How do you choose what type of dog is best for you? Or put differently, what kind of dog are you and your family the best fit for?
It's not all about looks, but of course, we all have our preferences for what type of dog is cute. I know, I know, not everyone prefers the big giant fluffy Newfoundland dogs like I do lol. I would suggest starting with a list of what type of dog you prefer.
1. What size dog? Perhaps you just LOVE Great Danes but you live in a tiny apartment... hm.... but start with what you like best for your list, then compromise from there if need be.
2. What breed? Perhaps what type of breed doesn't matter to you, but if it does, this needs to be on your list too. Oh, and please, please research the breed thoroughly if you aren't very familiar with it already. An example that comes to mind is my favorite breed the Newfoundland Dog. As puppies they look like cute, fluffy little bear cubs. Oh yes, they are adorable!! However, soon these little bundles of fluff grow up to be big, very big, and strength to match or surpass their size.
They need exercise, obedience training and sometimes people can't handle their 150 pound newf. Then that dog could very well get placed in rescue or shelter and lose their family. Think before buying! I happen to love newfies, they are awesome, but they are not for everyone. I see the cute puppies and know that they will one day grow up to be huge dogs, and that's okay with me but I also had newfies before.
3. That does bring up point number 3 here. Do you have time to exercise a dog? All dogs need exercise. On our walks I see dogs that appear to mostly just be in their backyard for exercise. That is not acceptable. Dogs like that often end up barking obsessively at everything and anything. It really isn't their fault either. They are bored beyond belief so they pick up bad habits.
4. Money? Dogs need veterinary exams, vaccinations and routine care. Sometimes you have to take your dog to the vet for more than routine visits too. Dogs cost to upkeep and over here in the U.S. pet insurance sure doesn't seem to be a widespread thing like in Europe. Here you pay upfront even if you do have insurance usually, then they pay you back if your claim is accepted. In Europe, it works the same as medical usually does here for humans. You pay a co-pay then it goes through the insurance company.
5. Now, if you have your list together... and by all means this isn't an inclusive list, you should have a good idea of what type of dog might be good for you. With your list together, look up rescue groups for whatever breed you are interested. You can also go to your nearest shelter and see what types of dogs they have.
6. The most important thing I did leave for the last list point here. It is if you (and your family too) are a good fit for the dog, not just is the dog a good fit for you. Perhaps you came looking for a small dog, but that senior labrador retriever is a perfect match anyways? Choosing a dog that is good for you can be simple and can be difficult, but if you find the dog that is your match, oh so rewarding.
Gunilla Wachtel - Kanweienea Kreations Artfire studio
Gunilla is an artist who sells fine art prints and originals of orcas, horses, dogs and more through Artfire and other sites.
Crafting For Animals Guild is a group of artists and crafters on Artfire.com who are dedicated to catering to the needs of animals by either creating and designing items for animals or by supporting and/or raising funds for charitable animal organizations.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Oooooooops!!!……………………………….by Pam Todd
You may remember Mary Frances. She was featured here awhile back. She had been found by her owners, Bill and Clarice, lying on her side amidst the rest of the flock, dehydrated.
Bill and Clarice brought her to the house, where they nurtured her back to full health. It was several weeks before they decided she was ready to rejoin the flock. As Mary Frances sauntered back to the chicken yard, they watched her go, being very thankful that she had recovered so well.
Just this week, I went down to Bill and Clarice’s house to buy some home grown tomatoes (gave up on growing my own a few years ago, when one evening we had the tallest, most beautiful tomato plants one could imagine, staked up all lush and green, and the next morning we had six inch stems. Every plant had been eaten by deer. That was a sad day. I love homegrown tomatoes.) And, also to buy some fresh, brown eggs laid by the mommies in their flock. As Clarice was getting my eggs, she said, “Did I tell you about Mary Frances?” I said, “No, is she oaky?” She laughed and said, “Well, when she walked back to the flock that day, she stopped, lifted up her head, puffed up her chest, and crowed the biggest crow you could every hear. I looked at Bill, and he looked at me, and Bill said, ‘I think Mary Frances just became Marty Francis!’”
I giggled all the way back to the car. You just never know! Apologies to Marty!
