Dear Bloggers

I desperately need some feedback. My husband and I have been diligently searching for a puppy to adopt and bring home. I have been monitoring and calling pretty much every humane society and shelter within a three hours driving range to no avail.

Before anyone criticizes me about wanting a puppy and not a dog, please hear me out. My heart just breaks for all those adult dogs in shelters. I’ve wept daily seeing their sad faces staring at me on my screen. I’m the type of person that can’t watch a movie where an animal gets hurts without bawling for a week. Perhaps it’s a bit of selfishness, but we really want to be able to train and rear a puppy to be a part of our family from a young age. As a child, we adopted an adult dog and of course, her personality. We never did fully bond because she was set in her ways of standoffishness that ultimately resulted from a life of neglect and abuse. I know this isn’t always the case, but our mind is made up, we would rather have the opportunity to train and work with a puppy to build a strong bond from as early on in their life as possible.

Furthermore, we really didn’t go into this with any inclination to adopt a purebred. We just really wanted a furry companion who needed a home. The larger the dog the better.

Back to my point. I noticed an add for a Siberian Husky. I also noticed she was far away. Like a five hour drive. (For those map savvy Canadians, Tobermory Ontario is far far away). Anyhow, something prompted me to make the call. I ended up talking with this lovely old man who breeds these dogs with so much love and integrity. He talked my ear for an hour telling me all about the breed, how they are raised, their family bloodline etc. He had an honestly and genuineness about him that made feel instantly connected.

After researching this breed and many others, I have so many reservations now. The Siberian Husky can never be off their lead. Their strong desire to run is far too overpowering. From what I understand, all loyalty gets pushed aside if they escape from their lead, and as a hound dog owner, know the devastation that can result. I lost two hound dogs to car accidents as a child. It broke my heart, but at least the first hound was saved from her abusive owners. Also, huskies like to dig and chase things. My cats aren’t exactly well socialized, and hate everyone but my husband and myself. They need a dog who won't eat them or terrorize every waking moment of their life.

Upon checking out other breed and or breed mixes (we were thinking Labrador Retreiver, Collie, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Newfoundland Dog), we came to the quick realization that some of the more typical “All American Family” dogs aren’t so much so anymore. Cross breeding and misbreeding has, from what I understand, changed a lot of their tempermant and the typical summary chart for a breed doesn’t always apply anymore.

Yes, too much information can be a bad thing (I feel like it's working against me with this decision). I realize that at the end of the day, with patience, proper training and lots of love, any breed can fit well into a family, but I want to ensure I am making a well informed decision. My DNA is hardwired with anal tendencies. I cant help it.

My plea to you dear bloggers, is feedback on dog breeds that work well in suburbia, get along with cats, and most importantly, with children. If you can help in any way with personal feedback about your experience with larger dogs, that would be most appreciated.

Labels: Thinking Out Loud