seeking dog breed/breeder suggestions

Here are my french mastiffs::D
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The Bullmastiff is my choice :D but I’m a little biased :D
A great family dog, though, a little hard on strangers. They are not what I consider a low maintenance dog, particularly compared o our Australian Kelpie.

Here’s a recent pic of Stan with my wife, on what he considers as his truck. :D

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DowntownDM said:
I've decided I'm getting a dog, perhaps a pair, in the next couple of months.

It's been a few years since my last one, and my needs/wants have changed.

The key characteristics I'm looking for this time around are:

* primarily an everyday companion
* secondarily a home/family guard dog
* not gun shy though not necessarily a hunting dog
* shorter hair/minimal shedding
* really really really really great off-leash
* alert/communicative without being noisy/skittish

What sorts of suggestions do you folks have?

Anyone here have a real/trained guard dog?

Anyone with a Doberman or Ridgeback?

Any other questions for me in order to make a good suggestion?

Thanks, really.

DM
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i think those are learned habits not traits of a specific breed
 
I have Rhodesian mix

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and a Pointer

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They are both rescue dogs theya re both AWESOME!

My mother in law has two Dobies, both without cropped ears, and they are great dogs. I really never thought much of Dobies until I met hers.


My advice is to find a rescue dog. They are looking for a home and you are looking for a dog what could be better. Also if you get a mixed breed dog there are a lot less health problems than with pure breeds.

If you really find a breed that you think you want, research your choice, and then see if that breed has a rescue society, most do.


Good luck!


Nick
 
Currently I have a black lab that I rescued after hurricane Charley rolled through here a couple of years ago. He is great with the kids. Loves to swim in our pool and is quite protective, well alerting to other dogs walking down the street.

My primary choice for family dog that also loves to run and hunt is an English Springer Spaniel. I had one and he was the most lovable dog. He would run and hunt for hours and then want more. The ESS is not a big dog, but they have a big bang in their size. When I am in the market for new K9, I will be looking for an ESS.
 
I am the least dog knowledgeable person in the world but while our (my wife's;) ) standard poodle doesn't fit the guard dog, tough guy image, he is an excellent guard dog and is so well behaved and fun I would consider another one if I had the choice.

They fill all the requirements you have and they don't have "fur", so no shedding:thumbup:
Most importantly, you don't have to trim them up all frilly and geeky:rolleyes:

Another thing to consider if getting a deep, barrel chested, bloat prone breed is to have a prophylactic gastroplexy performed while they are young. We learned about this after finding out the hard (and expensive) way. My wife caught our poodle's bloat just in time but I know of other people that have not:(
 
Great looking dogs folks.

One I haven't seen mention is a Labradoodle, I had the chance to see a few at a outdoor show up here called Game Fair, cool dogs.

I myself love Wirehaired Pointers, best hunting/guard dog breed I could find when I was looking and have not been disappointed.

Lots of great suggestions here.:thumbup:

Good luck in your search.
Helle
 
In my opinion, there is no better choice than a Lab. The only minus on your list is the shedding issue, although that varies from dog to dog.
 
Hey DowntownDM, I've got a 2 1/2 yr old Ridgeback male named Dingus that weighs an even 100 lb. He's the best companion/trail dog I have ever owned. The breeds I have previous experience with include Dobermans, Airedales and Pit Bulls. Here's a couple of recent threads about Dingus from the Wilderness and Survival Skills forum:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582452

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=574638

You can find additional info about Dingus in WSS by checking through my posts. If you have any questions you would like to ask you can either PM me or bring them up in a thread in WSS. There are a lot of dog owners over there who could tell you about other breeds as well.

Cheers,
 
Ridgebacks are becoming more and more appealing. Right now it's a toss up between a Doberman, a Malinois, and a Ridgeback.

Being that I'm in the mountains, living above 5k ft and often hiking and such above 10k, and expecting my dog to deal with snow as well as desert summer environments, I wonder whether or not the Doberman and Ridgeback are as winter-capable and compatible as necessary. Like, would they be prohibitively cold tromping in the snow for a hike, would they need sweaters and shit - which I don't really want to do, or are they going to do ok (assuming it's not Siberia)?

Anyone know any Doberman, Malinois, and Ridgeback breeders - preferably in the Mountain time zone?

Thanks again for the replies and input; some great dogs on here too.
 
Everyone has their own breed that they love. Mine is the Great Dane, or German Mastiff depending on where you're from. Here's my boy Murray -

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They are very low maintenance, excellent guard dog, awesome with people and other dogs. They will adapt to almost any environment they are put in. Some people are put off by their size,they are BIG. I mean BIG. Here's Murray with a mastiff...

