Dog Breeds - have you become devoted to a certain breed of dog?

[Alexandra]

It seems that some folks really become big fans of certain breeds after having a few great dogs. Have you become a fan of a breed? Or, have you become a big fan of mutts/strays/rescues?

What is your favorite dog and may I ask why?

[Hunter's Moon]

We own a Maltichon (mix between a Maltese and a Bichon Frise). He looks more like a Bichon thought because his hair is pretty curly.

 

That is the only small breed dog that I like. Otherwise, Huskies are my favorite because all I have met were sweet and cuddly.

 

However, it depends how the dog was raised, but I don't want to get into the nature v. nurture debate.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2010 by BeatleMania

[Once Again]

We had a german shepherd mix when I was a kid. She was so smart! She didn't bark very often, but when she did we knew we needed to check it out. She was a great dog, I wish we could have cloned her.

[astrid]

It seems that some folks really become big fans of certain breeds after having a few great dogs. Have you become a fan of a breed? Or, have you become a big fan of mutts/strays/rescues?

What is your favorite dog and may I ask why?

 

 

Absolutely--- just look at my avatar, and the amount of time/money/gasoline/etc. we spend training, showing, studying bloodlines, driving rescue transport legs, fundraising for, living, loving and laughing with our Leonbergers. WHY? They are an amazing family dog, but they are hairy, BIG, and love the water. They're definitely not for everyone, but we cannot imagine life without them.

 

We also have a rescued Pembroke Welsh Corgi and honestly, though I will ALWAYS be a Leonberger person, we will never, EVER be without a Corgi either. We just ADORE that little guy--- as do the Leos.

 

Astrid

[sonsmama]

Schnauzers are our dogs. We have had two mini's but my husband would like to look at a standard.

[i.love.lucy]

I'm a mut person for life now. All my best dogs (except for my Golden Retriever) have been muts, and great ones. My dh would have Goldens the rest of his life, but I appreciate the different personalities we have had with different mixes. We currently have a border collie mix and she's wonderful. Like a pp I had a German Shepherd/Lab mix as a kid and that was the smartest and best dog ever. I now really LOVE Shepherds! But it'll be rescues from here on out for us.

[cathmom]

German Shepherds are the best kind of dogs. They are gorgeous and smart and protective and I really, really, really miss having one...

[Food4Thought]

I love Golden Retrievers, and I am not a dog person. My dog is just the sweetest, most gentle family dog I could ever imagine and I've heard the same from other Golden owners. He doesn't bite, he rarely barks, and he is very obedient. I fully trust him with my kids even though he is twice their size.

 

His drawbacks include a tendency for neurosis (he's a big dork if he doesn't get his exercise) and a tremendous amount of shedding (I get an extra dog's worth of fur off of him when I brush him).

[Heatherwith4]

I love all dogs...but my favorites are beagles and basset hounds. They are sooo cute, friendly, and great with children. I miss my basset hound so much.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I love the Belgian breeds - Tervurens, Malinois and Shepherds. We have a Terv at the moment. I would love to add a B. Shepherd but DH has given me a one dog limit.

[vettechmomof2]

I love my Anatolians and work with breed rescue for them as well.

I also have had many dogs/breeds/mixes through the years and adore/appreciate many different ones for their particular purpose.

When deciding on a dog in my family we look at what we are looking for at that time in our lives.

However, I will always have at least one ASD.

[ChristusG]

I absolutely love my Jack Russell. He's amazingly smart, loyal (to me since I've had him since before we had kids), great companion, and has just the right amount of engery. Everyone says Jack Russells are terrors....they haven't met my boy! We just got a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix. We'll see how she turns out!

 

I would really love to get a golden retriever....or a golden doodle (but they are expensive). Maybe when our Jack passes on one day (he's nearly 11 years old) we will see about a golden.

[Guest]

Every dog I've had since I was a child, I have thought was the best.

[Jann in TX]

Our very first dog (Kira) was a German Shepherd/Corgi mix from the local shelter. She was a GREAT dog with our young children.

 

Our second dog (Sisko) was the ULTIMATE in great dogs! He was a beautiful black and tan full German Shepherd... bought on a street corner... he suffered from chronic hip/joint problems his whole life--but he was a once-in-a-lifetime friend. I have his picture above my computer--I miss him daily and he has been gone for 2 years...

 

Our third dog (Jordi) was another gorgeous black and tan--with papers this time... his ears only went up for squirrels... and he was a lap-dog by heart--only his 120 pound body made that difficult! He was my snuggle buddy--we lost him recently at the age of 3 to a congenital kidney disorder.

 

Our forth dog (Data) is a White German Shepherd from a quality breeder. He is BEAUTIFUL--and SMART. He has completed 3 tiers of training... and loves to interact with his people. http://www.whitesandkennels.com

 

Our fifth dog (Tasha) recently came into our family. She is a White German Shepherd and came to us from a local rescue group. She had been on the road for a while--bite marks/scars on her muzzle and nearly starved to death. She was in rehab and training for 5 months and then we 'discovered' her just as she was ready for adoption. She instantly melted into our family.

 

Our family is sold on German Shepherds. When we were recently faced with loosing Jordi, we talked about other kinds of dogs... but we kept going back to German Shepherds... After Data and Tasha leave us we will most likely get another 'classic' black and tan...

[Faithr]

We got a sheltie two years ago last month. She is so sweet and easy to train. She's the perfect size, not too big, not too little. Her coat is absolutely gorgeous. I've had various dogs over the years, mostly mutts, but none have been so easy to live with as Tillie!

[MissKNG]

AKC German Shepherds - black and tan.

[Susan in KY]

We own a Border Collie/Papillon mix. She looks like a miniature Border Collie with Papillon ears and tail. Her temperament is perfect, she's loving with the kids and only barks when strangers show up. She's also aerobatic, can do tricks and run, and then come sit on your lap for a snuggle. We got her at the shelter, but I think they are purposefully bred because I have seen more than one. :001_smile:

[scmama]

We have 3 dogs..Bailey, a lab, had just turned 2 and has an awesome temperament with my kids, very protective of them, but very loving towards them. The oldest dog, which was my mother's, is a Springer Spaniel/Border Collie mix. I love her, she's old. But still lets us know when we need to check something or when someone walks up on the porch. She will be last one I get of this mixture, because for me, the hair is too much. My favorite breed is a Rottweiler. I just bought one for my birthday, she's going to be 6 months old this month, and is absolutely fantastic with the kids. They are such a loyal breed and she goes everywhere with me, and is always at my side. I just love them. I just have a special place for these dogs in my heart. Never been the person who likes those tiny dogs. I just love the snuggles of a big ol' dog!!

[m0mmaBuck]

The best dog we have ever had was an American Bulldog. She was spectacular. Easy to train, obedient, protective, great with kids. I loved that dog and all others pale in comparison.

[Lara in Colo]

I've owned a cocker spaniel and she was a sweetie--barked too much for me but she was a great, easy to maintain, small dog.

 

I've had two Goldens-One had heart probs and died at 1 yr - I still miss her- she was smart and oh sucha devil

 

We have one now-loyal barks at the right time- but unfortunatly we never bonded and I can't say much about her--not real bright either

 

My favorite (and DH's) was my chow chow. Smart, loyal, protective, didn't bark much--she loved, loved, loved me--DH too even though they say chows are a one owner dog, we married when she was 7 and in the end she loved DH more than me!!!

 

So if we get another dog-it will probably be another chow.

I honestly think a lot of the long term relationship has less to do with the breed and more to do with the interaction b/t owner and dog in the early part of the bonding process. With all but my current dog- I had lots of time to Alpha the dog, to bond with the dog and we really became friends and had respect for each other. This one now---I had two children under 2, a VERY hard headed puppy and no time. We basically live together now but I can't say either one of us is overjoyed.

 

Lara

[MorganClassicalPrep]

Labs. :D Especially chocolate labs. I have two, and they are the best dogs ever. One of those is "MY" dog, and I don't think I'll ever feel the same way about a dog as I do about her.

 

When I get a bigger place I'll most likely get into rescue, specifically labs and other big dogs. My friends joke around that I'll end up with 10 dogs because I'm such a sucker.

[kitten18]

I really like almost any kind of dog.

 

My DH grew up with Golden Retrievers, we got a Golden, nine years before the kids were born. He was AWESOME, just the best dog ever. We lost him 2 years ago, after a 2 year battle with cancer.

