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Monday, December 29, 2008 A New Dog By Diana Hsieh @ 1:17 AM I am utterly desperate for a dog. I miss Kate terribly, and I miss Abby now more than ever. Mostly, however, I miss the presence of a good farm dog in our lives. I miss being a pack leader. I miss being welcomed home by a wagging tail. I miss my faithful companion for feeding the horses. I miss the security of the sharp alarm bark. I miss the diligent licking of plates. I miss the silly games and antics. I miss talking to the best of listeners. I miss having my doggie friend at my side. Paul and I adopted Kate and Abby as adults from a shelter. This time, I've said that I want puppy. I've also said that I wanted to buy a dog from a breeder, so as to avoid (as much as possible) the kind of genetic problems suffered by both Kate and Abby. (Kate had very bad hip dysplasia; Abby developed degenerative myelopathy. Both diseases are common in German Shepherds, thanks to the AKC's focus on form rather than function.) However, after reading this Sports Illustrated article (with pictures) on what happened to Michael Vick's dogs -- and perusing the web site of the Front Range German Shepherd Rescue -- I'm rethinking that decision. We might get a rescue dog instead. In addition to their inherent excellent qualities as dogs, Paul and I found great pleasure in knowing that we had rescued Kate and Abby. Kate was obviously pampered in her previous home, but her orthopedic problems were quite serious. Another family might not have been able to afford the hip replacement surgery and pain management that enabled her to live so well for so long. Abby was not well-treated by her prior owner: she had been pretty seriously neglected by a [something unprintable] only interested in breeding her. She was 20 pounds underweight when we adopted her, and her behavior clearly indicated that she'd only been sporadically fed and watered. So by the kind of life we offered Kate and Abby, we helped them reach their full doggie potential. We saved them. And in turn, they rewarded us with their utmost loyalty. They were truly excellent dogs. Undoubtedly, I want a young dog. And we're set on another German Shepherd: we like the steady temperament and strong loyalty that characterizes the breed. So perhaps we should aim for a German Shepherd between six months to a year, so that we can test for hip dysplasia before adopting him/her. The terrible part is that I can't possibly spare the time for a new dog until the dissertation is done. So Paul and I will have to endure life without a dog for a few more months. That won't be fun. However, the prospect of rescuing another dog feels like the right course. It feels like we'll be honoring all that Kate and Abby were to us and all we were to them -- and I like that thought very much. Labels: Animals Share |    E-mail Diana Hsieh     PermaLink ()    Comments (New Page)   Subscribe to NoodleFood Blog Posts via Feed Reader   via E-mail Subscribe to NoodleCast Podcasts M4A via iTunes (MP3)   via Feed Reader   via E-mail

Comments
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 2:19:04 mst Comment ID: #1 Name: Anonymous Wish I could have a dog, but I can't afford a homestead where I could have one. Instead I have "made do" with cats. German shepherds and rough-coated collies are my favorite breeds. I still miss the German shepherd who had to be put down back in 1972. Good luck with whatever new dog(s) you get. I hope you are able to locate a dog or dogs with good hips.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 6:07:16 mst Comment ID: #2 Name: Wendy If you locate a responsible breeder, they will generally make sure that the chances of hip dysplasia and other breed-related diseases are minimized. Good breeders will often bring in dogs from other countries to insure that the line is not too incestuous and to reinvigorate the breed with healthier lines. You may have to look out of state to find the best breeders. I agree that rescuing a dog is a good thing to do, but puppies are an incredible joy. And they're just so damn cute!!
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 6:19:50 mst Comment ID: #3 Name: Wendy Actually, I just read that NRO article. It's rather a smear job against breeders. That form about which Mr. Goldberg writes is based on the function, not just some random aesthetic appeal. Yes, these are primarily show dogs, but the vast majority of them also compete in breed-specific trials. The collies participate in herding trials; the goldens and labs in field trials. If he had watched Westminster on TV, he'd see these segments each and every year. It's precisely that dogs are manmade that I find them fascinating. Calling dog breeding "unnatural" is no different than calling agriculture or industry "unnatural".
