“Select” is defined in the dictionary by such phrases as “a preferred choice” or “carefully chosen”. Selecting the family dog should be a well-researched and carefully soul-searched activity. Are you and your family willing to make a 10 – 15 year commitment to this sentient being in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for as long as all shall live? Let’s pose some of the questions family members should discuss before obtaining a dog. How old are the members of my family? If the youngsters in your household are under seven years old, they are usually not developmentally suited for puppies 5 months old and under or toy-sized (under 15 pounds) dogs of any age. Puppies have ultra sharp “milk teeth” and toenails and often teethe on and scratch children, resulting in unintentional injury to the child. The puppy becomes something to be feared rather than loved. Toy dogs are fine-boned, touch-sensitive creatures that do not weather rough or clumsy handling well. They break relatively easily and are quicker to bite than their larger boned, mellower relatives. Unless your children are unusually sensitive, low-key, respectful individuals, a medium-to-large sized dog over 5 months old is usually the safer choice. Regardless of size, all interactions between small children and dogs should be monitored by a responsible adult. When there is no one to watch over them, they should be separated. At the opposite end of the spectrum, are there frail elderly or physically challenged individuals in the household? If so, strong vigorous adolescent dogs are not a wise idea. No aging hips or wrists are safe from these yahoos. People who were one-breed fans throughout their lives may one day find that their favorite breed demands more than they can physically handle. The new dog must fit the current physical capabilities of his keepers with an eye toward what the next 10-15 years will bring. Who will be the dog's primary caretaker? A decade or so back, this was an easy question to answer– Mom. She stayed home and cooked, cleaned and raised the family dog. Most families these days do not have that option. All adults have to go to work and the kids head off to school. This leaves the family dog to be sandwiched in between lessons and sports and household chores and so on. One parent should be designated Primary Caretaker to make sure the dog does not get lost in the shuffle. Some parents bow to the pressure their children put on them to get a dog. The kids promise with tears in their eyes that they will religiously take care of this soon-to-be best friend. The truth of the matter is, during the 10 – 15 year lifespan of the average dog, your children will be growing in and out of various life stages and the family dog’s importance in their lives will wax and wain like the Moon. You cannot saddle a child with total responsibility for the family dog and threaten to get rid of it if the child is not providing that care. It is not fair to child or dog. Choosing the family dog should include input from all family members with the cooler-headed, more experienced family members’ opinions carrying a bit more weight. The family dog should not be a gift from one family member to all the others. The selection experience is one the entire family can share. Doing some research and polling each family member about what is important to them in a dog will help pin down what you will be looking for. Books like Daniel Tortora’s The Right Dog for You or The ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs can be tremendously helpful and can warn you away from unsuitable choices for your family’s circumstances. How much can I spend? The price to obtain a dog runs the gamut from free-to-a-good-home to several thousand dollars. It does not always hold true that you get what you pay for. The price you pay in a pet shop is usually 2 to 3 times higher than what you pay a reputable breeder for a puppy of similar (or usually better) quality. Too many folks spend all their available cash on a pet shop purchase and then have no money left for initial veterinary care, a training crate or obedience classes–all necessary expenses. Remember, the purchase price of a dog is a very small part of what the dog will actually cost. Save money for food (especially if it is a large or giant breed), grooming (fancy coated breeds such as Poodles, Cockers, and Shih Tzus need to be clipped every 4 to 6 weeks), chew toys (the vigorous chewers like a Bull Terrier or Mastiff can work their way through a $8.00 rawhide bone in a single sitting), outerwear (short-coated breeds like Greyhounds, Chihuahuas, and Whippets must have sweaters and coats in the winter or in lavishly air conditioned interiors), and miscellaneous supplies (bowls, beds, brushes, shampoos, flea products, odor neutralizers for accidents, baby gates, leashes, collars, heartworm preventative etc.). And then, there is the veterinary emergency! Very few dogs live their entire lives without at least one accident. Your puppy eats a battery or pair of pantyhose, your fine-boned toy breaks a leg, your big boy has bad hips, your dog gets hit by a car or beaten/bitten by the neighborhood bully. These surprises can cost $500 or more. Unlike our children, most of our dogs are not covered by health insurance. But “How much can I spend?” is not only a question of money. How much time and energy can you spend on a new dog? Various breeds and ages of dog make different demands on our precious spare time. In general, the Sporting, Hounds, Herding, and Terrier breeds will demand more time in training and daily exercise than will the Guardian or Companion breeds. A puppy or adolescent will need more exercise, training, and supervision than will an adult dog. And the first year with any new dog regardless of age or breed type will put more demands on the owner than any other time, for this is when you are setting up house rules and routines which will last for the lifetime of your dog. America has become a nation of disposable pet owners. Doesn’t your family dog deserve better? Choose wisely, for when the bond breaks, everybody concerned suffers. Make selecting your new family dog a life-affirming act.
