How to Raise the Perfect Dog (8 page)

It’s easy to see why the Obamas, who had never owned a dog, might have experienced some confusion over this particular executive decision. There are more than 150 separate dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, and hundreds more breeds and variations of breeds in addition to those. Selecting the appropriate breed of dog is an important factor to consider when choosing a puppy for your family, especially when considering size and special needs, lifestyle choices, environmental compatibility, and factors such as food and exercise requirements. But in my opinion, the energy level of the puppy is a much more accurate gauge of whether you and your dog will be compatible mates for life. That’s because all breeds of dogs are
dogs
first. I think of any dog first as animal, then as dog, then as breed, and last, the dog’s name, or what most people term her “personality.” When humans took on the task of custom-designing dogs for our own needs and desires, we didn’t create the characteristics we selected from scratch, we merely adapted and refined basic dog traits that were already there. In other words, we took what Mother Nature had already given the canid species and reshaped it to our liking. I think of breed in a dog as that extra “boost” that kicks the dog’s natural instincts into hyperdrive.

All dogs are predators, but over thousands of generations, we’ve created sporting breeds to be exceptionally focused predators. All dogs like to dig and chase small prey, but terriers are superdriven to dig and find rodents. All dogs love to run, but greyhounds can run up to forty miles an hour, and huskies can run for hours and hours on end. All dogs have the natural ability to fight or wrestle with one another, but the bully breeds have been genetically engineered to fight to the death. The more pure the bloodline, the more that genetic “boost” will probably play a part in your dog’s behavior. That’s why some owners claim that their “mutts” make mellower pets, because, they theorize, their DNA has been somewhat diluted, and their breed-related drives diffused as a result.

As a general rule, the more purebred the dog, the more intense the desire it will have to fulfill its genetic purpose. Therefore, it will require more focus and attention from you in making sure that those breed-related needs are constantly challenged and fulfilled.

When thinking about what might be the right breed for you, you must do your homework ahead of time. Read up on every breed you are interested in, paying special attention to the original job it was bred to do. Then ask yourself, Can I provide the right environment, the proper amount of time, and the appropriate stimulation to fulfill those inborn breed-related needs? For instance, if you are in love with the scruffy face and petite size of terriers, are you prepared to designate a part of your prized garden so it can fulfill its biological need to dig? Or are you so in love with your lawn that any damage to it causes you to fly off the handle? If you admire the sleek physique and elegance of a pointer or Weimaraner, do you have the time and energy to play hide-and-seek or hunting games with it in the park several days a week? Or will you keep it cooped up in your apartment and only walk it to the corner? If you desperately want a high-energy Australian shepherd, will you be willing to take it to sheep-herding class or play agility games with it, on a regular basis? When we fulfill
all
the needs of our dogs—with consideration to them as animals, dogs, and breeds—they will reciprocate by being the most loyal, loving friends we could ever imagine. When we leave them unfulfilled, on the other hand, we create issues that can make their lives and ours absolutely miserable.

WELCOMING THE FIRST PUPPY

The Obamas did their breed research and settled on a Portuguese water dog, an ancient breed from the AKC’s working group known as a friendly, playful, very active family pet. Portuguese water dogs are also nonshedders, animals better tolerated by people with allergies like Malia’s. To set a good example for the country, the Obamas had originally intended to rescue a shelter dog, but they soon found that locating a young puppy of the correct breed from a shelter would be a daunting mission, even for the president of the United States. “It’s harder than finding a commerce secretary,” the president complained. The Obamas learned that the Kennedy family were also fans of Portuguese water dogs, having raised a number of these fine animals in their large extended family throughout the years. Senator Ted Kennedy contacted the breeder for his own dogs, and learned that a six-month-old puppy was being returned to the breeders for rehoming. By taking a rehomed puppy, the Obamas were able to give a nod to the rescue community, avoid the issue of illegal presidential “gifts,” and still give the girls the experience of having a young dog from their chosen breed.

The media was in full circus mode when the Obamas finally took possession of their new puppy, Bo, in April 2009. An excited environment is not the ideal energy to project when a new puppy is introduced to his new home, but unfortunately, such is the nature of life in the presidential fishbowl. As White House staffers held back the dozens of press corps photographers wildly snapping away, the curly-haired, midnight black Bo—already a large dog at six months of age—proceeded to lope about the South Lawn on his white, bootlike paws, pulling Malia behind him. I was watching the live feed of Bo’s first official appearance from my Burbank offices, talking via satellite to Wolf Blitzer in CNN’s Situation Room. “Uh-oh,” I blurted out, forgetting I was on mic. “They’re gonna need a lot of help.” I’m not sure Wolf understood what I was trying to express. While much of America was seeing simply a happy, playful, picture-perfect puppy, by virtue of what I do for a living I was seeing something else. Bo’s first impression of the Obama family was as an overexcited pack of somewhat disorganized followers.

What the First Family needs to remember is that Bo does not see them as the president’s family. He simply sees them as the energy they project toward him. President Obama has been naturally blessed with a strong calm-assertive energy—that’s why he seems nearly unflappable in so many tense situations. But I have plenty of clients who are leaders among humans in the entertainment and business worlds whose dogs think they are pushovers. Sometimes leadership abilities don’t translate well between human and dog worlds.

