So, you want a dog? Finding what's the best fit for YOU!

    Everyone goes through the thought process of whether or not they want to add in a four-legged furry friend to their life. The problem generally lies within the decision of, "Which breed of dog do I get?" It can be quite a daunting process because you can end up torn by which dog you find a cutest, versus which dog actually fits your lifestyle. That's correct! Which dog suits YOUR lifestyle the best! There are so many factors to take into consideration when considering adding a dog to your pack, and I'm going to to my very best in trying to bring up the most important ones before you make a life changing decision. Here we go!

    The first thing I ask people is, "what type of pet is the entire household on board with?" Without every member of the family on board, it can end up being confusing to the dog as to what the rules, boundaries, and limitations are - which could end up detrimental to both human and canine. We don't want that to happen, so all members of the family need to be on the same page of how much work you are willing to make time for to put into your dog. For example, if the adults work most of the day and have little time for themselves after work, a dog such as a high-energy, working line, breed may not be the best choice for you. Maybe some a little more docile and relaxing; but if you're a family that is always out on adventures, traveling, hiking, etc., then that high-energy dog would be the better choice (rather than the lazy docile breed). The point is, you need to be able to decide which type of lifestyle you have in order to choose the dog - not choosing the dog you like because of how cute they are or because you saw some neat video on TikTok or YouTube, then change your lifestyle to fit because that seldom works. 

    Different factors come into play when making the decision of every family member being on board and how much time can be dedicated to him or her. Whether you decide on a puppy, adult, senior, or special needs, these should be some questions you are asking yourself, or with your family, when making a decision:

    Can all responsibilities be shared amongst all members of the household? Regardless of the breed or age of the dog, everyone must be on board with wanting this animal as a member of your pack. With this in mind, you need to consider how the pet will fit into your life over time. We don't stay young forever and they are only in our lives for a short amount of time as it is (or so it seems to many of us). What will happen when your children get older, when they move away, or if you never plan to have children but end up with a surprise? Are you willing to teach you child to respect the dog's boundaries? What will happen when you retire from your job? What if you decide you want to move out of the state, across country, or even to a new country?

    How often will the pet be unattended, and for how long? If there will be long periods of time where the pet will be alone, do they have access to the outdoors (i.e. doggy door, etc.) or will you be willing to hire a sitter to drop-in and let them out for you?

    Do you have a fenced in yard, a tie out, or will they roam free? Will this be a livestock guardian? Will they be an "inside" or "outside" dog? Do you have the appropriate space to have the dog you desire? 

    What are your travel plans? Can you bring the dog with you? Are you willing to travel with them, and if not, are you willing to board them during your vacation?

    

Some breeds have specific diseases that can appear over time or in old age - are you willing to put in the efforts of care and the money for veterinary bills? I have mostly German Shepherds and mixes of the sort, let me tell you, ACL surgeries are not cheap for dogs who like to run hard and generally have no sense of self-preservation - someone send help for my bank account, please! 😭😂

    Does the dog you want suit your activity level? Take a moment and truly think about the lifestyle you currently have and take even more time researching the breeds you are interested in regarding their energy levels and exercise needs. Being able to provide the required amount of exercise daily for an average of 16 years is a HUGE commitment. Know what you are capable of managing beforehand so you and your new furry friend are both happy and satisfied. You cannot blame a hyper dog like a Springer Spaniel for being themselves if you are unable to provide an outlet for them to release that energy. A dog like that has energy that could have them running for several MILES every day - and if they don't get it, they will more than likely be destructive from their frustrations. My husband and I are traveling folk who love vacationing with our pack, so they love every adventure!

    Which brings me to my next point - can you chew-proof your home? This is a very important consideration if you are deciding on a puppy - they don't know any better and need to be taught what they can and cannot chew on, so I would recommend finding a new home for shoes and slippers, amongst other things that are low enough to the floor or on the ground, until they know their boundaries and limitations within the home.

    A favorite topic of mine amongst the German Shepherd communities is: SHEDDING! Now, they are not the only breed that sheds, our beloved Labradors and Retrievers are also huge shedders. If you are not willing to spend the time for grooming (brushing and de-shedding) these amazingly dear canines, or invest in a vacuum that can handle the furry tumble weeds, then I would recommend a dog that doesn't shed as much, or at all. If you decide you don't want a shedding dog, are you willing to spend the time to groom the dog yourself, or take to a groomer for regular cuts/trims? Investigation of the tendencies and seasonal patterns is a must between different breeds.

    If it turns out that adopting a canine is probably not suitable for you or your family, then there are other options to consider - different types of pets, or even getting involved with natures creatures, like feeding the birds, squirrels, or chipmunks, of your neighborhood. There is also the option of volunteering at your local shelter, becoming a pet sitter or fostering a pet for short periods of time. There is no shame in not being able to adopt a dog full-time, there are plenty of people out there who don't have the time to dedicate to a furry friend. There's all kinds of information out there on all different breeds of dog to make informative decisions.

    When choosing the dog you want, please give it a thorough process of deciding before falling on a permanent decision. There are far too many animals in our shelters who need loving homes - and the love you will get in return from them is immeasurable when paired with the right one! 💕

-The "Shark" Amongst the Paws

Welcome to My K9 Blog!

 Hello and Welcome to the "Spot!" 😀

    I'm so glad you have found your way here! The more the friends we have, the more fun we will have learning about our favorite family members - our dogs!

