What breed dog to get?? HELP!

[galeteia]

*sneaks into this thread and steals Marvel''s dog again*

 

[Aurelia]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who shared their dogs & experiences with me!

It really means a lot to have so much input... clearly you all love talking about your furry friends : )

We spent most of the afternoon at a shelter yesterday - it was a lot of fun & exhausting! We had "play time" with just about everyone at the shelter... and that''s a lot of walks, frisbee & belly rubs!

Our "research" has definetly made us feel a little more confident... and while nobody came home with us last night we are sure we will find that special one... soon. And NO they won''t have to be a purebred, or 8 weeks old. We came SO close to bringing this ADORABLE 10 month old Mastiff/black lab mix home... he was incredibly calm, was friendly with other dogs and absolutely LOVED having his belly rubbed. He was actually pretty good on a leash, and did amazingly well with my FI when he took him for a trial run on the road. He even sniffed another couple''s toddlers very inquisitively, but not in an over-the-top, aggressive, or intimidating way. After a minute or two, he lay down at our feet... just chilling out, and even let one child (maybe 4 years old?) pick his ears up, play with his HUGE paws, etc... it was amazing to see.

what stinks? somebody had filled out paperwork to adopt him that morning and it hadn''t been filed yet... so he was still listed as available. WAAH!

but alas, there is hope! we found what we''re looking for... now we just need to find it again!

thank you guys : )
Aurelia

 

[diamondfan]

Just FYI Maya is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever...

 

[divergrrl]

I have a German Shepherd Dog. I LOOOOVE this breed. I''ve had two, one was a mix breed from the humane society (my ex got her...darn it, she was amazing) and this one, which is a purebred from a breeder. (dh insisted, I''d have rather gone the humane society route, but he was all "oh hips have to be good, we need a puppy so we can raise it to get along with cats, kids, etc)

I digress.......


What I love about them:

Loving

Loyal

Calm demeanor (after a lifetime of hunting breeds & hounds, this is a welcome respite) this is a good dog if you are busy, or don''t want something neurotic that needs constant reassuring.

Protective (but not aggressive or mean, that''s not how they are supposed to be---yes, they should be aloof with strangers, but they should not growl or be mean, if they are, that''s bad owners making them that way because they confuse a loyal guard dog with an attack dog & you can make any breed mean if you don''t socialize it correctly).

Intuitive (she knows when a friend or family member is at the door & runs to it tail-a-waggin''. She also knows when a stranger is "OK" and is just calm and silent. If she senses danger, she will put herself in between me and the baby and whoever has moseyed over by us, and just stand there all alert. If the person makes a move that is inappropriate, they get a warning growl --- I was approached by a weird guy once & she did not like it--- but she was so good, didn''t lose her mind, but gave off a good growl and stared the guy down & he backed off.

Easy: They housebreak very easily.

Obedient:They learn well, she is a good dog and has never chewed anything or behaved destructively.

Good with kids: She''s great with my toddler & all other kids, she loves them.

Good with cats: She likes to play with mine. She likes to try and chase outside cats, but she just wants to play--she thinks they are like our cat who does play with her.

Cuddly: Thinks she is a 70lb lap dog. (she''s resting her doggie head on my laptop right now..I adore her)

EAsy to groom: Bathe when stinky (not often), brush often, clip nails (do it myself).

CONS:

Can I say SHEDDING? Oh man, I battle the hair year round.

Other peoples misconception of the breed: They are no more vicious than any other dog. In fact we just had to relocate my beagle of 6 years last year when the beagle tried to bite my 1 year old son twice (and he''s gentle with dogs, he just happened to crawl by her) but you do run into some people who will try to tell you german shepherd horror stories, and honestly, ask a vet, bites happen from all breeds of dogs. The GSD is a regal breed, and their use in police & military work as well as their aloofness with strangers probably scares some folks. which is fine by me, I wanted a wonderful family dog that is a reliable guard dog and I got that.

There are really no cons to this breed in my opinion other than the shedding.

I love this breed, my dh and I say we''ll continue to be GSD folks. I feel so safe with her, and she''s such a lover girl.

