Recommend a Dog Breed

In My Humble Opinion
1

I want to get a dog. I’d prefer a purebred, mainly because you have a set of known characteristics that you can to some extent expect to find in most examples of the breed when you take that cute puppy home and it grows up. A mixed breed takes away that predictability. So - please don’t try to sell me on a mongrel.

Here’s what I’m looking for in a dog:

Moderately active (daily walks at least; up for a good hike now & then even better);

Minimal grooming (the most I’m going to want to do is a short daily brushing and the occasional bath) and minimal or no shedding;

As few inherent health problems as possible;

Not prone to barking a lot;

Not aggressive;

Easy to housebreak & train;

A great “personality”.

I don’t care if the dog gets along with kids, cause I don’t. I don’t have any other pets. I do have a husband.

I can’t stand most little frou-frou toy dogs; anything with a bow in its hair isn’t what I consider a “real” dog.

I don’t want a dog to just stick in the yard and feed - I want it to be my buddy. I believe in crating, but I have the liberty of being able to take my dog to work with me rather than leave it home alone all day. I live in a moderate climate where it sometimes gets hot in the summer and sometimes snows in the summer, but usually is pleasant, if somewhat rainy. I own my home and have a fenced back yard, but it’s not escape-proof.

Here are some breeds I already know I don’t like or want:
beagle, bassett hound, bulldog, boston terrier, toy or miniature poodle, shih tzu, pekingese, pomeranian, dachshund, dalmatian, irish setter, scottish terrier, pit bull, afghan hound. Those are the ones I can think of, off the top of my head.

What I’d really appreciate is hearing from some of you who’ve owned a particular breed of dog, explaining why you think that breed of dog is so great and would be a good fit for someone like me.

Thanks.

2

Sounds like you would get along well with a working/herding dog. Check out www.akc.org for a comprehensive listing of their recognized breeds.

Personally, I am in love with German Short-Haired Pointers. I’ve never had one, but it sounds like what you’re looking for.

3

Were it not for the minimal grooming requirement, I’d have said a husky is a great fit. They do blow their coats once a year, though.

4

Bischon Frise…NOT!

The only thing these are good for is …well, I better not say, but Pele can tell you! :smiley:

The only dogs I can stand are Huskys. They don’t bark, and don’t act like “dogs”. They shed and dig, though.

Snows in summer? Cool! :wink:

“Lets get them meek bastards NOW!”

5

Short-haird collie? They have all the easy to train and gentle behavior of a collie, but without all that fur. They can be shy though.

6

Australian Shepherds are intelligent, energetic, quiet and loving, but are also protective of their owners, if necessary. I had three of them and loved them all. Any other breed of border collie or shepherd would also be right up your alley.

7

Whoops! I was interrupted while typing that & lost my train of thought - I meant “winter”, of course. :smack:

I’ve read a lot of the profiles on the AKC site, but what I’m really looking for is the POV of ordinary owners. And - an honest list of some of the possible “negatives”. I know no dog lover wants me to pick the wrong dog for me and end up taking it to the shelter (not saying I’m like that, just making a point about compatibility).

8

Err, I would not reccommend an Aussie or Border collie unless you have an effing lot of free time on your hands. They are extremely high energy dogs, as well as being very intelligent. Thus, they need a “job” to keep them busy, or else they’ll invent one… like dismantling your drywall, or removing doors. In other words, they’re great dogs for the right person, but not your typical laid-back pooch.

Adopting a retired racing greyhound might be a good idea, they’re very very mellow, sweet, laid back, couch-potato types who like long walks or runs. Cons are that you can pretty much never trust them off-leash, as they tend to chase anything that moves, and some people don’t like the “look” of sighthounds. Other pros are in the health area–because they are bred purely for function rather than appearance, they are not prone to canine hip dysplasia as are most other breeds, and have few other genetically linked health issues. Google search “adopt racing greyhound” for more information.

