©This story is property of The CyBurr,
the online version of The Burr,
First Dog
Basic training in dog
selection for college grads
Story by Kim Marino
“There aren't too many things
more rewarding than having a dog. I can't imagine living without one”
Adam Smith calls his fiancée for the
third time today.
“Hey, Panda Bear, what do you think
of Archie?”
“Archie?” Andrea
Marino says. “Like Archie Bunker Archie?”
“Well, no … just Archie.” Smith
says. “It’s Scottish.”
“That’s nice, but I don’t
think so,” Marino says.
In the morning he called and blurted
out Bella. In the afternoon he tried Connor.
“I think we’ve settled on Augie,
Augustus officially, but Augie for short, but he still keeps trying other
Scottish names,” Marino says.
Smith
got his degree in December 2002, loves his job in
Lots of recent grads get a similar urge to test drive their parenting skills on a puppy or a dog, but how do they know which dog to choose—or if they are really ready for a dog?
What’s
the right price?
Dogs can
be expensive. The pet section of the local newspaper lists mixed breed dogs
from shelters or private owners as selling for $50 to $250. And in the paper,
purebred dogs start around $350 to $1,000, depending on breed. Fees for dogs
adopted from rescue groups range from $100 to $450 based on the breed, health
care and age.
Puppies
from reputable breeders are usually offered as pet quality or show potential,
with prices starting in the hundreds and adjusting upward accordingly. Dog
experts acknowledge that dogs—show or pet quality—are not cheap, but agree that
pet stores are usually overpriced and breeder deals can be better. In terms of
price, the sky is the limit for puppies destined for the show ring, so those
may be cost-prohibitive for first-time dog owners.
The purchase price is
only the beginning. Stacy Judge is a board member of Youngstown All Breed
Training Club, and she owns an English cocker spaniel. Abbie
is a year old and cost $700.
“If you’re just getting out of college, get
your life established first—the home, the job,” Judge said. “And know that it’s
expensive. The actual price of the dog is the cheap part. It’s the stuff that
comes later that’s costly.”
Food,
crates, beds, monthly heartworm medication, yearly vaccinations, collars,
leashes, training classes, grooming products or fees, treats and toys are some
of the items that send dollar signs rolling past dog owner’s eyes.
Chris Pawlosky retired from
competitive grooming seven years ago after winning the top award, but maintains
her clientele. Depending on the size of the breed, a full groom starts at about
$30-40, and most people schedule on a monthly basis.
Even
dogs that don’t require professional services need some type of grooming.
Double-coated dogs must be brushed weekly to prevent skin diseases. All dogs
need their toenails clipped. Dogs with short hair need to have occasional baths
and their ears cleaned. So grooming can be time consuming. And short hair does
not mean less shedding.
“Technically, all dogs shed,” Pawlosky said. “But the life
cycle of the hair of a poodle or a shih tzu is more human-like.
Their coat will grow continuously for 18 months to 3 years. They don’t shed a
lot—just a few hairs like we do.”
She said short haired dogs grow the same amount of hair as
a poodle, but the hair has a shorter life cycle, so it falls out faster. The
shorter the coat, the more they shed. Dogs with longer hair cycles like shih tzus, bichons and Maltese are
also said to have fewer allergic irritants.
In addition to cash commitment, time investment is a huge
factor in the decision to get a dog. Owners need to make time for grooming,
housebreaking, leash training, exercise and play. A bored dog will create ways
to entertain himself, and owners may not like the results.
A one-time expense worth paying for is the surgical fee for
spaying or neutering. The only reason to keep a dog intact is for breeding or
showing in an AKC conformation ring. Breeding should be left to specialists who
understand the standards of the breed and genetics.
Jay Wootten, an assistant professor of English at Kent
State Salem, is active in keeshond rescue. Dogs can end up in rescue situations
for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they have been abused or neglected and come
with behavioral baggage, but sometimes they are well-loved companions of people
who divorced or became too ill to care for them.
Wootten said usually the person who adopts the dog from the
rescue group pays for spaying or neutering, but the rescue group may pay for
the surgery if there is enough money in the group’s budget.
“There
are too many dogs going without homes,” Wootten said. “You do it because you
care about the animals—and it’s better to spend the money on that than on a
bottle of wine.”
Debbie Serbati is the
director at the Animal Welfare League shelter. She says people should determine
what they expect of a dog and then research breeds.
“Is
this dog right for my lifestyle?” Serbati asks. “Will it be right for me in
five years or when I have children? Can I afford this, and do I want to make
the financial commitment? This is not a sweater that if you get tired of it, or you move, or have a baby, or get new carpet, that you
can recycle it. This is your responsibility for the next 10 to 15 years.”
