NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/pets/dogs/15408

Text File | 1992-12-22 | 3.3 KB | 76 lines

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!europa.asd.contel.com!howland.reston.ans.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!lanl!beta.lanl.gov!crs
From: [e-mail] (Charlie Sorsby)
Subject: Re: Opinions on breed.
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 20:48:58 GMT
Lines: 64

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Chris Barnes) writes:
= In article <[e-mail]>
=     [e-mail] 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.
=
= I would have a recommendation for you, but I think there's something
= else that needs pointed out here.....
=
= >    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).

While I agree, in principle, with Chris's post, as a generalization
I must disagree with it.  Too much depends on the owner.  Granted,
it would be nice if everyone could leave their dogs outside during
the day to play and get exercize, that isn't always feasible.

And, even if the dog is left outside all day, a dog, especially a
single dog, is unlikely to get enough exercize for adequate
conditioning just by virtue of being in a yard.  I'm betting it
will spend most of the day sitting or lying about.

But if there is a place where the dog can be taken to run--off
lead--say three or more times per week (say every other day) for
half and hour or so (of actual running time) keeping a sizable bird
dog in an apartment, and keeping it in condition, is not beyond the
realm of possibility.  Of course, if the nearest place the dog can
run is an hour's drive away and it gets dark an hour after getting
home from work it will be unlikely that the dog will receive
adequate exercize.

Simply allowing the dog out into a fenced yard when one gets home
from work won't substitute for the 30-minute run described above.
If the run cannot be provided, I must agree with Chris.  And the
runs should be spread over the course of the week--not all lumped
together with several days of no exercize between.

So, we really need to know more about what Kevin will do before we
can say whether he can take adequate care of a bird dog in an
apartment.

Well, just one more $0.02 worth...


--
Best,

Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby                "I'm the NRA!"
      [e-mail]