In search of a puppy...

[WDWFREAK53]

Brian. I cannot stress this enough.

WELSH CORGI.

I love em...the GF doesn't like them at all though

She told me to get whatever I wanted but I still want her to have some input...and that was definitely on her "not like" list :lol:

 

[Cliffordsmon]

I love my German Shepherd. Jessie will be 3 on March 11. She is so sweet but we have also gone through quite a bit of training (she loves to "kiss the kitty"). When choosing a Shepherd, choose a breeder that breeds for non-aggresive temperament and get an extensive medical history of both parents. The breeders may guarantee their hips and elbows but nothing is 100%.

I also have a 13 yr old chow/golden retriever mix that is the picture of health and is also sweet and smart that hasn't racked up the medical bills that the GSD has.

Good luck in choosing your puppy!

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

I love em...the GF doesn't like them at all though

She told me to get whatever I wanted but I still want her to have some input...and that was definitely on her "not like" list :lol:

Awwww...

Why doesn't she like them?

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Awwww...

Why doesn't she like them?

:lol:

...and I quote...

"That looks like a cross between a gremlin, a potbellied pig, and a weiner dog."

Then I said, "So do you, but you're still cute."

Needless to say, I'll be sleeping with the puppy :lol:

(My hairdresser has one and I love the lil guy)

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

:lol:

...and I quote...

"That looks like a cross between a gremlin, a potbellied pig, and a weiner dog."

Then I said, "So do you, but you're still cute."

Needless to say, I'll be sleeping with the puppy :lol:

(My hairdresser has one and I love the lil guy)

Show her this video and I'm almost positive it will change her mind :lol:

 

[pinkrose]

How about a Golden Retriever? We love ours. She thinks she's people. :lol:

 

[popsicletrees]

I have two collies, and I would highly reccomend a collie. Both of my dogs are great with children, very patient, and very loyal.

 

[k.hunter30]

I have two collies, and I would highly reccomend a collie. Both of my dogs are great with children, very patient, and very loyal.

I'll second that. My family has always stuck with collies - they've had 4, one after the other. They're great dogs.

I'm still recommending pugs too though!

 

[palmage]

I agree...

Most likely I'll be getting a rescue dog (which is why I'm inquiring on the breeds)

We got our Sheepdog from a rescue.
There a lot of rescue sheepdogs because people don't realize upkeep on a Hypoallergenic dog.

 

[barnum42]

Glad to hear you are looking at shelter / rescue dogs. That's where Bramble came from

Pure bred mutt

Looking at dogs from a shelter will have the advantage that the people there will have some idea as to whether the dog gets on with kids and other animals.

They will also let you play with the dogs, take them for a walk so you can get a good idea of what they are like.

Yelping should not be a problem as this can hopefully be dealt with by teaching the command "quiet" reinforced with a little water thrown from a dixie cup. Worked a treat with Bramble.

The support for mutts over pure inbreds has already been mentioned; that as a rule they tend to be less prone to illness.

I'm not sure about invisible fences. I can't speak with any authority on them, but maybe a long line with a runner on it can be used instead. This is what my sister used for her dog in Holbrook. Looked like a clothesline, but there was a little wheel that ran along it attached to a plastic coated cable that you attached to the dog's collar when she went out to the toilet.

How much time will dog will spend on its own and how much time is available to exercise it will be worth considering. Collies have been mentioned. They are great dogs, very intelligent and easy to train. But the get bored quickly and I believe can get destructive, so a lot of time is required. But put that in and you will be rewarded. Again, the shelter should be able to tell you if a specific dog can be left on its own for a few hours or if it gets destructive when alone.

Boxers don't grow up until they are about eight or so. Worth bearing in mind that you will have a large puppy for a long time (I used to work with someone who bred them).

