How To Teach Your Puppy His Name

I’m assuming you already named your puppy. If not check out the article I wrote about how I named my dogs: Lessons From Marley & Me Part 2 - Naming Your Dog. One of the most important things you can teach your dog is his name. It can save his life…literally. How you might ask? Well what if your dog was chasing a ball into the street? What if a car was coming? If your dog knows the meaning of his name he will respond and come to you when called even while in the middle of playing. Of course, as I mentioned in my last article, How To Handle Your Puppy’s First Night At Home, training your puppy will require consistency and patience.

Teaching The Puppy His Name

From the Guide Dogs of America Handbook:

Teaching your puppy its name is important.

1. Use it every time you talk to him and with every command (except NO and STAY) .
2. Never associate the dog’s name with something negative.
3. Never scold the puppy after he comes to you, even if it has taken a while to respond.
4. Please do not change the puppy’s name or call him by a nickname.

That’s it! Short and simple. However it is much easier said then done.

My Experiences With Stetson And Linus

A few pitfalls I can warn you about are:

Not using the puppy’s name with NO and STAY - This is difficult to do when you try to use their name with every other command. Try to be consistent. I still will occasionally use Linus and Stetson’s name with the NO or STAY command. Also, you might be wondering why can’t we use our puppy’s name with the STAY command? The main reason we don’t associate our dogs name with the STAY command is because the puppy’s name should be synonmous with the COME command. When I say my puppy’s name they should COME to me. That is quite the contradiction from STAY.

It is also very difficut to avoid using your dog’s name with something negative. My biggest problem is when Linus or Stetson does something wrong I’ll say their name in a very negative voice. Sometimes I catch myself…sometimes I don’t.

Scolding your puppy when he comes to you…another bad habit that can be difficult to break. Why wouldn’t you want to scold your puppy after he comes to your? Lets say he just chewed up your new shoes and you say “Stetson Come” He comes to you as you commanded (made the correct choice). Then you scold him! Do you think he’s going to come to you next time? No! You should praise him when he comes to you. The only time you should scold your puppy is when you catch him in the act of doing something wrong.

Not changing your name or calling your dog by a nickname is more of a Guide Dog thing, but is also good for a young puppy. It can be confusing for a young puppy if your calling him by several different names. I tried hard with Linus, but my sister, my roomate, and my ex-girlfriend each had a nickname for him. I constantly told them not to use nicknames. Here are a few they used: Linie, Linikins, Linoceros, and Puppy Chow. I’ve been very strict with Stetson and people are usually more understanding since he’s training to be a guide dog.

The Name Game

The first game we always play at our Guide Dog training class is the Name Game. How does it work?

1. Take your dog to the park and keep him on leash (it works a little better if you have a longer leash maybe about 10 feet).
2. Give him about 5 feet to wonder away.
3. When he’s not looking call his name with an excited voice and make sure he comes to you (if he doesn’t come reel him in with his leash).
4. When he gets to you give him tons of praise!
5. Repeat the exercise over and over again until your puppy is consistently returning to you when you call his name.

***Whenever you’re trying to get your puppy’s attention you have to be the most exciting thing in the world…more exciting then the birds, smells, other dogs, joggers…you get the picture…

Try playing the Name Game with your puppy. Be consistent and patient. Stick to the rules outlined above and your puppy will soon be consistently coming to you when you say his name.

Have you played the Name Game before? Does your puppy know his name? Do you have any other suggestions for reinforcing a puppy’s name?

How To Handle Your Puppy’s First Night At Home

Your puppy’s first night at home. It’s definitely exciting…It’s definitely fun…Here are some things to think about before your puppy arrives at your home.

It’s been just about a year since I brought Stetson home from Guide Dogs of America. It made me think of our wonderful first meeting in Sylmar, CA and also the countless nights without sleep for the following four weeks. Guide Dogs of America does not leave you empty handed. They give you a guide on what to expect and what you should do during those first few days and nights. These steps aren’t only for guide dogs and can be followed by anyone bringing home a puppy for the first time.

Everything’s New…Everything’s a First

Much of this is taken from my GDA handbook some of it paraphrased with some of my comments mashed in between.

First things first…We are informed that up to this point your puppy has been with his mother and his littermates in a sterile environment. It’s advised that your puppy’s first week at home should be a quiet one. The puppy should be allowed to explore and meet his new family. You should now start teaching the puppy his name (amazing because, now Stetson knows his name like the back of his paw). When you first arrive home give your puppy a chance to relieve itself in an area you have designated for that purpose (Stetson’s designated spot was in the dirt area on my patio).

Take your puppy out on leash (without his bib on) — GDA puppy’s in training are never allowed to “Get Busy” with their bib/jacket on — and repeat “Get Busy” (Remember this may be the first time your puppy has heard these words). Allow your puppy 10-15 minutes, if he hasn’t relieved, take him inside. Try again in 10 minutes. If the puppy does relieve itself in the proper area, give him lots of praise. Then let him explore the house (remember to supervise - don’t let him out of your sight). Afterwards your may take it inside, but remember to supervise the puppy; do not let it out of your sight. Talk to the puppy when it explores to make it feel more at home.