    This is going to be a place where all kinds of information will be discussed from choosing the right breed of dog for your lifestyle (not the other way around, or simply because it's "cute,") to the appropriate training and care for that dog - believe it or not, they are not all the same with the same needs or even learning capacity.

    (Yuki, 7 y/o, Advanced Obedience/Tricks)

    A little bit about me: I am "Sharkey," and I currently have 5 dogs - Daisey, Yuki, Freyja, Loki and Thor, but let's start at the beginning... My journey started in childhood when my dad rescued a puppy that was dumped outside of his work. I was in the 1st grade. He was merely weeks old - we think a Border Collie/Brittany mix. We named him Spotty, and he was the smartest dog I had ever met (of course, because he was mine - and my brother's). His ability to learn new things was so fascinating to me, I fell in love with the way a dog's mind works. Then, we started to dog sit for my dad's boss and he only ever had German Shepherd Dogs (GSD). Casey. She was my first love of the breed and the reason why I became obsessed. She was beautiful and smart. 

    Fast forward to 2011, when I got my first GSD for myself - my time in the Army was coming to an end, so I was super excited to begin this journey with my very own GSD because I finally had the time to dedicate to this amazing breed! 😀 Thus, Walther von Kitsos came into my life! He was my everything - from mistakes to success, he was simply the best friend anyone could ever have. 

(Walther, 20 March 2011-20 March 2021)

    I unfortunately lost him at 10 years old to a twisted stomach (also known as bloat). It was the hardest lost I ever had to deal with because he was my very first GSD - my pride and joy of basic obedience and the "goodest of boys." I lost him for about 5 years when my ex-husband took him in the divorce (after I had already bonded to him and was starting him on Schutzhund training, but when I got him back (because he landed in jail and never took my information off the chip) the only thing I could really do at that point was retrain the basics and get him back to a healthy weight. The poor fella... but at least he had a loving place to "retire" himself at. 💕

    In between that time of loss, I gained a love named Daisey. She was sent to me from an Army friend who couldn't handle her energy for the stage of life he was in and asked if I could take her on because of my experience with GSDs. Of course I would never turn that down, so she was sent to me from NJ to Hawaii. What a journey! She was 2 years old when I got her - and I still have her to this day at 11 years old. 

(Daisey at 4 years old, at a rest stop on a road trip)

    She was such a pain in the butt! She had no concept of boundaries or limitations, no rules and no training other than sitting - when she felt like it. There were some days where I felt like a failure and questioned whether or not I made the right decision to take her on... but I didn't let that attitude win me over. I started with walks, building that pack bond, three times a day, training after each walk, play after each training. Thank goodness I was only in school full-time and was not working, so I was home all day and was able to give her the attention needed to bring fulfillment to both of our lives. Six long, hard, months later, I had discovered she had an amazing nose for scent work, and was a natural for Service to aid some issues I had with my PTSD from my time in the Army. Thus, a Service Dog was made, with an amazing knack for finding things. Today, she may be old with two ACL surgeries under her belt, but she is still my Velcro dog who will whine and scratch at the door if I'm needing assistance when I'm by myself - otherwise, I deem her to be retired at this stage of her life. 😊 It's just play and fun for her. 

(Daisey, 2022)

    Over the course of time, I ended up with Freyja, a GSD/American Staffordshire Terrier/Alaskan Malamute/Bloodhound (yeah, that was a lot), who was rescued by a friend of mine while she was watching my dogs during my tour in Afghanistan. She was a part of a litter who was threatened to be drowned because it was an "accidental" pregnancy. She is the one who will be taking Daisey's place as my Service Dog. 

(Freyja, 2022, 2 years old)

    

    Then we got Thor, a GSD mix, from the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri. He was meant to be a friend to Freyja since she needed a dog to play with because Old Miss Daisey wasn't having it with her shenanigans. Ha! He was perfect for her and they are now the best of friends! His job is solely to be a pet, and best friend to Freyja. 😃

(Thor, 2002, 1 year old)

    Then we got Yuki, a GSD mix, who was a rescue from a bad situation from another friend. She was malnourished and rebellious, needing a lot of attention in the respect department, but she seemed like she was maybe a show or trick dog maybe several owners prior. She knew how to do a lot of things beyond basic obedience, so we put a lot of focus on that when she was in better health.

(Yuki, 2022, approx 7 years old)

     Lastly, we ended up with Loki, who was rescued from a bad backyard breeding situation - and also my first Belgian Malinois! I said I would never have a Mal, because their energy was too much for my situations in the past - since they are essentially a GSD on cocaine, but I felt like now I was able to step out of the comfort zone I was content with and broaden my knowledge. I couldn't have been happier with the decision. We initially got him for my husband for the work he was doing, but then his occupation changed, but our training with him never stopped. He is continuing with his bite work and will eventually go for PPD.

(Loki, 2022, 1.5 years old)

    With over 10+ years of experience with working line breeds, I'm confident to call myself a trainer from personal experiences, as well as through book knowledge - I come backed with a certificate from Duke University on Dog Emotion and Cognition, as well as several other international training and animal psychology courses. 

    I look forward to the journey with all of you and the open discussions! Feel free to ask questions, whether from personal experience or simple curiosity. This is where my heart lies and this is where I belong - with all of you and our dearest canines!

-The "Shark" Amongst the Paws