What breeds of dogs have you owned and would you own them again?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
61

Sorry to hear that, but not surprised.

Danes are among those breeds that are very sensitive to breeding quality. A back-yard puppy is likely to break your heart and wallet and trust just like this. Giant breeds are prone to a number of problems and it’s essential not just to weed those problems out of a line but to carefully choose mating pairs to minimize their occurrence.

A pup from a breeder who is meticulous about health testing and lineage quality will live much longer (9-10 years is not an unusual thing) and avoid most of the health problems of the giants.

62
  1. English Springer Spaniel. Barely remembered - he disappeared when I was 5. This was back when you didn’t keep your dog in a fenced yard / on a leash, and before you had dogs altered, so he’d bolt and go trolling for the ladies any chance he got. A family about 2 miles away actually got to recognizing him and would call us when he wound up over there - I believe they turned out to be his “inlaws” from one of those jaunts. Eventually he didn’t come back.

Can’t really say whether I’d have one myself - I’d certainly spend time working with such a dog (and he’d damn well be neutered).

  1. Beagle. Dumb as a box of rocks, never got housebroken. Died after less than a year due to same “let 'em outside to run” logic in the part of my parents :frowning: :mad: I’d have to learn more about them before considering a beagle.

  2. Brittany Spaniel: Tended to roam and get into trouble (you see a pattern here?) by swiping stuff from people’s porches and the like. Eventually my parents rehomed her (or so they told us…) because of the behavior. I think she needed someone to spend a lot of time working with her - like many working breeds, they need a job or they’ll make one for themselves.

OK, so that’s 3 dogs lost due to inappropriate caregiving and it brings me up to age 9.

  1. Miniature Schnauzer (chosen for less-allergenic properties): I’d certainly consider one. She was smart, easy to housebreak, would run off into the woods to catch rabbits but otherwise stayed near home(s): the next door neighbor hated dogs, but she was determined to win him over, and ultimately she moved in with them (smart dog - they fed her steak, she just got dog food at our place!). I’d have to make sure the dog was appropriately socialized: we had to shut her in another room when friends came over with a baby (she did NOT like someone else getting attention), and she got very upset when my boyfriend tried to hug me.

  2. A shepherd-collie mix (2nd generation) my brother brought home after one of his failed attempts to move out. Nice dog, thought he was a lap dog all his life, but fiercely protective of the household. Was chained outdoors one day and decided some kid was A Threat To The Family. Only one bite, but (I was not around at the time) apparently the kid’s parents said “put him to sleep, he’s dangerous” and the alternative was a lawsuit. As above, lax humans = dead dog :(.

I wouldn’t own a shepherd/collie mix because I could see from him that he was a very powerful animal who needed an experienced handler.

Incidental dogs:

  1. A whole family of Shelties - I babysat for their human kid. Bright dogs, they were trained for agility / obedience and did shows. If I had the energy and time to devote to it, I would consider one (though they were about 80% fur by volume and that might pose an issue). They were very protective of their humans - I tried to grab the kid one time for some reason and the dog got between us to protect him (I was not trying to harm him, just catch him in some game or something, but she didn’t know that).

  2. A cocker spaniel who was owned by a housemate. Any house with a dog has to have an established pack hierarchy with someone at the bottom. The dog decided I was at the bottom. She never bit me but she loathed me (and her human was no help). Bad ownership though it was probably generations of overbreeding as well. I would not own one. My last day in that house, my housemate had friends traipsing in and out getting all the furniture moved, and the dog was so traumatized that when she saw me, a familiar face who wasn’t tearing up her house), she came to me for comfort, so I chortled and told her “suck it up, BITCH” (no, I didn’t - I petted her and comforted her, what can I say but that I’m a sucker).

  3. A Shar-pei. I don’t know if she was typical of the breed but she was very affectionate with her family and polite to strangers (I’d heard they could be more aggressive but she showed zero signs of that). She was also larger than the breed standard. So bonded to her family that they could not travel and leave her in a kennel, so I offered to dog-sit a couple of times (she’d bonded to me somewhat). Very clingy - I couldn’t leave the room w/o being followed. I would probably hesitate to own one because she was a fairly powerful dog and needed longer / more vigorous walks than I’d want to do on a daily basis.

  4. A mutt owned by a part-time housemate: Probably a mix of poodle and some kind of terrier. VERY loving dog. Loves to go out on long walks but is otherwise happy playing in the house or helping hold down the furniture next to you. Converts dog-haters into dog-lovers with a single tail-wag. I’m looking into cloning labs :D. (Yeah, I’d have another of him any day).

In summary, reading through all that: good dog-parenting is clearly crucial, and terriers rule!

63

Great Dane mix. As someone said above, the sheer size of this breed, even mixed with something else is something to consider before living with one. I loved his personality and temperament but, no, would not get another one one purpose.

