where to find a dog

Considering that many of the animal rights activists in our country continuously scream about the pet overpopulation problem, often times I am approached by families looking for a dog. Where should they go? Who should they trust? What happens if they buy a puppy over the internet? 

Yesterday I was training Hawk just outside the open back of my van. I heard Phoenix barking and turned around just in time to see a cute little pup (I’ll attach a pic!) jump into my van. Considering where I was and what her body condition is like, I assume some family could not afford to keep her and they dumped her at the park to become “someone else’s problem”. It’s so very unfortunate for this little girl. She is extremely thin, scared of alot of things (though she seems to like people, kids and other dogs), and she was VERY thirsty for some clean water I’m sure. She just happened to jump into the right van, I decided I will take her in, put some weight on her, foster her, and then find her the most perfect home. With a face like this what else could I do? 

 

Speagle the beagle/spaniel mix

So it wasn’t very hard for me to find a dog for a pet home. Most people just want a cute dog that fits in with their family. I would urge you to consider diligently your needs for a dog. 

I also have purchased dogs from well known and reputable breeders. I require a specific type of quality in the dogs I compete with, and I know what I’m looking for, and what pedigrees to find it in. I am kind of sick of AR activists calling me inhumane or worse for knowing what i want in a dogs pedigree and going for that. I have been involved with rescue throughout my life, often taking the time to diligently find excellent homes for a variety of dogs and dog breeds. Much of my life has been dedicated to keeping dogs in their homes in the FIRST place. I have a rescue dog in my home currently. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t ever go to a reputable breeder either. If you want to save a dog, consider the pound, or shelter. MAYBE even a reputable rescue without quite the “agenda”. If you are looking for specific qualities, research breeds that have those qualities, you may be able to find a breed rescue. If you, like me, need to know pedigrees in order to help better the breed, purchase from a reputable breeder. So what makes a reputable breeder? More on that later!

group obedience classes forming

sorry for the interruption in our normal programming but it was pointed out to me that in an advertisement I posted the link to this blog but NOT the link to my training website. Please forgive me. Feel free to look around the blog for information on a variety of topics, or sign up for my classes in Lancaster or Agua Dulce at http://btk9academy.edogtrainer.com  or visit our main website at: http://www.blazingtrailsk9academy.com  

Helping dogs live longer – controlling weight

I was on Sparkpeople.com today and while logging my fitness minutes I realized there is no such site like this for dogs. Maybe someday I’ll decide to do it, but it got me to thinking. While American’s have gained weight considerably in the last few decades, so have our dogs. They lay around the house getting fed tasty morsels from the dinner plate, and they grow pudgy. Is it really that bad?

why compete in dog sports or competitions?

In one of my training groups there has been a lot of conversation on the importance of dog competitions. It was a heated topic for discussion to say the least, but it made me do a lot of thinking. 

Some said that they find competition boring, others that it is too “political”. The competitors say it makes you a better trainer, and so the conversation went. So…I proposed that those that compete in any type of dog sport, simply state what it has done for them. Then I started to pinpoint what it has done for ME and my dogs.

More Kate and Gin – Britain’s Got Talent – border collie canine freestyle

Here is one more of Kate and Gin. As I said in my last post, this dog just makes me want to go out and do more with my dog. I have seen lots of video footage of canine freestyle and I’m always impressed. Every time I see one these it’s a lot of fun. This gal looks good, I can hardly even see any cues! Hope you enjoy!

border collie freestyle – Kate and Gin

OK so this is one of two performances I could find with Kate and Gin on YouTube….I couldn’t resist posting this here. It made me want to go out and do something more with my dogs! I have been highly impressed by Canine Freestyle since the first video I ever saw of it, I just love the energy. I have 2 left feet, but boy, this is one that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Check out Gin’s sense of Rhythm!

Designer dog breeds

 

Cosette - picture by Kristi Chesley

 

 

What would I get if I crossed a maltese poodle mix with a papillon? Would that be a papimaltipoo? a maltipapipoo?What about a poopapimalt? Ok so this could start to border on the ridiculous in a hurry. But with the latest trend in designer dog breeds, I wouldn’t be surprised if the above suddenly were considered “rare and exotic” and a pup was sold for over a thousand of those hard earned dollars! Which would be sad, considering a well bred papillon from champion lines could cost that much at least!

How do I become a dog trainer?

Many people have approached me over the years with this question. They usually think it would be fun to work or play with dogs all day, and consider my job to be a “dream job”. First let me say, that while training dogs for a living is fun, it is also WORK. I’ll write on what it’s like to be a full time pro trainer in another post. In this post, we’ll talk about how to become a trainer.