What is the dog breed for me? UPDATE 25- We got our pup!

[tinuviel_k]

So it looks like a dog might be in our future. We have been frequenting the shelter and want ads, and are excited to adopt a needy dog out there somewhere.

We're pretty flexible on the type of dog, and are of course looking mutts as well as whatever breeds they happen to have at the shelter. But I was thinking the other day about dog breeds and characteristics, and was wondering if there was an ideal "dog type" for me.

I would like a medium to large sized dog, say in the 50-125 lb range. Preferably one who is not an excessive shedder.

I'd like a dog who bonds well to it's family and has a strong attachment and loyalty. A dog who guards well and perhaps defends it's home and family, but who is not aggressive toward friendly strangers. A dog who is patient with young children.

I would love a dog who is athletic enough to go on hikes through the woods and mountain bike sessions, and one who is not so flighty as to need to be on leash on the forest all the time. And it would be ideal if the dog looked tough enough and was protective enough that I could be confident of taking hikes alone. (The woods around here have a high population of questionable characters and I do' fee comfortable walking without my husband right now).

From what I can tell my perfect breed is a German Shepherd, except the fact that they shed ALL THE TIME. I think they are one of the heaviest shedding dogs, and we just can't handle that.

Any doggie suggestions for me?

[LeahBoo]

I was reading that thinking the whole time "german shepherd, but they shed".

Otherwise, Boxer?

My dad had a generic "shelter mutt" that was perfect. Short haired, gentle with everyone, playful, looked scary but wasn't. Our best guess was rottweiler and shepherd, but she was short haired.

[SquishyKitty]

German shepherds are very high strung, and while they can be great, bad breeding can cause a lot of problems. Hip Dysplasia is very well known in that breed, and, since they are working dogs, they NEED mental and physical stimulation every day.

FWIW, We have 3 purebreds. Not that we went out searching them, they kind of found us, I guess.

We have a Rottweiler, and she is the PERFECT dog in every way. Great temperment, friendly, happy, listens (mostly) zero signs of aggression, and is great with both kids and other dogs. However, she is a German-bred rottie, not the aAmerican bred ones, so she isn't short and heavy and stocky like they are. She's tall and proportionate, with shaggier fur. She's a working stock dog, which is fine by us. We love her to death, and we have yet to met somebody who doesn't adore her within seconds.

Our second dog is a French bulldog. He is a gross little goblin of a dog, and we love him to bits. He's got so much personality, he's sweet, he's smelly, he farts a lot, and he's got a very smooshed nose (even after surgery) and snorts and grumbles all day, and snores horribly all night. We wouldn't trade him for the world.

Our third dog is a Cane Corso, or Italian mastiff. She is BEAUTIFUL. She has amazing grace in her running, she's strong and muscular (like the sports car of mastiffs) and her coloring is gorgeous. She also has aggression issues, and is very reserved and not friendly. I don't recommend this dog as a "First dog" to anybody, because she is a lot of work, and will likely be a work in progress for the rest of her life.

FTR, all our dogs shed, the rottie is the worst, the frenchie is second, and the mastiff is a third. She didn't get a chance to grow in a full undercoat this winter, though, so next year might be worse for her shedding-wise. We furminate them once the weather warms up and try to do it every couple of days. We also invested in a very powerful, sturdy vacuum.

As it stands, all of the dogs mentioned above, with the exception of the frenchie, are on the "Dangerous Breeds" lists, so you might have an issue depending on where you live. Some counties require the dogs to be muzzled when out in public, dogs on this list can be banned from certain counties, and your home insurance could go up by owning one of the dogs off the list.

Just something to consider.

[nd_deadhead]

Standard poodle? They do require regular grooming, but have all the other attributes you are looking for.

We have a Cardigan Welsh Corgi - a fabulous dog, who sheds more than our Lab, who was 3 times his size. I have found that if I brush him twice a week, he hardly sheds at all - unfortunately, I rarely bother to brush him that often. My point is that if you don't mind brushing, hair in the house can be managed.

Eliminate shedding, and your list gets pretty long - labs coming to mind first for size, loyalty, and temperment (assuming a well-bred dog, and not necessarily a shelter dog). Any breed that is overly popular, like Labs, are heavily bred by puppy mills and backyard breeders, where quality isn't as important as quantity.