This post written by Pam Todd, a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Artfire, and owner of Bags and More by Pam, a shop featuring hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes. Pam also supports the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, (www.elephants.com). She will also participate in the Crafting for Animals team’s October project to publicize National Adopt a Shelter Dog month by featuring a coupon that will donate 10% of her sales during one week of October to the Close to Home shelter. Watch for more information on the team’s project to help this wonderful shelter.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Spread the Love - Pet Therapy Program Benefits
I have several friends who live in residential adult care homes here in Tucson because they are too ill to live alone anymore but they do not require full-time care yet. So they have a nice room or share one with someone, and the environment is very much like a home. They are allowed to have dogs or cats but must be able to take care of them. For those who are not able to have their own pets anymore, I have learned they desperately want others to bring their pets in to visit.
My friends cannot care for a dog or cat anymore and they know I have a cat, so they ask me often if I can bring Chester in to see them. They always look so sad when they speak of the pets they used to be able to love and care for. Which means, I feel extra bad when I have to explain that Chester does not have the temperament to go visiting others since he is too shy and skittish and does not like to sit in laps or be held. I often wish I had another kitty who was more mellow and laid-back so that I could take my pet to visit my friends, but Chester is a one-person-cat and so for now things will remain as they are.
Anyway, I have learned over the years that many shelters have all-important pet therapy programs in place, but some do not. It’s becoming more popular as more awareness has developed over how important this particular form of therapy is for so many who are sick or disabled and cannot have their own pets anymore.
Many years ago, I took my cat, Chelsea, to see residents of a nursing home where my grandmother and her best friend lived, and they enjoyed it so much. She was not part of an official pet therapy program, but I was allowed to let Chelsea visit with others if they wanted to see her when I did take her in to see my loved ones. It brought such joy to those older ones. Their faces just lit up with delight at seeing a furry critter. It’s so obvious we humans were especially designed to interact with and relate to companion animals of all sorts. A real gift and privilege.
Another elderly friend was in a rehab unit of a local nursing home and there is a resident cat there who visits all the residents when they want her to. It was so fun to see this cat go to various rooms and jump up on the beds and let the different ones pet her, as well as just wander around and do her own kitty things. I saw the faces of many residents change so drastically, from sadness and despair to joy and happiness, when they had the chance to visit with the resident cat. Even if for only a few minutes, it seemed to make such a difference in their difficult lives.
I’ve learned lately that one of my local shelters has a pet-therapy program; the others do not. I am not able to participate at this point in time due to my own physical limitations, but I have urged some of my friends to sign up. And I urge others who are able to make room for this in their lives if at all possible. You will not be sorry!
So, if your local shelters have a pet therapy program in place, why not consider joining in if you have a pet that would be suitable for such a thing. If your shelters do not have a program, think about at least volunteering to take your own well-behaved and gentle pet in once in a while to visit elderly ones who can no longer enjoy life on their own with their own pets, if the facilities near you allow this.
I speak from experience that having to give up so many things one loves is very hard, whether it’s due to illness or injury, and many have told me giving up their pets was one of the worst things they went through as their health worsened. I am sure most of us can relate since we love our pets so much and are grateful for the important role they play in our lives.
Here are some online resources for finding more info about this valuable service. With a little digging, you will find a lot more info, I’m sure:
Love on a Leash http://www.loveonaleash.org/
American Humane Association, Pet Assisted Therapy http://www.activitytherapy.com/us.htm
Submitted by:..............................................Debra Holder - Owner of a special needs cat who is quite grumpy but still very lovable, Chester, (see the avatar in her online studio at http://www.sleepycatdesigns.artfire.com/), Debra specializes in making safety collars for cats because of her love of sewing and cats that she is able to combine in one creative activity. She has always had pets of various kinds but especially enjoys small dogs and all kinds of kitties and is thankful for the unconditional love pets give to their human friends.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Fourth Time is the Charm!…..........…….by Pam Todd
This is Ozzie. He didn’t always look so groomed and soft. One day about a year or so ago, my sister went to the pet shop to buy some dog food. There on a chair sat a sad-looking Chinese Crested Powder Puff dog. She asked the pet shop owner what was going on with that dog. “Well,” the owner said, “that poor little doggie had a home for about a year, and then he was brought back.” (That’s one time!) “And then someone else took him for another year and then brought him back,” she continued. (That’s the second time!) “He’s been staying with our groomer for the past year until we could fine him a home,” she said. (That’s the third time!)
