Dog for a friend....

[RamonaAnne]

Hello again everyone!

I was approaced this morning by my Pastor's Wife and she asked me to be on the look-out for a dog for them...

I had told them when the time came that they were ready to look for a dog, I would be willing to help them find a good fit...

She had a few ideas of what she wanted the dog to be like...(mellow, laid back, not really high energy, one that would be sort of content to just lounge around most of the day...) Hmmm...sounds like some Newfies I know...But then she said "but nothing too big..."

Besides, I know her well enough to know a Newf would be a bad match for her...The drool factor alone would totally turn her off...

(by the way, I think Newf drool could replace hair gel in a pinch!!...Might smell funny, though!!...)

Then after she said what she did, she said something about one of the kids suggested a Jack Russell...

I said "Uhmmm...No...." She looked at me and said "why not?..."

I told her that Jack Russells are fast enough to run through an underground fence and not get zapped (at least that's what I've heard...can anyone here confirm or debunk that myth?...) ....and I said that they were extremely high energy dogs and could sometimes tend to be really mouthy and nervous...(at least the ones I've know...) ...

I am not sure if she had dogs growing up....I know my pastor had a lab named Opie and he'll be a good dog person, I am sure...

She doesn't want anything as big as a lab...And she said "possibly hypo allergenic if possible?"...

....

Here's where I need some help from you all....

In order to make sure I can help them find the right dog, I have complied a list of questions to ask them...

Are you okay with a mixed breed or do you want something pure bred?

If you want a specific breed - what did you have in mind?

How big is the biggest you're willing to go for size?

How much (or little?) time do you have to devote to brushing/grooming the coat?

Do you want a puppy puppy?...One that is going to chew on everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING!!) and will need to be pottied immediately after eating, drinking, and every 1 to 2 hours on top of that?...Or do you want a bit of an older pup that is housebroken and can hold it's bladder overnight?

I can't really think of anything else to ask them right off the top of my head...

These are (I think!!) some good preliminary questions to ask them to help eliminate some dogs for sure...Can you all think of any other up-front questions I should ask them?...These are ones just to try and narrow down their choices for the right dog...Whether it be mixed breed or pure bred...

As things develop with the process, I will likely check back in now and then (Like if they want a pure bred...) and ask y'all for furhter advice (like what types of questions they should be prepared to answer from a breeder -- and what types of questions to ask a breeder -- if that's the route they go...or what types of questions they might be asked by a shelter -- and what types they should ask a shelter...But that's still a little ways off, I think...)

Any further questions to ask them for this first step of just figuring out what they want for size, age, breed, etc. would be greatly appreciated!...

I am honored that they came to me for help...

But then last month I made Pastor Jim promise me that he would talk to me before they got a dog...I said that certain breeds were known for certain traits as well as some health concerns and other things...I told him I wanted them to have the best dog to fit their lifestyle...

Oh...I suppose I should find that out...As far as I know, though, someone is almost always home, even during the day...

They have five kids...the oldest is a freshman in college...the youngest is in first grade...This dog will have no lack of human interaction in that house!!...

Anyhow...that is all for now...

Have a great week!

-Ramona Anne

 

[wrknnwf]

My 50-something neighbor did the same thing...asked me to help her find a dog. Here were her requirements - medium size, very laid back, NOT a puppy, short hair, light in color, gets along with cats, and is a rescue (yay!). Although she has had dogs in the past, it's been 8 years since the last ones and frankly, I don't consider her much of a "doggy" person. But I said I would do my best to advise her.

We went to a bunch of shelters and she emailed me links to many, many dogs. And she kept basing her preferences on looks, which I SPECIFICALLY told her not to do. Every dog she thought looked interesting was some kind of terrier or much bigger that the photo depicted. And the dogs that she turned away from were exactly what she SAID she was looking for. It was beginning to become frustrating for both of us and she was becoming impatient, which is never a good sign.

One day she called and said a foster home was bringing over a dog for her to see and would I come as well. I said yes and we met there at the appointed time.

The dog was clearly the right size, but it was black, very young and obviously on some kind of crack! This dog had more energy than any dog I've ever seen. I chalked part of it up to excitement over being in a strange place and to youth, but clearly, this was some sort of terrier mix...again. I quietly observed the dog for a lengthy bit of time and when the moment presented itself, I said aloud, "I don't think this is the dog you said you were looking for" and I pointed out her original requirements.

