Secondhand Cigarette Smoke and your Sheltie

[JLSOhio51]

Is all this the business of a Sheltie Rescue ? It's their "game" so to speak. If you want to adopt one of their dogs you have to do it by their rules. To me, this is the same as the fence issue...

I have to admit, I never heard of a rescue that would refuse to place a dog in a home with a smoker. My opinion is that the rescue makes the rules, and as far as I am concerned, they can choose to place dogs as they see fit.

On the other hand, I would have questions about an entity that would risk never being able to place a dog just because the potential adopter smoked. Rescues across the country are stuffed to the gills and begging for forever homes for animals. I'm not sure that I would agree that refusing a dog to a smoker is worth the risk of no home for the dog. Does the smoker only smoke outside? The rescue wouldn't really know this. I am not a smoker, but a rescue that held to a rule that I found over restrictive (even if it did not affect me) might cause me to look elsewhere for a companion. My thought would be, what other questionable decisions might they be indulging in?

 

[EJHUNTL]

I got lucky on the fence thing.

We aren't allowed to put up fences in this subdivision, so I can't have one. Because we have coyotes & deer around I won't have an invisible fence either. What we do have is a very large raised deck that goes almost across entire back side of the house. Our lot is sloped so one side is about 10 feet off the ground and the low side is just 4 steps. Right now Hanna has not figured out how to go down the stairs, but just in case I have her potty area at the bottom of the stairs enclosed with 3 foot puppy fencing ( it's going to be a while before she can jump 3 feet). I only ever let her outdoors alone on the deck if I am in the kitchen or living room (open concept). There are 2 huge windows and a double patio door overlooking the deck and I can see her easily. Our deck is mostly covered so she has lots of room to play and shade as well as access to a potty area - I figure that is a big enough area for a small dog. She only gets to be in the yard when we are out there. We don't have neighbours on one side and back onto park land, so it would be too easy for her to take off if I let her out unsupervised.

Our breeder lives in a small town and as it turned out her huge yard is not fenced either, she had quite a few mature trees & hedges but lots of places a dog could get out. She has no issues with my set up when she came over. I"ve had people say they would not consider us because we don't have a fence - that is fine it is their dog, so they get to set the criteria.

 

[Internette]

This isnt too much of a concern for us as I get mentally sick when I am around cigarettes. I was a smoker and quit over 10 years ago. I went to several hypnotist and relied on prayer to quit. The hypnosis installed the whole licking an ash tray and feeling nausau and so on and it happens. I actually feel sick and can not stand the smell of a smoker or cigarettes. I have had to leave store lines because I couldnt stand behind someone who smelled of smoke. Chauncey is with me so he won't be there either as he goes where I go. I feel bad as some people cant help it and haven't kicked the habit but I just can't take the smell.

 

[Mignarda]

I'm another of the sort that can't abide tobacco smoke, but I'm not sure I'd deny a dog an otherwise good home simply because of second hand smoke. Neutering a dog probably causes just as much potential harm, yet it's done for the sake of convenience and population control. Why then should a poor homeless dog be denied the benefits of a loving home, simply because his long-term health might be affected? To my mind it makes no sense.

 

[Chris]

One of our Shelties -- we call her the Fun Police -- pitches a hissy fit if anyone has more than two glasses of wine in an evening. I can only imagine what Annie Laurie would do if someone lit a cigarette!

(And no, she didn't come from an Amish puppy mill .)

 

[Jess041]

One of our Shelties -- we call her the Fun Police -- pitches a hissy fit if anyone has more than two glasses of wine in an evening. I can only imagine what Annie Laurie would do if someone lit a cigarette!

(And no, she didn't come from an Amish puppy mill .)

Hey someone's gotta keep you in line! You can borrow Missy, she's recently acquired the status of "party girl" so she wouldn't mind a few too many glasses of wine.

 

[Shishempeon]

In the state of Arkansas you can't smoke inside a public building. I don't smoke. I HATE the smell of cigars. It gives me a headache and it makes me want to puke.

I don't know about long term/short term problems it might cause a dog, but who wants a sheltie with cigarette smelling fur? People come in to work all the time and bring back their clothes and it reaks of cigarette smoke. GROSS!

Smells of cigarette is just the worst thing in my life. I can;t tolerate it at all and just want to stay away from it. Don't know how peple smoke cigarettes and like the smell of cigarette.

 

[Tagg]

I am allergic to perfume. I get horridly sick, including migraines, when exposed. I can't go shopping without knowing that I will be ill when I get home.
Most people use some kind of air freshener, either in their car, in rooms of their houses, candles etc. They buy nice smelling shampoos and soaps. I often leave their homes ill. None of the above is good for me and is detrimental to their dogs and cats. That stuff gets in coats, on feet and skin but when you tell them that it is hard on the dog or cat, they ignore you. My dogs usually live well into their teens even though they are exposed to cigarette smoke. I have never had a dog with cancer of the nasal area or had one die of lung cancer. However, I do not use scented products of any kind and I rinse the floors with water after washing them. Dog bedding is double rinsed and then air dried. The only dog I know of that was afflicted with cancer of the nasal area was a dog that lived with two non smoking people that never allowed smoking in their house in the 29 years I have known them. Food for thought eh? I don't recommend smoking but I certainly wouldn't refuse to sell a dog to someone that did.