What kind of dog do you have and why is your dog the best?

[athomemom]

I thought this would be a fun thread. We have been search AND praying for a dog for our family. We are taking our time though. :001_smile:

 

Please share what kind of dog you own. Is he/she with everyone? Did you get him/her as a puppy or as an older dog? Trainable? And if you got your dog as a puppy, how did house training go?

 

Why is your doggie the best in the world? :D

 

I love Aussies. Sheps or Heelers. I haven't met one yet that I didn't think hung the moon. They are so smart.

 

I have asked about small dogs on this forum, and we are still considering a small dog. But after much chatting with dh we are also considering a medium dog. The only puppy I'll consider is an Aussie or Heeler. I am biased, I guess. :tongue_smilie:

 

Talk to me!

[kwickimom]

labs labs and more labs. :) I am literally shocked to hear some people do not think they are good family dogs.

 

Our dog Dixie is the calmest, sweetest, laziest dog on the planet. She had ONE accident while potty training and trained at 12 weeks of age. She loves my kids to death and when they go to visit my mom for a week she goes from room to room looking for them and cries...the ENTIRE time. She has never growled or snapped or showed an inkling of aggression toward them. She lays with my kids when they are sick, is the only dog the deer are not freaked out about...in fact, they lick her....She rocks.

Edited August 24, 2011 by kwickimom

[The Girls' Mom]

We currently have a Jack Russell. I love her to death, but I'm not sure I'd get another. It's hard to train a dog that is smarter than you :lol:

 

We've have labs in the past and they are by far my favorite dog. We had a chocolate lab who was an absolute baby, and I miss him!

[Shelly in IL]

Both are awesome dogs, but so different. The Airedale is so smart! They are highly intelligent, brave, kid friendly dogs. She is now 8 :(. She goes out to the barn with the boys and guards them while they do chores, she tells on the cat when he comes in and gets into trouble, they have a sense of humor. They don't shed. Downside...they need groomed every month and half or two.

 

Cavalier. She is so sweet. She is so soft. She is so beautiful. She is playful and fun, yet calm and doesn't mind laying around all day if we're busy. Downside, shedding! She isn't the brightest bulb in the box, but she is so good at everything else that she is still a great dog!

[dancer67]

Labs! I have a male part Lab/Golden.

 

Only downside as that theu can be very hyper as babies.

 

Other then that, best dog around:D

[JudoMom]

We're an American Eskimo family.

 

We had Maggie (we had to put her down last September at age 12) and Chewy (we had to put him down yesterday at age 12 :crying:). They were both standards.

 

We just got Jedediah this weekend--he's a miniature, so he'll be around 15 pounds (instead of the 25 that Maggie and Chewy were).

 

These dogs are smart, loyal, and sweet. Maggie and Chewy put up with a lot with my 5 boys (we got Maggie while I was pregnant with my oldest, and Chewy when he was about 5 months old), and never showed any aggression towards them. Once Maggie died, Chewy was never more than a few feet from me.

 

Jedediah (8 weeks) has only been home since Sunday night, but he's already started going to the door when he needs to go out. He follows me everywhere and comes running most of the time when I say "Come, Jedi!". Last night dh had him out back, and when he heard the boys upstairs (the back door was open with only the screen door shut) he ran to the door and whimpered to come in.

 

The full grown picture is of Chewy; the puppy picture is Jed (from the breeder last week). I don't have any pictures of Maggie on this computer.

[Jenny in Florida]

We have a small-ish mixed breed dog, Matilda. We know her mother was a pomeranian mix, and her father was mostly poodle. She looks more pom than poodle, although not really much like either. She weighs about 14 pounds. We have people stop us on the street all the time to ask about her and tell us how gorgeous she is.

 

She is very definitely "my dog," but she loves the whole family. My daughter is her first choice for companionship when I'm not here. She even gets along with one of the two cats.

 

She was born in a rescue/foster home after her mother was surrendered there (because she "kept getting pregnant"). We brought her home when she was about eight weeks old. Sadly, her mom was ill by that time and had to be put to sleep right around the time the puppies went to their new homes.

