Kim’s Obsessed with…Dogs!

“I’m Obsessed!” is a weekly series where one blogger (or artist, blog reader, crafter, etsian, etc) will share what they are currently obsessed with and why. If you’re interesting in writing a post for the “I’m Obsessed!” series please email me kendra[at]likeabirdblog[dot]com

This week, we have one of my friends, and fellow blogger, Kim!

“Hi all! My name is Kim and I am a blogger! I love to write and am a Master Procrastinator – the latter often negates the former. I am a bookseller in Northern BC, Canada and can generally be found at my blog, Prolifically Barren or twitter when I am not outside shoveling my driveway!”

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When Kendra outlined that she was interested in the obsessions of her guest bloggers I had to stop and think. While I’d like to say that I am obsessed with great literature, fine cuisine and 98-point wines, I find that I am more easily swayed by pulp fiction, cheesies and Dr. Pepper. I considered imitating Kendra and writing about (our shared love) Young Adult (YA) literature. Alas, I have a more prevalent current obsession that overshadows even my adoration of YA lit.

Dogs.

You see, around this time last year my (now) husband (“mephy”) and I moved into our new house. We had been apartment bound for many years prior and, as such, were unable to keep a dog (landlord restrictions). It was understood that the quarter acre yard that came with our house was not for us, but for our future fuzzhead. It has been a long year (mephy, my husband who shall remain nameless, will tell you that it has felt like a decade . . . because I am incessant in my can-I-have-a-dog-pleeeeeeeze comments.

Seriously, if you ever need tips on wearing your partner down, come talk to me, I have mastered the art of bringing dogs up in every conversation), but we have finally paid our puppy-deposit with our breeder. (We are going with a pure-bred because mephy recognizes only German Shepherds as dogs. I can’t complain – it’s an amazing breed.)

(Baro, my future pup’s sire. mages © Lana Zerebeski Scahill and Janzhaus German Shepherds)

I have decided that this is a fun obsession and that I would like to share what I have learned with you. Keep in mind: I am not, at all, an expert and this information comes from conversations with dog-owners and the books I’ve read (so far).

Two things. There are so, so many things to know before you bring a dog into your home, but most importantly (as far as I’m concerned) you need to understand these two things:

* · Know what you’re getting into, and
* · Be prepared

Do your research! If you want a pure-bred, find out what breed is right for you – this is not necessarily the breed you think you want. What dog fits best into your lifestyle and family? When you have decided on your favourite breed, find a breeder (preferably one that fits into your country’s kennel club – they have strict standards)! Google searches are great, but word of mouth is better. Contact the breed-specific kennel club in your area and speak with some folks who keep your breed and ask them who they recommend.

When you pick your breeder, ask them questions. Ask them about health guarantees, what sort of kennel they maintain, what kind of socializing their puppies are given, and whether the dogs will be vet-checked and vaccinated before they join their new family. (German Shepherds are inclined to suffer from hip dysplasia. Our breeder guarantees against hip dysplasia for the first twenty-four months of a puppy’s life. If our blessed furball should develop this impediment within her first two years of life, and we are not the cause of it, our breeder will replace the dog.

Our pup will be exposed to both kennel rearing and in-home care where she’ll meet with our breeder’s other dogs – but no others, as our breeder does not want her too-young-to-be-vaccinated pups to be introduced to disease (Parvo, for example) – as well as the breeder’s family and the clients visiting the kennel to pick up their puppies from older litters. The pup will also be vet-checked and vaccinated prior to our picking her up and the breeder will provide us with a record of these events for our vet when we bring fuzzhead home. )

(Suzie, my future pup’s dam. © Lana Zerebeski Scahill and Janzhaus German Shepherds)

If you’re a rescue-shelter adopter, go in and chat up the shelter staff, hang out with some of the dogs, spend time walking them, playing, and bring your partner and/or family along and see which animal suits your domestic situation the best (this may require more than one visit). I’d like to recommend against petshop puppies. Unless your local pet store works along side of your local shelter, or can prove otherwise, you can be reasonably certain that the too-cute puppies they have behind bars come from puppy mills, which desperately need to not exist. Frankly, if you’re swayed by the adorableness of a petshop puppy, find a breeder – you’re going to get a better dog at, likely, a better price.

After that, it’s time for training! There are several schools of thought on this topic, and I can’t pretend to know what I’m talking about, so I recommend doing some reading. There are countless dog-training books out there – pick up a few. Choose those of differing opinions so that you can find your niche. I’ve read How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete and find their approach full of wisdom and common sense, but I also have a pet supply shop owner friend (she does not practice the sale of animals, just things they need) who denies their wisdom and swears by Donaldson’s The Culture Clash (which is next on my list of things to read).

Training can employ my previous discussion topics: know what you’re getting into and be prepared. Outline what you want the dog to be able to do (sit, stay, lie down, return to you when called, heel properly, or beg on command) and research your best options; learn in order to teach.

There you have it folks, the (so far) fruits of my current, and most passionate, obsession. Good luck to those of you with dogs on the horizon! Please stop by my blog ((http://vyxen.wordpress.com/)) and tell me how you’re doing, share some of your dog knowledge with me (I need to know more), or just hang out!

If Kendra lets me come back, I’ll talk to you about my other new favourite obsession: loose leaf tea!

Thanks for stopping by, and thank you Kendra for inviting me to write for you once again! Have a wonderful day, all.

Aerosmith – Pink
UNT.