Right after Christmas 08' we got another Golden (I wanted to rescue some kind of retriever) but my DH insisted on a Golden puppy. Well.....Reggie is 19 months old now, and I'm pretty sure he is the dumbest retriever on the planet. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. he does something that makes me want to tear my hair out :banghead:. Today, he ate a bag of chicken off the counter, and he ate one of my newly planted tomato plants. Yesterday, he ate the lid off of a jar of organic tomato fertilizer, in an attempt to eat the fertilizer :confused:.

On the plus side, he is very pretty and he doesn't shed very much.

 

 

A few months ago, through a strange set of events, we ended up rescuing a chihuahua (mix? I think he's too big to be full Chi). I never thought I would like a small dog, but I LOVE :001_wub: him. All he wants to do, is snuggle on the couch or in bed with someone, or bask in the warm sun. Such a refreshing change from the screw ball retriever.

[HeidiKC]

Bernese Mountain Dogs. We are without a dog right now, but I can't imagine getting any other breed again. We had 2 of them and I trained and showed both in obedience. They were smart and also so goofy and SO DANG CUTE! They are pretty laid back in the house, but fairly active outside. I miss them so much. Our next dog will definitely be a Berner again.

 

The one thing I DON'T miss is all the hair. It is just unbelievable. Every time I'd walk down the hallway I'd scoop up big furballs. But I love furry dogs! I like shorter hair dogs like labs (although I know they also shed a lot), but they don't have the cuddle quality I love in soft, furry, fluffy dogs like Berners (and Goldens, etc.).

[lllll]

..

[OnTheBrink]

I have a Cairn Terrier, and while I love her to pieces, my favorite breeds are beagles and corgis.

[dancer67]

I own a shelter puppy, who is now 5. He is part Lab/Golden. So I am very partial to this breed.

 

If I were to get another dog, I would love a purebred German Shepherd.

 

Three of my fav breeds. Labs, Goldens and Shepherds :D

[WagsWife]

Yorkshire Terriers and Bulldogs!

 

Dh bought me our first yorkie a couple months after we were married, and I have loved them ever since. I love how spunky they are. Our first one was very smart, and was wonderful to house train. He was 15 when he passed away, and I was devastated. About a year later Dh bought me a tiny one. As much as I loved our first one...I adore this one! He is lacking in the smarts, and he can be a booger about not going outside when it is wet...but he has me totally wrapped. He is *my dog...and he knows it :)

 

We also really like English bulldogs. We have had two in the past, and I think that when we move off base, and get a bigger house we will probably get another. They are a bit high maintenance, but they are so easy going and funny.

[MistyJ]

Jack Russels! Oh, ours is brilliant and charming. Unfortunately, she's a one-person dog and loves my daughter.

 

With young kids in the house, I would say Labs hands down. They are very, very, very patient dogs.

[Plucky]

Pugs. They are so sweet and loving. Friendly to everyone. Fun dogs that want to make you laugh, yet stubborn sometimes. Will come no matter what when offered food. BFFs with the fedex guy. Snuggles with all the kids during school.

[StaceyinLA]

and I'm sure we will always have rescue dogs just due to the area we live in. However, I certainly have some favorites.

 

Our best dog ever, Missy, was 1/2 golden 1/2 black lab. She was THE perfect dog. It nearly killed me when she died.

 

At present we have an Aussie, 2 rescue mutts that are lab mixes, 2 chis, a pom and a pom x yorkie.

 

My fave large breeds are Golden Retrievers and Australian Shepherds. My favorite small breeds are chis, poms and yorkies.

[fastforward]

I recently became a "dog person", and while I love to admire beagles, labs and basset hounds from afar, my heart has become devoted to greyhounds. :001_wub: My family adopted a retired racer 3 months ago and our lives have been changed forever in such a great way. My middle daughter was nearly terrified of most dogs until we brought her around greyhounds, and my oldest daughter has developed such a deep respect for animals since we adopted our dog. The best part is that my DH has fallen in love with our Zee Zee -- and he was the last person I'd ever expect to love *any* dog!

 

 

[Mama Geek]

Otherwise, Huskies are my favorite because all I have met were sweet and cuddly.

 

I dearly loved my 15 year old husky that we had to have put down a little over a week ago. That was extremely difficult considering he was our practice kid. There are some definite pros and cons to huskies.