 

Training? Well, despite my best efforts, she is not what one might call well trained. She doesn't like other dogs and barks whenever we see one on the street. She's not crazy about men other than my husband and son, and at two years old is still prone to accidents in the house if I'm not vigilant. I read books and tried to do everything right. We've taken two rounds of training classes, too. And she's always gone everywhere with me. She's still skittish. It's just her personality, I guess.

 

But I love her so much. She's my best friend. She's very smart and sweet with us. Except for maybe the whole accidents-in-the-house thing, I wouldn't change her at all.

[athomemom]

labs labs and more labs. :) I am literally shocked to hear some people do not think they are good family dogs.

 

Our dog Dixie is the calmest, sweetest, laziest dog on the planet. She had ONE accident while potty training and trained at 12 weeks of age. She loves my kids to death and when they go to visit my mom for a week she goes from room to room looking for them and cries...the ENTIRE time. She has never growled or snapped or showed an inkling of aggression toward them. She lays with my kids when they are sick, is the only dog the deer are not freaked out about...in fact, they lick her....She rocks.

 

I love the pics of your dog. So precious.

[athomemom]

We're an American Eskimo family.

 

We had Maggie (we had to put her down last September at age 12) and Chewy (we had to put him down yesterday at age 12 :crying:). They were both standards.

 

We just got Jedediah this weekend--he's a miniature, so he'll be around 15 pounds (instead of the 25 that Maggie and Chewy were).

 

These dogs are smart, loyal, and sweet. Maggie and Chewy put up with a lot with my 5 boys (we got Maggie while I was pregnant with my oldest, and Chewy when he was about 5 months old), and never showed any aggression towards them. Once Maggie died, Chewy was never more than a few feet from me.

 

Jedediah (8 weeks) has only been home since Sunday night, but he's already started going to the door when he needs to go out. He follows me everywhere and comes running most of the time when I say "Come, Jedi!". Last night dh had him out back, and when he heard the boys upstairs (the back door was open with only the screen door shut) he ran to the door and whimpered to come in.

 

The full grown picture is of Chewy; the puppy picture is Jed (from the breeder last week). I don't have any pictures of Maggie on this computer.

 

:grouphug: I can only imagine how you feel today. I am so glad you have your new baby with you. :grouphug:

[Lady Florida.]

Shetland Sheepdog. We have a Sheltie, and it's the first time in my life I didn't get a mixed breed dog (though dh had a Keeshond when I met him, and that dog was wonderful). Dh has always wanted a Sheltie, so when we decided to get a dog for ds, that's the breed we looked for.

 

The good:

-They are very smart and practically train themselves.

-They are affectionate, loveable, and playful.

-They love their humans and would rather spend time with them than with other dogs.

-Because of the above, they don't have a tendency to run off.

-They're great at agility (Ds does agility with ours and they both love it).

 

The bad (though none of it is actually bad)

-They need a job (as do all working dogs).

-If you don't give them a job, they'll come up with one on their own. It might be taking care of the cats, or something not so cute, like chewing possessions or warning the family of danger by barking at every. single. noise.

-They will herd anything, including young children. For this reason they aren't usually recommended for families with toddlers because they tend to nip at heels.

-Regular grooming cannot be ignored.

-They tend to bark often - and it's a high pitched bark.

 

I would get a Sheltie again.

 

I have trouble putting actual images in a post, so here are links to Dingo photos. Though not current, that's what he looks like now.

 

 

 

I also blogged about him recently.

http://floridamom.typepad.com/tales/2011/06/where-are-they-now.html

http://floridamom.typepad.com/tales/2011/05/tryin-to-reason-with-hurricane-season.html

Edited August 24, 2011 by floridamom

[Nakia]

We have a beagle mix, who is not the best, lol. She loves us and is very devoted to us, but she is a runner. She has her nose to the ground all the time and tends to run away from us. She is great with the kids though. She is almost 9 and starting to get arthritic. :(

 

We also have a border collie mix, and he is the best dog in the world. We adopted him when he was 2, and I can't believe how wonderful he is. He loves me most, sits at my feet, stares at me like I'm the best person in the world, and keeps a good watch over the house. I wouldn't trade him for anything!

