What's your dog of choice?

[T. Erdelyi]

I like mutts, they seem to have the best of everything, health, temper, longevity, now don't get me wrong I like the purebreds to, I've had a few, Beagles Collies, Shepards, Boxers, Chihuahuas(alright it was my brothers Chihuahua) Hybrids(we have a Terri-poo) the point is I've had 'em all mutts, full breeds, half breeds and so on.

What I wanna know is what's your preference?

Vote in the poll(if ya can't vote buy a gold membership and then try, if not post your answer with a reply.

BTW don't tell my Shepard or Terri-poo that I like mutts best.

 

[Dijos]

Boxer..I loke working breeds generally.
www.FLBR.org

 

[Shann]

My favorites have generally been mutts. However, my Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue dog has stolen my heart. 90 pounds, going from 100mph to asleep in my lap in under 10 seconds!

 

[mwerner]

For years, we've had German Shepherds. However, with the demise of our 15-year-old female, we were in a position where we could not find any affordable shepherds in the area.
The flower shop where the wife works had a "shop dog" for many years, a great black lab.
So, in searching the newspapers, we found an ad for a litter of Chocolate Labs... We now have a 100 pound labby. He's wonderful, but quite different in temperment from the sheppies.... Boy, do they stay "puppy" for a long time!

We just got a golden retriever as well. This was not a planned event. The wife's boss had a pair, male and female. The lab loves them, and we often take the bunch to the store and let them all play in the big backyard.
We found that the folks who own the "mom" of these dogs were going to have to move and get rid of the female and one remaining puppy. We didn't want the fully-grown and unspayed female, but we ended up taking the 6-month old puppy. He's a mess. Gorgeous dog, but kennel-raised and had never been in a car, never on a leash, etc. Still he's coming along, and it was the best thing we did for Sammy (the lab). Now, the two guys wear themselves out all day chasing and wrestling, and makes it a lot easier on US!

 

[Shann]

We just got a golden retriever as well. This was not a planned event.

That is a priceless, and true line. I don't think I've ever gone out "searching" for a dog, the right ones always seem to kind of find you.

 

[T.K.C.]

My dog of choice is a non-sporting, Shiba Inu. I also LOVE mutts!! Here is a link to thje Shiba Inu: http://www.akc.org/breeds/shiba_inu/index.cfm I have one. He is the best dog I have ever had!! My dogs name is Kirby Rufus. He is the red sesame. He is such a handsome boy!!

 

[Bob W]

You may not vote on this poll

I love all dogs, except for the "toy" category. To me it seems the "toy" breeds have little or no personality and are likely to be yapping, nipping, little pests. In our home they are refered to as "Sadie Snacks" (Sadie is our yellow lab mix who is very aggressive/dominant with other dogs).

I love my large purebred rough Collie (Herding breed), an old guy we adopted from the NM Collie Rescue. Still, our yellow lab-mix (mutt) is my best buddy. And the mutt is healthier.

Anyone else notice that herding dogs are better pets for children?

Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

[flipe8]

I like Boxers most as I look at them as true athletes of the canine world. They look menacing, but very rarely are ,so they make good deterrants for would-be intruders( any dog is good to some extent), but are still very much family and visitor friendly. I have also become very fond of Golden Retrievers for their kind personalities. We rescued a big red male last year and he has been a perfect addition to our family and a solid companion for our six-year old. He's a one hundred and fifteen pound lap dog.

 

[flipe8]

Bob W,
I don't know if it's true, but I was told some herding dogs will nip the "flock" they are tending.

 

[Bob W]

Bob W,
I don't know if it's true, but I was told some herding dogs will nip the "flock" they are tending.

Blue heelers (Australian Cattle Dogs) are an example, and they make very poor pets (for that and other reasons). So much for the stereotype. I had in mind other herding breeds such as Collies and sheepdogs.

Best Wishes,
Bob

 

[stjames]

Carolina Giant Beagle

 

[Centaur]

My dog od choice? Depends on the sauce...

Actually, favorite dog breed is labrador.

 

[tortoise]

-May also depend upon from where one originates. I voted "Herding" as my choice is the German Shepherd Dog and I am in the United States.

But I think a vote for the same dog from outside the U.S. might go to the "Working" group.

My shepherd most assuredly is a working dog, patrol and explosives detection. She's the best job-related thing that ever happended to me! :thumbup:

 

[Clydetz]

Always had a good mutt! Sprinkled in with the mutts were 2 purebred Scottish Terrors... that's right... Terrors! Loved them dogs and if another mutt doesn't find me when Clyde leaves me, I'll get me another Terror!

 

[Tom in NC]

Blue heelers (Australian Cattle Dogs) are an example, and they make very poor pets (for that and other reasons).....
Best Wishes,
Bob

Hi Bob,
Where on earth did you get this from? Do you know this from personal experience with ACD's? I have had a blue healer for just over 4 years now. I got her as a 3 mo. old from the animal rescue league and she is a sweetheart. We also have a 13" beagle who is a year younger.

If you take the time to read up on and understand the breed they make a fine extremely loyal pet. She even saved my life when I injured myself hiking in a deep canyon outside of Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park. She scouted ahead, found an easy traveling dear trail for us and pushed me from behind on the parts of the trail that I needed assistance on.