Did the Obamas choose the right breed and energy-level dog for their family? They are all athletic, high-energy people, which is a good thing, because Portuguese water dogs, by virtue of their working nature, are not couch potatoes. “I wouldn’t say he’s excessively high in energy,” claims Bo’s breeder, Martha Stern of Boyd, Texas. “But he’s still a little bit more than middle-of-the-road. On a scale of five, he’s probably a three.” If the Obamas can find time in their busy schedules to walk Bo a lot every day (that’s a proper walk, with Bo
next
to them—not pulling them along on the leash!), they’ll start to drain his overabundant energy and to create the kind of bond between human and dog that can cut through even a high-energy dog’s excitement. They also need to make sure he’s tuckered out and hungry at meal-times—that will give the dog a routine and help him see that the family is the source of his food. Of course, being the First Family, they have plenty of household help and support, not to mention access to the best dog trainers in America, to fill in the gaps. But I’d like to see a First Dog who honors and respects his president and family as his indisputable pack leaders. Nearly every resident of the recent White House, to my mind, has failed my “pack leader” test when it comes to having a well-behaved, calm-submissive dog. I have my fingers crossed that the Obamas may prove to be the exceptions.

SELECTING FOR ENERGY

Above and beyond breed, finding an individual dog with the right energy level for you is the most important first step you can take in creating a fulfilling lifetime with your pet. Yes, many dog breeds “come with” a certain activity level attached, but each individual dog’s personal energy level will vary. An older German shepherd with low energy may make a better pet for a laid-back family with children than a boisterous golden retriever puppy. For an inexperienced dog owner who wants a small dog, a medium-energy terrier may well make a better choice than a nervous, high-energy Chihuahua. When it comes to choosing a puppy, understanding how to read a dog’s energy level is as vital a skill to hone as an encyclopedic knowledge of dog breeds.

Dog Energy Levels

Every dog is born with a certain energy level. Those levels are:

1.
Very high:
Constantly on the move, from dawn to dusk. Can walk or run for hours on end and still have energy to spare.

2.
High
: Very athletic, prefers very vigorous activities, but tires normally and is ready for sleep at the end of the day.

3.
Medium:
Seeks out normal physical activities, sometimes vigorous ones, but balances them with equal periods of rest.

4.
Low:
Your basic couch potato dog. Prefers rest to activity. A couple of regular walks a day will be plenty of exercise for him.

As a good rule of thumb, I recommend that people choose a dog with the same energy level or a lower energy level than their own. If they have other dogs at home, it’s even more important not to choose a dog with an energy level higher than that of the dogs or humans already in the family pack.

Some breeders employ a method called puppy temperament testing,
⁷
an exam administered by a professional at around seven weeks of age that attempts to predict what kind of “personality” the grown-up dog will probably have. Based on the puppy’s responses to several basic challenges, the test attempts to quantify responses in such areas as social attraction; following; restraint; forgiveness; acceptance of human dominance; willingness to please; touch, sound, and sight sensitivity; and energy levels. Breeders use the results of these tests to help categorize their dogs from cautious to aggressive and to assess how likely they are to be suited to certain specific jobs, such as therapy dog, search and rescue dog, police dog, and so on. If you are getting a puppy from a breeder, you might want to ask her if she has the results of these tests for the dog that you are interested in. They may aid you in assessing whether the puppy’s personality is right for your lifestyle.

However, even those breeders who use these tests religiously will tell you that their results don’t always tell the whole story. When evaluating energy, other factors can make a big difference, such as the dog’s direct bloodline, its birth order, or, more important, its day-today interactions with other dogs. When you are evaluating an adult dog at a shelter, you may find it hard to separate a dog’s true energy from the issues it carries with it from previous life experiences or placements. Happily, with puppies, there are no issues to get in the way of your selection. Puppies are clean slates, born with a certain energy level, and in most cases, that same energy will be with them for the rest of their lives.

MEET THE PARENTS

As you’ve already learned, breeders will carefully choose their breeding pairs—both females (dams) and males (sires)—seeking to control and shape the temperament of the offspring. In other words, breeders who want calm, sweet-tempered puppies that will make good pets, therapy dogs, or show dogs will choose sweet, calm-tempered mothers and fathers. Breeders who raise search and rescue dogs or agility dogs may be looking for more active energy in their dam and sire. Those breeding for guard or police dogs may be looking for some territorial traits in their mating pairs, and those who illegally breed pit bulls for fighting unfortunately select the most aggressive, ferocious dogs to mate for the next generation. That’s why it’s important that a breeder be willing to let you meet the parents of your new puppy whenever possible.

Brooke Walker let me spend a lot of time around Angel’s mom and dad, and they were playful and active yet calm and stable dogs. Mr. President’s parents were both the kind of laid-back, mellow English bulldogs everyone desires as pets. With puppy mill puppies you purchase at a pet shop, you will never be allowed to meet the parents. That’s because they may be in a warehouse hundreds of miles away, crammed among dozens of other dogs in tiny cages. The bitch will probably already have another litter gestating by the time that puppy hits the pet shop. Imagine the effect on the temperament of a dog living in those inhumane conditions. Imagine the stress placed on the mother as she is forced to give birth in a cramped enclosure again and again and again, until her body gives out from the strain. There’s no way that a mother’s experiences don’t have an enormous impact, both on her own temperament and energy and on the lifelong psyches of the puppies she brings into the world.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

In
Marley and Me
, there’s a funny scene where, after having selected Marley from a backyard breeder’s litter but before the dog is ready to come home, John Grogan picks up a book about Labrador retrievers and gasps when he learns that a dog’s temperament can often be traced back to its parents. Marley’s breeders had hesitated to let them meet the sire, a dog that turned out to be “a manic dervish tearing blindly through the night as if demons were close on his tail.” Marley’s hyperactive father aside, the Grogans had been exposed to plenty of warning signs that highlighted Marley’s very high energy level. In the book, John humorously recounts what is an all-too-common puppy selection experience.