Recently, my family
welcomed a new puppy into our home. Over winter, our two senior dogs passed
away, and our current dog really missed having a housemate. We had a lot to
consider before bringing home a new puppy. We already have an established
routine with children, and our current dog, Bruce, a two-year-old Mountain
Cur/Boxer mix. Not only am I a stay at home mother of four young children, I am
a dog trainer, and I also raise SDIT (service dog in training) puppies for BFF
Dog Training LLC. Once the service dog puppies have learned basic obedience
with me, they go on to the awesomely dedicated service dog trainer, to be
trained to behave as Diabetes Alert Dogs (DAD’s). All of these are some very
important jobs that I do not take lightly, and it was very important to me to
make sure we made the right decision when it came to inviting the right new
puppy into our lives.
welcomed a new puppy into our home. Over winter, our two senior dogs passed
away, and our current dog really missed having a housemate. We had a lot to
consider before bringing home a new puppy. We already have an established
routine with children, and our current dog, Bruce, a two-year-old Mountain
Cur/Boxer mix. Not only am I a stay at home mother of four young children, I am
a dog trainer, and I also raise SDIT (service dog in training) puppies for BFF
Dog Training LLC. Once the service dog puppies have learned basic obedience
with me, they go on to the awesomely dedicated service dog trainer, to be
trained to behave as Diabetes Alert Dogs (DAD’s). All of these are some very
important jobs that I do not take lightly, and it was very important to me to
make sure we made the right decision when it came to inviting the right new
puppy into our lives.
We can all guess
some of the basic considerations such as time, money, housing and training.
There’s a couple of other things that people either don’t give much thought to,
or don’t consider at all. What breed of dog would fit best in our household? Do
I just want that specific breed because it looks cool, or because it would be
the best match with my lifestyle? Where should I get my dog from? What are my
goals for my dog? Do I want a couch potato, a workout buddy, a sidekick that
travels everywhere with me or a dog to perform in competitions?
some of the basic considerations such as time, money, housing and training.
There’s a couple of other things that people either don’t give much thought to,
or don’t consider at all. What breed of dog would fit best in our household? Do
I just want that specific breed because it looks cool, or because it would be
the best match with my lifestyle? Where should I get my dog from? What are my
goals for my dog? Do I want a couch potato, a workout buddy, a sidekick that
travels everywhere with me or a dog to perform in competitions?
I’ll bring you back
to my situation as an example. I am a big fan of Australian Shepherds. That’s
not to say that I do not like other breeds, quite the opposite. I love so many
different types of dogs and I’m a huge fan of mutts. However, I’m not an animal
hoarder. I feel it’s important to decide what specific breed has the most
qualities, and traits that work best for me and my family. Keep in mind I have
an eighty pound mixed breed, Bruce, that we adopted from the shelter. He’s
handsome, and awesome, but he’s a naturally fearful dog. I’ve done a ton of
confidence building and training with him which has made him a wonderful family
dog. Knowing his strengths, and weaknesses, has helped me decided what I was
looking for in his perfect housemate. I wanted a dog that would mature to be
about 50-60 pounds. A female dog, to compliment him, since he’s a male, and
also for any other dogs that we would work with. (Sometimes I come across dogs
that need help overcoming their issues with males, or female dogs.) A dog, that
has a natural confidence, and drive, to balance out his lack of confidence,
while not being intimidated by his stature. A dog that would rather stick with
her pack, than follow her nose on a game trail. I wanted a dog that would be a
best friend to everyone in my household, and help socialize the little puppies
I raise. Aussie’s are amazing because, they look soft, and friendly but can be
fierce enough to take on cattle. Strategic, smart, agile, loyal and confident.
That’s what I was looking for.
to my situation as an example. I am a big fan of Australian Shepherds. That’s
not to say that I do not like other breeds, quite the opposite. I love so many
different types of dogs and I’m a huge fan of mutts. However, I’m not an animal
hoarder. I feel it’s important to decide what specific breed has the most
qualities, and traits that work best for me and my family. Keep in mind I have
an eighty pound mixed breed, Bruce, that we adopted from the shelter. He’s
handsome, and awesome, but he’s a naturally fearful dog. I’ve done a ton of
confidence building and training with him which has made him a wonderful family
dog. Knowing his strengths, and weaknesses, has helped me decided what I was
looking for in his perfect housemate. I wanted a dog that would mature to be
about 50-60 pounds. A female dog, to compliment him, since he’s a male, and
also for any other dogs that we would work with. (Sometimes I come across dogs
that need help overcoming their issues with males, or female dogs.) A dog, that
has a natural confidence, and drive, to balance out his lack of confidence,
while not being intimidated by his stature. A dog that would rather stick with
her pack, than follow her nose on a game trail. I wanted a dog that would be a
best friend to everyone in my household, and help socialize the little puppies
I raise. Aussie’s are amazing because, they look soft, and friendly but can be
fierce enough to take on cattle. Strategic, smart, agile, loyal and confident.
That’s what I was looking for.