WARNING: The images in this story show deceased animals, which may be upsetting to some. An animal shelter president is in jail for killing more than 2,000 animals. She killed them in order to save money, even using a lower dosage of the euthanization drug to cut costs, cruelly extending their discomfort before death. The president was helped by the janitor, and they tried their best to cover up their crimes. In front of disconnected security cameras, investigators found large speakers pushed into place. They believe they were used to play loud music to help drown out the animals’ howls while they were being killed. Carmen Marin Aguilar, former president of the Paraque Animal Centre in Torremolinos, on the Costa del Sol, will spend the next 3 years and 9 months behind bars after being found guilty of animal abuse and falsifying professional documents. To read more on this story, click here:Animal Shelter President Jailed After Killing Over 2,000 Animals
We all know dogs communicate by smell, but they're not the only one. Smells have a powerful effect on humans—though we are often unaware of how they impact us. Part of the problem is that it's easy to get used to smells. The first week on a new block, the smell of your neighborhood bakery is overwhelming. Pretty soon though, you don't notice the smell. But then you come home after a vacation, and BAM. You smell the fresh bread. Whether it's incense, fresh cut grass, your cat's litter box, or maybe even your dogs… Smells lose their power over time. If you've stopped noticing smells at home, it's safe to say that you're used to your animal shelter or doggy daycare smelling like, well, animals. But what about your customers or potential adopters? What does that smell say to them? What Does Your Kennel's Smell Say to Pet Parents & Potential Adopters? To get the lowdown on what customers care about, we read dozens of Yelp and Facebook reviews of animal shelters, veterinary offices, dog daycares, animal shelters and rescues. The quotes published here, are direct from these reviews, but without names and other identifying features. To read more on this story, click here:Smell Ya Later? The Secret to Repeat Customers for Kennels
When it comes to dogs, owners sometimes have tunnel vision, seeing the world only from the perspective of their own dog or their own dog-training experience. This often leads to owners tossing out sentences that, in an ideal world, would never be uttered. Yet these words are clues to a bigger issue, or a situation that's about to become an issue, including not fully understanding dog behavior, social cues, body language, or simply good manners toward other dogs and dog owners. Training yourself is the the most productive strategy for improving the behavior of your dog -- as well as other dogs that your dog socializes with -- because you are such a big influencer of behavior, even when you don't realize you're influencing your dog's actions. Dr. Patricia McConnell writes in her book "The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs," "Focusing on the behavior at our end of the leash isn't a new concept in dog training. Most professional dog trainers actually spend very little time working with other people's dogs; most of our time is spent training humans. Take it from me, we're not the easiest species on the block to train." But it doesn't have to feel daunting. Training yourself can become easier if you're truly seeing your thought process about your own dog and dogs you pass on the street. Once you recognize how you think about them, you can more easily influence what you think about them. And once you do that, better interactions will follow. To read more on this story, click here: 11 Things Dog Owners Should Never Say
Quentin, the dog who came out alive from the St. Louis gas chamber for dogs, has died, according to a tweet from his owner, Randy Grim. Grim, founder of Stray Rescue, on Twitter said he was saying goodbye “to a legend, my best friend, my kid. Love you Quentin forever.” Quentin was the only survivor among eight dogs that were being euthanized at the St. Louis city pound’s gas chamber one day in 2003. An Aug. 10, 2003, story said the owners had dropped Quentin off at the city animal shelter, saying they were moving to an apartment that didn’t allow pets. Eight days later, “Workers tranquilized eight dogs, including Quentin, and placed them in an airtight box. They pumped in carbon monoxide. Fifteen minutes passed. Seven dogs succumbed. Quentin, for reasons that experts can only guess at, survived with no ill effects.” To read more on this story, click here: Quentin,The Dog Who Survived The Gas Chamber At The St. Louis Dog Pound, Dies
What could be hotter than shirtless firefighters with dogs? Shirtless firefighters raising money for charity with dogs! The 2019 Australian Firefighters Dog Calendar is ready to grace your wall with 11 beefy firemen and their adorable, fuzzy, canine companions! Not only will you get 12 months of super cute canines and foxy firemen, but you’ll also be helping multiple charities that support cancer research and animals! To read more on this story, click here:Shirtless Firefighters Pose With