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 9:14:52 mst Comment ID: #4 Name: Diana Hsieh E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog From what my mother tells me -- and she does AKC agility with her German Shepherd, so she knows the scene pretty well -- many dog breeds have *completely different* breeding lines for conformation (i.e. mere look) and for working (e.g. agility, herding, tracking, etc.) Conformation is a completely ridiculous basis for judging dogs at all -- and it definitely values form without regard to function. The working lines are better, but notice that no one deliberately breeds for the qualities of temperament that make for a good pet. Instead, breeders require *by contract* that their better puppies be shown, and they sell their worse puppies as mere pets. I find all of that enormously distasteful. It's one major reason why so many dogs are so ill-suited to be pets. It's also why so many dog breeds suffer from so many characteristic ailments. Specific cat breeds (like Siamese) have the same kinds of problems, but the "mutt" cats found in most households are far, far healthier -- and far less expensive as a result. Since I don't have a good option of a good farm dog mutt, I'd rather not support what I regard as a completely perverse system by buying from a breeder.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 10:22:50 mst Comment ID: #5 Name: Tori Press E-mail: tori.press(at)gmail.com Just want to put in my two cents that I think rescue is a fabulous option. Not only is it wonderfully rewarding to give a loving home to a dog that might not otherwise have had one, but through a rescue you can carefully choose a dog with the disposition and temperament you want. Since most rescue dogs are fostered before being adopted out, your puppy's foster mom will be able to give you a good idea of what to expect from your dog before you take him or her home. While I have had great experiences with shelter dogs too, we loved that we knew so much about our rescue dog, Scout, before we made the decision to adopt him.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 13:49:18 mst Comment ID: #6 Name: Wendy I still think you're talking about the worst of the breeders and not the best or even most of them. German Shepherds are actually a good example; they had been inbred for so long, they had become vicious (I'm thinking this was the 60s or 70s, but I'm not 100% sure). The good breeders brought in other lines and began introducing the good qualities back into them so that they are now sweet dogs. Likewise with Wheaten Terriers. As dogs good for kids with allergies, the sudden demand resulted in many overbred dogs who would die of kidney failure when still very young. I spoke with a breeder I met at a dinner and she had stopped selling them and refused to sell any more Wheatens until she had bred hers with ones she had imported from Scotland. I'm sure what you're saying happens, but I think most breeders love dogs a great deal and do their best to keep the breed healthy and companionable. The ones with whom I've dealt (purchased two of my kids from one breeder and have spoken to others at dog shows when I wanted to find out about other breeds) have all been decent and have adored their dogs. They've also been very forthcoming about unscrupulous breeders who have bred dogs with the improper temperament.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 14:28:51 mst Comment ID: #7 Name: Diana Hsieh E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog Wendy -- I'm not talking about bad breeders at all. I'm talking about the very best ones -- and about what's standard from them. Even those breeding the working lines of dogs are geared towards producing award-winning dogs; they're breeding such dogs in the hopes of producing more of them. That's why they often require you sign contracts to show dogs to championships, if possible. Their primary purpose is not to create the robust, healthy, well-adjusted, and easygoing family pets that would make the best dogs for most people. Yet the qualities that make for a good working dog are not necessarily the same qualities that make for a good home-and-family dog. (My family learned that lesson with our well-bred but half-nuts Weimaraner Gus.) In general, a good working dog needs to work to be happy: absent such work, they can develop serious behavioral problems. That likely has a real effect on the number of dogs abandoned each year. Of course, these professional breeders love their dogs and treat them well. Of course, they do their best to avoid propagating diseases in their breeding. However, their dogmatic (and often hysterical) insistence on "pure breeds" is the root of the problem. Until that is abandoned, even the best-bred dogs will suffer and die from the characteristic ailments of their breeds. To be clear, I don't fault anyone who chooses to buy a dog from a good breeder. I don't think that there is anything wrong with doing that, so long as you know what you're getting and choose wisely. I just hate the whole system -- and I've felt its effects too personally to want to participate in it, I think.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 15:42:59 mst Comment ID: #8 Name: Wendy Fair enough, but I blame dog owners for not researching breeds and for not providing the dogs with work appropriate to their breeds more than the breeders themselves. Yes, there are always dogs that are "off-type" in personality--I won't deny that. There are, as far as I can tell, far fewer bad dogs than there are bad owners. It's perfectly possible to get a good family dog from a breeder who is not breeding them for show. There are people who breed hunting dogs (I was looking into Flat-Coated Retrievers at one point, and most were breeding gun dogs) and working dogs and there are also people who breed family dogs (my girl Spike is a dog from one of those litters). In general, the show dogs are _much_ more expensive than the other types, so a family wouldn't be making the best choice by buying a show dog anyway. It's a matter of going to see them, seeing how they're being cared for and how the breeder presents the pups. If the first thing they do is let them loose to trip over your feet and pull apart your shoelaces, you're generally in good hands. If the first thing they do is show you is the papers with all the champions circled...well, you've got a different type altogether.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 15:44:11 mst Comment ID: #9 Name: Wendy Oops, and I see you already talked about the difference between show breeders and other breeders. Sorry for not picking up on that before.
