A lot of dogs run loose in my neighborhood. We used to be the type of people to immediately grab any loose dog and try to find its frantically searching owners. After a few years here, we’ve relaxed into, “He’ll probably run back home.”
But tonight, I was greeted by a dog that almost forced me to take her home. She ran up to my wife, daughter, and I on a walk. She was very young with pearly white teeth, and playful. She paid no attention to the cars driving down the street or to the toddler’s push car we were pushing. She immediately started jumping on us, trying to play. She followed us a couple of blocks before choosing another family to follow.
So what did I like so much about this young, scrawny goofball GSD?
The number one trait I’ve learned to look for in a dog:
Drumroll … … … Confidence.
Groundbreaking, I know, but hear me out. I’m not looking for a pet. Any dog I take in has to have a purpose. It doesn’t have to be a world champion in any sport, but we need to be able to do something together. (I’m big on finding an activities through which to bond with your dog. More on that later.) Whether we eventually end up in obedience competitions, protection work, frisbee sports, agility, or even something unstructured like hiking or camping, confidence is a superpower that ties everything together. Nearly all the other specific skills or commands a dog needs for a specific sport can be taught. But if a dog has a cautious nature, then it will freeze up under stress and everything becomes much harder.
This is not to say that lack of confidence is un-improvable. I just prefer to let people who want sweet, cuddly pets take the skittish dogs, and I’ll take the young unflappable mutt that runs up to a stranger on the street and starts play-biting his legs.
Edit: She’s in my garage.