Jeannine

 

[divergrrl]

Date: 12/17/2006 10:12:11 AM
Author: WTNLVR
What an exciting thing, picking a breed. We ended up with 2 soft-coated wheaten terriers. They are nice size- around 35 pounds, sturdy, great with kids and adorable. Extremely friendly, don''t shed AT ALL, and are reportedly hypo-allergenic. I had collies, sheps, beagles, spaniels in the past and they all shed like crazy. The only con is that they have a thick coat and require grooming about every 3 months, depending on what kind of cut you give them. The cut given to them on the breed sites is the show cut and they look kinda funky. In real life most of them are given a puppy cut or a modified wheatie cut. Here is a pic of my boys, Sinjon on the left and Aidan on the right. They are also the most adorable pups, born chestnut colored and by age 4 they turn the soft wheaten color. The coat is soft like down, not harsh like some terriers. Have fun looking!

Although I could very well go to the wheaten side when a GSD gets too big to handle as I get older...

WTNLVR I drool over your adorable doggies every time you post a pic. What a great look and those faces are to die for, they look like happy little goofballs (I love happy go lucky dogs).

Jeannine

 

[divergrrl]

Sascha:

 

[JoangA]

I love love love my little ones, Mini & Cooper, they are cockapoos..

Pros: No shedding, very sweet with us. Don''t need a job!

Cons: Not so good with kids, need to be groomed.

We also used one of those pet selections web sites like:

http://www.petnet.com.au/dogselectapet.html

This helped us nail down what would work with us. We don''t exercise them daily. At first I would have gotten a dog that was bigger, and needed a job! That would have been a mistake for us, we''re just not into all that daily work. We''re very happy with our little ones, if I had know more I may have selected something different. Like a Westie, now that we have grandkids, it''s important that the dogs work well with kids. There is so much to consider when selecting a dog, this is a long term commitment. I should have spent as much time selecting my 1st husband!


Good luck, they are joys to be around.

 

[pricescope]

Date: 12/18/2006 11:52:42 AM
Author: diamondfan
Just FYI Maya is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever...

Sorry df, i edited my post. Can you tell us about this breed?

 

[Christa]

I have a beagle, and I second most of what Monarch said about them. Our doesn''t have separation anxiety, though--he was pretty obnoxious as a puppy, but now (3 years old) he has really mellowed. And he''s wonderful with kids--mine, their friends, and total strangers.

My advice would be to decide what you want and don''t want in a dog and then read up on breeds you think you''re interested in. We started out thinking we wanted a dachshund, but I''m really glad we did so much research. Beagles definitely have drawbacks (like any breed does), but it''s a really good fit for us.

 

[SoonIHope]

We got one black lab when I was 6 (who just died a couple years ago), and then another when I was a junior in high school (who still lives with my parents) and they were/are both the most amazing dogs!!!! They are sooooo incredibly friendly/good with people/kids/elderly and cuddly (both of our 100+ dogs were/are "lapdogs"!) and intelligent and great watch dogs!! They have quite different personalities, but are both such amazingly perfect dogs. As an example, my parents also had two cats for ~14 years (one just died recently) and one of them had a tendency to bully the other. Our dog, however, was the perfect mediator - he would bark and chase the naughty one away and then go lick the sweet cat if he was bothering her, and he even barks if the naughty cat jumps on the counter to try to eat people-food or anything! (Just a quick "You know you shouldn''t be doing that!!" bark, not incessant annoying barking.) But they''re still great pals, the naughty cat knows that he''s just looking out for the greater good and doesn''t take it personally, hehe. I really cannot recommend the breed highly enough though - they are the sweetest most loveable gigantic loyal genius dogs ever!

Which is not to say that I haven''t loved about 99% of all dogs I''ve ever met! And I agree with the shelter recommendations everyone''s giving, so hopefully you''ll find the perfect dog for you, no matter what breed(s) it is somewhere soon!!

Oh, and you KNOW you have to post ten zillion pictures of whatever baby you bring home right????

 

[marvel]

Everybody''s pouches are so cute

Aurelia, Good luck in your search. I''m sure you''ll find the perfect one for you and FI!!

 

[Gypsy]

I'm a mutt fan too. We had a pure bred black German Shepherd named Jett and now we have a Sheila. She's either part Lab and part German Shepherd or a Belgian Shepherd purebred. We got her from the shelter when she was 4 and she's a sweetheart.

Having volunteered at a Shelter or two I can tell you that not all of them are equal in terms of the screening they do and the time they spend with the animals in order to get to know their personalities. The shelter I volunteered at in NJ -- Jersey Shore Animal Center did a great job of that... but most don't. I am currently looking for a shelter here in CA that does as good a job and have been unable to find one.

