Small children mean large dogs: The world of dog fanciers is divided between purebred purists (those who insist on buying a pet with a pedigree, meaning it is one of the 153 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club) and mutt mavens (those who prefer adopting from animal shelters). Rarely do these camps see eye to eye, yet leaders of both agree that small dogs are not ideal for families with very young children, who tend to be rough on pets, and that good family dogs are usually thirty pounds or more and willing to roll with the punches. Mutt mavens believe that the more mixed a dog is, the more adaptable he will be to modern family life; the reasoning is that such dogs, being randomly bred, don't display the intense instincts (hunting, ratting and so forth) that make purebreds sometimes hard to live with.
Taking the shelter route: Whether you have children or not, when starting to look for a dog, a smart move is to bypass pet shops and visit your local animal shelter, where adoption counselors will be happy to introduce good old-fashioned mutts that have passed stringent temperament tests. Little Shelter, in Huntington, New York (littleshelter.com), quaintly calls this process matchmaking. To find the animal shelters nearest you, visit the nationwide directory at petfinder.com.
Rescue heroes: Numerous rescue groups specialize in small dogs and may be found online by searching for small dog rescue or little dog rescue. If you absolutely must have a pampered purebred, simply type in the name of the breed and the word rescue — Westie rescue, for example — and you'll be able to find rescue groups near you that will be happy to discuss meeting your needs (one of my favorites is Peke A Tzu Rescue, at pekeatzurescue. com, which is devoted to all small breeds and minimixes). The AKC's Web site (akc.org) also lists breed-rescue groups across the country.
Age before beauty: Retired? In the market for companionship? Consider an age-appropriate adoption: a senior dog. Such animals are frequently overlooked, yet small or large, elder statesdogs prefer leisurely walks to aerobic exercise and prove ideal pets for people who have slowed down as well.
Taken from: "Too Cute" BY JULIA SZABO
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