[BMW]

We have a weiner-dog/mutt mix... Frodo. He is SO special to us. We visited a local vet one year, letting them know that we were looking for a dog for my son who has aspergers. About a week later, the vet had a co-worker come in after finding this little puppy abandoned next to large fields of crops. We had to be "foster parents" to the pup for a month so that the vet could make sure no one was looking for him and wanted him back... then he became "ours".

 

He is so sweet. He's active enough to play or go for walks, but doesn't have high needs as far as getting out and spending energy goes... We have a very secure, large back yard and he loves roaming it and exploring. He has to sleep on the couch or on our son's bed, not outside.

[kewb]

We have a Weimstaff. He is a Weimeraner/American Staffordshire Terrior mix. He is a great dog. 75lbs of unconditional love. He is loyal to the family. He loves everyone we meet. He just wants to play with every person and every dog he meets. I call him my velcro dog because wherever I go he goes. The only downside to him is that he is a jumper. We had to run chicken wire around the top of the fence to make it taller to keep him in the yard. He sails over 4' as if there is nothing there.

 

Growing up I had German Shepard Dogs. They are also great dogs. Loyal and loving. They will play for as long as you want to play and then when you are done they will go lay down.

 

I also had a Doberman. He was also a great dog. I had him when I met my dh and told my dh that if my dog didn't like him the date was off. He tried to bribe my dog with a toy bone. The dog hated that bone but he did like my dh.

 

The one lab I had as a kid we had to find a new home for him. He required a level of activity that we just could not provide. He became very destructive. He chewed up shoes and toys and anything else he could get his paws on. He went to a woman who lived on a farm and jogged 5 miles every day. Plenty for him to do there.

 

As you can see, I am partial to the larger breeds and the misunderstood breeds. I find these breeds to be the best family dogs.

[Lady Florida.]

We have a beagle mix, who is not the best, lol. She loves us and is very devoted to us, but she is a runner.

 

I have always wanted a Beagle. When I worked as a vet tech, Beagle puppies were soooo adorable. I always heard they're high maintenance dogs though. :(

 

We also have a border collie mix, and he is the best dog in the world. We adopted him when he was 2, and I can't believe how wonderful he is. He loves me most, sits at my feet, stares at me like I'm the best person in the world, and keeps a good watch over the house. I wouldn't trade him for anything!

Some schools of thought say the Border Collie is the Sheltie's ancestor. We've met a lot of Border Collie sweethearts at agility trials.

[CourtneyMI]

I haven't read all the post but we have 2 very different dogs and they are both wonderful.

 

Our cocker spaniel is 6 and very good with the kids. He is such a love and just wants to have someone pet him all day. He will sit at your feet and just follow you around all day if you let him. He is not a very smart dog but he is loyal and lovable. My parents have 2 cockers and love them as well.

 

We also have a german shepard who is just over 2 years old. She is starting to settle down (Praise Jesus) and is wonderful to have around now. She is extremely intelligent, very protective of the kids and love to hang out and play with my oldest DS - who is 3.

 

I've also had a miniture poodle, a rat terrier and 2 beagle/lab mixes growing up. The poodle and rat terrier are still alive and live at my parents house. Both are really smart dogs but difficult to house train and the rat terrier is starting to get agressive in her old age. The lab/beagle mixes were put down last year but both were wonderful loves as well.

 

A word of caution: we made the mistake of getting a puppy when we had a toddler and a newborn. We found out 2 weeks after we got the german shepard puppy that I was pregnant again and it was/is a lot to handle. If you have littles, I'd get an older dog or a smaller breed puppy. Our german shepard doesn't know how big she is and knocks the kids over somedays. Of course, she never does it on purpose but it can cause a bit of mayhem when it happens.

[bettyandbob]

my dog is a scrappy looking bichon-poodle mix. He gets anxious easily. He and my younger son have a push pull sibling kind of relationship. But they play and love eachother. We got him from a rescue at 6 months, most of the potty training was done. Our is best because he just is.

[warneral]

We have a Portuguese Water Dog. We got him b/c he is medium sized and doesn't shed. My sister has one and our son has no problems with allergies.