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This dog, named Beauty, was found abandoned as a puppy in Mani, Greece. After she was found, she was taken in by a local charity, and sadly spent the first nine years of her life in a shelter. Beauty, along with 150 other dogs at that shelter, waited every day for a family to adopt them. Every time someone would walk by her cage she would wag her tail in anticipation and hope. But that day never came for Beauty. To make matters worse, Beauty got sick with leishmaniasis https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/leishmaniasis-in-dogs , a parasitic disease, this past summer. They couldn’t let her live in the shelter while she was sick, so she was brought to Athens to live in a foster home, where she would finally receive proper care. The best part is that Beauty won’t ever have to live in a shelter again. She will remain at her foster home, but is still waiting for a forever home. In the meantime, she will continue to receive treatment. She is doing and feeling much better! Her foster mom, Zaira, has a heart of gold and always takes in the sickest dogs and tries to nurse them back to health. Sadly, many of them have passed away, but Beauty has proven to be a true figher. Although she was very weak and didn’t seem like she’d make it, she defied all of the odds and managed to pull through! She got her second chance at life, but now she is looking for a permanent home with a family who will love her unconditionally. She is a very friendly and sweet pup and definitely deserves a happy ending after everything she has been through. If you’re interested in adopting Beauty,email support@theorphanpet.com. Watch Beauty in the video below:
Twice when I was a child, my parents surprised my brother and me with a pet. When I was 8, it was a puppy at Christmas. And when I was 13, a kitten, several months after a beloved cat had died. We always had a dog or a cat, or both, in the house, and those pets were completely woven into the fabric of our family life. The dogs went on vacations with us; the cats were a fixture at the foot of my bed, or firmly planted between my face and whatever book I was reading. We were devastated when they died. Of all of the pets that came and went, though, the two I remember most were the ones Mom and Dad sprung on us when we weren’t expecting it. Being a kid, I figured they had stopped somewhere on a whim and picked up the new animal on the way home. Now I know better. My husband and I surprised our own children with a kitten a few years ago, much to their delight. Just as my brother and I didn’t know how much planning went into my parents’ surprises, our kids didn’t know that we spent many evenings weighing the pros and cons of getting a cat. I had lived with cats my entire life, but I read “Cats for Dummies” and found out how much I didn’t know. (Cats have a pattern on their noses that is unique, just like a human fingerprint!) We visited the shelter and played with several animals before choosing one. Then we waited a week for our application to be approved, and for her to get spayed. There was a lot that went into her popping her little head out of a picnic basket one Saturday morning and worming her way into all of our hearts. The right pet in the right home can be one of the best experiences you can give your child. Pet ownership can teach a child about responsibility and unconditional love. But the wrong pet at the wrong time can lead to a heartbreaking disaster for everyone, including the animal. To read more on this story, click here:Choosing the Best Pet for Your Family
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The world's smallest puppy named after one of the world's biggest pop stars, Beyoncé, was so tiny at birth she could fit on a spoon. The female Dachshund mix dog weighed just one ounce when she was born. Animal rescuers in California say that she still remains so small that she can easily fit on an iPhone while she is the same size as a business card or credit card. Experts say she is now likely to set a new record for being the world's tiniest dog. She is not yet officially the title holder but a "fast-track" application has been submitted to the Guinness World Records. But a dog rescue centre in El Dorado Hills, California, has now been inundated with requests to adopt the little animal. Beyoncé was the runt of a litter of five that was born to an abandoned dachshund mix, named Casey. Their mother was too heavily pregnant to have a termination and was scheduled to be put down. But vets intervened and looked after the dog until she gave birth a fortnight ago. When Beyoncé was delivered, vets were convinced she was still born. She was the last one delivered and was born without a heartbeat. Dr Michael Russell, the Grace Foundation's vet, then attempted to give her heart compressions but she still wasn't breathing.