Well, it was too late. She liked the dog's looks (and was tired of searching) and adopted the pup the next day. Although the foster parent claimed other parentage, we later found out the dog was a Border Collie/Jack Russell mix (commonly called a Border Jack), Arrgggg...the two most energetic dogs known to man!

There could not be two more disparate personalities than her's and this dog's. She leads a quiet lifestyle, has no patience, and is easily agitated by any upset in her normal routine. The dog...well, you can guess. Busy, busy, busy. Obsessively so.

I've done my best to show her some non-abusive training methods, which she acknowledges as being helpful and then generally ignores. I had her pup, who is extraordinarily intelligent, doing nearly all of the basic obedience exercises within an hour, including auto sits, heeling, finishes, recalls. I wanted to demonstrate how easy and quickly the pup could learn and encourage her to let me instruct her on how to train. And I've done my best to show her how to correct behavior problems. All for naught. Her approach is to smack (lightly) the dog and yell at it, which I have begged her not to do.

It's been very distressing for me, but I have little recourse other than to repeat my lessons on dog behavior and training. Still, I have to say that she professes to love this dog and delights (for now) in most of the pup's antics, so I have hope that this mismatch will work somehow.

So, I wish you much better luck than I had. It seems when people ask for advice, they don't always intend to listen and let their eyes overrule their brains.

Keep us informed on how it goes. Perhaps you can shed some light if you're successful in matching up this family with a new pet.

 

[Thule's Mom]

A Bichon Frise might be a good fit; or a Poodle.

 

[RamonaAnne]

Thule's Mom -- Oh!! I love Bichon Frise's!....I hadn't thought about them in a while!...

I had originally suggested a Shih Tzu but she shot that one down -- said they had a lot of eye problems...I don't know how true that is or isn't...She just said two of her siblings had shih tzu's and both had problems with their eyes...I'm wondering if these two siblings got dogs from a back yard breeder or a puppy mill, and if these dogs had come with any health certifications or not....She could be basing her knowledge on the two out of (I'm thinking less than five!) shih tzu's that she knows....

A small poodle of some sort would be good, too, I think...

Unless they tell me that they don't want tohave to spend a lot of time at home and money at the groomer's to ensure the dog stays looking purdy...

Hah...a funny story...my mom's cousin Joey (so my second cousin) has a little dog named Daisy...she's a toy poodle...and I don't remember if she's a designer dog *shudder* or if she's just all poodle....

Joey lives on a farm...he's got a lot of horses...a few cows...a dog that he rescued whose name I forgot....and a few stray cats that show up and come and go, but that he makes sure to leave food out for...

Now, poodles and farms woudln't mix, at least you wouldn't think so...but you know what?...I don't think anyone ever told her how we humans think poodles are supposed to act and look....Every time I see that dog I can tell that she's been rolling around in who knows WHAT out in the meadows...

She's a farm dog!...It is, to me, the most hilarious thing!...No dog show lifestyle for her!...She does get a bath every couple of weeks...But that's about the extent of it...

For the record, Joey loves his animals and takes good care of them...Especially Daisy...she goes with him as many places as he can take her...

I wouldn't have any problem finding a dog for him...because he'd be happy with any dog as long as it was happy with him...and what dog wouldn't love to walk around the 100 plus acres of land next to it's master?....

A dog for my pastor's family?....this is a little trickier!....

Wrknnwf -- Ugh...that sounds like a nightmare...I'm hoping this won't be the case here...I think she's just finally relenting, after a lot of years of saying no to the kids' pleas for a dog...at least three of the four kids who still live at home want a dog...The youngest (who is her mother's namesake) especially so....She's 6 and is so stinking adorable...She's got one of those faces that is rather hard to say "no" to!!...

I actually got Peach (that's her nickname!) a little dog one time that would bark and I think tilt it's head when you squeezed the paw...She loved it and carried that thing around with her everywhere she went for probably two months...She wants a dog sooo bad...Maybe as badly as I do!!...ha ha ha!!....

....

So I think the mom might be giving in...I don't know if she has been around dogs much...

My pastor I know had a dog growing up...

