# Suggest a dog breed for us. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255 "2020-05-06T06:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Declanium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Declanium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declanium)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/41 "2020-05-07T04:28:21Z")
I love terriers. I’ve had a Cairn, a Norwich and currently a Westie. Great dogs. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/42 "2020-05-07T07:44:31Z")
We’re not new to dogs. Have had various breeds both pure and mutt over the years, but our dynamics and geography have changed. For those insinuating that we’re ill prepared to take on the task, well, that’s why I started this thread, to get advice. Thanks to all for the suggestions though…still researching. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/43 "2020-05-07T07:47:20Z")
What do they have at the local rescues? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/44 "2020-05-07T14:09:06Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > Holy cow! Hardly anybody knows what a BMC is and now I’ve seen two posts in a row. Our BMC is about 70 pounds and is absolutely one of the sweetest dogs ever. He’s a rescue and his tail was docked before we got him. Overall it’s a good thing, though I don’t generally agree with docking tails or ears. > > He gets along fine with a much smaller female Vizsla mix. BMCs also tend to crate well, which is a good thing because he’s about six feet long when he spreads out on our bed. They are relatively long-lived. > > OTOH…BMC’s slobber and shed like nobody’s business. He makes a puddle on the floor as he waits for me to get him a treat from his jar. Our BMC is an extremely industrious digger and can excavate a hole about 18" deep in minutes. They have huge paws and the dirt really flies. In all honesty, I had no idea that BMCs existed until my wife and I adopted one. We were looking for a second dog and hitting up the local shelters. My wife stopped in a shelter one day while I was at work and this BMC puppy came right up to her. She fell in love and we adopted him. He was in a litter of 7 or 8 that came up from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (We live in Ohio) We had to look up his breed. Funny that most of the people up here in the Midwest have never heard of the breed but folks from the South know right away. My BMC is not really a drooler but he does shed like crazy. He hate the cold so he wears a sweater on cool and cold days. We took him backpacking and it was so cold one night I had to slide him in my sleeping bag with me because he was shivering. He has his own bag now. 🙂 I get so excited when I find other BMC lovers out there! ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/45 "2020-05-07T14:48:14Z")
> [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](#): > > In all honesty, I had no idea that BMCs existed until my wife and I adopted one. > We were looking for a second dog and hitting up the local shelters. My wife stopped in a shelter one day while I was at work and this BMC puppy came right up to her. She fell in love and we adopted him. He was in a litter of 7 or 8 that came up from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (We live in Ohio) We had to look up his breed. Funny that most of the people up here in the Midwest have never heard of the breed but folks from the South know right away. > My BMC is not really a drooler but he does shed like crazy. He hate the cold so he wears a sweater on cool and cold days. We took him backpacking and it was so cold one night I had to slide him in my sleeping bag with me because he was shivering. He has his own bag now. 🙂 > > I get so excited when I find other BMC lovers out there! Awesome! Our BMC showed up at somebody’s house here in NC when he chewed through his rope tether. It was likely he was being trained to hunt (which explains the docked tail) and he was dragging about 10’ of heavy rope. He looked starved. The person who found him tried to locate the owner for about six months before finally putting him up for adoption. Like all BMCs, he looks like a terrestrial walker from Star Wars, with long legs that are basically straight their entire length. We could not ask for a better companion (if we could get him to reduce his drooling). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/46 "2020-05-07T15:38:06Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Pretty sure the lineage of that one on the right includes some meerkat. 😃 Yep, that’s Loki! She will sit and do her 1,000 yard stare at you forever; she is _never_ the first to blink.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/47 "2020-05-07T16:02:24Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Where does this come from? > > I can think of large dogs that need nothing like that amount of exercise and some small dogs that would be happy to tear around all day. Whether large dogs want that amount of exercise is not the same as whether they need it. Many small dogs are energetic but they can get enough exercise just running around the house and yard. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/48 "2020-05-07T17:00:46Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > We’re not new to dogs. Have had various breeds both pure and mutt over the years, but our dynamics and geography have changed. For those insinuating that we’re ill prepared to take on the task, well, that’s why I started this thread, to get advice. > > Thanks to all for the suggestions though…still researching. I wasn’t insinuating anything. I was just giving my standard have you thought this all the way through spiel. I have one for horses, goats, and chickens as well. People jump into animal ownership with zero forethought, research, or common sense every second of every day, and many of those jumps result in animal misery and even death. So even if you don’t need any advice maybe I stopped someone else from buying something truly unsuitable. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/49 "2020-05-07T17:13:13Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Whether large dogs want that amount of exercise is not the same as whether they need it. Many small dogs are energetic but they can get enough exercise just running around the house and yard. This in no way suggests your little dogs need little exercise and big dogs need loads. It is simply not true to say something so broadly. Certainly all dogs need exercise to thrive. Some more than others. And a little dog needs to take more steps to cover the same distance as a big dog in one stride. That said big(ish) dogs I can think of (off the top of my head) that need relatively little exercise are Great Danes, Basset Hounds,English Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees and Bernese Mountain Dogs. Maybe Greyhounds too (super lazy dogs but I think they do well to have somewhere to really get up to speed once in a while which needs some room…could be a big dog park). ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/50 "2020-05-07T17:22:50Z")
