Tail Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound Therapy

Finding Your Perfect Puppy Match

• Shannon & Tanya • Episode 12

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How To Choose A Puppy?

Finding your perfect puppy match isn't something to be taken lightly. Professional groomers Shannon and Tanya dive deep into what truly matters when bringing a new furry family member home—and it's not just about those adorable puppy eyes.

The duo offers practical wisdom on pet budgeting that too many prospective owners overlook. "If you don't have $10 to put into something," Shannon cautions, "you probably shouldn't get a pet." This straightforward financial reality check is just the beginning of their thoughtful guidance. They explore how to match breed characteristics with your lifestyle, emphasizing that knowing whether you're an active outdoor enthusiast or a homebody with limited space significantly impacts which dog will thrive in your care. Their recommendation to use resources like the AKC's breed matching quiz shows their commitment to purposeful pet selection.

What makes this conversation particularly valuable is the balanced perspective on rescue versus purebred dogs. Both Shannon and Tanya have experience with each option and present the nuances without judgment. They detail how a rescue dog may be perfect for some situations, while specific breed traits might be essential for others—particularly for working dogs or families with special considerations. Their advice to spend 3-6 months researching before making a decision underscores the seriousness of this long-term commitment, potentially spanning 18 years of your life.

Ready to find your perfect puppy match? Listen now to gain insights from experienced professionals who've seen firsthand what happens when the human-canine match is right—and when it's not. Then visit Houndtherapy.com or call 469-367-0009 to schedule a consultation with our team who can help guide you toward the perfect pet partnership.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Tail Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare academy and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Hound Therapy serving pet owners across North Texas, we're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't bite. Let's get started. Who let the dogs out?

Speaker 2:

Who let the dogs out. Picking the right puppy isn't just about what's cute. It's about compatibility, lifestyle and long-term commitment. Shannon and Tanya unpack the most thoughtful ways to bring home the right furry family member. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host and producer, here in the studio today with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy. All right, shannon and Tanya, how are you guys today?

Speaker 3:

Fantastic Back after the fourth little holiday for everybody.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yes, for sure, yeah, same here and so happy to have you both back on Now. This is such a heart to heart kind of episode today. Choosing a puppy is a decision that really shapes a family. Can you give advice on how to choose a puppy?

Speaker 4:

There's a oh, there's a ton.

Speaker 3:

I would say I would start with first do your research, know your budget right. If there are free dogs offered everywhere, I wouldn't recommend just getting a free dog. I feel like if you don't have $10 to put into something, you probably I wouldn't give an animal away for free if I had something to give away. You want to be able to have enough money to take care of your pet, and a pet is expensive. So do the math, figure out how much that's going to cost throughout the year and make sure that you're able to continue to do that for an 18 plus or less, at least 16 to 18 years, depending on your breed.

Speaker 4:

Research the breeds that you would like. Akc has a great puppy quiz that you can take and it gives you like four different breeds that would be suitable for your lifestyle, like exercise, grooming needs, things like that.

Speaker 3:

There's. You can always you could come by here and consult with us or have a phone call. I mean, I've got you know a couple of easy questions. One you want to know do you have an active lifestyle? Do you want to do? Do you have an active lifestyle? Do you want to do grooming, you know? Are you wanting to carry your dog with you everywhere? Do you already have a dog and you're looking to add another dog? So do those breeds go? You know, coincide if you've got a big, fat, lazy, old dog and a brand new puppy. That may not be the best case or it may be. It really depends on your animals story.

Speaker 3:

I had a lady bring me an old English sheep dog and it was about, oh, maybe four months old when it first started coming in and I had given her the price and it. This was years ago, 20 years ago, and it still wasn't, you know, inexpensive. It's an old English sheep dog which is a large, hairy dog, very large, very hairy, very, very long hair that mats pretty easily. I gave her the price and she came in and I said when you come in again, it's going to be more. And she said well, I don't understand why my price keeps going up. It's because your dog keeps getting bigger. She goes, but how big is it going to get? And I showed her a picture of what an old English sheepdog looks like grown, and I kid you not. Two weeks later she came in for her scheduled appointment and she said I need you to see if you can rehome my dog. I think I don't want it.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I've ran into that a few times too. People just not researching the specific breed that you know they end up getting they have.

Speaker 1:

We have have, we have, yeah, we have Vichlas.

Speaker 4:

They're very Vichlas, they're hyper, they're special Velcro. They do this all the time. There's no getting away from. It Can't be left alone.

Speaker 3:

They've got a lot of weird quirks, huskies, you know they howl. Are you in an apartment? Are you in a house? There's? There's a lot of things to consider before you just go to the pound and get a dog. I do want to touch a little bit on buying a dog versus acquiring a dog or a rescue dog. You know there's a lot of stigmatism with oh my God, there's plenty of dogs out there. You know why would you buy a dog? And you know I I feel passionately about both.

