Help in choosing a dog breed

[pstylesss]

Get an American Brittany. My family has two and they're the best dogs. Very intelligent and were very easy to train. Mine obeys hand signals and they do not shed very much.

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
My family has always had Brittany's and they are amazing pets. Lots of energy and very sweet dogs. Most aren't too big (mine is on the bigger side at 40lbs) and are easily trained.

Brittany (wiki)

Mine as a puppy pic

here he's 6mos old pic

(sorry for the pics I just think he's a great looking dog )

Sweet, another Brittany owner. I'll post some pics up here in a second.

Pics as promised.

Freckles
Freckles
Freckles & Blitz
Freckles & Blitz
Blitz

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: waffleironhead
Go to the pound a get a nice mutt.

i got my black lab from the pound... best dog i ever had. labs are awesome dogs overall, and great with kids. my kids were 1yr old when we got that black lab, and he was their pillow, friend and playmate for the rest of his life. kids are 11 now, he passed away last november.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Go to the pound and get you a pound puppy.

We got Max at the pound.
He is a Australian Cattle Dog. Other than his propensity for running out the front door whenever he gets the chance . He's a good dog.
You seem to be looking at dogs like all of them from the same breed are identical. They are not. Just like people there are asshole dogs. My neighbors German Sheppard is one such dog, but even though he is bigger than Max, Max will put him in his place if he (the German Sheppard) barks or snaps at one of the kids.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: waffleironhead
Go to the pound a get a nice mutt.

:thumbsup:

Some of the best dogs you can get. My personal favorite dog is a Keeshond, pretty unique and awesome dogs.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: waffleironhead
Go to the pound a get a nice mutt.

:thumbsup:

Some of the best dogs you can get. My personal favorite dog is a Keeshond, pretty unique and awesome dogs.

Also, plenty of breed specific rescue groups. I highly recommend petfinder.com

 

[middlehead]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
My family has always had Brittany's and they are amazing pets. Lots of energy and very sweet dogs. Most aren't too big (mine is on the bigger side at 40lbs) and are easily trained.

Brittany (wiki)

Mine as a puppy pic

here he's 6mos old pic

(sorry for the pics I just think he's a great looking dog )

I'll second both this and Lab. My childhood dog was a Golden Lab/Brittany mix, best dog I ever had.

My current dog appears to be a Rottweiler/Black Lab mix, the shelter wasn't entirely sure. She's very well behaved in general, although she doesn't really seem to care when my mother tries to give her commands.

 

[vi edit]

Labradoodle?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Labradoodle?

Noes!!!!!!!!!

 

[boomer6447]

Whatever you do, please check your local shelters and pounds first...there are a lot of dogs that need a home. You can find most any breed at a rescue or shelter.

 

[Gooberlx2]

What we'd like:

1) That they don't shed too much. I know this is a negative for the golden.
2) That they're good with children. We'll keep up on the training, so I'm not particularly worried about the behaviors of the border collie in this regard.
3) We don't want a huge dog. Medium-sized would be our maximum, but we wouldn't mind a little dog either (e.g. Yorkie).

Well #s 1 and 3 eliminate German shepard. Shed like crazy and can get in size excess of 100lbs (depending on genetics). Maybe not as big as an Akita or St. Bernard, but any dog at 100+lbs is in the huge category, IMO.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: boomer6447
Whatever you do, please check your local shelters and pounds first...there are a lot of dogs that need a home. You can find most any breed at a rescue or shelter.

Also, due to the foreclosure crisis, a lot of well-trained mutts anpure-breds of all ages are ending-up at the shelters.

 

[Arkaign]

Samoyed. They're absolutely freaking awesome dogs.

 

[SunnyD]

Golden ftw! Hair be damned, who cares. Just invest in a brush and a broom. My blog has picks of my golden.

 

[Baked]

Corgi FTW. It meets all your requirements.

 

[compman25]

boxer

 

[Vonkhan]

Another vote to adopt a dog from the pound

Both my dogs are rescues and they both A+ pets

One's a shepherd-collie mix and the other' a black lab

 

[ViviTheMage]

German Shepard

or a Siberian husky!

 

[Descartes]

Thanks everyone. Great replies.

Based on some of the feedback about goldens, I think that might be the direction we take. As I said, I've always wanted one and always loved the goldens friends and family had.

I'll keep looking. The Brittany looks like a great dog as well...

 

[melchoir]

American Bulldog

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
GF and I are planning on getting a puppy (and kitten...apparently ) a couple of months from now when we move.

At this moment, I'm leaning heavily towards the ACD breed. Australian Cattle Dogs, Blue or Red Heelers. They seem to be some of the smartest dogs around, and multiple people have told me they make some of the greatest pets. I prefer the Blue heelers....

