Mixed Breeds For Dummies Book

Introduction     1
About This Book     1
Conventions Used in This Book     2
What You're Not to Read     2
Foolish Assumptions     2
How This Book Is Organized     3
Just the Facts Ma'am     3
Living with Your Mixed-Breed Dog     4
Training 101     4
Keeping Your Dog Healthy     4
Having Fun with Your Dog     5
The Part of Tens     5
Icons Used in This Book     6
Where to Go from Here     6
Just the Facts, Ma'am     7
Mixing it Up: Introducing the Mixed Breed     9
A Mutt by Any Other Name: Defining Mixed Breeds     10
A Tale of Two Dogs: How Mixed-Breed Dogs Come to Be     11
Even Toy Dogs Aren't Toys     12
They Don't Call 'Em Man's Best Friend for Nothin'     13
Designer Dogs: Not Your Mother's Mutt     15
The Pros and Cons of Designer Dogs     16
The pros     16
The cons     16
The Major "Labels" in the Designer-Dog World     17
Oodles of Poodles     17
A basket of Toys     22
Intelligent perceptions: Border Collie hybrids     27
A Little of This, a Little of That: Deciding Which Mixed Breed Is Right for You     29
Asking Yourself the Right Questions     29
Do you have enough time for a dog?     29
Do you have enough money for a dog?     30
Are you ready to give your heart to a dog?     30
Looking at the Different Breeds     31
On the hunt: The Sporting Group     31
Ain't nothin' but a hound dog: The Hound Group     32
Workin' like a dog: The Working Group     33
Tenacious terriers: The Terrier Group     34
Big personalities in small packages: The Toy Group     36
All shapes and sizes: The Non-Sporting Group     37
Round 'em up: The Herding Group     38
Considering Age: Puppy or Adult?     39
Gender Bender: Male or Female?     41
Adding It Up: The Right Dog for You     41
Choosing Your New Best Friend     43
Finding Your Very Own Mixed-Breed Dog     43
Breeders     43
Shelters     45
Rescue groups     45
Knowing Which Questions to Ask     46
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match: Temperament Testing     47
Be gentle: Testing for touch sensitivity      47
What's that? Testing for movement and object sensitivity     49
Who's the boss? Testing for dominance and submission     50
I'll get that! Testing for possessiveness and retrieval ability     54
Follow the leader: Testing for social skills     55
Living with Your Mixed-Breed Dog     57
Getting Ready for Your Dog's Arrival     59
Dog-Proofing Your House     59
Removing chewing hazards     60
Protecting your furniture     61
Pushing up daisies: Giving your dog a place to dig     62
Born to run: Making sure your dog can't escape     63
Your Mixed-Breed Dog's Bedroom     64
Crate or pen? Your dog's first place to sleep     64
Thinking outside the box: Letting your dog sleep outside a crate or pen     65
Bedding     65
Giving Your Dog a Place to Eat     66
Stocking Up on Supplies     66
Collars and leashes     66
Dishes and bowls     67
Toys     67
Bringing Home Your Mixed Breed     69
Giving Your Dog the Guided Tour     69
Walking her in and showing her around     70
Greeting the family     70
Meeting other pets      71
Taking her out to do her business     74
Showing the dog her sleeping area     75
Fighting Those First-Night Blues     76
Scheduling Time for Your New Dog     77
Exercise and playtime     77
Feeding time     78
Potty time     79
Chasing the Chuckwagon: The Basics of Feeding     81
The Basics of Nutrition     82
Types of Dog Food     83
Commercial dog food: Canned or dry     83
Homemade food     85
Raw diet     86
Don't touch! Foods and plants that are poisonous to dogs     87
How Much to Feed     88
Feeding according to your dog's age     89
Feeding according to your dog's size     90
Special Dietary Needs     90
It's My Treat: Giving Your Dog a Little Something Extra     91
Grooming Your Mixed Breed     93
Why Grooming Matters: Inside and Out     93
Brushing Your Dog     94
Cleaning Your Dog's Ears     95
Look, Ma - No Cavities! Brushing Your Canine's Choppers     97
The Eyes Have It: Caring for Your Mixed Breed's Eyes     98
Mani/Pedi Time: Clipping Your Dog's Nails      99
Bathing Your Dog     100
Checking for Parasites     101
Preventing parasites     102
Curing parasites     103
The Daily Once-Over: Checking Your Dog for Problems     103
Exercising Your Dog     105
Knowing How Much Exercise Your Dog Needs     105
Puppies     106
Adult dogs     107
Older dogs     109
Finding an Activity Your Dog Enjoys     109
Walking     110
Jogging and running     110
Biking     110
Fetch     111
Hiking     112
Swimming     113
Horse and hound     114
Training 101     115
Housetraining     117
When You Gotta Go: Looking for Your Dog's Warning Signs     118
Scheduling Potty Breaks     119
If you work away from home all day     120
If you work out of your house     121
If your schedule changes frequently     121
Crate-Training to Prevent Accidents     122
How the crate works     122
Introducing your dog to the crate     123
Teaching your dog to go in a specific area      125
Teaching your dog to get it done faster     126
Other Training Methods     127
Paper training     127
Using a litter pan     128
Watching for Success     128
Observing your dog     129
Giving freedom only when she earns it     129
Working on Some Advanced Housetraining Techniques     130
Training your dog to potty on command     130
You rang? Getting your dog to ring a bell when she has to go     131
Hup, Two, Three, Four: Good Manners and Basic Training     133
