New Owner Can Be Hounded by Pooch Bought on Impulse

SAN FRANCISCO —  Many people buy dogs on the spur of the moment without giving enough thought to the responsibilities of pet ownership, says the American Kennel Club’s director of education.

“The single biggest problem is that people buy dogs on impulses,” John Mandeville contends.

The impulse buyer too often perceives the animal only as a “cute puppy” and does not fully comprehend the hard facts of pet ownership, he says. Too many people find themselves dealing with grown animals that they either cannot or will not properly train and care for.

‘Society of Dog Lovers’

“Even if you don’t think about dogs much, we’re a society of dog lovers,” Mandeville says. “Look in the grocery stores. You’ve got a whole aisle of dog foods and products and maybe five feet for baby food.”

Mandeville adds that, like infants, dogs are “totally dependent on us.”

That dependence, he says, mandates that a potential dog owner conduct adequate research before obtaining a dog.

Each year, 10 million dogs end up in the nation’s pounds.

“That is not a dog problem; it’s a people problem,” he argues.

The American Kennel Club has made public education a top priority, although the organization is best known for registering dogs and for its three major types of activities: field trials, obedience trials and dog shows.

Public Education Program

Mandeville is working to develop a public education program that he says might be called “The Right Dog for You.”

“In many instances, that’s no dog at all,” he points out.

The most popular breeds are popular for a very good reason, Mandeville says.

“They are easily trained and stable because they were breeded to perform a specific function and have a close association with man,” he says.

The top 10 dogs in terms of popularity are, in order, the cocker spaniel, poodle, Labrador retriever, golden retriever, Doberman pinscher, beagle, chow chow (“the latest fad breed,” according to Mandeville), the miniature schnauzer and the Shetland sheep dog, a breed commonly but erroneously called miniature collie.

Finishing last on the kennel club chart, by the way, were the otter hound and harrier.

1 Million Registered

Of the 50 million dogs in the United States, Mandeville says, 1 million purebreds are registered each year with the kennel club.

Mandeville suggests that a visit to a dog show could help people select a breed and perhaps help them decide whether to add a dog to the family at all.

“You can see examples of all breeds,” he says, “everything from the most common to the most esoteric.

“And you can see what that puppy’s going to look like when it grows up.”