When my husband and I watched the Westminster dog show one time, we would comment to each other about this breed or that breed. It gradually dawned on me that I at least was beginning to compose a mental list of what I wanted and didn’t want in a future dog. I was choosing a perfect dog — perfect for us anyway! Kelly wasn’t exactly thrilled when I mentioned this to him, but that’s how it usually goes when we get a dog: I start the process and later he too throws himself into it.

Some of the things we came up with have to do with training, most don’t  I’m sure each person’s list would be very different. For what it’s worth, here’s ours as it stands right now. We have had mixed-breed rescue dogs and I prefer them, but I do like ones where you can see the breed origins. Now that dog DNA tests are available, that’s easier.

• A dog that likes training, which is different from a smart dog. Our Basenji was very smart but had next to no desire to please us. She was more like a cat in that way.
• Not a huge dog.
• Not a dog with a long coat that requires lots of grooming. Been there, done that.
• Probably not a dog with a flat face, due to their snoring and because my husband prefers other dogs’ looks. This is negotiable; Pugs and Boston Terriers do interest me.
• Not a terrier: we are writers who work at home and we need a dog who who has a lot of lazy time. We’ve had two different dogs in the hounds category and they worked well in this way.

We haven’t decided about size. Nor about when!

UPDATE: Several months later, we got a rescue Rottweiler puppy, several months old. So much for “Not a huge dog” but we adore her! Here she is standing by the door pull on our front door.. she quickly learned to pull the door open and then slide into the house before the door shut. Our plans for choosing a perfect dog really paid off! She is smart and devoted!

 

 

Here is a good book on selecting a dog: