Pedigree or Mongrel?
When I first bought my beloved and much wanted Basset Hound I was the happiest dog-lover in the world. I travelled for hours to the other side of the country to finally meet my new canine companion.
Expectations Dashed
I had done all the homework, read the books, talked to other owners, yes, I was ready to welcome the newest edition to my family…. or so I thought!
Having paid nearly $2000 for the pedigree ‘Basset’ I was so proud and had such high expectations. I accepted the difficult and trying behaviour that ‘Shakespeare’ created in his first week in his new home, but when he began to terrorise my son, and disrupt our lives beyond all belief, the whole experience turned from biggest dream, to biggest nightmare.
I knew that this breed was stubborn and prone to escape from the owners care the second an opportunity arose, but to then have to turn my home and garden into a fortress was truly beyond the call of duty.
I persevered for three months, but the lack of sleep, inability to wall him, and the sheer terror he made my son go through was just too much to bear. I had no idea a puppy could cause so much conflict and chaos in a household.
Time to Go
A decision which broke my heart, it was no good ‘Shakespeare’ just wasn’t fiting in with the family. And after careful consideration we made the difficult decision to re-home him. Fortunately for us this turned out to be an easy task as the manager of our local ‘Basset Hound Rescue Centre’ had at that time just lost one of her aged Bassets and so took the naughty little bundle on with no qualms. We were so relieved that he had gone to a knowledgable and loving home.
Missing a Four Legged Friend
We embarked on a tour of duty of all the animal rescue shelters within reasonable distance of our home. Every weekend was taken up going through what was indeed a heartbreaking task seeing so many animals looking forlorn and in desperate need of a new home.
Hello Molly!
We were beginning to give up hope of ever finding a dog that truly suited our requirments. Shakespeare had taught us a very hard lesson and so we were very sure about what we wanted from a dog this time.
One day I snuck my son out of school and we went along to a nearby shelter. We knew that the new dogs came in on a Tuesday and so we wanted to get ‘first pickings’ of the new recruits to the shelter.
There in front of us appeared a sorry, quaking, scruffy looking dog, but there was just something about her. I had no experience of owning a mongrel or mixed breed dog so this was all new to me. We enjoyed a muddy walk together, and a run around the doggy playpen, and immediately Molly impressed us with her obedience and generally loving nature.
A week later after a home check and one more visit, Molly made her way with us to her new home. We were told that she had been abused by her previous owner, and this was evident from her behaviour. Nonetheless we had hit the jackpot and created a home for the most loving and obedient dog I have ever owned.
I think I have learned a very good lesson from this experience. It doesn’t always follow that a $2000 dog is going to behave any better than one that costs just $100! Pedigree only means something when you have a breed of dog that is easy to cope with and fits in with a family.
Twelve months passed and we were still missing our furry friend even though he had caused us so much trouble. After much heartfelt thought we decided this time we would get a new dog, but with a charitable intent.
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2 Comments
Write a Comment»A nice lesson, breed or pedigree has nothing to do with behaviour.
Jack
http://www.dogtraining.heartofthepack.com
Pedigree is always the best way to go. You will have a much smarter dog.