People pick their breed of dogs for lots of reasons. They want one that is small, or one that is easy-going, or one that isn’t going to affect their allergies (PSA: there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic breed, because most people are allergic to dander, and all dogs produce it. You really have to try each breed and dog for yourself.)
All puppies are cute. Pick your pet based on the adult dog.
Recently, I helped someone look for a dog for her parents. She breeds a very strong terrier breed and her parents could no longer take on a dog of that strength, so she was looking for a small, easy dog for her parents. She had contacted me because she knew I showed Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in conformation (that’s what those dog shows are on TV, where the human walks back and forth with the dog in front of the judge. I promise to explain this whole phenomenon in a future post.) She was hoping I could help her find a breeder who would talk to her about a dog for her and her parents.
So I did what she asked. While we were waiting for breeders to respond, she began asking me some questions about her health concerns in the breed. Her experience with cavaliers was with a friend’s dogs that came from a commercial breeder who was not doing health testing, and who was only concerned with making a buck. We discussed the primary concern, which is Mitral Valve Disease, and how long the dogs live with it (which can be quite long), but she was concerned that the dog might not have a long life. Usually when people start talking about length of life, that tells me that this isn’t the right dog for them. If you pick a Heinz 57, you are picking the dog. You get what you get, although you can definitely have a type; I have a friend who has had three different mutts that all looked the same and had similar temperament types, even though they were different mixes. However, if you are looking at a breed, you are picking the breed and all of the qualities that come with it.
(This is one of my cavaliers with a Border Terrier friend. She is annoyed because he is lying on her, but you can see he doesn’t care!)
Picking a breed is a mix of head and heart. You can admire a breed all you want, but living with it is another matter. If the breed is right, you are going to be less concerned about how long they live on average (especially given that bizarre things happen all the time. Tomorrow you could be hit by a bus isn’t a cliché for nothing.) Your focus is going to be on finding the healthiest dog in that breed with the best temperament. I recently went through this myself when looking at another breed. I ended up in the herding group, which has some very healthy dogs, but I also know my heart is with gun dogs. Once I finally ‘fessed up, I was able to identify a breed that was right for me.
At this point, my friend started mentioning other toy breeds, and I finally asked, “Is your primary concern size?” She replied that she needed a small, easy-going dog that would get along with her dogs. So I asked if she had looked at Border Terriers. They are a small terrier, about 15 pounds, and while they are definitely terriers, they are geared toward family life, and generally pretty easy-going if well-bred.
I could hear the relief when she replied, “We’re back to my favorite group.” She had forgotten to look at what was most comfortable for her because she was so focused on toy dogs. We talked about the health concerns I knew about, and because she’s a terrier breeder herself, she was able to hook up some friends to find a good breeder for her parents’ new puppy.
So what breed are you? Are you a lazy trainer or do you like to constantly train new tricks? Do you like to hike/run or is a leisurely walk more your thing? Is grooming your bag, or do you need a “wash and wear” breed?
About Patti
I now know who to give a shout to when it comes time to get my boys a puppy!
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Absolutely! My pleasure!
My sister is longing for a Cavalier…she has two cats though. I can’t see that going down very well.
Tell your sister to get a puppy. The puppy will be smaller than the cats, and the cats will get to set the rules. My dogs all do fine with cats, but they lived with cats at some point.
There are health concerns in the breed, and this is, unfortunately, a popular breed with commercial breeders (aka puppy mills.) If your sister needs help finding a good breeder, she should go to the national breed clubs (there are two — one is AKC, and one is separate from the AKC) and ask for a breeder referral in her area.
We have 3 Chihuahuas – perfect for us – fiercely loyal and love to nap. My parents have an English Mastiff, my brother has a Boxer and a Boxer/Pit Bull mix and my sister has a Chihuahua mix – when we all get together it’s quite a party…!
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It sounds like it! My bff has an elderly chi, and she’s happy to have everyone cater to her every whim. My friend got her when she was already old, as a rescue, and she says the dog deserves to be spoiled….and she is!
We have a black lab. He’s a good boy, but quite the adventurer. He has been in our neighbor’s garage, another neighbor’s house (thanks to an open door), still another neighbor’s koi pond….shall I continue?
He is being a lab.
My mom has a cavalier and she loves her – she’s been a great dog. I have a lab/border collie x that I rescued 12 years ago and she is the best girl ever and still going strong.
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Tracy, I have a soft spot for rescues, whatever the breed(s). Thanks for sharing about yours!
Great story…we have a Beagle and LOVE him. The story of getting him and the way we tortured and lied to our children about getting a dog is for another day. However, we spent loads of time deciding on if a Beagle was right for us and if we were buying from a breeder (which prior to then had always seemed a hoity toity thing to do) or from a shelter or rescue (which is more my husband and I’s “style”). In the end, we went with a breeder because we wanted to be 100% sure of what we were getting. Scully (gaelic for Town Crier – appropriately enough) is the BEST. And his best friend lives across the street:)
I had a good chuckle over the name. I love hearing about people choosing dogs carefully (and good breeders make sure of that too!)
His “official” AKC Certified Pedigree name is “BearDen Scully” since we call our home the Bear Den. I wanted an Irish name and my husband found it on an Irish dog name web site. Never checked with my Irish friend to see how accurate that is, but it worked for us. Beagles get a bad rap for being barkers. Really, what dog doesn’t and he only does the real beagle howl when the deer, a cat or bunny happens to be in site. Which we praise him for doing LOL
Awwww, now I’m so jealous of all you dog people out there! I want to buy a dog now!
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