The Size And Activity Level Of A Dog Are Not Always Correlated

By: Andrea Arden on 08/18/2010

One of the great joys of sharing your life with a dog is the fact that they have the potential to act as ambassadors for making new friends and acquaintances. People are far more likely to strike up a conversation with you when you are with a dog. On the down side, people are also likely to make comments and offer advice without solicitation.

I recently had a third lesson with a lovely woman who had adopted a five-month-old Newfoundland puppy from a rescue group. A few minutes into the lesson, I realized that her eyes were welling up with tears. She explained that she was feeling terrible guilt about her puppy. It seems that someone had stopped her on the street to let her know how horrible they thought it was that she had such a large dog in the city. I assured her that her puppy was lucky to have been adopted by her. Not only was she being diligent about his education and socialization but, she had carefully chosen a pup with a low-key nature whose activity level was relatively low, especially compared to many smaller dogs. It seemed this pup was superbly suited to apartment and city life.Keep Reading...

Choosing a Puppy: Take a Test Drive

By: Andrea Arden on 08/11/2010

Once you have your general list of what you think would be the makings of a good canine match for your family started on paper, plan to visit local dog training schools to make a more specific assessment of types of dogs that you might consider most suitable for your family. This is a great place to meet loads of puppies and adult dogs, and to learn a bit more about training and socialization prior to bringing home a new pup. You can also stop by local dog parks and dog events so you have the opportunity to become familiar with lots of dogs of different temperaments, shapes, and sizes.

A shelter or rescue group is one of the best places to find a canine companion. These pups were abandoned by someone, but that is no fault of their own. Puppies are surrendered due to the fact that people are often unprepared for the effort it takes to raise them or because people are negligent in regards to spaying and neutering their dogs which results in unwanted litters. But, with love and guidance a formerly abandoned puppy can become your best friend.Keep Reading...

Dogs Rolling in Poop and Other Smelly Stuff

By: Andrea Arden on 07/16/2010

Anyone who has spent a Summer in New York City can understand why most urban dwellers anxiously await the coveted invitation to visit a friend in the country for a weekend. While the drive out of the city is sure to be a test of mental stamina for even the most experienced city driver, the destination brings with it the peace and quiet that is so highly sought after and scarce in the lives of most city folk. I recently spent one such weekend at a friend's beautiful cabin in upstate New York. Things started off as any dog loving city escapee would hope for. My dogs and I were welcomed with open arms and a dog biscuit or two and our host assured me that the dogs could run freely and safely in the fenced in yard. She even gave the A-OK for the dogs to lounge on the furniture!  I pulled my dogs aside for a puppy pow-wow and explained that they must be on their absolute best behavior as a repeat invitation to this rural heaven was on the line.

Saturday started off swimmingly, both literally and figuratively. After breakfast we all headed down the road to a neighbor's property for a dip in their pond. While we floated on rafts the dogs bounced around the edge of the pond in a futile attempt to catch a frog or an insect. It was the start of a superbly lovely, lazy Summer holiday. After a couple of hours we headed back to the house for a picnic lunch. Once finished, we lay about reading and talking as the dogs investigated the yard. Then it happened.

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