PAWS TO PONDER

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by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc. 

Did you know pet surrenders are on the rise?  It certainly seems so with the number of calls our shelter receives on a daily basis.  The number one reason for surrenders lately is “moving”.  

As in the recent surrender of a dog named “DOG” who is about five years old.  DOG has already had three to four homes before being “adopted” from a friend a year ago.  He was free to be in the house for up to ten hours a day unsupervised when his former owner was at work. When watching TV, DOG would lay on his feet.   DOG is housetrained and knows to cry at the door to be let out.  And he lived with male cats and female birds. His shining qualities

were listed as “loves people, loves to be outdoors” although he had not been around children. He has a friendly, energetic personality.  His favorite activities are playing fetch and going for long walks and running.  DOG knows several commands: sit, down, back up, no, wait, eat, slow down and hike which means run.    He loves any human food, bones and tennis balls and likes to knock things over, but is afraid of things falling.   DOG will initially bark at visitors at the door, doesn’t like his tail being touched and will steal food and chase squirrels. 

DOG appears to be a whitish Husky/Shepherd mix with one very blue eye.   The Siberian Husky is good-natured, outgoing, energetic, and super friendly.  They are athletes and require a lot of exercise to be happy and healthy.  They have an uncanny ability to escape and can dig out, jump out or finagle a door lock to get out and run about the neighborhood with their inherent “wanderlust” gene.  Huskies have a dense double coat making their fur soft and beautiful and shed or “blow” their coat twice a year, but in reality, there will be fur stuck to everything all year long thus they require regular brushing.  They are smart, independent thinkers and need mental stimulation as much as they need physical exercise. Huskies can be rambunctious, bouncy and are a very vocal breed with howling, barking and talking.      

German Shepherds are velcro dogs, known for forming intense bonds with their family members and wanting to be involved in everything they do.  As herding dogs, they use gentle nudging, circling, or even nipping at heels to guide others.  Their protective instincts make them naturally alert to potential threats which can lead to excessive barking.  They are also excessive chewers and often enjoy digging to bury their toys, create a cool spot to lie down, or simply for entertainment.  Shepherds tend to be leaners seeking physical contact with their owners. 

Both breeds and their combination are not well suited for first time pet owners unless a competent trainer is on board.   They can be wonderful family dogs if time and patience is put into their training.  If a dog like DOG is your kind of dog, consider adopting the newly named COMET, named for his dashing ability, good looks and an icy blue eye.

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