First Night At Home

If you’ve raised a puppy before then you probably know this is where the real fun begins.

From the GDA handbook:

The first few nights at home may be difficult for both you and your pup. At night the puppy will feel lonely and will probably demonstrate this by whining (Oh, you betcha!). These are a few things that you can do that might make the puppy feel at home.

1. Your puppy’s sleeping quarters should be in a small crate. - I had a large crate with a partion and put a blanket over it to make it seem more cozy.
2. Keep the crate in a draft free area next to your bed. For approximately the first three weeks, if your puppy cries, take him out, on leash to relieving area. After relieving put him back into his crate. Do not give him any treats or any play time. Put him right back into his crate and he should go back to sleep.
3. Give the puppy a stuffed dog toy to snuggle with. - I was told to bring a toy with me to GDA when we met the litter and get each of Stetson’s littermates scent on the toy. Then when it was time to crate Stetson for the first night he could snuggle with the toy and smell his littermate’s scent.
4. Under no circumstances take the puppy to bed with you. This will form a very undesirable habit. - trust me…it’s difficult to avoid doing when your puppy is whining all night, but it’s very important to leave him in his crate.

First Feeding

This will be your puppy’s first meal by himself. Once your puppy’s food is prepared, you will start having your puppy sit and wait for his food. Hold your puppy by his collar by slipping your thumb in his collar and set his food about two feet away. As soon as he stops wiggling, say the words “O.K.” and release your puppy. This should be done at every meal throughout training.

My Experiences With My Puppy

At Stetson’s puppy kindergarten I was always reminded that every puppy is different. Even within a breed. There are several people in our group who have raised 10 or more Labrador Retrievers in the Guide Dogs of America program and each one is different.

My experience with Stetson was very difficult in the early days and weeks. I had no problem with Stetson when I first got him home. I already knew about the trials and tribulations with house training and crate training. Puppy’s tend to piddle about every 10 to 20 minutes. You have to watch them like a hawk or they will end up using your house as their personal restroom. Stetson had some accidents here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary.

The agony came in the evening. Stetson did NOT take to the crate! He whined, and howled, and cried, and barked…probably made every noise he could possibly produce, but would not relax and go to sleep. He did sleep once in a while. During those first 4 weeks the most sleep I got was approximately 6 hours, broken up 3 or 4 times a night by whining, howling, barking…you get the picture. I was a wreck and I thought Stetson would never get used to his crate. The only way I was able to get him to sleep was to talk to him for 5-10 minutes, telling him what a “good boy” he was when he wasn’t crying (if he did cry I would just keep silent tell he stopped). To try and quiet him down I’d either say “quiet” or “Shhh”.

I have two words for you - consistent and patient. After about 4 weeks of consistently sticking to my guns, not letting him out of his crate, and praising him when he was quiet Stetson suddenly stopped making noise in his crate. He’d let me sleep through the night and I thought I’d reached bliss.

I’m constantly reminded that I need to be consistent with Stetson’s training and patient. In the long run it pays off. Stetson has not barked, howled, or whined in months. In a matter a fact I can only recall him barking one time in the past 1/2 year (he barked because he was trying to get my attention to go outside). I actually think it’s kind of unusual that he doesn’t bark at all anymore, but it gives me more peace and quiet.

What experiences do you have with your puppy’s first night at home? Was it miserable? Did you get any sleep?

Puppy Adoption - Black And Tan Coonhound

If you are considering puppy adoption, I highly recommend visiting one of your local puppy/dog rescues. In past articles I’ve talked to you about the puppy/dog rescue, Cuddly Canines. I want to do my best to help place these puppies by profiling each puppy, litter of puppies, and dogs on this blog.

***Note this dog may already be adopted as I will keep this information in my archive. Please check the Cuddly Canines website for the most recent puppies up for adoption.

Dudley the 5 Month Old Black and Tan Coonhound

Dudley is a 5 month old black & tan Coonhound, who has the cutest ears on the planet! He is a very happy boy who loves to play with toys. He is extremely people friendly & gets along great with other dogs.

He would make a fabulous family pet for those with children.

What is a Black and Tan Coonhound?

Dudley does have a great set of ears. When I think of coonhounds I think about the book Where the Red Fern Grows. The book was written by Wilson Rawls and tells the story of a young boy and his two coonhound hunting dogs. If you haven’t read the book I highly recommend it. The book was also made into a movie in 1974 then remade in 2003.

A little about the Coonhound from Wikipedia:

A Coonhound is a type of scent hound and a member of the hound group…Coonhounds are an American style of hunting dog that was developed for the unique quarry and working conditions found in the United States…Besides hunting, Coonhounds are wonderful family dogs that are known to be good with children. They also make good watchdogs with an impressive, loud bark…

Are you interested in adopting?

