Читать книгу Mixed Breeds For Dummies - Miriam Fields-Babineau - Страница 15

Wondering what you can do with a mixed-breed dog? Anything! You may not be able to compete in purebred dog club shows, but similar certificate-awarding shows are available for mixed-breed dogs. You and your dog are teammates in all performance activities. Your mixed breed can

 Participate in obedience trials. These are tests of your dog’s response to obedience commands. See Chapter 16 for more information.

 Participate in agility. Not only does this challenge your dog physically, but also tests how well you communicate with him while in action. See Chapter 16 for more information.

 Compete in flyball. This is a relay team event with four dogs/handlers per team. The dogs run down a lane to fetch a ball and return. The fastest team wins.

 Take the Canine Good Citizen test. This test is a way of testing your dog’s obedience and temperament in public. (It’s not a competition.)

 Work as a therapy dog. Your mixed breed can bring joy to others by going to nursing homes, hospitals, and care centers.

 Work as a service dog. Service dogs perform important tasks for those who are unable to. They are guiding eyes for the blind, ears for the deaf, and hands for those without.

 Assist with search-and-rescue operations. Search-and-rescue dogs find lost people and save their lives.

In Chapter 17, I explain how to travel with your dog. I fill you in on preparing for your trip and help you make sure your dog is safe, secure, and relaxed during the trip, whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or automobile. Because many dogs get stressed — or homesick — while traveling, I let you know what to do to help your dog become a traveling gent.

Mixed breeds can perform jobs to help people, save people, and inspire people. They’re stars on the screen, stage, and television. They’re heroes in the line of duty or while sifting through debris. They keep our borders safe, sniffing out dangerous chemicals and drugs.

Many mixed breeds have a bad start, but you can change that by adopting one that steals your heart. Just one stroll through an animal shelter or humane society, and you’re bound to find one, or two, who’ll give you the love and devotion you’re looking for.

They don’t call dogs man’s best friend for nothing. Nobody can love you like a dog.