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was then given by assistant Beth DeCaprio. She said: "It was actually a little funny, and gross, trying to get my mouth around hers, but after a couple of really small breaths she took a deep breath and started to really move around. "We cleaned out her little nasal passages, and I gave her a couple more breaths and then she started breathing on her own. She is just a remarkable little survivor. "Our hope is that Beyoncé and her miraculous story of survival helps spread awareness about the plight of rescue dogs." Beyoncé is still smaller than the rest of her siblings but she's grown to 124g and is said to be thriving. She is expected to weigh less than 1kg when fully grown.
Are you thinking about adopting a kitten? Here are 10 Reasons why you should adopt two instead of one!
1. You're saving two lives instead of one. If it's kitten season, that's one more kitten that will get a home instead of growing into an adult which will decrease its chance of getting adopted." It is entirely true that kittens are much easier to place than adult cats, and the 15-month-old cat you see in the shelter today is very likely a holdover from last year's crop of kittens. Another way of looking at it is that it's better to get all the kittens adopted out right away, to give the older cats a better chance at finding homes.
2. One kitten can become lonely A kitten left alone during the day can become lonely and bored, which sometimes can lead to mischief. Two kittens will never be lonely, especially if they are siblings. In fact, you'll often find situations in shelters and rescue group adoption where a cage will contain two kittens with a sign, "These kittens may be adopted only as a pair." Shelter volunteers recognize that siblings really need to stay together. And since shelters are often frightening, unfriendly places to small creatures, unrelated cats often form close bonds that should be respected when adoption time comes.
3. One kitten can just drive an older cat nuts. Although it might sound contrary, an older, established cat will probably accept two kittens better than one. One kitten will seek out the older cat as a playmate, or worse, tease and pester the senior cat which can cause stress to an older cat. The kitten in return, will be "rewarded" for his playful efforts with hisses and swats. Two kittens will expend their energy in play with each other, leaving their older "uncle" to relax in peace.
4. Two kittens will "self-train." Kittens learn by copying. If one kitten is quick to learn appropriate litter box use, the other will be likely to copy. They also help each other with grooming; washup after meals soon becomes a ritual with two kittens.
5. They help each other burn off energy. Even the most devoted human caregiver can quickly become exhausted by trying to keep up with the energy of a single kitten. Two kittens will play until they wear each other out, leaving their human parent free to just enjoy watching them. The downside to this, of course, sometimes you have double trouble, too!
6. Fewer behavior problems with two kittens. Many people who experience behavior problems with kittens find that some of them go away when they adopt another playmate. What may be perceived as mischief is often just the result of boredom. Much like their human counterparts, kittens sometimes misbehave because "negative attention is better than no attention."
7. Curiosity overcomes "food finickyness." If one kitten is finicky about food, the distaste is often overcome by curiosity at what its sibling is eating. (Feed one cat Same Old, the other cat New Stuff, and they both end up tasting the new stuff.)
8. They act as pillows for one another. Kittens will often play so hard that they simply flop where they are, and more likely than not, they will flop next to (or on top of) each other. There is no sight so endearing as two kittens curled up together for a nap. Their peaceful innocence can soften the heart of even the grumpiest curmudgeon, and the sight of that blissful moment will wash clean the slate of their previous misdoings.
9. Having two kittens is insanely fun. They're just so much darn fun to watch!
10. They will each have a friend for life. Two kittens who grow up together will almost always be lifelong friends. Although they will sometimes have their little squabbles (what friends don't?) you will more often see them engaging in mutual grooming, playing together, and sleeping with their best pal. If you are considering adopting a kitten, think about your best friend and consider whether you would deprive your kitten of the enrichment a friend brings to life.
