From: kkv@inel.gov (Jamie J Ferguson)
Subject: Re: Opinions on breed.
Organization: Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 22:08:48 GMT

In article <168C0CDCC.CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu> CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu (Chris Barnes) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.113741.1890@msus1.msus.edu>
>    kevin@msus1.msus.edu writes:
> 
>>Well it looks like I will finally be able to get a puppy again so before I go
>>asearching I figured I would query the net about the appropriate breed for my
>>needs.  What I am looking for is a dog that will serve a variety of purposes.
>>In order of importance (sorta) they are.
> 
>>	2.  Adaptable to both life with a yard and life in an apartment.
>>	    ( I have crate trained a dog before and am comfortable with it)
>>	3.  A good hunter of upland game. (Pheasant, Grouse)
>>	4.  Between 65lbs and 100 lbs.
> 
>Item #2 is incompatible with #3 and #4.  #3 because a good hunter will
>require lots of excersise - and that means more than just a walk after
>you get home from work.  Staying in an apartment/crate all day will not
>give the dog the excersise it would need (even for small hunting dogs).
>#4 is incompatible simply because I would consider it cruel to keep a
>large dog in an apartment all day (actually, I wouldn't sell ANY breed
>of dog to someone that lived in an apartment).
> 


I have 3 dogs, one of which is a 60-65 lb. lab mix.  While I'm not a   
supporter of hunting, I have to comment on the apartment/crate bit.
If you are a committed and responsible dog owner you can manage to
keep a large dog in a small place.  We have plenty of room (although 
it is too cold up here to do as much outside as I'd like -- I just
moved to Idaho from Florida and haven't adjusted yet...) and as long
as we take the time to exercise our dogs they do fine being crated
all day while we are at work (if anyone read my earlier post about
what our lab did to our waterbed, and therefore our house, you'll
understand why we insist they all be crated -- we paid about $350
in damages, and the insurance company paid almost $400...).

There is always more to owning a pet than is obvious.  The Humane
Society chapter I volunteer for is very much against letting 
people without fenced yards adopt dogs; however, we have some 
neighbors with a purebred dog that has NEVER been on a leash and
does not have a collar -- this dog is allowed out in the yard and
street with a 9 year old girl whom it does not listen to.  It has
had no obedience training, and almost got run over several times
the other day.  These people have a large fenced backyard, but this
dog will soon be a little black pancake and I won't be surprised.
If someone who is more responsible than my neighbors happens to 
live in an apartment and crate his dog BUT is willing and able to
give it enough exercise then I would say that situation is better
for the dog than something like the one I just described.

In general I'd say an apartment is not a good place for a large
dog, but I just wanted to point out that there are often
extenuating circumstances.  I am really irritated with the way
my neighbors are risking their dog, and I doubt the breeder is
aware of this (or could do anything about it).  

Good luck in your dog search!  


Jamie

the pack:  Kenzie   -- 1 yr old black Lab X
           Meggin   -- 8 month old Australian Shepherd X
           Harrison -- 4 month old Border Collie X

the herd:  Kieri -- 5 1/2 yr old lilac point Siamese
           Zak   -- 5 1/2 yr old blue point Siamese
           Duke  -- 1 yr old seal point Siamese


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