Dogs range in size from the tiniest
A potential dog owner should assess his or her own activity
level before choosing a dog breed. Do you like to jog daily, spend weekends at
the lake, hike in the woods, play Frisbee® in the park or lounge on the couch
and socialize with friends?
Some giant breeds, like Great Danes, can be as happy in
apartments as the toy breeds if they are taken for daily walks. But it would be
wise to check the lease for pet clauses. Some landlords restrict the size or
number of dogs allowed.
It is easier to choose a dog that fits into a human lifestyle if you know what a dog is supposed to do. The American Kennel Club recognizes 150 breeds and organizes those breeds into seven groups based on the original function of the breed. The AKC Web site describes each breed, offering a brief history and common personality traits in addition to the physical standard of the breed.
After
winning the Oster Tournament of Champions, Chris
Pawlosky retired from competitive dog grooming and was hired by the company. As
an experienced groomer and a show-ring handler, she understands breed
characteristics.
“Get on
the AKC Web site and find out what that breed is bred to do—and don’t forget
that because if you do, you’re going to end up with a nightmare,” Pawlosky
said. “Herding dogs like to nip and have to have lots of energy to chase sheep
all day long, and retrievers like to fetch and they can be a little crazed
about it. Terriers were bred to take care of vermin, and that’s what terriers
focus on—little furry things that go really fast, and that could include your
cat or your hamster. That’s what they were bred to do, so you will have a
pretty high ratio of those instincts coming out. You can’t stop it.”
Maltese kennel owner Debbie Palmieri has 16 dogs in her “doggie day care.” She remodeled her downstairs so the dogs have room to play together, and they have a television showing the Animal Planet channel all day long.
She said Maltese are a good breed for apartment living, but they don’t like to be by themselves. They are fragile, comical, will run laps around the living room and need lots of toys for entertainment.
“When you have Maltese you spoil them,” Palmieri said. “They are pretty dogs to show off with fake diamonds, bows, satin beds—and you don’t get a regular coat, you get a monogrammed coat.”
Palmieri’s
9-month-old pure-white Nicky models a satin coat as shiny and black as her tiny
eyes. The coat has teal trim and is embroidered with the kennel name, Villa
“They are not food driven—they are attention driven,” Palmieri said. “I don’t use food in the ring when I show them. I use a kind word and a happy squeaky voice.”
Jay
Wootten, an assistant professor of English at Kent State Salem, owns a
keeshond, Bertie, and a Border collie, Patch. She does not recommend Border
collies for first-time dog owners because they are incredibly smart and need
experienced trainers.
“A lot of
people went out and got Border collies after that cute movie ‘Babe,’ and so a
lot of Border collies ended up in shelters,” Wootten said. “There are so many
Border collies in rescue that it’s hard to find homes for them.”
She said
a group in
Wootten
does recommend keeshonden for rookie dog owners because they are sociable dogs
that like people as well as other animals. Wootten’s
Bertie is about 18 inches tall, covered with fluffy gray and black hair and an
instant friend. His perky ears, facial markings called “spectacles,” dark
muzzle and open mouth make him look like he is smiling.
“They’re
not fighters,” Wootten said. “They tend to be alarm dogs. They will bark if
someone comes to the door, but they’re not the kind of dogs who will tear out a
burglar’s throat.”
Jeff Showman judges obedience trials and competes in the obedience ring with his 4-year-old papillon, River. He agrees with other experts that most people buy their first dog because they are attracted to the way it looks. He suggests finding several breeds that attract you, researching those breeds and interacting with dogs to make sure the breed fits your lifestyle.
Showman
advises against choosing a breed because it is popular. The breed may be right
for you, or it may not, but you will only know if you do a lot of homework.
“Go to dog shows,” Showman said while River lounged over his leg and watched other dogs practice agility jumps. “Talk to dog people. They will help you make fewer mistakes. Dog people are very proud of their dogs, and they love to talk about them.”
Picking the right pooch
Those eyes. Sweet puppy breath. Expressions that beg, “Puh-leeese
play with me.”
Where is
the warning label? Shouldn’t there be bright yellow “caution” tape fashioned
into a bow around that tiny neck?
It’s way
too easy to fall in love with a four-pound puppy and carry home one of the
biggest mistakes of your life—“Destructo-Dog” who swallows 62 pages of your
phone book or tunnels down through the center of your mattress while you are
out earning his keep.
But it’s
also possible to ride home with a doggy companion who will happily greet you at
the door, bring you his favorite ball or snuggle with you when you’re feeling
blue.
Once
someone has chosen a favorite breed or decided a shelter dog with combined
traits of certain breeds is acceptable, the hunt for a puppy or adult dog
begins. If a kennel or rescue dog is the first choice, experts say the
advantage to selecting an adult dog is that it is often housebroken and has
some basic training in household manners.