I also wanted a dog
that came from a reputable breeder. I love rescues, and will always have a
rescue dog, but I also love reputable breeders. Breeders that want to ensure
the quality of the dog, verses the looks and quantity for profit. Puppy mills
are everywhere, and disguise themselves as innocent ads on Craigslist,
Facebook, and in pet stores. When looking for a breeder you really need to
research them. I had a few breeders in mind before my need for a new puppy came
around, and by the time I was actually looking I had already done enough
research to narrow it down to the very best one for me. That was over a period
of years. Yeah, I’m a bit of a planner. 😉
that came from a reputable breeder. I love rescues, and will always have a
rescue dog, but I also love reputable breeders. Breeders that want to ensure
the quality of the dog, verses the looks and quantity for profit. Puppy mills
are everywhere, and disguise themselves as innocent ads on Craigslist,
Facebook, and in pet stores. When looking for a breeder you really need to
research them. I had a few breeders in mind before my need for a new puppy came
around, and by the time I was actually looking I had already done enough
research to narrow it down to the very best one for me. That was over a period
of years. Yeah, I’m a bit of a planner. 😉
As a dog trainer, I
come across a lot of people that bought a puppy on a whim. They see a Cane
Corso puppy, and they fall in love. Who wouldn’t? They are adorable. But, they
are a large guarding breed. They definitely need training, but beyond that they
need a job. If you don’t give them a job, they will be protecting your couch
from your house guests which equals big trouble. Or the people that see the
movie “Max”, and fall in love with the Belgian Malinois. They are an
amazing breed, but that doesn’t mean they are a great fit for the average
household. There’s a reason their nickname is “Maligator”. They were
bred to use those chompers. How about Yorkshire Terriers? Sure, they small and super
cute. I haven’t met one yet that didn’t have some major behavioral problems.
It’s a combination of people treating them like they are human babies, or toys,
and bad breeding. Pocket pooches are a fan favorite of puppy mills. People love
carrying their dogs in designer bags, and don’t mind paying thousands for
poorly bred, little dogs. You can look at any breed, and make generalizations
about them which is why it’s important to research your breed of choice, and
research your breeder. What is the quality of the puppy they are turning
out?
come across a lot of people that bought a puppy on a whim. They see a Cane
Corso puppy, and they fall in love. Who wouldn’t? They are adorable. But, they
are a large guarding breed. They definitely need training, but beyond that they
need a job. If you don’t give them a job, they will be protecting your couch
from your house guests which equals big trouble. Or the people that see the
movie “Max”, and fall in love with the Belgian Malinois. They are an
amazing breed, but that doesn’t mean they are a great fit for the average
household. There’s a reason their nickname is “Maligator”. They were
bred to use those chompers. How about Yorkshire Terriers? Sure, they small and super
cute. I haven’t met one yet that didn’t have some major behavioral problems.
It’s a combination of people treating them like they are human babies, or toys,
and bad breeding. Pocket pooches are a fan favorite of puppy mills. People love
carrying their dogs in designer bags, and don’t mind paying thousands for
poorly bred, little dogs. You can look at any breed, and make generalizations
about them which is why it’s important to research your breed of choice, and
research your breeder. What is the quality of the puppy they are turning
out?
Humans breed dogs
in order to achieve or maintain specific characteristic traits. These traits go
beyond appearance. They include things like prey drive, heightened sense of
smell, endurance, amicability, resilience, confidence, speed, intensity,
aggression, health, etc. There are even differences in a specific breed based
on where they are from regionally. All of that happens because of breeding, and
the lineage. When looking at a specific breed make sure to take into account what
potential health problems could arise, and what level of training will be
needed. Every dog is an individual, and they don’t always carry every trait
known to that breed but it’s best to make sure to do your homework so no
surprises arise. Adopting dogs from shelters, and rescues means you generally
have no idea about the genetic make up. That doesn’t mean that they are bad
dogs. Most of my best dogs were adopted, and mixed breeds. Many shelters, and
rescues do a wonderful job assessing the dog’s personality, and behavior before
making them available for adoption. When you are looking for a new dog don’t
get pressured by other people’s beliefs. You have to find the right balance,
and right fit for your existing household. Just make sure to really think about
it before making the leap. Dogs are not disposable, you should be the forever
home for your newly acquired dog.
in order to achieve or maintain specific characteristic traits. These traits go
beyond appearance. They include things like prey drive, heightened sense of
smell, endurance, amicability, resilience, confidence, speed, intensity,
aggression, health, etc. There are even differences in a specific breed based
on where they are from regionally. All of that happens because of breeding, and
the lineage. When looking at a specific breed make sure to take into account what
potential health problems could arise, and what level of training will be
needed. Every dog is an individual, and they don’t always carry every trait
known to that breed but it’s best to make sure to do your homework so no
surprises arise. Adopting dogs from shelters, and rescues means you generally
have no idea about the genetic make up. That doesn’t mean that they are bad
dogs. Most of my best dogs were adopted, and mixed breeds. Many shelters, and
rescues do a wonderful job assessing the dog’s personality, and behavior before
making them available for adoption. When you are looking for a new dog don’t
get pressured by other people’s beliefs. You have to find the right balance,
and right fit for your existing household. Just make sure to really think about
it before making the leap. Dogs are not disposable, you should be the forever
home for your newly acquired dog.
Sarah Mahrle-Thomas owns Strive Balanced Dog Training in Oshkosh, WI. She and her husband have four young children and two family dogs — Bruce and Ohana.
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Hello Sir
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Thank You.