On Kinglsey & Picking the Right Dog

A little over six weeks ago, I started a new Puppy 1 class and immediately fell in love with one of my (canine) students. His name was Ghost, and he was this absolutely goofy five month old White Shepherd puppy with enormous ears and a goofy puppy gait. I had wanted to adopt a white Shepherd before I got Koa, but ended up switching gears because my landlord's insurance restricted me from adopting certain breeds, so I have a huge soft spot for White Shepherds. Ghost was a fun student, high energy,  easily distracted, a little shy, but very playful once he warmed up. His was an intelligent dog, but his pet parent would often admit that they hadn't practiced much. He explained to me that he had purchased the dog (at an incredibly high price) because his ten year old son wanted him, but he was becoming frustrated that his son was not properly caring for the dog. I tried to explain that Ghost was a high-energy working breed and would need extensive exercise and training to be the best dog he could be, and that it was unlikely that a ten year old, no matter how mature, would be able to handle it all.

As the class progressed, Ghost's pet parent got more and more frustrated with him. Not having the proper exercise, he was antsy and playful and would often mouth on the son or nip their fingers when they were trying to train with him. It was clear to me that he really just wanted to PLAY! By the last class, the father had realized that his ten year old was not capable of caring for this big excitable puppy. But at the same time, he had little interest in caring for the dog himself.

"I get home at the end of the day after work and to be honest with you I just don't have the energy to walk him," he told me, "But it's not fair to the dog."

The father knew how much I loved his puppy, and although he had originally planned on trying to sell him, he told me that if I wanted, I could take him for free.

"You know him, you know what's best for him," he told me.

The offer broke my heart a little because although someday I want a big family of four -legged babies, right now is not a good time for me to bring another dog into my life, let alone one I can't legally have at my current home! But I told him I would do my best to help him find a good home for Ghost. Shortly thereafter, I was talking to my best friend, Kelsey, who lives in Portland,  and I told her about my predicament. Kelsey has always wanted a dog, too, and we've always envisioned ourselves embarking on adventures with our dogs who also happened to be besties. Half joking I told her, "If you are at all feeling ready to adopt a dog, I've got quite the deal for you." An extremely outdoorsy and active person, not to mention a daily runner, Kelsey would be a perfect candidate to take in goofy Ghost.

As a matter of fact, Kelsey had been thinking that the time may be right to bring some four-legged love into her life, and after seeing some photos of Ghost and spending some time weighing and contemplating if the time was right, she told me YES, she would love to adopt him. Luckily, we are both planning coinciding trips to our hometown in June, and his current owners are okay with holding onto him until I can take him to meet her. Kelsey renamed him Kingsley, and I will be taking him on regular play dates and doggie adventures so that he is sociable and practices some of his basic manners before the hand off.

This story has a happy ending, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be able to ease Kingsley into his new life and relieve his former owners of their distress, but many other similar stories do not end so fortunately. It is so sadly common for a family to pick a breed based on how cute they are, or how cool, or some other simple trait, without researching the temperament and needs of that particular dog. German Shepherds are working dogs, they are bred to be active and engaged. Without regular exercise and good guidance, they do NOT make good pets. Huskies, too, I often see purchased by people who love their fluffy butts and are not prepared for their flighty ways and sassy, independent personalities. For a new dog owner, or a child, a far better choice would be adopting an older dog, a dog that is more mellow, needs less exercise, and knows basic manners. In fact, many shelters and rescues have programs for young dog-lovers to volunteer, accompanied by a parent, to walk dogs and learn more about their care, which could be a great starting point. A puppy is adorable but it is a huge responsibility, especially a breed like Kingsley or Koa.

Kingsley has a great temperament, but he also leans towards being a bit on the shy side, perhaps partially because until recently he has had very little socialization. Had he ended up in a crowded shelter, the psychological damage could have been deadly — turning his shy tendencies into fear, his fear into aggression, his aggression into the label "unadoptable," and finally to euthanasia. I urge you all to do your research before bringing a dog home, and make sure that the kind of dog you adopt (or even purchase) suits your lifestyle. There are tons of sweet older dogs that would love to simply be a snuggle companion, but a young Shepherd or Husky is not that dog.