Pros

They love people...very friendly, good with kids

They look like a wolf...this has kept us safe a few times.

They are protective when there is real need, but are easy going the rest of the time.

They are very smart and easy to teach.

 

Cons

They are a more predatory dog...other dogs and people are pack members, everything else is food. He went after everything from groundhogs to cattle and moose.

It is in their nature to run many miles...after about 5 years we bought a shock collar that probably saved his life. (Any time someone other than us would open our front door he would bolt and be gone chasing cattle in Texas.)

They shed ALOT.

They are very much an alpha dog. There are techniques that work with alpha dogs, but you should have a deep understanding of these before getting involved with a husky.

[DarlaS]

Our very first dog (Kira) was a German Shepherd/Corgi mix from the local shelter. She was a GREAT dog with our young children.

 

Our second dog (Sisko) was the ULTIMATE in great dogs! He was a beautiful black and tan full German Shepherd... bought on a street corner... he suffered from chronic hip/joint problems his whole life--but he was a once-in-a-lifetime friend. I have his picture above my computer--I miss him daily and he has been gone for 2 years...

 

Our third dog (Jordi) was another gorgeous black and tan--with papers this time... his ears only went up for squirrels... and he was a lap-dog by heart--only his 120 pound body made that difficult! He was my snuggle buddy--we lost him recently at the age of 3 to a congenital kidney disorder.

 

Our forth dog (Data) is a White German Shepherd from a quality breeder. He is BEAUTIFUL--and SMART. He has completed 3 tiers of training... and loves to interact with his people. www.whitesandkennels.com

 

Our fifth dog (Tasha) recently came into our family. She is a White German Shepherd and came to us from a local rescue group. She had been on the road for a while--bite marks/scars on her muzzle and nearly starved to death. She was in rehab and training for 5 months and then we 'discovered' her just as she was ready for adoption. She instantly melted into our family.

 

Our family is sold on German Shepherds. When we were recently faced with loosing Jordi, we talked about other kinds of dogs... but we kept going back to German Shepherds... After Data and Tasha leave us we will most likely get another 'classic' black and tan...

 

Someone's clearly a Trekkie! :lol:

 

I'm almost sold on a GSD. I already need to vacuum after this husky. What's a little more fur? :tongue_smilie: She's going to be six though, and I just don't know how she'd react to no longer being the only dog.

[TammyinTN]

We are devoted to our Border Collie mix. She is the sweetest dog. We will also be getting a German shepherd puppy after we move and get settled into our new home. We want to make sure we get a big yard for romping and playing. I seem to get a new dog as each of the children move out. When Amber left we got Ella the amazing Border Collie, Jess has now moved out and got married so a German shepherd should help me with the transition. ;)

[katiejane]

I love my Beagle. They are not the most obedient breed but they are soooo cute and great with kids. They are really playful and stay "puppies" for many years which is good for kids. They have a furry playmate :D

[Country Mouse]

I am partial to Labs. Every one I have ever had has been an awesome family dog and very devoted to the kids.

 

:iagree:

 

Another lab person here.

[SusanAR]

We LOVE Border Collies. We have Sophie, who is the best dog EVER- loving, obedient and good natured.

 

We also have a Chavilier King Charles. He is arrogant and moody and smug, but I love him.

The Border Collie obeys right away; the King Charles obeys if and when he wants:glare:

[lapsetmom]

I love my two pugs!!!! They are great with kids, friendly, snuggle-bugs! We even have a Pug calendar with a picture of a different type of pug for every month of the year!

[Michelle in GA]

Pugs. They are so sweet and loving. Friendly to everyone. Fun dogs that want to make you laugh, yet stubborn sometimes. Will come no matter what when offered food. BFFs with the fedex guy. Snuggles with all the kids during school.

 

Another fan of pugs here! I have two and they are just wonderful dogs--sweet, playful, sensitive, cuddly, and those expressive little faces:)

[calandalsmom]

I am partial to labs and goldens bc that is what we had when I was a kid. We have a mutt- we believe maybe she is a german labrabeagle. ;) So now I am devoted to one particular mutt.:D

[Heather in AL]

We got a sheltie two years ago last month. She is so sweet and easy to train. She's the perfect size, not too big, not too little. Her coat is absolutely gorgeous. I've had various dogs over the years, mostly mutts, but none have been so easy to live with as Tillie!

