CHOOSING
MY DOG : Advice from our heart
The decision of taking a dog home is a very important one and should be
taken keeping in mind that we're choosing a partner for the next ten-fifteen years,
a period that is unfortunately always too short, but that should be intense and
unforgettable.
But that decision is not the only one we have to make; what dog to choose
is equally important, because if we make a mistake we're all bound to suffer,
and it'll be the dog who will surely pay the biggest price.
Most of the times we get carried away by the wrong reasons when choosing
a certain breed : fashion, pure looks (don't forget that it's similar to
choosing spouse, he/she should be more than good-looking to make us happy),
even advice in the wrong direction, either due to lack of information or, most
of the times when money is in-between, ill-intended, such as breeders that want
to sell no matter what and they try to convince you that their breed fulfills
all the expectations you have, even if it is not true.
We don't believe that some breeds are better than others, only that some
are more compatible than others with one's personality, family, lifestyle, time
available, environment and, VERY IMPORTANT, kids in the house, or kids-to-be.
You'd better read a lot, find out as much information as possible from
different sources, and talk to breeders and owners about that breed you're
interested in. Ask vets, they meet many specimens of several breeds a day and
they can tell you about the tendencies in each of them. And we'd like to give
you another piece of advice :give priority to temper over all. Many people
believe that all the dogs are "Lassies" inside and that when they
choose a breed, they're only picking size and appearance, but this is far from
true. Even the funniest mixbred will look beautiful to us if he's noble-hearted
and sweet, but we won't appreciate the beauty of a purebred if he doesn't let
us invite a friend home for fear our guest should get severely hurt by our dog.
Finally, we'd like to summarize our thoughts in a list, hoping it'll be
useful to you. This comes straight from our heart, because we learned this
through our own experience and we wouldn't want you to make the same mistakes
we made. At the end of this article you'll find out why we're telling you this.
1) Make a list of the characteristics you consider your dog should have.
Gather as much information as possible before you make up your mind in favour
of a certain breed. After you take the puppy home it'll be too late to do that.
2) Once the breed is chosen, choose a good and responsible breeder. His
kennel should be registered in the local club or association and the pup should
have his pedigree. Buying a dog from an unregistered kennel or without his
documents in order is a great risk. There may be a problem with the pup and the
breeder may be avoiding responsibilities.
3) Distrust ads in newspapers. There may be good breeders who advertise
there but most of them breed under a waiting list, and it's worth waiting for a
healthy puppy.
4) Distrust breeders who advertise in the newspaper every single weekend,
they may be resellers, especially those who sell too many breeds at the same
time. Quantity will surely go against quality.
5) Don't buy puppies at pet shops. Those are very hostile environments
for them and they are exposed to serious diseases and traumas. Buy them at good
registered kennels.
6) When you go to the kennel, ask not only to meet the puppy but also to
meet his parents as well, at least his mother (the sire may belong to another
breeder). Don't believe in photographs, the dogs in the photos may not be the
real parents.
7) Meet as many relatives of your puppy as possible. Touch them. If
they're friendly your puppy will probably resemble them.
8) Make sure the puppy is up to date with his shots and his parents have
all the necessary clearances. Be careful with testicular problems in males.
9) Ask the breeder to sign all the necessary documents before you leave
the kennel.
10) Rememeber that for that furry little being you're bringing home
you're his life. He'll surrender to you in heart and soul forever and you
should promise him to love him and take care of him not only now that he's a
funny teddy bear but also later when, grown up and not so funny, he'll still
feel you're his whole world, his one and only link to humans, his beloved mom
or dad.
A
LITTLE WOLF CALLED "FOXY"
Hi! I'm Foxy, Gabriela
and Alejandro's other baby. I'm 3 years old , I'm my mom's first dog and we
adore each other. However, I saw her cry a lot because of me but my kisses
weren't able to dry his tears completely.
They brought me from a a breeder's flat in Buenos Aires downtown in June
1994 when I was 1 month and a half. They found the breeder through a newspaper
ad (breeder? I don't really know if she was a real breeder. She still puts ads
every single weekend. Cockers, Collies, Kuvasz, Siberian Huskies...Is it
possible to breed so often and so many breeds at a time?) When I saw my mom it
was love at first sight. This "breeder" didn't give us my documents
then, my mom had to chase the woman for several weeks until she finally got
them.
In the first interview with my vet, he found I had a testicular problem.
Although we tried, we couldn't solve it by any of the hormone shots I was given
and when I was 6 months I had to undergo two operations until my left testicle
was finally removed. To make matters worse, I started to have sudden anger
impulses when I was only 3 months old. I don't really know what thoughts come
to my mind but I suddenly bite whoever is near me, even my dad or my
grandparents (except my mommy, my love for her is stronger than my anger) and
even though I feel sorry for this later, I hurt too much, so much I recently
underwent a third operation to trim my fangs and to neuter me because my mom
doesn't want me to pass down my problems to anyone else. It hurt a bit, but I
know they were right in doing this. Besides, I've started to have seizures due
to epilepsy. They're not nice at all, everything becomes white, my poor body
hardens and when I wake up I don't understand anything except that I'm all wet
and my mom and dad are always by my side, talking to me, with tears in their
eyes.
But you shouldn't be sad for me. I'm happy my way. I walk, I play and I
know my mom and dad love me and take me just as I am. Some vets suggested that
I should be given away, or euthanized (what does that word mean?), but my
parents would never do such a thing. They've even bought me a new house with a
big backyard where I'll play with my favourite ball and my orange teddy bear.
But I know that other parents wouldn't have been so patient with me and they
would have followed the vets' advice or they would have just opened the door
inviting me to run away and get lost forever. (Can you believe there can be
people who do that?). That's why remember me and follow my advice; there are
many money- minded people breeding dogs. It's better to pay a bigger price for
the puppy at a good kennel at the beginning than paying it later in veterinary
bills, tears and suffering.
I send you a loving howl and I wish you all the best in the world,
Foxy