Husky. We had multiple huskies, all of them sweet and smart and funny but I would never, ever, ever in a million years have another one. The digging holes large enough that you find just their ears sticking up from your lawn is one reason alone. They are pro escape artists from almost any yard without supervision. They are prey driven and strong. Lovely personalities though.

Aussie mix. Loved this dog to bits from the minute her big brown eyes looked up at me that first day until her last breath 13 years later and I will always carry this one around in my heart. She was our perfect, angelic, bad, bad girl. She was the smartest dog I’ve ever met and the most problematic dog I’ve ever met. She had a laundry list of fairly major behavioural issues and a list just as long of medical problems. She was worth every single second of frustration and every penny spent. Loved this girl beyond measure. Would do almost anything to have her back. Would I have another? Nope. The behavioural issues alone were work, work, work. The medical ones were daily pills and liquids and diet. So, no, not again. Unless it were her because I miss her every day of my life.

Sheltie. I maybe would have another one as I do know some nice Shelties but ours was a barking machine who liked to nip people on the leg if he could sneak up behind them. And nip in a “get out of my house” way. He was a snarky little thing.

Rough Collie. We have had multiple Rough Collies and will likely always have one or two in the house. Love the breed, love the temperaments. Nothing I don’t like about them. Smart (well, generally anyhow, my two boys right now missed the smart stick smacking day), loving, out-going when outdoors but couch potatoes indoors. They do, however, bark a lot more than other breeds but I’m fine with that, all their good qualities make up for that. Brushing is a chore though. Either know what you’re doing or live near a groomer.

I would love to have a King Charles Cavalier but that’s based on looks only and I don’t really know anything about the breed so they may be totally wrong for our house. Someday I’ll check it out.

64

They tend to have short lifespans, especially for their size.

65

My parents have one. Short lifespan isn’t his big problem! (He was a stray, and the vet estimated that he was at least 2 years old at the time, but probably more like 4 or 5. Which means that he’s currently somewhere between 15 and 18 years old.) And he’s a complete snot, but that’s because my dad is an awful dog owner - consistent training is impossible. Dad loves the critters, but he should never be in charge of them!

66

I was told it was an Australian Shepherd. She was a good dog, afraid of storms and as smart as a rock. Salt * pepper coloring on long hair. No picture handy. Had to be put down over 30 years ago. Rescue.

Rescue about 3 years ago, Zeus, Some Great Pyrenees, mostly St. Bernard we were told.

Zeus

67

We have two Havanese. They are perfect for us. Playful and affectionate, they love everyone. They don’t shed, and the only time they ever make a mess in the house is if they’re sick, which is pretty rare. We take them to the groomer every few weeks and keep them in puppy cuts, otherwise the grooming need would be realatively high. One is more cuddly than the other (the one who always comes to comfort me when I sneeze), but they are both loving little dogs. Eager to please, and not yappy. I have both curled up by my side right now, I love being with them, they are so adorable.

We had a Maltese when we were first married. We found out she had a heart condition a few days after we got her, but she was my baby by then and there was no way I was taking her back. Money was tight in those days so we took her to the Ohio State University vet clinic, and they did open heart surgery. She lived to be 14, which was great considering her original life expectancy was 2. I didn’t know what I was doing with that dog, didn’t know to socialize her to kids and other dogs, and that was always a problem. But she was bright and beautiful, although a much more challenging and stubborn personality than the Havanese. But I loved that little dog.

We adopted a Rough Collie from friends who moved overseas and couldn’t take him with them. He died a couple of years ago, and I am still in grief over it. I would have him back in a minute, if only I could.

68

Part of the reason I would be interested in a smaller dog next time is the tendency for the little guys to live longer than the bigger breeds I’m used to, so that would possibly cross them off my Maybe Someday list.

69

well-bred miniature poodles have the longest on-average lifespan of any breed. Standard poodles, a medium to large size dog, also tend to have quite long lifespans. I know one that made it to age 19.
Most cavaliers are dead before age 10. The entire breed is affected by a mutation that causes heart disease. Some breeders have been working to push the age of disease onset back, but the only way to eliminate the problem is to introduce new genes into the breed, which violates many people’s idea of a purebred. There is a precedent for this- dalmations all carry a mutation that prevents them from breaking down uric acid, which causes health problems unless they are fed a special diet; someone crossed in pointers and selectively bred the offspring to be metabolically normal but look and act like dalmations, and these dogs have been allowed to be registered as purebred dalmations by the UK kennel club.

70

We had three purebreds when I was growing up. One was a Cocker Spaniel named Amigo. I was very small and could only say Meego. We moved to West Texas when I was five, and the dog just disappeared one day soon after. Years later, I found out that neighbor kids had stolen and hanged him. I was mad that my father had not wanted to get the police involved, afraid of retaliation from the kids’ parents. That was pretty much representative of the Texas I knew and grew to hate. From what I can barely remember of him, I would own another.