My FSIl has a Chessie like DF's and he is the LOYALIST dog ever... but they need someone who knows how to handle dominant breeds as they are headstrong. Shepherds are the same, as are Rotties and Pits.

German Shepherds are great... but they are prone to may health problems... and a form of malignant cancer that is rare in other breeds but prevalent in thier breed. That's how we lost Jett.

If you are at all interested in large breeds/ dominant breeds you should definitely start researching good trainers and get yourselves trained first so that you know what to expect. Oh... and look at Shiloh Shepherds -- very nice dogs if you like German Shepherds.

ETA: I echo everyone's call to encourage you to rescue. PLEASE whether its from a shelter or a breed rescue organization ... PLEASE rescue. ALL of our babies are rescues.

RE: Pit Bulls. Pits (pure bred and some mixes as well) have a personality switch that goes off right when they get to be a year old, compete 180 in personality... if you are looking at this breed, please try to stick to ones over a year old as they will exhibit their true personalites... and usually shelters are full of 1.25-1.5 year old pits for exactly this reason.

 

[Mara]

it's tough because if you don't know what type of dog you'd really love, it's super hard i think to say what the 'right' dog can be for you. portia is a westie and i adore them. but if i believed what the books said about them, i might not have gotten one. but i had one before who was awesome and portia is awesome too. not stubborn, not bad with kids, listens, super affectionate. whereas a lot of the books say all the opposites about them.

so really i think that you should just go with your gut and if you can get a dog that is a puppy or still relatively young you can MOLD the dog into what you want them to be. it's harder with older dogs, harder with rescues, so if you have a lot of requirements like great with children, or needs to be a certain temperment, i believe the best bet is to get a puppy. but if you just want a potentially great companion with their own quirks and a pretty set personality, and you can work around them and have a ton of patience and let them get their bearing, get a rescue. some may or may not agree but that's my own experience with friends who have gotten rescues vs puppies. rescues can have more issues, can require more care or maintenance or patience, and may already have their own personality quirks that may not work with a family or a small apartment or whatever. i have a friend who has a rescue who is wonderful now but it took her like 2 years of hard work with him to get him to where he is now. but puppies you can mold them into who you want them to be for the most part with a bit of work. i think any dog breed who is not 'great' around children can be great if they are raised around them and the children respect the dog.

just my thoughts. i love dogs and i think everyone is going to think THEIR dog is fabulous. so it's super hard to ask a bunch of dog lovers what they think is a great breed because i think most people will think their dog is the best thing since sliced bread!! i know i would definitely recommend a westie, we adore our little girl and she is flat out the best dog i have ever had and we get compliments on how well-behaved and mellow she is all the time. but much of that is because we had her because she was a pup and malleable. anyhow just some thoughts!! have fun shopping for the best fit for your family!

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 12/18/2006 8:52:34 AM
Author: Aurelia
I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who shared their dogs & experiences with me!

It really means a lot to have so much input... clearly you all love talking about your furry friends : )

We spent most of the afternoon at a shelter yesterday - it was a lot of fun & exhausting! We had ''play time'' with just about everyone at the shelter... and that''s a lot of walks, frisbee & belly rubs!

Our ''research'' has definetly made us feel a little more confident... and while nobody came home with us last night we are sure we will find that special one... soon. And NO they won''t have to be a purebred, or 8 weeks old. We came SO close to bringing this ADORABLE 10 month old Mastiff/black lab mix home... he was incredibly calm, was friendly with other dogs and absolutely LOVED having his belly rubbed. He was actually pretty good on a leash, and did amazingly well with my FI when he took him for a trial run on the road. He even sniffed another couple''s toddlers very inquisitively, but not in an over-the-top, aggressive, or intimidating way. After a minute or two, he lay down at our feet... just chilling out, and even let one child (maybe 4 years old?) pick his ears up, play with his HUGE paws, etc... it was amazing to see.

what stinks? somebody had filled out paperwork to adopt him that morning and it hadn''t been filed yet... so he was still listed as available. WAAH!

but alas, there is hope! we found what we''re looking for... now we just need to find it again!

thank you guys : )
Aurelia

Some shelters don''t care about first come first serve. They will give the animal to the BEST person for that animal. I would have put in an application on him anyway and talked to an adoption coordinator. I know with us, anyone who put a in effort to get a particular dog (once they had met our first level screening) made a strong impression and was usually rewarded with the animal they wanted. Good shelters don''t want to find the animals a home. They want to find their animals a FOREVER home. That''s the key.

