The BEst breed is by far a New Zealand sheephound, or an Australian cattle dog: they are very very smart, loyal, friendly, very good with kids . . . the only problem is is that they need fairly constant exercise . . . which could be a good thing, after all, it would get you out of the house and away from the mac for a bit.
For the life of me I can't understand the appeal of Rotweilers?!?!?!? they're bulky, they slober, they lumber and contrary to expressed opinion here (as I read at least once a year in the paper) they are not good for kids but they think kids are good for them (tasty that is) . . . I think part of it is that power/fear image that people think they excude and that people somehow think that they as dog owners somehow also exude it if they have one.
My wife stands by, and absolutely would have nothing other than a Boxer.
I prefer cats but I like dogs too and I think I might be getting one this summer. No pure bred though. I just want to pick up a pup at the pound for free so (s)he can grow up with my family and other pet. I'd like some mutt though, I hear pure breds can get a little cuckoo.
I can't believe no one has mentioned shepherds. I've grown up with a family of dogs and dog lovers and the Shepherds always stood out as the most loved.
There's a reason why so many law enforcement agencies use shepherds. They are very smart, very loyal, and usually have a great disposition (although, as with people, there are no absolutes). I also like Goldens, but my friend who has two complains that they lack loyalty. They are the friendliest dogs you'd ever want to meet, but he's convinced that they would hop into any car that pulls up and not look back. Keep in mind that htese larger dogs really deserve a lot of room to run. Beagles are also great if you are looking for something smaller.
Whatever you get, as was said before, check out the local shelter. Shelters don't just have mutts, but a surprizing number of pure or near-purebreds. But if you know the breed you want then consider getting a dog from a <a href="http://www.gsrmd.org"; target="_blank">rescue</a> organization.
[ 03-27-2002: Message edited by: Michael Grey ]</p>
Since they are somewhat rare and purebred, there are a lot of dumb ones out there, but there are a few breeders in the country that seem to do a good job of mixing it up, so to keep the dog intelligent. I've seen dumb ones, but the smart ones are much smarter than the labs, retrievers, etc. They are high-energy, so if you don't have land they DO get very spastic, though.
Another type of dog I like is the Wigla (sp?) more of less because it's like a mini Weimeraner.
For the life of me I can't understand the appeal of Rotweilers?!?!?!? they're bulky, they slober, they lumber and contrary to expressed opinion here (as I read at least once a year in the paper) they are not good for kids but they think kids are good for them (tasty that is) </strong><hr></blockquote>
<strong>I can't believe no one has mentioned shepherds. I've grown up with a family of dogs and dog lovers and the Shepherds always stood out as the most loved.
There's a reason why so many law enforcement agencies use shepherds. They are very smart, very loyal, and usually have a great disposition (although, as with people, there are no absolutes). I also like Goldens, but my friend who has two complains that they lack loyalty. They are the friendliest dogs you'd ever want to meet, but he's convinced that they would hop into any car that pulls up and not look back. Keep in mind that htese larger dogs really deserve a lot of room to run. Beagles are also great if you are looking for something smaller.
Whatever you get, as was said before, check out the local shelter. Shelters don't just have mutts, but a surprizing number of pure or near-purebreds. But if you know the breed you want then consider getting a dog from a <a href="http://www.gsrmd.org"; target="_blank">rescue</a> organization.
[ 03-27-2002: Message edited by: Michael Grey ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
yes, i dont know how i could forget...
G. Shephards are very kickass dogs. they get my vote.
Yeah. German Shepards are good dogs. I think Eugene has one.
I've never been a big fan of Rotts. They're like the cellphone or SUV of dogs IMO. (sorry alliance, just my opinion). I've known a few people that have gotten a Rott only to realize they weren't that smart (not dumb, just not that smart), a bit smelly, and awfully clumsy - especially in the first couple of years. They just grow so fast they don't realize how big they are and they go around knocking things over with their tails. After a couple years they chill a bit. Not bad dogs, just not great dogs. I'd rather have a German Shepard if I were to get a big dog - they're smart and I loooove smart dogs.
I knew a guy who had a Rott once, came home to find it had chewed an ENTIRE arm off a couch. It wasn't a pretty site. It was about 8 months old though, and puppies chew things...
I still say my dog is learning more english every day. If I say "get the hedgehog" he gets his stuffed hedgehog, if I say "get the ball" he gets the ball, if I say "get the lion" he gets the lion. He actually knows his toys apart.
Oh, and Westies don't stink. If a westie gets dirty you just throw them a wet towel. 5 minutes later it's clean. Although I do bathe mine a couple times a month.
Boxers are cool, but don't tend to live very long. 9 years is long for a Boxer. Average about 6 years I think.
I had a dog all my life up until 3 years ago. His name was Mojo and was a mut. Not sure of the exact mix. best dog ever, but of course I'm bias.
My family has wanted to get another dog for the past 2 years but I haven't liked the deal. Kind of hard to "replace" something that was so close to you as you grew up.
But nonetheless, this weekend when I go down south for Spring Break my family is going to likely get a dog. A Bernese Mountain dog. Really beautiful animal and supposedly they are amazingly calm and well manored dogs.
they also are suppose to get along very well with other animals which is good because I have three cats
We have a 3 year old female (can't get used to calling her a 'bitch' ) named Sarah. She doesn't slobber, never went through a real clumbsy stage, doesn't try eating my one-year old daughter... she's just a fantastic dog. We rescued her from the needle at the local SPCA. Had enough "dog people" check her out to be almost certain she's purebred.
She is AWESOME with my daughter. She climbs all over this dog, pesters her constantly, and I am never worried about anything happening. My daughter is in love with this dog, the first thing she does when she wakes up is look around the living room saying "aawwwaaahhh" constantly until she finds the dog. (can't pronounce the S yet)
The only thing we aren't thrilled with is the shedding - you get used to it though.
I think they're great dogs, in that while they can go all day long if you want them to - they also have no problem laying around all day if you don't feel like doing anything.
The thing around here lately is breeding them HUGE - like 160 pounds. Sarah is 85 pounds and pretty lean - a little small by Rottie standards, but big enough for us. Great guard dog too - if I'm out Sarah will not let my wife answer the door unless she's got her nose out first to check the guy out.
She's also very smart - head and shoulders above all the other dogs in her obedience class (which included a few Shephards). Yeah, I'm a little biased, but she's a great dog.
I just read the magic words: obedience class. I think this is a neccessity for just about any dog big enough to take a bite out of someone.
About the Shepherds. They ain't that safe folks. There's a reason why police use them -- besides intelligence and obedience -- they have the strongest bite of any dog. No gimmicky lock-jaw psuedo-urban legend crap, just pure clamping power. A big King Shepherd bites down considerably harder than any Rotweiller, and most any Molosser. Maybe it doesn't look tuff enough for people buying dogs out of some sort of small dick syndrome, but a police trainer I know assures me that it's one of the strongest dogs out there.
Anyway, did you know that 'breeding', particularly in the last 50 years, is ruining most breeds. Many of the 'pure breds' of the last half century have a lot of health problems because breeders have gotten completely out of hand with primarily cosmetic concerns about the standard. Animal Husbandry used to breed animals for a purpose. Today, many (most?) breeders breed dogs to a 'standard' which often describes nothing more than a shape.
Applenut, that seriously looks like a Rottweiler/Collie mix. Look at the brown spots above the eyes and his/her build.
The coloration makes me think collie.
I'm thinking I'll have a tough time pushing a Rottie, and since I won't be there to watch it I'm not going to try and push anything that big and potentially dangerous.
<strong> We rescued her from the needle at the local SPCA. </strong><hr></blockquote>
SPCA? whats that stand for...? around here, if the animal shelter picks up a rottie they arent allowed to give it up for adoption--it is automatically terminated after a few days...
u musta got her real young if they let u have her.
SPCA stands for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Basically a shelter. Of course, they are not as SERIOUSLY ****ED UP as the people running the "shelters" where _alliance_ lives, that they would kill a Rottie just for being a Rottie.
Sarah was a year old when we got her, and everyone working there was actually sad to see her go.
Actually I usually say that "saved her from the needle" thing as a bit of a joke. Truth is, we're damn lucky we got her, there were a few couples looking at her (had taken her for a walk, and were deciding on whether to take her or not).
At the time, I was going there regularly as a volunteer to walk the dogs. I took her around the block a couple of times and that was it - I knew she was the dog for us.
Funny, when we took her out to the van 2 of the ladies working there came out with us to say goodbye to her - everyone in the place loved her. Pretty cool to see that.
Oh and applenut, you'll be very happy with the Bernese. Those are VERY intelligent dogs - a nice choice.
Matsu, you sure about the Shephard biting strength? I could have sworn that's why the police stopped using Rotties. I know it was a concern in Canada anyway - the Rotts were breaking forearms while holding suspects after catching them. Really strong jaws. Shephards muzzles are so much longer and more narrow - the Rotts generally have a much thicker, wider jaw - more leverage there for clamping force. (other problem with them - serious overheating when it gets really hot out)
border collies are great dogs. when people are here talking about breeding standards, and how they're ruining dogs i'd have to agree.
that's one area where border collies have done well over the last generations though. they are work dogs. they need to be smart, healthy and have a lot of endurance. so they have been bred for useful traits, not cosmetics.
that being said, border collies need a ton of exercise. we take our two dogs out every day to play frisbee for an hour, walk them at night, and usually in the morning. on top of that, they play catch for hours in the house and chase eachother around all the time.
the fact that they have been bred as work dogs means in part that they need to do a lot of running to stay healthy. don't get one if you don't think you'd be walking it every day at least once a day.