 

:iagree: Another Sheltie fan here (see my avatar). She turned two on Memorial Day, and we will have had her for two years in August. She is so smart it's incredible, and such a doll!!

[MaMa2005]

Chihuahuas. I had one while growing up and we have had 5 since I've been married (30 years). Though they have a reputation for being mean, I truly believe they take on the personalities of their owners. I have known little old mean ladies to have little mean chihuahuas.

 

All of ours have been sweet as pie. Three were brought from breeders that truly treasured their dogs and two have been rescues - one from an abusive home and one from a garage sale. All have been wonderful.

 

They are extremely loyal dogs and are the best lap warmers in the world.

[kwickimom]

LABS LABS LABS!!!! We have a yellow and a chocolate and we breed them.

 

I have owned a lot of dogs and these are the BEST sweetest, well behaved, laid back, kid friendly dogs I have ever had. I would have 50 of them if I could. My plan is to make everyone I know buy a puppy so they can see how great they are :)

[JeneralMom]

Great Danes. I love my Danes. I currently have a Great Pyrenees and love her personality but they bark...alot...at anything.

[Peela]

We have a medium sized mongrel with the sweetest, most placid nature in the world, and two different coloured eyes.

And we have Little Dog. A bounce off the walls kind of Jack Russell cross Maltese. Now she is adult, she is easier, and very, very cute. But much harder work than her bigger playmate. They are good for each other though- Little Dog keeps Indi from melting into her dog bed completely. Indi gives Little Dog someone to annoy, playfight, bite, growl at, sleep on and she even tries to have tea with her regularly (both girls!).

 

I think I prefer the bigger dog because the litte dog is so much more hyeractive and demanding of attention.

My plan though is to get a Border Collie next (I had a Blue Merle collie as a kid- beautiful). I like really smart dogs. Indi is smart. Little Dog's nickname is Stupid. Because she is. OK, she cant help it, and we love her anyway, but she still is.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Peela

[LaissezFaire]

I definitely have favorites. As far as little dogs go, I am devoted to Shih Tzu's. They are just not like other little dogs. Quiet, rarely bark, don't snap at kids. They are just sweet dogs.

 

For big dogs, we've always had mixed breeds. Usually ones with some Labrador in them. We had several dalmatians in the past but they can be hard headed. Beautiful dogs though.

 

These are our guys.

Edited June 19, 2010 by LaissezFaire

[hornblower]

I think your question about why we get 'into' a certain breed is very interesting. For many, they're actually looking at utilitarian issues - will this dog the 'job' (whether that's actual work or companionship or dog sport) that I want it to do? Some of it has to do with barking (amount & tone), coat types, size - and let's face it, general appearance.

 

I love all dogs :001_wub:

 

But I don't love all breeds & there are some I definitely don't want to own.

 

I grew up with a terrier & I would def get a terrier again. I think a little terror would liven things up nicely.

 

Then my family went into GSD's. I think I'm done with GSD's. Lovely dogs but not for me.

 

I have a malamutexgsd mutt. Love her dearly, & I might have become a malamute person but.....

 

my heart was stolen by the entire gun dog group. I'm head over heels in love with English Setters & I adopted one through purebreed rescue last year. I also esp like GSP's, English pointers, flat coated retrievers, lab retrievers.

 

I like poodles, esp since I saw videos of some being trained for hunting. (no, I don't hunt. I'm just crazy about gun dogs and what they do).

 

I've got a newfie X foster right now - big dark hairy lumbering mutt. Gad, I like this dog too!

 

If I had a bigger house & more time (make that WHEN I have a bigger house & the kids are done) I'm getting more dogs :D

[pie]

Dachshunds! mini or standard. prefer brown or golden, but have a black one we saved from a puppy mill. he has no brown on him. very very black. his name? Fritz of course! Guten Tag! :)

[kym]

We are a family of dog-lovers here. Our last dog was a standard poodle, and I never thought I'd like a small dog, but I have fallen in love with our Scottish Terrier. He is stubborn and strong willed, but VERY loving and sweet to the kids. He is such a fun dog! Hooray for Scotties!

