Well... I've done it...

[Squirrel]

Thanks all... Am trying to take it slowly, as I don't want to take on a cat and find that he/she just isn't going to be able to settle here - or that I can't afford it!!!

On the subject of dogs... I find peoples distrust of them based on type or colour absurd! I've known many beautifully tempered black dogs - and some dogs I wouldn't trust an inch of many other colours. When parents were looking for a dog they had specific things in mind. Dad wanted it to run with (tough, he didn't get that!!!) and didn't want one that was too small - neither of them wanted a 'yappy' dog, and Mum said she thought they were likely to nip more.

Mum didn't want one which was too big, and anything that looked anything like an alsatian type was out - again cause Mum felt that they were dangerous dogs.

Now, admittedly they were rescue dogs we were looking at at the time (in the end they went for a just-off pedigree from a Mum who was a year too old for them to be able to show Rags, even if they had wanted to!) and my brother was only about p4/5, so they'd have had to go with the places advice as to how safe the dogs were for rehoming to a family with youngish children, but I still can't follow my Mum's reasoning. "It's an alsatian, therefore it will be dangerous!" Yeah, right!!!

My poor Dad didn't really get much that he wanted at all... Other than the not a small yappy dog bit! The plan was for him to take her to work with him in the car each day. That bit failed miserably too as Rags got horribly travel sick with even just a little driving!

Other than little things like that, and some slight character things, it's the environment which effects how dangerous or otherwise the dog is!