Comments
The BEst breed is by far a New Zealand sheephound, or an Australian cattle dog: they are very very smart, loyal, friendly, very good with kids . . . the only problem is is that they need fairly constant exercise . . . which could be a good thing, after all, it would get you out of the house and away from the mac for a bit.
For the life of me I can't understand the appeal of Rotweilers?!?!?!? they're bulky, they slober, they lumber and contrary to expressed opinion here (as I read at least once a year in the paper) they are not good for kids but they think kids are good for them (tasty that is) . . . I think part of it is that power/fear image that people think they excude and that people somehow think that they as dog owners somehow also exude it if they have one.
My wife stands by, and absolutely would have nothing other than a Boxer.
But really, I know that mutts can be the best too.
There's a reason why so many law enforcement agencies use shepherds. They are very smart, very loyal, and usually have a great disposition (although, as with people, there are no absolutes). I also like Goldens, but my friend who has two complains that they lack loyalty. They are the friendliest dogs you'd ever want to meet, but he's convinced that they would hop into any car that pulls up and not look back. Keep in mind that htese larger dogs really deserve a lot of room to run. Beagles are also great if you are looking for something smaller.
Whatever you get, as was said before, check out the local shelter. Shelters don't just have mutts, but a surprizing number of pure or near-purebreds. But if you know the breed you want then consider getting a dog from a <a href="http://www.gsrmd.org"; target="_blank">rescue</a> organization.
[ 03-27-2002: Message edited by: Michael Grey ]</p>
If you have lots of space perhaps a border collie (smartest dog?) or a Newfie (dumbest dog?)?
<strong>I'll second the Keeshound vote.
As for Weine... Weima...I mean Reimaw...aw fvck it, you know what I mean (Weimaraner). Just DONT get one. A couple of my neighbors have one and they
A) Are completely spastic until they get to be 2 or 3 years old (i.e. are very hard to train / discipline)
At least not based on what I've seen. And the owners have put some real time into training them; not lazy people at all.
[ 03-27-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ? ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Since they are somewhat rare and purebred, there are a lot of dumb ones out there, but there are a few breeders in the country that seem to do a good job of mixing it up, so to keep the dog intelligent. I've seen dumb ones, but the smart ones are much smarter than the labs, retrievers, etc. They are high-energy, so if you don't have land they DO get very spastic, though.
Another type of dog I like is the Wigla (sp?) more of less because it's like a mini Weimeraner.
<strong>
For the life of me I can't understand the appeal of Rotweilers?!?!?!? they're bulky, they slober, they lumber and contrary to expressed opinion here (as I read at least once a year in the paper) they are not good for kids but they think kids are good for them (tasty that is) </strong><hr></blockquote>
ignorance at its best........................
<strong>I can't believe no one has mentioned shepherds. I've grown up with a family of dogs and dog lovers and the Shepherds always stood out as the most loved.
There's a reason why so many law enforcement agencies use shepherds. They are very smart, very loyal, and usually have a great disposition (although, as with people, there are no absolutes). I also like Goldens, but my friend who has two complains that they lack loyalty. They are the friendliest dogs you'd ever want to meet, but he's convinced that they would hop into any car that pulls up and not look back. Keep in mind that htese larger dogs really deserve a lot of room to run. Beagles are also great if you are looking for something smaller.
Whatever you get, as was said before, check out the local shelter. Shelters don't just have mutts, but a surprizing number of pure or near-purebreds. But if you know the breed you want then consider getting a dog from a <a href="http://www.gsrmd.org"; target="_blank">rescue</a> organization.
[ 03-27-2002: Message edited by: Michael Grey ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
yes, i dont know how i could forget...
G. Shephards are very kickass dogs. they get my vote.
I've never been a big fan of Rotts. They're like the cellphone or SUV of dogs IMO. (sorry alliance, just my opinion). I've known a few people that have gotten a Rott only to realize they weren't that smart (not dumb, just not that smart), a bit smelly, and awfully clumsy - especially in the first couple of years. They just grow so fast they don't realize how big they are and they go around knocking things over with their tails.
I knew a guy who had a Rott once, came home to find it had chewed an ENTIRE arm off a couch. It wasn't a pretty site.
I still say my dog is learning more english every day. If I say "get the hedgehog" he gets his stuffed hedgehog, if I say "get the ball" he gets the ball, if I say "get the lion" he gets the lion. He actually knows his toys apart.
Oh, and Westies don't stink.
Boxers are cool, but don't tend to live very long. 9 years is long for a Boxer. Average about 6 years I think.