A giant schnauzer also might be up your alley–if you get one with a hard, German style coat and have it clipped then all you need to do is maintenance brushing. Schnauzers with American style coats need a bit more brushing, as the fur is softer and finer and tends to tangle more easily. They do not shed. They are laid back, somewhat protective of their family and property, but not typically dog- or human-aggressive. Moderate energy level but not hyperactive, bright, and affectionate without being overly demanding.

Any of the sporting breeds are usually nice dogs, and if you look into dogs like weimaraners, vizslas, german shorthaired pointers, german wirehaired pointers, etc, then you’ll have a short coated dog that needs little grooming, but a lot of exercise. In general, sporting breeds are very personable, easy to train, and devoted to pleasing their people.

Hound breeds are very independant, as they are bred to work without direct human supervision and make their own decisions. Thus, they will often not bother to consult you before making choices. Obedience training is a long process, be creative. Great personalities though. Can be very noisy, think “awr! awr! awr!” rather than “ruff! ruff!” Some people like this. Their neighbors tend not to.

Working breeds are sort of a combination of the above. They work with supervision so it’s not usually difficult to train them, but they are fairly opinionated. They have to be to push a 2000 pound cow around. Stay away from pastoral breeds unless you live on a ranch and own livestock, or rarely have friends visit. They really don’t care much about associating with people, and while they can make good companions, their traditional job is living night and day guarding a flock of sheep or other stock from marauding predators, and rarely, if ever being handled by people. Great Pyrenees are an exception, but if you don’t like a massive, thick, heavy shedding, high maintenance coat, then don’t get a pyr.

In my not terribly humble opinion, if you are (properly) concerned about genetic health issues, I would reccommend steering clear of any breed of dog that is very popular in the United States. The prevalence of skeezy puppy-mills or ignorant backyard breeders who hope to profit by producing poor quality animals is obscene. What I mean is, good luck trying to find a good quality, mentally and physically sound GSD in the US. If you look into a less common breed and do your homework, you’re much more likely to find a higher percentage of reputable, honest breeders in an uncommon breed like the clumber spaniel or dogo argentino than in a breed like the GSD, rottweiler, golden retreiver, etc.

Good luck!

~mixie

9

Thanks, Mixie - great reply!

Anybody else? No such thing as TMI when it comes to sharing the next dozen or more years of your life with another living creature…

10

I forgot to mention, giant schnauzers, or Riesenschnauzers, range in size from 23 to 30 inches, 75 to 100 pounds.

11

It might prompt more discussion if we had a better idea of what exactly you’re looking for–your list of “wants” pretty much runs right down the moderate middle of what your typical dog owner wants. What I mean is, no one is going to come looking for a noisy, hyperactive, aggressive, hard to train, heavy shedding, sickly dog :wink:

For example, do you want a very large, medium sized, moderately small, or very little dog? There are many small breeds that are not ankle-biting, fluff-wads- wire-haired fox terriers, border terriers, westies, English cocker spaniels, mini schnauzers, and shiba-inus are all small dogs that I don’t feel an immediate urge to punt like a football.

Do you want a longer haired dog, short but thick coat, short and thin coat, thick and fluffy? There are several breeds with thick, fluffy coats that do not tend to develop mats, but would need a daily brushing. Most of those breeds blow coat once or twice a year–but taking them to a groomer and having them professionally bathed and their undercoat blown can mostly get rid of this problem. Most dogs, even ones with beautiful, thick coats, should not have more than a few baths a year. It’s really rough on their skin and coat and makes them more smelly if you bathe them too often.

