What a wonderful adventure ahead of you. For you and for Maggie. We raised our kids with a red heeler and now have a blue heeler. I was recently getting some medical care when therapy dogs came in, and one of the handlers told me that the therapy dog group has several heelers. She said they function very well as therapy dogs. It's something I'd love to try with my blue heeler - I think she would do very well as a therapy dog as she is very loving to people outside the family, which (in my experience) isn't always the case for a heeler. Heelers are wonderful, amazing dogs for the right owner and I think you will love your Maggie. I agree with gmatx that from now on you will always want a heeler around. They are very smart, very trainable, and must have a job to do. These dogs were born to work and to be helpful, and they do it very well. Our heelers have been very smart, very trainable, stubborn and sometimes with their own agenda as you say, vigilant and interested in everything about them, and to say they are loyal and devoted is a big understatement. They stick to us like glue and want to "help" with everything we do. When my son was in elementary school, our red heeler was "his" dog officially. We had never owned a heeler and didn't realize the extent of the devotion this breed has. We had to get booties for the dog because he would run alongside my son's bike until his paws were bloody and still keep going even then. We had to get a life preserver for him because he would stay out in the lake or ocean with my son until he (the dog) couldn't swim any longer and was in danger of drowning. Until we got the canine life preserver, one of us had to sit on the beach with the dog when he got tired and keep him from going out into the ocean with the rest of the family. Our precious red heeler that grew up with our kids was up for any adventure - kayaking, canoeing, sailing, swimming, frisbee, hiking, comfortable in crowds at fairs, flea markets, playgrounds, outdoor concerts. He wanted to do anything my son did, and one time he followed my son up a high dive and jumped in the lake off the high dive. Our beautiful blue heeler girl is shaping up to be the same way. Our male heeler only tolerated people who weren't family members or close friends. He didn't care whether other people petted him or noticed him or not. Our female heeler likes people outside the family. I wish you the best with your heeler. You and Maggie have a lot of lovely adventures ahead of you!

Hello, it is me again. I started the thread. I'm sorry to have posted and then gone incommunicado, but I had a nasty motherboard problem. Eeeek! But I am now back online. I am very, very grateful to those who stepped in to answer questions. I hope you all don't mind if I do some quick clarifications under headings to save time, rather than respond to each individual. Therapy Dogs (TDs): Delta, TDI and Therapy Dogs Inc. are all great. The 14 point test on Delta's site is a very good example of what a TD must be able to do. If you want to volunteer as a TD team, you might want to get a CGC first. It is a good basis. If chapters of the above organizations are not in your area, please do not give up hope, but do a google search for Therapy Animal Groups in your state. There are smaller organizations, and some hospitals are beginning to start their own groups. I do advise joining a TD organization that offers training, ongoing support and, most importantly, insurance in these litigious days. Please don't try it on your own. We get huge enjoyment from our TD work. We also know we do good. We do both "social visiting" and "Animal Assisted Therapy". The first is just pleasant visiting, the second is working with a medical or educational team to achieve identified goals. So, we do regular volunteer visits at: an elementary school Reading Program, an Assisted Living, an Alzheimers Unit, and a residential facility for the severely Develpomentally Delayed. We also do Hospice on request. One of my dogs is a natural TD, and does most of the harder Animal Assisted Therapy work. The other I never expected to pass the test (!) but she has a huge affinity with seniors, and is amazingly understanding of those with dementia. She has totally exceeded my expectations and is enormously loved. Mental Heath Service Dogs: Autism and severe Anxiety Disorders have been mentioned above. Yes, and yes! Northstar is an exellent example of training service dogs for autistic people. I'd also add ADHD to that list. Sometimes petting a dog helps people to focus on the task at hand. Finally, Service Dog training: I did not mean to imply that there are not many wonderful training facilities for service animals. And the larger organizations provide valuable documentation. I do think that it is important to acknowledge that not all legitimate service animals have certification from *known* organizations. To date, there is no federally recognized training or certification for service animals. Some may disagree, and as I said it leaves things open to abuse, but this is a good thing IMO, for the individual who has a well trained animal bonding to them, and for smaller groups just starting up. Most people whose service animal is self-trained, carry a prescription from an MD for a service animal. That is usually accepted as documentation. In addition, most make sure the animal in question is well trained. Finally, Quirky and plasticgarden, I am very glad that you were joking. I did not find the jokes in particularly good taste, but that is because I work with and volunteer with so many disabled people. Possibly I should lighten up. But I would prefer not to. Quirky, and others considering it, best of luck with TD training. I'm sure you will all love volunteering. All the best.

