Looking For Some Dog Breed Advice!

Tanguay Custom Knives

Tanguay Custom Knives

Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
1,500
We lost our Husky, Cody, last fall. We decided to wait until spring to replace him, as it seemed like a good idea to wait until most of the snow was melted before trying to train (and housebreak) a new dog outside.

Spring is here, and my wife and daughters are really turning up the heat on this one. We've never been without a dog, and they are ready to pull the trigger. While Cody was a good dog, he was also quite a handful when he was young. I want something calmer this time! My wife is dying to get an English Bulldog, but the prices are outrageous!

Here's my (our) criteria:
  • Must be friendly towards people. (Our daughters are 6 and 15 and I don't want them, our friends, or the UPS guy getting bit!)
  • Must be good around other pets. (The kids have ferrets, guinea pigs, etc... )
  • As little shedding as possible.
  • Non-destructive / relatively calm, not hyper. Must be intelligent and able to learn.
  • Must be able to stay alone during the day without freaking out. (We have a luxury 10'X10'X8' high kennel already set up in the basement.)
  • Not looking for another wanderer!
  • I'm not looking to spend a fortune! $500 tops. (OK, maybe $650, but no more!)
We live in a rural area with lots of woods and a big yard, so space isn't an issue. I've checked out the AKC website, and the number of choices are mind boggling. Maybe what we need is a good old fashioned mutt straight from the SPCA. So what do you dog lovers suggest?

Thanks for your time.
Scott
 
I would say a rescue grey hound would be perfect if it weren't for your guinea pigs caveat --
grey hounds + small rodents are a very bad combo :) A short haired mutt with a good dose of
retriever in it would be nice if you can find one. A pure bred golden would meet all your
characteristics except they can be over bred due to their popularity and are pretty expensive...

I really like black labs but they tend to be pretty busy dogs -- not sure how they would do alone all
day. Aussie Shepherds are great dogs as well, but they also require a lot of activity... and brushing.
 
I grew up near a family who had a Rodesian Ridgeback. This particular dog was outstanding and he would meet just about all of your criteria. He never wandered. He'd follow my friends for miles when they'd ride dirt bikes up into the hills. Good watchdog, but not overly agressive. Great with the younger ones. Fairly short hair (medium). He had a great disposition. He was a very good dog. Of course, there's no guarantees, but you might want to take a look at them. Good luck :)

Ditto that on the Black Labs. It's a working dog; great as long as you work with them...alot!
 
Here's my question, do you intend on training the dog at all?

That would make a difference, most of the issues you describe are training issues, not dog issues.
 
DaveH. I addressed that in the affirmative in my post..first line.

Thanks to those who answered. The Rhodesian Ridgeback looks interesting. I'm also going to be looking real close at Weimerieners.
 
I am definitely biased. A poodle or any variation theroff.
Labra-doodle etc. The only thing that I would say could be a negative
is they need monthly grooming/touch ups. Our Poodles are:

Family dogs - totally dedicated to thier families
friendly
very...very smart
calm - non destructive and live to please their family members
don't shed and don't have fur...they have hair - non alergenic
not under $500 but like they say buying quality only hurts once

Poodles are retrievers and not really foo-foo dogs. They love to play and
have fun. They are very - very easily trained. Our male was potty trained
in 3 days. The female is another story, but once she learned she never messes-ever.
 
Bulldogs are sweet, and quite staid as well as adults. However they have a lot of health problems, especially with skin conditions.
Also they do not so much as chew things as simply destroy them...
 
I have a Shiba Inu, and he has been the perfect dog for me. Kirby lives with 4 cats, and gets along fine. Except for the one cat that likes to beat him up. Kirby lease trained in a day, NEVER pottied in the house, EVER. He is very smart, a loyal dog, a good guard dog, and LOVES to play ball.
 
I know i'm gonna get hammered about this but i've got to suggest, a toy poodle. yeah i know it's a sissy dog but we had one for over 12 years, we got her used when she was four and she died at 16 and was an awesome dog. no shedding, no wondering, great around kids and other small animals because most other small animals good have killed her and was major house trained, if we didn't come home i guess she would have exploded. my second choice would be a mutt from the pound as this accomplishes 2 things, gives a homeless dog a place to live and mutts seem to me to have fewer health problems. good luck it's a tough decision and I'm sorry about the loss of your husky. It's really hard to lose a pet.
 
Thanks for all the ideas guys and gals. I made a list, and we're gonna check them all out, including the mutts at the Humane Society.

Anyone have any experience with the American Bulldog? What about German Shepherds? Do the shepherds shed alot? I'm finding some conflicting info online.

Thanks,
Scott
 
Shepards shed a lot and will eat your chickens.

You might look into Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. They are the most powerful swimmers of all the retrievers and are extremely family centered. No one will mess with you or your kids while the Chessie is around.

They are pretty active dogs, especially as puppies. It takes a firm hand to train them but you get paid back in loyalty and love.

Oh yeah, they shed too.
 
Tanguay Custom Knives said:
DaveH. I addressed that in the affirmative in my post..first line.

Thanks to those who answered. The Rhodesian Ridgeback looks interesting. I'm also going to be looking real close at Weimerieners.
Click to expand...

