Westminster

[sheepdog 10]

Even if I hadn't watched the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on TV the other night, by noon the next day I would of known what breed had won. From the time Wesminster ended that evening till noon the next day I had nearly a dozen inquiries for Affenpinschers. This is WAY out of the ordinary, Affen's aren't a well known or common breed, I normally get less than one inquiry a month for them. But it makes a good topic for a discusion on picking the right pet for your family.So often, when something like a new Westminster Champion, or a Tv Show or even just a television commercial, a particular breed will jump up to the attention of the general public, and everyone will want to run out and get one. This is absolutly the WORST way to choose a pet. But I see this all the time. You know all those people who contacted me following the dog show had not taken the time to reasearch the breed, and since they are quite rare, it's unlikely any of them had any experience with this breed. In the case of the Affenpinscher, it might not make a huge difference, Affen's are pretty good natured little dogs and adapt very well to a wide variety of circumstances. Even an unexperienced dog person could probably do ok with an Affen. But oh dear, I dread the day something like a Komondor wins Westminster! Now there's a disaster waiting to happen! Sure, they are cute little balls of white fluff when they are little, but they grow up to be huge raging killing machines, perfect for living with a herd of goats or sheep, but not in a city full of stupid, lawsuite happy people. The most important thing a person can do before getting a dog is to completely understand the specific charectoristics of the breeds you are interested in. Make sure to take everything into consideration. How much time do you have to spend with your dog, not only training, but grooming and exercising. How athletic are you? Could you run an Irish Wolfhound? (pretty unlikely for the average human) Or do you have a big enough yard the dog could get enough exercise? If you are athletic, do you want a dog to jog with you? Or are you more into niceslow walks? Do you already have other dogs in the home? Not all dogs get along with other dogs. And other non dog pets, like cats and hamsters. A lot of breeds consider these other animals prey, and therefore fair game to chase and snack on. Just how much room do you have in your home? What about people in the house who could have allergies? Just how much hair can you stand to have on your furnature, carpets, clothes, and on every single surface area in your home? If you are a neat freak, you sure better find a breed that does not shed heavily. Just exactly what purpose do you want your dog to fill? Just a buddy to snuggle on the couch and watch TV with you, or do you want someone to go hiking with you, or watch over your home and possesions? You also have to consider your financial situation. It's more than the initial purchase price of the puppy. Some breeds are just very high maintense and are more expensive to keep. Bulldogs for example can have all sorts of ailment and can get you into some serious vet bills. The beauty part of purebred dogs is that there are over 400 recognised pure breeds of dogs. All of these breeds have been bred for many generations to develope very specific traits that are instilled into the breed, not only in size and type, but also in temperment. With plenty of good reasearch you can find a breed that is the exact match for your own circumstances and personality. Just make sure you do your reasearch in depth. Read more than one accounting of a breed you are interested in. Think about the source of the information you are listening to. If you are taking the advice of a friend or even a breeder, remember, if they really like a breed they are going to gloss over any down sides to the breed. Even I can be guilty of this one. I am a huge Schnauzer fan. I find it virtually imposssible to say anything bad about this breed, but I'm sure if you find someone who doesn't like that breed they will certainly be able to tell you plenty of negitive things. While I can't say anything bad about a Schnauzer, there are a couple of other very popular breeds that other people just think are wonderful, that I find to be dumber than dirt. Try to actually meet members of the breed in real life. As many members of the breed as you can. There are always going to be some minor personality differences within each breed. And to finish off, when the last class in Westminster was chosen, the best in show from each of the group winners, I told the hubby that there were only 2 dogs in that last all important class that I could even root for, and usually my favorites are last, but amazingly enough, my 2 favorites won! Affen came in first, and the Old English Sheepdog came in reserve grand champion!

[velma 6]

WELL PUT SHEEPDOG!!

 

I definitely agree with you wholeheartedly on this. Banana Joe was definitely the show's sweetheart but what most people don't understand or care to understand is the fact that all those dogs have heavy duty training.. Dogs go through the same training a boxer or like any other athlete... If only dogs shows not only showed off the dog but also educated the masses about them.

 

Teach people how working dogs require constant exercise and "work" , how not to treat lap dogs (pugs are not "running" mates) and generate awareness about other breeds.

 

Working at the vet's is really difficult during certain seasons especially during dog show seasons.. Valentine's day is the worst, people gift their valentines with animals commonly puppies without understanding how much work goes into raising an animal... The valentine gets tired of the animal and dumps them or worse, asks us to euthanize it.. Of course, we do not euthanize any healthy animal...

 

And with demand comes the illegal breeding tactics, a breeder here has his own puppy mill, Labradors with severe hip dysplasia, inbred puppies that carry some sort of abnormality (one of them was a St Bernard with severely stunted growth.. He was hardly 7 months old when we had to put him down, spent his entire life in agony because his legs and back were bent in angles..). Few of them were blind, almost all of them were dirty (no bath, no grooming.. nothing)

 

You should write an article about choosing a pet, for me the criteria while choosing a pet include :-

Lifestyle of Pet parents

Budget of Pet Parents

Current &Future size of Family

Health of Family

I babysit a labrador for my dad every 2 weeks, the dog's owner is friends with my father and cannot seem to handle a Labrador, they wanted a Labrador because they are 'CUTE & FRIENDLY"...

 

It is unfortunate that we live in a world where the majority of the people are on two sides, on one side.. people really mistreat the animals they know nothing about and on the other side are idiots like PETA who want to cry wolf for every single thing.