But
weigh that against potential bad habits or fears the dog may already have
established. Puppies may not be fully housebroken until they are six months
old, when their bladders are developed, but they will conform to your household
habits because they haven’t learned any others.
Word
of mouth is the best way to gather inside info on regional breeders, but
searching for a breeder out of your region is not that tough. The American
Kennel Club web site offers contact information for every kennel club in the
If a
puppy is your goal, the search may take time. Most AKC breeders are more
concerned with quality than quantity, so waiting for a puppy is a possibility.
And don’t accept the first or nearest breeder on your list.
“As much
as your breeder should be interviewing you—you should be interviewing the
breeder,” Debbie Serbati of the Animal Welfare League said. “If you meet the
breeder and the dog and don’t like what you see or hear, by all means, you are
not obligated to buy that particular dog. Don’t be afraid to say no or ‘I don’t
think I can do this at this time.’”
After
you have had some contact, show up for an unannounced visit at the breeder’s
kennel. Ask for references, and follow through with calls. Reputable breeders
will require a contract, and most contracts will require that the dog may be
returned to them at any time in the dog’s life if the owner is unable to care
for it properly.
Personality
tests can be indicators of easy-going, timid or aggressive puppies, but are not
infallible. Tests, such as rolling a puppy over and cradling it on its back
like a baby or dropping keys to see how quickly a puppy recovers from fear of
sudden noise, were popular in the past and some people still swear by them.
Karen
York is a certified veterinary practice manager who raises collies and has taught
dog obedience for nearly 30 years. She said trainers don’t rely on temperament
testing as much as they used to, and rookies don’t know how to do them properly
to get an accurate assessment. She believes in observing and interacting with
dogs instead.
“The puppy that hangs back in the corner and
acts very fearful is probably one you should be apprehensive about unless you
have a tremendous amount of time to work with the puppy,”
Time for school, Fido
Dogs need
to learn basic obedience in addition to housetraining. Veterinary technician
Karen York says that people are living in closer proximity than they used to
and like to have their pets with them.
“It’s
like children, nobody wants to be around an obnoxious pet,”
An
American Kennel Club obedience judge for nearly 20 years, Ted Walshesky teaches
classes at the Golden Triangle Obedience Training Club outside of
“Whether
it is housebreaking or a dog with a biting problem, turn it into a game,”
Walshesky said. “People are more likely to work a little harder to solve the
problem if it becomes fun. If a dog is barking or biting, teach the dog to do
it on command—bite a toy, bark when you ask. Then you can control when the dog
does the behavior. It’s an easy way to take away bad habits.”
Walshesky also recommends crate training. He acknowledges
that crate training does not appeal to everyone, but explains that it is not
meant to be a punishment and can be very helpful in housebreaking puppies. His
4-month-old Labrador retriever, Gunner, has room to stand, turn around and lie
down in the crate.
“A
dog needs a place of his own, just like people when they want to get away—and
that’s what a crate is,” Walshesky said. “I leave the door open. When Gunner
wants to spend time alone, he walks in and that’s his little home. It’s not a
playpen—it’s made to be a safe house.”
Lori Wilkoff trains dogs at Petsmart. During the first
class of each new session she asks owners to tell her three characteristics of
their breed. Often the owners are unable to offer one. She tells them to go
home after class and research the breed.
“If you
don’t know the characteristics of the breed, you don’t know what to expect from
the dog,” Wilkoff said.
She owns two
“She hated to be touched, and she was afraid of
everything,” Wilkoff said. “All Gipsy knew how to do was growl.”
Wilkoff
worked to desensitize Gipsy and build her confidence. They moved on to search
and rescue training and obedience work. Gipsy has learned agility, rally
obedience and dancing and is working toward her AKC Companion Dog title.
“We have been training for three and a half years,” Wilkoff
said. “For two years she didn’t want to be petted, and now she fights for my
affection. As a dog trainer, she has made me very proud. It just goes to prove
any dog can become a great dog with dedication and hard work.”
Jeff
Showman has won obedience trials with his dogs since 1991 and started judging
in 1998. He suggests setting parameters and training to that level of
expectation.
“There are 10,000 ways to train
dogs,” Showman said. “Some of them are more or less humane. Some of them are
downright dumb. If you see dogs being treated in a way you object to, go
somewhere else.”
***
Marino gained a lot from her visit to a
dog training class and is eager to share her new insights with her fiancé.
“When I get down to
E-mail: kmarino@kent.edu
Kim Marino is a freelance writer from
©This story is property of The CyBurr,
the online version of The Burr,