Bulldogs are less agile so don't need as much exercise as the boxer or collie. But I think I read they are not great at managing stairs. They are also not one of the longer lived breeds (just googled - 8 to 10 years on avarage) They will still need walkies but are not the most energetic of dogs so if you want to play with a frisbee it may not be the best choice

 

[SpongeScott]

Labs are great and very loyal - we loved ours for 13 years. The only problem is the tend to be a bit hyper for a few years until they mature, it can be worked around though. Our was very protective of the kids and her territory, but gentle.

Couldn't have said it better. Labs are loyal to a fault. Nothing but love and protection from them and ours love cats.

 

[barnum42]

I love em...the GF doesn't like them at all though

She told me to get whatever I wanted but I still want her to have some input...and that was definitely on her "not like" list :lol:

They have some class - a certain monarch who resides along the M4 from me has been a lifelong fan of them

 

[palmage]

:lol:

"That looks like a cross between a gremlin, a potbellied pig, and a weiner dog."

They are kinda ugly in a cute sorta way. Kinda like Jeanine Garaffalo (sp)
My neighbor had two of them and one was a little snappy toward my dog.

 

[DDuckFan130]

I don't think you can go wrong with any dog, but that's what someone with 3 little dogs is saying :lookaroun

I have the froo froo poodle/pomeranian, and I agree they are high maintenance. She won't even go in puddles :lol: My rat terrier is VERY hyper sometimes, but is so sweet and her barks are worse than her bite, unlike my chihuahua who seems sweet but will be the first to bite.

And I just remembered the mention of purebred health problems. Our chihuahua was found and we took him in, and it turned out one of his testicles never came down, so he only had one. Apparently, it's a genetic problem that is more common in purebreds and had we not had him neutered, the testicle in his abdomen would have turned malignant.

Anyway :lookaroun

Good luck with your search and I'm sure whatever you get, it'll be great!

 

[Number_6]

:lol:

...and I quote...

"That looks like a cross between a gremlin, a potbellied pig, and a weiner dog."

Gremlin!? A Mogwai, maybe, but not a gremlin... :lol:

They are actually very foxlike, if a fox were a but taller and wider. And if you look at the Cardigan Welsh Corgis, they even have a fox-like tail.

http://www.bayteam.org/photos/memberdogs/DovolisSammy.jpg

 

[TiggerBW]

Show her this video and I'm almost positive it will change her mind :lol:

Too cute!!!!!!!!!!!

Friends of ours recently rescued a 2 year old lab from a shelter. He is AWESOME. Best behaved dog I've ever seen! He even has phone etiquette! I'm serious! He will be sitting with his head on my leg while I'm petting him, the phone will ring, and he'll go lie down while I talk. The moment I hang up, he comes right back over! Really well behaved. I know they can be hyper, just invest in dog training and take it seriously. If you still have problems, call Cesar Milan - The Dog Whisperer.

 

[barnum42]

If you still have problems, call Cesar Milan - The Dog Whisperer.

I've just ordered the first series on DVD

If they show it in America, the BBC have done a series called "Dog Borstal" about training badly behaved dogs. Or more often training owners to look after their dogs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/programmes/dog_borstal/

 

[Computer Magic]

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you're taking more of a risk when selecting a purebread dog. Not to say that mutts don't have their own share of problems, but I've personally known far too many people who spent hundreds of dollars on a puppy because they wanted a certain "type" and ended up paying thousands more in medical bills, and eventual heartache in the crippling of or loss of their their pet. Many many purebreads do end up having full, healthy lives, but to me, at least, I can't justify spending money on a dog just for the sake of saying it's purebread. There are too many homeless animals out there who need homes - many of whom are already mostly whatever breed you were looking for.

Also, many shelters now have programs that match your lifestyle to the personality of the animal. That way you're more likely to have a good match.