My sister phoned and said, “Guess what we have?” Of course, I said, “What?” She replied, “Well, there was this dog at the pet store, and he was such a little cute fuzzy dog that I brought him home!” I asked, “What does he look like?" She said, “Well, not very good right now. Chinese Powder Puff dogs have really long hair, and it gets matted easily, and we have a job to do combing him out and getting him groomed. But the funny thing is they have brothers and sisters who are hairless.” I just laughed at that image.
When Ozzie first came home with my sister, he stayed very close to her, following her everywhere. If she would put a leash on him and put him in the car, he would just shake with fright, no doubt wondering whether he was going to be taken somewhere and left again. When they returned home, he would just jump and play with joy. For a long time, Ozzie was a one-woman dog, but as time went by, he began to love the other family members, too. Now, he loves to go in the car, but if a leash is put on him, he still seems to be concerned that he is going to be abandoned again.
There was one problem with Ozzie. He loved to run down the hill and across the road to visit the neighbor’s dogs. So, my sister and brother-in-law had an underground electric fence installed. The first time he had on his collar and ran across that field, he got shocked and ran back to the house as fast as he could go! For a few days, he had to be pushed out the door to go potty! Now, he asks to go out when he needs to, stays up near the house, and comes right back to be let inside.
His name was Ozzie when they got him. My sister said that by nature, this breed of dog is very lovable, and once they bond to someone, they never bond again. My sister thinks he never had a chance to bond the first three times, and has no idea why he was given back twice. Does Ozzie have to worry now that he is going to be abandoned? Not a chance. This was his fourth time, and that was the charm!
This post written by Pam Todd, owner of an ArtFire Studio, for which she creates hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes. She is an annual contributor to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, loves learning about all animals, and loves all the dogs and cats she has ever had. Pam is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire.
My sister phoned and said, “Guess what we have?” Of course, I said, “What?” She replied, “Well, there was this dog at the pet store, and he was such a little cute fuzzy dog that I brought him home!” I asked, “What does he look like?" She said, “Well, not very good right now. Chinese Powder Puff dogs have really long hair, and it gets matted easily, and we have a job to do combing him out and getting him groomed. But the funny thing is they have brothers and sisters who are hairless.” I just laughed at that image.
When Ozzie first came home with my sister, he stayed very close to her, following her everywhere. If she would put a leash on him and put him in the car, he would just shake with fright, no doubt wondering whether he was going to be taken somewhere and left again. When they returned home, he would just jump and play with joy. For a long time, Ozzie was a one-woman dog, but as time went by, he began to love the other family members, too. Now, he loves to go in the car, but if a leash is put on him, he still seems to be concerned that he is going to be abandoned again.
There was one problem with Ozzie. He loved to run down the hill and across the road to visit the neighbor’s dogs. So, my sister and brother-in-law had an underground electric fence installed. The first time he had on his collar and ran across that field, he got shocked and ran back to the house as fast as he could go! For a few days, he had to be pushed out the door to go potty! Now, he asks to go out when he needs to, stays up near the house, and comes right back to be let inside.
His name was Ozzie when they got him. My sister said that by nature, this breed of dog is very lovable, and once they bond to someone, they never bond again. My sister thinks he never had a chance to bond the first three times, and has no idea why he was given back twice. Does Ozzie have to worry now that he is going to be abandoned? Not a chance. This was his fourth time, and that was the charm!
This post written by Pam Todd, owner of an ArtFire Studio, for which she creates hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes. She is an annual contributor to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, loves learning about all animals, and loves all the dogs and cats she has ever had. Pam is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire.
LiveJournal Tags: Chinese Crested Powder Puff,dogs,pets,animals,dog grooming,dog rescue,sisters,dog stories,crafting4animals guild,cfabuild,craftingforanimalsguild,pamelatodd
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