This is a VAST generalization. I am very fortunate that we are not dealing with cancer and that bring a different set of challenges and fights. This is mostly written tongue and cheek and I am a firm believer that there is no “right” way to train/raise a dog as long as it works for the owners.”

The laid back pawrent:

This is probably the category we fall into. I don’t really treat Destiny any different than any of the other dogs I have owned (although she doesn’t eat scraps like Nikki did). She probably runs around too much, slips too much, jumps up on furniture too much (I try and stop her but she likes being on our bed when we are at work), and countless other things she should probably not be doing because it is bad for her joints, etc.

I probably let her play a little rougher than I am suppose to. She and her friends run around the dog park. Playing chase and pin she is usually the fastest of the bunch. I know just from my reading that there are tripawd pawrents that prefer their dogs to play quietly but I love that look on her face when she is having a blast.

I know every trainer/behaviorist says never to focus on a dog’s past life, but it is still a part of who she is. The nightmares she has in the middle of the night, the pain of the nerves growing back in her stump, her fear of weird things all are from her past experiences. I do force her to face her fears. Help her with her nightmares. Massage the stump when it is sore but I am not going to shelter her from life and living. I think that is why I am a little more les affaire compared to some other pawrents, is because of her past.

My friend summed it up best. “Yes, she may get arthritis earlier than most dogs, but you only get 12 years with her. You may as well make the most of it. Besides, you can be twins!” (I suffer from arthritis in my hands. boo.)

That isn’t to say I let her do anything that would endanger her life. She is never off leash unless she is fenced in. I still don’t let her jump up on furniture when I can be around to prevent it. I don’t let her eat scraps or things off the ground. I try my best to let her be a dog without being a dead dog.

After we get her enrolled in obedience and she does a few classes of that, I would like to get involved in the rally club that we have here in the city. She is fast and is able to take corners like a bat out of hell. She would probably have a lot of fun with it, and I would like an activity that doesn’t involve work. I know just from the research I have been doing online, there is two camps about Tripawds doing rally but I really do think it is good for them.

The protective pawrent:

Notice how I didn’t say “over” protective. Because I don’t think being protective is wrong. Hell, I think I could probably be a little more protective of Destiny sometimes.

These are the pawrents I mostly researched when I was thinking of adopting Destiny. They allow their dogs to play, but quietly with quiet games (puzzles, feather toys, and casual fetch). Walk their dogs but making sure they don’t get over exhausted or too stiff. Never allowed on the furniture. Plays with other dogs but makes sure that their dog gets to have “breaks” or cool downs before joining back in.

And these pawrents taught me a lot. Taught me a lot about what harnesses to get, cool toys that are outside the box, different kinds of activities to do with your dog and to be watchful for any signs of injury.

Their dogs are usually well behaved and calm because they spend the extra time that other people use to let their dog be a hellion working on training and working on obedience. They are usually the dogs that EVERYONE even the dog haters like being around.

And that isn’t a bad thing.

I figure most people will be somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Leaning more one way or the other.

So what kind of tripawd pawrent are you?