The Perfect Dog

I've been thinking a lot about Natasha, whom, as I've mentioned I like rather a lot.  But unfortunately the facts remain the same - I'm almost certain Rosie wouldn't like her, she's probably too energetic and reactive to live with my bounce-off-the-walls kid, and J. doesn't want another dog.  Unless she absolutely can't find any other home, she's probably not better off in our house.  ::Sniff::

So, considering this, I've also been thinking about what makes "the perfect dog."  There are so many kinds of dogs, so it's good that there are so many kinds of people.  Because basically it all depends on what you need and prefer.

When we adopted Rosie, we lived alone, with no children and no other animals.  It didn't really matter that she wasn't terribly good with either.  I just wanted a dog that I could walk with, who would be affectionate and wouldn't tear up the house.  And I thought she was a beautiful looking dog.  Rosie succeeded on all fronts and in the end turned out to be pretty tolerant of Max too.

Now, of course, my primary requirement has to be that any dog we get be good with kids and animals.   But that's not all.  I walk every day, for a significant amount of time, and in the winter it's mostly dark when I do it.  So I need a dog that can walk and can walk when it's cold.  I also need it to look intimidating, for protection.  Those are the biggies.  I really like bigger dogs more than smaller dogs anyway.  Less important, though, I really prefer a shorter haired dog to a longer haired one.  I'm not keen on doing a great deal of brushing or picking fluff off of everything I own.  A year ago I replaced our furniture with pieces that don't show Rosie's brown hair; if we got a dog with black fur, the purpose would be pretty defeated.  Not that I couldn't deal with that, for the right dog...

Also, I'd rather not have a super-smart dog or one that needs to be kept busy all of the time.  I've met some really great Australian cattle dogs at the Humane Society, but I'm pretty sure I don't need a dog I've got to play flyball with or set up an obstacle course for in my spare time.  Oh, and if we're disclosing fully, I gotta have a slurper.  I love dogs that are affectionate and give lots of sloppy kisses.  

Some people love show dogs, But I have no problem with having a mutt.  It just needs to be my kind of mutt.   I can't help looking at the dogs I walk and hope that someday the "perfect" one shows up on the end of my leash.

tags: dogs