Speaker 4:

I have both. I researched the Vichla breed and decided that it was a good fit for us. We bought him for a specific reason. We're we're bird hunters, we go hunting and I bought him as a hunter and he is the best little hunter in the whole world. And I also have a rescue dog that I got Granted. She was for free, but I think rescue mixed breeds.

Speaker 3:

Definitely you don't know what you're going to get, so it's kind of like a box of chocolate. You know there's that. But I do think that rescue breeds there are so many but there's also so many problems and drama that can come with a lot of that as well. So if you're the type of person that can deal with that, then you know that's a big part of our business. But if you want a dog that you've had since it was a puppy, to introduce it because you have another dog that's got health problems and you don't want to buy health problems or children, you know, a lot of times you know having a puppy is easier to integrate into what's, you know, an older, an older add on lifestyle, or even with children. So there's a lot. There's so many, many, many, many things to consider before you bring home a dog. Yeah, uh, it's got to get along. What are you going to do with it? What, how often? How much food is it going to eat? We've, you know, westies typically. You know they've got a lot of skin problems.

Speaker 3:

Old english bulldog I love an old english bulldog. Probably I've never had one because I've had three friends that have had them and it just, oh my God, their medical bills are. I'm like, oh gosh, I got to pay for school for my kids and I couldn't do both. It was either a dog or kids. I mean if, if you know, some people don't have to make that choice, but it's hard. So you, you need to, you want to make the right decision. You don't want to have to rehome a dog.

Speaker 4:

You know that you love, and it's rehoming them for the betterment of themselves, and that's the hardest decision.

Speaker 3:

Obviously, there are things that you can't predict divorce, death, job, you know those kinds of things. Things do come up. But, um, that said, you, you've got to be able to, as best as you possibly can. You got to look into the future as well as what you want right now, it's it's not an impulsive buy, Right? Yeah, it's not a. I'm standing here with my groceries. Let's get this candy bar today. Yeah, it's, it really needs. I would say, before you get a dog or a puppy either way, um, at least allow yourself a good three to six months of just pondering it.

Speaker 3:

Pick out some names, look at the breeds you know, do some research research everything about those breeds.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, top 10, top seven. You know pros and cons of those and then and then really start getting down to your. You know your three breeds and if it's going to be a rescue, what do you want it mixed with? Do you still like kind of a lab mix? You like, you know, a pit bull mix? You like, you know you want a little terrier because you like the terrier attitudes. So there's a lot of personality traits that you can see in a rescue dog that come from a breed standard.

Speaker 2:

Hopefully that answers some of your questions. Most definitely, most definitely. And final question for you today how can people prepare their home before bringing in a new puppy into the space? A?

Speaker 3:

crate, crate training. Honestly, that's going to go back to some of our earlier podcasts Consistency, consistency, consistency, positive reinforcement with consistency. You've got to know when to feed, know when to walk. A well-trained dog, a well-behaved dog, all comes from the owner. You need to have the time to spend with them. So, again, if you've made the decision to get a dog, your dog is going to have a crate in it. You're going to have time to walk it and you're going to have time to socialize it. Hopefully you're taking it with you it you're going to have time to walk it and you're going to have time to socialize it. Hopefully you're taking it with you where you're going, uh, and hopefully it's in an environment where it can go out and go do things. But a crate, water and food.

Speaker 4:

Dogs don't require love they don't require a potty schedule makes potty training so much easier. Yeah, she did that for her dog. Yes, it worked fantastic.

Speaker 3:

I I have a potty training schedule that I used to use for every dog that came in. We had puppy classes for a good solid year, especially during COVID, and people would literally just drop off their puppies and they would come here and play, because puppies need some socialization. And then we give them a schedule, so it's. You know. It's broken up into a 24 hour period when to crate, when to hour period, when to create, when to eat, when to feed, when to stack, you know, offer them chew toys. When to correct, when not to correct. So it's, that's all. That's a completely. We could do a potty training chat if you'd like, but that's a. It's a whole different beast. It's really. It's commitment, dedication. If you have that and you have the love, you're not going to have a problem. A crate is a great way to start my dog. I've replaced my crate with a dog bed, so now she goes to her bed and she will stay on it, versus having to have a crate in my house.

Speaker 4:

So it's you know it's different for everybody. Mine sleeps in his crate, so you just can't make the crate a bad space. You get their space.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for sharing such practical and heartfelt guidance. It was great having you both back on again. We'll catch you in the next episode. Have a fantastic rest of your day. Bye, see you later.

Speaker 1:

That's a wrap for this episode of Tail Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009 to schedule an appointment, or visit us online at wwwhoundtherapycom. Serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails wagging.