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They are truly gentle giants. They can be quite playful, I've had 2 wanting to wrestle indoors :eek: When they stand up to have a go at it, they are almost 7 feet tall, so ceiling fans, look out!:D

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Long time lurker on the Busse boards...but you have a post about dogs and now I can no longer resist. There are a ton of great pictures and good breeds in this thread, but I read what you were saying about the altitude and the snow and looking for a dog that can handle it pretty well. Several years ago we had an Aussie (Australian cattle dog and/or Australian Shepard) and he was a pretty outstanding dog in every way. He was not an attention whore, was good with kids, and very smart. He also was able to go for pretty long periods of time in the snow. The only problem he had with snow is a problem a lot of dogs have...and that is getting snow packed up into the spaces between their pads on their paws. It makes it painful for them to walk and they will sometimes hurt themselves trying to get the snow out from between their pads with their teeth.

If you haven't already decided you might want to look into the breed. They have longer hair but do not shed as much as many other dogs. They are also work dogs and need to be exercised and given some space.

This post has only killed a little tiny bit of time while I wait for that NMFBM...damn!
 
I am a vet tech and have worked with animals most of my life. My recommendation going by what you described: Lab or an American Bulldog. Plenty of other breeds with similar characterictics but you will pay a lot more just because they are rare. The Doberman is another good choice.

Shike
 
I have a Doberman myself, great dog and he has a ton of energy. Easily trained and gets acclimated to new experiences very quickly. Oh and if you have any questions about the cold, well I have a pic of him in a snowstorm when he wouldn't come inside because he was having too much fun. He spent a couple hours outside and it was around 0-5 degrees. Unfortunately i can't post the pic:(
Oh yeah I meant to add, finding a good breeder for them is critical. Unfortunately they are a breed that has had alot of inbreeding in the US.
Grant
 
I'm a GSD man all the way. They aren't the best at any one task... but they are the second best at EVERYTHING!
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DowntownDM said:
Ridgebacks are becoming more and more appealing. Right now it's a toss up between a Doberman, a Malinois, and a Ridgeback.

Being that I'm in the mountains, living above 5k ft and often hiking and such above 10k, and expecting my dog to deal with snow as well as desert summer environments, I wonder whether or not the Doberman and Ridgeback are as winter-capable and compatible as necessary. Like, would they be prohibitively cold tromping in the snow for a hike, would they need sweaters and shit - which I don't really want to do, or are they going to do ok (assuming it's not Siberia)?

Anyone know any Doberman, Malinois, and Ridgeback breeders - preferably in the Mountain time zone?

Thanks again for the replies and input; some great dogs on here too.
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Here's a brief description of the Ridgeback that answers several of your questions:

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

History - When European Boer settlers arrived in South Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries, they brought with them such breeds as the Mastiff, Great Dane, Bloodhound, Pointer, Staghound, and Greyhound, among others. These settlers needed a dog that could withstand both hot and cold temperatures, limited water and rough bush, while performing the duites of guard dog and hunting dog. By breeding their European dogs with native Hottentot tribal hinting dogs they produced such a dog. These dogs hunted by both sight and scent and wer devoted protectors of the entire family. These dogs also participated in hunting lions. They would aggravate the lion enough so that it could be shot by the hunter. The breed was introduced into England in the 1930s and to America soon after.

Temperament - A very protective dog. Not only is it a keen and versatile hunter, but it is a loyal guardian. It is good with children, especially protective of those in its family, but it is sometimes overly boisterous in play for small children. Strong-willed and powerful. Reserved with strangers and aggressive toward other dogs and animals.

Upkeep - Loves to run and it needs daily mental exercise to keep it from becoming frustrated. An excellent jogging or hiking companion. It can live outdoors in cool or warm climates, but is much happier sleeping indoors, dividing its time between house and yard. It needs only an occasional brushing.

Size - Males can reach 85 pounds, and females can reach 70 pounds.The heights of male and female can reach 27 inches.

Note: American Ridgies are bred larger. At 100 lbs, Dingus is a typical male.
 
More support for a mastiff. I have a Bullmastiff and he's great. Doesn't need too much walking or attention. Has never been aggressive towards kids and generally plays well with all people, kids and other animals. Really laid back and easy going with a bit of a boisterous streak in him. 3 years old and still acts like a pup some times.

Here he is waiting on food and guarding some of his dads infi.
 

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