Today I have with me the author who introduced the different types of dogs to the dog loving readers. In conversation with Dixie Tenny , author of How to find your dream dog.
Welcome to my virtual tete a tete Dixie.
There are lots of books about dogs out there. What makes “How to Find Your Dream Dog” different?
Most books written for pet dog owners talk about how to raise and train the puppy, or dog, that they already have. But there is very little available to help people choose the dog that will be the best fit for their household in the first place. There are many different types of dogs and each type fits best into a different home. Each individual dog is unique, too. One puppy might grow into a dog that suits you well while its littermate wouldn’t.
In your book, you state that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Can you talk a little more about that?
Yes. Allergies to dogs are reactions to their skin dander, not their hair; even a completely hairless dog can cause an allergic reaction. Dog allergy sufferers might react to all dogs, some types of dogs, or even some individuals of a breed and not others. Some people have been breeding poodles to other types of dogs and marketing those puppies as “hypo-allergenic.” That is completely misleading, since even poodles themselves can cause an allergic reaction. My dog-allergic niece reacts more strongly to poodles than to most other types of dogs. Fostering or borrowing a dog is the best way to experiment with whether a possible allergy sufferer can live with a dog or not. But it’s important to remember that the reaction to another dog might be different.
Did you have a dog as a child?
When I was about five, my family adopted a puppy from a local litter. Lulu was white with brown and black splotches, medium-sized, such a thoroughly mixed-breed girl that, looking at pictures of her today, I can’t even begin to guess what she was a mix of. She was the best companion a child could ever have, sweet-natured and fun. Her best friend besides me was our family cat, teaching me early that the myth about dogs and cats not getting along wasn’t true.
Do you write on a computer or do you use pen and paper?
Both! I always carry a notebook with me, and I have them scattered all over the house. I have a small desk in my bedroom and a larger one in my study where I sit and write notes on paper. Eventually everything gets transferred over to my laptop. I’m usually sitting in the most wonderfully comfortable reclining chair at that point; a most thoughtful gift from a very good friend.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I love science fiction, and non-fiction science as well. I enjoy reading classic novels by authors like the Brontës and Jane Austen. I like stories of travel, history, and adventure. And I love books that make me laugh out loud.
