ATTN dog guys- need dog selection advice- update at the end

General General Discussion
1

Okay, we are thinking about taking the plunge and getting a dog. My wife had a dog as a kid, but this would be my first. I am a bit worried about the relative lack of dog training experience and the potential for new-dog shock.

Here are some bits about my situation:
1- I live in a small house. Really. A small house. Think Manhattan apartment. Interior floors are wood, so minimal allergy issues with dander stuck in the carpets etc.

2- On the plus side, I have an enormous yard by SoCal standards, with about 55’x65’ of usable running/play space with nice grass and hardscape(mostly grass). Fences are 6’+ on 3 sides and 4.5’ chainlink at the front of the property. Fairly secure and likely enough space for all but the largest/leggiest of dogs.

3- I have 2 little girls, ages 3.5 and 5 y/o. Both tend to like dogs, but their experience has been with little dogs and the occasional Labrador, who takes their playful abuse with grace. A truly exhuberant(sp?) large breed might be too much dog, but a little dog would be driven nuts by my kids.

4- cost is not a total non-issue, but I am not looking to go cheap. I think I’d be willing to pay for a good, healthy dog from a reputable breeder, but I confess that I have no idea how much $$$ we are talking about. Most websites I’ve seen make no mention of fees at all, so I am kinda clueless.

5- small dogs are a no-go. Medium to largish would be best, within reason. My small house probably precludes the selection of Great Danes, Wolfhounds, etc. A Lab or Rhodesian or similar would probaby be okay, I think.

6- for the near future (2 to 3 years or so) there will be somebody home most of the time

7- I am not a neat freak, but I’d prefer a dog that isn’t a total mess maker with the slobber and the shedding and the mud etc. Obviously, this is gonna be an issue with any dog, but some more than others, I reckon.

8- I am able to handle the daily walks and jogging and whatnot, but I am unsure how much time I can honestly handle for agility training and ongoing activities. I am not unwilling to do it, but I don’t know what I don’t know with respect to the commitment needed for this aspect of dog onwership. I don’t know anybody who actually does that sort of thing, so it’s hard to get a feel for it.

9- while not an experienced dog guy, I am NOT too casual with pet health and upkeep. We’ve had cats, rabbits, and birds. They are less demanding in most respects, of course, but we are pretty much on the ball with their needs. IOW, if the dog needs attention, the dog will get it. Special diet, grooming, etc all okay. (I spent a nice chunk on surgery for a cat once before after it had an altercation with a moving pickup truck!)

10- the tough part- purebred or mutt, new puppy or rescue/shelter dog? I am not a dog snob at all. A good mutt would be fine by me, BUT…

a recent attempted break-in (while I was home!) has caused my wife to become more insistant that any dog should be able to do at least casual double duty as a protection dog. This is where it gets hard, I think, since I don’t know that an adult dog (purebred or not) would be as amenable to socialization and training needed to adapt to that role.

Honestly, if were up to me alone, I’d just rescue a Greyhound or a healthy mutt and be done with it. The kids and the the protection angles complicate things tremendously, IMO. How to pick a medium-large dog that is both stable enough to be good with young kids and of the same temperment to serve as a protector…? How mutually exclusive are these requirements?

Dogs I am considering include:
Rhodesian
Labrador/Chessy
Boxer
Airedale
Norwegian Elkhound
Pyrenees
Whippet (a strong contendor if not for the protection thing)
Greyhound (another good choice due to ease of finding one as an adult)

Certainly I am open to being pointed in other directions.

What do you guys think?

2

We have a 9 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback and while I love the guy he’s a huge pain in the ass. They need a lot of exercise because they are big and active dogs and sometimes that’s tough with small children. You can’t always give the dogs the proper attention they need.

Keep in mind that Ridgebacks are hounds so they’ll only listen when they want to listen and only then it usually works when food is involved.

But he’s my best buddy and very good with the kids and the cat.

3

Labrador all the way for me.

Have had three in my life and NEVER regretted it once.

Intelligent, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, easy to train, ONE MOOD all the time, SOCIALABLE, Good around children and strangers, LOYAL, GOOD protectors etc.

Good Luck in your Quest.

