board, but get the sense that there are folks here who know many of the local dogs up for adoption, and I'm hoping that someone will keep us in mind. Our last dog was a formerly abused shelter dog - doberman/shepherd mix - who we adopted at age 6 and who lived with us until he died at the ripe old age of 13. We've moved around some since then but will be settling into a new home in a week or two and will then be on the lookout for the right new pooch.

We have two boys, ages 2 and 4, and one cat, so will need a dog who's good with kids and kitties. Our last dog was a male, and we have a slight preference for a female this time. We'll be living in a large house near the national forest trails, and are big-time walkers and joggers, so would prefer a larger breed/mix who would enjoy a good amount of outdoor exercise and play. Both my husband and I work at home, so the dog would have considerable companionship during the week. We aren't in the market for a real puppy, but either a young or older dog would be fine. Money isn't really an issue, so a dog that needs some up-front (or even ongoing) "maintenance" would be ok. Some exclusions: my husband has tinnitus/sensitive ears, so we can't have a big-time barker or "yippy" dog around (barking at the occasional squirrel or passer by is ok). And with both of our workplaces in the house (and hosting clients, etc.), we can't really deal with a destructive or questionably house-trained dog, or one who jumps and barks incessantly when someone comes over. We also travel about 3 times/year for a week, and a few overnights as well, so the dog would need to be amenable to dog-sitters and/or good in the car for long trips.

We are not in a big hurry, but please keep us in mind if any of you come across an energetic but gentle and well-behaved, quiet-ish dog that might be a good match for us. denisecwhitty@charter.net.

Thanks!