As usual...I wouldn't want something pure though. Looking for an ACD mix
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Cattle_Dog

I would not suggest a Blue Heeler (ACD) if you live in an apartment or plan on keeping the dog indoors 24/7 or have a very small yard and no other pets. They are working dogs and need to be able to be outside a lot, preferably with other animals to 'herd' around. Heelers can absolutely destroy a house if they're left alone with nothing to do. They're smart and often will do stuff to punish you for letting them get bored or lonely. My brother-in-law had one who would tear up stuff or would roll in crap and go rub against him, when he had been gone to work all day and left the dog indoors. They sometimes will bond strongly to one person and be a PITA to everyone else. This can usually be avoided if they're properly socialized and trained as pups. My ACDs are not like that, but they are outdoor dogs with acres to run and have had cattle (in the past), children, deer, cats, and chickens to herd, so they don't get lonely or bored. They WILL run to the neighbor's pasture to spend all day 'herding' their horse and steer if they are given a chance, though. They're my favorite breed and we plan on always having heelers, but they are NOT for everyone.

 

[John P]

I did lots of research before I decided on a Samoyed years ago. She lived to the ripe age of 13 1/2 years (passed away a few years ago).

Samoyeds are great people dogs, if a dog and owner walked up to you she'd ignore the dog and want the owner's attention.

She was great with my kids growing up, put up with lots of fur pulling, etc... but would growl a bit some times as a warning. Never snapped at them though.

I would definitley recommend a Samoyed to anyone. They do shed A LOT, but they are absolutely the nicest dogs.

Both day care providers I had my kids at ownend Golden Retrievers. Those dogs would have half a dozen kids crawling on them, tugging fur, etc.. and would just lay there and do absolutely nothing (except look at you with the look of, "Could you please get these things off of me?"). Wonderful dogs with kids.

Goldens are more subservient to their owners while Samoyeds are a bit more independent/stubborn/intelligent.

 

[IGBT]

..if you decide to get a large dog check with your home owner insurance rep. Many large dogs are considered litigation hazards and will effect your home owners insurance. This is the reason many animal shelters are full of pit bulls because home owners don't want to pay the enhanced premium and risk reduced coverage.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Descartes
Thanks everyone. Great replies.

Based on some of the feedback about goldens, I think that might be the direction we take. As I said, I've always wanted one and always loved the goldens friends and family had.

I'll keep looking. The Brittany looks like a great dog as well...

Goldens are great - excellent family dogs. Remember though, ANY dog, regardless of "typical temperament" can be, well.. atypical.

Things to expect with a golden... they're playful till the end. They grow up, and they're big puppies. They're very tolerant, especially of kids. They've been bred not to bite, however they, like any dog, will snap if caught completely off guard or under duress. Did I mention they love to play? They enjoy being big loafs, or running around, or fetching (hey, it's what they do!), food, companionship, love, etc.

My golden is the protector of all things family - she puts herself between us and the door at night no matter what. She is our doorbell - for her sake and ours, she's taken it upon herself to let visitors know that there's a big, mean, nasty dog inside... just in case. She worries when she can't see the kids when they're outside screaming and playing. She hates the sound of a smoke alarm (and the cell phone low battery alarm?). I have zero doubts that she would take a bullet, knife, nuclear ordinance, etc. for the family if she knew it was coming. She will play fetch with a tennis ball until she has no more energy and literally can't run anymore... and then she'll still bring it back and ask you to throw it again.

Oh yes, goldens LOVE to swim. In fact, a dip in an ice cold pond or lake a couple times a year is a good thing for them.

Drawbacks - hair. Everywhere. Brush regularly, brush often. That's the easiest way to control hair. Fear not though, I have a Jack Russel. He sheds about 10 times more than my golden. The cute thing about golden hair though... hardwood floors and a light breeze and it looks like you have tumbleweed drifting across the floor. Just brush. Oh, they absolutely LOVE it when you brush them too. It feels good, what can I say? Hair presents one other issue - particularly in winter. The hair on their feet tends to grow pretty long. Not just the top, but between the pads too. During the winter, they can get little snowballs stuck in there making it painful for them to walk around outside. I trim my golden's feet, top and bottom, regularly because of this. Also, I don't like when it looks like she has "Grinch-feet".

I would also suggest finding a breeder that is local, and breeds hunting stock. My golden is from hunting stock - she's slightly smaller (60lbs), and has a much lighter, actually more "golden" coat than most show goldens (who have more reddish/amber coats). Hunting stock is usually going to give you a better companion dog, a more obedient dog, and a dog less prone to biting hard, if at all (again - goldens are bred for retrieving ducks without so much as ruffling a feather). You'll also likely get a smarter golden out of it, but just keep in mind that they're all blonds anyway.

My girl picked me 10 years ago, and while each dog is unique in their own right, I'm glad she decided we were the family for her.

Hope that helps!

 

[thedarkwolf]

Mutts are the best dogs in the world and are usually healthier then the inbreed deformed pure breeds. This guy is a pound mutt but still looks pretty much like a shepherd, most people can't tell the difference. He is a hell of a lot better tempered then my pure shepherd, doesn't shed as bad, and doesn't have hip dysplasia like she does. Goldens are also bad about hips if I remember right and cancer. No matter what you do do look at petfinder.com and craigslist before buying a puppy. Tons of purebreeds show up on those if you have to have one after they get a year or two old and the owners get tired of them.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

we decided on a havanese and have no regrets