"The animals have no voice but ours..."

Embrace your Inner Nerd

March 7, 2008
Jennifer Vanderau

A while ago, I was speaking with someone who honestly had no idea a Cocker Spaniel needed regular grooming. Now I know most of the people who read these words are animal lovers and even if you know nothing about Cocker Spaniels or Shih Tzus or Poodles or Maltese or Bichons, logic would tell you that the hair (especially for the show ring) really doesn’t look that nice without a little help.

The person was explaining to me how the dog was matted and literally had no idea what to do about it.

Sometimes it’s shocking the lack of knowledge in this world.

Here’s where I unveil the nerd that lurks inside me: I thoroughly enjoy learning things. Research. Investigating. The more I have to look up information, the happier I am.

Like I said, me = nerd. And I’m strangely OK with that.

I’m not trying to spread my nerdyness (is that even a word?) to others, but there are some times when a little research would definitely come in handy. For instance, say, with the above mentioned Cocker Spaniel.

If you’re looking to bring an animal into your home and you have very little knowledge of what’s involved, one of the greatest aspects about the age in which we live is information access. From libraries to websites to organizations to pamphlets, seek thee knowledge and ye shall find.

It’s good to know what you’re getting into before you actually take the plunge. That’s true in just about every part of life, but certainly true with animals.

The little dogs with long coats are going to need to be groomed so they don’t get mats. This is more important than a lot of folks realize. I’ve seen mats on animals that were filled with maggots, dirt, burrs, briars, mud…it was unreal. A large mat pulling on the skin can cause damage. So the grooming needs to be done.

Herding breeds – border collies, Australian Shepherds, cattledogs – were bred for pretty hard work. They needed to literally keep herds of livestock together. Many of them have energy for what seems like five dogs and they are smart with a capitol S (sometimes too much for their own good).

The hounds were bred to follow their nose. I’ve seen beagles who have been so on the trail of a scent, they’ve run into doors and walls and furniture. It doesn’t stop them. They bonk into an object and keep going. When a hound is on the scent of something, it can be incredibly difficult to stop them.

The working group of dogs includes Huskies, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Great Danes and Saint Bernards to name a few. Huskies are bred to be endurance runners, so they’re going to need exercise and their coat can’t take an excessive amount of heat. Rotties and Dobies can be particularly protective by nature. Danes and Saints are members of the giant breeds and are quite susceptible to a condition called bloat, which can be life threatening.

The sporting group is where you find the spaniels, retrievers and setters. These guys are usually on the hunt to help the hunter by retrieving, pointing or finding prey. While many of them have very affable personalities, they can also be quite energetic – in other words, they’re going to need some exercise.

Terriers were bred to hunt and kill vermin. Many of this group have been defined as “feisty.” In some instances, I’d say that’s putting it mildly. Terriers can certainly be opinionated and difficult to reason with from time to time.

Even if you realize a canine is a lot of work and are casting glances in the direction of felines, you’ve got to know about litter, hairballs, purring, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), nail clipping, hissing, the chase response, scratching, and the fact that every single cat seems to have a separate, distinct personality. 

There’s really a surprising amount to be learned about pets and it’s important to take a minute to find out exactly what you’re getting into before bringing one into your home, so you can avoid being in the situation with an awfully matted Cocker Spaniel.

So if you’re looking for a pet, embrace your inner nerd and take a minute to gather some information. It’s best for both you and the animal to be prepared, so you can limit the number of surprises you’ll encounter on the road to getting to know your best friend.  

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