The Complete Guide to Mutts

Margaret H. Bonham

Description

A unique, one-stop handbook for mixed breed dog owners

Known for their individuality, mutts have become the most popular dogs in the United States! Now, The Complete Guide to Mutts addresses all the special needs of owning a mixed breed, providing comprehensive, reliable information in one authoritative resource on everything from health and training to behavior issues-something you won't find in other books.

Written by Margaret Bonham, a dog writer who has tremendous firsthand experience with mixed breeds, the book covers such important topics as beyond-the-basics obedience training, holistic therapies, and common problems in older dogs, as well as mutt-specific information on routine health care. You'll also discover:
* Why mutts are number one in the hearts of millions and why a mutt might-or might not-be right for you
* How to find the perfect mutt through a shelter or rescue organization
* The general types of mutts and how to tell what your mixed breed may be
* The difference between training a puppy and an adult mutt
* How to understand your mutt's behavior-and change it if necessary
* The best supplies for your mutt, including feeding dos and don'ts
* The latest on competing in obedience, agility, and other performance events
Acknowledgments.

1. Mixing It Up.

2. A History Mystery.

3. Mixed Results—Finding the Perfect Companion.

4. All Mixed Up—Finding the Mutt.

5. Outfitting Your Mutt.

6. Bringing Your Mutt Home.

7. Crates and Housetraining.

8. Professional Training.

9. Dog Behavior 101.

10. Dog Training 101.

11. House Manners.

12. Training for Activities.

13. Messed-Up Mutts.

14. On the Road Again.

15. Food for Thought.

16. Grooming Your Mutt.

17. Choosing a Veterinarian.

18. Preventive Care.

19. Health and Your Mutt.

20. Emergencies and Disasters.

21. The Senior Dog.

Appendix A: Useful Organizations.

Appendix B: More Reading.

Index.

Sujets

• Breeds
• Pets
• Dogs

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 21 avril 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470331682
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

T HE C OMPLETE G UIDE TO MUTTS
Selection, Care and Celebration from Puppyhood to Senior
Margaret H. Bonham
In loving memory of the following mutts: Conan, Spice, Cuawn, Skye, Lightning, Mirin, Ed, Kersel, Jasmine, and Dancer; and purebreds Winnie, Quinn, and Shadow.
Especially in memory of Snopeak Kiana of Sky Warrior CGC, NA, U-AGI, WPD,WTD, PDX,A-PDX, my best friend. Miss you, Hoot.
And to Larry, Mom, and Dad, who encourage me.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2004 by Margaret Bonham. All rights reserved
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department,Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, [phone], fax [phone].
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Bonham, Margaret H. The complete guide to mutts/Margaret Bonham. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7645-4973-1 (alk. paper) 1. Mutts (Dogs) I. Title. SF427.B622 2004 636.7-dc22
2003019495
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
C ONTENTS
Acknowledgments
1 Mixing It Up
2 A History Mystery
3 Mixed Results-Finding the Perfect Companion
4 All Mixed Up-Finding the Mutt
5 Outfitting Your Mutt
6 Bringing Your Mutt Home
7 Crates and Housetraining
8 Professional Training
9 Dog Behavior 101
10 Dog Training 101
11 House Manners
12 Training for Activities
13 Messed-Up Mutts
14 On the Road Again
15 Food for Thought
16 Grooming Your Mutt
17 Choosing a Veterinarian
18 Preventive Care
19 Health and Your Mutt
20 Emergencies and Disasters
21 The Senior Dog
Appendix A: Useful Organizations
Appendix B: More Reading
Index
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
A huge thanks to the following people (in no particular order): Jessica Faust, my agent, and Jackie Sach, her partner. Phyllis DeGioia, Karen Derrico and Kim Thornton for use of their stories. The Intermountain Humane Society for allowing me to photograph their dogs. Jessica Faust and Sadie; Karen Derrico and Barney; Phyllis DeGioia and Fred; Ginger, Berkley and Bruiser; Kathy and Jim Stabler and Robyn and Buddy; Mary Elyn Bigos and Boo and Lucky; Rhonda Metzger and Pepper Jubilation; and Maggie Meleski and Zoe for the photos. Dale Cunningham (Executive Editor) and Beth Adelman (editor and personal friend). Larry Bonham and Betty and Al Holowinski, who provide moral support. All the mutts who taught me something: Conan, Ed, Kersel, Skye, Spice, Lightning, Jasmine, Mirin, Rigel, Houston, and a host of others. My friends on DOGWRITERS-L (in case I miss someone below). Steve Dale, Deb Eldredge, Liz Palika, Bernd Gunter, Su Ewing, Dana Mackonis, and Cheryl Smith for their suggestions on famous mutts.
CHAPTER 1