She gets along well with my beagle, our cat, my parrot, grand kids (loves kids) and the neighbors, mailman and meterlady all love her. Sweat Pea, the beagle handles the watch dog duties. Maizy is just too friendly for that role, although both dogs hunt together to keep the varmint population in check around here.

By all rights she should have been a hard case since she was found with a pack of wild dogs when she was a puppy. Indeed she was very untrusting and protective of her food for about 3 months.

But we made her part of our family and see she gets adequate exercise on a couple acres of land these days. She spent the first year of her life in an apartment and we walked her 3 times a day. That and going to the park or rifle range to run one or two times a week was all she needed.

We are her herd and she keeps close tabs on us when we are doing activities in different areas of the house, barn or yard. At night she counts her herd: Buddy in her cage, Sweat Pea on the bed with Mommy and Daddy, Jerry in chair: all is well. She will then sleep in the door way to protect us.

It's all in how you see your pet and you only get out of the relationship that which you put into it. Treat it like a pet and that's all it will ever be. Treat it like family and they will respond in kind. Our Amazon, Beagle and Healer are all supposed to be one person pets. A child shown too much favoritism will behave likewise.

Just my experience; obviously YMMV
-------- Tom

 

[Tom in NC]

Sorry - Double post.

 

[Mongo]

Australian Shepherds all the way! Can't seem to manage to post any of my approx. 200 pics of my dog! (Ok, so I'm a computer dork... )

 

[Bob W]

Hi Bob,
Where on earth did you get this from? Do you know this from personal experience with ACD's? I have had a blue healer for just over 4 years now. I got her as a 3 mo. old from the animal rescue league and she is a sweetheart.

Blue heelers are very popular animals here in New Mexico, and my experience with them is in synch with what I've read. They are very athletic dogs that quickly become destructive and anti-social if bored or left alone. I've also read that they don't do well as family pets because they tend to bond with only person, rather than a pack/group.
Here's a bit I found online:

A working, herding breed, the Australian Cattle Dog is not suited to life alone in the backyard. One of the most intelligent breeds, it can become easily bored, leading to serious behavior problems. These dogs need to be part of the action! They are loyal, protective and alert. An excellent guard dog. Brave and trustworthy. Very good in the obedience ring and in herding and agility. Firm training from the start and lot of daily attention will produce a fine and happy pet. It is absolutely loyal and obedient to its master, but it is something of a one-person dog. They are sometimes suspicious of people and dogs they don't know. It can be very dog aggressive, for its dominance level is high. Not good with children except for family members it has known since puppyhood. Some tend to nip at people's heels in an attempt to herd them. If you are buying a pet, avoid strictly working lines, as these dogs may be too active and intense for home life. Australian Cattle Dogs are very easy to train. Puppies are born white (inherited from the early Dalmatian crosses), but the adult color can be seen in the paw pads.

Like any other breed I've met "good" ones and "bad" ones, but with ACDs the balance seems tipped more towards the negative, perhaps because of the local popularity and local culture (unfortunately in rural New Mexico it's common practice among locals to obtain dogs soley as yard decorations). My ex-neighbors blue heelers barked all night every night for no apparant reason, hurt their child on multiple occations, and heel nipped if you turned your back. Probably more a reflection on the trash that were our neighbors than the dog breed, but still I think that other breeds make better family pets.

Best Wishes,
Bob

 

[Jeff Clark]

After careful consideration of our family situation and other pets we got a rat terrier. This breed is very easy to get along with and tolerates cats, kids, and other dogs. It has short fur and no jowls or glands to get messy or stinky. There is basically no maintenance other than feeding and watering. It's real tough on rats and squirrels which is what it was bred for. Teddy Roosevelt used to carry one around in his saddle bag. It is around 17 pounds of no nonsense, no trouble dog. It is very intelligent and easy to train. It does tricks at three times the speed of other dogs.

With no forthought or planning my wife picked out a toy fox terrier puppy. It looks like a 6 pound version of the rat terrier. It is incredibly brave and athletic. It goes crazy trying to get out of the yard to attack deer. It chases down mice and gobbles them down like Scooby Snacks. It literally runs rings around the rat terrier (which would itself qualify as an agility dog). It has done more damage than any pet since she picked up that baby racoon. It has been particularly hard on the carpet. It is an alert watch dog and alerts on activity or animals within a hundred foot perimeter of our yard. This toy fox terrier is bright, but just too eager to be easily trained. It immediately goes for what it wants and you can't distract it. When it chances to learn what you want it is pretty cooperative.

 

[J. MacDonald]

Working group fan here. More specifically, actic breeds. To get reeeaaaaal specific, my true favorites are Alaskan Malamutes Scary as hell to the uninitiated and just big loveable fluff balls to the rest of us.

Here's a picture of my current boy Blade, my only show dog (my third Malamute overall), getting his championship this past December 17th.

Not sure if anyone watced the Eukanuba Dog Show last night, but in a REALLLY rare event, the Alaskan Malamute won the Best In Show at one of the most prestigious dogs shows in the world. The working group has many fans, but rarely gets picked for Best in Show. It's just time for the Malamutes I guess!

BTW, besides being absolutely gorgeous, Blade has tremendous personality and everyone who meets him falls in love with him.

My wife has a mutt too, Toto, who has been a great dog for all theyears we've had her, but it's Blade that has my heart.