The predictors out there have been pointing to a Portugese Water Dog strongly, but I hear there is still some consideration of a Labradoodle.  Either way, the First Lady has indicated that they will be rescuing their choice from one of the more than 250,000 deserving dogs needing a home currently residing in a shelter, rescue or foster home.  As I am sure you expected, this is a choice I strongly support.  Being a rescue dog myself, I wish everyone would find their four-legged family members from the same place.

VS.

The Portuguese Water Dog

They are muscular, medium-sized dogs that grow to be 35 – 60 pounds and about 17 – 23 inches tall.   They are very athletic and active, requiring exercise every day.  They really need a yard to play in, luckily the White House grounds MIGHT be just enough.  The gardeners may find some competition digging next to them in the Rose Garden, but it seems like a fine place for a dog to play!

This breed loves the water and is loyal, very affectionate, great with kids and not difficult to train.  Their breed has a reputation for being easy to get along with other breeds, however, they would need to be exposed to cats at an early age to be friendly to the felines as well.  They are also known as “PWD,” which stands for Portuguese Water Dog and not what I call Tax, which is Pretty Weird Dog.  They have an average life expectancy of 10 to 14 years.  Porties, another nickname, have a single-layered, non-shedding, hypo-allergenic coat and present those coats in black, brown, parti-colored, white or gray.  They also have more webbing between their toes than most other dogs to aid them in swimming.

PWDs were recognized as a by the AKC in 1983 as part of the working breed class.  They exhibit puppy-like behavior for their first two years of life.  They are also notorious chewers, especially if they are not exercised properly.   Unfortunately, they are more susceptible  from serious health problems such as, hip dysplasia, eye disease, skin conditions, immune system disorders and heart disease.  They are considered to be a rare breed due to their low population in the United States.

The Labradoodle

Since they are half of a Labradoodle, let me mention that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in America, and they have been for many years.  Myself, I have known some pretty good retrievers.  The second half of a Laradoodle equation is the poodle. Typically, poodles do not get the respect that they deserve.  They are hard-working, easily trained, non-shedding and loyal, all great traits that they bring to the mix.  Although some believe this to be a fairly new breed, they have actually been around for about thirty years.

A Labradoodle is a perfect dog for families with older, well-behaved children. (Hint, Hint).  They can play for long periods of time, they do not mind a little rough play,  and they are not pushy.  Labradoodles are extremely social dogs and immediately accepting of new people and dogs.  Because of this, they do not make very good watch dogs, so the Secret Service guys will still have jobs.  I have been told that Labradoodles like a life of organization and structure.  They are very schedule-oriented dogs, which is perfect for the White House.  How much of the President’s life is not scheduled, right?

Labradoodles have a thick, dense, non-shedding coat that can be many colors, from black to chalk.  Their coats are very easy to maintain, but not all of them are allergy-friendly.  The Labradoodle falls into the category of a designer dog, meaning that they are part of the latest craze or fad among dog breeds.  They have recently been recognized as a breed in Australia, and they are slowly working their way up in other parts of the world as their breed starts to adhere to a standard.  Labradoodles will not mind if the Oval Office has no corners.

Just a quick note from me directly to President Obama:  Dogs are excellent judges of character.  Keeping him around all day will tell you who can be trusted.  You are certainly going to want to have him around when Sasha and Malia start dating, so that they can judge potential boyfriends too!  Also, if you need me to visit the White House every once in a while to help keep him in line, I would be happy to.  Just remember that I do not like to fly coach, so sending Air Force One for me would not go unnoticed.

When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was “bad,” you’d shake your finger at me and ask “How could you?” – but then you’d relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because “ice cream is bad for dogs,” you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a “dog person” – still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a “prisoner of love.”

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch – because your touch was now so infrequent – and I would have defended them with my life if need be.

I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered “yes” and changed the subject. I had gone from being “your dog” to “just a dog,” and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You’ve made the right decision for your “family,” but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said “I know you will find a good home for her.” They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with “papers.” You had to pry your son’s fingers loose from my collar as he screamed “No, Daddy! Please don’t let them take my dog!” And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked “How could you?”

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you – that you had changed your mind – that this was all a bad dream…or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured “How could you?”

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said “I’m so sorry.” She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn’t be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself – a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my “How could you?” was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.

May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

Please take a moment to share this with anyone you know who needs to read it.  If you would like to print a copy, Mr. Willis has graciously provided a .pdf to share in that way.

