OMG, my dog is a lunatic!

I got a phone call recently from a friend, Kelly. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying. Finally, through sobs, I heard, “OMG, my dog is a lunatic. I don’t have a couch to stretch out on and watch TV. Now he is eating the carpet! Wasn’t the couch enough for him? I should never have got this dog!”

People have said that kind of thing to me a lot. Kelly’s dog was frustrated in his new home, missing his owners, and taking it out on the furniture. However, some people do make the wrong choice when picking a dog, and that’s what some of my blog is about.

One of the most important tips I can give you is how to get the right dog for your personality and lifestyle. Not all dogs fit as you well know, but I will introduce you to an amazing idea I had some years back on helping you to know yourself as a dog owner and the breed of dog who will be just right for you. There is more than one way, of course, but I have fully explored the concepts and will chat to you about how you can check yourself out as an owner. I am confident in my knowledge of the breed you may be thinking about.

If I can save one dog from being euthanized, I would be so grateful. Getting the wrong dog can and does lead to this sad outcome. Tears in our vet’s eyes when he put down a healthy Rottweiler because the owner couldn’t handle him prompted years of work of matching. He said, sadly, “I wish there was a way we could match breeds with people.” I set about finding ways.

One of the methods of matching personalities with breeds is by using sun sign (Zodiac) personality guides. A gifted astrologer, Jacqueline Chapple, helped me with this as I knew little about astrology except for checking out my horoscope. We know that a person is not just their suggested sun sign personality, but it is an established personality guide I could use to match breeds of dogs. I wrote a book about this and for those interested in this method, it is available on Amazon, or can be ordered through Barnes & Noble.

The book is called AstroPups and is a fountain of information on sun sign personality traits as they apply to owning a dog. We thoroughly researched 85 breeds of dogs and suggested several breeds for each sign. The book is beautifully illustrated by an award winning artist. In addition, we offer helpful training tips.

Click on this link if you want to check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1439217890.

Some astrology buffs think you should pick a dog by its sign. Could be that this might influence its personality, but breed traits are the way to define a dog.

If you are interested in other ways to choose the right pup for you, I will be giving ideas and tips on every post to this blog. I will also share friends’ and family’s stories about their pets and their adventures with them.

First, though, I would like to tell you a little about myself and my dogs.

I absolutely adore animals. They are a part of my life just as my children are. Right now, I have three dogs, Sally, Jake and Samantha.

Sally is a toy breed, a cross between an Italian greyhound and a Bichon Frise.

When I was browsing in a pet store , this tiny black dog wouldn’t stop whimpering and looking sad. She was housed in an open playpen, so I picked her up to comfort her. She snuggled into me and absolutely refused to go back into her playpen.

I was looking for a Labrador pup, The pet shop was a center for local breeders, and you could see the breeders’ pups via video.

Maybe it was her bright little black eyes, full of trust, peering up at me that pushed the sale. I handed over my credit card and took Sally home. When I got home, my husband, Pete, took one look at the tiny pup nestled in my arms and said, in disbelief,, “What is it? I thought you were getting a Labrador. You’ve got a cartoon dog!”

Whoops, the lab pup was supposed to be my husband’s Christmas present and instead he got jeans and a sweatshirt. How many times have you bought something you liked for somebody else? That’s definitely what I did. Toy breeds suggested for my own sun sign (Libra) are an Italian Greyhound and a Bichon Frise. Merry Christmas to me!

My challenge dog Jake is a pit bull mix. One of my daughters brought him home to us as a rescue. At four weeks old, he was a solemn, small pup who was hesitant to receive affection. When I crated him with a soft toy and a blanket to cuddle into, he didn’t make a sound. True, our home was a new place, he had lost his mom and his siblings way too early, but it was odd that he was so very quiet. When I unlatched his crate in the morning, he just stared out at me and showed no interest in getting to know me. I advise people to get the friendly pup, eager to be friends.

Still, a rescue dog is a totally different story. That’s where the rescuers’ love for dogs is the only thing that’s important. People who rescue dogs often save their lives. Jake’s future would have been short and miserable had he not been rescued.

How that pup has changed. At over a year old now, and about 72 lbs., he is truly testing all my skills as a trainer. Those of you who have pit bulls may identify with this. Super affectionate and so much energy, he is like a speeding train when he goes on a runabout.

Jake has two best friends that he absolutely adores – little Sally and Samantha. Sammi is a purebred Boxer we bought ten years ago. From the start, she was perfect. Sammi was eager to learn, quick to obey, and soon won everyone’s hearts. Sammi loves her family and certain friends, but she is not eager to receive the affection offered by strangers.

To see Sammi as an adult, she is on the cover of AstroPups.

So many dogs, cats, rabbits, doves and even a parrot have been and are a part of our lives.  They have taught me as much as I have taught them. God bless them, they have made me laugh until my sides ached and cry a river.  Mostly, they have enhanced my life beyond measure.

Until next post -thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