	Monday, December 29, 2008 at 17:03:18 mst Comment ID: #10 Name: Anonymous Yeah, there are some bad breeders out there, and I get your point, Diana, about how the system works in promoting conformation over working ability... however, I wish potential owners would research their breed of interest before impulsively getting a dog. I see many, many ads for border collies, for example... who are even more in need of a job than other breeds, I gather. People get a cute puppy, but then that dog goes totally nuts with high energy and the need to herd, it drives the people nuts, and the dog ends up in rescue, or abandoned, or gawd knows what. I love German shepherds and rough-coated collies (not border collies; and yes, I know that some gorgeous show collies have had the brains bred out of them)... but I'll wait to have a dog until I have a living situation where it's feasible to have a dog... when we move out of state and rent a place with either a yard or some acreage. In the meantime, I'll stick with kitties. I like rescue too, in a lot of ways. I just don't know if _all_ behavioral problems with rescued animals can be solved. I've got an older female cat who, it turns out, hates other cats. She's too old to easily find another home without other cats, so I've kept her. But from time to time she gets paranoid and marks territory by peeing (she was also declawed by a former owner)... no matter how many litter boxes there are in the apartment, and no matter how often they are cleaned.
	Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 7:44:21 mst Comment ID: #11 Name: Amy E-mail: mossoffa(at)gmail.com URL: http://www.amymossoff.com We rescued our Toby. He's supposedly a Lab but he might be a mix. We got him when he was 14 weeks old. He had been abandoned, then rejected by one family because the son was allergic and then returned to the rescue home. Toby is his third name. We could tell he had a good personality by our observations of him at the rescue home with adults, kids, and other dogs. It was a great age to adopt him: he was partially house-trained but we were still able to imprint our personalities on him. He's 3 now, and he's awesome. But here's my advice: until you are ready to bring a new dog home, forget the prep work. Do not read anything about dogs, try not to think about dogs, do not investigate breeders or rescues, do not surf the web regarding dogs, do not even go into a pet store. Set the whole thing aside until you are ready, because you'll never be able to say no if you just happen to come across the perfect dog. When you are ready, just keep an open mind.
	Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 18:28:16 mst Comment ID: #12 Name: Galileo Blogs E-mail: rayniles(at)rcniles.com URL: http://galileoblogs.blogspot.com I've had nine rescued cats over the years, and all of them were perfect (although one died at 2 due to kidney cancer, and two others died at a relatively young 11 and 13 due to lymphoma). It's not entirely on topic, though, as the thread is about dogs. I can only add on that score my brother has a rescued labrador mutt. She's been a perfectly sweet, loving family dog for him, his wife, and children, and she has been healthy. I will add regarding my cats that I never had any problematic behavior problems with any of them. One of them, who we found abandoned on the street in the middle of winter, was skittish for several years after we brought her home, but she has become the most affectionate, loving cat I have. Her skittishness was never really a problem; she was just a little jumpy if you moved your hand toward her quickly. However, that has largely ended, and she is as sweet as can be. The other 7 - no problems. I could be lucky, I guess. Of course, luck had nothing to do with how one of our cats found us. She selected my girlfriend when we walked past her cage on the street where she was being shown for adoption. The cat reached her paw out of the cage, touched my girlfriend on her elbow, and meowed loudly. How could we pass her up after that?? :)
	Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 19:53:33 mst Comment ID: #13 Name: Diana Hsieh E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog Ray, I remember you telling me all kinds of fabulous stories about your adopted cats at OCON. Our two cats were rescues as well. They are fabulous cats, with the usual yet unique dose of weird.
	Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 21:21:54 mst Comment ID: #14 Name: Dan G. I've had good experience with American Rottweilers, though; you would definitely need to get it as a pup because they have a hard time adjusting to new owners.
	Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 7:16:45 mst Comment ID: #15 Name: Galileo Blogs E-mail: rayniles(at)rcniles.com URL: http://galileoblogs.blogspot.com Diana, I agree. Cats are definitely weird, every one of them. That's part of what makes them so much fun!
	Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 16:49:05 mst Comment ID: #16 Name: Matt E-mail: ratplant(at)yahoo.com URL: http://www.rashynullplanet.com/blog/ I recommend an Australian Cattle Dog. They're not too big, not too small, smart, hard-working, not prone to problems like hip dysplasia, and extremely loyal.
	Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 17:20:43 mst Comment ID: #17 Name: Diana Hsieh E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog Thanks for the suggestions of alternative breeds, but... (1) It's beside the point. I object to the whole insistence on pure-breds: they create health problems in all breeds of dogs, not just hip problems in German Shepherds. Swapping one breed for another will not solve the basic problem: I'll just have a different set of characteristic physical ailments to manage. (2) For all kinds of reasons, I have a strong preference for the qualities of temperament of a German Shepherd. So I'm definitely going to get some kind of German Shepherd -- although perhaps a good mix for hybrid vigor, if I can manage that. Given that people aren't breeding dogs for functions -- like as pets or farm dogs, but instead for showing -- I'm stuck with choosing based in part on the typical qualities of a breed. As a general matter, unless you know what my life is like -- meaning that you've spent some time as a guest in my house at the very least -- you really couldn't recommend a dog breed to me. (You can express your own likes and dislikes, but that's very different.) For example, the characteristic high energy of the Australian Cattle Dog would be *totally* unsuitable for Paul and me; it would drive us bonkers. (We have a friend with an ACD mix. She's a good dog, but absolutely wild with energy.) Anyway, feel free to sing the praises of your favorite breed here, but just don't expect that to change my mind!
	Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 20:36:25 mst Comment ID: #18 Name: Matt E-mail: ratplant(at)yahoo.com URL: http://rashynullplanet.com/blog/ Yeah, I know: you have to select a dog that's right for you. ACDs aren't exactly purebreds, though. They're mongrels to the core: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Cattle_Dog#History My heeler has proven to be very adaptable. She's a bit high-strung and loves running after frisbees and herding livestock, but easily acclimates to lounging around the house in cold weather when we're not outside very much. Her loyalty seems to trump her energy. I know you're set on a German Shepherd but, if you're looking for a rescue dog, there are plenty of heelers out there who could use a loving home. Happy new year, and good luck in your search!
	Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 21:37:16 mst Comment ID: #19 Name: Diana Hsieh E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog Matt -- I'm glad that your dog works out so well for you. I'm definitely not looking for anything that might remotely resemble "high strung." Even amongst German Shepherds, I'll be looking for a laid-back dog. Plus, there's definitely no shortage of GSs (and GS mixes) in need of rescue. There is an active group in Denver devoted to just that task. Frankly, it's very good that people have their individual tastes in dogs. If it were just up to me, nothing less than 70 lbs of very serious dog would do! But someone has to adopt the strange little fur balls -- and even those delightfully promiscuous labs and golden retrievers -- and it's not going to be me! Give your good heeler an extra frisbee toss from me! Happy New Year!
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