Mixed Breeds FOR DUMmIES ‰ i by Miriam Fields-Babineau 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page i 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page iv Mixed Breeds FOR DUMmIES ‰ i by Miriam Fields-Babineau 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page i Mixed Breeds For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written per- mission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. 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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007925989 ISBN: 978-0-470-12087-3 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page ii About the Author Miriam Fields-Babineau has been a professional animal trainer since 1978 and has enjoyed exhibiting horses and dogs since childhood. She holds degrees in psychology and zoology from the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Dog Writers’ Association and the Cat Writers’ Association and is listed in numer- ous editions of Who’s Who in America. Fields-Babineau has been writing professionally since her first arti- cle was published in Canine Chronicle in 1986. She is the author of 35 books including Click & Easy: Clicker Training for Dogs; Cat Training in 10 Minutes; Labradoodle: Comprehensive Owner’s Guide; The ABCs of Positive Training; Training Your Mixed Breed; Training Your Puppy in 5 Minutes; Raising Dogs the Natural Way; The Perfect Retriever; and Multiple Dog Households. She has also published three short stories (one of which appeared in Christmas Cats: A Literary Anthology for Penguin, USA) and two novels: The Tocharian, a romantic fantasy-adventure, and Evil, a thriller. She has provided animal actors for media productions since 1983, participating in the filming of commercials, advertisements, TV programs, videos, and feature films. Fields-Babineau also designed the Comfort Trainer head halter for dogs, the All-in-One Leash, and the Clicker Spoon training tool for cats. Miriam Fields-Babineau currently resides in beautiful Amherst, Virginia, with her husband, Mike; son, Brendon Kyle; four dogs; four cats; and two horses. 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page iii 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page iv Dedication For my mother, Dr. Rona M. Fields, who instilled in me the desire to succeed regardless of the obstacles. For my first mixed breed dog, Huxley, who gave her loyalty and love to three growing children. For my current mixed-breed dog, Princess, who’s thrilled to be loved, though she believes that entails sitting in someone’s lap — even though she weighs 50 pounds. To my husband, for his patience, love, and dedication to all I do. Author’s Acknowledgments Because I’ve been writing books for 15 years, I’ve long been aware of the difficulty of bringing them to press and promoting their sale. Both my parents are writers, so you can say it’s in my blood. Regardless of whether or not my writing was published, the sheer art and use of my imagination was the reward. However, several of my publishers have made the art more enjoyable. Wiley Publishing is one of them. I’d like to thank all those at Wiley Publishing who have had the faith in me to produce the book they envisioned, especially Stacy Kennedy, my acquisitions editor, whom I’ve known for many years. I’d also like to thank my project editor, Elizabeth Kuball, for her endless support, helpful suggestions, and the ability to keep me on my toes and delivering the work in short order, regardless of my hectic schedule. Thanks also to Jean Krason, DVM, who let me pick her brain while we worked on a West Virginia Lottery television commercial together with her Australian Shepherd, Kaila. During our waiting periods (of which there are many in production work), she helped me learn more about breed-related health issues, as well as general veterinary and first-aid information. Thanks also, to Nicole Quinn, DVM, my technical editor, for main- taining my accuracy. Most of all, I want to thank all the mixed-breed dogs I’ve known and trained, because nobody teaches a trainer more than the animal students she works with. 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page v Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online regis- tration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Project Editor: Elizabeth Kuball Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy Copy Editor: Elizabeth Kuball Technical Editor: Nicole Quinn, DVM Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker Consumer Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor: Carmen Krikorian Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan Mooney, Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney, and David Lutton Cover Photos: © Legacy Photography Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Heather Kolter Layout and Graphics: Joyce Haughey, Stephanie D. Jumper, Laura Pence, Brent Savage Illustrator: Barbara Frake Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Proofreaders: Aptara, Cynthia Fields, Susan Moritz, Christine Pingleton Indexer: Aptara Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services 01_120873 ffirs.qxp 4/25/07 9:31 PM Page vi Contents at a Glance Introduction.......................................................1 Part I: Just the Facts, Ma’am..............................7 Chapter 1: Mixing It Up: Introducing the Mixed Breed..........................9 Chapter 2: Designer Dogs: Not Your Mother’s Mutt.............................15 Chapter 3: A Little of This, a Little of That: Deciding Which Mixed Breed Is Right for You ...............................29 Chapter 4: Choosing Your New Best Friend..........................................43 Part II: Living with Your Mixed-Breed Dog.........57 Chapter 5: Getting Ready for Your Dog’s Arrival..................................59 Chapter 6: Bringing Home Your Mixed Breed.......................................69 Chapter 7: Chasing the Chuckwagon: The Basics of Feeding.............81 Chapter 8: Grooming Your Mixed Breed................................................93 Chapter 9: Exercising Your Dog............................................................105 Part III: Training 101.....................................115 Chapter 10: Housetraining ....................................................................117 Chapter 11: Hup, Two, Three, Four: Good Manners and Basic Training ...........................................................................133 Chapter 12: Tackling Mixed-Breed Training Challenges....................159 Part IV: Keeping Your Dog Healthy .................187 Chapter 13: Finding and Working with a Vet.......................................189 Chapter 14: First Aid: Dealing with Emergencies ...............................199 Chapter 15: The Special Needs of Senior Dogs...................................211 Part V: Having Fun with Your Dog...................223 Chapter 16: Not Just for Purebreds: Showing Off with Your Mixed Breed..............................................225 Chapter 17: Traveling with Charley .....................................................233 Part VI: The Part of Tens.................................243 Chapter 18: Ten Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Dog ......................245 Chapter 19: Ten Fun Activities You and Your Mixed Breed Can Enjoy Together .........................................................................251 Index.............................................................257 02_120873 ftoc.qxp 4/25/07 9:32 PM Page vii 02_120873 ftoc.qxp 4/25/07 9:32 PM Page viii