As you read about choosing the perfect dog for your family, you'll probably find a lot of terms that are unfamiliar. Never fear!
Not only will we help decipher articles on the web, we'll also include key words
and the
real meaning behind them.
If you're short on cash and want to feel really good about yourself, try rescuing a dog from the classifieds. Every day, purebred dogs are offered at bargain basement prices by families who either didn't research their choice of breed ("I didn't know
a St. Bernard got so HUGE!") or didn't bother to train their puppy.
Don't buy the "Little Johnny's allergic to the dog," excuse for getting rid of said dog either. Little Johnny is probably allergic to trees and flowers too, but you don't see the family living with
no grass and a barren yard!!
This means either "Fido's
way too full of energy to be kept inside the
house," or "Fido's not
housebroken."
It's also certain that Fido is lacking in
training. He may be a breed that's high
energy and/or difficult to (house) train. In
either case, training Fido must be a priority
for you and your family or you'll be the next
ones running this ad in the paper or on the
internet.
Not good
with children
Fido bites.
He probably also has a dominant personality
and/or a high prey drive.
If you have children, run.
If you live near children, run.
If you have absolutely no contact with children
or the elderly, beware.
Fido may have been taken from his litter before
8 weeks and isn't properly socialized.
(There is no cure for this.)
Fido may have been abused.
Fido may be timid and therefore a fear biter.
In any of the above cases, socialization and
training should probably be done by a
professional.
Great
watchdog
Fido barks, probably
incessantly.
The
neighbors have already prepared a vat of tar for
aforementioned dog and owner.
Fido may also bite. See above.
Searching
for someone special to give him/her a
home
Fido is either an
amputee or requires a vigorous schedule of
medications to keep seizures, etc. under
control. Fido is probably the product of
the dreaded puppy mill or uneducated breeder.
Needs
loving home
This is because Fido
sure doesn't have one right now. Fido's
currently owned by people who never really
committed to him/her. They don't see Fido
as a member of the family, but as an object.
Can you imagine
advertising your 13 year old for sale on the
internet? (Brief moment to revel in the
thought. Now...STOP!) Of course 13
year olds are impossible, but most parents deal
with them, faults and all. Come to think
of it, maybe these are the people raising the
children who cause the rest of us so much
trouble.
FREE
This one should really
make you nervous. These people don't care
who gets this dog as long as it's removed from
their presence.
People value things they have to pay for in some
fashion and frequently see things obtained without a fee as disposable. Also, there's
the concern about labs who acquire dogs for
testing purposes. It's possible that an
unscrupulous person would take said
"free" dog and sell it to a testing
lab. At least a trip to the pound would
mean a gentle end for the animal. Try to
restrain yourself when dealing with this person.
We can't
give him the attention he needs
Loosely translated:
"We should have gotten a cat."
Don't make this mistake! Take a good hard
look at your life before adding a dog to your
family. Even with a stay-at-home mom/dad,
if you're not willing to take Fido with you
everywhere, including ball games and practices,
please get a cat or goldfish instead.
There are few breeds of dogs who do well
isolated and alone all day, every day.
Dogs are pack animals. They need
companionship.