Ask Billy: How Do I Choose The Right Dog For Me?

Q: Emily from New York wants to know how to determine what type of dog is best for her lifestyle and family.

A: Emily, I'm so glad you asked this question because bringing a dog into your household is an important decision that cannot be taken lightly --EVER! A dog is a lifelong commitment and should never be an impulsive acquisition -- many dogs live 12-17 years.

First things first, do a lot of research and analysis. Many respectable websites offer sound advice for potential dog owners. Here are a few articles to start you off:

Petfinder

Adopt a Pet

American Humane Association

ASPCA

Humane Society of the United States

American Kennel Club

Realistically assess your capabilities, time commitment, and budget. A Poodle requires much more professional grooming than a Pug. Don’t get a Border Collie or a Portuguese Water Dog unless you are willing and able to provide a safe means to release all the innate energy. Read books and talk to friends, family, and dog care professionals.

Visit shelters and reputable breeders. A good breeder is picky and will want to ensure that you know the pros and cons of a specific breed before you take a dog home. Similarly, if you’re considering a mixed breed, try to get a sense of the dog’s personality and learn about the breeds in the mix. Spend time with the breed or dog you like before making a final decision.

Never get a dog unless everyone in the family or household wants one. Likewise, dogs make lousy gifts. The recipient may not have the time, money or energy to care for the pooch.

Remember to check you local shelter for your new best pal and don't buy a dog from any person or store that supports puppy mills.

Arthur Finds His Inner-Herder or How Breed Based-Activties Equal Big Fun For Fido

Billy's Cocker Spaniel Arthur herds chicken at a friend's farm in Indiana.

You know what they say, you can take the dog out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the dog.

Arthur, a normally mellow, urbane and beautifully- coiffed Cocker Spaniel typically spends his day greeting clients at Billy's salon, strolling the Chicago sidewalks and romping with his brother Zeke in a high-rise apartment. Yet, this weekend Arthur's ancestral yearnings took over and Arthur went from city dog to Barnyard Dawg faster than you can say "Foghorn Leghorn."

Why did this happen?

Through the magic of genetics, Arthur found his inner gun dog. Despite his years in the city, Arthur's innate urge to flush game and retrieve never left him. Arthur chased, herded and retrieved chickens to his hearts content. His tail never stopped wagging.

No matter how citified Fido may be, his breed (or breeds) often reveal a new way to exercise, play and relieve boredom. Historically, breeds had specific jobs. For example, Portuguese Water dogs worked in the water with fishermen, herding fish into nets, moving nets in the water and delivering messages between ships. Basset Hounds, with their long ears and highly developed sense of smell and slow pace, assisted hunters in tracking prey. Border Collies herded and protected flocks of sheep.

Dogs require mental and physical stimulation to prevent boredom and destructive behavior. Today, most dogs are unemployed and spend their days in backyards, parks and living rooms. Discovering your dog's hereditary job offers a new way to keep Fido mentally and physically fit--it also decrease the chances that Fido will chew your furniture to release energy or stress.

So, do some research and learn about your furry friend's history. Then, find an activity that emphasizes the job your dog was meant to perform. If your pooch is a genetic mix, try out jobs from all his breeds.

Hide snacks in your yard and set your Beagle loose to uncover the treasure. Join a hunting club for your pointer, spaniel, terrier or hound, but dress her in orange to keep her safe from other hunters. Or buy a stuffed squirrel and play fetch. A farmer may require help herding his sheep (or chickens) or a golf course may need a dog to keep birds off the grass. Here in Chicago, the Park District occasionally uses Border Collies to chase seagulls and geese away from beaches and parks. The possibilities are limitless. An uber-yuppie friend of Happy Dog Land now spends his weekends in the brush instead of in the artisanal cheese shoppe so his German Short-haired Pointer can hunt with other members of a hunting club. Who knows, you may even find your inner-Homo Erectus.

Before we go, we state for the record, that no chickens were harmed in the making of this blog entry.

Bravo Portuguese Water Dog Breeders!

As reported in the Wall Street Journal today, the demand for Portuguese Water Dogs has risen tremendously since Bo Obama moved into the White House. Reputable Portie breeders (like good breeders of all dogs) don't allow just anyone to purchase their dogs. The screening process is strict and demanding. Portie breeders are turning down people at an even higher rate than usual because so many people want the "It" dog.

"We try to discourage people," says Mary Eadie, a breeder in Annandale, Va., who says she has had 300 calls since Bo Obama came on the scene. She says she narrowed the field by eliminating anyone who wanted a dog immediately or wanted a female to breed. Then she weeded through applications, finally inviting the final 30 for interviews to vie for the 10 puppies her two females gave birth to in March. "We try to educate the public about the commitment involved in taking on this dog," she says.

The vigilance of these breeders will protect the breed and ensure that the dogs go to people who can take proper care of these highly energetic dogs.

With demand for Porties growing by leaps and bounds, puppy mills will unfortunately fill the void. If you want a Portie and the "breeder" or pet store is willing to sell you one no questions asked, walk away and don't look back--you may be turned into a pillar of salt. Don't be tempted because you will be supporting unscrupulous people who don't care about the welfare and safety of the dogs. Moreover, you want to be able to sleep at night. If you can't get a Portie, there are millions of other wonderful pooches waiting for you to find them!

The Perils of being the "IT" Dog

One of the unfortunate side-issues involving the new First Dog (and we should be hearing news on that front any minute now) is that whatever breed the Obamas choose, it will likely lead to puppy mill copycat breeding. Puppy mills seize upon every high-profile dog in popular culture and seek to meet consumer demand by rapidly and randomly breeding dogs en masse in horrific conditions.

Paris Hilton's Chihuahua, while enormously cute, inspired the mass breeding of Chihuahuas in puppy mills. That's not so cute. Of course, this is hardly the fault of the celebrities -- in fact, we love the fact that they are so attached to their pooches. What it does demonstrate, however, is the need for regulation of puppy mills. Animal cruelty is animal cruelty, and no matter how much you may want a specific dog, we strongly encourage you to get your dog from a shelter or a rescue or a reputable breeder. Indeed, almost every breed club has a rescue or a network to help place a dogs in need. So you can rescue a purebred, you just need to know where to look.

A reputable breeder and a puppy mill are two completely different things. A reputable breeder is working to improve the breed and cares deeply about each and every dog. A puppy mill is a large scale commercial operation that is in business to make money--period. This means that the puppy mill makes more money if its expenses are low. As you can imagine, spending money on adequate food, shelter and vet care means lower profits. The puppy mill is trying to maximize output (puppies) per dog and this has nothing whatsoever to do with the health or welfare of the dogs.

If the Obamas choose a Portuguese Water Dog and you want to get one too, then contact the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. Billy's good friend Rolli Grayson is a wonderful breeder and, like all good breeders, she is extremely strict about where her dogs go. You may even find it easier to adopt a child than a dog from some breeders--and this is a good thing. A reputable breeder wants all her dogs to have a happy life with a responsible owner. That means, no reputable breeder sells dogs to a pet shop or in a mall parking lot. In fact, a good breeder remains in touch with her dogs and their new families and accepts returns if things don't work out.

So, please do your research and enjoy your new pup.