I sent them that posting "I Am Your Puppy" and told them that I wanted them to read it....and I also asked my pastor's wife if she's ever had -- or lived with -- a dog...And I alsk said that after reading "I Am Your Puppy" I wanted them to tell me if they wanted a puppy puppy or one that might be a little older and would have better potty control...

I figured sending that to them would be a good readin assignment...and if it changes her mind about it...well, then she's probably not cut out for having a dog...No matter how many other people in the house are...

I need to make sure she "gets it" that a dog is a 10 to 15 year commitment...and is she ready to make that commitment....(especially if they choose to go with a shelter dog...)

I will certainly keep you all updated as things progress...

 

[KodysGrandma]

Having been a big dog person all my life (I think of Labs as medium) I would have a tough time evaluating what might be good for them. However, perhaps you could steer them away from the terrier types by pointing out that "terrier" comes from the Latin meaning land or earth and they LOVE to dig. I bet that would not be trait she wants. Our terrier mix even does a great job of scratching up the ground after a pee.

 

[Clifford the big dog]

How about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are very friendly and not super active like a Jack Russell. I have a Jack Russell and love her, but they are definately not for everyone.

 

[Crosslake25]

You may want to direct her to this tool as a starting point:
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselectorindex.do

 

[NessaM]

I grew up with Jacks and they are definitely not the right dog for them. Ours were completely psychotic, would chase anything that moved, and were able to jump high enough to look out the garage door windows. They were chewers, too. I think any of the dogs bred to be companions or pets, especially to royalty, would be a good choice because they weren't bred to work, they were bred to lie around on pillows all day.

Dogs like pugs, tibetan spaniels, pomeranians, papillons, malteses or bichon frises, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, french bulldogs, boston terriers, Brussels Griffons, Lhasa Apsos...

 

[PaperbackWriter]

How wonderful that you're helping them! I've got to agree with Nessa, the "pillow dogs" are their best bet. And of course, I'm going to come out in favor of the Pekingese, since we had two for many years and only lost our thirteen-year-old male over the summer. Laid-back, loving but slightly aloof in that mine, at least, have never wanted to be lap dogs so much as "near you" dogs. They're adorable little clowns when they're young, but also like their space. They seem to realize they're descended from emperor's dogs Like anything, the breed has some issues, but it's very easy to select a dog without a super flat face or buggy eyes. I've heard they can be snappy, but mine never were with vets, the kids (who came after we had the dogs) or anyone else, and they came from two very different places, so...it's a lot to do with how you raise them, like anything.

My two cents I'm sure you'll be a great help!

 

[new_2_newf]

How about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

These are great dogs! There is one that comes to the park and is wonderful. JRTs are great dogs as well, but are WAY to smart for their own good. Not only do they need to be physically stimulated, but mentally as well or they can be little terrors. They require a really dedicated owner that has either the know how or the desire to learn quickly.

 

[Sheila B.]

Are they absolutely set on a puppy? There are a lot of great dogs out there that might fit the bill but are not babies.

 

[Crosslake25]

Dogs like pugs, tibetan spaniels, pomeranians, papillons, malteses or bichon frises, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, french bulldogs, boston terriers, Brussels Griffons, Lhasa Apsos...

When I completed the questionnaire (answering as if I was the person who is looking for the dog) in the dog breed selector tool that I posted above, most of these breeds came up as a 90+% match.

 

[Connie w Tuck]

If they did not want a puppy there are Prison dogs. Prisoners train the shelter dogs. So you get a trained dog to come to your home.

 

[RamonaAnne]

Thanks, everyone!...

I'm still waiting to hear back from them on how young or old they want the dog to be...And looking on petfinder.com and local shelter webites for smaller breeds...

A King Charles might not be a bad match for them...And, we have someone in the church who has one named Lilly...I could tell them to get to know her a little and decide if that might be a good breed for them...I know it would be FAR better than a JRT!!...

I feel rather honored that they asked me to help them...especially since I never really had a dog...

However, they know I love dogs and know a fair amount about some breeds...and also I did make them promise to come to me when they wanted to get a dog...Partially because I want to make sure they have the right dog for them, and also because I have access to some AMAZING people on Newf Net who can assist me if I get stuck of have a question about certain breeds...