 

[larussel03]

I don''t suppose you''re from Michigan?

I just looked on the Ann Arbor humane society page and there is an ADORABLE 2 year old Corgi up for adoption and a 1 year old Germany Shepard/doberman mutt (only about 50 pounds and is described as being a nice dog, although timid) and now I want to adopt them both!!! We''re only allowed one large pet though at our apartment.

If you have a good shelter they can usually ascess the personality of the dogs to a degree...although they said ours is a great leash walker and she''s really a better leash puller...but other than that they were dead on!

 

[larussel03]

I just saw that you already have your eye on a dog or two at the shelter--good for you for going to the shelter! Sounds like you''ll find a perfect pup!

 

[widget]

Aurelia....I''m so glad to hear your looking at shelter dogs!

The Lab/Mastiff you saw sounds exceptional...sniff sniff he reminds me of Spencer...and If I were you I''d call up that shelter and get myself on that list for him! There''s a chance the first applicants may change their minds..

widget

 

[crowmama]

Shelter dogs are awsome... my Riley is a rescue beagle, and he is the greatest dog (except for learning how to open the fridge and eat lunchmeat while we''re at work!)

There''s a really good book called "Second Hand Dog" written specifically for people who take in their first rescue pooch. Thin book, quick read, inexpensive, and well worth it.

Good luck!

 

[dtnyc]

Also as another vote for shelter/rescue- you can get puppies and young dogs at shelters, that aren''t "damaged." Plenty of shelter dogs are house-broken and already trained in many regards. Yes some have their issues and need "work" but you should be able to tell this from spending some time with them.

Additionally most puppies, whether from breeder or shelter, are a TREMENDOUS amount of work!

 

[Mara]

Date: 12/18/2006 4:16:39 PM
Author: dtnyc

Additionally most puppies, whether from breeder or shelter, are a TREMENDOUS amount of work!

I totally agree! I could not WAIT for my dog to grow up and out of the puppy stage, but once she was an adult, all that hard work paid off. Also for me in particular, I wanted a Westie and I was on the Westie rescue list for local but they are SO rare to find locally as rescues since so many people want them. We were lucky to even get a puppy!

 

[diamondfan]

First I want to say NEVER get a pup from a mill or mall store, it usually does not go well. And almost all breeds have rescue so you can get a trained and wonderful animal that way if you want a purebred.

Irina, Chessies are in the working group of dogs. They are a very old breed and are known for their amazing swimming talents. They are hunting/retrieving dogs. Though they are similar in looks to a lab, they have a slightly different temperament. They are wonderful but tend to be more aloof with strangers, more slow to warm up. However, I made a big effort to socialize Maya early and often because with three kids and lots of playdates and people in and out of my home I wanted her to be more open to people. She will bark at strangers and does not like certain people but overall she is very waggy and playful with new people. Gives lots of kisses which is not typical of Chessies. She also would not be a great watch dog since she is more open to people and loves to meet new people since most people want to pet her so she is happy...we love her, she is not a huge shedder and she is not really a big barker either...but she is a wonderful family pet...

 

[dtnyc]

Date: 12/18/2006 4:21:05 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 12/18/2006 4:16:39 PM
Author: dtnyc

Additionally most puppies, whether from breeder or shelter, are a TREMENDOUS amount of work!

I totally agree! I could not WAIT for my dog to grow up and out of the puppy stage, but once she was an adult, all that hard work paid off. Also for me in particular, I wanted a Westie and I was on the Westie rescue list for local but they are SO rare to find locally as rescues since so many people want them. We were lucky to even get a puppy!

I love Westies, and so does my older dog, Daisy. I used to pet-sit and used to watch a Westie and she and Daisy used to curl up together in the same crate after playing like crazy! (that''s terriers!) Also- I was such a spoiler- the family who owned this dog used to make her sleep in her crate- and they would put her in the basement because she cried! I lived in an apt, so I couldn''t have the crying, so I just let her sleep with me! She was such a sweetie!

 

[firebirdgold]

The whole there is no bad dog, there''s only bad owner thing is just bunk! Just like people can have genetic personality disorders so can dogs. My precious beau-beau has severe anxiety issues and other problems that lead to fear aggression. I worked really hard and I now have the sweetest, cuddliest protection teddy bear ever! However he still can''t be trusted in some situations, there''s only so much anyone can do.
Well, ok, I probably could have done more to prevent my doggy from thinking that anyone between 17 and 1 yrs old is an agent of the anti-christ!

