Need opinions on dog breeds

[gonehuntingagain]

You could get another lab. It may be harder to determine if one will be agressive or not. I have a lab (male), and like yours, he will help someone load their truck, however, my friends have female labs, and they are very agressive. They will bark if someone comes up to the house. I don't kow if this is because they are female, but out of the 4 female labs that my buddies own, all 4 are agressive in this way. They are really aggressive hunters too. It might be worth your time to talk to a breeder about this. If you are looking for a chessie, there are some Chessie breeders in the northwest too. There is a breeders list here: http://www.amchessieclub.org/breeders.html



Good Luck

 

[Jetpilot]

Newfoundland!

 

[jandtjil]

Another vote for the shorthaired pointer types, they're smart and generaly crave to be a member of the family (read- Spoiler rotten).

Lots o REALLY good dogs at local shelters and breed rescues, for a fraction of what a pup costs. Enjoy whatever you choose.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

More mutts.....

We have had Irish Wolfhounds and Old English sheepdogs for almost 15 years. They have presence when required, are pretty sharp and vocal when it counts, but not too demanding on exercise like some breeds. Friends of ours already have Border collies and German Shepherds and what's been said earlier in this thread is right on the money, lots of exercise for the border collie, and both are very intelligent breeds. If you get a pup, make sure you get to see/meet mom and pop . Mutts can be a good alternative too! The pound is definitely worth a check as are the breed-specific canine rescue units, sometimes overlooked. Good luck!

 

[A Johnson]

Thank You all, sure has been interesting reading. I took one of those "what kind of dog fits me " quizzes, and the results said I wanted a Newfoundland. Only problem is heavy shedding.



Maybe I will try a female lab, a chocolate or yellow would be a nice contrast with "Hank" . Hank got his name from the " Hank the Cow dog stories, my boy listened to a few years ago. Its about this dog that lives on a ranch, and all the trouble he used to get into. They were very entertaining, even for me, lots of laughs. If you have the chance to listen to these audios, I highly recommend them.



Any rate keep the suggestions coming, I enjoy everyones viewpoint, and I've looked up most of the suggestions on the web. I can't believe all the varieties when you actually go look!



I went to work and the first person I saw was a salesman that does a lot of hunting, and I guess he has some relatives up in Washington that breed Chesapeake's, he is going to check it out and advise on cost and whatnot within a couple weeks.



I remember a friends Border Collie from when I was a kid, nice dog but was nipping me in the butt every time I turned my back. It was a good dog though, and smart like you fellows say.



Decisions, decisions



A Johnson

 

[QRTRHRS]

Back to the top. Belgium Malinois

My wife brought home a four year old Belgium Malinois. His story is he was imported directly and trained for narcotics detection. His handler was also his owner and via some kind of funding cut, he lost the position. He gave up the dog who was then not properly cared for and then ended up in rescue.



For a rescue, he has a beautiful coat but is pretty thin. I don't know about the drug training but I never saw a dog sniff out everything the way this one does. He is obiedience trained and does listen and respond well.



I know the breed is active and has traits and needs similar to my French Beauceron. Anyone have a comments or suggestions about this breed?

 

[The patriot]

QRTRHRS, Does that dog look like a german shepherd?

If it's the one I'm thinking about, theyre supposed to be smarter than the shepherd, and the preferred breed for a working dog.

Eric

 

[paccool]

We have a half Lab/half Australian Shepherd mix. Likes to play frisbee more than anything else but if someone knocks on the door she will charge the door raising hell. As soon as the door is opened, she is fine if she knows who it is,will still growl if it is a stranger. I would get a little nervous if I knocked on someones door and heard her coming!



She has never bitten anyone but I have no doubt that if someone went after my wife that they would have to deal with the dog as well.



Stan

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by The patriot

QRTRHRS, Does that dog look like a german shepherd?

If it's the one I'm thinking about, theyre supposed to be smarter than the shepherd, and the preferred breed for a working dog.

Eric

He does have the shepherd appearence but is much smaller then the average german sheperd and on the small side of the breed standard. He is fawn in color with some darker highlighting. I have seen them on the net but this is the first one up close. He has a very sweet disposition and is very alert and seems smart. We just got him last Friday but so far so good.

 

[CrewCabDiesel]

How about a beagle ? they come in several different sizes, very smart and Excellent with kids. They bark at a drop of a hat, make great indoor or low maintenance outdoor dogs as well. down side like I said they bark, they also dig, and they are great escape artists too. On the upside your home owners insurance will not go up, like with some breeds, they love attention, they are short hair dogs so you don't have hair every where, and beagles are cheap, unless you go for a blue blood line.

 

[Okie-Go]

About 2 weeks ago I bought a registered German Shepherd. I have always liked big dogs. I am working on sit, stay and heel stuff so I won't have a problem when he gets big. I hope to train him also to get in the back seat and ride on the back of a 4 wheeler. So far I am happy, still working on house training a bit though.