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51-year-old Tony Alsup hopes to open his own animal shelter one day. Until that dream becomes a reality, he is doing everything in his power to help dogs and cats affected by natural disasters. It started when he learned about the overcrowding in Texas shelters after Hurricane Harvey. The truck driver from Greenback, Tennessee knew he had to help, but he could not transport animals in a semi-trailer. “I thought, well what can I do?” Alsup told the Washington Post. “I’ll just go buy a bus.” And the kind-hearted animal lover did just that! Alsup purchased an old yellow school bus for $3,200, removed the seats, and headed to Texas. Since then, he has been transporting pets out of disaster zones across the south. He even traveled to Puerto Rico to assist in animal rescue efforts after Hurricane Maria. To read more on this story, click here:Trucker Drives 64 Shelter Pets Out Of The Path Of Hurricane Florence
Leo the cat found himself in a shelter at 6-years-old, waiting for a loving family to take him home, but his health issues made it difficult for the ginger cutie to find a home. Nonetheless, a couple that had been going to the shelter trying to find a buddy to adopt felt like Leo was the perfect match and after a couple times, they decided to make it official. “Each time we left without him our hearts broke, so we knew he was the one. He does have some health issues, however, which is probably why he had been in there 4 months and not been adopted. We didn’t care though,” the couple shared. Leo had to get dental surgery to fix an issue he had in his gum and although it took some saving, his humans managed to give the feline the medical help he needed and he’s now living happily, being the most loving cat. “I highly recommend adopting an older cat! They have less chance of ever being adopted. It’s such a good feeling to be able to give them the love they deserve.” To read more on this story, click here:6-Year-Old Cat Finally Finds Loving Home After Spending A Long Time In Shelter
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Kevin Raffee had waited until nearly the last minute. His wife, Julie Lamacchia, had already left their seaside home in Wilmington, N.C. But on Wednesday morning, the “life-threatening” force of Hurricane Florence churned closer, and it was time to leave. So Raffee started packing the nine-foot moving van in the driveway — dubbed the “Fluffy Bus” — with what really counted: nearly two dozen cats and dogs the couple saved from possible euthanasia. For many pets that have been left behind or abandoned after their owners fled this coastal county and surrounding communities, the final days before the storm hits could mean life or death. [These cats and dogs were moved to safety as Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast] Local, government-run animal shelters were filling up fast, and in many jurisdictions, such as Pender County, shelters that hit capacity must “make space,” Jewel Horton, manager of Pender County Animal Shelter, told The Washington Post on Wednesday. To read more on this story, click here:Shelter in Hurricane’s Path Warns it Will Euthanize Animals if it Can’t Find People to Adopt Them
Officials are pleading with residents in parts of the Carolinas and Virginia to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Florence, but certain city dwellers aren't able to leave Namely, the lions, tigers and giraffes at the Virginia Zoo, and the more than 100 dogs and cats at the SPCA shelter in northeastern North Carolina. "I am planning for the worst and hoping for the best," said Judy Anthony, the manager of the SPCA shelter, which is in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. To read more on this story, click here: Lions,Tigers and Shelter Pets Will Ride Out Hurricane Florence in Place
Do you know what to do when your pet has died at home? A recent incident that happened in the Dale City area of Northern Virginia has prompted me to share this story with you. In February, 2011, I allowed my little Shih Tzu, Domino, who had cancer to die at home. I was with him when he crossed over. I had already made preparations because I knew his time was near. The animal hospital a few miles away had told me that if he passed and they were closed (they close at 6:00 p.m.) that I should take him to a 24 hour animal hospital immediately. Domino passed about 4:00 p.m. My husband wrapped him in a blanket and we took him to the animal hospital, where they immediately took him to the back to prepare him. I had already planned for cremation. I received his urn a week later, and his urn now sits in my curio cabinet next to his sister, Sugar. Cremation for a pet can be very expensive, especially if the pet is big. Domino was down to about 8 pounds when he passed. His sister, Sugar crossed over in 2008, she was about 12 pounds so of course, it cost me more to have her cremated. Everyone can not afford pet cremations…and some don’t choose to do so. Some bury them in their backyards. In the case in Northern Virginia, the pet owner tried to cremate his dog himself in his yard and set his house on fire. Firefighters say Charles Harris was trying to cremate his 11-year-old Rottweiler in the backyard of his Dale City home. Authorities said he used gasoline to get the fire going, but it quickly spread to his home. The Associate Press reports that the man tried to get several animal shelters to help him dispose of his dog’s body, but they all told him the Rottweiler was too large. Firefighters have not said how extensively the home was damaged. No injuries were reported. If you have this situation, please do not try and cremate your pet in your yard. Consider contacting your Vet, animal control, animal hospitals and animal shelters. Please have this conversation with your Vet while your pet is alive to get an idea of what you should do when the time comes, especially if you have big pets. Also, for more information on what to do, click here:What to Do if Your Dog Dies at HomeorWhat do you do if your cat dies in your house? What do you do with the body?