Another was a Dachshund. I remember we got him fully grown. He came with some baggage though. Apparently he’d been abused, so he was quite touchy and tended to nip a lot, so much so that my parents had to give him away after a very short while. But I’ve known other Dachshunds that all seemed very sweet, and I would not mind another one, although I’d look for a puppy.

When I was 12, we got a Beagle puppy, and that was a great dog. We had a nice, big backyard for him to run around and play in. He was so good that I’m surprised to read the comments from others saying they would not have another one. We finally had to put him to sleep in his old age due to cancer. I still remember his Last Ride in the car to the vet. As always, he was tickled pink to be going for a ride, never dreaming of what was about to happen.

We also had a couple of mixed breeds. One was big – 1/3 Husky, 1/3 German Shepherd and 1/3 some other big breed. A friendly dog but big and uncontrollable. I’d pass on something like that again without some really big land for it such as a farm. And I certainly ain’t no farmer.

We also had a mixed hound breed, mostly Basset, and she was the sweetest, best dog we ever had, although the Beagle came a close second.

71

Had a dachshund mix and lost her after 65 days.:frowning: Would do it again!

Have a dachshund full breed, from the shelter no less. Would I do it again? Let’s put it this way. I’ve loved all my pets, which, up until these two dogs, have been cats. But when Nathan dies he won’t go in the backyard, he will go in the pet cemetery, with a little stone that has his name, the relevant dates, and the first line from Kipling’s poem His Apologies. “Master, behold Your servant…”

72

And for those of us left behind, there’s The Power of the Dog… no question that the man loved dogs.

73

The best dog I ever had was a Pit/GSD. I took her with reservations so she wouldn’t be put down, and she turned out to be the best dog ever. She went through an ADHD phase from about 5-12 months, when I thought I’d made a mistake, but an experienced dog trainer told me to stick with her, and she ended up knowing a huge number of commands. She would heel off-leash, do tricks, had perfect recall, and knew the names of all the people in my family, and my closest friends-- I could say “Go to [name]” and she would. She not only didn’t jump on people, if she wanted attention, she walked up to people and sat at their feet.

I have never owned a full GSD, but I’ve had a full Pit Bull, and she was a very good dog. They are really loyal. They require a lot of work to socialize and exercise, though. They aren’t the dog for everyone, because they require so much work. They are also clingy. If you want your dog to sleep in a bed on the living room floor at night, forget a PB. They want to sleep in bed with you, preferably being spooned.

74

My parents got a dachshund before they had their first kid (my older sister), and it was dachshunds ever after … with one beagle in the mix.

Carla, the one we grew up with, lived to 19 yos and was only put down when she developed paralysis. My folks said she nipped at my sister when they brought her home, but after just the one correction, she adjusted to her new position. As she did with the subsequent kids.

Little Bit was given to my dad from a family who lived around the corner from the Post Office where my dad worked. She was part of a small pack they had, that would walk leashless on Pico Blvd. Sadly, this was not a good thing. When my brother was walking her one night, she saw a cat and ran into the path of car. She had attititude and personality. She had a crush on a kid who lived at the end of the block. If she got out, we always knew she’d be down at Paul’s house. She loved me to scratch her chest with my toes. When I’d stop, she’d paw my foot until I started scratching again.

Next, was the beagle, Rogie, almost simultaneously with our next doxie, Thunderfoot (also, just Thunder, Thun-Thun, or Monkeybutt). She was a long hair/smooth black and tan, and was the sweetest dog we ever had. She liked to sleep on top of the back of the couch. When you’d least expect it, she’d decide you needed a kiss, and you’d get one. They both had to be given away when our parents left the state, and my mom didn’t want the dogs in her new house. All of us were renters who couldn’t take animals. Very sad.

There were a number of years in rentals dog-less, but now my sister and I have two dachshunds (Luc and Shanni) we got from a rescue. They were relatively young, but had a lot if issues. Mostly, they were unsocialized except to each other, and we had to walk them in our very doggy neighborhood. The boy was/is especially afraid of big dogs and acts aggressively towards them (he has one pitbull terrorized), but he’s made a lot of progress. It’s been a challenge, but we’ve seen such good results, I’d get a rescue again in a shot. The boy is very smart, picks up on cues very quickly and has a huge (well, mostly food-related) vocabulary.

I love dachshunds. They have so much personality, and they’re not pushovers. Big dogs usually seem a little dull to me.

75

Those are great Kipling poems, but I can’t read them without going into long crying fits.

We get to “borrow” my stepson’s German Shepherd for a few days while he’s out of town. Yippee! :slight_smile:

76

I’ve never had a dog in my house, ever. When I was 10 I was attacked by a German Shepard, and I’m sure if the owner hadn’t been close by, I’d have had my arm torn off, or worse.

Dogs are fine in someone else’s house and I can just stay away if I’m so inclined.

77

I see. So then, you have no real contribution to this thread?