 

He is a good dog - now that he is 3! The first few years were challenging though :)

[Quiver0f10]

We have two dogs. One is a lab/retiever mix and she is the BEST dog. Good with the kids, smart, obedient, loves to play, barks when someone is at the door but doesn't bark cosntantly. Good companion.

 

The other is a Great Pyrenees. This dog is sweet but stupid :lol:. He is good with the kids though. The worst part is he sheds everywhere. We have to keep him practically shaved or every available space in the house will be covered with hair. I would not recommend this dog unless it was pretty much outside only.

[Jann in TX]

We have had 5 German Shepherds in the 26 years we have been married.

 

Our current furry babies are 2 white German Shepherds. Data (long 'A'--all of our dogs have had Star Trek names) our male pictured below, is from Whitesand Kennels in Texas. He came to us at 10 weeks already knowing many obedience commands. He has been my easiest dog to train. Our female, Tasha, came from a local rescue center. She is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met.

 

Our shepherds have been excellent family dogs, basically they are floor rugs who feel it is their sworn duty to give us wall to wall carpeting (we have concrete floors!). We live out in the boonies-- so we feel 'protected'--but the dogs are great out in public too, they are gentle giants (especially since I invested the time to train them).

 

While 2 big furry dogs are enough right now... our next dream dog will be a classic black and tan (all of our dogs are straight-back, classic, big boned and about 100 lbs) male to be named Riker... but hopefully that will be many years from now!

[Lady Florida.]

We have a weiner-dog/mutt mix... Frodo. He is SO special to us.

 

Awww. What a sweet face he has!

[Suzanne115]

We have two standard poodles - Madeline and Maurice. They are awesome and so incredibly smart. They are great with my children. They are so gentle and sweet with them. My female was the easiest dog ever to house train. She started using potty papers the second day we had her. When she was older (can't remember how many months), we transitioned her very easily to go outside). Our male has IBD - a digestive disease - so he was more difficult. Still, he was completely trained by 1 year. We took both of them through obedience training and they both won trophies for doing the best job. My female loved it and went out to win an obedience title. My male didn't care for it so we let him stop after basic training. They didn't need the repeated practice that many others needed either. My male is very protective and barks whenever anyone comes to our house. We are pretty sure he stopped a potential break in. At the same time, he is the most gentle, loving dog you can imagine. He loves everyone. My female is more a mom's girl. She is the best cuddler you can imagine.

 

They are great! The only downside is the expense of grooming.

 

Suzanne

[Lady Florida.]

 

Our shepherds have been excellent family dogs,

 

We had a Shepherd/Collie mix when I was growing up. I was 8, my brother was 3, and she was a wonderful dog for us kids.

 

People tend to think of Shepherds as guard dogs and police dogs and forget that the German Shepherd is actually a herding breed.

[Spy Car]

We have adopted MILs Maltipoo.

 

My Dog's better than your Dog,

My Dog's better than Yours,

My Dog's better 'cause,

He eats Ken-L ration,

My Dog's better than Yours!

 

Ruff.

 

Bill

[Pam Wilhelm]

Right now I have a Basset-Lab mix from the humane society in GA...he is the most amazingly perfect dog for kids. He is 11 years old now, though, and slowing down considerably.....he won't be with us much longer...... and will help teach the kids yet another lesson...how to grieve.

 

We also have a Jack Russell Mix.... um, he's a sweetheart who has turned into a really annoying storm dog. He is petrified of storms....and since many of the storms hit our area in the middle of the night, we are growing weary of lack of sleep. He's a good dog....but we are not terrier type of people. He's 9ish and we will have him for a long time more... if he doesn't drive us nuts first. :lol:

 

 

Our favorite dogs are Heelers (Australian Cattle Dogs). We've owned 3 of them... awesome, smart, love to work. They have to have a job though....mine were all obedience trained....when they wanted to be. :snicker: Amazing dogs.... some day we may get another.

 

Although, lately I have been looking at Bernese Mountain Dogs.... perhaps when the JRT passes on. :D

[livingnlearning]

I have five right now.