If people are stuck at home, it might be a good time to get a puppy. It’ll be easier to work on good behavior and house training if there are people at home all day. And it will provide more bonding time. That’s harder to do when you the puppy has to be alone while you’re at work or school. But just be sure you’re okay with the time commitment since puppies will need constant attention. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/51 "2020-05-08T00:17:57Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > This in no way suggests your little dogs need little exercise and big dogs need loads. It is simply not true to say something so broadly. > > Certainly all dogs need exercise to thrive. Some more than others. And a little dog needs to take more steps to cover the same distance as a big dog in one stride. > > That said big(ish) dogs I can think of (off the top of my head) that need relatively little exercise are Great Danes, Basset Hounds,English Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees and Bernese Mountain Dogs. Maybe Greyhounds too (super lazy dogs but I think they do well to have somewhere to really get up to speed once in a while which needs some room…could be a big dog park). Yes, I agree, too broad a brush. Generally true but lots of exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/52 "2020-05-08T04:45:52Z")
I’m a big fan of herding dogs but I’ve had a lot of them over the years so they seem very normal to me–not everyone agrees though. That being said, I’m very impressed with both my nearly year old registered Australian Cattle Dog (red version) and my older heeler cross (I think crossed with greyhound or whippet) who are both super smart, very playful with each other and people, easy to train (the puppy has literally never once had a poop accident in the house and pee incidents were seldom and mostly due to me being rusty at having a really young pup around) and of what I consider the perfect size the mix doggo is about 48 lbs and the puppy is a solid 55. They’re both good with kids, super sociable (unlike the more high strung Border collies) and get along with other dogs beautifully–they’re always the darlings of the dog park. My mom and sister also have heelers and report theirs are very similar in temperament to my dogs–very confident, outgoing, fun dogs who tend to be sturdy, healthy and long lived. I think I’ve found my ideal breed–and I’ve had Border collies, GSDs, Australian shepherds and the heelers seem to have the best characteristics of the rest of the herding dogs. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/53 "2020-05-08T13:09:57Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Wow. I had no idea, given as you say, the whole ‘basis of the sport’ thing. Do the ones without prey drive still enjoy lure coursing? > > I did know that they act like their God-given purpose for 22 hours a day is to keep your couch from floating away. Cat-like level of laziness and sleeping. Very loving pet all the same. > > Their speed is something to behold. Way back in the day, I’d take the Weim and Lab to a dog park, where there were sometimes a Greyhound or two. The Weim ignored them mostly—we were there to fetch a ball, damnit, and we’ll do it regardless of what other distractions my idiot human or these ill-behaved dogs get up to. But the Lab would try to chase the Greyhounds when the hounds got bored, and started doing laps of the spacious park. Along with a vapor trail of other dogs joining in the fun. Not even close to catching them. Even when the Lab started running across the diameter of the circle, while the 'hounds went around the circumference. All involved had a great time. > > Not surprising about the small animals. I’ve seen videos where people will run coyotes with sight hounds. It rarely ends well for the 'yote. Yep, even greys with zero prey drive will go nuts for lure coursing. The Chase is just danged fun. I’ve been to the Wheeling Downs track a couple times to watch them race and it’s pretty mind-blowing. You can stand mere feet from the track along the first stretch where the dogs are fastest after just breaking out of the box and they take your breath away. I find it fun to compare the race (100% effort, 100% focus) with their play zoomies around the yard (goofy loops and small circles in random directions and figure eights just like any other dog but faster and with more finesse). It’s adorable how they lower themselves and lean into the turns, which you can really see in the zoomies in the yard. They look like little Kawasaki motorcycles. I think prey drive is an interesting thing. Chase impulse is tailored into racing, stalking is tailored into herding behavior, the pounce/attack is tailored into retrieving (albeit with discouraging the crushing bite and teaching the dog to hand over his prey). To the OP: the people who are telling you to evaluate your lifestyle and pick a dog of any breed (or mixed) that matches your lifestyle are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/54 "2020-05-10T22:30:23Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > About pit bulls: many are very sweet lovable dogs. Some are fine until they get triggered by something. They are all very strong for their size, and unusually determined. They cause many people to cross the