[greenmagick]

A great dane could meet that....some may be a bit larger than your high end, but some arent, especially mixes. They are very much velcro dogs at times, love to be with family. Always plenty in shelters and rescue...though I would caution a thorough check up before vigorous hiking etc as badly bred danes tend to have some issues with hips, etc. What a like about danes is they (usually) are fine hanging around as couch potatoes but are also capable of being very active....but most dont NEED the high energy activities of more active breeds everyday, if that makes sense.

Standard Poodles are good, but they dont have that guard factor.

Boxers are great fun...pretty high energy though.

[-Grace-]

I second the giant poodle.

[annablue]

Personally, I'd recommend a larger spaniel like a Brittany or Springer. The other suggestions for a standard poodle are good, but they're very intelligent and need a lot of stimulation and exercise; which won't be a problem as long as you're able to put in the effort.

[bohemama]

I'd say Boxer.

If you google boxer breed you'll pretty much find the same description as you posted above. Great with children, loyal, active...though we just brought home a boxer pup so I may be a little biased

[Summertime Mommy]

We have a bullypit (bulldog/pit bull mix) we rescued from a shelter, that fits that description pretty well. He is very active outside, but inside he likes to lounge on the sofa. He is still a puppy, but dh is able to take him out to the woods without the leash and he comes right back.

[shesaidboom]

I'd say boxer too. Of course no matter what breed you get you will have to work on training, but with the amount of exercise and stimulation they will get with you that shouldn't be a hard feat! Good luck on your search for your dog, it sounds like you will give a pup a wonderful life!

[Tummy]

We have a 'designer mut' Our little baby is 5 mo old and weighs in at 75lbs so far! His mother is a papered Dane, his father is a papered Dobie.

I was thinking about a Rotty for you, big breed, gentile giants, family oriented.

Pits have such a HUGELY bad wrap, they truly are great dogs!

Boxers are great also, however, keep in mind they are WAY ENERGETIC!

American Bull dogs are one of my favorites, totally gentile and loving! Big lap dogs,



We also have a wolf-dog, she sheds like crazy, I HATE IT! I threaten to shave her on a weekly basis, but my partner says NO, SHE WILL BE OFFENDED, SHE WILL HAVE A COMPLEX, ugh!

Hip Dysplasia is common in many large breed dogs, regardless of their breed.

[Alyantavid]

We have a Chesapeake that fits your description exactly. Except the shedding thing, but that's worse because he's getting older.

He's big, has a big bark and always barks to alert us about people, cars, animals coming around. He's incredibly protective of me and the kids and our property. I know that my kids are safe playing outside when he's there and I know he'd protect me if I needed it. But all someone has to do is say hi to him and he's completely won over.

Chessies are energetic dogs that go forever. Ours does have hip problems, but he broke both of his hips as a baby so that's to be expected. He actually does amazingly well with them. Swimming is great for them and they love (and need) lots of water to play in.

We also have a Weimaraner pup that should show some of those qualities as well, but we haven't many of them yet since she's still a baby.

[SquishyKitty]

Originally Posted by Tummy

We have a 'designer mut' Our little baby is 5 mo old and weighs in at 75lbs so far! His mother is a papered Dane, his father is a papered Dobie.

I was thinking about a Rotty for you, big breed, gentile giants, family oriented.

Pits have such a HUGELY bad wrap, they truly are great dogs!

Boxers are great also, however, keep in mind they are WAY ENERGETIC!

American Bull dogs are one of my favorites, totally gentile and loving! Big lap dogs,



We also have a wolf-dog, she sheds like crazy, I HATE IT! I threaten to shave her on a weekly basis, but my partner says NO, SHE WILL BE OFFENDED, SHE WILL HAVE A COMPLEX, ugh!

Hip Dysplasia is common in many large breed dogs, regardless of their breed.

Rotties are not the best dogs if she wants a running partner. Even our vet recommended against running ours at all, beyond her normal walks and her playing. Our dog is 100lbs and she's a female, a male will be bigger in most cases. American-bred rotties tend to be on the heavier side, with shorter legs, which puts more strain on their hips. Ours is very proportionate, with a working stock build, and it's still not healthy for her to be running long distances. Walking/hiking is okay, though. Our girl gets a ton of exercise, but she doesn't have the stamina for continual running, they're just not built for it. She can bulldoze up a hill like nothing, but she can't keep up with our cane corso to save her life, she has no agility or speed.