 

The best family dog is probably the Aussie, Carbon. She's out of working and pet lines and she took after the pet/companion lines. She doesn't have any work in her but she is the sweetest, smartest, most loyal and protective little dog. She adores the kids and the highlight of her day is when she gets to wake them up in the morning. She just sits and looks at us as if she just can't believe how lucky she is to be our dog. :001_smile:

 

 

I also have two Blackmouth Curs and they're great family dogs, very similar to a lab without any of the health problems and slightly more protective, they're a great all around dog. Active when you want to be and quiet when you don't. They're smart, sweet, athletic and with a fun goofy personality that keeps us laughing.

 

 

 

We have a Great Pyrenees and he's another favorite, sweet and gentle with the family and protective of the property all night long. He's mainly here to protect us from the coyotes and skunks in the chicken coop but he's a loving sweet beautiful big family dog. Devoted to us-but big and loud so probably not the dog for everyone!

 

 

 

Last and not least, I have a 12 year old pound puppy, probably an Aussie/Golden cross with maybe some GSD or heeler mixed in. She's my dog, loyal to me no matter what though she has been very protective of the kids. She once bit an adult neighbor during a particularily exciting chase during a game of tag when she thought the neighbor was inappropriately chasing my screaming flailing young son! LOL That was the worst thing she ever did, for twelve years she's been under the radar just being a good dog and keeping track of me. I dread losing her.

Edited August 24, 2011 by livingnlearning

[Karen in CO]

I have two dogs.

One is a Jack Russell terrier. We got her as a puppy, and she's now 8 years old. She is smart and knows her job which is to bark her silly head off and act fierce if anyone gets near the kids. She's our guard dog.

 

The other is a giant fluffly mutt that we got from the shelter when he was a puppy. He's now 2 years old. He looks and feels exactly like a maltese except that he weighs 40 pounds. He is handsome, fluffly, playful, and dumb as a rock which is part of his charm. He only barks if our other dog does, but he does it with a smile and a wag.

[livingnlearning]

We have lots of dogs--too many dogs! We have a Pyr and an Akbash and they are great livestock guardian dogs. They are NOT pets and would be dreadful at it! However, they did run a bear off last night...

 

We also have a Golden/lab cross. She's a wonderful dog; she flunked out of Guide Dog school. However, she's 16 now and completely senile. For just a pet, she's just about perfect.

 

We also have a Border Collie. Not a pet, she's a working dog. No job=unhappy dog and unhappy people. I'd never have one that didn't have a job.

 

We also have a pure Golden and she's a handful. She's oldest dd's dog. Dd was not able to take her back to school, so we have her for yet another year. Goldens are too hyper for my taste.

 

My dd had a St. Bernard that she took back to the breeder. She was too dog-aggressive and they lost their other dog and missed her so much. So, Hannahthedog is back with them and I think dd heaved a sigh of relief. She loved H, but she's where she can get more attention.

 

She then got an Aussie who was a mistake. Again, working dog with no job=unhappy dog, unhappy person. He's getting better, but if she find that she can't keep him because of deployment in 2 years, he won't be coming here.

 

We've had a succession of Labs and crosses over the years--great dogs!

 

We've had very similar dogs! I got lucky with our Aussie; she was a puppy the year we had to move away from our ranch and she ended up having not a bit of "work" in her. Her father was a driven cow dog and he would have gone crazy without cows but she couldn't care less.

 

Our GP came from a breeder that also had a Akbash and I have wondered if he had a whiff of that in him too but as he's grown up I don't think so. He's a good family dog by day but a coyote killer at night. :)

[hsmom]

We have a Pug. He is wonderful with everyone. Very affectionate, playful, yet lazy, just over all a great dog.

 

Training him was a bit hard, but he came around and he sheds a lot.

[Lady Florida.]

I have five right now.

 

 

I also have two Blackmouth Curs and they're great family dogs, very similar to a lab without any of the health problems and slightly more protective, they're a great all around dog. Active when you want to be and quiet when you don't. They're smart, sweet, athletic and with a fun goofy personality that keeps us laughing.

 

 

 

 

 

I would love to have a Florida Blackmouth Cur, also called Florida Cracker Cur or Florida Cow dog. We know a hs family that has a few, and they're great dogs.