This is what I have learned thus far. Purebred dogs are bred as such so that a person knows what they are getting when they buy a puppy. For example, tempermenmt, size, coat considerations, and required living conditions. The reasons breeders breed purebred dogs are entirely their's personally and somewhere in their reasons is the adherance to a breed standard (usually). Not a bad idea if a breeder can successfully pull this off. However, this does not guarentee the personality of a purebred dog. Generally speaking, temperment is what they are bred for, personality is something they are born with and grow in to. For example, I have been breeding shelties for many years and can tell you that, as a breed, shelties are not "in your face" dogs, they are more cautious and sensitive, they prefer to be beside you at all times, they bark as they are bred to drive stock and alert, they have a double coat which requires lots of grooming and they shed, they are very affectionate, happy dogs and are extremely smart and easy to train. They can develop skin problems, eye problems, hip issues, and a few genetic diseases more exclusive to shelties. That said, this is the case with all purebred dogs, of course, each to their own breed. Reputable breeders will generally strive to produce healthy, balanced dogs with an emphasis on temperment and genetic soundness. To acheive this, a breeder will put in the best in nutrition, health care, housing, training and everyday care which is not only a financially costly venture but a time consuming one. Why?, because they love doing it! Placing our puppies in the "right" homes is the hard part of the whole process. In a nutshell, this is what I have learned about purebred dog breeders. Mongrels are and always will be a dime a dozen as a dog will do what comes naturally no matter who their choices are. That said, this is why the shelters and streets are overflowing with unwanted and uncaredfor dogs. :( Most of those animals are just as loving as any purebred or designer dog ever bred! And ALL are deserving of love and a caring home. Designer dogs is s whole different story and one I am not impressed with personally. Designer dogs, that is dogs bred purposely to create a dog to fit the fad at the time, are not bad dogs. They are dogs like all others. People in their infinate wisdom decided to make dogs a fashion statement or novelty! Like we don't have enough breeds to choose from and we don't have enough hoomeless animals out there that we have to create more. Cotons are an excellent example IMO! They are not a registered breed and are therefore a designer dog! Cute, fluffy, friendly little dogs that they are, it is sad that people are breeding them for "their" own gain!!!!! And the sadest part is that other people are willing to shell out the cash for one to carry around on their arm like a Gucci purse! In addition to the insanity of desiner dogs is the fact that many (NOT ALL) of these poor little dogs are bred in so called "puppy mills" ( I call them "sweat shops") home or otherwise, to satisfy the market demands!! Sick! I won't go any further with my ideas or understanding of how new breeds are developed and come to be as I have probably already said more than necessary. You asked a lot of questions BalTra and I hope to give you my honest thoughts and opinions. I am very passionate about the lives of animals and any other living creatures we have been so blessed to share our planet with. I agree with eahamel in all of what was shared. My suggestion is that you carefully research breeds you may be interested in. The internet is full of information. As well, contact breeders, go see their homes and dogs, and ask TONS of questions. Be careful of breeders who offer health guarentees (check it out carefully as you cannot guarentee health on any living thing)but don't dismiss genetic testing and medical history of the line. Most reputable breeders are more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise on "their " breed and specifically their line, and many have experience with other similar breeds. Myself, I encourage potential owners to visit my home prior to and shortly after puppies are born to learn as much as they can and get to know where their baby is coming from. I owe that to my puppies. They come first and I will do everything I can to ensure I find the right fit. Unfortunately , we don't always get the opportunity to pick a puppy this way so we take our chances. Contrary to what we would like to believe, animal sheltiers can only give us a good guess as to what breeds may be included in a mongrel and what their temperment may be like after spending a limited amount of time with them. We have to take a chance. I believe that very few dogs are "bad" dogs and that it is most often the ignorance or neglect/disinterest of the owners that creates an unruly or hostile dog. Baring in mind also that breed inherant traits and characteristics will always be. You can't expect the average border collie cross, for example, not to herd somewhat. It is as natural for them as it is for a retriever to retrieve and like water! There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Some breeds don't shed as much as others and some have dander that is closer to falling out of their hair (probably why you are more responsive to short haired breeds). If the dog is kept clean and groomed and is fed a quality food with hopes of producing less dry skin, your chances are good you will not react alergically. Some breeds like Poodles, Shih Tzu's, Terriers and such don't generally drop as much coat but require clipping and/or lots of grooming to keep their hair from matting. There are many breeds to choose from and therefore, you have the advantage of getting pretty close to the perfect dog. Only you know your lifestyle, habits and requirements of your pet. IMHO, the perfect dog can only come about by listening to your gut and following it. Your dog will hear that instinctively! I hope I have been helpful and not too wordy. Good luck with your search. It will be an adventure and an exciting one that will end in pure joy with lots of love and puppy kisses ^^^^^ A short story I found that I will share with you that just tugs at my "breeder" heartstrings. Puppy sighs This is one of the neatest stories. You will know precisely what this little girl is talking about at the end (you'll want to share this one with your loved ones and special friends)! "Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the mother told the volunteer. "What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked. "Puppy size!" replied the mother. "Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for." "I know...we have seen most of them," the mom said in frustration .Just then Danielle came walking into the office. "Well, did you find one?" asked her mom. "No, not this time," Danielle said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?" The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed "You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said. Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I`ll find one this weekend," she said. Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," Mom added. Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted. Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one." It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer. "Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It`s the puppy size!" "But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks," Mom said. "No not size ---- the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!" The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both. "Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said. Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!" Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day. They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear. "Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Good luck Ginny Garden Gairden's Shelties Edmonton AB Canada

Trish, that is a great thing to do!! I'm sure Duffy will enjoy meeting everyone as much as they will in meeting him. I thought of you recently. One of my neighbors recently got a St. Bernard. A nine month old boy from our humane society! They were there looking around and saw Cooper and couldn't leave him there. He is a big goofy boy too! It's wonderful that they saved him. He is giant!! Good luck in your therapy work with Duffy!