Need help picking between these two dogs, Post 70. - Page 3

[MidnightCommando]

Originally Posted by *Aimee*

I PM'd you mom08

How do these dogs look? She says repeatedly that these are working dogs not necessarily family dogs. is that all German Shepherds? http://www.silvermountainshepherds.com/prod01.htm

They also seem to be excited about their white dogs, and I had always thought white was a flaw in german shepherds?

no no no no, bad breeder and I know from personal experience. Talks a huge game but in it for the money only

ETA: If you are looking for some really solid info on breeders, check out the forum at germanshepherds.com It is the site for reputable information and tons of very passionate people

[daekini]

Originally Posted by mom0810

Yeah, but my point is, no one should be putting the time and money in to training a PET quality dog like that. I know they DO, and they do sell them for crazy amounts of money, but why would you do that with inferior stock in the first place?

I see your point but it is much more about temperament in this case... some dogs just demonstrate themselves to be "naturals" and prove it thru initial tests, so the time/energy is put into their training... then they may even get bred because of it - if they are very, very good...

it's a whole different world.

[mom0810]

Yeah, but there are plenty of GOOD ones with temperaments that lend themselves to training. There is no need to focus on the pets for this. I could care less if their temperament is good... great, then sell them as pets. BREEDING them is unconscionable. There is no justification for that as far as I am concerned. Different world or not, if the dog does not have correct conformation for his breed AND working ability AND pass health testing... then no breeding.

I get it that these people are looking for working dogs... but there are SO many breeders and trainers that are churning out protection dogs and guard dogs from GOOD stock. There's no room for pets and PET BREEDING. Gag.

[AkRotts]

There are also a lot of "breeders" out there who sell their dogs as "protection" dogs because they don't cut it on the Schutzhund field and they are unable to title them. They sell them untitled as "protection" dogs, when they wouldn't really protect anyone

[*Aimee*]

Originally Posted by MidnightCommando

no no no no, bad breeder and I know from personal experience. Talks a huge game but in it for the money only

ETA: If you are looking for some really solid info on breeders, check out the forum at germanshepherds.com It is the site for reputable information and tons of very passionate people

Thank you!

I contacted Von Faulkner and my inlaws are going to go look at puppies some time this week to help him pick the one that's best for our family. Then we're going to ship him here! Omg I'm so excited I feel like we're having a baby

I'd really like to hear some positive stories of people with babies and puppies. My family is giving me a lot of crap saying it's too much work and that our kids will get eaten and they're REALLY stressing me out.

[SevenVeils]

When my (now 19 year old) daughter was a baby, I raised two puppies (not together, I got one when my daughter was 4 months old and a second when she was about 18 months old). They were great with her, training went great, etc.

When my (now 11 year old) son was a baby, I got a puppy. He was great, everything went great, no problems of any kind.

When my (now 2 year old) son was a young baby (9 months) I got a puppy. I posted links to pics of them earlier on this thread. The dog has a truly exceptional relationship with the baby, which I am positive would not have been the same if they weren't raised together. When the baby was learning to walk, when for instance he would pull himself up against something, the puppy would go lay between the baby and the cupboard or whatever the baby was pulling up against. It was perfectly consistent, and an obvious attempt to protect the baby from harm. Even as a young puppy he had that awareness, which I attribute to his Livestock Guardian blood.

[*Aimee*]

Thank you so much. My husband and I were wondering what type of dog that is posted in your pictures, he's beautiful!

And thank you again. I'm sick of everyone making me second guess myself.

[SevenVeils]

Thanks! His father is half Saint Bernard, half Great Pyrenees. His mother is 100% Akbash Dog. He is gorgeous, and is wonderful, but LGD breeds as pets are not for the faint of heart It took a lot of work and dedication and absolute consistency to raise him, in fact it still does. I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I was well prepared, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

For someone with no dog experience I would likely agree about the no-puppies-with-babies thing. Puppies are a lot of work, and babies are a lot of work, and it takes a certain degree of finesse and a lot of patience to make it work. But you sound like an experienced dog owner, and you don't sound to me as if you are making this decision lightly. I think that as long as a person knows what to expect, knows what goes into raising a puppy (and a baby), it can work out just fine.

[*Aimee*]

Well he is just beautiful!

Thank you for the kind words. I'm so excited!! I'm setting up an appointment today for my inlaws to go look at the dogs. I hope they can go tomorrow (or even today! but I doubt that ) and then he can ship my dog on Friday or Saturday....That would be so awesome.

[mom0810]

Congratulations and I'm so happy for you. Of course, pictures are a must...

[*Aimee*]

Bump for update in first post

[shelbean91]

I didn't read all the posts, but we recently got a daschund. She's small, but she barks almost as loud as our german shepherd mix.

All but 2 of our dogs we've ever had have been mixed breeds from a shelter. Our last shelter dog we got was a daschund/pitbull mix and she's the best dog. She was a year when we got her- she was housebroken and has the best disposition.

I know lots of people dont' like shelter dogs b/c they think they're unpredictable, but I brought the kids with me and if a dog can behave well in that stressful situation with kids, they should be ok at home as well. We are not dog experts by any means, but that's our experience.

ETA- Sorry about losing out on the puppy.

[mom0810]

I wondered if that was going to be the case with an OlDER puppy. They are BIG, fast in that breed.

I would seriously consider the Goldens (go look) or the Airedales if you want a dog that will deter people from coming on your property. A golden will certainly alert bark, and an Airedale is an AWESOME guard dog. They are very active, and need tons of exercise, but they are GREAT dogs (you can PM me for more info on them).

I don't really have much personal experience with Goldens, but they are supposed to be great family dogs.

