Before we bring a dog home, we need to consider the move carefully. It is a big step in our lives. It is similar to adopting a human child.
When we have adopted a child, it is immoral even to return him and never mind to abandon him.
A dog is a living entity with emotions, feelings. He will depend on us for many things. Our relationship with him must go along the line of ‘to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part’.
The dog is already wired to keep his side of the deal. No problems there. The onus is on us to keep our side of it.
But what breed should we get?
Which breed is right
The breed we should get depends on the function we want of the dog to serve.
Is he meant to be a companion? If so, most breeds make a good companion. Remember, they are already genetically-engineered to be our best friends.
The appropriate breed also depends on our lifestyle. If we are the active, outdoorsy type, we go for any of the high-energy breeds. If we lead a pretty sedate life, we go for any of those that do not require much exercise.
Is he meant to be a guard dog?
This depends on what we mean by ‘guard’. If we mean a ‘security’ guard to protect ourselves (rather like a human bodyguard) and our property, we get a dog already trained to be such a dog. Or, we get a breed that is reasonably big (around 35kg/77lb and above when an adult), and either train him ourself (if we are knowledgeable) or get a qualified dog trainer to train him to be such a dog.
Size is important because we need a guard dog that can overpower even big men. However, big size in itself does not necessarily mean the dog is the appropriate one. The Irish Wolfhound is almost 1.8 metres/6 feet tall when standing on his hind legs, but he won’t make a good guard dog.
If we don’t mean that, then what we actually mean is ‘watchdog’. Most breeds make good watchdogs. They will bark to tell us of any stranger approaching or attempting to break into our house. A few breeds, however, do not make good watchdogs, at all, because they are too friendly. To them, even total strangers and burglars are family friends.
If we want a dog that suggests we are macho, we go for one of those big pure breeds known to be tough.
If we want a dog that shows people we sweat and exhale money, we go for any of the uncommon breeds, with dogs in their respective breed numbering only in the low thousands or even mere hundreds worldwide.
Whatever breed we have determined to be the appropriate one for us, no worries. There are some 440 different pure breeds registered by kennel clubs worldwide to choose from.
After we have decided on a breed, we must do further research, a thorough one. This is absolutely necessary so that neither of us will suffer later.
We need to know the common health problems with the particular breed, the nature of shedding, drooling, temperament, etc. There are breeds that can burrow under the fence and escape, while there are those that can jump over a 5-foot/1.54-metre fence with ease.
There have been cases where owners abandoned or gave away their pure breed dogs because they could not cope with them. Or, they ignored their dogs and put them in deplorable conditions. Both lose, with the pure breeds by far worse off.
The CBS news report here is sufficient proof. Owners of the French Bulldog could not afford the necessary medical costs, and abandoned their pets. We ask ourselves this. Is it fair on the dogs in question? Was it their fault that they suffered from the infirmities? Were their health problems not brought about by humans and not by Nature/God?
Exercise
All breeds need exercise. But the intensity and duration of the exercise vary according to the breeds.
For example, the smaller breeds in the Companion Dogs group need just a 30-minute walk a day. Those in the Working Group need the bare minimum of 2 hours of vigorous exercise daily. (The longer, the better.) Daily. Not when the weather is fine, it is a holiday, or whenever we want to. Vigorous. Not a leisurely walk.
Why do those in the Working Group need vigorous exercise daily? Since the Husky is one of those much sought-after, let’s take a look at him.
The natives of Siberia, above 48 parallel north in North America, and Greenland used to use the Husky to transport goods and hunt over long distances in frigid conditions and over hostile terrain.
It isn’t feasible to estimate how heavy the Huskies used by those natives pulled and how far they ran. To get a fair idea of their stamina and strength, let’s consider Huskies used in a 1000-m/1600-km dog sled race.
One team usually comprises 12 Huskies. The ideal Husky for the race weighs around 22kg/48lb to 25kg/55lb. Let’s take the higher figure of 25kg. (After this, all weights are conservative approximations.) They pull a sled (18kg/40lb) containing mandatory materials (18kg/40lb) and at the back of which stands the musher (72kg/160lb). Total weight is 108kg/240lb. That means each Husky pulls a load typically of around 9kg/20lb or 36% of his body weight. They run an average of 160km/100m a day, although Huskies can run up to 240km/150m a day if they need to.
To put this in perspective, suppose we weigh 72kg/160lb. Thirty-six percent of our body weight is 25.9kg. Say, 30kg/66lb. Can we even walk 160km/100m a day for 10 days with a 30kg/66lb load on our back and never mind run?
Huskies need the barest minimum of two hours of vigorous exercise daily. Are we able to provide him with that? Or, even one hour?
An exhausted dog is a happy dog. When there is no or little outlet for his energy, he can develop behaviour problems.
Other critical factors
The free space available inside and outside our house also has bearing on the suitability of a breed. Our dog must not be kept in chains or in a cage. Ever. He must have the freedom to move around and sufficient space for him to run around in. Do we have enough for his needs?
Some breeds need a lot of grooming. Do we have the time, patience and skill to do that or to take our dog to the groomer’s?
Last but not least, do we always laugh all the way to the bank? Keeping a pure breed properly requires many a pretty penny mainly to minimise health issues, and to deal with them when they occur.
The genesis of pure breeds
Creating most of the pure breeds found today began less than 200 years ago, in Victorian England. At that time, dogs began to be made to live in homes as pets. Shooting sports had also become highly popular.
