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Looking For a Good Family Dog?
By Lizzie Novotny
If you are looking for a good family dog, consider one of the hunting breeds. If you already own one you don't need to read this! My husband and son hunt using our Vizsla pointers, Abby and Peaches. The intelligence and loyalty astounds me. They even achieved couch status in the living room, much to my chagrin.
As an all-round good family dog, the hunting breeds are hard to beat.
The Sporting dog breeds have tremendous popularity as family pets, just think Golden Retriever or Labrador. For the most part, all hunting dogs have similar qualities that fit well with family life such as wonderful loving nature, great for active families, love outdoor activities, great with children, energy and endurance, devoted and loyal, good family watch dog.
Choose a dog that fits your lifestyle. The breed is often chosen on impulse, because of its appearance, reputation, or as the current fad, and not for the particular characteristics that will make it a good pet that fits the family's lifestyle and activity level.
Families or individuals who are outdoorsy and active should consider choosing a dog from the sporting group. Also known as gun dogs, or bird dogs, they have natural hunting abilities, pointing retrieving or both. As a hunter you have a dog that fits with your sport. My husband hunts upland game, quail and pheasant, so our pointer vizslas fit the bill. These dogs also fit well with our home life. Sporting dogs are energetic. They love to run and are better off not being confined. They are not suited for apartment life! The best scenario is a large fenced-in yard. For physical activity, walking your dog 2 or 3 times a day is just not enough... these dogs love to flat out run!
Sporting dogs can enjoy swimming if they are easily introduced to water as puppies.
Gentle rivers or lakes are good, even the backyard pool works! Never throw the puppy in. This could teach him to fear water. Find a shallow spot for him to get in with your encouragement. Bring him in and allow to feel his stride swimming. Don't hold or force him to stay in the waster, as panic will turn to fear of the water.
Labrador Retrievers and Golden retrievers have become one of the most popular family dogs in the sporting group. They are happiest when they are with their people, and are too friendly to be good guard dogs! Labs are gentle with children.
Golden Retrievers are also extremely popular. A well-mannered, charming breed that loves people and other animals, Golden Retrievers are wonderful family dogs that are gentle and patient with children.
English Springer Spaniels are intelligent, cheerful, and playful dogs who love everyone. They have high energy levels which make them a great pet for families with active children. English Springers can cover rough terrain with speed, agility and endurance.
Weimaraners are proud and aristocratic dogs. Fearless but not overly aggressive, they are protective of their families. Intelligent and eager to please, Weimaraners need lots of attention and respond well to obedience training.
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are the ideal pets for families who love winter sports. Bred to hunt fowl on the icy New England coast, their thick waterproof coats allow them to tolerate adverse weather conditions. Brave, powerful and assertive, they are excellent watchdogs.
Irish Setters are outgoing dogs with even temperaments. They are great with children and like to play with other dogs. Sweet-natured and playful, Irish Setters love plenty of attention and affection. They are not "stupider" than other breeds as some people believe.
German Shorthair Pointers are intelligent and eager to please but can be stubborn and willful. They are loyal and affectionate with their families but often standoffish to strangers.
Cocker Spaniels have been popular family pets for decades. Their small size and sweet, cheerful dispositions make them wonderful companions for children.
Many other sporting breeds are quickly gaining popularity as family pets. When choosing a sporting breed be sure you can fulfill the dog's need for the great deal of physical exercise and attention that they need to be happy.
Buy a puppy from a reputable breeder who knows good specimens of the breed they produce. Puppies from pet store "puppy mills" or backyard breeders may not have the gentle, friendly nature that is so characteristic of a well-bred sporting dog.
Sporting dogs are not for everybody, but you don't need to be a hunter to own one!
Renting a Dog: Barking Up the Wrong Tree?
Harry Truman said, “If you want a friend, get a dog.”
But if you only want a temporary friend, should you rent a dog?
Jackpot, Pirate, and Tango are among the pooches available to lease by the hour or the day from Flexpetz, a dog rental company with offices in Los Angeles, New York and London.
While some upscale hotels have lent dogs to guests over the years, Flexpetz is making a business out of it. For a $99 administration charge, a $99 monthly membership fee, and a $150 mandatory training and orientation session, a customer can rent as many dog day afternoons as desired, for an additional $45 each.
Who rents a dog? People who travel a lot, people who live in places that don’t allow pets, and people like 26 year-old Sarah Stevenson, who moved to New York from Scotland. “It’s been difficult for me to meet people because everyone in New York just kind of goes about their business,” Stevenson lamented. But when she’s out walking a rented cockapoo named Oliver, “It becomes a nice way to meet people.”
Flexpetz says all of their dogs—some of which were rescued from animal shelters—wear GPS tracking collars and are fed “holistic dog food.” But that’s not enough to stop some critics from howling fowl over what they say is the unacceptable promotion of dogs as accessories.
The company was banned in Boston after the City Council unanimously passed an ordinance making dog letting illegal. “To rent a dog just seems wrong,” said one legislator. “I’m not for legislating morality, but it just seems like cruel and unusual treatment of a poor, defenseless animal.” A Boston newspaper editorial took issue with what it saw as people who “want the comfort of a pet, but not the full-time responsibility.”
“Pets are not like cars or furniture,” the Humane Society says. “Moving them from person to person, home to home, can induce problems such as anxiety and depression.”
But a psychologist counters that people who want to borrow a dog usually just want some companionship. “It may be a short bond,” he said, “but it’s a real bond.”
