Help me pick a dog

Your list:

  • Lab - good overall choice, easy dog to acquire....moderate shedding
  • Golden - calm, gentle breed, best "kids" dog....need to groom, sheds
  • Husky/Malamute - beautiful dogs, great working breeds....not great with kids, "aloof", sheds
  • Shepherd - good smart dogs, ok around kids...aggressive, needs a firm hand
  • Border Collie - best dog for training/tricks....active indoors, sheds, can be neurotic if not "challenged" with tasks everyday
  • Staffordshire (Bull) - friendly dog, good guard/watch dog....smaller breed, not a "runner"...more of a sprinter.

I put 'Bull' above...because a full-size American Staffordshire Terrier is probably not what you want. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is going to be more family friendly. However, neither dog is going to be able to "go long distance"...and can be independent....require a firm hand and a lot of socializing (or else may end up aggressive to other dogs).



Just providing some feedback on your list.


Keep this in mind:

Just about every dog is a "good dog" with proper training. :D

And just about every dog owner out there will say that Their dog is a good family dog....and they're usually right.

But you have to adjust to the breed's needs.


There are certain dogs that require "more work"....(on your list = shepherds, Staffies, Huskies, Border Collies). They are working dogs and their greatest satisfaction is doing work/tasks.


A lab or golden is going to be plug-n-play...:D



Just depends on your commitment to training. Try to not overcommit.
 
I would say GSD, but it all depends on how much time you're willing to put in with one. They are not good dogs if they're left outside away from "the pack". I've put in countless hours training this dog. He sheds pretty bad but isn't a daily brusher like was mentioned earlier. If you don't need another best friend, you'll end up with basically a 12 year old A.D.D. wild child on your hands.
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forgot to include a pic of my American Staffordshire Terrier:

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Jessie was a rescue - got her at 6 months old...took a LOT of work to get her to where she is today...and she does require daily "tasks" to satisfy her need for challenges (mental & physical).

Don't get me wrong...almost any dog benefits from daily exercise...but there are certain dogs that require more...and if they don't get it...become "bad dogs"....they actually just continue fulfulling their "needs"...but it happens in ways that makes us owners upset (chew up furniture, etc.)

I've never had problems with Jessie because I always provide a bone for her to chew on and some kind of stimulus/task daily.


If I could do it again...I'd go for a Staffie Bull...Jessie is too big to be "fun" for my lil' kids...and she mostly just "tolerates" them....not a goofball.

Which reminds me...my experience has been that a neutered male is the way to go if you want an imp-ish dog (of any breed). Females seem to be more grounded....bossy.


my 0.02
YMMV
 
DeadeyeLefty said:
2) A dog has ONE ONE ONE master and that's it. Period. Full stop. Dogs need a place in the pack. As long as they grow up knowing they're not #1, they're fine. If not, they'll try to be number one. This is the root cause of 100% of future behaviour problems and this is precisely why consistency in training is SO important. The ideal situation is to have the person whose dog it will be raise the dog from a pup. I was finally able to do that with my current mutt and it shows.

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I agree with most of your post but this.

A dog pack / human household has ranking. Your pet dog needs to know their place in the ranking, LAST. When a dog serves but one master they can be handling problems for the rest in the house. When more than one dog is in the house you must decide which one is more dominant and treat them that way. An old dog doesnt always get the title or higher rank.

One thing is for sure all humans outrank dogs and this must be shown in actions. All people in the house participate in the dogs training and socialization so the dog wont have an issue with commands from other than the alpha dog (human) in the house.

Skam
 
Fiddleback said:
I picked up this little guy last night!!!

His name is Boudreaux.
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Hey... you're in Atlanta. I'm in McDonough (Henry County). Check out www.boxerworld.com. Best source of info on the web. Whole Dog Journal is another good source for info and product recommendations, esp food info.

Enjoy Boudreaux... even though we breed Dobermanns, Boxers are my fav breed. We always have at least one Boxer in the pack.
 
CitizenQ said:
I've owned a lot of dogs. Big dogs (Lab, Old English Mastiff, Rotweiller) and little dogs (mini Daucshound, mini Poodle, Maltese). My advice is to get two (2). A Rottie and a Maltese. The Maltese will be the first to alert and confront the intruder. These dogs are alerted at the smallest movements and noises...nothing gets by them. He'll make a racket but the intruder won't be impressed...until the Rottweiler arrives on the scene a minute or two later. :eek: I've read that this was common practice in ancient times. Purchase them of the same age and raise them together so they become the best of buds. Female Rottie and a male Maltese. :thumbup:
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I did a similar thing, I have a 1/2 lab 1/2 rottie and 2 beagles. The beagles are my rabbit dogs and the lab is my all around buddy. They are all girls. The beagles bark at EVERYTHING! and the lab is bigger and blockier than a normal lab with the rottie mix. She however is the sweetest dog I have ever come into contact with, great with kids and takes a ton of abuse. If I could only have one I think I would say the lab mix. She trained fairly easily too, and only wants to please. I have had the best success with female dogs myself but many prefer males.
 
I have a German Pointer/Blue Heeler mixthat sounds like the dream dog you described in your first post. She's so sweet and tenacious. As well as AMAZINGLY smart.
 
SuddenThunder said:
I have 2 fawn doberman pinchers, and couldn't live without them
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They are wonderful dogs. Molly (my avatar dog) is 2 YO now and is oversized but healthy. She is a very special girl. She travels well, runs in the woods off-lead but never gets more than 40-50 feet away from me, and bosses the boys around like she was their momma.

