Entertaining, Educational Stories about dogs and the families who love them.  Purebred or mutt, showdog or showoff, puppy or veteran, dogs love and protect their human pack.  No pet has more loyalty than a dog.  A pet dog will stay with its family no matter what, even if abused or starved!  What other animal will do that? 

by Tam Cordingley                    

There are now ads for consulting services in most dog magazines.  Are they needed or is this just one more info-age rip-off?  In my opinion they are, like many things, not a necessity, but a definite convenience.  They can provide an answer to your problem without you having to do the digging for information yourself.

Some services are strictly for breed selection, some straight telephone consultation, and some offer a variety of problem solving methods.  If your consultant is knowledgeable it can save lots of headaches and time.  Many people keep open accounts with their counselor and call with any questions that come up concerning their pet.  Beginning with choosing a breed, locating a breeder of that breed, making sure that breeder is a good one and not just a puppy factory, buying products and equipment, and any training or management questions that come up.

There are no regulations about who can be a consultant, so it behooves you to be selective.  Ask for the background of you counselor.  If they have been active as a breeder, exhibitor, or handler, have they been successful or simply active?  Have they had a wide variety of breed experience, or experience with only a few breeds?  Can they provide references of satisfied clients?  Possibly of most importance is your confidence level.  Do you feel confident that the counselor you are talking with understands your problem and situation?  Can you get at the level of support you need?  Some clients only need referral to a good book while others feel more comfortable conferring about everything from buying a collar to fencing the yard to proper grooming procedure and equipment.

This isn’t ordinarily a free service.  Prices range from under $20 for a questionnaire on breed selection to $100 per session for on site individual consultation.  Is it worth it?  You bet!  With puppies frequently costing $500 to $1000 a mistake in choosing an unsuitable breed is an expensive error.  Proper training and management techniques can save many thousands of dollars in damage caused to home and yard.

A good consultant can help make dog ownership a rewarding experience for all concerned rather than a nightmare for you and the dog ending up neurotic or in a shelter.  The frustration both you and your dog can feel if mismanagement can be avoided.  No more returning from work and opening the door to find soiled floors, shredded furniture, or worse yet having your dog escape.  The consultant can help you over the rough spots.  

Valley Pet News Sacramento CA ã 1992 reprinted with permission  

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