Do you want a laid back couch potato, an independant and intelligent dog, a dog that will need a lot of creative training, one that needs very little formal obedience training? My friend’s weimaraner is smart. She opens the refrigerator and helps herself to a snack occasionally. She gets easily bored with repetitive training and needs very short bursts of training activity, long, traditional obedience training sessions bore and frustrate her and are rather counter-productive. On the other hand, my parents’ golden probably never had more than five hours of actual “training” in his entire life, yet will sit, lie down, shake, out, come, heel, find mom, find dad, find jen, find me, and a few other random things on command. He also thinks his main mission in life is to hold down the carpet. A very active, engaged dog will usually need a lot more direct interactive training.

Do you have any examples of breeds you might consider, so that we can get a better idea of what you’re looking for?

Peace,
~mixie

12

Ever consider a Boston Terrior? I have two…very clean, good with kids, easily housebroken, not too big, not too small…Man! I could go on forever about these wonderful dogs.

13

We have a Yellow Lab and he is the best. He will follow me around the yard and or house just to be nearby when I am doing something. Sits down and just watches what I am doing. He will curl up right next to you if you so desire. He grabs his lease and brings it to me when he wants to go for a run. He doesn’t bark that much, he is smart, was very to train and has not made a mistake yet. He has big bright brown eyes and a great smile. He loves women and is especially fond of the wife.

14

I happen to be very fond of dobermans. My previous dog was (at best guess) a pointer-doberman cross. An absolutely wonderful dog. I currently have a doberman, a german shepherd and an airedale. All are rescues. The doberman is be far the easiest dog to have around. The airedale is somewhat hyper (of course, she’s also pretty young) and the german shepherd has anxiety issues. My dobes haven’t had clipped ears.

Before my dobe-pointer cross, I had an afghan hound. Very sweet, calm dog. Lot of coat upkeep, though.

StG

15

What is your personality like? Are you assertive enough to handle a dog that might be a bit of a handful to train, or are you more a more laid-back person that requires an “easy” dog? That is, are you a natural alpha? Are you a first time dog owner?

For example, boxers can be a handful, but might be a good match if you can handle the bouncy personality. But in the hands of a laid-back owner, they’re very wild.

When you say not aggressive, can you clarify what you mean? Do you mean you don’t want a dog that has protective tendencies, because that rules out lots and lot of breeds. Do you mean you don’t want a breed that tends to be dog-aggressive, or a breed that is traditionally a guard dog?

16

A Lab is probably your easiest choice. It is hard to go wrong with one of those. Very even and friendly disposition, happy to loaf around the house and happy to go on adventures with you. To my mind they are the ‘no-brainer’ choice among dogs and they fit all your criteria mostly.

Your requirement that limits your choices more than anything else is no (or minimal) shedding. Most dogs shed and while some do so much less than others it is an issue you face more often than not. The only dog that comes to mind that meets the shedding and your other requirements is a Great Dane. Big though they are they are docile couch potatoes and their fur is simple to maintain. They have the drawback of being relatively short-lived (the giant breeds tend to have short lifespans of around 8 years rather than 12ish for most dogs and 14-15 years for smaller dogs). Also, for some reason, they think they are lap dogs…kidjanot. Every Great Dane I have known would climb on my lap while I was sitting on a couch and lay on me. Cute thought that was it is a lot of dog to have on you. Of course such behavior could be easily handled with minimal training (the owners liked this behavior so they didn’t stop it).

Now I’ll put in the plug for my personal favorite (I currently have one of these):

I had grown-up my whole life with German Shepherds and absolutely love the breed. When my wife started speculating that we should get a dog I immediately chimed in to get a German Shepherd Dog (GSD). Unfortunately her experiences with the breed were different than mine and she refused saying they had too many health problems and were unstable. To drive the point home my brother-in-law’s GSD snapped at me while I was just sitting on the floor next to it and paying it no mind with my wife looking on nodding like she knew it all along. The sad fact is that the GSD in the US is a very popular breed and has been subjected to over-breeding and in-breeding by unscrupulous breeders. The breed tends to have severe hip-dysplasia problems and their temperament has gotten uneven…a dangerous thing in a dog this size. You can find good examples of the breed but they are hard to filter from the masses.

Randomly cruising the interent one day I stumbled across the Shiloh Shepherd. The breed founder likewise had a love for GSDs and was sad at their current state so she set about ‘re-breeding’ the GSD to its original standards. The process resulted in a bigger shepherd with a much more even temperament and free (or mostly free) of genetic defects that lead to problems like hip dysplasia. Pointing out to my wife (actually ex-wife now) that this breed avoided all of her issues her veto flew out the window and we got one and we couldn’t be more thrilled with her (the ex-wife is a convert and loves the dog to pieces).

The Shiloh Shepherd comes in a ‘smooth’ and ‘plush’ version. The smooth is practically indistinguishable from a typical GSD (although the GSD also has a long-hair version but most people don’t know that). The plush version is long haired. However, it turns out the long haired version sheds less than the short haired version. We have the plush (long hair) dog and brush her maybe once a week for about ten minutes and give her a bath once every three months (unless she got especially dirty in the mud or something). She does shed but it isn’t too bad. Considering normal house cleaning sees the place swept and vacuumed once a week anyway it’s rarely even noticeable (you find the occasional tuft of fur). Our two cats at ten pounds each shed MUCH worse than our 95 pound dog. Growing-up my GSDs (short haired) shed a lot.

The Shiloh meets all of your requirements wonderfully. They are exceptionally loyal dogs and exceptionally intelligent. They need only moderate exercise and will lounge around quite happily or run about given the chance. They are relatively quiet and generally only bark at intruders and only then enough to ‘sound the alarm’ and quiet down quickly. Shilohs (when I say this it goes for GSDs too) are ‘trotters’. That is they are not sprinting dogs (although they can of course if they want to). Their long gate allows them to eat up ground easily so they can hang in long hikes with no trouble.

As to aggressive they generally aren’t but it is important to socialize them properly while they are puppies. Shilohs are naturally protective and as such would never dream of harming any of its family members. That protectiveness can lead it to aggression towards others if it doesn’t know any better. This is easily remedied with good socialization at an early age which is good advice for any dog and should be done no matter what. Socialization just means taking it to the park, walking down the street, having people over and so on so the dog can interact with other people and dogs. This should be done as much as possible during the first year and the dog will just get it. Like any kid (or dog) it might display inappropriate behavior but a correction from you sets things straight in no time. They are quite intelligent and ‘get it’ very quickly (more on this below).

As for personality any dog is going to have one but Shilohs have it in spades. As I said they are intelligent dogs. Look at the pictures on the web page I linked to above…you can actually see it in their eyes. As a result they have very distinct personalities and can always surprise you with their cleverness. Our dog has a stuffed cat toy (called ‘Mean Kitty’). If we play or give attention to our cats for too long she will go find Mean Kitty and literally throw it at us (really throw…she tosses her head and lets go and the stuffed cat hits us in the head). She has lots of other toys but somehow she put together that Mean Kitty stuffed toy is similar to the cats and chooses that toy every time when the real cats are involved.

There are lots of stories like that. Unfortunately we actually found a downside to her intelligence. Dogs learn by repetition. Our dog however learns what we are trying to teach her really fast. So if it was something like ‘sit’ we were trying to teach she’d get it on the second or third try. Wonderful we thought but then we’d make her stand and sit repeatedly to drive the lesson home. After a half dozen of these you could see she thought this was stupid and would stop complying. That was just an example (she had sit nailed in five minutes) but I tell it to drive home just how bright these dogs are.