If you are interested in adopting Dudley please visit the Cuddly Canines website. If you happen to adopt Dudley please remember, it’s never too early or too late to start him on his training. If you are interested in puppy adoption or fostering here are a few other articles you might enjoy:

Puppy Adoption And Fostering
Dedicated To My Dog Linus

Of course, Dudley is not the only dog being fostered by Cuddly Canines. Please visit their website to see the most current pictures of all their dogs and puppies.

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this article. Is puppy adoption in your future? Do you want to try puppy fostering? If so, please visit the Cuddly Canines website.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008 - Dog Car For The Off-Roading Outdoorsmen

I was filled with excitement as we strolled on over to the Chrysler Jeep dealership. I targeted the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008 as one of the front runners for my perfect dog car. Many of you may not know, but beginning with the 2007 models Jeep added the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited which is a 4 door version of the venerable Jeep Wrangler. I’ve always loved the classic styling of the Jeep Wrangler, but the 2 door off-roading vehicle just seemed a tad bit too small for my liking. However, the four door just might be the perfect dog car.

I must say our salesperson at Chrysler Jeep was excellent and new every aspect of this car. There’s an optional hardtop (yep with the top down this baby is a convertible). All four doors are removable and the front windshield folds down (take a look at the picture at the bottom of the page for windshield down look). The interior carpet is removable with drainage holes on the bottom floors allow you to hose out the inside of the vehicle.

I happen to think that this one of the best looking SUV’s on the market. Of course that’s just personal opinion. A couple great things I did notice about this vehicle are:

• The style of the Wrangler almost never changes. If you compare this car to the same car made 20 years ago the style is very similar. I’m not sure you can say that about any other car/SUV.
• It’s the only convertible SUV (maybe on the market) on my test list.
• The rugged interior and drainage holes really suit an outdoor lifestyle and in my situation dog friendly lifestyle.
• Historically the Jeep Wrangler has a great resale value.

So, let’s get down to the nitty gritt details on this SUV!

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008 Specifications

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS
type	4 Door mid-SUV
msrp	$20,580
transmission	automatic/manual
gas mileage	16mpg/21mpg
horsepower	202hp @5000RPM
standard engine	3.8L V6
seating	5 passengers

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Criteria for the dogs:

• Seats that fold flat or easily removable - hopefully fits a crate or two - Once again I did not bring a tape measure or crate to test the backseat of the car. I did notice that the seats did not fold totally flat, but cargo space with the seats down appeared to be adequate (before purchasing I will re-evaluate and bring my crates for a full test of the back seat on this vehicle).
• Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area. - If you take a look at the picture of this vehicle with the hardtop it almost defines the meaning of a square back. Needless to say there is a lot of cargo space in this vehicle for a mid-size SUV.
• Dog friendly interior - Even the best dog can have accidents in the car. - I already knew this car was built for the outdoors, but before I took it for a test drive I noticed cloth carpets in all the pictures (I preferred the plastic floors you see in the Honda Element and Toyota FJ Cruiser). Fortunately the carpet interior is very easy to remove and there are drainage holes in the floor for hosing out the interior if needed. Our salesperson also mentioned that the Sahara model came with water resistant seats. We test drove the Unlimited X 4X4 with base model seats which also appeared to be very durable.
• Door & window locks - Dogs are smart and some can open a car door. - Door and window locks are an option on the Wrangler. I believe the hardcore Wrangler followers prefer the non-mechanical workings of manual windows and manual door locks.
• All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance - for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course). - You can opt for either the 4X2 or the 4X4
  

Criteria for the humans:

• Price Range: Under 30K - One of the better values out of the cars on my list. The base model 4X2 comes in just under 21K, but you can go all out and get the Rubicon which will run you over 30K. Again, like the FJ Cruiser I’d probably find middle ground opting for some, but not all the options.
• Curb Appeal - Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes. - Okay, so out of all the vehicles on my list I think this one has the most curb appeal. Not everyone will like it’s look, but I give it a 10!
• Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage. - 16/21 mpg’s for the 4X2 and probably slightly worse for the 4X4. This is a couple mpg’s better than the FJ Cruiser, but still when looking at SUV’s unless it’s a hybrid gas mileage is going to suffer.
• Reliability - If you’re car is not working what good is it? - This is the sore spot for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. While I’ve heard glowing reviews from friends who own jeep wranglers I’ve also come across several comments on the internet to the opposite. Unfortunately, Jeep does not have the best reputation for reliability. To make things worse I took a look at the consumer reports review of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and it got below average reviews for reliability.
• Retains Value - Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value. - I was pleasantly surprised in this category. The Jeep Wrangler ranks relatively high when it comes to resale often times appearing inside the top 10 of some lists. Check out the Vehix.com website.
• Extras - Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have. - Removable doors, fold down front windshield, removable carpets, drainage holes in the floors, and a convertible.
• Car in the City - Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well? - This SUV is renowned for it’s off-road talents, but also has a reputation as a rough ride in the city. I came in with these expectations, but was again surprised by the way this vehicle handled in the city. I drove the automatic version of the car which felt a little under-powered, but I thought it was adequate. There was very little noise with the soft top up. While it didn’t feel as nice and smooth as some of the other SUV’s I felt like it was just smooth enough and just rugged enough for my liking. The soccer mom may not enjoy this car because of it’s less than luxurious ride and the outdoor enthusiast may think that Chrysler Jeep refined the car to much for their liking. However, as my dog car I thought it was just right.
  

