Sherbet, the Wheaten Terrier who lives near my house, has showns no signs of losing his urge to meet and mate with every female dog in our town.  His enthusiasm for the ladies meant that he had to stay on the lead all the time, which is a shame.  Before his hormones took over, Sherbet walked well off the lead along the river bank with his family.  They are not interested in breeding any pups from Sherbet, so the desision to neuter him was taken.  My husband and Sherbet’s ‘Dad’  were pretty squeamish about the procedure, so his Mum took him to the vet on Thursday.  The op. went well, and Sherbet was full of beans again by Saturday. I know this because I took him for a walk and his vigour was undiminished.  It’s important to remember that there is plenty of Testosterone flowing round his body for six weeks after being neutered.  When we adopted Kevin he had been neutered at the rescue centre. Two weeks later we visited some friend who are great fans of Vegas vacations. We were mortified when he tried to ‘hump’ their male Black Labrador!

My other occasional dog sitting client is Sherbet, a year-old Wheaten terrier who lives nearby.  He arrived as a ten week old puppy so I have been able to watch him grow to his current stage of almost full growth.  The first time I looked after him we had a lot of fun – apart from his attempted ‘escape’ as I was loading him into the car.  Once I got him back the day went well, and he settled down well while I was working.  This time his owner warned me that Sherbet has recently discovered female dogs!  A friend’s dog was on heat and this caused Sherbet to get very excited.  So I was prepared for a lot of interest in every other passing dog, and that is what happened. We had an energetic hour-long walk, no need for weight loss pills.

When we got back home Sherbet was still full of energy, and he would not settle down.  He sat at the back door, gazing through the window and howling.  I’ve never seen a lovesick dog until now!  I could not let the dog stay in the garden in case he found a way out, so reluctantly I took him home and he went back into his crate.  He always relaxes in the crate so that is where he stayed until the family returned two hours later.

The Obamas have finally welcomed their Portuguese Water Dog, named Bo, to the White House.I am a little disappointed that he is not actually from an animal; rescue centre.  It is true that his first owners gave Bo up because things were not working out with their existing dog, another Portuguese Water Dog. They gave him back to the breeder, and this was the breeder from where Ted Kennedy bought his own Portuguese Water dog.  The Senator  was obviously on the lookout for a dog from this breed, it was he who advised the family to get one.  The Portuguese Water dog sheds very little hair, making it suitable for anyone with allergies – also for people who do not want to clear up mats of dog hair every day. The Portuguese Water Dog is set to become known as the “Hypoallergenic Dog Breed” now the Obamas have given it such prominence.

Bo is still a puppy – just six months old – so he has had some upheaval in his short life. He was born in Texas, his first owner lived in Washington, DC, he returned for just a day to the breeder, then spent a month being trained for his new role in Virginia, before moving on to his new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Before his arrival at the White House the First Family’s dog spent a month with a dog trainer. Was this necessary? Hard to tell: a trained puppy can be allowed to stray into more public events, I suppose.

It is not always necessary to buy from a breeder if you want to adopt a specific breed.  There are plenty of rescue organisations who rehome one breed of dog, and a quick search online should find you a rescue organisation for the kind of dog you would like to own.  While there are so many dogs available for adoption, it makes no sense at all that breeders are producing so many puppies – many of whom are rejected by their owners in later life. And the Kennel Club continues to rubber stamp this culture.

A dog breed that I have always found attractive and amiable is the Cocker Spaniel, My brother had a Cocker Spaniel crossbreed and this dog – Charlie – was a fantastic, energetic pet. There were problems with his socialisation, though: he was apt to snap at children, especially if they passed by his front gate.  I also met a Cocker Spaniel owner whose black Cocker puppy bit her in an unprovoked attack!  So I was surprised to see the breed described as follows:

• Conveniently sized and athletic
• Has a pretty feathered coat in a variety of colors
• Is lively and playful, with a tail-wagging nature
• Is usually polite with everyone
• Is peaceful with other pets

For me, the jury is out on their expected temperament. This is also a breed that sheds fur excessively, and I do not want to take on a dog that moults fur again. there is also a health insurance lead concern with this breed – they suffer from serious eye problems.

The Lakeland Terrier is quite close in appearance to the Welsh Terrier, but the Lakeland comes in a wider variety of colours. One advantage of the Lakeland terrier breed is the fact that it is a dog breed with minimal hair shedding.

The Lakeland was devleoped in Cumbria and Westmoreland – the English Lake District – to catch foxes that would otherwise kill young lambs. Despite this breed characteristic, the Lakeland Terrier is also a gentle and loving pet. These are energetic dogs, though – like most Terriers they cannot be trusted off-leash. They will take off, regardless of your frantic shouts, after anything that runs.

Lakeland terriers have a varied appearance. Some are like the handsome show dog pictured above, and others have the rather unkempt look of the little chap pictured on the right.  At least this is not a dog breed that tends to put on weight so you will not be likely to need diet pills for a Lakeland Terrier.  There are a good number of Lakeland Terriers available for adoption through animal rescue charities, especially those devoted to terriers.

The Welsh Terrier is another breed of dog that I am considering for adoption. They are handsome black and tan dogs with a wiry coat, and a life expectancy of up to 12 years. The look of this breed is quite similar to the Wire Haired Fox Terrier, but the Welsh Terrier has a slightly more placid temperament. They are more easily trained to socialise well with other dogs, and can learn to refrain from chasing everything that moves! Welsh Terriers do not need excessive grooming, although clipping a few times a year will help keep their handsome lines. In appearance they are a kind of compact form of the Airedale Terrier, which is a breed that I would find too large.

There are no particular health problems associated with the Welsh Terrier breed. They are all round good performance parts, in fact. There are fewer Welsh Terriers available from the dog rescue charities around here but I remain hopeful.

Welsh Terrier Club Rescue
Mr T Spencer, Wakefield, Yorks. Tel: 01924 210517