<strong>
ignorance at its best........................</strong><hr></blockquote>
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
Anyways, I nominate a Shetland Sheepdog or a Beagle. I have both, and they're both pretty, friendly, and intelligent.
My family has wanted to get another dog for the past 2 years but I haven't liked the deal. Kind of hard to "replace" something that was so close to you as you grew up.
But nonetheless, this weekend when I go down south for Spring Break my family is going to likely get a dog. A Bernese Mountain dog. Really beautiful animal and supposedly they are amazingly calm and well manored dogs.
they also are suppose to get along very well with other animals which is good because I have three cats
[ 03-27-2002: Message edited by: applenut ]</p>
We have a 3 year old female (can't get used to calling her a 'bitch'
She is AWESOME with my daughter. She climbs all over this dog, pesters her constantly, and I am never worried about anything happening. My daughter is in love with this dog, the first thing she does when she wakes up is look around the living room saying "aawwwaaahhh" constantly until she finds the dog. (can't pronounce the S yet)
The only thing we aren't thrilled with is the shedding - you get used to it though.
I think they're great dogs, in that while they can go all day long if you want them to - they also have no problem laying around all day if you don't feel like doing anything.
The thing around here lately is breeding them HUGE - like 160 pounds. Sarah is 85 pounds and pretty lean - a little small by Rottie standards, but big enough for us. Great guard dog too - if I'm out Sarah will not let my wife answer the door unless she's got her nose out first to check the guy out.
She's also very smart - head and shoulders above all the other dogs in her obedience class (which included a few Shephards). Yeah, I'm a little biased, but she's a great dog.
About the Shepherds. They ain't that safe folks. There's a reason why police use them -- besides intelligence and obedience -- they have the strongest bite of any dog. No gimmicky lock-jaw psuedo-urban legend crap, just pure clamping power. A big King Shepherd bites down considerably harder than any Rotweiller, and most any Molosser. Maybe it doesn't look tuff enough for people buying dogs out of some sort of small dick syndrome, but a police trainer I know assures me that it's one of the strongest dogs out there.
Anyway, did you know that 'breeding', particularly in the last 50 years, is ruining most breeds. Many of the 'pure breds' of the last half century have a lot of health problems because breeders have gotten completely out of hand with primarily cosmetic concerns about the standard. Animal Husbandry used to breed animals for a purpose. Today, many (most?) breeders breed dogs to a 'standard' which often describes nothing more than a shape.
The coloration makes me think collie.
I'm thinking I'll have a tough time pushing a Rottie, and since I won't be there to watch it I'm not going to try and push anything that big and potentially dangerous.
<strong> We rescued her from the needle at the local SPCA. </strong><hr></blockquote>
SPCA? whats that stand for...? around here, if the animal shelter picks up a rottie they arent allowed to give it up for adoption--it is automatically terminated after a few days...
u musta got her real young if they let u have her.
Sarah was a year old when we got her, and everyone working there was actually sad to see her go.
Actually I usually say that "saved her from the needle" thing as a bit of a joke. Truth is, we're damn lucky we got her, there were a few couples looking at her (had taken her for a walk, and were deciding on whether to take her or not).
At the time, I was going there regularly as a volunteer to walk the dogs. I took her around the block a couple of times and that was it - I knew she was the dog for us.
Funny, when we took her out to the van 2 of the ladies working there came out with us to say goodbye to her - everyone in the place loved her. Pretty cool to see that.
Oh and applenut, you'll be very happy with the Bernese. Those are VERY intelligent dogs - a nice choice.
Matsu, you sure about the Shephard biting strength? I could have sworn that's why the police stopped using Rotties. I know it was a concern in Canada anyway - the Rotts were breaking forearms while holding suspects after catching them. Really strong jaws. Shephards muzzles are so much longer and more narrow - the Rotts generally have a much thicker, wider jaw - more leverage there for clamping force. (other problem with them - serious overheating when it gets really hot out)
So much for my investigations. hehe
That's a really really nice dog.
<strong>Dalmation (I hear they're mean)? </strong><hr></blockquote>
Who told you that nonsense???
While growing up, we had two dalmations and they're awesome dogs!
that's one area where border collies have done well over the last generations though. they are work dogs. they need to be smart, healthy and have a lot of endurance. so they have been bred for useful traits, not cosmetics.
that being said, border collies need a ton of exercise. we take our two dogs out every day to play frisbee for an hour, walk them at night, and usually in the morning. on top of that, they play catch for hours in the house and chase eachother around all the time.
the fact that they have been bred as work dogs means in part that they need to do a lot of running to stay healthy. don't get one if you don't think you'd be walking it every day at least once a day.
wonderfully loyal, but they can be a bit quirky.