Why Do We Care About Mark Zuckerberg's Dog?

Have you heard the news? Mark Zuckerberg got a new dog!
And why do we care?
Well for one reason, sometimes we are curious about celebs and their lives. And since we love dogs, we're curious about their pets too.
But another reason that we care is because, for pet bloggers, it gives us a chance to reflect upon the lessons we can share through the added awareness of the public name.

Zuckerberg's dog, a fluffy white Puli, already has his own PR: Beast's Facebook page, with more than 32,000 fans to date.

Christie Keith from Pet Connection discusses Zuckerberg's decision to purchase his pup from a breeder. While most of us are aware of pet overpopulation and advocate adopting pets from rescue homes and shelters, Keith cautions us on criticizing anyone's decision to buy their dog from a responsible breeder. Instead, Keith suggests it would be more effective to "congratulate Zuckerberg, and then promote all the white herding mixes in your shelter." Good strategy.

Jaime Van Wye, expert dog trainer, and founder of the Zoom Room, seized the opportunity to enlighten readers on the differences between a Komondor and a Puli. I thought you would find this interesting, so I'm including her points here, below. (Her own pet dog is a Komondor, Clyde Orange, the mascot of the Zoom Room.

Komondor

  • Komondorok have been bred as livestock guard dogs originating from Hungary, and when threatened they reveal sheer athletic muscularity and a deep, ferocious bark that is sure to scare anyone. If someone is to approach your house, the Komondor will be sure to alert you by barking excessively. They have a protective instinct and will even sleep across thresholds within your house, taking position.
  • Keeping a Komondor clean as he grows up is a challenging task. Washing and shampooing a mature Komondor isn’t all that complicated, but if the task of drying is not carefully completed, the damp dog will develop mildew. You also must be sure to help the cords form evenly, separating them from one another as the matting begins around the age of nine months.
  • Due to the history of the breed, a Komondor can be a challenge to train. They have neither a prey drive, nor much of a food drive. They will rarely chase a ball and will take limited joy in toys. They’re not big eaters, making it difficult to bribe. This breed is hard to rattle, so any type of corrective training usually has little effect as they can put up with just about anything.
  • Komondorok grow to be an average of more than 30 inches tall and more than 100 pounds.

Puli

  • Pulis also hail from Hungary, and share the same corded appearance as Komodorok, however they are a lot smaller of a breed, and reach an average of 16 inches tall and 30 pounds.
  • Pulis originated as herding dogs, making them quick and agile, demanding plenty of daily exercise. As a result, the breed is fairly easier to train in agility and obedience.
  • Pulis share the exact same requirements for grooming as a Komondor, but of course, since a Puli is tiny compared to a Komondor, the entire process – especially the drying – is vastly easier.
  • This breed is incredibly loyal and penchant for protection. Despite their size, they can be strong watchmen, even without the sheer size and stature of a Komondor.

About Jaime Van Wye

Animal lover and entrepreneur Jaime Van Wye is CEO of Zoom Room, the only brick-and-mortar dog training franchise in America and the first dog agility training franchise in the world. Jaime is an expert trainer and the National Boarding Chair of the Pet Care Services Association. She has also authored the satirical self-help book, How to Have an Ill-Behaved Dog. To read Jaime’s full open letter to Zuckerberg (or anyone else contemplating these beautiful breeds) – click here.