I have a 4 year old male Weimaraner which I rescued two years ago. He's about 85 lbs.

He's friendly toward all, humans and animals, and I even trained him not to chase deer (or anything, for that matter) without being given permission.

Separation anxiety can be an issue with the breed though mine handles absences pretty well. (He is crate trained.)

If you decide to rescue a dog (a great idea imho) you can put your requirements as being crate trained and previously neutered/speyed.

If you care to discuss Weimaraners further send me an email and I'll answer any questions or call you so we can chat about the breed. (Probably easier than typing.)

Good luck!
 
I can't go into detail right now as I am getting on a plane for a conference in a matter of hours, but I'll throw out a few tidbits: unless you REALLY like daily dog maintanence and frequent Vet visits, I'd skip the English bulldog. For reasons of my own, I'd nix the Chessie, Weimaraner, Shiba Inu (sorry TKC!), Rhodesian ridgeback, and the German Shephard... unless you REALLY do your homework and are prepared to spend lots of $$$ for a quality one.

I will be back in town Monday, and would be happy to PM/email with you my reasons for the above and my recommendations.

Wearing my DVM cape,
Mongo
 
Mongo said:
I can't go into detail right now as I am getting on a plane for a conference in a matter of hours, but I'll throw out a few tidbits: unless you REALLY like daily dog maintanence and frequent Vet visits, I'd skip the English bulldog. For reasons of my own, I'd nix the Chessie, Weimaraner, Shiba Inu (sorry TKC!), Rhodesian ridgeback, and the German Shephard... unless you REALLY do your homework and are prepared to spend lots of $$$ for a quality one.

I will be back in town Monday, and would be happy to PM/email with you my reasons for the above and my recommendations.

Wearing my DVM cape,
Mongo
Click to expand...

I'll take you up on that offer! I'd like to hear what you recommend, given my criteria above. I never thought of calling our own vet and asking him. Maybe that should be my next step. Makes sense.
Thanks!
Scott

ps: I've been doing quite a bit of research on all the breeds listed above. I'm leaning towards the American Bulldog or the German Shepherd (at least I was....Not sure now after Mongo's post. He is a veterinarian.)

Anyone have any experience with the American Bulldog (female)?
 
I have an English Bulldog that has a slight mix with boxer. He is a very good dog around my kids. He has his own chair in the living room so he is in the house with us most of the time. He doesn't do well in the summer outside but he sleeps in the basement at night so he's cool when he needs to be. He's never had any of the normal English bull dog issues so we've een pretty lucky, but boy can he snore.

American Bulldog(male), my brother has one and he seems to be a very good and smart dog. Still young so he's a little high strung at times. He's been good around the kids, never aggressive that I've seen.
 
Thanks for the info Stump.

spyderco endura said:
Hmm, good with other pets, that would be the shi-tzu. Big enough to fill that kennel, an Old English Mastiff.
Click to expand...

1197060094_0366.jpg


UHHHH a little too big, Thanks!
 
I don't know about being a brilliant dog, but aside from a predisposition towards heart problems the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel is one of the few dogs that I would not warn anyone away from. After 7 years of working in veterinary hospitals you find a lot of reasons not to own a lot of the breeds. I'm partial to laid back, but affectionate dogs that go with the flow and do not have to dominate every event at which they are present. The Cavaliers have the nicest temperaments I have ever seen. I've owned a rescue greyhound for several years (ex got him:mad:) and he was probably my favorite personal pet ever, but rescue orgs usually stipulate that they cannot be off a leash in an un-fenced area, and for damn good reason too. They are ebulient morons when they get loose - ask me how I know:rolleyes: That said, we muzzle trained him until he lost interest in the cat and he lost interest in her quickly. Very easily trained. Minimal walking. You actually have to be careful not to exercise them to vigorously on a frequent basis, as they are normally rested for days between races. Best choice of all in my opinion is an animal from the SPCA, they will always be just a little more special for having been close to the gallows and rescued by a good family:D

Regards,

Dave
 
Tanguay Custom Knives said:
ps: I've been doing quite a bit of research on all the breeds listed above. I'm leaning towards the American Bulldog or the German Shepherd (at least I was....Not sure now after Mongo's post. He is a veterinarian.)

Anyone have any experience with the American Bulldog (female)?
Click to expand...

My dad trained bird dogs for a living so I grew up around lots of different breeds. English Setters are pretty laid back, and even though they have long hair don't shed excessively. They also have a hunting instinct, so that may not work for you.

A friend had a Ridgeback and that was one of the smartest dogs I've ever seen. They're near the top of my list when the time comes for a new dog.

The best dog I've ever owned was a German Shepherd. He was very intelligent, very mellow and great with kids. The worst thing about him was he shed like you can't imagine....he looked like he had the mange all summer long, even if I took the curry comb to him. He did have longer fur than the average Shepherd though. One big problem with Shepherds is they are prone to develop hip problems....mine did, but he was 12 when he happened.

Another hunting breed that no one has mentioned is a Vizsla. They have very short hair. I'm not sure how hyper they are, but the few I've dealt with didn't seem worse than anything else and better than some.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top