Experts fear Shaggy film will spur dog-buying spree

Aficionados of a dog breed called the bearded collie are concerned that a new Disney movie could create a big, hairy problem.

"The Shaggy Dog" a remake of a 1959 Disney film that starred Fred MacMurray, was released Friday in theaters in the Quad-Cities and nationwide. The dog of the title is a bearded collie that is depicted as well-behaved, smart and lovable.

And thereby hangs a tail which, to the dismay of some, has been wagged before.

Some movie viewers of "101 Dalmatians" (a live-action film starring Glenn Close that was released in 1996) fell in love with the cute faces and puppies without understanding the high activity level of the breed," said Chris Walkowicz of Sherrard, Ill. Walkowicz is an award-winning author of many books and articles on dog-related subjects, an expert on dogs in general and a member of the Chicagoland Bearded Collie Club that includes some Quad-City area owners of "beardies."

Walkowicz, who also is involved in beardie rescue efforts, says it is wise to remember that dogs who appear in films "are trained to the nth degree. Pets don't behave as you wish unless you're willing to do the training."

She remembers that the Dalmatian Club of America was "overwhelmed with rescuing hundreds of teen-age dals turned in by owners who had not taken activity level, shedding, training, etc., into consideration. In addition, puppy mill operators saw dollar signs and bred huge numbers to fill the demand, thus putting hundreds (if not thousands) of poorly bred, unhealthy dogs into the market."

Walkowicz is among the bearded collie owners in the Quad-City area who want to educate the public about the possibility that, with the movie just released, the same type of phenomenon may start again.

"Beardies are Scottish herding dogs," Walkowicz says. "They have long hair, which demands grooming. They're active, bouncy and sometimes noise-sensitive."

The breed's traits are well-known to the 800 people in the Bearded Collie Club of America. "Our worst fear is something similar to the dals happening: hundreds of unhappy dogs and owners, an overwhelmed rescue operation," she said. Many poorly bred dalmatians with health or behavior problems had to be euthanized, Walkowicz added.

Pam Arndt, executive director of the Humane Society of Scott County, remembers the dalmatian deluge well. "When the remake of the "101 Dalmatians" movie came out, we had several dalmatians brought into the shelter. And we rarely see dalmatians," she said.

"Shelters all over the country were inundated with dalmatians, which are high-energy dogs just like the bearded collies, but for different reasons."

Similarly, she said, TV viewers saw the Jack Russell terrier that played Eddie on the "Frasier" series and thought, "That's a really smart dog."

"People don't understand all the constant training that goes into these animals (used on television and in movies)," she said. "People can go to a shelter and adopt a dog and put as much work into it and have a really smart dog, too.

"The other issue is that people start breeding to make money off them," she said. Some breeders are not selective in terms of breeding good traits into the puppies, she said. "A lot of times, good temperament is the first thing to go," Arndt added. "There are a lot of different issues."

Her advice to potential pet owners? "Be smart. Research."

Those words are echoed by Carol Freeman of Moline, president of the Chicagoland Bearded Collie Club, which has about 35 members. She agrees that the release of the film could result in unintentional disaster for beardie owners and the dogs themselves.

Some years ago, she and her husband, Gary, adopted a dog that was a half-bearded collie from an Iowa City shelter. "I had seen my friend's puppy from the same litter and I thought it was cute," she said. She had researched breeds and knew the dogs have lots of energy.

They named him Snafu because he was rejected by his first family. "The more I read, the more I realized he was much like a bearded collie," she said. "We either biked or ran with him every night."

Snafu also "herded" people who walked away from any gatherings in their home. "Beardies will herd whatever they can if they can't get to sheep," she said.

Snafu lived to be almost 15 years old. "Beardies are typically long-lived dogs," she added.

Now, she is afraid that shelters could be inundated with lively, long-haired dogs sold by irresponsible breeders to uneducated buyers.

"We just don't want the same thing to happen with beardies (that happened with the Dalmatians)," she said. "This is a big, hairy 50-pound dog. I have 18 grooming tools and 14 bottles of conditioner, whitener and anti-static," said Freeman, who now has a bearded collie as well as a mixed-breed dog.

"If you don't keep the beardies combed and brushed or shaved, they get really matted and that can cause skin problems and infection," she says. "And they were bred to herd, so they have a lot of energy. They're not a dog to leave at home all day. And all herding breeds bark."

The dogs also need to run a lot, she said. "I'm not a breeder, but some of the breeders I know will not sell a dog to a family without a fence because they do like to run."

"Not that you shouldn't have a beardie, but you should know what you're getting into," she said. "If the person you're talking to doesn't know the answer, then don't buy there."

Reference: www.qctimes.net

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