In a neighborhood of well kept older homes with postage stamp yards, the plaintive woo-woo-wooing of a Siberian Husky floats into the evening air. From his perch on the sloping roof of his front porch, looking stranded and forlorn, he surveys the concerned neighbors gathered below. Such an act he’s put together. Ring his doorbell and within seconds his smiling face is paws up on the windowed front door. This bright, active dog is loved, well cared for, and living what must be, for him, a life of misery. His owners are a young working couple with a baby. He goes for a walk around the block on weekends, if the weather is nice. He whiles away the rest of his time inside the house or in a tiny back yard surrounded with stockade fencing. This is the life of a dog with the heart and energy to pull a sled for miles and miles across ice and snow, and a prime example of a great dog home going to waste. While his owners love him, he makes them crazy. Big surprise – right back at ‘em. Where's my magic wand? I need to swap him with the sweet, gentle, quiet Clumber Spaniel, trailing doggedly along behind his jogging owner, his only thought of climbing onto the big comfy couch at home. A huge percentage of the dog owning public makes the wrong breed choice on a daily basis. And the dog pays for it.
You new buddy will probably be with you for 10, 12, 16 or even 20 years or more depending on size and other factors. You owe it to both the dog and yourself to find one that will fit in with your lifestyle.
Most people pick out a dog for all the wrong reasons. They like the way it looks, they have a friend with one they really like, or they saw it in a movie. After I lost my Belgian Tervuren, a wonderful dog, I was looking for a new breed, something different. I had a list of breed requirements:
- Big, but not so big it would be old at 5 years of age.
- Sturdy build.
- Couldn't be a drooler
- And, above all, it must have a sweet, discriminating disposition.
I didn't need to take into account things like grooming, since I was a groomer and could handle any kind of coat care, or space, since I lived in the country. Cost of veterinary care wasn't a big issue since I worked for a vet and could get medical care relatively inexpensively. I stumbled upon Leonbergers, fell in love, and it took me 3 years to find my first puppy. For me, they've been the perfect breed.
That is the correct way to choose the perfect dog. Take all the factors of your life into account. Some of them are:
- What do you want to do with your dog? Have it sit on your lap, go for walks, throw a ball? Certain breeds will fit into that picture of the perfect dog you have in your head better than others.
- Do you live in a house with a yard or an apartment? It's a myth that your high energy dog will go out and exercise himself to tiredness alone in a big backyard. To wear him out, you'll still have to be there, throwing that ball or frisbee.
- Do you want a dog that follows you everywhere, or one that likes a bit of attention, then goes to sleep in the corner?
- Do you have kids? Depending on their age, certain dogs might not be appropriate. It takes a special owner to keep the elegant, fragile Italian Greyhound safe in a home with toddlers. My niece learned to walk with her little fist in front of her face to avoid being wagged by my Dalmatian's tail. My Belgian Tervuren routinely rounded the kids up into the center of the family room when he thought they were getting too rough. My nephew used to watch TV with his hands behind his head and his feet propped up on my Leonberger. Different breeds react differently to kids, depending on what they were bred for.
- How tight are your finances? Antibiotics for a simple urinary tract infection in a giant breed can run $100.00 or more, not including office visit and lab work. Certain breeds are more prone to certain health problems which can be a financial nightmare if you're not prepared.
- What kind of hair do you want to pick off your clothes? Does the idea of a monthly grooming appointment make you cringe? There is a coat type to suit everyone. Make sure you pick one you will maintain.
- Do you travel frequently? If you take your dog with you, smaller dogs are more portable and easier to move around with. If you kennel your dog, it may be more expensive to board a large dog than a small one.
Above all, ask yourself: Do I really want a dog? Will I take care of it from the moment it steps into my home until it finally goes on ahead? If I move, will I take it with me? There's nothing more ridiculous than the "Moving, need to find good home for..." ads that are cropping up everywhere these days. Am I willing to amend my life to take my dog's needs into consideration? Because if you aren't ready to commit wholeheartedly to caring for your dog for it's entire lifetime, you just aren't ready for a dog.
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