[Parker Martin]

We have a Nonexistent. He's great. Clean, no bad bread, not in our faces all the time, has never used the bathroom on the floor, never dirties food and water bowls with grime, doesn't bite or nip, required no training, cheap to feed, has low vet bills, doesn't bark, and is perfectly trustworthy. We love him.

 

(I grew up with dogs. I'm all dogged out.)

[Joules]

We have two standard poodles - Madeline and Maurice. They are awesome and so incredibly smart. They are great with my children. They are so gentle and sweet with them. My female was the easiest dog ever to house train. ... My female is more a mom's girl. She is the best cuddler you can imagine.

 

They are great! The only downside is the expense of grooming.

 

Suzanne

 

:iagree:

We have two Standards and they are awesome. We do the grooming ourselves, so that's cheaper. But it takes lots of time. We do keep them kennel cut and their haircuts are in no way "show quality."

 

Our girl is on the small side of the Standard range at 40 lbs and 23'' at the shoulder. Our big boy is 60 lbs and can look me in the eye when his feet are on my shoulders. (I don't know his "height.")

 

We choose Standards because I have allergies. We visited the breeder a good bit to make sure I wasn't allergic to her herd before we made the plunge.

 

It is sometimes scary to have dogs that are so smart, but they are also eager to please so they don't cause much trouble. I really can't imagine having a better pair of dogs.

[Tiberia]

Golden Retriever!

 

We've had two, (named Jack and Tiberius- see avatar) and they both were pretty mellow in the long run. They tended to get into trouble (chewing, digging) if we didn't exercise them enough. The fur can be a pain, but if you love Goldens, it's worth the trouble. We lost both our dogs to cancer - I miss them a lot.

 

We now have a Yellow Lab named Rowdy. He's a sweetie, but I still miss my Golden boys.

[Scarlett]

I have a Brittany Spaniel. I love love love her. However, I never intended for her to be an inside dog and that is what has happened. She is a very social dog---Brittanys in general are--and needs to be with us. If left outside alone she just digs and cries and escapes the yard and runs away.

 

If you don't mind having an inside dog she is great. She is crate trained. She house trained easily too.

[Scarlett]

We have a Nonexistent. He's great. Clean, no bad bread, not in our faces all the time, has never used the bathroom on the floor, never dirties food and water bowls with grime, doesn't bite or nip, required no training, cheap to feed, has low vet bills, doesn't bark, and is perfectly trustworthy. We love him.

 

(I grew up with dogs. I'm all dogged out.)

 

:). Funny. You had me going for a minute. I was about to Google nonexistent.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Please share what kind of dog you own. Is he/she with everyone? Did you get him/her as a puppy or as an older dog? Trainable? And if you got your dog as a puppy, how did house training go?

 

Why is your doggie the best in the world? :D

 

As a child, I grew up with Yorkshire Terriers (always in a herd, too!) and vowed to never have small, yappy dogs. :D

 

As an adult, we have had two Labrador Retrievers. Our first, a yellow lab, we adopted at the age of 2.5 from Animal Control. We always said she seemed to know she was a rescue and was the best dog imaginable. She passed away in 2008 at the age of 14.5 from bone cancer and it wrecked me. There isn't enough bandwidth for me to tell you all the kinds of wonderful she was.

 

Shortly after she died, a friend's chocolate Lab had puppies that were handled from the day they were born by her kids, including a toddler. I knew that I wanted one of those puppies, so we brought home the dog in my avatar, Milo. He has been a great dog. He is just like our yellow lab but, as a male, is protective as well. His bark is scary, which I love because DH is gone a lot. I truly believe he would protect us if it became necessary.

 

Like a pp, I am shocked when I hear people complain about Labs. I think one difference might be that our Labs have always been inside dogs, so the dogs have not had to deal with as much boredom and solitude, which leads to barking and other misbehavior. My dog isn't a barker, a digger, a chewer (past puppyhood), etc., etc. No bad habits in the Labs I've had. They really are family dogs, meant to live with and amongst their people.