Just this past weekend her mother took out an armed robber at a hardware store where my sister (1/2 kennel owner and trainer) was buying some stuff for her house. One of her brothers helped put a couple in jail for murdering their baby a few years ago in FL. Devil smelled the baby buried under an orange tree in the couple's yard. From his indications during the perimeter search the SO was able to get a search warrant and they found the body.

We are really attached to our Dobes. It's just that when we travel and stop at hotels, campgrounds, etc, everybody goes nuts over Riley (our Boxer) and mothers hide their babies from Molly. Go figure :D.
 
Skammer has it right. :thumbup:


Just this morning...my 1 yr old walked over to Jessie and picked up the bone she was chewing on and took off with it...Jessie just stayed there. She was "pwned" by a 1 yr old. :D

That's how it should be....dog on the bottom. Easiest way to establish heirarchy is furniture privledges. Dogs love to roost...and their mentality is taller/bigger/higher = top dog. If you still prefer to let the dogs on the furniture, just make it a "with my permission only" situation. The dog will still try to get away with stuff...but will know that it needs to respect you (you = plural - all humans in the house).
 
dalefuller said:
Hey... you're in Atlanta. I'm in McDonough (Henry County). Check out www.boxerworld.com. Best source of info on the web. Whole Dog Journal is another good source for info and product recommendations, esp food info.

Enjoy Boudreaux... even though we breed Dobermanns, Boxers are my fav breed. We always have at least one Boxer in the pack.
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Thanks DF. Its my 2nd boxer. The first was so good, especially with children that I couldn't go any other way.
 
Daniel Koster said:
Your list:

[I put 'Bull' above...because a full-size American Staffordshire Terrier is probably not what you want. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is going to be more family friendly. However, neither dog is going to be able to "go long distance"...and can be independent....require a firm hand and a lot of socializing (or else may end up aggressive to other dogs).



Just depends on your commitment to training. Try to not overcommit.
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I have to disagree with you on them not being able to "go long distance". Maisy is like the Duracell Bunny, just keeps on going!! She has often walked 14+ miles on a regular basis up hill and down dale!

It's just all down to personal preference what dog you like. My wife had a Golden Lab when she was growing up and she was a terrific dog, but now she says she would choose a Bull Terrier hands or paws down! :D
 
pitdog said:
I have to disagree with you on them not being able to "go long distance". Maisy is like the Duracell Bunny, just keeps on going!! She has often walked 14+ miles on a regular basis up hill and down dale!

It's just all down to personal preference what dog you like. My wife had a Golden Lab when she was growing up and she was a terrific dog, but now she says she would choose a Bull Terrier hands or paws down! :D
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Funny my brother breeds pitbulls and he and his wife are very active in the local club and they compete with some of them.
They have three kids below the age of 11 and trust them fully.

My brother wife is scared $hitless of my german shepard because she was atacked by one as a kid.

My dog loves everyone and yes she sees the hypocrasy in it but a phobia is a phobia.

PS
One of the worst things that can happen to a dog breed is that they become a top 10 favorite with the public. A lot of backyard breeders and people out for a quick profit start raising them and this can cause problems.
If possible always find out what you can about a dogs ancestry, an example there are strains of "nervous" GSD's out there that can have agression and other behavioural problems
 
My Amstaff is great with children and loves other dogs. He chases my cats for fun, but he never hurts them. He tries to get them to chase him, but they don't seem to think it is as much fun as he does.

He is great on 5- 10 mile hikes as long as it is not scorching hot (like it often is in Florida). In 90 degree weather he is good for about 3 miles and then he needs to cool off. I have not taken him on any trips longer than 10 miles in good weather, but I think he could (if he wants to). They can be very independant, and need a very dominate master. They respond well to positive reinforcement and are very smart.

Amstaffs can have some issues with other dogs, but usually never with people. They love people (mine loves everyone... almost).

I had an attempted break-in and I thought my dog was going to bust throught the steel front door to kill the person trying to get in. Another time a large vicious dog came after us and my dog put himself between us and the attacking dog, took a vicious bite from it and then got out of the way while I "dealt" with the situation and my wife and son escaped.

They need lots of exercise and things to do or they can get into trouble (digging, chewing, escaping, etc.). He is no problem if he gets about 2- 3 miles minimum per day in walks.

They are great family dogs and great with kids. Staffies are smaller and probably better suited for people with smaller kids, but I have never had a problem with mine and our small son. They have to be taught that they are the bottom of the totem poll and the kids always come first. My son can take food out of his mouth (makes the dog whimper), poke and push him, hit him on the head (he has since learned not to) without my Amstaff batting an eye. A lot of this is due to the breed, but we spent a lot of time training the dog to be tolerant of infant/ child type abuse. Now if we could only train the baby so well...

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Soulrack223 said:
I have a German Pointer/Blue Heeler mixthat sounds like the dream dog you described in your first post. She's so sweet and tenacious. As well as AMAZINGLY smart.
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any pics????


i love blue heelers!!



and i second the earlier recommendation of the malenois, great dogs.
 
Fiddleback said:
I suggest the boxer. But they do shed.
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I'll second that. I grew up with boxers, and have had a few as an adult. I now have two of them. They do like to play with the cats a little. But they are great with my daughter and wife. Only thing is they really need a lot of play time and they want to be with you no matter what. They're all energy!
 
I dearly loved my boxer but ended up not having nearly enough time to spend with her and she became very destructive to our yard/house. I was lucky enough to find a family with three young kids that lived on a horse farm- I placed her with them and she is living the life now!
I will not make the mistake of placing my wants above my limitations again. When I have a more stable work life(not surprise 14 hour days), I hope to have another boxer.


2Door
 
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