buster the show dog
Posted : 6/16/2007 1:38:56 AM
ORIGINAL: zhandao
Hi, my family wants to get a dog and the main person who's going to take responsibility for it is my 13 year old sister. .... So the dog has to be manageable enough for a 13 year old girl, meaning not too much grooming or training needed.
... Well, large enough that we allow someone's cows (about a dozen) to graze our land. A cow-herding breed of dog would be funny, heh. ....
I'm not sure what my sister prefers in a dog besides that it is "cute."..... My parents want a dog that can somewhat be a watchdog, but on the other hand don't want a dog that makes a lot of noise (that annoys my grandparents) so I'm not sure how that will work out. As for me, I'd prefer a dog that I can run around with outside but not so large that it's hard to manage. Perhaps small enough to lay down in my lap. I'd also prefer the dog to be more friendly than not and amusingly excitable as well.
I guess that's it. What do you recommend?
Well, first, I recommend that you think very seriously about what others have said about having a 13 yr old be the primary "manager" of this dog. It is a very very rare 13 year old that maintains interest in caring for animals through the teenage years. There's all that high school drama, and, you know, the opposite sex, and all that stuff that becomes far more interesting. Plus, in four or five years she'll be off to college too, and like you, probably won't be able to keep a dog there. So your parents may well be the owners of this dog for another decade after your sister has left the household. So, unless one of the adults is truly committed to being the dog's sole caretaker, buy a burglar alarm. It's cheaper, and doesn't need to be walked.
Having said that, if there is an adult willing to be the sole caretaker, your situation just screams corgi to me. They can be a bit barky if they are left on their own for long periods of time, but they are smart, trainable, adorable, and yes, they are cow dogs. They have a short coat that doesn't require a lot of grooming other than a quick once over once a week or so, but twice a year they will shed enough hair in a couple weeks to weave at least three new dogs. Really. It's incredible how much hair is packed onto those short little bodies, and how much can fall off their bodies over the course of a couple weeks. But other than those periodic sheds, they are pretty low maintenance. And smart, and they'll definitely let you know if anyone ventures onto the property, and did I mention that they are adorable? I'm partial to Pembroke corgis myself, but the Cardigan corgis are pretty cool too.