street when they see you coming, or not visit you anymore. There are real reasons for this. No matter what anyone says, they are a poor first breed for anyone. It’s kind of the like the stages of grief, people coming around to realizing there is _no scientific evidence_ of variation in aggression toward humans by dog according to real breed. Let alone appearance category like ‘pit bull’ which applies to wide range of mainly mixed breed dogs. You’re to the point of ‘negotiating’ 🙂 ‘Well many are sweet but…’ There’s no evidence of any ‘but’, that isn’t a function of _owner_ behavior. If all people did was repeat groundless beliefs like this and just chose a different looking dog that would have limited downside. The problem is that in focusing on scientifically groundless wives tales about breeds, they may ignore real risk factors. Big and strong dogs are one risk factor, but dogs of many appearances are big and/or strong. Non-spay/neutered dogs are far more likely to be involved in serious dog bites than fixed dogs. Multiple dogs are a risk. Dogs tied up without socialization are. Dogs (any type) and very little kids are a real risk. So the ‘pit bull’ hysteria isn’t just harmless ignorance, nor even just to the detriment of good shelter dogs. It tends to distract from what actually creates risk to people from dogs. So no, there are not good reasons for it. Which makes it quite unremarkable: lots of people believe all kinds of utter bullshit, always have, probably always will. That said, if other people’s social reaction to your dog is important to you and you’re sure it will be negative, that’s fair enough to consider. But I got compliments about my Dogo/pit pretty much every time I walked her for her whole life, same with my daughter’s APBT, a very beautiful and a super cute dog respectively. Probably depends where you live, that aspect. Also if say you couldn’t rent an apartment with a ‘pit bull’, that’s a real thing. Also depends where. Sometimes other people’s ignorance does impact you, that doesn’t mean they actually know what they’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/55 "2020-05-10T22:45:21Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > It’s kind of the like the stages of grief, people coming around to realizing there is _no scientific evidence_ of variation in aggression toward humans by dog according to real breed. Let alone appearance category like ‘pit bull’ which applies to wide range of mainly mixed breed dogs. You’re to the point of ‘negotiating’ 🙂 ‘Well many are sweet but…’ There’s no evidence of any ‘but’, that isn’t a function of _owner_ behavior. > > If all people did was repeat groundless beliefs like this and just chose a different looking dog that would have limited downside. The problem is that in focusing on scientifically groundless wives tales about breeds, they may ignore real risk factors. Big and strong dogs are one risk factor, but dogs of many appearances are big and/or strong. Non-spay/neutered dogs are far more likely to be involved in serious dog bites than fixed dogs. Multiple dogs are a risk. Dogs tied up without socialization are. Dogs (any type) and very little kids are a real risk. So the ‘pit bull’ hysteria isn’t just harmless ignorance, nor even just to the detriment of good shelter dogs. It tends to distract from what actually creates risk to people from dogs. > > So no, there are not good reasons for it. Which makes it quite unremarkable: lots of people believe all kinds of utter bullshit, always have, probably always will. That said, if other people’s social reaction to your dog is important to you and you’re sure it will be negative, that’s fair enough to consider. But I got compliments about my Dogo/pit pretty much every time I walked her for her whole life, same with my daughter’s APBT, a very beautiful and a super cute dog respectively. Probably depends where you live, that aspect. Also if say you couldn’t rent an apartment with a ‘pit bull’, that’s a real thing. Also depends where. Sometimes other people’s ignorance does impact you, that doesn’t mean they actually know what they’re talking about. I think there have been enormously long threads on this subject and I won’t hijack this one by commenting further. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/56 "2020-05-11T17:46:59Z")
The British/English Bulldog (not Old English) is my all time favorite breed. They’re expensive and can have health problems but once you own one you’ll understand why they’re so popular: they’re extremely entertaining and affectionate. Actually that’s understating it. I’ve never laughed so hard or had as much fun with a dog as when I was babysitting my parent’s Bulldog. ---
**Author:** ![songsearch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@songsearch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/songsearch)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255/57 "2021-01-15T17:46:56Z")
Expense-wise, you’re better off with a mixed mutt from the shelter. Purebreds are inbred to get those nifty characteristics they have, and inbreeding emphasizes physical defects at the same time. We’ve had multiple dogs over the years, and the mutts are invariably healthier. If you must have a particular breed, I can tell you what not to get, and that’s a border collie, because they don’t do well with small kids. But if you want a smart, quirky, interesting dog, whose behavior could only be described as ‘wacky’, get a border collie. I call our current collie the ‘contrary dog’. She refuses to obey any kind of command or coaxing, and will literally turn her head away and ignore you if she doesn’t want to do something. She won’t fetch, but she polices the other dogs who will, watches every move they make, and pursues them. She will only play with a ball if she thinks nobody’s watching. She an accomplished thief, having stolen guests shoes, my wife’s shoelaces (more than once), my wifes cellphone, and actually somehow unzipped my backpack and stole my camera to give it a chew. But I wouldn’t give her up for a million bucks. I’ve had two border collies, and the first was even wackier than this one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-dog-breed-for-us/853255.md?page=2)