No small dogs for me. I grew up with literal packs of dogs with the boss being our female German Shepherd/Norwegian Elkhound cross that we had from second grade until she dropped dead suddenly when I was in college due to old age. She was by far the smartest dog that I have ever known and she could communicate quite well with anyone using her simple gestures and your hand signals. She was never formally trained. She just knew how to do everything including knowing how to react when people were in danger. Lassie was a special needs student by compassion.
The prettiest dog that I ever had came with our house. He was an extremely large, blindingly white Samoyed that weighed over 100 pounds. He wasn’t especially smart but he was sweet as apple pie especially with small children and incredibly stunning to the point where it was a real problem to walk him on streets with any traffic. People would slam on their brakes, back up and ask all about him especially if when he had just gotten done with one of his $120 grooming appointments. He looked just like a flamboyant, gay polar bear. A few even got out and took pictures. He died of old age suddenly when he was 15 which is much better than you can ask of most dogs of that size especially because he was seemingly happy and healthy until then.
The current dog we have is a black Golden-doodle (half Golden Retriever/half standard Poodle) inherited from my father who bought her for a lot of money and then found out he couldn’t handle her because he didn’t realize how big she would become. Some magazines have asked if they are the perfect dog? I would say no but she is pretty good overall. She is extremely energetic and large (she is only 11 months old and she had already topped 70 pounds with much more to come). However, she is extremely smart, has poodle fur that doesn’t shed and she is very protective of small children, I call her “Killer” though because she comes on like Cujo to adults she has never met but she still has time to mature.
My ideal dog is a pure-bred German Shepherd from a really good blloodline. There are tons of bad ones out there because they are greatly overbred but good German Shepherds are close to my ideal dog. Second are large dogs in the sled dog class like Malamutes.
Brachycephalic != unhealthy. Sure, some brachycephalic breeds have some health issues, but it’s not a given, any more than it’s a given that some breeds that are prone to hip dysplasia are all unhealthy. Pugs are actually considered a pretty hearty breed. “Useful”, on the other hand, I can’t vouch for.
*Any *dog? Maybe an Andrewsarchus, but the dog food bill would probably be pretty up there. Otherwise, a Rhodesian Ridgeback would be cool. Anything other than a little yippy dog is fine. Those things are so annoying.
My current dog is a Golden Retriever, and she’s terrific, but then, every dog I’ve ever owned has been terrific.
My next dog is supposed to be a Chocolate Lab, but life has a way of taking over these decisions.
BTW, at this point there seem to be two fairly separate lines of Goldens -the big, blocky ones, and the smaller, trimmer type, such as my girl. So all Goldens aren’t huge, and they are great with kids.
My folks bred them in a small way and I grew up with them and so know their foibles.
The coloured have to be bred as a sub-breed as well as back into the whites for breed health reasons, as white is regressive in bull terriers and thus otherwise all bull terriers would end up white.
You know how small dogs don’t see themselves as small dogs? They’ll sass off to anything even if it’s big enough to eat them in two bits? Cats do this, too. It’s why most dogs let cats boss them around. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight that matters most – it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. It’s all about the mental game with animals, no matter how big they are. They’re not psychic but they’re reading your smell and your body language.
The reason I’m saying all this is because the size of the dog doesn’t affect its ability to push you around. If you can’t stand up to a large dog, you won’t be able to stand up to a little dog, because ultimately, it’s all a mind game. The good news is - you’ve got a better mind than your dog does.
Yeah, the dog can hurt you. Your toddler could hurt you, too - but you’d never allow it. Same thing for your dog. Your dog won’t want to hurt you, and anyway, he’s not allowed.
What dog do I want? A Bichon. My current dog is a Bichon and he’s the easiest dog I’ve ever had. Smart, affection, playful, non-shedding, small, loves kids. My next dog won’t be Sancho, of course, but I’m always going to have Bichons, thanks to him.
Working bred German Shepherd
Working bred English Farm Collie
Working bred Doberman Pincer
No show bred anything.
In actuality, When I win the lottery and have my ranch,anything that wanders to the house and leaves the poultry ,cats,cows and horses alone,unless told to herd them to the barn.
There are two basic issues with “purebred” dog breeds. One is breeding for exaggerated type. With very few exceptions, the original type for each breed was far less exaggerated. Corgis and dachshunds had a quite functional leg length, Bull Terriers had a straight profile muzzle and normal-sized eyes. All breeds with enormous coats used to have generally practical coats for their climate, and so forth. Besides the obvious – more work to groom, having to lift into the car, etc, some exaggerations cause physical problems – difficulties eating, breathing, mating, even walking. An appealing distinctive appearance is not without dangers. Just bear in mind that the farther away from a wild canid form your dog is (i.e. coyote), the more likely it is to have physical issues possibly including suffering. Short lived breeds aren’t short lived by coincidence – their purpose-created physique causes it.
The second is simply inbreeding, which every single breed registered by the American Kennel Club is, without exception, due to the fact that only dogs born of registered parents can be registered – what is known as a “closed stud book”. Breeds were developed typically from very few founders, and due to deliberate breeding practices, have become dangerously homozygous, both within the breed and within the individual. Unique-to-one-breed congenital ailments are very common because of this.
Virtually all the “information” you read about a breed online or in books will not tell you any of this, it’s all regurgitated marketing crap. Nor will breeders, who have invested deeply in their breed, tell you much of anything if you ask.
And one more thing. Dogs are their genes, none more so than these practically cloned purebreds. Besides health, a decent temperament is what pet owners will miss most if not present. Purebred show dogs are never selected for temperament, only appearance.
Caveat emptor, and I would never again buy a registered dog bred for the dog shows. I’ve owned quite a few, and I have spent a lot of time around that hobby.
Interesting. I tried this with my Lab and he closed his eyes and got a blissful look on his face. Most dogs love having the inside of their ears rubbed, though. Some will even let out a moan of ecstasy.
I’ve always wanted a Keeshond as well. We currently have a Groenendael (Belgian Shepherd) & she’s very active & smart. It was my 1st time going through a breeder for a dog & she’s very healthy.
Growing up, the family always had labs, various mixes & Great Pyrenees - all from the local shelters or a farmer getting rid of or selling pups.
I really like the pyr’s gentle, laid-back & quiet disposition, but they love to wander & their thick, oily fur can make them a bit stinky for house living, not to mention the shedding.
Yes they are but they are hard to train (willful) and are a lot like what you would expect a giant terrier to be like. Plus that’s a lot of trips to the groomer.
Depends on space available. I have room right now, and have 2 Boxers. With smaller space, a French Bulldog ($$$$) or a Pug would be a better fit. Why yes, I am partial to breeds with mooshed noses.
Our previous dog was a cocker spaniel border collie mix with the best attributes of each. He was good looking, absolutely brilliant, loyal and neurotic. I’d not try again, the next one might have the brains of a cocker spaniel and the look of the border collie.
I’d go with another Golden Retriever Guide Dog breeder. Beautiful, sweet, well behaved, been petted by an entire class of third graders and loved it. And healthy since breeders get screened a ton. She’s 10 and still runs after balls and still in the prime of health.
But there’s no animal that’s more faithful, that’s more loyal, more loveable than the mutt. Who saw “Old Yeller?” Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end?
