Big dogs

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am toying with the idea of getting a dog soon-and I hate ankle biters. That being said, I was looking for an opinion on some of the larger breeds.

St. Bernards-My family has had one or another for a long while. Very loving and loyal dogs in my experience, if not overly bright. (Or maybe they are-there’s something to be said for the “Take your tricks and stuff 'em, two legs, cause you’ll end up feeding me anyway” mindset.) Could really do without the slobbering, though.

Great Pyrenees-A buddy of mine had one of these in college. Beautiful dog, but again, didn’t seem to bright.

Great Dane-No experience with these.

Mastiffs-Is Fang from the Harry Potter movie one of these? That dog looked damn cool. I’ve heard, though, that the mastiffs are a semi-brutal breed, if not go for the thraot killers. True or not?

Newfoundlands-Nearly the same as a St. Bernard-true or false?

Dalmatians-Not necessarily a big dog, but a damn beautiful one. I’ve also heard/read that they have some health problems and can become quite mean.

English Bulldogs-Again, not a large breed to my mind, but, c’mon, how are you gonna turn down a face like that? Those things are hilarious.

These are the ones that spring to my mind, but if anyone could offer any suggestions that differ from those listed here, or can correct/confirm anything I’ve said here, please do so.

2

We just inherited a 120+ lb male Samoyed when we bought our house 3 months ago. He is just one big, white bundle of joy. He looks just like a giant polar bear and has the sweetest personality I have ever seen on a dog. I have never seen a dog love people so much. He is no genius but I don’t think that Samoyeds are nearly as dumb as St. Bernards or Newfoundlands. I would say he is average intelligence for a dog. I had similar experiences with the Alaskan Malmutes we had growing up. They are quite large and sweet. I guess I am partial to the sled dog breeds.

3

Mutts are nice. We have three - a border collie x lab, a golden retriever x wolf hybrid, and a lab x ??. They are around 70-80 lbs. each maybe not as big as you want but put all three together for one big dog. There was a Great Pyrenees in my obedience class and its handler had to carry around a rag to wipe up drool - the dog was constantly drooling. A few of the dogs on your list require a lot of grooming, take that into consideration. Well, that’s all I know, but mutts are great!

4

You want smart and sweet? Get a Golden Retriever. They are nice and big, but not ridiculous. And they rock.

Also, re: mastiffs. There are different kinds. My sister has had 3 bull mastiffs, one of which was a champion show dog. All of them were/are fantastic dogs, all of them had sweet, goodball temperaments. Unfortuneately, two of them died very young, 3-4 years (brain tumor and twisted bowel), and the average lifespan for giant breeds is pretty brief, you’re generally lucky to get them to 9.

5

First, I’ll assume you’re fully acquainted with the ramifications of what your endeavoring upon. More Dog = More Work typically, and I’ll assume you’re not looking for a apartment friendly/lap dog here.

The only ones here I’ve had extended experience with are St Bernards and Mastiffs. Both are not just big dogs, but we’re talking HUGE. 150 lbs+. Eat like horses and can be ridden like them too.

The St Bernards were very obedient, friendly, and quiet dogs. They did slobber ALOT and left the entire place somewhat sticky, and smelling of dog, including your clothes. If you’ve got the time and space, and aren’t worried about the less than fastidious aspects of dogs, you’d probably be pretty happy.

Mastiffs make St Bernards look small. A friend had three over the years and they each were massive. Paws like hooves and heads bigger than Thankgiving Turkeys. They were also very friendly and personable pets. Tended to be less well behaved, but never aggresive or violent. They do tend to be a little too enthusiastic when they greet you and will probably knock you over. Unlike St. Bernards they seem to not realize how big they are, and tend to knock things over, including people, and like to play like Lab puppies. The Mastiffs didn’t train as easily as the Bernards, but were much more of the “mans best friend” type.