Also, what book(s) should I reccomend to them to read to understand dogs in general?...what training books or videos have you found helpful?...Which books and videos would you avoid?....I don't want to overload/overwhelm them at this point....but at the same time I want to make sure they get good, quality info...

By the time I'm done with this, I'll have gathered quite a bit of information for myself as well, it would seem...Just one step closer to being owned by a Newf!!... ;-)

 

[pabusinesswoman]

How about a golden retriever.. 60 lb range... most lines.. not all have the laid back personality.

 

[RamonaAnne]

How about a golden retriever.. 60 lb range... most lines.. not all have the laid back personality.

Great suggestion...And the dog would be a good fit for most of the people in the house....except my pastor's wife...she wants a small dog...I think a Sheltie would even be "big" in her opinion....

Thanks for the suggestion...I might be able to convince her to get a Golden...That would be a good dog for their family...

Of course, the three youngest kids are just thrilled to get a dog...they don't seem to mind what breed they get...They jut want a dog...My pastor, I think, would prefer a medium sized dog...(I know he had a lab growing up...) but also they want a smaller breed so that if their 6 year old is out with her older siblings walking the dog and has the leash, she doesn't end up being pulled down and dragged by the dog...

 

[hawk]

Portugese Water Dog??

 

[The Doctor]

I'm going to echo the King Charles Cav. My parents have two Samoyeds and Hobbit, their King Charles. They rescue Sammys, so there are ultimately strange dogs around at any point. Hobbit is not put off or "scared" of the bigger dogs -- including my Newfs when we come over to visit. He is active, but not psycho. He'll play hard with the Sammys and the Newfs, and when play time is over, he'll hop up in somebody's lap for nap-time. He weighs 14#'s, and is a pretty rugged little guy. At first when my mom said she was going to get him, I was thinking to myself ..."oh crap, an ankle biter - NICE ONE MOM !" He's great with kids -- even the ones that can get just a little too rough with him. Mom got him for a similar reason as the others. She wanted to take walks, but the Samoyeds are becoming a bit much for her. My dad walks them, and mom walks Hobbit. He's just a "fun" little dog. Manageable, without being some little prissy dog. However, there can be prissy ones in the breed too.

ANOTHER thought is a Sheltie. Excellent with kids. Smart. Active without being a tornado. Justa thought.

As far as health issues, ugggh ..... We all know that EVERY breed has some sort of "issue" with SOMETHING.

Casey makes his way to his SOAPBOX: If at all possible, PLEEEEEEZ try to direct them to Rescue. Casey makes his way off of his SOAPBOX

 

[RamonaAnne]

Hi Hawk -- gorgeous Berners!! My uncle used to breed them...(I think, sadly, he was a "back yard breeder"...I don't think he knew a whole lot about health issues esp. in the larger breeds...) ... How big do Portugese Water Dogs get?.....I've heard about them, but alas, don't know an awful lot about them...

....

Casey -- Oh, I'm pushing them to get a rescue dog...either through adoption from local shelters (I don't think many of the shelters in Northern VT or NH are kill shelters...) or if they're set on a pure bred, I'll look into breed rescue sites for them...

I was going to suggest Shelties and King Charles...I know one KC and she is an absolute love...very much a lap dog...

....

Angel took the dog breed selector test and she said it gave her 96 breeds...

In the last email I sent her I asked how much time the dog would be living inside as opposed to outside...and told her that they would need to fence off an area of the yard...and explained the reasons I could think of...(contains "land mines"...keeps the dog in, even if it slips it's collar....keeps other animals out....and it's just a good idea in general!...)

I even offered to come help put in some kind of fencing (when the snow melts and the ground thaws, of course!!) ...

I am committed to ensuring that they pass any breeders or shelter's home visits by making them as well educated as I can about the process of preparing for a dog (that's the point we're at now...) and then, eventually, the breeds they're looking at...and then, of course, the adoption itself!...

I told her that some breeders and even some of the local shelters will do home visits to make sure the people are ready for a dog...And told her I wanted to make sure they were prepared...and that I would set them up for success!...

Have a great day, everyone!

-Ramona Anne

 

[newflizzie]

How about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are very friendly and not super active like a Jack Russell. I have a Jack Russell and love her, but they are definately not for everyone.

A CKCS was my first thought! Though a Bichon sounds good too...