Richard Jeng is a dog enthusiast, researcher and writer who’s spent his whole life loving and caring for dogs of all sizes, types and breeds. For as long as he can remember, he’s had at least one family dog in the household.
He’s known for being the main author, chief editor and founder of The Smart Canine – an online resource dedicated to providing the most accurate, relevant and informational guides on dog breeds. Currently, The Smart Canine serves hundreds of thousands of readers per month.
My Story – A Life of Dogs
My first dog companion was a solid-black Miniature Poodle, named “Pico.” He was the family dog inherited from my mother’s side of the family. I was just a few years old at the time, so I have little recollection of Pico. However, the memories I do have are very fond.
When I was in elementary school, our family adopted a Pomeranian puppy from a family friend. At the time, she was the runt of the litter, so we affectionately named her “Tiny.” But by the time she became an adult, she was much larger than any of her siblings! Tiny was a fairly large Pomeranian – reminiscent of the ancient sled-pulling Poms.
By the time I went to college, our family brought home a Pembroke Welsh Corgi we named Philippa, or “Pippa” for short. It was the first time we had to deal with a herding dog, so we weren’t expecting the intense barking and seemingly unlimited amount of energy. Needless to say, we got used to it and we learned a lot about these dogs.
After years of training our Corgi, my sister brought home a Miniature Australian Shepherd. He’s named Olympus, but we call him “Oly” for short. He’s a “classic” Aussie with high energy levels, an unbelievable vertical jump and multiple “zoomies” per day.
With nearly 30 years of experience in raising dogs, I started The Smart Canine to provide more than just helpful and accurate information on dogs. The goal of this company is to give back by providing aid for owners and stray dogs in need.
My Work With Dogs
Having grown up with dogs my whole life, it’s natural that I’d want to work with and help other dogs. And as soon as I could, I did just that. It didn’t really matter what I did, as long as the work involved helping our canine companions.
As a high school student, I knew I needed community service hours for college. What better excuse to work with dogs? After much research and orientation, I ended up volunteering for the Pasadena Humane Society.
The program was amazing for a high school student, as I learned reward-based training methods to help with socializing the dogs. Ever since, it’s something that I’ve applied to our family dogs with much success.
Though I ended up attending the University of California, San Diego, my work with dogs did not stop there. With such a good experience at my hometown’s Humane Society, I ended up volunteering at the San Diego Humane Society.
I started with the Companion Animal team, where I learned all the basics of the animal shelter. I would frequently help with feeding, cleaning and socializing the animals. After consistent work for months, I ended up as a dog walker, which was a “coveted” role in the organization.
My dog walking role was great, and it really stuck with me. After moving back to Pasadena post-college, I went around my apartment complex and got a handful of clients for dog walking. You can check out my feature on Fundera’s YouTube channel.
With the amount of money I made, I invested it back into the dog industry. This time, hoping to help the rest of the world and not just my local community. And sure enough, The Smart Canine was born.
Contact Richard
If you’re looking to contact Richard, you can reach him at Richard[at]TheSmartCanine.com. Alternatively, you can reach him by filling out the contact box below.
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