Choosing the wrong dog

because common sense just ain't your thing

Photo by Marius Cern on Unsplash

A senior neighbor, 70-something, adopted a labrador last May. “I’ve always had labs she tells me,” as she moves on by, dog pulling at the end of the leash. Her arm is in a sling, a broken wrist from the dog pulling her down a few weeks ago. She has always had labs, she tells me, and she will not have any other breed of dog. I watch as the dog, now 8 months old, drags her around the corner.

Iain, a co-worker, tells me he’s going to get a Cane Corso. He’s desperate for one, he says. When I ask him what he likes about them, he says they’re cool-looking and big. That’s what he wants. I ask him about training. (He has one full-time job and a part-time job.) Cane Corsos are large, intelligent, and protective. They need good solid training. “Oh, I plan on training the heck out of the dog.” he tells me. Presently, he has a Cavalier King Charles spaniel with a nipping problem.

Mason, on the other hand, my elderly neighbor, tells me she used to show Dalmations. …