You know, I''m wondering if the whole mediator thing is a Lab trait? My Chow-Lab-Sheperd- RR does that all the time! It''s apparently his mission to enforce all rules (on other pets) and to break up any fights. The boarding lady gives me a discount!

I have to say that while I doubt I''d ever get a pure bred lab, a bit of lab makes any mutt a sweeter dog. (and probably a chewier one too!)

I really think pitbulls get a worse rap then they deserve. One of the sweetest and most loving dogs I''ve ever met, who''s only threat to people was the possibility of licking them to death with a giant tongue, was a pitbull sharpei mix.

The mastiff/lab mix sounded wonderful! But you''ll find another dog just as wonderful! May I suggest that you stick with the working/herding dogs and retrievers like the mastiff mix? If you do alot of camping and hiking they''ll be much more likely to stick with you than another type like a sight hound.
Oh, and no offense to aussie shepard and border collie owners, but don''t get one. Not only do they have a secret stash of jolt cola in a pocket of their fur, but they need jobs.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Aurelia]

well folks, we''ve been added to the list of potential adopters of the Mastiff/Black Lab mix who we are now obsessing about!

they''re doing "house checks," interviews, and references...

we''ll see how we do... CROSSING FINGERS for like the millionth time today!!! DF literally has called me 3 times today asking if they''ve called yet... and come upstairs to my floor at work to check in person a few times as well... I''ve never seen him like this!

Aurelia

 

[divergrrl]

I love shelter dogs for this reason: Most of them wind up there because their owners didn''t realize how much work a dog is. Or after a year of puppyhood, get fed up and need to give them up.

My shepherd mix I got at 18 months was a great dog. She was housebroken, obedience trained, and to be honest I can''t imagine why anyone would give her up. (of course I did let my ex-bf keep her, but i had to travel for work for months at a time, so it couldn''t be helped, and she loved him too).

My SIL just got a collie mix breed, about 35 lbs and just loves her. 4 years old, trained, housebroken, just a lover girl. her previous owners didn''t like having a "big" dog (had 4 toy breed dogs as well). My SIL made sure she was good with kids before adopting since I have a toddler and all her friends have babies/toddlers as well. (her kids are grown)

The thing with getting an older dog is you miss all the puppy drama, for better or worse.

My husband''s argument was the same as Mara''s, but I have to respectfully disagree with both of them, with a puppy you are hoping for potential, with an adult dog, what you see is usually what you get -- so you know what the temperament is. In addition the rescues/shelters really put the dogs through a lot of examination personality wise, because finding a good home match is the most important element in making sure the dog STAYS adopted. So if you have kids, other dogs, cats, etc...they aren''t going to let you have a dog that wouldn''t thrive in that environment.

Jeannine

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 12/18/2006 6:02:24 PM
Author: divergrrl
I love shelter dogs for this reason: Most of them wind up there because their owners didn''t realize how much work a dog is. Or after a year of puppyhood, get fed up and need to give them up.

My shepherd mix I got at 18 months was a great dog. She was housebroken, obedience trained, and to be honest I can''t imagine why anyone would give her up. (of course I did let my ex-bf keep her, but i had to travel for work for months at a time, so it couldn''t be helped, and she loved him too).

My SIL just got a collie mix breed, about 35 lbs and just loves her. 4 years old, trained, housebroken, just a lover girl. her previous owners didn''t like having a ''big'' dog (had 4 toy breed dogs as well). My SIL made sure she was good with kids before adopting since I have a toddler and all her friends have babies/toddlers as well. (her kids are grown)

The thing with getting an older dog is you miss all the puppy drama, for better or worse.

My husband''s argument was the same as Mara''s, but I have to respectfully disagree with both of them, with a puppy you are hoping for potential, with an adult dog, what you see is usually what you get -- so you know what the temperament is. In addition the rescues/shelters really put the dogs through a lot of examination personality wise, because finding a good home match is the most important element in making sure the dog STAYS adopted. So if you have kids, other dogs, cats, etc...they aren''t going to let you have a dog that wouldn''t thrive in that environment.

Jeannine

Extremely well said & SPOT on. Some rescues have issues. Most do not & are simply a bother to their former owners. Having been in all breed/mutt rescue for years, VERY FEW dogs were returned & in most cases we are still getting cards from the PUPS telling us how well they are doing & how much they like their new home.

And, you are also correct - most rescue groups have evaluators that are pretty good at assessing the dog & matching with the correct owner.