Also, rottweilers are great dogs and I love the breed, but it's a hard "first dog" to have, because they're very stubborn, bullheaded and kind of bratty at times. Ours couldn't hurt a fly if you paid her, but she is kind of a nerd when she's interested in something, and we call her. She comes, but in her own time lol. We also can't trust that she won't take off in the woods after a deer or something that smells interesting, but that just may be our dog. I do know that they are kind of bullheaded, though.

OP, I would look into maybe a mutt from the shelter, as well. You might find one that is just out of the puppy stage that meets your needs. I'm not big on little puppies, though lol.

[luckysgirl]

I have two dogs and one cat.

My oldest dog, Harper, is a little over 10-years-old and I've had her since she was six-months-old when I was twelve. We're pretty sure she's some kind of Foxhound mix. My first dog, Tucker, died that October, so my Grandfather took me on a odyssey of all the shelters and adoption centers at pet stores in the city on New Years Eve, but I just couldn't find anyone that I loved.

We eventually ended up about 50 miles outside of the city at a rescue that a woman with about four young kids ran out of her house, with the dogs in various kennels and runs in the front and back yard. My Grandfather and mother went crazy over and red-haired Chow, but I was drawn to the back where there was one larger dog in a double kennel with about three puppies.

There was just something about her eyes. I started to walk to the other side of the kennel so that I could see her better and she stuck a paw out of the slots of the kennel and laid it on my wrist, literally pulling back so that I couldn't go away. That was it for me. I was a goner.

Turns out that she had been living in the woods basically all her life until the local preacher's kids started feeding her. The preacher couldn't keep her, so he brought her to the woman who ran the shelter and she quickly became a favorite. She's still near-obsessively attached to me and follows my DD around now that she's started cruising, often "catching" her by moving her body so that she keeps her from falling over. I melt every time.

DH and I got Gus, a four-year-old cocker spaniel and poodle mix, right before we got married. I was volunteering at a local shelter that focused on Spaniels of all kinds and just fell in love with him. He was so small when he was brought in - someone had thrown him into a dumpster in an apartment complex and shelter I was working for rescued him from the local SPCA who was going to put him down. When then-DF came to pick me up, I brought him over to see him. After a few minutes, now-DH looked at me and said, "Okay, let's take him home already." Just more proof that I married the right man.

So, I'm realized that I'm very long winded. I apologize. All of this was meant to tell you that you shouldn't focus on breed. Finding a compatible pet is rather like finding a compatible mate or friend - the connection has to be there or it's just not going to work. It's cliché, but true - love rules the world.

You'll find the right dog. But as far as your specific desires I would suggest a Rottweiler. We had a Rottweiler that was a good friend's. He became very ill and could no longer care for her. She was the sweetest, most gentle animal I've ever encountered and I would step in front of a moving car for my dogs. She was older once we got her, but I had known her since I was a child.

Rottweilers are very warm, loving, and loyal animals. It makes me sad that they still tend to get a bad rap.

Despite all this, I strongly suggest you frequent local rescue shelters. The more animals that can be saved from being put down because of the ridiculous "time limits" that are put on their lives, the better.

[SquishyKitty]

Originally Posted by luckysgirl

Rottweilers are very warm, loving, and loyal animals. It makes me sad that they still tend to get a bad rap.

Despite all this, I strongly suggest you frequent local rescue shelters. The more animals that can be saved from being put down because of the ridiculous "time limits" that are put on their lives, the better.

Aside from the running issue (see my previous post) I do agree that a rottweiler is an amazing family dog. ours is loving, loyal, sweet, friendly to a fault, and goofy and silly and I adore every single thing about her. They really are amazing dogs, but we are constrained in some areas by breed-specific legislation against rotts, so I still say be careful with that. There are a couple of places here that we're required to have her muzzled (we put a halti on her and it seems to appease people).

If you do decide to go with a rottie, I would definitely see a trainer right away though. They are awesome dogs, and totally bullheaded brats at the same time. Although ours can be distracted with a nice stick or a tennis ball, every time.

[PoppyMama]

We have a pit (Staff. Bull Terrier) and he is great with kids (especially our baby- they are never unsupervised), friendly to everyone outside and to people in our house (if he is introduced) and loves to run and hike. He is not hyper like a boxer and intimidates people without showing the slightest bit of aggression (I don't think pits are good protection dogs though they like people too much). Our pit is very dog/pet friendly but many pits aren't so that is one thing to watch and I do not let him off leash in any inhabited places that aren't designated off-leash because people get nervous.