4

have to go with lab, especially for the kids. Not the best indoor dog (those fine underhairs will shed), but definitely mellow and great with kids. To minimize the size, look for female; a small percentage of the females will also tend to be more aggressive, not toward your family, but more territorial/protective where your family and house is concerned.

we’ve had poodles, pit bulls, fiests, yorks, but for young kids the labs have always done the best. good luck

5

Standard Poodle. Smart, well behaved, obedient, and they don’t shed.

6

I’ve had experience with a friend’s dog - a mix of Lab and Poodle. Very smart, very mellow and doesn’t shed.

The problems with some of the breeds you listed are genetics and cost. Make sure you do some research on the breeder and the dog and bitch that drops the litter. You’ll be shocked at what a pure-bred costs in some breeds.

M_P

7

I am going to say a Sheltie or a Greyhound.

8

Lab. Retriever.

9

There are several online quizzes you can take that will tell you which dog breed is best for you. I would try one of those.

When you read about a breed it will tell you what the dog is like, and trust me when I say this - dog breed characteristics and personality traits are typical to the breed.

Since you don’t know much about dogs, I would seriously recommend reading all about the breeds you are considering and reading about how to train yourself. Most people train dogs without luck but it really is the dog owner that needs to be trained to understand the dog. Once you learn that you can have a great relationship.

I personally have two kids, and three dogs and one cat. I have an AKC black & tan German Shepherd, an AKC Toy Maltese, and an AKC long haired Dachsund. All of my dogs are amazing with kids and the cat even. They are inside dogs mainly, but they love being in the yard during the day.

10

Boxer. As long as you can run him/her often outside. They have to exercise a lot as puppies. If you can pull that off than that’s my suggestion.

11

Danes are great dogs. We have one now, great with children, low energy level so long as they are walked daily. Big ass bark that scares everyone; very protective of my wife when i’m not there.

I’d say a boxer, because down here in MS, every other house has a lab or retriever.

12

Read up and get educated on breed characteristics.
What kind of time do you have to devote to the dog?
Will the pet be left on his own for extended time?
Does the dog breed tend to need “work” to do?
Is the dog breed territorial? Good with small kids?

I will be in the market for a new dog(s) for my boys in the near future.
I have been looking at
Australian Shepherds (good family dog, needs “chores” or will get bored, needs attention and room.
Beagles
Labradors - preferably one with European blood lines that run a little smaller than US blood line labs.

13

I am at the heavy reading stage right now. It’s been informative, but I find that many of the books say the same thing about soooo many breeds (and even classes in general) that it is starting to get repetitive.

For the guys who have pure bred dogs- did you get them as adults, adolescents, or as pups?

14

We looked at many of the breeds you did (Rhody, Chessy and Boxer). We went with a Chocolate Lab.

I couldn’t agree more.

If you have access to one nearby … go to a dog show. You can see the breeds, talk to the owners and get a good download on what fits you best.

A bit of advice no matter what breed … if you can swing it … spend some dough to take some classes with an experienced trainer. A solid base of training will go a long way in making life easier for both you and your pet.

It doesn’t need to be fancy (look up “positive” or “clicker” training) … and most of the work will be done by you and your family in your home. The trainer really isn’t there to train the dog … they are there to train the owner and give all parties involved the fundamentals to build on.

15

It’s been love at first sight with every Dane I’ve ever met. Great dogs. I’d love to have one but I’d feel bad cooping up such a large dog. Also, I’d want a dog that I could actually lift if I had to!

16

Pup. Best way.

17

I’ll just leave you with these.

Jackson at 9 mos. with my wife:

He was probably 32" or 33" at the time and about 120#. He is now 2 years old and 36.5" and about 160ish#.

18

Pup. I picked him out myself. But as MP said … you may be surprised at the cost.

I didn’t do it for the snob factor. I did it because a reputable breeder can help keep known breed problems out of the bloodline. To me it was worth a higher up front cost. YMMV.

19

Did you consider a Rottweiler? Short haired, very loyal and protective, easy to train, will bond to your children. I have owned a few Rottweiler’s, Labs and Dobermans. Buy a puppy, female, and train the dog at least an hour a day. Tennis balls, washed, work real well. Get the girls involved to. When the Rottie is old enough get her fixed. This will make her bond to your kids even more. These dogs are very much in the big baby category until there is a threat. Think of this way you can rest assured that a Rottie would fight to the death to protect her family.

Added a link of how rotties are with kids. This vid is typical of most rotties.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&resnum=0&q=rottweiler&um=1&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=8&ct=title#

20

Too cool. :smiley: