We are thinking about getting a new dog

[Nakia]

I would love your help. I want to start by saying we love mutts and pound puppies, and we would not usually consider going to a breeder. But we are looking for something very specific, so I think a responsible breeder is going to work out better. I just wanted to get that out in the beginning. :001_smile:

 

Here's are the traits we are looking for:

 

*great with kids!

*loyal to and protective of our family

*not aggressive to strangers, but definitely knows who his people are

*a dog that will not kill our goats or cats or our other dog

*a big dog (we love big dogs!!)

*of course an intelligent dog is a must

 

Does anybody have any breeds to recommend? Also if you know a great breeder in or around Western North Carolina, that would be great also.

 

Thanks!!

Edited June 15, 2009 by Nakia

[Wyndie]

:lurk5:

[Janet in WA]

Here's are the traits we are looking for:

 

*great with kids!

*loyal to and protective of our family

*not aggressive to strangers, but definitely knows who his people are

*a dog that will not kill our goats or cats or our other dog

*a big dog (we love big dogs!!)

*of course, and intelligent dog is a must

 

Does anybody have any breeds to recommend? Also if you know a great breeder in or around Western North Carolina, that would be great also.

 

Thanks!!

Except for the "big dog" thing, I'd suggest an Australian shepherd. They're definitely medium sized, but fit all of the other requirements.

[amy g.]

You need a great Pyrenees.

 

Ours did kill a few turkeys and chickens before she was fully mature (2 1/2 years old) but she guards them all now.

 

The breeder I got my first goats from would not let us take them home until we had a Great Pyrenees to protect them.

 

I thought that they roamed too much, and needed too much space, but ours knows where our unfenced property lines are and never goes off our property.

 

She is big, but my 2 year old can lead her around and sit on her without any protest at all. I'll try to find a good picture of her.

[Vida Winter]

Well you might be able to tell I'm partial to Golden Retrievers. They are my best buddies.

[King's Kid]

From reading I've done on the breeds, a black labrador retriever fits all your requirements.

[Nakia]

Any thoughts on Anatolian Shepherds?

[amy g.]

I know a lot of people with Anatolians. I think Anatolian/Pyrenees make a good cross, but Anatolian are supposed to be much more likely to be aggressive to children.

 

Of course, it depends on the dog, but that reputation was enough to keep me from considering one.

[4kiddies]

I would go with a German Shepherd. GREAT DOGS!!

[Danestress]

Who came from a great breeder in Western NC. Here is his website

 

http://www.blackgoldbelgians.net/history.html

 

I would say my dog fits your criteria really well except that I can't guarantee he would not kill a cat. He killed a squirrel once. But you could talk to Moshe, the breeder, about that. He won't let you have a dog that isn't right for you. At least go visit when he has some puppies. It looks like he is planning only one litter in 2009.

[T Baer]

I would love your help. I want to start by saying we love mutts and pound puppies, and we would not usually consider going to a breeder. But we are looking for something very specific, so I think a responsible breeder is going to work out better. I just wanted to get that out in the beginning. :001_smile:

 

Here's are the traits we are looking for:

 

*great with kids!

*loyal to and protective of our family

*not aggressive to strangers, but definitely knows who his people are

*a dog that will not kill our goats or cats or our other dog

*a big dog (we love big dogs!!)

*of course an intelligent dog is a must

 

Does anybody have any breeds to recommend? Also if you know a great breeder in or around Western North Carolina, that would be great also.

 

Thanks!!

 

http://www.edenvalleylabradoodles.com/

It's located in Maryland.

[yslek]

You might enjoy snooping around this site:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/

 

They have a breed selector quiz, which looks like it answers some (but not all) of your questions:

 

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

 

HTH

[Hen]

we just got a labradoodle puppy, part labrador retriever part standard poodle, and we really think we got a great dog.

 

She is playful without being hyper...very smart, is learning really easy.

 

I am so glad we got her. We wanted the very happy, family friendly, friendly in general of the lab, with the very smart, quiet/thoughtful part of a poodle. A plus is the non-shedding fur.

[LBC]

Sounds like you're looking for a Bernese Mountain Dog.

 

We have one, and she totally fits your description.

 

Lori

[Amy+2]

Great Dane!! Hands down the MOST gentle and family-loving dog! They look tough and intimidating but truly are gentle giants.

 

Short haired too...big plus in the hotter weather. ;)

[Mamagistra]

Great Dane!! Hands down the MOST gentle and family-loving dog! They look tough and intimidating but truly are gentle giants.

 

Short haired too...big plus in the hotter weather. ;)

 

:iagree: Love my danes! :001_smile:

[Heather in Neverland]

I would go with a German Shepherd. GREAT DOGS!!

 

:iagree:

[Alicia64]

I'm just like you: have always had rescue dogs, but our next one will probably come from a breeder for the same reasons.

 

Here are my votes:

 

1) German Shepherd. LOVED my girl. Awesome, smart, loving, protective. Only downside: they shed like you cannot imagine. Just be prepared to get a special comb/brush thing and brush four times a week.

 

My girl was too awesome to describe. She died in Feb. It's so hard when they go.

 

2) A friend has a breed I'd never heard of: English Black Lab. Super, super dog and supposed to be excellent with kids. They're broader and more stocky that regular black Labs. Intelligent, sweet, family oriented.

 

Alicia

[RoughCollie]

I vote for a Rough Collie. If you don't like all the fur, get a Smooth Collie instead -- they are the same, except for hair length.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

Check out Newfoundlands, they might be just the dog you are looking for. Several people have suggested herding type dogs and although I think they are wonderful (we own a Pembroke Welsh Corgi) keep in mind that herding dogs often like to herd the children

Karen

[creekland]

Here's another vote for a German Shepherd. My sister and I grew up with the breed and our dogs (we had two) did everything you mention... they were wonderful companions and guards.

 

We have a black lab now... I love him dearly, but he's not a guard dog. :) Neither is my neighbor's labradoodle... both of those are great dogs, but if you want a guard dog... Ours play with strangers... though the black lab does kill ground hogs and skunks, so guards in that way. Perhaps others in the breed are different.

 

My other neighbor has a Great Pyrenees... that dog loves to play with our chickens (who don't fare so well) :( She says she's a great guard for their alpacas... she just has to learn to not escape the fence and make the rounds...

[Laura Corin]

:iagree: Love my danes! :001_smile:

 

Not its fault: I was holding a frisbee at the local park and it jumped to grab it, missed and got my arm instead. I still have the scar where one tooth went in.

 

I don't blame the dog at all (it was a puppy) but I wonder if there's a problem with the breed being rather exuberant.

 

Laura

[Nakia]

I hadn't thought about a Bernese Mountain Dog. They are awesome!!

 

So I am going to look closer at Anatolians, German Shepherds, Great Pyrenese, and the Bernese Mtn Dogs. I love Labs and Goldens, but they are definitely not guard dogs. We had a Lab, and she loved every single person she ever saw. :D

[JFSinIL]

Labrador!

[Jann in TX]

They meet your requirements---ours have always LOVED our cats--not especially the neighbors cats--but they cuddle our cats!

 

We are on our second set of German Shepherds. We have one that is a 'classic' (extra large with a straight back) and one white German Shepherd.

 

Our white guy is the SMARTEST GS we have ever had. He has been excellent/easy to train--and has passed several good citizen/therapy tests. He just turned one and in 2 weeks he makes his first rounds at our local nursing home as a therapy dog!!! We may also start search and rescue training this fall.

 

E-mail or PM me if you want a list of GREAT breeders for German Shepherds... there are definately some types of German Shepherds to stay away from.

 

More info on German Shepherds...

In the 1970s German Shepherds became very popular--especially for military/police dogs. BUT they were a bit too big (just over 100 pounds) so they were bred down. Also many people liked the way their backs sloped down when they stepped forward--so a very UNNATURAL sloped back was bred into them. The result was a more aggressive dog (more aggressive because their skulls do not grow large enough and their brain becomes crowded just like pit bulls and sharpeis that are great as puppies but 'turn' on their owners as adults)--with BAD BAD hips and a higher rate of cancer. Because of this we have only owned German Shepherds that have come from breeders who do not use those lines. Any current 'show' lines will have the these bad qualities... sad.

 

White German Shepherds were always a natural color variation--but they were not desired and before 1970 they were often killed after birth (black and tans and solid dark colors were desired). Some people rescued the white puppies and now there is a sub-breed 'white German Shepherds' that will always produce white puppies (interresting genetics here). The white GSs were also exempt from the down-sizing and do not have the hip or temperment problems.

 

Here is a link to where we purchased our classic/old fashioned black and tan--they have puppies available! Selah Shepherds Cyrus is our males father/Brutus is the grandsire--he looks like Brutus!

 

Here is where we purchased our white German Shepherd--they are in Texas but they do ship. Dana can also recommend other breeders that may be a bit closer--she will not have available puppies until this fall--but they are QUALITY with great temperments and will be easily trained (For competition/obedience... or just family life!) White Sands Kennels Jewel is our males dam--she will have another litter this fall.

 

Jann

Edited June 15, 2009 by Jann in TX

[KJB]

Our puppy is a German Shepherd.

 

Here is a link to her playing with my son:

 

http://web.mac.com/rjpcbean/iWeb/Site%203/Lucky%20Dog.html

 

She is really wonderful and we are very happy with her.

 

I will warn you that her small puppy days were a bit challenging. She was mouthy and nippy until she was about 8 months.

 

Now she is a dream dog. She's very loyal to us and yet aloof with strangers. We work hard to keep her socialized and we take her with us frequently when we go out. That's important work with a breed like a GSD because they can get too protective if isolated to family only.

 

She is very smart and was easily trained. She has a lot of "drive" so she really needs to get played with and walked daily to keep her happy. Otherwise, she's a couch potato inside and as you can see in the video a lot of fun outside.

 

Good Luck!

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

Australian shepherd. We have a male. The males are usually around 60 pounds full grown. Not super big, but still on the big side, and a super protector. They are reserved around strangers, but we have no problem acclimating him to our friends when they come over. Once he sees we're cool with them, he is. But only if they are actually inside the fence. If they are outside the fence, they are still his enemy. :D

 

German shepherd. We had one when I was growing up. We couldn't let him out when people came over, though. And eventually he turned on me and my mom, so my dad had to build him a pen outside. We think he had a tumor on his nose or something.

 

Bernese mountain dog. I would LOVE to own one of these. They are a bit bigger and more expensive than what we can do, though.

[Marylou]

We live on a farm and have an outdoor 10 month German Shepherd/Husky mix. Wonderful! Of course, don't keep anything you value and don't want chewed near her!

[Mamagistra]

Not its fault: I was holding a frisbee at the local park and it jumped to grab it, missed and got my arm instead. I still have the scar where one tooth went in.

 

I don't blame the dog at all (it was a puppy) but I wonder if there's a problem with the breed being rather exuberant.

 

Laura

 

Hm...some are, some aren't. Really it's their size that seems to magnify anything that they do, whether it's barking or jumping. And their puppyhood extends well past a year...that is a bit of a challenge sometimes. :tongue_smilie:

[vettechmomof2]

I know a lot of people with Anatolians. I think Anatolian/Pyrenees make a good cross, but Anatolian are supposed to be much more likely to be aggressive to children.

 

Of course, it depends on the dog, but that reputation was enough to keep me from considering one.

 

Not at all. ASD's are wonderful family dogs but should not be trsuted aorund your childrens friends because they might decide that wrestling or something the other child is doing to your child is not allowed.

http://www.nasrn.com/ Here is a link with some great breed info on ASD's and a wonderful breeder link as well. http://www.anatoliandog.org/members/fullcirclefarm.htm

 

I could go on and on about ASD's but the big thing is with ANY LGD you need to know what you are doing with a dog and their training and be consistent in their training.

What about a Newfie? They are not overtly protective but are very focused on their family.

Just pm me if you have any ? on ASD's.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

You need a great Pyrenees.

 

:iagree: 100%

[astrid]

LEONBERGER! Fits all your requirements and more.

(that's one of ours in my avatar!)

 

http://www.leonbergerclubofamerica.com

 

Unlike Newfs, Leos have dry mouths.

 

astrid (if you'd like to know more; let me know--- I'd be happy to discuss the breed with you!)

[Kathy in MD]

If you want a herding breed, look into an English Shepherd. They're typically calmer than Aussies and borders and they don't have the overbearing drive to herd.

 

The coat is more pleasant to deal with than a rough collie's (sorry Rough Collie) Though not as long, it's not silky and doesn't require frequent brushing. It's also "self-cleaning" By which I mean it doesn't look dirty for long, even the white parts. A bath will release a lot though. The size ranges from 50-65-70 lbs. Build can vary from small and light like a border collie, stocky and fluffy like an Aussie to long and elegant like a rough collie. Normally their tails aren't docked, though a few lines do have a natural bob tail.

 

This breed, like all working collie breeds, is not for beginer owners typically and needs TONS of human interaction. They also need jobs.

[Blue Hen]

I've had Great Danes, German Shephreds and mutts over the years and DH wanted a Newf. I wanted to explore my options a bit more so a little over two-1/2 years ago I came to the boards with a similar request and Astrid suggested that we look into Leonbergers.

 

I am so glad I did. We've had Brutus (our Leonberger) now for a little over 2yrs and he is the best! And yes, he more than meets your list of requirements. Do contact her!

 

If you go into my photos, family, friends, activities folder you can see Brutus.

 

Carole

[Mom22ns]

Great Dane!! Hands down the MOST gentle and family-loving dog! They look tough and intimidating but truly are gentle giants.