I’m no fan of dogs, and would never be willing to deal with the work and mess involved in a dog of either of these sizes, but given the choice between the 2 I’d probably take the Bernard. Perhaps my distaste for dogs causes me to prefer the more reserved breed, so take that with a grain of salt.

In either case, both breeds were friendly good pets, so I wouldn’t warn against eiither as long as you understand what you’re in for.

6

Let me chime in and say Great Danes are awesome! Very even tempered and friendly dogs (their temperment is actually part of their AKC breed requirement).

Also, I believe you heard correctly on Dalmations. I guess blindness/deafness and arthritis are relatively common in the breed. As far as temperment, wouldn’t being blind and arthritic make you honery, too?

7

I had a Great Pyr and she was great. I found her to be very intelligent but stubborn. She also had to be handled different than other dogs. By that I mean, yelling “No” at her was really all the punishment she needed. She would avoid me for hours after I had yelled at her. My friend has one also and she is an awesome dog. Pyrs are hearding dogs and my friend’s will herd everyone at a party into a corner if she can. No problems with drool, but one of my favorite dogs is a Basset Hound. Basset’s definitely drool. Still worth it, though, best personality for a breed of dog in my experience. Sometimes they alter their barks or baying to communicate what they want. I understand most hounds will, but I’ve only been around Bassets. I’ve always wanted a Newfie, but the 10 year life span kinda holds me back. My bassets generally lived about 15 years and my lab lived about 15 years. Don’t know if that really matter to you. Oh yeah, Labs are great dogs if you get a good one, but you have to be careful in the selection.

8

Newfies are my favourite dogs, followed closely by Huskies.

Grooming is certainly a major consideration. A lot of the long-haired giant breeds have double coats and they “blow” them a couple of times a year.

Please, if you’re getting a giant dog buy it from a reputable breeder, get it thoroughly checked out by a vet before purchase, follow instructions regarding food and water (stomach torsion and bloat aren’t nice to witness) and be aware that most of the giant breeds have comparatively short lifespans.

9

I also say, go for a mutt.

My dog isn’t as big as your examples there, he’s a chow/shep/lab mix. Has all the best of each breed.

Chow – Protective, somewhat a one family dog lot’s of fur

Shepard – Very smart, a trotty walk, protective but listens well to commands (he even knows hand signals)

Lab – Playful and again smart.

While he’s short in hieghthe goes just past my knees a smidge, he is long like a shepard and has brindle coloring which is unusual for a long haired dog. He weighs about 75 pounds and one of his many nick-names is wide load.

He’s not a lap dog by any means. Nice thing about medium size dogs is they fit easily in smaller cars. They aren’t as intimidating until they bark and if you have to pick them up (after an injury or whatever) it doesn’t take three grown men to hoist the dog in a car or on an exam table.

No slobber, doesn’t eat a lot and prefers to be with his mom than be outside (hence the wideload.)

10

Bloodhounds and Alaskan Malamutes. Maybe it’s the individual dogs’ personalities, but both are sweet, loyal, affectionate, fun. But they need exercise. They can live inside, too.

11

One disadvantage of a really, really huge dog is that they lead particularly short lives – about 8 years, tops, for a Great Dane.

I’m thinking about this because Cindy, one of my parents’ dogs, just died on Friday. 16 years old. :frowning:

I haven’t heard anyone mention the Irish Wolfhound. Gentle giants.

12

You mentioned Bulldogs way back in the OP. Great choice.

They are a much more convenient size than the Newfies or St Bernards. A smooth coat also means you won’t have those tumbleweeds rolling around the livingroom.

They have a natural dignity about them.

Currently we have a Boston Terrier, as we need something a bit more active for the girls than a Bulldog. But you cannot go wrong with a funny-looking, snoring, stubborn dog who farts.

