Jan Fennell - The Puppy Listener

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Dachshund (Miniature Smooth Haired)

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: C

TYPE OF DOG: Norwegian Elkhound

SIZE: L

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Foxhound

SIZE: L

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Greyhound

SIZE: L

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Irish Wolfhound

SIZE: X

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: A

TYPE OF DOG: Pharaoh Hound

SIZE: L

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Rhodesian Ridgeback

SIZE: L

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Saluki

SIZE: L

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Whippet

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

PASTORAL/HERDING

TYPE OF DOG: Anatolian Shepherd

SIZE: L

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Australian Cattle

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Australian Shepherd

SIZE: L

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Bearded Collie

SIZE: L

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Border Collie

SIZE: M

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Collie (Rough)

SIZE: L

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Collie (Smooth)

SIZE: L

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: German Shepherd

SIZE: L

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Old English Sheepdog

SIZE: L

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Pyrenean Mountain Dog

SIZE: X

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: A

TYPE OF DOG: Pyrenean Sheepdog

SIZE: M

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Samoyed

SIZE: L

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Shetland Sheepdog

SIZE: M

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Welsh Corgi (Cardigan)

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Welsh Corgi (Pembroke)

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TOYS

TYPE OF DOG: Affen Pinscher

SIZE: S

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Australian Silky Terrier

SIZE: S

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Bichon Frise

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

SIZE: S

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Chihuahua (Long Coat)

SIZE: S

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Chihuahua (Smooth Coat)

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan)

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Maltese

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Miniature Pinscher

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Papillon

SIZE: S

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Pekingese

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Pomeranian

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Pug

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Yorkshire Terrier

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

UTILITY

TYPE OF DOG: Akita

SIZE: L

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Boston Terrier

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Bulldog

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: A

TYPE OF DOG: Chow Chow

SIZE: L

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Dalmatian

SIZE: L

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: French Bulldog

SIZE: S

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: German Spitz (Klein)

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: German Spitz (Mittel)

SIZE: M

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Japanese Shiba Inu

SIZE: M

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Japanese Spitz

SIZE: M

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Lhasa Apso

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: L

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Mexican Hairless

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Miniature Schnauzer

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Poodle (Miniature)

SIZE: M

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: C

TYPE OF DOG: Poodle (Standard)

SIZE: L

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: C

LIFESPAN: C

TYPE OF DOG: Poodle (Toy)

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: C

TYPE OF DOG: Schnauzer

SIZE: M

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Shar Pei

SIZE: M

GROOMING: L

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Shih Tzu

SIZE: S

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

TYPE OF DOG: Tibetan Spaniel

SIZE: S

GROOMING: M

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: C

TYPE OF DOG: Tibetan Terrier

SIZE: M

GROOMING: C

EXERCISE: M

LIFESPAN: B

CHOOSING A PUPPY

You’ve selected the breed of dog you want, you’ve found a good breeder or rescue centre, and now it’s time to pick the individual puppy you will take home with you. A good breeder will be able to brief you on the personalities of the puppies in a litter and will try to help you choose a dog that will suit your lifestyle. They don’t want to place an extrovert dog with an owner who is looking for a quiet companion; nor do they want to place a very docile, shy dog with someone who intends leading a very active outdoor life with that dog. The consequences of mismatching dogs and their owners can be awful.

Broad personality types are often apparent early on when the litter is first formed. There are the strong characters who dominate the best feeding positions when suckling from the mother’s teats, and there are the weaker members who have been knocked away from these positions and literally have to fight for their food – and their survival. But personality is a more complex matter than this and requires a little study. With the first part of their development well under way, the five or six week mark offers the perfect opportunity to conduct a simple personality test that will answer many of your questions.

There are all sorts of theories about how to conduct personality tests on dogs – many of them bordering on the barbaric. For instance, some people advocate pinching the dog to see how it reacts. I can think of nothing worse. The following three simple tests will give you all the information you need, without resorting to violence or cruelty.

TESTING BY EYE

The first clues about character come early on. By watching which puppies get to the teat first you can spot the dominant characters as well as the shy, retiring ones that get pushed to the back of the litter. This continues as the puppies emerge from under their mother’s wing. As they begin to play and interact, you may notice that one takes toys from another. Is there one that just sits there and watches while the others play? You can see that this dog is a thinker, one who will always weigh up its options in life before making its move.