Choosing a puppy/dog-don't get surprised
ID: 4455
Date: 2006-11-23 00:07:49
Free Classified. Reality-rescue OR breeder.
Text:
Breeds of dogs are very different from each other, not just in looks, but in temperament and behavior. Lots of nice people looking for a dog rely on the person trying to place the dog for info about what it will be like in their home. The truth is, some things just come with some breeds.
For instance, when a breed description says the breed is "tenacious" or has "perseverance" what it really means is that when your dog is digging through your couch, he'll keep digging even when he hits a spring.
Every breed that has a specific look, has a specific, genetically linked personality that goes with it. It's always linked to what the dog was originally bred for and this personality is always under there. It can be STRONGLY present as in the the ball-obsessed Lab or slightly present as in the terrier who never digs but is still never going to be reliable off-leash.
Chihuahuas, a very popular breed right now, are genetically designed to love ONE person, tolerate 4 or 5 others and consider the rest of the world to be aliens. If you WANT a dog that need never be exposed to the outside world (including friends, family, your children's friends and the vet) this might be ok for you, but you need to expose it to the world by making it walk on a leash in MANY places BEFORE it's 16 weeks old, just to help it not lead a life of being terrified of everything but YOU. Some Chihuahuas are friendly outside their comfort zone, but they are few and far between.
Many sporting breeds are bred to wait with the hunter in 0 degree weather, standing in water and waiting for the bird to fall so they can go break 3 inches of ice with their chest to get what they want. Imagine this dog's response to a mere lid on a trash can! Many of them have a very strong link to their "roots" and the closer your dog is to "hunting" or "field" breeding, the more he has a NEED to work. These dogs usually do horribly in pet-dog homes, often becoming needy, anxious, hyper, vocal and destructive.
Do research on the breed or mix you're looking at. Take a moment to go to AKC.org and look up the main breed represented in your dog's mix. Look in the part of the standard that describes what they were bred for and what their behavior characteristics are. Then, imagine what that means to you and your home.
Active? Athletic? Intense? figure 3-4 hours of hard exercise, for both their brain AND their body, a day or a crazy, wild eyed, destructive, maniac that needs more exercise.
Independent? Aloof? Cat-like? suspicious? This dog won't come near you or your friends unless it's sure there's a good treat involved, and even then, it will dash away quickly so you can't grab it's collar. Could care less if you're sad or mad.
Terrier? digs and kills small animals for a living. Bred to hang around and do their job. Not (usually) a lap dog and almost never trustworthy off leash in open spaces.
Protective? Loyal? good with the family? this is great as long as you don't like anybody that doesn't live with you and your kids are never going to have company.
Yes, these are dramatic examples, and many of them can be less problematic with TRAINING .... but you really need to think about what you want to LIVE with as opposed to what it looks like. Don't count on breeders to give you the whole scoop, they LOVE their breed. That doesn't mean a thing. How many people do you know who think their kids are the best on the planet, and you know you'd have to kill 'em if they lived with you?
Find out first. Good luck.
Location: Reality-rescue OR breeder
Phone:
Name: N/A
Section: Free Classified
URL:
sellbuyandsell.org - Free Classifieds
Contact with owner:
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