Copied from an article by Jessica Bullock in the News and Advance
At the Lynchburg Humane Society, we always chuckle to ourselves when people come in the shelter looking for a “house dog.”
When confronted with this phrase, most people think of Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Dachshunds and other small breeds. Some people have the mistaken impression that small dogs are easier to deal with in a home—however, that is not necessarily the case.
Any dog can be a house dog, regardless of whether he or she is five pounds or 80. It all depends on the dog’s personality. We have had a number of large dogs that would (and are) perfect for any home.
Some recently adopted dogs are great examples of large house dogs. One was a 60-pound lab/chow mix named Bear. He loved to relax and be loved on. Sure, he sometimes liked to get out and run, but he would have been a wonderful dog for any sized home. The same scenario goes for the 45-pound Bella, a black lab mix who was fairly quiet, shy, and housetrained to a fault. She enjoyed spending time with people and lounging and would have been ideal for an apartment.
Older dogs can also be great for apartments or small houses (and, of course, larger homes as well). Many people hesitate to adopt older dogs because they want to have a puppy that grows up in their home, the older dog may have been trained incorrectly (or not at all), etc. That is certainly not the case.
Many of the older dogs we receive have been housetrained, make little noise and love to just hang out. This is incredibly ideal for indoor living. Take Derby, an 8-year-old lab mix that was recently up for adoption. He is housetrained and quiet, but also loves playing. He is affectionate, but not overwhelming. He is easygoing and friendly. I certainly don’t have anything against puppies, but this sounds like a perfect ready-made dog for any home!
I’ve had my fair share of adult dogs and puppies, and there are benefits for both. I can remember when my family and I visited the Humane Society looking for a puppy that could grow up with us. What we found was a mutt who was part golden retriever, part collie, and part who knows what else. He was about a year old and his name was “Mocha.” He definitely chose us as his family, so we took him home, dubbing him “Kipling” for the poet (“Kip” for short).
We soon found out that Kip was housetrained and knew “sit” and “fetch.” He’s 60 pounds of pure love, and he almost never puts a tennis ball down. He still lives with my mother, and in his way, he takes care of her.
He was joined about a year later with another 60-pound lap dog, a black lab/chow mix we named “Dante” (for the author of “The Inferno” … are you seeing a trend in our pet names?). And you know what? My family has never regretted the fact that we didn’t come home with a puppy that day more than two years ago.
If small dogs or puppies are your thing, we do get some, but they go quickly. You just have to be patient. However, I just want to point out that we have a number of larger dogs that would, without a doubt, fit into the “house dog” mold.
At the Lynchburg Humane Society, we always chuckle to ourselves when people come in the shelter looking for a “house dog.”
When confronted with this phrase, most people think of Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Dachshunds and other small breeds. Some people have the mistaken impression that small dogs are easier to deal with in a home—however, that is not necessarily the case.
Any dog can be a house dog, regardless of whether he or she is five pounds or 80. It all depends on the dog’s personality. We have had a number of large dogs that would (and are) perfect for any home.
Some recently adopted dogs are great examples of large house dogs. One was a 60-pound lab/chow mix named Bear. He loved to relax and be loved on. Sure, he sometimes liked to get out and run, but he would have been a wonderful dog for any sized home. The same scenario goes for the 45-pound Bella, a black lab mix who was fairly quiet, shy, and housetrained to a fault. She enjoyed spending time with people and lounging and would have been ideal for an apartment.
Older dogs can also be great for apartments or small houses (and, of course, larger homes as well). Many people hesitate to adopt older dogs because they want to have a puppy that grows up in their home, the older dog may have been trained incorrectly (or not at all), etc. That is certainly not the case.
Many of the older dogs we receive have been housetrained, make little noise and love to just hang out. This is incredibly ideal for indoor living. Take Derby, an 8-year-old lab mix that was recently up for adoption. He is housetrained and quiet, but also loves playing. He is affectionate, but not overwhelming. He is easygoing and friendly. I certainly don’t have anything against puppies, but this sounds like a perfect ready-made dog for any home!
I’ve had my fair share of adult dogs and puppies, and there are benefits for both. I can remember when my family and I visited the Humane Society looking for a puppy that could grow up with us. What we found was a mutt who was part golden retriever, part collie, and part who knows what else. He was about a year old and his name was “Mocha.” He definitely chose us as his family, so we took him home, dubbing him “Kipling” for the poet (“Kip” for short).
We soon found out that Kip was housetrained and knew “sit” and “fetch.” He’s 60 pounds of pure love, and he almost never puts a tennis ball down. He still lives with my mother, and in his way, he takes care of her.
He was joined about a year later with another 60-pound lap dog, a black lab/chow mix we named “Dante” (for the author of “The Inferno” … are you seeing a trend in our pet names?). And you know what? My family has never regretted the fact that we didn’t come home with a puppy that day more than two years ago.
If small dogs or puppies are your thing, we do get some, but they go quickly. You just have to be patient. However, I just want to point out that we have a number of larger dogs that would, without a doubt, fit into the “house dog” mold.
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