Rehoming my Pug was a hard decision, but the right one; finding the right family was a struggle. He moved so fast that I saw the gash on her eye before I even realized what had happened. My Pug had bitten my daughter, again. Moments earlier I had been sitting on the couch, seven months pregnant, watching my dog chewing on a bone at one end of the carpet and my daughter playing with her tea set on the other side.Wow, I thought. What a nice, quiet evening. Suddenly the toy teapot made a whistling noise and before I knew it my Pug had leapt up from his resting place, run across the carpet, and bit her on the face. She cried, I cried, and in that moment I knew: It was time. Our dog was the first baby of my husband and I. Adopted while we were still dating, he quickly became the fur kid at the center of our relationship. I was that momma who put a coat on him in the winter, dressed him up for Halloween, and even tucked him into his little bed at night. I attended Pug party events, threw him a birthday party, volunteered at a Pug rescue, and took great pride in this fur child of ours. I loved him with all my heart, yet now my fur baby was injuring my human baby — for the third time. To read more on this story, click here:Would You Give Up Your Dog to a New Home if He Bit Your Child?
Tokyo, Japan - Japanese elementary school children enjoyed a dynamic performance by a troupe of 'unwanted dogs' on Wednesday when the Wow Wow Dog Circus came through town with the aim of educating youngsters on the responsibilities of pet ownership. Jumping rope, balancing on balls and crossing narrow balance beams the furry friends brought smiles and laughter to the students of the local public school located in Tachikawa city on the outskirts of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Beginning with a short 10 minute speech about dog shelters and statistics on the numbers of canines abandoned each year in Japan, organizers provided the young attendants with both education and entertainment. Impressed by what he learned one 6th grader said he didn't approve of people who abandoned their pets. "I really felt those people that abandon their dogs and don't take responsibility for them, that's not a good thing," 12-year-old Tokutaro Takahashi said. His classmate, Keito Aoki who also had a chance to jump rope on stage with man's best friend agreed. "For me it is unforgivable! From the moment you buy one, until it dies, that is our obligation," Aoki said. The Wow Wow Dog Circus aims to educate young people about the responsibilities of pet ownership and encourage them both as children and later as adults to adopt animals from shelters in preference to buying them from pet shops. "To understand the value of life, while they are still kids, to let them know what the situation in Japan is in the hope that they will pass on what they learned to others. That is the main focus of the program," said dog trainer Kayo Takeda. In contrast to some other nations the concept of 'doggie adoption' or animal rescue is still relatively unknown in Japan. Most pet owners purchase animals from local pet shops or kennels. "Compared to a country like Germany the number (of adoptions) is way too low, more and more we need to use the system (for adopting abandoned dogs). The sales at pets shops are very high (in Japan), but overseas the thinking to adopt a dog is much more prevalent. I'd like to hope that Japan will move forward in that direction," Takeda told Reuters. In Japan 100,000 dogs are abandoned and destroyed every year.
When Wang Yan lost his dog in 2012, he searched everywhere – even a slaughterhouse – to find his furry friend. Once he saw what was happening within the building’s walls, however, knew he had to take action and he build a shelter… There are a number of people choosing to use their wealth for a good purpose. For example, Johnny Depp intends to purchase the site of Wounded Knee Massacre and gift it back to the Native American people, and a 95-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor is funding the rescue of 2,000 Middle-Eastern Christians. Such stories give one hope in humanity, and this latest news is no different. To read more on this story, click here:Chinese Man Spends $400K to Purchase Dog Slaughterhouse and Set Up Shelter
Real Men are Kind to Animals is a non-profit organization. While they don’t describe on their facebook page what they actually do…the pictures below speak volumes! You can “Like” their face book page at:Real Men are Kind to Animals
Arlington officers praised for pacifying ‘aggressive’ dog
“Select” is defined in the dictionary by such phrases as “a preferred choice” or “carefully chosen”. Selecting the family dog should be a well-researched and carefully soul-searched activity. Are you and your family willing to make a 10 – 15 year commitment to this sentient being in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for as long as all shall live? Let’s pose some of the questions family members should discuss before obtaining a dog.