Advantages - The Things I Like

The things I like about this vehicle are:

• Great looks.
  
• Low Price - Just under 21K.
• Durable Interior.
• Removable Carpets with drainage holes.
• Removable doors and fold down front windshield.

Disadvantages - The Things I Don’t Like

Some things I didn’t like in test drive and read on the internet:

• Jeep’s reputation of less than stellar reliability with their cars.
• Fuel Economy at 16/21 MPG’s not as bad as the FJ Cruiser, but not good either.
• Seats don’t fold totally flat.
• Ho-Hum control panel.
• City driving is a little rough.

Conclusions

This is a great vehicle and only two things stop me from immediately declaring it the winner. First, is the awful gas mileage. At 16/21 Miles Per Gallon I’ll be gassing this baby up on a regular basis. And second, the below average reliability rating Jeep and specifically the 2007 Wrangler received from Consumer Reports.

I am just a regular consumer just like everyone else and don’t get to thoroughly test drive these vehicles. I review information already on the internet and couple that with my own test drive and opinions. Hopefully this review helps you make your decision, but I’d highly recommend you do additional research on some of the other great auto review websites like Edmunds, Yahoo Autos, or DogCars.com and take this car for a test drive of your own.

Two cars down and many more to go. I have the review of the Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 already posted. I hope you enjoyed this article and please feel free to post any comments about this vehicle in the comment section below.

If you liked this article check out my first article on the Perfect Dog Car.

What do you think about the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008? Do you own this vehicle?

Dog, Cat, and Mouse…Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Friday marks the end of the work week for me and once again this week I wanted to end it with something light. While surfing the internet I came across a few great pictures showing how dogs, cats, and mice truly can get along. If you’re an avid animal blog reader than you may have come across this picture before. Even if you have seen these images I’m sure you can appreciate them once again.

Dog, Cat, and Mouse History

So where do I get my history lessons from? TV of course! and in this case the classic cartoon Tom and Jerry. We’ve been taught from an early age that cats do not get along with dogs and mice do not get along with cats. My example here are the cartoon characters Tom the cat, Jerry the mouse, and Spike the dog. If you haven’t seen this cartoon then maybe you’ve been living in a cave (just kidding)…seriously this cartoon is basically about how cats, dogs, and mice do not get along. Take a look at the image to the right to see what I mean. By the way, Spike is a Bulldog who if you recall from my article Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part I was the number 10 breed on my list.

Can’t We Love One and Other?

Of course in reality I’m sure many of us have seen cats and dogs coexist peacefully together even as friends and playmate, but not much has been documented between mice and cats. While searching the internet I came across this information from a blog post from a couple years ago: Dog, cat and mice become friends. As you can see from the pictures we can all get along. Click the image to see a larger version of the photoQuoted directly from the blog:“Greg Pike’s dog Booger, cat Kitty and white mouse Mousie, rest at the end of a day in Bisbee, Arizona, United States. Dog, cat and mice coexisting peacefully. Cool!”When my dog Linus was a puppy his best friend was my sister’s cat Lulu. They grew up together and would chase each other around the yard. Sometimes the dog would chase the cat and other times vice versa. I always thought it was funny watching this little 5 pound cat jump out of the bushes and chase my 50 pound dog.Do you have any experiences with your cat, mouse, and dog getting along together? Or maybe your pets don’t get along at all? Either way tell me about your experiences with your pets?

Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II

This article is a continuation from Top Dogs Good With Children Part I. If you haven’t already read Part I of Top Dogs Good With Children then I highly recommend you go back and read through the article before starting this one.

Once again I’m going to post my little disclaimer:

***The Disclaimer - This is my personal opinion. Please do your own due diligence when searching for a breed of dog. The personality of a dog is often influenced by several factors including line, breeder, and owner more so than the actual breed of the dog. This list does not imply that all other dog breeds are unsuitable for children. Individual dogs may not show all or any of the traits associated with the breed. Training, socialization with children, education, line, breeder, and living conditions with the family will all heavily influence your dogs personality.

A quick recap of what Part I covered:

• The Top Dogs Good With Children Scoring System
• How I Chose The Breeds
• Dog Numbers 6-10

Now what you’ve all been waiting for…the Top 5 Dogs Good With Children:

Number 5 - Vizsla

The Vizsla sounds like a great dog for children. A very loyal dog who is also a quiet dog (they only bark when provoked). I guess this could be a negative if you’re looking for a watch dog. From Wikipedia:

Vizslas are lively, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring and highly affectionate. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, including children. Often they are referred to as “velcro” dogs because of their loyalty and affection. They are quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or provoked.