[weaver_67579]

are my favorites. Until Christmas, we had 4 dogs 3 Shorthairs and 1 Dal. All of them were rescues and all were registered therapy dogs.

 

German Shorthaired Pointers

Right now we have 2 Shorthairs ages 12 and 16. We lost one at 14 1/2 at Christmas. We will likely loose our old lady before long-she is failing fast. When she is gone, I would like to adopt a middle aged one from GSP rescue.

 

Pros

-easy to train. They are typical sporting dogs in this regard

-have been great with my family-enduring 3 rambunctious kids, various rescue dogs and housecats, and company.

-generally are fun happy dogs

-coat care is minimal - just wash now and again and towl dry

-mine were protective of the family-but not agressive in any way. I would not recommend threatening any of us or crawling through our window though. They would growl and have hackles up if someone came to the door I obviously did not know, but would fall all over themselves trying to greet someone I let in the door.

 

Cons

-VERY HIGH ENERGY - more so than the average person is prepared for. If they get bored, they can be very destructive

-If not obedience trained-they can be obnoxious beyond all words. Mine were all trained well and did well with even the smallest kids.

-can have a super high prey drive. At my house most any smaller critter outside was dead if the Shorthairs found them in the fence. They never bothered the livestock (sheep, cattle, horses) but chickens, cats and all wildlife were fair game. On the plus side Dear Hannah that I lost at Christmas was the best mouser ever. Even if she could not get to it-she would point to where it was (such as under the stove) She did chew through a wall to get one though....

-are very athletic and can be escape artists. Mine could easily climb a 6 foot kennel in their youth and Ellie (16 yo) could jump a 4 foot fence with lots of air in between. We had to have both a traditional fence and an electric one to keep them in when they were young.

-can be very smart and good problem solvers. I put this in the cons, because having a dog that can open gates, doors, cabinets... can be hard to deal with. The baby locks and gates in our house are generally for the dogs as well as the baby.

-If they got loose they were gone-sometimes for hours since they could run very quickly and would be off in the wildreness hunting before you knew they were gone.

-health problems

-hip dysplasia

-progressive retinal atrophy

-VonWillebrand's disease (like hemophelia in people)

 

Dalmatian

We lost our dear Dalmatian Boone at about 15 years old on Palm Sunday. He was a rescue found with a missing foot (likely lost in a trap) and later had his leg amputated. We had him for 13 years. He was the best therapy dog ever-particularly good with handicapped people. He touched many lives not the least of which were ours. I am not yet prepared to have another Dal yet. They are a bit more of a challenge than the shorthairs and I just don't have the time needed to devote to training one. Also the loss of Boone is a bit too fresh still.

 

Pros

-loyal to a fault They love their people and would gladly give their life in protecting them. I have no doubt that Boone would have tried to take out anyone that threatened me or mine. He was the protector of all babies here at the house and would lay on the floor and not allow any of the other dogs or housecats near the babies-The babies were his. You will never be alone if you have a Dal. They are always near you and will not usually leave your sight.

-protective. They were designed to guard things and are good at it

 

Cons

-protective can turn to agressive without a strong knowlegeable owner willing to socialize and train them well

-smart, but stubborn and not as easy to train as some other breeds especially if you are trying to get them to do something they don't want to do. They can be very obnoxious when not trained.

-VERY HIGH ENERGY and also can be very destructive if not kept occupied both mentally and physically

-Terrible shedders - people think that because they have short hair that they have an easy coat to take care of. That is not so. They are profuse shedders and the hairs stick in everything and are near impossible to vacuum out. It is short enough to not get matted though

-can also have a high prey drive. Even though he was an amputee, he would catch rabbits and other wildlife. He did leave other critters that he viewed as ours alone (unlike the shorthairs) He never did bother the feral cats or chickens.

-can be quite standoffish of people they do not live with. Mine was not and loved everyone I accepted, but he wasn't necessarily typical in that regard.

-health problems

-deafness (both bilateral and unilateral)

-urinary stone forming and many need to be on special perscription diet for this (Boone was)

-hip dysplasia

-progressive retinal atrophy and some other eye problems

 

 

we love our Shorthairs and loved Boone the Dalmatian dearly, but I do not recommend either breed for the casual pet owner. Both can require more attention than most people are able/willing to give.