 

Short haired too...big plus in the hotter weather. ;)

 

I'm going to be another vote for a great dane. Big, sweet, gentle, great with kids. They are not hunters and typically peacefully coexist well with other animals of all types. Ours died at 12 last summer. She growled at two people in her life, they both made unexpected moves towards our kids that she took as threats. She put herself between our kids and many people and animals. Fabulous dog.

 

My labradoodle is far too much of a hunter. She chases the neighbors cats (with claws) kills rabbits, squirrels, mice, moles and I can't remember what else she has brought home :eek:. I wouldn't trust one where you have a lot of other animals. They are sweet and smart and good with kids. We love ours, she is 6, but I wouldn't put her in your family.

 

A newfoundland sounds like a good fit too, but is just too much fur for me.

[Nakia]

Not at all. ASD's are wonderful family dogs but should not be trsuted aorund your childrens friends because they might decide that wrestling or something the other child is doing to your child is not allowed.

http://www.nasrn.com/ Here is a link with some great breed info on ASD's and a wonderful breeder link as well. http://www.anatoliandog.org/members/fullcirclefarm.htm

 

I could go on and on about ASD's but the big thing is with ANY LGD you need to know what you are doing with a dog and their training and be consistent in their training.

What about a Newfie? They are not overtly protective but are very focused on their family.

Just pm me if you have any ? on ASD's.

 

Thank you so much! These dogs look so awesome!

 

LEONBERGER! Fits all your requirements and more.

(that's one of ours in my avatar!)

 

http://www.leonbergerclubofamerica.com

 

Unlike Newfs, Leos have dry mouths.

 

astrid (if you'd like to know more; let me know--- I'd be happy to discuss the breed with you!)

 

 

Yes, I want to know more. Anything you can tell me because I've never heard of this breed. PM me if you want!

 

They meet your requirements---ours have always LOVED our cats--not especially the neighbors cats--but they cuddle our cats!

 

We are on our second set of German Shepherds. We have one that is a 'classic' (extra large with a straight back) and one white German Shepherd.

 

Our white guy is the SMARTEST GS we have ever had. He has been excellent/easy to train--and has passed several good citizen/therapy tests. He just turned one and in 2 weeks he makes his first rounds at our local nursing home as a therapy dog!!! We may also start search and rescue training this fall.

 

E-mail or PM me if you want a list of GREAT breeders for German Shepherds... there are definately some types of German Shepherds to stay away from.

 

More info on German Shepherds...

In the 1970s German Shepherds became very popular--especially for military/police dogs. BUT they were a bit too big (just over 100 pounds) so they were bred down. Also many people liked the way their backs sloped down when they stepped forward--so a very UNNATURAL sloped back was bred into them. The result was a more aggressive dog (more aggressive because their skulls do not grow large enough and their brain becomes crowded just like pit bulls and sharpeis that are great as puppies but 'turn' on their owners as adults)--with BAD BAD hips and a higher rate of cancer. Because of this we have only owned German Shepherds that have come from breeders who do not use those lines. Any current 'show' lines will have the these bad qualities... sad.

 

White German Shepherds were always a natural color variation--but they were not desired and before 1970 they were often killed after birth (black and tans and solid dark colors were desired). Some people rescued the white puppies and now there is a sub-breed 'white German Shepherds' that will always produce white puppies (interresting genetics here). The white GSs were also exempt from the down-sizing and do not have the hip or temperment problems.

 

Here is a link to where we purchased our classic/old fashioned black and tan--they have puppies available! Selah Shepherds Cyrus is our males father/Brutus is the grandsire--he looks like Brutus!

 

Here is where we purchased our white German Shepherd--they are in Texas but they do ship. Dana can also recommend other breeders that may be a bit closer--she will not have available puppies until this fall--but they are QUALITY with great temperments and will be easily trained (For competition/obedience... or just family life!) White Sands Kennels Jewel is our males dam--she will have another litter this fall.

 

Jann

 

I would love to have more info on breeders. PM me please! German Shepherds are looking better and better, the more I read. And it seems to be the most common one that people recommend when I tell them what we want. Thanks for all the info!!

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

Oh, I LOVE both the white and black German shepherds. Good choice!

[Laura Corin]

 

My labradoodle is far too much of a hunter. She chases the neighbors cats (with claws) kills rabbits, squirrels, mice, moles and I can't remember what else she has brought home :eek:. I wouldn't trust one where you have a lot of other animals. They are sweet and smart and good with kids. We love ours, she is 6, but I wouldn't put her in your family.

 

 

Our labradoodle is the opposite: never chases anything, ignores rabbits and birds.

 

Laura