Here are the ‘downsides’ (in quotes because they may or may not really be a problem). Our vet told us Shilohs are the second rarest breed of dog. True or not (I have no idea personally) they are rare enough to be expensive. Depending on the quality of dog (pet quality, show quality, etc.) expect to pay $750 - 2,000 for one. Their rarity means you will likely have to wait a few months to get the dog by getting on a list with a breeder for a dog from a future litter and the breeder may not even be nearby (our dog came from Connecticut and was flown to us). Also realize that these dogs are not AKC registered and never will be so no ‘official’ dog shows for these guys (the breed founder is fanatic about controlling the genetics of the breed to avoid the fate of the GSD and if you get the breed AKC registered the AKC takes over the breed standard). This doesn’t mean you can’t mate your Shiloh to a Dachsund if you felt like it but if you want to breed Shilohs (and use the name) the breed founder has very strict criteria she wants followed. Unfortunately many breeders have chaffed at the restrictions and have ‘broken away’ from the Shiloh breed and gone it alone. One such is the King Shepherd. Unfortunately to me this means people who want puppy mills to make money instead of breeders who adore the breed and want to protect it. The link I provided above is the real deal so if you’re interested seek breeders through that web site. I even e-mailed the breed founder and she replied when I asked about the breeder I got my dog from.

Sorry for the lengthy post but I am extremely fond of my dog and this breed and take every chance to spread the word that I can. I love all dogs but these guys are something special indeed.

17

You’ll probably want to avoid sighthounds and scenthounds, who will easily stray from their masters if something distracts them. Smaller breeds, too, might not keep up; they’re certainly fast, but probably not up to long hikes.

Now the list is narrowed down quite a bit. Non-shedding and low-shedding breeds that are relatively athletic:

Standard Poodle w/puppy cut
Portuguese Water Dog (what I’ve got, so I’ll admit my bias now)
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Giant Schnauzer
Bedlington Terrier
Kerry Blue Terrier
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Bearded Collie (brushing, but not much grooming)

You’ll never find a low or non-shedding breed that doesn’t require grooming on a semi-regular basis.

Health problems very from breed to breed. Buy from a reputable breeder, and health problems won’t be an issue.

Scratch the Giant Schnauzer.

Scratch the Bedlington (great with humans, terrible with other dogs) and the Kerry Blue (again, great with humans, but can sometimes be aggressive – not hostile, but very dominant – at the dog park).

Applicable to all the remaining breeds.

Standard Poodles tend to be aloof, and Polish Lowland Sheepdogs can be shy. Let’s remove them from the list.

None of the remaining dogs are foo-foo pooches.

No problem, but remember that most terriers are prone to digging. Could be a problem with the Wheaten, but probably not.

Porties will follow you from room to room. They’re EXTREMELY sweet, intelligent and loyal. However, like many working breeds they need a lot of distractions to be happy.

Bearded Collies are fun, bouncy, affectionate dogs. They’re natural herders, and want space to run. You’ll spend more time brushing them than the other breeds, though.

Given the remaining breeds, I’d go with the SCWT. Grooming is less of a hassle than with the PWD or BC, they have great personalities, and they’re easier to find than the other breeds.

18

I also forgot to consider the German Wire-Haired Pointer. That’s another breed I might put on the “think about it” list.

19

I actually just read on the Shiloh web site that someday they will go for AKC recognition but not just yet. Considering that I never plan to show my dog anyway I don’t really care but I mention it to correct what I previously said.

20

Rhodesian Ridgebacks

are nice, short-haired dogs.

but I like the black and tan coats myself.

Dobermann Pinschers (large breed), Miniature Pinschers (have one myself, a Toy breed, but affectionately called the King of Toys), Manchester Terrier (small/medium breed), German Pinscher (medium breed). All are great watch dogs, Dobermann’s can be guard dogs as well.

short-haired breeds tend to look sleek and are easier to maintain nice coats but they do shed. All of these dogs are active and alert, but pinschers are terriers and love to be dominant, so training them might be hard to do.

Why not check out theAKC website for registered breeds. They have good details on breeds, going to breed specific websites seems like propaganda to me, all they do is accentuate the pluses of the specified breeds.

Oh well, I hope you find any dog that’ll get the love and attention that it deserves.