13

My SO has a 10-year old Malamute, and she is the sweetest, most loveable “woo” (one of her many nicknames) I’ve ever known! :smiley: Yes, she is big – about 100 lbs. – but I’m convinced it’s mostly fur :wink: The only issue is that she’s dog-aggressive, which from what I understand is a Spitz/Nordic trait. Or perhaps it’s because she’s still intact…

I love having conversations with her. It’s amazing how much she understands. If you tell her to do something, she gets a faraway look in her eyes as if she’s letting what you said compute, and then she’ll do it. If she doesn’t like it, she’ll “argue”, then do it.

Right now she’s curled up on the bed like a big fluffy ball, her chin resting on the quilt, eyes half-closed. I think she knows I’m talking about her…:slight_smile:

14

I’ll third or fourth the mutt idea. The best dog I ever had was a border collie mixed with something short-haired. Smart and even tempered.

Our new pup is a Lab/Airedale mix, and he’s a blast. He’s got the smarts of the terrier and the energy of the lab (plus that cute hair-over-the-eyes-terrier thing). At 8 months old, he’s almost 50 lbs., so he’s big enough to wrestle with, but not so big that my 6 year old daughter can’t handle him.

Not to mention that we probably won’t have to deal with dysplasia, deafness, blindness, and all the other crap that purebreds get.

15

I gotta chime in on the mutt side. My parents had a dog, lab/husky/something else mix, that just died at 15. Even though they never made an attempt to train him to do anything (he eventually learned “sit” and “down”), he was an incredibly friendly and well-behaved dog.

16

I’ll chime in with the cost of vet bills (something to think about). With a 100 pound G. Shepherd, he’s right on the borderline for medications, etc. In his younger days his average weight was 105-110, which meant that his heartworm med’s were about $65. Now that he’s at 100, it’s about $35. Basically, anything over 100 pounds, the cost of med’s is doubled.

17

Another vote for the Danes. My SO’s roommate has one and she is incredibly calm. She is neat, doesnt shed, can go from indoors to outdoors without wreaking havoc. She has a very human temperament; will lay her head in your lap when
she wants affection, but typically does her own thing. She’s
incredibly well-behaved, too, one of those types of dogs who
obeys ANYONE, regardless of whether she agrees!
I have read a lot about them on the 'net, and this calm, non-hyper temperament seems to be a breed trademark.
You could look into a rescue dog; breeders cannot use
dogs that carry albino or unusual traits (Cora has one blue eye, one brown) so these dogs can be had for a song. I cannot rave enough about them.
Also, if you are in the similar, slightly smaller dog market, you wont find a calmer, more even-tempered, neat dog than a greyhound. Should be plenty who need homes!

18

I second the Bulldog vote. Ours is a joy. She’s not as much of a couch potato as you might think, and for almost 6 years old she’s as sharp as a tack. The way she picks up new tricks/commands you’d think she was a much younger bully. Loyal, protective, friendly, happy, sweet… you can’t go wrong. They get away with a lot more than you’d like them to just because of that face. Those big weepy eyes, drooly jowls… I can’t resist :slight_smile:

19

I know you asked about bigger breeds but hey size ain’t everything. :smiley: If you are interested in a medium sized 35-50lb family member, I cannot recommend highly enough the Brittany. Hunting dogs by nature and known as the only pointing retriver, they are smart, easily trained, gentle and extremely lovable. I am rather fond of my boys Buck and Jake and I have another old girl Lou–she’s 12 and maybe just a little blind/senile but still a sweetie.

20

I second the greyhound idea. They are wonderful dogs, and most adopted older dogs come with training on how to live in a house/apartment (since most of them have spent their lives in a kennel, they aren’t quick to grasp the concept of a “home”.) My family adopted a wonderful retired racer(OSR Debbie)in the early 90’s. Unfortunately, after we had her a few years, she got hit by a car, but the years we had with her were wonderful. Find out more about it here: http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/

My parents currently have a chow/lab mix, and she is one of the sweetest, most playful dogs I’ve ever known. There are so many dogs without pedigrees out there that need homes (and some that DO have pedigrees, such as greyhounds), it seems a shame to buy from a breeder. Whatever you do, stay away from pet stores!