Bringing a new dog into the household should be one of life’s happiest events. The process always starts with excitement and high expectations. Too often, though, it ends in disappointment. The new puppy wakes everyone three times a night, gnaws on furniture, piddles everywhere, knocks the children down. The new adolescent dog is too wild. The new adult dog growls at your neighbors. And where did all this dog hair come from?
Most people spend hours researching a new mattress, days researching a new car, and weeks researching a new home or job. Yet for a new dog, a companion for the next 10-15 years, the most they do is visit the nearest shelter or pet shop and buy whatever looks cute and appealing. It’s no wonder they end up disappointed.
Whether you are looking for a purebred puppy or a charming mixed-breed, the type of dog you bring into your home matters. A quiet owner will struggle to keep up with a high-energy labrador mix, for instance, while an active outdoor family will be impatient with a snoozy bulldog. And finding the right kind of dog means becoming the right kind of owner—a task that takes some forethought and planning.
How To Find Your Dream Dog is here to fix the disconnect of dog ownership. It walks you step-by-step through the process of choosing the right type of dog for you—not only exploring the canine qualities that can determine your perfect puppy, adolescent, or adult dog, but also assessing your lifestyle to make sure you’re a good match for the dog, too. The book also looks at good (and bad) sources for finding healthy and sound pet dogs, gives guidelines for evaluating individual puppies, and warns of some red flags to watch out for during your dog search. With this guidebook in hand, you can be confident that the next puppy or dog you bring home will be the right companion and friend for you for the rest of its days.
Available...
And I thought...
Lots and lots of good great information here. I will begin my search for my 'Dream Dog' new best friend soon. Dixie provides
knowledge and resources that I didn't realize I needed.
The information Dixie provides is this book is relevant for anyone considering adding a new dog to the family.
Whether a seasoned dog owner like myself or a 'newbie' (a first timer) anyone can find useful information.
For the seasoned owner things/practices have changed over the years. People are much more knowledgeable and professionals like Dixie are able to offer knowledge from years of practice.
Back in the day you just went and looked for a puppy fell in love and took it home. And hoped for the best. I remember when we bought a puppy that was still very young and missed his mother and litter mates. We were up all night. It was like having a new born again.
It's different now. There are many resources. And Dixie spells it out and guides the reader through the process.
I recommend this book for anyone considering adding a new member to the family.
This review will appear on all retail sites where the book is available.
This review will appear on Good Reads and My Reading Journeys.
An interview with the author . . .
Hello Dixie. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with me and talk about your new book How To Find Your Dream Dog.
Can you tell us a little bit of ‘your story’. Did you have dogs growing up? Did you have cats?
Hi Sherry! When I was about five, my family got the most wonderful puppy. “Lulu” was a medium-sized white dog with black and brown splotches; a real mixed-breed. She was a fantastic dog. When I was 17 I got an Airedale puppy; I wanted a dog I could do competition obedience with, and in those days mixed breeds weren’t allowed (thankfully that has changed). I also had a lovely gray-and-white longhair cat named Tammy. She and Lulu were the best of friends.
Do you have favorite breed of dog?
For myself? The two breeds I have now appear to be very different but they actually have a lot in common, and they both suit me wonderfully well. I have a 10-pound, 15-year-old Papillon and a 90-pound, 6-year-old Beauceron. These are the dogs pictured with me on the cover of my book. Guess which is the boss? I have four cats, too, by the way, and they boss both dogs equally.
Can you tell us briefly about your professional background?
I have been working with people and their pet dogs since 1983. I founded two rescue organizations, one of which (Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue, Inc.) will have its 30th anniversary this year. I moved from obedience training my own dogs to assistant-teaching classes aimed at pet owners, eventually becoming the Director of Training for Greater St. Louis Training Club, Inc., for five years. A friend and I formed our own business, Dogs Unleashed LLC. We went to people’s houses to work with training and behavior problems for five years. Meanwhile I was getting trainer certifications from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (the only independent organization that certifies dog trainers) and the challenging Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. Finally, I decided to try to reach a wider audience through writing a book - eventually more than one, I hope!
Give us the short version (if there is one) why you chose to write the book at this point in your career? Have you been thinking or planning about it for awhile?
Oh yes. How to Find Your Dream Dog grew out of one of the most frustrating and frequent experiences during my 30+ years in the pet dog training world: trying to help hopelessly mismatched dogs and owners. Sadly, most dogs are picked up on impulse, and most of those dog/owner combinations are not successful - which is why our shelters are now flooded with out-of-control young dogs; former puppies who turned into dogs their owners didn’t expect and didn’t want. My dearest wish is that my book helps people stop, think, and plan for success before they get their dogs.
Did you write the book for a target audience or age group?
I think, and hope, that anyone from older childhood on through adulthood can read and learn from this book. I have gotten great feedback from several people who have read the book aloud with their families.
I think we all want to find our ‘dream dog’ how important is it to consider breed? Do you cover this topic in your book?
I do cover this important topic in my book. It is very important to consider type. If you discover through research that a Labrador Retriever is your dream type, then any dog who looks and acts like a Labrador is very likely to be a success for you, regardless of whether it is a purebred or not. Dogs of different types have different genetic backgrounds, different needs, and different behaviors. One of the best paths to successful matchmaking between owners and dogs is for owners to decide which doggy behaviors and needs they can live with - ideally would enjoy living with - and find a dog in which those occur naturally.
Is it better to get a purebred dog or a ‘mixed’ breed, something to consider if a family has children?
Again, it’s type that is important, not pedigree. Some dogs have behaviors that are not compatible with living with small children. Unfortunately this is true because few, if any, dogs are purpose-bred for gentleness, tolerance, easy-going nature, and hardiness, all qualities that are really important when living with children. My book helps owners choose not only the type of dog that would work before for them, but the individual dog or puppy that meets their needs. Teaser: the ideal dog for a household with children is a “career-change dog”. What is that? Read the book and find out…
That sounds like such good information. Let me ask you one more question before we go. I know anytime I’ve considered adding a new pet to my family I’ve always been anxious and wanting to hurry up and bring one home.
Can you tell us how important it might be to consider taking time when making a decision. Is there a magic number of days or weeks or months?
Everyone feels that way. Even I do! I want my perfect dog, or puppy, right now! But we need to ask ourselves, do we want every day with this dog to feel easy and natural? Do we want this dog to fit into our lifestyle? Consider this: every single adolescent dog in a shelter is there because it was someone’s wrong choice. The only way to ensure that you end up with not just any dog but your dream dog, the dog you want to keep and love forever, is to do your research. That actually doesn’t take very long, and my book streamlines that process.
I definitely feel better qualified to bring a new addition to the family. Your book indeed shares some valuable information. Thank you so much for sharing with me today.
Thank you for featuring my book! Good luck to you and all your readers as they look for and find their Dream Dogs!
Connect with Dixie . . .
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