Choosing A Dog
What are the general differences between male and female dogs?
The differences between male and female dogs are vast. People don't understand that female dogs can be just as guarding in terms of their behavior. I think they're more affectionate often and I think they're easier to train. That's not to negate the male dog. We love the boys, but I really highly recommend that you neuter them so that you don't have the issues that are involved with males like marking, roaming and fighting. If you neuter the male dog early, they're going to be just as good as females.
What size of dog should I get?
The size of the dog that you choose is very important. I think that more important than size is breed, because some sizes are actually very lethargic and some small dogs are extremely energetic. You have to realize that if you have a small dog, like a Jack Russell, that dog needs copious amounts of exercise, whereas rescued Greyhounds are couch potatoes. You have to really take into consideration what that dog was bred to do.
What are the pros and cons of purchasing a purebred or a mixed breed dog?
The pros and cons of purchasing a purebred dog are that you're going to know to a good degree what this dog was bred to do, and therefore what its temperament might be like, what its exercise needs are going to be, and what its shedding is going to be. There are a lot of questions that can be answered by getting a purebred dog. However, let me speak to the mixed breed dog. The mixed breed dog has what we call "hybrid vigor", which means that you have two breeds or breed mixes being put together, and they tend to be more intelligent and they tend to be healthier, because you're taking different gene pools and mixing them. Of course, it depends on what the gene pools are. There's a variation with the breeds.
What are the pros and cons of purchasing a retired work dog?
Getting a dog who's a retired working dog, especially if they were a guide dog for the blind or something along those lines, is fantastic. I think you're taking into your home an animal who is very accustomed to many situations and has, of course, many commands. It might be a little more difficult if it's a retired police dog, because I worry about the biting that they've been trained to do. However, if somebody's going to place that dog, the dog's probably been tested and is pretty child proof. However, you have to be careful of any dog that's been trained to bite.
What's a crossbred dog?
In the old days, cockapoos were probably the rage. A cockapoo is a cocker spaniel and a poodle, which is a nice mix, as those are two really nice dogs. Crossbreeding produces high bred vigor, which means the dog is typically a little bit more intelligent and possibly much more healthy, because you're taking different gene pools. Today, the big rage are the labradoodles, the goldendoodles and the schnoodles, etc. I have to say, I'm liking what I'm seeing. I'm not a fan of dog breeding in general, but if this is where the trend is going, I think it's fine and I think that as long as it's done responsibly and people know what they're getting into.
How many different breeds of dogs are there?
There are about 150 breeds of dog recognized by the AKC right now. However, there are myriad more than that, probably six breeds of dog or something along those lines that we don't even know about. Well, we do know about them but they're kind of off the charts. They're a little more esoteric. So there's a lot of breeds of dog out there to choose from.
What were different dog breed groups bred to do?
I always say that dog breeds are divided into two groups: the dogs who work for people and the dogs who are independent. Labrador retrievers work for humans. They go out, they retrieve a duck, they bring it back. The herding dogs: they go out, they herd the sheep, they bring them back to humans. They have a real relationship with us. Independent dogs include hounds. They're scent-oriented, so they go out into the field and they choose a scent, and they're off doing their own thing. The terriers go to ground and they hunt vermin. They're working off of their own desires, needs and interests, whereas the other side is working for us. If you want a dog who's going to be really willing to speak to you and listen to you, you get one from the other side; you get the herders or the retrievers, and you stay away from the hounds and the terriers.