ON the breeding side of things, are you sure the dogs were FULL brother and sister? If they were only half brother and sister, this is done and is acceptable in dog breeding. It will really set type and style, but it will also set temperament so if there are ANY flaws there I would not go for it. Health issues would also be set firmly, so if there were any in the pedigree, I would be concerned. I have never done such a close breeding, but I know people who have and the only drawback was some mismarks. No biggie. But again, it's your comfort zone.

Go and look at the Goldens. It's a Sunday, what else is there to do? Maybe you will see something you like. At the worst, it's just a day out looking at puppies. (what could be better than that, though?)

And, this guy you were talking to is not the ONLY GSD breeder in the world. If you are set on that breed, then keep looking. There are TONS of them out there, and most will ship no problem.

[Girl In The Fire]

Very close line breeding and inbreeding in pit bulls is very common, probably more so than in other breeds. It is not a bad thing if it is done correctly and carefully. HOWEVER the fact the breeder was not forthcoming and the fact he is breeding grossly out of standard dogs is not a good sign. Rather than a well thought out breeding it sounds more like someone that had 2 intact dogs and bred them. There are a lot of health problems in pit bulls and I would never consider getting one from a close breeding if I did not know the health issues in that particular line and knew of any and all health problems that came up in other closely related dogs.

[*Aimee*]

Thanks for the pick me up!


yes they were FULL brother and sister! Isn't that crazy? He said he did a line breeding and when we asked too close he said "um, probably too close but we had them checked out for health problems and they're fine". Then when DH was looking at the lineage he saw.

I also REALLY want an old english bulldog. I never knew they were so good with kids, and probably fit what we're looking for perfectly but unless they take American Express and are local then it's not going to happen.

Oh! And I found laberdoodles. They are so cute. Lots of people recommended Standard Poodles to us too. But I have a hard time paying 800 bucks for a mutt.

AND DH agreed to a pound puppy. He is a little horrified that the pound charges 150 dollars but what are ya going to do?

[GearGirl]

Aimee,

I feel your pain, if you check my posts I have one detailing our attempts at finding a dog. We had similar experiences, but it all turned out perfectly for us, and I'm sure you will find a great dog as well. I was looking for an older dog, but we ended up with a puppy. We got him through a rescue here, and he is fantastic. I do think the puppy thing is lots of work, but it is all worth it. We have a lab mix (I know you don't like labs), the rescue says he is a labradoodle, but he looks like a lab golden mix. My point is to let you know about his protective qualities. He is exactly what you are describing! The first night when I picked him up from a rescue it was hours away, so by the time I got him home all the kids were asleep. When our 5 year old woke up in the night to come to our room he barked loud and low, but wasn't aggressive. He then became accustomed to the correct noises in our house and never barks at them. 3 weeks later my BIL came to stay, and he and his wife went out to a concert, coming back after midnight (sadly, not something that ever happens around here ). The puppy bolted off of our bed and barked in a scary manner. We told him it was OK, and he saw it was them, but he was definitely protecting us or his house while we slept. Other than that, since he is a lab mix he is just friendly, and not at all aggressive. Our old schnauzer also barks if someone comes to the door, although I don't think she would notice everything as well as the lab mix. I definitely think this puppy will alert us to anything unusual, and probably scare someone off. I doubt he would actually protect us, but as you said in an earlier post it would give you time to get your gun. I think you don't necessarily need to be looking for a guard dog, as I think this is a common trait in many dogs.

[*Aimee*]

Thank you so much Jennifer! I guess I'm just scared that labs will be too mean. Almost every experience I've ever had with a lab, they were mean. So I guess I'm a little scared. But omgosh a chocolate lab puppy!? pure cuteness. I saw a few of those today and they're precious.

[GearGirl]

Hmmm, I'm thinking maybe you should research labs after all. I agree, a chocolate lab puppy and dog are the cutest in the entire world. I'm mildly allergic to regular labs, or there would be no question about me having a chocolate lab! I think you can look for an excellent breeder of labs, that breeds for temperament as a family pet. I really think that would almost assure you a family friendly dog, as labs can be incredibly gentle with children. I do also really like goldens, particularly the English Cream goldens. I know your bad experiences have been with a lab, so if I were you I would find a lab forum online and find as much info as you can, and if you have any access to a dog park I would go check out different dogs and see what you like.

[greenmagick]

Well, from the dogs you list as liking, I dont know if you would be happy with a lab or golden. They are usually good dogs, but the personality is not for everyone, and they are puppies for a long, long, time Not saying dont get one, but make sure its what you are looking for and not just whats readily available. I have made that mistake before. I have a lab mix that I love dearly, and is great with the kids, etc but he is not a dog that fits me. That make sense? I have had him for over 9 years, and hes not going anywhere, but I am missing that bond with him. At the time, my DH (boyfriend at the time) said it was ok to get a puppy, so I went to a shelter and picked one out. I didnt wait and think about it. I knew I wasnt a lab person, but I fell for the cute face, and the fact that I wanted a puppy now! So, anyways, after a bunch of rambling, just make sure

[mom0810]

I don't know if you would like a Lab.

Bulldogs are not always great with kids. And they can get really big (heavy) and if they jump... look out! But not really biters, from my experience. Just big dogs who are surprisingly athletic.

Labradoodles are great. I know, I am a SHOW breeder, but I still think they are darling and have great temperaments. My aunt has one and I think she's great.

You have to go with your gut and your heart. Do the research with you head, and after that, go with the dog that pulls at you. You have to love how the dog looks, too. Temperament isn't the only thing. I can't live with dogs that aren't pretty to me. I know, it's kind of snobbish, but I just can't.