I know very little about the Vizsla and I’m pretty sure I’ve never run into one in person, but the sites I’ve visited rave about this dog. I go as far in my notes to say that “they have very little doggy smell and hypoallergenic coats”. Coupled with a nearly optimal size gave this dog a high score on my rating scale. If anyone owns or knows a Vizsla I’d love to hear some of your comments.

Energy Level: 3
Size: 8
Temperament: 8
Intelligence: 7
Intangibles: 10
TOTAL: 36

…

Number 4 - Pembrooke Welsh Corgi

Isn’t that picture of the Corgi puppy just adorable? A nice sturdy sized dog with really short legs. It’s hard to imagine, but the Corgi is an active, athletic, intelligent dog despite their short legs and stocky body. I guess there’s hope for my short legs and stocky body. From Wikipedia:

The Pembroke is very intelligent, quick, active, and exceedingly bold. It is thoroughly devoted and protective of its family, defending its home at any cost. It barks occasionally, but makes a good watchdog.

One of my neighbors owns a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and seems active. I don’t think my neighbor has him quite under control as I see the Corgi often pulling his handler in whichever direction he wants to go. He has also met both my dogs and is friendly with them, although the owner has told me that he will sometimes growl at strange dogs as a dominance thing.

Energy Level: 2
Size: 10
Temperament: 7
Intelligence: 9
Intangibles: 9
TOTAL: 37

…

Number 3 - Poodle

What do you think of that Poodle haircut? I’m really not a fan of the funky hair-dos (although I did have a mohawk for a short period of time). The Poodle comes in high on our list only getting average scores for energy (medium-high) and intangibles (I like the poodles coat because it does not shed, but on the other hand it is difficult to maintain and groom). From Wikipedia:

Proud, elegant, dignified, good-natured, highly intelligent, very trainable, pleasant, happy, sensitive, friendly.

Poodles are one of the most intelligent and trainable dogs. That being said there is a standard poodle in our neighborhood who I would consider highly intelligent. However, I have noticed that this poodle does bark a lot (everytime we walk past the house) and is aggressive towards my dogs. I have a feeling these are traits not common to the poodle. Throughout most of my readings the poodle almost always gets high marks.

Energy Level: 6
Size: 8
Temperament: 8
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 6
TOTAL: 38

…

Number 2 - Labrador Retriever

Coming in at number 2 is one of my favorite dogs and almost always shows up as great family dogs when researching on the internet. The Labrador Retriever is well-balanced and a very versatile breed. Labs are used extensively as Guide, Service, Search and Rescue, Therapy, and Assistance Dogs. From Wikipedia:

Friendly, reliable, loving, affectionate, lovable, patient, highly intelligent, loyal, willing, high-spirited, lively, good-natured,and protective.

As most readers of this blog know I’m currently raising a black lab named Stetson for Guide Dogs of America. I do have a decent background with Labrador Retrievers and have been training Stetson for the past year. The only drawback I’ve noticed with Stetson is his sometimes rough play. As he grows out of his puppy stage I think he will mature and be less rambunctious (he’s only a year old). Other than that he’s an excellent dog and he displays all of the great qualities people rave about when talking about labs.

Energy Level: 4
Size: 5
Temperament: 10
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 10
TOTAL: 39

…

And the number 1 dog who is good with children is…drum roll……..:

Number 1 - Golden Retriever

It was close, but the Golden Retriever edged out the Labrador Retriever by a single point. The two dogs are very similar however I had to give the nod to the Golden in Energy (Medium-High vs High for the Lab) and Size (The lab is slightly larger which I considered less favorable to the smaller Golden). The Golden received lower marks for it’s higher maintenance coat. From Wikipedia:

Friendly, confident, biddable. Never timid or aggressive. The Golden Retriever temperament is a hallmark of the breed and is described in the standard as “kindly, friendly and confident”

Growing up my parents chose the Golden Retriever as the family dog. They purchased our dog Kiko the year after I was born and he was with us until he was 10 years old. He was a wonderful dog and a shining example of the breed. Golden Retriever are used in many of the same service occupations as labs including Assistance, Search and Rescue, Guide, and Therapy.

Energy Level: 5
Size: 6
Temperament: 10
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 9
TOTAL: 40

…

Parents Responsibility

Often times children are unaware of their own strength and can be a little rough (the same can be said for many dogs). Parents should take the responsibility to teach their kids and dogs to be gentle with their interactions with each other.

There are many breeds out there that work well with children not just the breeds I mention on this list. Remember there are good dogs and bad dogs in every breed. No matter what breed you choose you should never leave your dog and children together unsupervised for the safety of not only your child, but the dog as well.

Conclusions

I’m happy to say I learned a lot while putting this list together. Before researching I knew nothing about the Vizsla. Now I’m very interested in this breed and would be interested in any information about them. Do you own or know a Vizsla?