Preparing for Training     133
Targeting: The first step in training     133
Using a marker: The second step in training     134
Buying the right training tools     135
Making your voice and body work for you     136
Heel     138
Getting started: The basics of Heel     138
Trying the Heel off-leash     141
Sit     142
Down     143
Stay     145
Time     145
Movement     147
Distance     148
Come     149
The basics     149
Taking it up a notch: A game of Round Robin      150
Getting your dog to come from a Stay     151
Dealing with Distractions     154
Looking at the different levels of distraction     154
Introducing distractions to your dog     155
Helping your dog be reliable off-leash     156
Finding a Trainer     157
Tackling Mixed-Breed Training Challenges     159
Unpacking the Mental Baggage: Helping a Dog Who's Been Abused or Neglected     160
Alone and Frightened: Separation Anxiety     160
Recognizing the symptoms     161
Knowing what to do about it     163
Severe anxiety: When to seek outside help     168
No More Mr. Nice Guy: The Aggressive Dog     170
Recognizing the types of aggression     170
Knowing what to do about it     172
Jumping for Joy     173
Knowing why dogs jump     173
Keeping your dog's feet on the ground     174
Curing the insistent jumper     175
Chewing Your Dog Out for Chewing     176
Understanding why dogs chew     176
Solving the problem     177
From Beggar to Chooser: Getting Your Dog to Stop Begging at the Table     180
Nipping and Mouthing     181
Understanding why dogs nip and mouth     182
Preventing the problem     182
Curing the problem     182
Digging to the Center of the Earth     183
Knowing why dogs dig     184
Giving your dog a place to dig     184
Keeping Your Dog Healthy     187
Finding and Working with a Vet     189
Choosing a Veterinarian     189
Spaying or Neutering Your Pet     192
Microchipping or Tattooing: Keeping Your Dog Safe     193
Keeping Up with Regular Healthcare     194
Regular checkups and yearly vaccinations     194
Baseline tests     196
Controlling parasites     196
Addressing Special Health Problems     197
Skin allergies     197
Food allergies     197
Appetite issues     198
Skeletal disorders     198
First Aid: Dealing with Emergencies     199
Gathering Emergency Contact Information     199
Assembling Your Canine First-Aid Kit     201
First-Aid Basics     202
Allergies     202
Bloat     203
Broken bones or dislocations     203
Burns     204
Choking      204
Cuts     204
Diarrhea     204
Heat stroke     205
Hypothermia     205
Insect bites     206
Poisoning     206
Puncture wounds     207
Run-ins with wild animals     207
Seizures     207
Shallow wounds     208
Shock     208
Snake bites     208
Vomiting     209
If You Lose Your Dog     209
Before your dog is lost: Getting proper identification     209
What to do when your dog is lost     210
The Special Needs of Senior Dogs     211
How Old Is Old: Knowing When Your Dog Has Earned Senior Status     211
The Early-Bird Special: Feeding Your Senior Dog     213
Use It or Lose It: Exercising Your Senior Dog     214
Social time with other dogs     214
Walks with you     214
Identifying Health Problems Common to Seniors     215
Hearing loss     215
Blindness     216
Arthritis     216
Digestive disorders     216
Cancer     217
Dementia     217
Depression      218
Recognizing Behavior Problems That Sometimes Come with Age     219
Saying Goodbye     220
Having Fun With Your Dog     223
Not Just for Purebreds: Showing Off with Your Mixed Breed     225
Participating in a Mixed-Breed Dog Club     225
Competing in obedience matches and dog shows     226
Competing in agility     228
Competing in Rally-O     229
Media Hound: Getting Your Dog on Camera     230
Knowing what animal agents look for     230
Preparing for work     231
What to expect when your dog performs in front of the camera     232
Traveling with Charley     233
Deciding Whether to Bring Your Dog with You     233
Finding Pet-Friendly Places to Stay     234
Packing for Your Trip     235
Traveling by Car     236
Flying with Your Dog     237
What to do before you leave     238
Caring for your dog before and after the flight     239
Leaving Your Dog Behind     240
Finding an in-home sitter     240
Knowing what to look for in a kennel     241
The Part of Tens     243
Ten Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Dog      245
It Doesn't Cost Much - and It May Be Free!     246
Breeding Is Time-Consuming and Expensive     246
You Reduce Your Dog's Risk of Cancer     247
You Help Control the Number of Unwanted Dogs in the World     248
Your Dog Won't Be as Likely to Stray from Home     248
Your Dog Will Be on Her Best Behavior     249
Your Dog Will Be Easier to Housetrain     249
Reproduction Can Be Risky     249
Your Dog Will Be a Better Watchdog     250
Your Dog Isn't You     250
Ten Fun Activities You and Your Mixed Breed Can Enjoy Together     251
Competing with Your Dog at the Classic K-9 Show     252
Participating in United Kennel Club Events     252
Having Fun at Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America Events     253
Training Your Dog to Dive     253
Joining the Fun at the Australian Shepherd Club of America     254
Camping and Hiking: Finding Fun Outdoor Activities     254
Helping Your Dog Become a Good Citizen     254
Help Your Dog Help Other People     255
Dancing with Your Mixed Breed     256
Flying High with Flyball     256
Index     257