Now, you can’t have an expensive shotgun, an expensive horse, and expensive hunting clothes but just an ‘ordinary’ mutt, can you? So, the first few pure breeds were created to look different and supposedly to excel in hunting.
Then, yet more breeds were created there and in other countries to excel in various types of hunting as well as in other activities.
All these breeds were touted as superior to mutts.
To support the notion of superiority, a classification system was developed where desirable traits became codified, and the types of dogs given names. This was, and still is, one of the main functions of kennel clubs.
Naturally, when you produce and sell something uncommon and (subjectively) superior, and reinforce the imagery with clever adcopy, you can charge a lot of money.
A rose by any name
Basically, you begin to create a pure breed by getting two dogs with certain desirable traits to copulate in the hope to perpetuate those traits in their offspring. That is selective breeding.
In theory, keep on doing that over generations, and the traits can be accentuated further and further till you get the ‘perfect’ model.
Sounds good? Err . . . hmm . . . Not quite. The problem with selective breeding is that you are using a sire and a dam from the same breed. In actuality, you are repeating inbreeding. Inbreeding, as we know, can create medical problems and abnormalities.
In reality, selective breeding impairs rather than perfects dogs. Whereas in natural breeding recessive genes are gradually eliminated, in selective breeding they are paired and passed on.
You are also eventually left with a limited selection of ‘best’ dogs to pair up. Take for example the Pug. A study carried out by the Imperial College, London and recorded in a BBC documentary in 2008 showed that the 10,000 Pugs in the UK were so inbred that their gene pool was the equivalent of only 50 individuals.
Do an online search on health problems associated with pure breeds, and you’ll find that certain issues are specific to each breed.
Among some of the problems are hip dysplasia, and partial or full blindness and deafness. These manifest as the dogs mature and not when you buy them as puppies.
Selective breeding pleases vain owners, but it actually hurts dogs in many ways. Check out the adverse effects of selective breeding on, to quote just three examples, the German Shepherd Dog, the Shar Pei and the King Charles Cavalier Spaniels.
Beware
If you are prepared to accept the health issues found in the breed of your choice and still want a dog of that breed, how can you get one?
Never buy a puppy online, from pet shops, and from breeders not following what the so-called responsible, or ethical, ones do.
Responsible breeders go to great lengths to ensure the puppies they breed inherit as few as possible of the medical issues associated with their particular breed and have good temperament. They employ clinical tests. They have their males X-rayed. These are neutered if they show signs of bone joints problems so that they will not pass on the issue.
However, all this does not mean the puppies they breed are free of medical problems. The nature of inheritance means the problems cannot be eliminated completely, as some dogs are carriers.
They use a stud determined to possess the most desirable qualities. They have to pay the stud owner mucho dinero to have his stud mate with their dams.
They take good care of their dams not only in terms of providing nutritious food, sufficient exercise and a clean, comfortable living environment, but they also let their dams have enough rest before the next round of breeding.
They do not sell their puppies to just about anybody. They interview would-be buyers, and often want to inspect the place where the latter intend to house their puppies. If they are not satisfied, they will not sell.
Their special efforts, relatively small output, and great demand mean high prices. This gives rise to puppy mills and small-scale or hobbyist breeders.
Puppy mill operators produce as many puppies and as quickly as possible to make quick, big money.
They house their dams in filthy conditions. They make their dams bear puppies as soon as they go on heat after the last birthing. Which male they use to sire the puppies is of little concern to them. As long as the puppies look like those in the particular breed they belong to, it is fine with them. After all, buyers will not notice any imperfections or infirmities until months or years later.
Big surprise
Are you ready? Here goes.
The best dog to have is actually the oft-despised mutts. Free of human manipulation, the mutt is a dog in his Natural, varied state.
Mutts resemble feral dogs such as the New Guinea Singing Dog and the Australian dingo, and ‘primitive’ dogs such as the Basenji and the Portuguese Podengo. In terms of genetic make-up, these dogs are the closest to their original ancestors.
Mutts have a well-proportioned body, long legs, medium-length muzzle, almond-shaped eyes, mostly somewhat upturned tail, fully or partially upright ears, and short coat. All these features are determined by Nature to promote health.
The mutts’ weight only ranges from around 15kg to 30kg or so, whereas pure breeds weigh from 3kg up to around 140kg. The mutts’ weight is about right for handling. Incidentally, the bigger the dog, the shorter the lifespan.
They are mentally and physically tough naturally. They are healthier and thus live longer than pure breeds. They are also far less likely to get cancer.
Meaning, we spend much less on vet’s bills. Just about all we need to pay our vet is for our dog’s annual immunity and rabies shots. These don’t cost much.
Of course, we need to give our mutt proper care. We need to give him nutritious food, bathe and groom him, take him for medical check-ups and treatment whenever necessary, take him out for exercise so he can expend his energy, let him have fun, and always give him our love.
Whereas many of the pure breeds specialise in what they are bred for, mutts are all-rounders. They can work as service dogs, emotional support dogs, therapy dogs, hunting dogs, guard dogs, etc.
Whereas not all pure breeds get along well with children, all mutts do.
Whereas all dogs of any pure breed resemble each other, mutts come in a wide variety of colours, markings and other features.
Where a pure breed puppy can cost up to US$5,000 or even more, mutts cost nothing. In the rare instances we have to pay for one, we can sneeze at the amount.
Pure breeds are created by humans to please vain humans. Mutts are created by Nature to please all humans.
