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If you've made it this far, you are interested in adding a PWD to your family. Let's review, and separate some fact and fiction, before we go any further, okay? Here are a few true/false questions--no peeking till you've answered!
| 1. PWDs are hypo allergenic. | False. They are low dander, and so are more easily tolerated by people who are allergic to dander. But that is only relative, not absolute. If someone is allergic to dog saliva, they will be allergic to PWD saliva, too. What's even worse is that because they are low dander, sometimes folks think they do not have a reaction after visiting PWDs, so they get one, take it home, fall in love, and then the cumulative build up of the dander causes a reaction. It's heartbreaking all the way around. Proceed with caution, please. |
| 2. PWDs are naturally good with children. | False. PWDs who have been trained to be good with children are good with children who have been trained to be good with dogs. See Dogs and Kids |
| 3. PWDs are great family pets. | Depends on the family. Depends on how well matched you are with the puppy you get. See Roadmap to the right puppy. |
| 4. PWDs don't shed. | False. They shed, just not as much as other dogs. Like the hair of humans, the hair in a PWD coat is constantly growing and replacing itself. The old, loose hair must be brushed and combed out frequently. The time spent grooming and bathing is more than the time you would spend vacuuming if they shed at the same rate as other breeds. See puppy preparation letter. |
| 5. PWDs have webbed feet. | True. So do Newfoundlands and many of the water retrieving breeds. |
| 6. PWDs are great outdoor dogs. | True and False. True if you mean that they love and need exercise appropriate to their age. See puppy preparation letter. False if you mean they will be good dogs to live in a kennel, or be left outside for long periods of time. They want people, they crave people, they demand people--and are quite vocal and inventive in letting you know about it! |
| 7. Because PWDs are so rare, all PWDS should be bred and it's a common contract requirement that a dog be shown and bred and puppies given back to the breeder. | False, False, and FALSE! Most dogs of any breed, including PWDs, should not be bred. You do not have to agree to the expense and inconvenience of showing your dog or having it shown. You do not have to agree to have your dog bred. Breeding is different commitment from ownership. |
| 8. PWDs are easy to train. PWDs are hard to train. | "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and easy versus hard depends on you, your style, your pup's temperament, etc. What is absolutely true is that your PWD needs training--from the day you bring it home, and every day for the rest of its life. For information on choosing the right trainer, see the puppy preparation letter and roadmap to the right puppy |
| 9.A good breeder will let me select my puppy from the whole litter. | False. A good breeder will listen carefully to what you are looking for in a dog and what you plan to do. S/he will then consider that information along with her or his knowledge about the breed, temperament and activity level of sire and dam, temperament evaluations of the pups, and a host of other factors. S/he is best suited to select a puppy for you; your job is to communicate what you are looking for. And s/he will also be honest if they don't have the right puppy for you. |
| 10. I don't need a contract if I get the AKC registration papers. | False. AKC papers simply certify that the dog is purebred. But a dog lives for many years, and has changing needs throughout its life. A contract is necessary protection for you, the pup, and the breeder to ensure those needs are met. The responsibilities of a breeder don't end when s/he receives a check. For PWDs, reputable breeders also want to encourage testing and reporting for the breed databases. |
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