I did my best to be as objective as possible in the compilation of this list. A lot of this information is my personal preference. I prefer a medium to large dog. However, others may prefer small or extremely large dogs for their children. I prefer low to medium energy level and higher intelligence in my dogs. Other people may think the exact opposite. Hopefully this list helps you choose your family dog.

Just in case you missed Part I of this series check it out at the following link: Top Dogs Good With Children Part I

Let me know what you think. Do you have a dog that is good with children?

Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part I

Many people have asked “Are specific breeds of dogs good with children?” I have often heard that regardless of breed most dogs raised with children and with proper training can learn to be a wonderful childhood companion. However, that being said, some dog breeds are better with children then others.

Dog Scoring System

How did I compile my Top 10 Dogs Good With Children list. A good majority comes from the internet, but I wanted my list to be at least slightly different from everyone else’s top 10 list so I’m going to grade each dog in 5 child friendly categories:

1. Energy Level (excitability) - You don’t want a dog that is too excitable and knocks down your child.
2. Size - Small dogs may be too fragile while a large breed of dog may not know it’s own strength/size and injure a child.
3. Temperament - You don’t want your dog to be the dominant member of the family.
4. Intelligence (trainability) - Highly trainable is ideal.
5. Intangibles - Any special trait that either helps or hurts the dogs desirability.

Each dog will receive a subjective score between 1 and 10 in each category. The best overall score a dog can receive is a 50 and the lowest score is a 5.

Choosing The Breeds

You may be wondering how I chose this wonderful list of 10 dog breeds who are good with children. Well my first step was to research the many sites on the internet that already have lists of dogs who are good with children. Of course depending on which site you visit there is a lot of variation. I took all the breeds and narrowed it down to 50 by eliminating several hybrid breeds like Labradoodle and Goldendoodle. Next, I took out any dog that wasn’t in the AKC’s top 100 list (just a way to narrow the list so I wouldn’t have as many dogs to evaluate - also it’s more difficult to find information on the more rare breeds). That left me with 38 candidates and with those 38 remaining breeds I made my own subjective scores using the following information.

Dog Rating Categories
CATEGORY	1-3pts.	4-6pt.	7-10pts.
Energy Level	High	Medium-High	Low-Medium
Size	<10lbs or >100lbs	10-25lbs or 50-100lbs	25-50lbs
Temperament	Dominant	Balanced	Submissive
Intelligence	Low (<50)	Medium (25-50)	High (top 25)
Intangibles	Negative traits	Even	Positive traits

***The Disclaimer - This is my personal opinion. Please do your own due diligence when searching for a breed of dog. The personality of a dog is often influenced by several factors including line, breeder, and owner more so than the actual breed of the dog. This list does not imply that all other dog breeds are unsuitable for children. Individual dogs may not show all or any of the traits associated with the breed. Training, socialization with children, education, line, breeder, and living conditions with the family will all heavily influence your dogs personality.

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for…the list or Top 10 Dogs Good With Children:

Number 10 - Bulldog

The Bulldog is the first dog on our list coming in at number 10. The positives I saw in the Bulldog were it’s lower energy and sturdy size. Sturdy size is nice with kids who can often be a little rough when learning to interact with a dog. Some of the negatives with this dog were their trainability and common health issues with the breed. From Wikipedia:

The temperament of the Bulldog is generally docile, friendly and gregarious but are known to be fiercely loyal.

I’ve never personally known any Bulldogs. However, I have heard they are great dogs and tend not to leave the yard withouth their owners. The most exposure I’ve actually had to a Bulldog is on the MTV show Rob and Big and their dog Meaty.

Energy Level: 9
Size: 9
Temperament: 8
Intelligence: 3
Intangibles: 5.1
TOTAL: 34.1

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Number 9 - German Shepherd

The German Shepherd comes in at number 9. This is a very versatile dog and has been used as police, search and rescue, guide, and therapy dogs. From Wikipedia:

Direct, fearless, eager, alert, bold, cheerful, obedient, eager to learn, loyal, courageous, calmly confident, serious, protective

Of course I have a special place in my heart for the German Shepherd. I fostered GSD puppies and the GSD breed makes up 15% of the dogs bred at Guide Dogs of America.

Energy Level: 3
Size: 5
Temperament: 7
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 10
TOTAL: 35

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Number 8 - Brittany Spaniel

At number 8 we have the Brittany Spaniel. The Brittany is a nice sized dog at 30-40lbs big enough to rough house with the kids, but still not too large to be overbearing. This dog is also said to be very good with strangers and other animals. From Wikipedia:

The breed is noted for being easy to train, sensitive, and sweet-natured

Another breed I’ve had recent contact with. The Brittany Spaniel in our obedience training was a wonderful dog. One thing I did notice was how alert the Brittany was to the birds flying overhead.

