(Today's blog was originally written in my journal while I was at work.)
It's a beautiful day today. For whatever reason, the dogs behave better when the weather is nice, so I've taken out my journal to take advantage of this lull in activity. In a single glance around the room, I can spot a huge variety of dogs, all with different origins.
I feel the need to note that it is now going home time and so the lull is over. I am now writing between herding dogs in and out of the entry pen. What can I say? I'm slow at manual writing.
Back on topic. There's Jesse, a scrappy little dog of mixed ancestry who belongs to my boss. He weighs all of seven pounds and has terrier fur, the only given clue about his heritage. No doubt he's the result of a rendevous between two unneutered house pets, or perhaps he was even a 2nd+ generation stray. Regardless, Jesse was yet another unwanted mix who ended up at a shelter. Unlike many, though, luck was on Jesse's side and he was fortunate enough to wind up with a diehard dog lover who cares for her dogs perhaps even more than she cares for herself.
Then there's Chester, a gorgeous purebred Portuguese water dog. I cannot sing enough praises about this dog, his owner and the woman who bred him. He is a physically striking dog. His gait is smooth and effortless, his eyes bright and tail curled just slightly. Chester's coat is thick and helathy, shiny and soft as silk, thanks to the high-quality diet his owner feeds him.
Looks mean nothing compared to temperament, however, and Chester happens to have both. He's a intelligent, playful and friendly, but he's also stubborn, independent and has a mind of his own. In describing Chester as an individual, I also described the breed as a whole. That's how it should be.
Then there's Bailey, sweet, sweet Bailey who unfortunately wasn't here today. I adore that dog and make an effort to tell her mom what an absolute joy she is to be around every day. Almost all of the dogs cause at least a bit of trouble once in a while, but not Bailey. She is perpetually well-behaved, gentle, sweet, adorable... is it obvious yet how much I like her?
While she has, in my opinion, the perfect temperament, I would not be surprised if she's from a backyard breeder (BYB). Bailey is a golden retriever in heritage and in temperament, but does not meet the golden retriever standard physically. She's small - I'd be shocked if she was more than 35 lbs - and bowlegged. As I've said already, even well-bred dogs have faults, but such drastic deviations from the standard lead me to believe that she wasn't bred with form in mind.
These are the three most common dog "types - mutts, which are poorly bred by nature; BYB-style purebreds and well-bred purebreds. Tomorrow: doodles. That one will be a doozy.