The next time you have a couple dollars left over after keeping your house in order, please consider donating it to one of the “Good Guys” on the right sidebar or here here and here, one of the shelters or rescues over on Spike’s Shelter Dogs, or your local shelter or rescue.

With interesting and entirely coincidental timing, Mom recently added two puppies to our home temporarily after hearing their story.  We think they are Newfoundland/Lab mixes, and they are very cute, fluffy balls of fur.  They are quite active, playful, and energetic.  Yesterday, I posted a video and some pictures of them, as well as their back story as the first dogs posted on Spike’s Shelter Dogs.

If you are interested in adopting either of these puppies, or any of the dogs listed on Spike’s Shelter Dogs, check out the contact info for each of them.  Also, if you are a shelter, rescue, or foster interested in having an adoptable dog listed on the site, check out the Ask Spike Online Contact Us page.  Something that we are doing differently to help gain attention for these dogs, we are utilizing the social media power of Twitter and Flickr to raise awareness.  To be the first to know about additions to Spike’s Shelter Dogs, follow @shelterdogs on Twitter or become a contact on Flickr.

Feel free to spread the word about my newest project to all you know, especially those who are looking to provide a forever home for a four-legged friend.

I wrestled with whether or not to share it with you, because sometimes I think that I am preaching to the choir about why it is so important to me that people adopt dogs from shelters and rescues rather than buy one from a breeder or a pet store.  I have talked about this in the past, but I do not think that the point can be driven home enough.

A Letter from a Shelter Manager

I think our society needs a huge “Wake-up” call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all…a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the “back” of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don’t even know.

That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it’s not a cute little puppy anymore. So how would you feel if you knew that there’s about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are “owner surrenders” or “strays”, that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are; “We are moving and we can’t take our dog (or cat).” Really? Where are you moving too that doesn’t allow pets? Or they say “The dog got bigger than we thought it would”. How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? “We don’t have time for her”. Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! “She’s tearing up our yard”. How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me “We just don’t want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she’ll get adopted, she’s a good dog”.

Odds are your pet won’t get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn’t full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don’t, your pet won’t get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the “Bully” breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door.

Those dogs just don’t get adopted. It doesn’t matter how ’sweet’ or ‘well behaved’ they are.

If your dog doesn’t get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn’t full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long . Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don’t have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.

Here’s a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being “put-down”.

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails. Until they get to “The Room”, every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it’s strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the “pink stuff”. Hopefully your pet doesn’t panic from being restrained and jerk. I’ve seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don’t just “go to sleep”, sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You’ll never know and it probably won’t even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can’t get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this DON’T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say “I saw this and it made me want to adopt”. THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT

After you wipe away the tears from reading the letter above, I BEG that you share it with anyone and everyone you know.

First, I want to give a little background on what good salespuppies retrievers can be.  One time, Mom told me a story about this man who was trying to sell an old car.  He had a “FOR SALE” sign with his phone number on the car, but no one ever walked over or called to take a look at it.  Undeterred, he had a stroke of genius to drive traffic!  My doggie mom, Autumn, had recently had a litter of puppies.  There were eight of them and of course, like all retriever pups, they were beautiful and wonderfully cute.  The man took some pictures of the puppies he borrowed, and he put the pictures all over his old car, and he placed an ad in the local car classified with a picture of one of the puppies in the driver’s seat.  The pictures of the pups brought much needed attention to his car, and he made the sale at the asking price within days.  It is true that retrievers can sell just about anything.

Mom buys a certain brand of toilet paper because there are retrievers in the advertisements and on the packaging of the product.  A retriever figures prominently in a commercial for some baked beans.  Yeah, we are pretty useful advertising, but as cute as we are as pups and very playful when adults, owning a retriever is not recommended for everyone.

The American Kennel Club states that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in the United states.  Some traits attributed to labs are intelligence, loyalty, friendly demeanor, bravery, dependabililty and beauty.  Apparently, the AKC has not met my pain of a brother, Tax, who is a yellow Lab.

Retrievers, whether golden or labrador, are generally more reliable than most people and make wonderful companions because we do not tell your secrets!  This also figures into any retriever mixes.  A vet once told my mom that he figures that all dogs at some point are mixed with retrievers and maybe even a few humans!

The movie craze of “Marley & Me” has caused me to think that some people may enjoy the movie, decide to visit a breeder to pick out their own retriever, and live happily ever after.  Not so fast…  Let’s talk about what is involved and how to own a retriever.