Energy Level: 2
Size: 10
Temperament: 9
Intelligence: 8
Intangibles: 6.1
TOTAL: 35.1

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Number 7 - Miniature Schnauzer

At number 7 is the Miniature Schnauzer. This dog is said to recognize the need to be gentle with children, but does require a lot of attention. From Wikipedia:

Very perky, bright-eyed, loving, intelligent, energetic, affectionate, obedient, playful, happy, alert, feisty (Temperament can be quite variable)

A good friend of mine was taking care of a Miniature Schnauzer. The dog seemed very confident and easy going. He did like being dominant over my Aussie mix Linus. From what I could see the Miniature Schnauzer seemed like a great dog, but might be a little small and fragile for some children.

Energy Level: 8
Size: 4
Temperament: 7
Intelligence: 9
Intangibles: 7.2
TOTAL: 35.2

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Number 6 - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel…what a regal name…comes in at number 6. The two drawbacks I saw from online research is the small size and only average intelligence. From Wikipedia:

The breed is highly affectionate, and some have called them”the ultimate lap dog” Most dogs of the breed are playful, extremely patient and eager to please. As such, dogs of the breed are usually good with children and other dogs.

Another dog I’ve been in close contact with recently. Another friend did extensive research looking for a good family dog and came up with the Cavaliar King Charles Spaniel. Their dog is very docile and easy going. The only time I saw him truly excited was when he got a chance to get on your lap. One funny thing I saw this dog do was try to catch the embers from a fire we were having in the backyard…probably not the best thing for the dogs mouth.

Energy Level: 10
Size: 4
Temperament: 9
Intelligence: 4
Intangibles: 8.3
TOTAL: 35.3

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To Be Continued…

Here’s a link to the second part of this series Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II.

What do you think about the first five dogs on our Top 10 Dogs Good With Children list?

Puppy Adoption - Mixed Breed

If you are considering puppy adoption, I highly recommend visiting one of your local puppy/dog rescues. In past articles I’ve talked to you about the puppy/dog rescue, Cuddly Canines. I want to do my best to help place these puppies by profiling each puppy, litter of puppies, and dogs on this blog.

I had to get these pictures of Giggles the mixed breed having a very bad hair day. I feel so bad for her. I’m glad Cuddly Canines was able to take her in and clean her up.

***Note this dog may already be adopted as I will keep this information in my archive. Please check the Cuddly Canines website for the most recent puppies up for adoption.

Giggles The Mixed Breed With A Bad Hair Day! And Her Babies

This tiny little lady has a horrible story. She was brought into the shelter on January 9th by her actual owner who said they had too many dogs. She was dumped in this deplorable condition, in active labor! She gave birth right in the receiving area of the shelter! As soon as we got them out, our volunteer managed to get an emergency grooming appointment where this sweet little girl was stripped & bathed, then quickly reunited with her tiny babies.

Can you believe all 4 of those pictures are the same dog?

Once the hair came off, the personality came on! This little girl is all wiggles & giggles, happy to be clean & matt-free! She is tiny, only about 6 pounds!

Here’s a picture of Giggles newborn puppies Twila, Twinkle, and Tuck 2 baby girls & 1 baby boy:

Are you interested in adopting?

If you are interested in adopting Giggles or her babies please visit the Cuddly Canines website. These puppies were born on January 9th, 2008 and won’t be available for adoption until at least 8 weeks after their date of birth. If you happen to adopt Giggles or one of her puppies please remember, it’s never too early or too late to start them on their training. If you are interested in puppy adoption or fostering here are a few other articles you might enjoy:

Puppy Adoption And Fostering
Dedicated To My Dog Linus

Of course, Giggles and her puppies are not the only dog being fostered by Cuddly Canines. Please visit their website to see the most current pictures of all their dogs and puppies.

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this article. Is puppy adoption in your future? Do you want to try puppy fostering? If so, please visit the Cuddly Canines website.

Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 - Sylish, Rugged SUV For You And Your Dog

I finally got off my butt and test drove a few cars on my perfect dog car list. The first car I took out for a spin was the Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008. The salesperson did not give me much help on the vehicle (she seemed to know less about the car than I did), but I did get the chance to take it for a short ride and thoroughly check out the interior and exterior of the vehicle.

The FJ Cruiser is a fairly new vehicle going on sale in 2006 as a 2007 model. This is a compact SUV with retro-styling reminiscent of the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruisers of the 1960’s. The one thing our salesperson did mention were the color upgrades for 2008.

• BRICK - A deep red color.
• SANDSTORM- Beige…looks like the color of poop, but reminds me of the old school Land Cruisers. My college buddy had an old Land Cruiser that was poop color.
• ICEBERG - Off White or kind of a milky white color.

Cars that were mentioned as competitors to the FJ Cruiser were the Nissan Xterra, Hummer H3, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Suzuki Grand Vitara, and the Dodge Nitro. I will at the very least take a glance if not test drive all of these vehicles.

As far as looks go on this vehicle…I happen to like the way the FJ Cruiser looks. Although this is personal preference and I have heard the complete opposite from others. I guess it’s somewhat of a love hate look.

Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 Specifications

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS
type	4 Door mid-SUV
msrp	$22,545
transmission	automatic/manual
gas mileage	15mpg/18mpg
horsepower	239hp @5200RPM
standard engine	4.0L V6
seating	5 passengers

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Criteria for the dogs:

• Seats that fold flat or easily removable - hopefully fits a crate or two - Unfortunately I did not bring a crate or tape measure. The seats did not fold totally flat and I’ve read other reviews that said that because they did not fold flat there was not enough space to fit a crate on top of the seats.
• Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area. - The rear of the car is square with decent cargo space, but again it appears that two large crates would not fit in the rear of this vehicle.
• Dog friendly interior - Even the best dog can have accidents in the car. - I knew this was meant to be a rugged, outdoorsy type vehicle, but I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. Some have mentioned that the materials feel cheap compared to other Toyota vehicles (I think people are used to more of a luxury interior). The seat material feels very durable and as our salesperson pointed out also waterproof. The rubber floors and plastic side panels felt equally durable and seemed perfect for me and my dogs.
• Door & window locks - Dogs are smart and some can open a car door. - This is fairly standard on most cars and was so on the FJ Cruiser (actually I’m not sure the suicide door windows on the back of the FJ open at all - I read a comment saying that they do not roll down)
• All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance - for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course). - You can purchase the Toyota FJ Cruiser with 4WD. The car I test drove was a 4WD.

Criteria for the humans:

• Price Range: Under 30K - The base model comes in under $23,000 (not including the destination charge) and of course you can get the super high end FJ Cruiser for over $30,000. I would probably find middle ground and get some, but not all of the upgrades.
• Curb Appeal - Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes. - I happen to like the way this vehicle looks and even though I’ve heard the spectrum of answers on this vehicles looks I do hear more positives then negatives on the curb appeal category.
• Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage. - 15/18mpg’s might be the worst of all the SUV’s I plan on test driving. The other major negative is the FJ Cruiser requires premium gas…UGGHH!!!
• Reliability - If you’re car is not working what good is it? - It’s only been on the market for a couple years, but Toyota in general is know for their reliability.
  
• Retains Value - Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value. - Again I’m going with the it’s a toyota and historically Toyota’s are pretty good at retaining value on average.
• Extras - Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have. - This car has suicide doors. Basically the rear doors are smaller and swing the opposite direction of regular car doors.
• Car in the City - Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well? - the city drive was fairly smooth, but the steering felt a little squirrelly. The car had decent power and would be able to adequately pass and merge onto the freeway. The City driving handling was just okay, but I’m sure offroading is where this vehicle excels. It’s also difficult to see out the back with blind spots in the rear.
  

Advantages - The Things I Like

The things I like about this vehicle are:

• Handles decently in the city for an SUV.
• Price - at under 23K base is well under my 30K limit.
• Rugged, stylish, retro looks.
• Nice power and acceleration.
• Durable rubber floors, plastic panels, and waterproof seats .

Disadvantages - The Things I Don’t Like

Some things I didn’t like in test drive and read on the internet:

• Car alarm sets itself after 45 seconds. If you’re dogs are left in the car alone they will most likely set the alarm off.
• Suicide Doors - My RX-8 had suicides and they are difficult to get in and out of. - the main problem I had with the suicides is when you’re parked in a compact spot with a car next to you it is very difficult to open the suicide because you also have to have the front door open nice and wide.
• Fuel Economy - 15/18MPG’s is awful and to make matters worse you have to use premium gas!
• Seats don’t fold flat - this makes it difficult to have two crates in the vehicle.
• Difficult to see with blind spots.

Conclusions

Overall I really enjoyed driving this SUV. It comes with some really nice pluses, but some huge minuses. As I said before I really, really like the interior of this vehicle which would be very easy to clean. The major downsides for me are the awful fuel economy/premium gas and the suicide doors.

I am just a regular consumer just like everyone else and don’t get to thoroughly test drive these vehicles. I review information already on the internet and couple that with my own test drive and opinions. Hopefully this review helps you make your decision, but I’d highly recommend you do additional research on some of the other great auto review websites like Edmunds, Yahoo Autos, or DogCars.com.

There are many more cars to review and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully at the end of all my reviews I will eventually find the perfect dog car.

If you liked this article check out my first article on the Perfect Dog Car.

Let me know what you think about this car. Do you own a Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Children Versus Dogs

YAY! It’s Friday and I wanted to end the week with a little bit of humor with the classic battle of Children Versus Dogs. This comes from an email I received from a friend who is about to have a baby. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case I totally agree. The pictures really pit choosing the lesser of two evils (actually I really love my dogs and want to have kids someday….the pictures below just make you go hmmm…).

This comes from an email circulating around the internet so many of you may have already seen it. I’m sure even if you have seen it you will enjoy it again.

Life’s Decisions are never simple. Consider the following two choices:

SHOULD I GET A DOG?

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…OR HAVE CHILDREN???

What do you think of the battle between dog versus child? I love these pictures. Let me know what you think.

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