M IXING I T U P
THE MOST POPULAR DOG IN AMERICA
Meet the mutt. Sometimes maligned and unloved, sometimes exalted. The mutt, or mixed breed, has been around since the beginning of Canis lupus familias, when some wolves threw in their lot with humans.
You may be surprised to learn that the mutt is the most popular dog in the United States. The number of mixed breeds outnumbers any single AKC purebred and outnumbers or comes close to the numbers of all AKC purebred dogs combined. Fifty-one percent of all dog-owning households have at least one mixed breed dog. That makes roughly 20.4 million households with a mutt.
People who have a mutt can t afford or don t want a purebred, says Karen Derrico, author of Unforgettable Mutts . People are attracted to mutts because of their hardier reputation and their individualism. When you get a purebred, you know pretty much what you get, but there s a certain mystery to the mutt. You re getting a one-of-a-kind.
Most people would agree. America is the melting pot of various nations and cultures. The mutt can be considered the quintessential American dog.
What breed is he? is the most common question mutt owners hear. Many respond, He s just a mutt. Just a mutt? Some of the most famous dogs were just mutts. If you look at literature, dogs like White Fang and Buck (from Call of the Wild ) were mixed breeds. In cartoons, the lowly mutt is celebrated: Edgar and Farley in For Better or for Worse , Daisy in Blondie , Dogbert in Dilbert, Pluto in Mickey Mouse, Snert in Hagar the Horrible, Dogzilla in The Buckets, Odie in Garfield and Otto in Beetle Bailey .

People are attracted to mutts because of their hardier reputation and their individualism. This is Karen Derrico s mutt, Barney.
Phyllis DeGioia, mutt owner extraordinaire and freelance dog writer and editor, says, Mutts are special because they are truly one of a kind; you won t be able to find another just like it. Their uniqueness is one of their most attractive qualities. It s the ultimate in rare breeds because, for the most part, you can t reproduce the mix-mostly because you don t know what it is.
Phyllis tells heart-wrenching stories about her own mutts, Fred and Ginger. Phyllis had just lost her beloved dog and told her veterinarian she wanted another dog. She received a phone call the same day.
Fred was in the hospital when I met him. His legs were covered in vomit. When I sat next to him-a total stranger-he put his head on my knee and looked at me. And that was it. He is now a therapy dog. Fred had swallowed a Super Ball and, rather than pay for the surgery, his owners had given him up to be either euthanized or placed with another family. That family was Phyllis.

Fred, a Westie-Bichon mix, is owned by Phyllis DeGioia.
Ginger appealed to me because the people who were giving her away just drove her over and let her out of the car. She jumped out, dragging a red leash, ran up the porch steps where I was sitting, into my lap, and starting licking my face. Done deal in three seconds. Such is the power of the mutt!
Mixed Reviews-What It Means to Bring a Mutt Into Your Life
Bringing a mutt-or any dog-into your life is a decision you should not make lightly. In many cases, a dog is a 10- to 15-year commitment. Will you be able to take care of a pet for all those 15 years? That will include feeding, playing with, exercising and grooming your dog every day. You will have to ensure that he is healthy by taking him to the veterinarian regularly for a health check and vaccinations. You will have to bring him to the veterinarian when he is sick. You will have to clean up after him, provide a stable environment where he can t be hurt or get out and become lost, and you will have to provide for his basic needs: food, water and a place to eliminate.

Ginger, a terrier mix, is owned by Phyllis DeGioia.
Surprisingly, many people equate the purchase price of a pet with the actual cost of dog ownership. Nothing could be further from the truth! There s no such thing as a free dog. When you consider the cost of veterinary care, daily food, supplies and the cost of your time, every dog is a very expensive companion indeed.
But there are benefits as well as costs. Bringing a mutt home means having a companion who is happy to see you every day. When the world is against you, your mutt will be there ready for you to pour your soul out to him. If your mutt is big, he can be a deterrent to criminals; if he is small, you may have a shopping companion or a pal you can take wherever you go. If your mutt is athletic, he can share your enthusiasm for sports and even introduce you to exciting sports such as agility or flyball.
We Don t Need No Stinkin Pedigree
It may surprise you to learn that all dogs have pedigrees. It s true! From the highfalutin winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to the dog you see raiding garbage cans on trash da