First things first, responsible pet ownership is a deep commitment of time, money and energy to the newest addition to your family.  Before you even begin your dog search, think about all of the vet visits, training, good dog food and other supplies.  There will also be baths, vacuuming, walks in the rain AND snow, chewing, digging, flea control, treats and so one.  This list could fill an entire book.  For a great article about the financial costs of dog ownership, check out Wise Bread’s piece on Wednesday.

I hear that some people want a dog that does not require any work.  People with that frame of mind need to visit their local toy store and buy one like this.

There is no argument against the fact that retriever pups of any variety are absolutely fabulous!  Unfortunately, most people are not ready for the commitment after they are convinced by a cute puppy face, and that is where the trouble begins for some.  People cannot resist, until they get us home…

All dogs, from labs to poodles, need to be potty trained.  This is something that should be accomplished before a puppy reaches six months of age.  Usually, at that point, retrievers begin adolescence and their adolescent period can last until the dog is two years old.  During this time, looks can be very deceiving, as retrievers look to be fully grown adults, however on the inside, they are filled with all of the makings of a puppy.  This is complete with all the silly, destructive behaviors of a puppy.  No longer the small and cute puppy, they are now big and boisterous, and this is the time that a lot of retrievers and the retriever mixes will end up in a rescue or a shelter.  If you have seen the movie, you will recall that Marley’s biggest (and funniest) moments of bad behavior came when he was still a young dog, living it up in the Miami sun.

Most of Marley’s bad behavior is likely due to the Owen and Jen’s lack of time to provide him with the exercise necessary for retrievers’ level of energy.  Both of them were hard-working journalists, leaving little time for an extremely active puppy and young adult dog.  When they do go for walks at the beach, or through the neighborhood, Marley was even more excited at the prospect of getting out and about.  In my experience, retrievers, especially in their early years, need someone to be around consistently, rather than here and there outside their busy lives, earning the money necessary to keep us fed.

Retrievers come in many sizes, from about 35 pounds to over 100 pounds, like me.  Retrievers have certain health problems such as hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy and epilepsy.  The myth that the coat color of a labrador can give any hint of temperament or health differences is just that, a myth.  If you want black, yellow or chocolate, take your pick. The following are more myths about labs:

• Black labs have more health problems and are more aggressive.
• Chocolate labs are more stubborn and smarter that other labs.
• Yellow labs are more active and dumber. (The last statement is 100% true when discussing Tax.)

I encourage everyone to read the book and see the movie “Marley & Me,” as they are both very entertaining, but I do not want you to leave the theater headed to the closest retriever breeder.  Retrievers are not for everyone, however if you simply MUST have one, please search for one at a local shelter, rescue, or the Humane Society.  These dogs have less of a chance of finding a loving home than those belonging to breeders!

The video below shows some of the inhumane conditions that puppy mills (commercial breeders) are known for.  Before pushing play, I strongly urge you to remove any children from the room and to grab a box of tissues.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk4lFTxVHaI]

The Humane Society of the United States held a press conference on Thursday, November 20th to disclose their findings after an eight month investigation into the source of 21 Petland stores’ puppies.  They found dozens of breeders and brokers known to be puppy mills involved in supplying puppies to the stores, many before they were ready to leave the litter.  Some stores were lying to customers, assuring them that the puppies they were purchasing were from responsible breeders.

“They are buying from puppy mills where these dogs are not treated like pets,” Michael Markarian, an executive vice president with the Humane Society, told a news conference. “They’re treated like a cash crop, where mother dogs live in wire cages, sometimes stacked on top of each other in filthy, dirty, cramped conditions, where they receive little socialization or human interaction or exercise.”

According to a press release on the Humane Society’s web page, they found puppies “living in filthy cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization.”  They also noted that many of the dogs found at the puppy mills were living in wire cages where the floor openings were large enough for puppies’, and even adult dogs’, entire legs to fall through.  The Humane Society also noted that pet stores should know not to buy puppies for resale from “abusive puppy mills,” and subsequently lying to concerned customers about the source.

Although each store is an independently owned franchise, the company’s guidelines only provide for humane care of the dogs after their purchase.  Many franchisees were purchasing from large commercial breeders, where humane conditions regulation by the USDA are a low priority.

Even purchasing a dog from a breeder who claims to be responsible can be tricky, which is why I always suggest that you adopt a deserving dog from your local shelter and rescue groups.

There are many deserving dogs in need of homes at your local Humane Society, rescue groups, and the local dog pound. Adopting one of these dogs, rather than buying one from a pet store or breeder, can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life and his life.

Congratulations to Barack, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha for making a great decision on their newest family member. Let’s hope that many others will follow their responsible example when considering the same situation.

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