Here's the full story:


Purebreds are prone to health problems

• Bone and joint disorders that cause lameness
• Eye diseases that cause blindness
• Sudden heart disease that causes early death
• Epilepsy/seizures
• Immune system diseases
• Neurological diseases
• Skin diseases
• Bleeding disorders
• Cancers and tumors

Over 300 genetic health defects have been documented in dogs, and in many purebreds, the incidence of defects is extremely high. Reasons for this include:

1. A limited and closed gene pool. Most breeds were built on relatively few founding dogs, so the same sets of genes have been reproduced over and over since the breed began. Registries such as the AKC require that all future offspring come from the mating of dogs registered with their club. This restriction eliminates the vast majority of other dogs that would otherwise be available for breeding.
   Without the introduction of new and unrelated genes, in the long term all living creatures suffer "loss of genetic diversity," which inevitably leads to weaker animals with health problems. This is happening right now with purebred dogs.
2. Breeding dogs to a detailed standard of appearance. Show breeders seek to produce dogs who match a written Standard of Conformation (for example, eyes a certain shape). To get these details right, show breeders limit the gene pool even more by rejecting breeding stock who might be healthy and good-tempered, but who can't "deliver" in eye shape.
   Breeding to some standard is how breeds are developed in the first place, but eventually it results in loss of genetic diversity, which as we've said, leads to problems with health and vigor.
3. Breeding the same champion dogs over and over. This floods the breed not only with the same sets of good genes, but also with the same sets of bad genes.
   TEN-SECOND BIOLOGY LESSON:​
   The average dog carries an estimated 4 to 6 defective genes in his DNA. These genes are usually recessive, which means a dog needs TWO of the same gene in order for the defect to be expressed. If he has only ONE of that gene, that means its partner gene (genes come in pairs) is normal and will "cover up" the defective gene. Such a dog will be a "carrier" of the defect, but he isn't himself sick.​
   But when the same few dogs are bred repeatedly, as is done with the most successful show dogs, their particular defective genes become more common throughout the breed. Then the chances are much greater that two dogs with the SAME defective gene will get bred together -- and the defect gets expressed.
4. Frequent inbreeding. Many, many pedigrees show the same dog, or even several of the same dogs, listed twice in the first few generations. By breeding together two dogs who are closely related (who share many of the same genes), you run a greater risk of the same defective genes coming together in the puppies.
   Show breeders only call it "inbreeding" when they breed parent-to-offspring or brother-to-sister. They call it "linebreeding" when they breed grandparent-to-grandchild, uncle-to-niece, aunt-to-nephew, or cousin-to-cousin. But geneticists say that this is simply splitting hairs. Within the small gene pool of purebred dogs, all of these pairings are inbreeding.
5. 
   Making dogs larger and heavier. If you fool around too much with Mother Nature, you get increased bone and joint disorders, and a much shorter lifespan (7-10 years in many large breeds, compared to 13-16 years for smaller dogs).
   
   If this risk is okay with you, and if you can afford the potential vet bills, fine. Just so you're aware.
6. 
   Breeding for unnatural builds. Breeds with short faces (such as Bulldogs and Pugs) are sweet dogs, but they can't breathe normally and are prone to many health disorders. Breeds with long bodies (such as Dachshunds) are prone to crippling back problems and paralysis.
   
   If this risk is okay with you, and if you can afford the potential vet bills, fine. Just so you're aware.

I had a dog that fell into that catagory. I think pet stores are were you mostly find these dogs as you don't meet the dogs parents. Strange statement, but true.

Labs are known for overbreeding and inbreeding, that is what we had.

It had a Immune system disease and only lived to 8. It had seizures from the age 3.

So we went to mutts and those diseases are less likely.

Good luck Brian.

 

[MouseMadness]

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK!!!!111!!!

I'm sorry, did I just scream that? :lookaroun

I really really really want one

:lol:

Of your list, I'd pick the boxer :wave:

 

[hcswingfield]

:lol:

(My hairdresser has one and I love the lil guy)

The dog, or the hairdresser? :lookaroun