Choosing A Dog

If you have not had a dog for some time, and you would really like to own one, here are a few tips to keep in mind before you take the leap to bring a new dog home:

1. What are the dog breeds that you would like to have?

2. Are you sure that you have the time the dog needs?

3. How many are in your household? How will they help with the dog?

4. What rules will be followed in the house and out?

You must be prepared to provide more than just feeding and a safe environment for the dog - but also to meet the requirements of his training, exercise, grooming, and special needs.

As you can see, a lot of serious thought needs to go into selecting your new pet!

Rena Murray
DogWhisperWoman

P.S. Regardless of where you find your new dog, here are some pointers:
Adopting A Dog - Pointers On Choosing Your Shelter Dog
A Shelter Dog In Adopt-A-Dog Month?

Animal Shelter Over-Population: What's the Truth?

Letting dogs who are not fixed run free and mate as they please contributes to some of our over-population in animal shelters.

Do you know what adds even more dogs to those dog kennels than that?

People see a movie or someone walking a dog that they feel is beautiful. Then without researching the dog breed, they go and pick one up ... only to become overwhelmed by tendencies the animal naturally has.

If you want a dog, please do your homework. Know the dog breed, know its tendencies, health risks, temperament, and exercise requirements. For example, most working dog breeds, such as my Border Collie, need runs twice daily. They need it! It's not optional.

If you have an active lifestyle and want your dog to be part of that, get a dog breed who loves to work. If you are laid back, get a laid back breed.

If you do not know what signs to look for, take a qualified evaluator with you to select the right dog for you.

Common sense will cause the most dramatic drop ever in the animal shelter's dog population. It is up to each and every one of us to do our part!

Rena Murray
Dog Whisper Woman

Do Not Blame the Dog Breed -Use Common Sense!

You know, for most people it's very frustrating to see when someone does not use common sense.

It is common sense that an unsocialized dog -who spends his life pent-up and in a very small bubble around maybe two people at the most - is eventually going to turn one of them or something else into a "target."

A couple of years ago, I heard a news story about a man who had a Pit Bull. He kept it in a very small cage, with plenty of food and water. And he kept the cage clean by rinsing it out with a hose. But he did not play with, interact with, or exercise the dog.

Well, not surprisingly, the day came when the man walked in to feed him, and the Pit Bull killed him. Of course, the dog was euthanised.

Once an animal has killed someone, yes, I agree - It needs to be put down. Unless, of course, it was saving someone's life.

However, you do have to recognize that you can't blame the dog breed for the stupid actions of one person. Especially powerful dog breeds - Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, or any working dog for that matter - HAVE to be exercised, socialized, and disciplined.

When are people going to learn to do research on a dog breed before they get a dog, and to get help when things are getting out of hand?

Please, everyone, use common sense!

Rena Murray
DogWhisperWoman

A Glimpse into Real Dog Pack Life -How Much Exercise?

There are quite a few misconceptions going around about how a dog pack functions. The dog pack absolutely DOES NOT exercise 8 hours each day! Rather, it's more like this:

The dog pack goes hunting - of course, led by the Alpha Leader. But if one pack member has a better sense of smell than the others, the Alpha Leader allows that one to lead the hunt - until he is certain that he is on the trail well enough to lead it himself. Also, the dog who is most skilled at herding is highly respected by him.

Each dog pack member is respected for each thing that he can do well, and is called upon to do it in any emergency situation. Say a helicopter came overhead and the frightened dog pack ran, forced into another dog pack's territory. The Pack Leader would hand the reins over to whoever grew up there (most likely a female), as that one would know the cracks and crevices. The Leader of the Pack is definitely not macho!

As danger passed, the dogs would return to hunting. Only about one in ten hunts is successful. However, once they do succeed in bringing down prey, they stay with it until only the bones remain - mostly eating and sleeping.

So contrary to the popular belief that all the wild dogs do all day is run, it's more like: "We hunt a couple of times a week, and the rest of the time we eat and sleep!" - With occasional trips to mark the territory (the human equivalent of a field trip) and fairly regular games of chase.

Yes, a dog needs regular exercise. There's no denying that. I'm a firm believer in twice a day, 45 minutes each time - 30 minutes the second time for some - but there are several dog breeds who could never keep up with that pace.

I mean really ... can you picture this Chihuahua trying to keep up with a German Shepherd?

The amount of activity you do with your dogs has to be based on their individual physical and psychological needs - not on what you've heard about the dog breed.

Dog Breed Prejudice or Just Sound Wisdom?

I don't spend much time on forums. Although there are some people there who have a lot of knowledge or ask intelligent questions (and it's great to share information with them), there are also people who pose the most ridiculous dog questions that anyone who did a little "thinking through" would figure out.

One particular individual felt that Labs, Goldens, and German Shepherds were always in the spotlight when it came to movies. He was very angry because Beagles weren't. He also felt the Police Force should use them because their sense of smell is better than German Shepherds.

The truth is that we don't need to be making movies where Beagles are the stars ... or any hound dogs, for that matter. I love these dogs, but they make lousy family pets. They are miserable when they don't get to hunt. Imagine not getting to do the one thing you are born to do! That's cruel.

If these dog breeds are promoted in movies, people go out and buy them as house pets, because they think how cute that dog was in the film. Appartently some producers are starting to figure that out.

If you want to make a movie that has hound dogs in it, do one about Search and Rescue Dogs that shows how wonderfully their gifts can be used ... and yet shows them as working dogs, not pets. This would stimulate people to get involved in the training of Search and Rescue Dogs, instead of filling our animal shelters full to overflowing with perfectly beautiful dogs.

When this gentleman stated that Beagles should be used on the Police Force because of their superior sense of smell... Yes, he's right. They do have a better sense of smell than German Shepherds. However, he did not take into consideration the fact that Beagles howl and bawl when they have located that for which they were searching. German Shepherds don't.

Shepherds are silent and unpredictable in their movements against the target. With a Beagle, though, how many lives would be lost simply because of a loud-mouth dog! That's far too high of a risk to take.

Exercising Your Dog - How Much Is Enough?

What's the truth about dog exercise?

Exercising your dog is critical to keep him both mentally and physically balanced.

It extends dog life, stimulates his appetite, and expends excess energy to calm him down.

But how do you know when your dog has had enough?

My Border Collie runs six miles per day with me on a bike - four miles in the morning, and two in the evening. He loves his runs. So if he indicates to me that he doesn't want to go on, I know for sure and respect the fact that he is not up to it that day.

Any dog who throws a temper tantrum you should make keep going. But if the dog has clearly had enough, then stop.

Some days we humans also have times when we are not fully up to snuff. Why would you expect it to be any different with your dog?

It is also important to remember that not every dog can run the same distance, or at the same speed. In dog training or caring for multiple dogs, it is sometimes tempting to take a group of dogs with you at once rather than making multiple runs yourself. But that is not always wise.

It is a dog health risk for some dogs if you take a pack comprised of different dog breeds and different ages out together and run them a significant distance. Not all are at the same level of physical conditioning and stamina.

For example, Hounds can run 40 hours when on a significant trail. That would kill my Border Collie and many other dogs, who are not built for that.

Use common sense, people!
dog health
dog training