Does your sweet little puppy turn into a howling banshee when the clock strikes twelve?Are your glass slippers chewed into shards?
Or are you still yearning to find the perfect "handsome paw prints" to share your life with?
Well, you're in luck!
The Furry Godmother has the answers and you've found her. She has the answers to questions you haven't even thought of yet. Your very own world-class personalized consultant and trainer, with - so far - a 100% success rate.
Unlike most of the best things in life, this service isn't free. It costs roughly what a discount plumber charges, so is for people who value their dog at least as much as their garbage disposal.
The Furry Godmother can help you decide which breed and gender are right for you, which breeds and lines are best, which breeder is the best, what vets are recommended, which pup in a given litter has the personality you are looking for. She can get you started off right in a wonderful relationship with a dog others will envy. She will teach you how to have fun while making your little furry bundle of joy a good citizen.
If you have a puppy already, she can save you UNBELIEVABLE amounts of time, stress, sanity, sleep, and property damage.
SELECTING THE RIGHT BREED - by Susie White, Senior Furry Godmother of Hawaii
The Right Breed for Me and My Family - In-depth At-Home or Over-the Phone Advice
"Having the dog of your dreams is one of the most wonderful experiences in your life. I still recall the exact moment I met my Bippy 13 years ago. I want that joy for you too. The journey starts by getting the right breed for you." - Susie White, Furry Godmother
Choosing the right breed for you can make the difference between you and your family wishing they'd never, ever bought one of the breed you are unhappily living with, or being completely thrilled that this dog came into your lives. With over 125 dog breeds in Hawaii to choose from, it helps to have experienced advice on what is the right breed for you and your family. Most shockingly, the majority of dog breed identification books extol the "virtues" of each breed and skip what you really need to know. If your dream is to take your dog to the dog park to play, it will make a huge difference to you whether that dog was bred to be a "livestock guardian dog" or a happy-go-lucky "sporting" dog. Maybe your hopes are pinned on winning obedience or agility trials. If that cute puppy in the pet store was bred to hunt rabbits or to track down criminals you might have an almost insurmountable challenge ahead of you.
Sue can explain why the answers to these questions will make a huge difference in whether you can take that dog to the dog park to play or if it may have to wear a muzzle in public lest you get sued.
Impulse buying a breed of puppy has resulted in many an owner regretting it for many, many years. Buying, raising and living with a furry friend should be a joy, not a heartache. The path to happiness with your pet is buying the right breed for you. Be fair to you and your dog-to-be. Let Sue help you narrow down the choices to so you are a happy dog owner with a happy dog.
While all puppies are busy, there are vast differences between temperament, trainability and exercise needs for adult dogs. Falling in love with a breed you saw herding on the Big Island or snoozing on Frasier does not necessarily give you a good idea of what that breed is like to live with. Of course, any given dog of any breed can be an exception to its breed (there ARE agility and obedience stars among the bulldog set -but they are rare!) Basically, though, there are generalizations that are true for most individuals of their breed. You will seldom get this from a book or a pet store - you need a person who is working for you to find what you need.
Some breeds, for instance, make wonderful pets for quiet, sedentary owners and do not do well with little kids, others thrive on noisy families with lots of children and other pets. Some breeds can peacefully pass the day away sleeping on your sofa and if they never go to an obedience class in their lives they will still be wonderful pets. Others HAVE to have lots of exercise and training or they AND you will be very, very unhappy. Some breeds will make instant friends at the dog park while others will need intense socialization wearing a muzzle before they can safely be trusted not to munch their new-found buddies, simply because they were bred for generations to protect sheep from dogs.
Sue will interview you and your family members on all aspects of your lifestyle and expectations of your future pet. Expect prying questions as to how realistic you are being. If you have never jogged in your life and have suddenly decided to get into shape she will pry (gently) to find out whether this is realistic or just an impulse. Buying a very active breed as a jogging partner will not necessarily get you on the path to the Ironman. You have to really, really want to do it anyway. She'll try to get to the bottom of whether you really, really want a running partner - or, sigh, maybe your just prefer to cuddle up with on the couch with your favorite pooch and watch the races on TV. Maybe your teenagers are clamoring for an active dog. What will happen after they move out of the home? Will mom and dad still want a dog that demands that tennis balls be thrown every second of the day - or should you get a breed that mellows in 4 or 5 years?
In-Home Safety Evaluation Counseling includes evaluating the yard, neighborhood and home environment and meeting all family members.
By-Phone Breed Evaluation is also available.
Additional Breed Counseling Services:
"Go-Sees" Seeing lots of different breeds and having their breed characteristics explained right while you are looking at them, can help you choose between the many wonderful breeds out there. As an Optional Service, Sue can accompany you to a dog show, herding event, dog obedience or agility trial, a breeders home or a pet-store to look at the different choices.Phone Interviews are also an option for those who are not yet ready for an in-depth interview or just need general advice on breeds.
See "rates and pricing" on the home page.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PUPPY
" Adding a puppy to your family is one of the most important decisions that you can make- for you AND the puppy. All puppies are cute. But not all are the same, even in the same litter. It is far better to know from the beginning which of the puppies you are selecting from are likely to be shy, overly dominant or a well-rounded and outgoing dog. "Puppy Evaluations" provides a powerful tool for deciding which puppy from a litter, the humane society or the pet store you will be most thrilled to have for the next 10-16 years.
Sue White
Puppy Evaluations: Sue will come with you to the Pet store, breeders or humane society to help you decide on the right puppy for you! Her testing methods are based on tried and true evaluation methods and experience. If you are buying a puppy from a knowledgeable breeder, they are often the best resource to know which is the right puppy for you. Asking lots of questions and meeting the parents can provide you with what you need to know. But if your puppy to be is at a pet store or the humane society, you won't have that luxury. Or maybe a particular breeder is not concerned about which puppy you take. In that case, take me along to help you "evaluate" not "impulsively buy" the puppy of your dreams.
Before Puppy Comes Home - In-Home Preparing for Puppy Consultation
Life with a Puppy - What to Expect
How to Housetrain Puppy
Puppy's Playpen or other options
Safety Evaluation - How to keep the puppy safe and your possessions intact
What to Buy
How to survive the first week
House breaking
Chewing things
Puppy class recommendationsNow that you have decided to bring a puppy or a dog into your home, it is time to have a yard and home evaluated for safety and sanity reasons. Sanity? Yep. As adorable as the little guy will be, there will be times you just need to be away from him. Sue will work with you on how to puppy proof the yard and house, how to confine pup when you need a break, and other basics of puppy behavior. And you may want to think long and hard before installing that 'doggy door' in advance.
"In -Store" Puppy Products Consult
There are hundreds of choices to make at the pet stores. Don't make expensive mistakes. Sue can go with you to the store and advise you on what products to buy to make the transition to being a puppy parent easier.
MY NEW PUPPY: Turning my Furry Fiend into a Treasured Friend
" We have this fantasy that our new puppy will bring tremendous joy to our lives from the moment we get him home. Instead, we are beset by a wiggly furry creature that is happily sinking its teeth into us, wetting all over the house and destroying our CD collection. Help!"
Puppies are puppies. Fascinating toothy carnivores to whom everyone and everything is a chew toy. In three hours, you can learn the techniques for settling your puppy down. Your possessions will be safer, you will no longer be a pin cushion and your puppy will be happily learning all manner of doggy etiquette.
For puppies up to 16 weeks.
