Friday, April 2, 2010

The Quest for the Perfect Dog

I know this is slightly unreasonable, but here's what I'd like to find:
A dog that is...
  • more than a year old
  • medium sized
  • good with kids
  • can handle being an only dog
  • is able to keep warm outside in the winter (he/she will not come inside)
  • will not kill chickens
  • will run off rabbits & deer from my garden & worry the groundhogs
  • can be off the leash & un-penned, but not run away
Bonus qualities:
  • is easily (or already) trained
  • likes to play fetch
We met this guy at the shelter yesterday and he seems like he has a great disposition... but I've read that Basset Hounds can be stubborn (not easily trained) and like to follow scents and then have a hard time finding their way home... That would be less than ideal. Further, this guy seems like more of a porch accessory than a fetcher. But you'd be hard pressed to find a sweeter porch accessory!
Now, I know labs are great family dogs too, but I'm worried about their "birding" instincts. And I know several chicken owners who, because labs train fairly easily, have trained their labs to leave their chickens alone.
So, the dog-searching adventure continues.

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