Dog's Name & Age
Dogs: Charlemagne (3 years) Felice (3 years) Rhino (8months)
In a Word, My Mutt Is…
Happiness
Best Characteristics of the Breed
Healthy and sane
Most Challenging Characteristics of the Breed
Learning how to push their buttons
When, Where and How I Got My Mixed-Breed Dog
I adopted Charlemagne and Felice from a wonderful outdoor rescue in South Texas. They had the run of the place and Dee, the woman who single-handed cared for hundreds of rescues on her estate, deemed them to be a match made in doggy heaven. Inseparable puppy friends who would only leave her care together. They have made my life a joy ever since as they model devotion and affection.
Rhino came to us from an adoption event held by a local humane society in Petsmart. He was the cutest, friendliest big puppy.
I'd Describe My Dog As…
Small, (under 35 pounds each) and enormous (90 pound puppy is still growing quickly).
Charlemagne is part cat: curls up in the laundry basket, climbs a chain link fence, jumps over it, or walks on the top of it, doesn't like strangers, but once he warms up to you is friendly enough, is mesmerized by squirrels. Part not cat, can run full out as long as you can keep up.
Felice is just a good girl. She can walk off leash avoiding the cars and staying an appropriate distance from me, loves to cuddle with the cats, makes friends with everybody easily.
Rhino is a long haired, wide body. He is our only food oriented pet, so even though he has a huge stubborn streak and a mind of his own, a tiny dog biscuit gets him turned around and behaving perfectly almost immediately. Loves the water so much he tried to get into the bathtub with me. Adores snow, which turns him into a crazy fool: eating it, jumping in it, scattering it.
None have had any real problems. All were easy to housebreak although Rhino sometimes loses control briefly when he gets excited, for example if he sees one of his favorite people friends.
Advice
Hard to generalize here. I think you just have to introduce the dog when it's young to the child and supervise really well. Don't let the kid give the dog treats without an adult present. We did have an incident when a family member gave their child a bag of treats to distribute to our dogs and theirs and he tried to pull one out of the dog's mouth.