[tinuviel_k]

Thanks for all the suggestions! And the ideas and thoughts.

We had a couple "near misses" this week with Craigslist dogs. There was a wonderful mutt, chocolate lab and husky, I think, who was super with just the right personality. But he went to someone else on a "first email" basis. Oh well.

I am heading down to the shelter today to inquire about a 3 month old Great Dane-English Pointer mix pup. We spent an hour or so with him yesterday to get to know him, and he was a hoot. He was jumpy and mouthy, but had zero aggression, and smart as anything. After the first 15 minutes he had "sit" down pat, was lying down when prompted, and during a long game of fetch was giving up the ball easily when asked. He was happy the whole time, glad to meet strangers, He was giving obvious "your the boss, tell me what to do" signals to me, but was not acting submissively scared.

I know the jumping would be easy enough to train out of him: he was doing much better by the end of the hour even. The mouthiness I can deal with: lots of puppy classes to learn bite inhibition, and lots of training at home.

But eeek! I think in the back of my mind I imagined we'd be going for a young adult dog, maybe 1-2 years old. I have no problems with raising a pup, I've done it before. I am a SAHM to a almost-7 year old child in part time school, so I have plenty of time to devote. I figure my life would be 24-hours-a-day puppy training through September at least (bringing him to 8 months), and I am prepared for that.

And he's gonna get BIG potentially! If they are correct in their belief that he is a Dane/Pointer cross (I believe English pointer because of his markings) then he is going to be a big boy. Pointers are strong dogs, and weigh in at 45-65 lbs. Danes can weigh in at 120-200 lbs.
Now, this pup seems to be on the "petite" side of things: I was comparing his 3 month weight and size to the Great Dane growth chart, and he is not nearly that big. But still, he sure isn't going to be small! All the more reason that he needs immediate and great training right now before his habits are set.

I also worry about socialization. I know the 8-12 week period is HUGE in a pup's life, and that this pup spent at least two weeks of that in the shelter recently. Before the shelter I don't know his history at all: how he was raised in his early weeks, how much time he spent with his mother and litter-mates, how many people and how many different experiences he was exposed to... all a mystery. All I really have to go on is that he is a friendly, happy pup, is very smart and eager to please, and that he has a bit of a problem with mouthing but is not doing so in any aggressive kind of way.

The pluses: he seems to love people, he would make a great family dog as well as a guard dog (by virtue of size alone!) and he would make a super hiking companion. Not a running companion, though, as I know Danes have growth issues, especially in the early years.

Thoughts?

[greenmagick]

Danes can have growth issues, but often in mixes they dont show up. It is usually because of their rapid growth (they grow crazy fast) and bad nutrition. Many commercial foods are not appropriate for a giant breed and if the calicium to phosphorus ratio is off or they are consuming too many calories, they grow too fast and have issues.

That being said, once they hit 18 months -2 years, you can do pretty active things with them. I know several dane owners who bike with their danes, and others who run.

That really sounds like an awesome mix. The early socialization is important, but as long as he already seems pretty well adjusted, I dont think it should be a huge issue.

[tinuviel_k]

Well poop. The little guy got adopted. There were several of us waiting at the shelter when it opened, and they drew names out of a hat. The home he is going to sounds wonderful, but I'm a bit sad.

This is the third dog that has not worked out. I never knew adopting was so difficult!

[EFmom]

I'm sorry it didn't work out, but keep trying.

I volunteer every week with a local rescue group at the adoption clinic. There are new dogs in all the time, so if you are patient, the right dog will turn up eventually.

For our current dog, we got a mutt from this rescue and I'm totally sold. She was about a year old when we got her. I'd always gotten dogs as puppies from reputable breeders before.

This dog was housebroken when we got her. We focused pretty much entirely on looking at the dog's disposition. Because she was older and had been fostered, we knew about her behavior and there were no surprises. She's the best, easiest and least neurotic dog I've ever known.

While I disagree with some of the group's policies, on the whole, if you are willing to put up with a little crap from the rescue organizations, it's a great way to get a dog.

One thing you mentioned does make me a little concerned. I wouldn't focus too much on getting a dog with guarding tendencies, because dogs don't necessarily know the difference between a friendly stranger and a non-friendly stranger, and the results can be unpleasant.