Pet of the Week
These are two kitties that were saved, brought to a cat shelter, and adopted out to fine homes!
It's easy to get your pet into the Pet of the Week feature - here is what you need to do!
The Top Ten Dog Breeds
Do you have a dog? Is he or she in the top ten? According to the AKC (American Kennel Club) these dogs ranked in the top ten in popularity in the year 2007. Unfortunately, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, my personal favorite didn’t make the cut
- Labrador Retriever
- Yorkshire Terrier
- German Shepherd Dog
- Golden Retriever
- Beagle
- Boxer
- Dachshund
- Poodle
- Shih Tzu
- Bulldog
Some interesting facts:
Lassie was number three in popularity (no doubt because of the films) until the late 40’s when the collie began a decline ending up in the current spot of #38. My theory is that they have fallen out of favor due to the intense grooming needs and the busy society we now live in. That is unfortunate; collies are wonderful!
Toy dogs (meaning size – not Mattel) have increased in popularity dramatically coincidentally with the aging of the Baby Boomer population. Perhaps the Boomers are now content to sit at home with a good movie and a lap dog!
The fancy French Poodle, once a commodity in and of itself in New York City (complete with frufru cut) has been ousted by the Labrador Retriever. Considering the activity level of Labs, the space they require, and their predilection for jumping into water, they would be the last dog I would consider were I living in the Big Apple.
Whatever dog we choose, to each of us that dog is the best. The list is interesting and a lot of fun to read, but we all know our own dog is #1 regardless of any statistics that anyone has recorded. Certainly overlooking the Pembroke Welsh Corgi proves that fact!
Dog Popularity Facts and Trivia
Finding the Best Purebred Dog for You
I’ve always been kind of funny (funny like strange, not funny like haha) about my dogs and cats. I prefer cats that are not purbreds, even though I have had purebreds in the past. I’ve even bred and done the cat show thing with Persians. But give me a regular tuxedo cat anyday; I have always found more love and devotion in “cat-cats,” as opposed to purebred cats.
I’m just the opposite with dogs. I have only had one “mutt” in my life; all the rest were purebreds. I have owned collies, Great Pyrenees, poodles, corgis, a border collie, and several other breeds. I have always found that for me, to have the lifelong 
relationship with a dog, the dog has to be a purebred. (It’s okay, call me a snob.) And anyone who knows me, knows it is corgis, specifically Pembroke Welsh Corgis.
I have been asked, why buy a purebred when there are so many pets to be rescued. And owning a cat shelter, it is obvious I am a firm believer in rescue and adopting an “unwanted” pet. It just doesn’t work for me with dogs. I like the certainty of knowing what kind of personality and character traits I am going to get in a dog and if you work with a good breeder, you can be pretty sure that your puppy will have the personality of the breed profile.
A recent blog posting by Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, concurs with my thoughts on this subject. However, what is important is how this applies to you. Do you know which dog is the best one for you? Have you considered issues such as innate friendliness, watch dog abilities, shedding and all of the other factors that could influence what kind of dog you might choose? When faced with an adorable puppy of any breed, it is pretty hard to keep your head on straight about what you want in a pet that will share its entire life with you.
I found a great dog breed selector. It did list some of the breeds I have been the happiest with. And of course, corgis were on the list. It is a quick test so take it and see if it matches you with the dogs you are interested in. It might bring some ideas to mind you haven’t considered or it might firm up, in your own mind, what is best for you.
