Flying Poodles

Dogs and Their Choices

I think dogs definitely have strong feelings about what they do.

My Elly is never happier than when she is tracking a rabbit or squirrel, even though she’s never caught one. You can see it in her whole body for hours afterwards. She will chase rabbit trails over and over again…

Dancer, however, thinks Elly’s interest in rabbits is VERY boring. But Dancer will just run in circles for the sheer joy of it, jumping bushes and picking up sticks. She often picks up a ball and throws it in the air, just so she can catch it. She lights up when we do agility; when I let her off leash at the arena, she quivers with excitement until she’s released to go jump.

I’ve watched border collies herd, and you can see that every fiber of their being thinks this is a fabulous idea.

And I’ve seen Delta dogs that bring that same love of their work to their job.
This is what makes it so important to think about what you want to do with a dog BEFORE you choose a breed. We all know big active dogs who never get to be off-leash.

(And while I’m at it, what’s up with people who carry their little dogs everywhere?)