More than puppy love

With the holidays fast approaching, many people are considering granting a friend or family member’s wish for an animal companion. This series explores the requirements and realities of owning popular pets.

At a certain age, a baby animal—puppy, kitten, bunny maybe even a chick—is more dangerous than an anaconda. So dog trainer Glenda Parks of Capital Area Animal Welfare Society cautions, “Resist taking home the first pair of big brown eyes that meet yours. It’s dangerous to get a dog on an impulse buy.” Rendered powerless by puppy breath, little paws and soft coats, many otherwise sensible adults make irresponsible decisions they later regret and result in the animals being abused, abandoned or dumped at the local shelter.

“If you look at statistics nationally,” Parks says, “the greatest number of dogs in the shelter are seven to nine months and one-and-a-half years because the body has grown into that of a large dog but not the mind. And owners expect them to be housebroken, well-behaved dogs, when they’re still puppies until they’re about two.”

To avoid becoming another shelter statistic, Parks suggests families first identify the amount of space, grooming, exercise, time and money they are willing to spend on or with any dog. Sometimes, after an honest discussion, the best decision is not to get a dog. Some families’ priorities and lifestyles are not favorable for owning their own pooch.

For example, among those who are best suited to another kind of pet are people who:

• Don’t want to get their hands dirty (or slobbery in some cases).

• Don’t want to have their house dirty.

• Have severe allergies to grass, dust and dander. (There are “hypo-allergic” dogs. But once they go outside, they track in other allergens.)

• Don’t want to spend money on a dog.

• Work long hours or travel frequently.

• Don’t enjoy interacting—sit with, play with, talk to, pet, let in/let out—constantly with a dog.

• Don’t want to make a 10- to 15-year commitment to care for an animal for life.

• Don’t enjoy walking or outdoor exercise or whose home is not conducive to indoor play.

Being a good dog owner is a lot of work. Dog lovers don’t relish cleaning up dog poop, missing an after-work gathering to race home and to let the dog out or picking fur off their clothes any more than non-dog owners. They just believe all the inconvenience is worth it.

Dogs are the ultimate companion animals. You have to want to be with a dog to be a good dog owner. The priciest food, water and even the poshest of digs don’t impress dogs. They want to be with their owners. There’s no dog who wants to live out in the yard.

If you ultimately decide your family is ready for a dog, the best advice is: Talk before you walk. Before you walk into a shelter, rescue or breeder’s home to look at a puppy or dog, talk to your family and reach an agreement on what you want your dog to do—and not to do—and which breeds best fit your lifestyle. While families frequently get a dog for their children, the ultimate responsibility for the animal lies with the parents.

To narrow your list of potential pups, do your research online and talk to veterinarians and other professionals about whether the breed you’ve chosen is a good match for your family.

For example, while you may be impressed by the intelligence of border collies working a ranch on a TV show, the enchantment may end abruptly when your puppy begins to herd your children and their friends by literally nipping at their heels.

“Generally, a dog will act in ways it has been programmed to do,” Parks says, which is why breed research is essential. Over the centuries, dogs were bred to do certain kinds of work and to reliably exhibit specific personality traits. “Even if you’re going to get a mutt, try to see what breeds are in the dog and research them,” Parks suggests. If gardening is your passion, adopting a mixed terrier, bred to track prey underground, may not only uproot your prize-winning landscape but your sanity.

Besides the tremendous range of colors and sizes, breed temperaments vary from those who live to spend every moment at their owner’s side those who are just as content to spend hours watching squirrels out the window.

No one breed is perfect for every family. While little dogs with little children may present an idyllic image, the likelihood of injury to both parties is the reality. Smaller dogs such as Yorkies may feel threatened by children and bite in self-defense; conversely, a young child who enthusiastically roughhouses with a four-pound teacup poodle or other small puppy may seriously injure the dog. Usually, the bigger the dog, the more tolerant the temperament.

However, Parks says, one of the biggest mistakes first-time dog owners make is getting dogs who are too big to handle. Her experience has shown new owners have the hardest time simply getting the dog to walk on a leash without pulling. “You can train a dog to do anything,” Parks explains, “but when people don’t know how, a large dog becomes overwhelming.”

In addition, Parks says, “Over the average 12-year lifespan, the cost of owning a little dog is approximately $4,600; a big dog costs $33,000.” And cost isn’t the only factor. Large dogs shed more, require more exercise, medical care and even more training: A Chihuahua who jumps is a nuisance; a 180-pound mastiff who jumps is a lawsuit.

While breeders expound for hours on the advantages of their extraordinary animals, rescue volunteers provide invaluable information by revealing not only their breeds benefits but the characteristics that make them unsuitable for certain families and frequently land them in rescue.

Parks recommends first-time owners consider a low-maintenance, single short-coated dog such as a Boston terrier or a sturdy lab mix or golden retriever for a larger, higher energy dog.

Once you’ve identified the breed, choosing the right puppy from the litter or adult dog from a rescue or shelter is a matter of skill and luck. Click here for tips on finding the perfect puppy.

Of course, finding the perfect dog or puppy to add to your pack is only the beginning. Once the new pet comes home, the real work begins. “Everything you do is training the dog—good or bad, whether you realize it or not,” Parks muses. “It’s never difficult to train a dog, it is sometimes difficult to train their owners.”

Several shelters including East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control offer gift givers the option to purchase certificates or vouchers, so recipients can choose their own best friend for life.

Click here for this week’s Animal Bytes.

Click here for this week’s Creature Feature.

Click here for this week’s City Lynx.