When I came to Texas, I brought my last two homebred Shih Tzu who joined Hubby’s two cats and they all lived harmoniously. They were all seniors and a little more than five years ago, the last one, Harry, the Shih Tzu, died. (I had been in the Dog Fancy in Canada since 1977 and had shown, bred and/or owned Scotties, Lhasa Apso, Boxer, and Shih Tzu.)
We only lasted five weeks without any animals!
So, our search for a “new” dog sent us to the next town where a fine, established breeder had some puppies and a 10-month-old Lhasa Apso.
After carefully going over one puppy and the 10-month-old, we picked the older one. His color was beautiful; his body was sturdy and although he was a little nervous, he seemed very loving.
It took two men to get our reluctant fellow to an old wire crate waiting on the back seat of the car. He was tucked in for the ride back to our home. As he had no name, we selected “Buddy” as we drove home on Hwy. 59 through the rain.
Lhasa Apsos (named after the capital of Tibet) were originally guard dogs inside Tibetan monasteries. (Tibetan Mastiffs were on guard outside.) In North America, they were originally in the Terrier Group. Later, they were moved to the Non-Sporting Group. Although the term “clown-like” has been used to describe them, the standard called for them to be “chary of strangers”.
After two long nights, Buddy settled in. At nights, he stays by our bedroom door and during the day, he is in and out, enjoying our large backyard. Originally, he was not very obedient to commands but that has improved somewhat over time. He was happy and soon became very loving toward Hubby and me. For us, having Buddy is a joy. He keeps us hopping, alive and happy! After a while, Buddy started to enjoy company and was in fact, over-zealous and had to be tethered with a lead.
When we learned Ava was on the way, we knew Buddy needed a beautiful crate where he could be when the baby visited. Even at age 4, Buddy was not the dog for youngsters! We took him to PetSmart where we found a spacious fiberglass crate. We put a sheepskin, toys and water in there and Buddy knows that is his special place when Ava visits.
Many of the Retrievers are excellent breed choices for households with children. The Labrador, number one in AKC registrations for the past 10 years, would probably be my first choice for families, followed by the Golden Retriever (currently No. 4 in popularity) and the Boxer (currently No. 6 in registrations).
When choosing a dog breed for children, do go the the American Kennel Club website. Look for a dog breed that has an easy going temperament and is known to get along with children. In general, when you ask around, you will find that most sources will lead you to a medium-large dog breed.
www.akc.org
10 years ago
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