Jack Haskins: Should I put an ID chip in my dog?
DEAR OLD TRAINER: I have been reading about identification chips. How do they work and what is the procedure for putting one on your dog? Is it worth the money? Do you use it on your dogs?
Rick, Merced
A: A microchip the size of a grain of rice is inserted under the skin of the dog by your vet. It’s painless and costs around $40, plus $20 to enter the information into a national database.
Once it is implanted, a vet or animal control officer can pass a wand over the dog’s neck and determine the owner, address, and phone number. It’s a safe and effective way to ensure your dog will be returned if he strays.
I use it and recommend it. Even smart dogs get lost. One of my smartest dogs watched me leave with my skis one day, knew that meant I was skiing, remembered she had skied with me a few times and ran 10 miles cross-country to join me.
As soon as she arrived they used the wand and called to let me know she was eating cookies with the secretaries in the ski office.
All my dogs have chips.
DEAR OLD TRAINER: I just bought my own place and want to get a dog. I admit I’m lazy so I don’t want to have to exercise one all the time. I’m a couch potato so I want a dog who will lounge around with me. I heard little dogs don’t need exercise. Please give me a general idea of which breeds are low energy and how I go about finding a lazy dog.
Dennis, Olathe, Kan.
A: It’s true some breeds are, in general, more relaxed than other breeds. But remember what Disraeli said about generalities: “No generality is completely true, including this one.”
You have taken the first step to adopting the right dog – truthfully evaluating your lifestyle. But you have more work to do.
The perfect dog for you is waiting somewhere right now, but there is more to owning a dog than exercise. Grooming and bathing a dog takes time and energy. Dogs have to be taken to the vet from time to time. Even the laziest dog needs training and affection. You have to interact with your dog a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
Be truthful with yourself. Are you willing to make that commitment? If not, get a cactus plant. If you are, keep reading.
First of all, don’t confuse size with energy level. Size has nothing to do with energy. Jack Russell terriers are so energetic you might need a nap after just watching one run around the dog park, and many other small breeds are dynamos.
It’s the individual dog that counts, not the breed. Call your local shelters and rescue groups and tell them what you are looking for. They know their dogs and know which ones will thrive living with a couch potato.
Visit with the dogs they recommend and spend a little time with each. Talk to each dog and explain to them what you’re looking for. One of the dogs will demand you take her home.
That’s the dog for you.
A trainer for more than 30 years, Jack Haskins has rescued, trained and placed more than 2,500 dogs. Send questions to theoldtrainer@gmail.com.
This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Jack Haskins: Should I put an ID chip in my dog?."