 

[46mech]

The CBR should do the trick. Have you also thought about the German Wirehaired Pointer? More protective than the German Shorthair and its coat would be suitable for outdoors; good hunting dogs too. 'Course, I'm not a kind of guy that would keep the dogs outside..... unless it was strickly a Livestock Guardian Dog.



Having been raised around purebred Collies, Breeders of various breeds, and the dog show world..... you shouldn't find a reputable breeder who won't have the same stipulations when it comes to selling you a dog. It's not that they want to control your every action with your dog, they just want you to be a responsible owner. Irresponsible owners are the main reason breed rescue programs exist.



I do have a lab/pit mix (not a protective bone in his body) and have had other mix-breeds, but I don't know that mixed breeds are necessarily healthier than purebred. Some breeds are known for their skin problems, some for their respiratory problems, some for their hip problems, etc. , etc. A mixture of any of those breeds could give you a dog with any/all of those problems. Unhealthy purebreds (or mixes) are the result of poor care or over breeding.



I had a German Shepard-Rotty mix that, at 7 mos old, had hip displaysia so bad the Vet told us it was typical of a dog more of the age of 4 or 5 years old. Point being... . because she was a mix, it didn't rid her of the fact that both those breeds are known for hip displaysia (a common large breed problem).

 

[QRTRHRS]

Originally posted by Okie-Go

So far I am happy, still working on house training a bit though.

I am a firm believer in crate training for house breaking and more.

 

[KennyM]

We are Samoyed people. We now have two a male and female. These dogs are very smart, easy to train. They alert when some one approaches the house or yard. We can trust them around everyone. They do have a lot of hair which is the only draw back of the bread. Also hips need checked out in the parents. Our female weighs about 45 pounds and our new male now one year old weighs over 60 and looks like a wolf. These dogs also always have a smile on there face. Known as the Sammy smile.

 

[bighammer]

I have a Rottweiller. She has been great with our son (now 4) and most people. (If she senses you're scared, she might mess with your head a bit ) She is very mean looking and VERY protective. She is really very friendly though as long as we are close-by. She is very smart and was a breeze to train. I will probably look for another Rott when she passes on.

 

[Hale on wheels]

Check out www.duckhunter.net on the gun dog forums. Ask those guys about their chessies and see if their personalities are what you desire. You will most likely also find several breeders on that board from which you could purchase a pup. Or at least those guys will know breeders for you to contact. My male lab is just as you described yours, he couldn't possibly be more friendly. My female lab is a bit more timid, and will bark at anyone that shows up until I show her that the person is OK, and after that she is as friendly as my male. Be sure you work on obedience with the chessies when they are young (well you really need to do this with any dog, but) as some have a tendency to be a little aggressive if not trained early in age.

 

[CumminsPuller]

A Johnson............

Here is my big baby, Mckinley... ... My wife named him after Mt. Mckinley in Alaska after visiting it while we lived up there. His dad was 250lbs... ... ... He is about 110lbs. His daddy was a Mastiff/Rott mix. His mom was a pitbull. I never tell anyone when they first meet him what kind of mix he is. They just freak out and dont want to be near him. So I dont tell them. I just let them walk in the house, let him jump and lick all over them for a few seconds then tell him to go lay down..... Let them get used to him and see how harmless he is... then tell him what mix he is. Its not the breed of the dog that is at fault... it is all those d**n people who raise there dogs to be mean and fight. When dogs of this nature are found, I believe it should not be the dog that is hauled away, but the owner. Then let the dog move into the house!!! We have a five month old and we never worry about him around her. In fact he is more worried about every little noise she makes than we are.

 

[JDanford]

GOLDEN RETRIEVER

If it's a friend for life you're looking for, the Golden Retriever is the only way to go! Little extra hair around, but they're definitely worth it! I know Dean Upson would second my vote, but I don't know if he trolls this far over.



The saddest day in my life was when I had to put 'Ol Dan down a couple years ago; still bawl every time I think about him. So, went down last fall & got 'Lil Dan(call him Buddy); He'll never quite stack up to 'Ol Dan, but he's a keeper.

 

[CumminsPuller]

I Agree...........

I agree with JD... . My brother-in-law is on his second golden. They are a great dog... ..... Like JD said you havae to just kind of deal with or just look past the hair.



Here is another pic of our two babies... !!!!



Jason

 

[Champane Flight]

Do a favor

I have had several dogs in my life and have come to the conclusion that the best breed is a mutt. Go to the pound, find a young dog large or small with a good temperment and bright eyes (intelligent). Make sure they are not too hyper, fixed, and have latest shots. Take em home, live with em, love em, and have a friend for life. All our animals find us, we don't find them. I am grieving with the whole family for one right now. Our little pug misses Dozer something fierce and cannot understand where he went. They were best buddys and played for hours.







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