[sheepdog 10]

Thanks glad you liked it. You bring up another point, I may of glossed over, remember to consider not only the current size of family, but the possibility of expansion of the family in the future, as often happens with young couples. I don't know how many dogs have lost their happy homes because a couple decided to have a baby and then decided that the dog would no longer fit in the family plan. I've heard all sorts of excuses in this department. The biggest one is that the parents won't have time for the dog when a new baby comes. This may in part be true, surly the demands of a newborn can be tremendous, but with a little common sence and some good planning there is no reason the dog cannot be kept. Another concern of new parents are the sanitary concerns with the dog dragging in dust and dirt and of course dog hair and dander. This is probably the most pathetic excuse for dumping a dog. Studies have proven that children raised from birth with a pet in the home actually have less trouble later in life with allergies and other common ailments. A little exposure when you are young actually helps build your immune system. Some worry a dog might hurt a baby. I have found that most dogs are very respectful and careful around small children. There are exceptions to every rule of course. If a parent worries that a larger dog might knock over a toddler, well, they could, but lets face it, toddlers trip and fall over their own feet. One of my sheepdogs actually taught the owners grandchildren to walk. The babies would pull themselves up with handfulls of his hair and lean against him to walk. The dog would carefully move them around the house balancing against him. Of course, not all dogs are this patient.

[velma 6]

I don't know how many dogs have lost their happy homes because a couple decided to have a baby and then decided that the dog would no longer fit in the family plan. I've heard all sorts of excuses in this department. The biggest one is that the parents won't have time for the dog when a new baby comes.This may in part be true, surly the demands of a newborn can be tremendous, but with a little common sence and some good planning there is no reason the dog cannot be kept.

I get very angry when people blame their pets for x reason or whatever. Pets become unmanageable ONLY if you have not bothered to train / discipline them. If I got money every time someone ignored my advice on training, I would be so freaking rich... They avoid training the animal when they are puppies / kittens and then moan about how troublesome they have become.

I have to keep reminding them that a pet is as intelligent as a 3 year old, if you have the time and patience to teach your 3 year old, you should be able to do the same to your pets. Till this date, my parents are very happy knowing that our cats and dogs were around when me and my brother were born. My mum says that the family dogs would sleep near our cribs in the night and she has hardly seen them leave our sides...

Our old Spitz who was terrified of water would sit by my mum during our bath times monitoring my mother I guess. And quite honestly, well mannered pets hardly demand anything from you except for food and a walk.

Another concern of new parents are the sanitary concerns with the dog dragging in dust and dirt and of course dog hair and dander. This is probably the most pathetic excuse for dumping a dog. Studies have proven that children raised from birth with a pet in the home actually have less trouble later in life with allergies and other common ailments. A little exposure when you are young actually helps build your immune system

To make things worse, if you were to take your baby to one of those over zealous paranoid doctors, they will immediately try to connect baby's cold to a house pet Like, that is the only thing they can think of when you say "dog" Either "Your dog will give you rabies or You will get asthma"

I remember one useless friend of mine and his idiotic mother who would not think twice before saying "Dogs will kill you, ours gave our daughter cancer..." i almost slapped both of them.. They are actually convinced that the dog's hair gave her a tumor... AND THEIR DOCTOR AGREES!!! I could have slapped him too!

She was unaware that I grew up in a very furry household and kept going on about how I should dispose of my animals before they make me sick.. I told her that I was eating dog / cat fur since I was born and her daughter's condition was probably the fault of bad genetics and not her dog. I never bothered seeing him and his mother ever.. Sheesh!

Some worry a dog might hurt a baby. I have found that most dogs are very respectful and careful around small children. There are exceptions to every rule of course. If a parent worries that a larger dog might knock over a toddler, well, they could, but lets face it, toddlers trip and fall over their own feet. One of my sheepdogs actually taught the owners grandchildren to walk. The babies would pull themselves up with handfulls of his hair and lean against him to walk. The dog would carefully move them around the house balancing against him. Of course, not all dogs are this patient.

Again, it comes down to good parenting, if you teach your pets to be gentle around you and other people, they are bound to be even gentler with children. I never had problems with my dogs growing up.. Not even my cats.. Even when I was baby, you know how babies will pinch and pull cats' tails and all, none of them ever clawed me even once! Of course, my parents would not encourage my bad behavior XD

My mom says that I would hold onto the tail of my Irish Setter and he would walk really slowly ahead of me He died of ear cancer when I was 5-6 years old My grandad had told me that I had once accidentally pulled his ears while playing, the poor guy was in incredible agony but he did not bite me or even growl.. He just waited for my Grandad to take me away...

So, no.. People disposing their pets because they are an inconvenience to them should get no mercy or sympathy. if you neglect an animal who has done nothing wrong.. You are not fit to be a parent at all. Shows how selfish and horrible a person you are.. People who cannot treat animals fairly will have no issues throwing you under a bus.

[sheepdog 10]

Wow, people sure get some crazy notions in their heads! Getting cancer from a dog? That's just nuts. I'm really shocked that a doctor would go along with such a hair brain notion. Now in many cases, a doctor will claim allergies are caused by the family pet, and in some cases this could be true, but since the studies have been out for several years now that having a dog in the family when children are newborns actually is proven to prevent allergies, I would think most medical profesionals would of caught on to that by now. Even many years ago when I was a child and diagnosed with asmatha, my doctor told my mother that the only dog we could have in the house was a poodle or a schnauzer, but at least he did acknowledge I could have a dog way back then. Your certainly right about training too. A well behaved pet is not all that time consuming. Training on the other hand, and puppy hood can be demanding, but even that goes back to the original theme of this thread, to picking the right breed to start with. Not all dogs are created equally when it comes to training. And some are just downright high maintence. If I lived in town and didn't have the room to let T'Pel my new Standard Schnauzer puppy outside a lot to blow off some of her incredible high energy, I don't think I would of picked a Standard Schnauzer for a pet. An old fat lady like me could never walk enough to keep her toned down.