COMMENTARY: The perfect dog is the one that fits best

This is the time of year when some people are considering adding a new furry friend into their family.

That means it’s also the time of year to remind people that dogs, cats and other cute creatures are a year-round job and not a holiday ornament that can be put in storage for 11 months.

But this column isn’t about that; instead, I want to focus on some tips for picking the perfect dog for you based on my time with my current dog, Mia, a Labrador/Chesapeake Bay retriever mix. When I brought Mia home from the Lewis Clark Animal Shelter, I prayed: “Dear God, please don’t let this be the world’s most boring dog.” I’m surprised I didn’t hear the laughter rumbling from heaven, because this dog is anything but boring.

My first piece of advice is, don’t get a dog smarter than you. I’d like to think that I have a decent level of intelligence for a human, but the things I have to do to outsmart my dog are exhausting.

For an entire month, this dog got into the kitchen garbage on a nearly daily basis. I bought every type of child- or dog-proof lock available to prevent it. I don’t know if Mia is smarter than a toddler, but she is more destructive. I would come home to find whatever mechanism I purchased destroyed in some way and garbage all over the house. Fortunately we soon moved, and our new home had a door to the kitchen, which solved that problem.

When Mia was searching for marmots on the Lewiston levee, she removed the plant debris around the rocks with her mouth to get her nose under the rocks for better sniffs. She knows that some of my shoes mean walks and others mean work. When she’s acting like she wants something, I tell her, “show me,” and she leads me to what she wants — often food.

I could go on, but I don’t want to brag (and in full disclosure, there are a few examples that would seem contrary to those claims).

She’s also quick to catch on to my tricks for bathing, grooming and nail clipping, all things she despises. My sneaky methods have a short shelf life before they are figured out and no longer work.

Which brings me to my next tip: Don’t get a dog you can’t physically handle. I tell Mia all the time “if only you were dumber and smaller.” This especially applies to bath time. I have a friend who has a small dog and when he refuses to do something, the dog just gets picked up.

Lucky.

(Just for the record, technically I can pick up Mia, but she gets greatly offended and it doesn’t end well.)

Having a dog you can physically handle also helps with my next tip: Don’t get a dog that’s more stubborn than you.

When I don’t let her chase those marmots on the levee, eat that dead squirrel in the road or sniff that interesting smell that’s actually down a cliff, she’ll do what I have come to call “the sit of stubborn.”

This dog will sit down on her haunches right at the end of the leash and refuse to move.

When I told my mom of my dog’s stubborn tendencies, she just said, “like mother, like dog.”

The truth sure hurts.

But when Mia goes into stubborn mode, so do I. If she doesn’t move, neither do I. We sit there watching the world go by. Somehow she picks the most scenic places to do this so the 5-10 minute wait passes by quickly. Eventually, she gets bored and we keep going in the right direction.

There is another way to override Mia’s stubbornness, which brings me to my next piece of advice: Get a dog that’s food motivated.

If Mia wrote Meat Loaf’s classic hit, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” it would be titled “I’d Do Anything for Food (And I Might Consider That).” Mia can be trained or incentivized to do just about anything if there’s food involved.

The easiest way to figure out if your potential dog is any of those things is to follow my next tip: Get a dog that’s older. Mia was about 5 years old when I got her, so we skipped the puppy chewing (aside from food-related garbage) and potty training. Older dogs have their personalities pretty well-established, so you know what temperament you’re getting.

There’s another bonus too: As much as people will comment on your cute little puppy, nothing gets you compliments like an older dog. What can I say — people in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley really like a snowy muzzle that comes with age. Mia, now around 11 years old, has only gotten more praise for her looks as she’s gotten older.

Finally, get a dog that fits your lifestyle. If you are active, get a dog with energy to match. If you’re a homebody, get a dog that just wants to nap with you. If you work away from the home, get a dog that’s fine with being alone. If you stay home, get a dog that wants to be a companion.

When Mia and I go for a walk, we’re both ready to turn around and head home at the same time. We take naps at the same time. We even get hungry at the same time. It’s perfect. We’re the best of friends a human and a dog can be.

Maybe that’s the most important thing: Get a dog that you will love, that will love you, and every day with them is the best kind of adventure.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.

Be a foster family this holiday season

The Lewis Clark Animal Shelter is looking for animal lovers who aren’t traveling for the holidays to foster animals from the shelter. Foster supplies are included such as food, toys, litter and kennels. After the holidays, foster families can bring animals back to the shelter. It will give the animals a break from the shelter and provide information for adopters on how pets do in a home setting. Application is available at bit.ly/4iDvXee.

More animal adoptions/foster available at:

Lewis Clark Animal Shelter: lcshelter.org

Helping Hands Rescue: helpinghandsrescue.org

Idaho Animal Rescue Network: Idaho Animal Rescue Network on Facebook

Whitman County Humane Society: whitmanpets.org

Humane Society of the Palouse: humanesocietyofthepalouse.org

Animal Rescue Foundation: arfgrangeville.org

Whitman County Humane Society offering discounted adoption fees

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

PULLMAN — The Whitman County Humane Society is lowering adoption fees during its “Give the Gift of a Lifetime: Home for the Holidays” event.

The humane society is offering a discount of $50 for all adoption costs until Jan. 1. Animals who find their loving home will also be sent with a festive gift bag and entry to win a holiday basket.

The shelter is dedicated to seeing each pet experience the love of finding a forever family.

For those who are not ready to adopt, there are other ways to support the humane society. Donations and gifts to the shelter will help continue the loving care it provides animals in need. The community can also sponsor an adoption fee to help pets find a home for the holidays.

For more information about adopting or sponsoring, visit whitmanpets.org.