 

For both of my Labs, I can say that they are simultaneously the laziest and most ready-to-go dogs there are. Want to veg and lay around reading books? Your lab will be good with that. Want to go to the lake or hiking? Your lab will be great with that. Want to go for a daily run? Yes! Want to skip it and laze on the swing. Okie doke. They are flexible. Once they get past the puppy stage, they are mellow. They are also incredibly trainable, smart as a whip and, most importantly, eager to please their human. DH has trained Milo to do all kinds of cool things, including fetching the newspaper from the front yard in the morning. He zips out there, gets the paper and zips back in. He can also high-5. :D I potty trained him and it was a breeze! Because he was a pleaser, he caught on incredibly quickly, and I didn't/don't crate. We got him at 7 weeks and he has been 100% trustworthy since he was 9 weeks old. (I was still letting him out in the middle of the night up to 12 weeks but he would whine for me to do it.)

 

We're an American Eskimo family.

 

We had Maggie (we had to put her down last September at age 12) and Chewy (we had to put him down yesterday at age 12 :crying:).

 

I'm sorry. When my yellow lab died in 2008, it broke me. The pain is just awful. :grouphug:

Edited August 24, 2011 by Alte Veste Academy

[TheReader]

We have right now a golden retriever; before her we had a golden retriever/yellow lab mix. Both were/are phenomenal dogs (we had to leave our first dog in the US when we moved, and we rehomed her with good friends who still have her and spoil her to pieces).

 

What made me decide to get a golden retriever was this. My aunt has one. We went to her house for the first time since she got the dog, so the dog met my children for the first time that day.

 

My oldest, at the time he was 5.5 yrs old, was swimming in the pool. There was a shallow section where he could stand, but was deep enough for him to swim as well. He was a good swimmer and would sometimes swim under water. I was right there with him the whole time.

 

The golden retriever swam with him. She would sit on the edge of the pool and watch. If he was normal swimming "on top of the water" she was fine. Every single time he went under water to swim, she would bark an alarm bark and tap him on the shoulder/back with her paw until he came up to the surface. Every single time. She was also barking this whole time, an alarm bark to get our attention.

 

I was absolutely blown away and we decided then and there, that's the breed for us.

 

Our first dog, the golden/lab mix, showed her nanny side the first time we took her to the beach with us. She hated the waves. Hated them. Would back away from them in fear. Did not like the waves, at all, and would not enter the water.

 

Until our sons (at this time the oldest was around 6 or 7 and the middle son was about 3 or 4) would wade into the water. They'd reach a point she felt was too far, and she would bound in after them, get in front of them and nudge them closer to shore.

 

Now, again, we were right there with them the whole time. They were totally safe, never in danger. But the dog disagreed and moved them to protection. Just in case.

 

Now we have our 2nd dog, a golden retriever. She's only a year old (we did get her as a puppy and potty training was easy, easy, easy). We have a backyard pool, all the boys are good swimmers. The youngest is now 6 yrs old. If he is in the water, she is sitting at the edge of the pool watching nervously. If he is on dry land and playing in the water at the edge of the pool, she is sitting beside him. If for some reason my son is outside, playing at the edge of the pool, and I am inside, the dog will bark her alarm bark and sit with him until I acknowledge that I see him, that he's okay, that I'm watching, etc. She sits with him the whole time regardless.

 

If one of the kids "falls" or jumps in the pool, even if we are right there, she will raise the alarm with her alarm bark and will not stop until she sees the child at the surface and is assured we are there, kid is safe, etc. It drives her bonkers to watch the boys swim, even when we are right there (we always are; there's no swimming unless a parent is present and within arms' reach of the youngest).

 

When we take her to the woods to run with the boys, she will wander but she is constantly alert to the boys. If they move away from her, she runs to stay near them.

 

This nanny attitude is what persuaded us to get a golden retriever in the first place, and why we'll always have one. All three goldens we know (the one who inspired us, the one we used to have, the one we have now) are this way. Whether they met our kids as adult dogs (my aunt's dog was about 2 or 3 when she met our boys), as middle puppies (our 1st was 7 months when we got her) or as puppies (our dog was 10 wks when we got her). Whether they've known our boys for 10 minutes or 10 years. This is what makes golden retrievers the best dog ever, at least for people with young(ish) children.

 

They are also friends/bonded to the whole family, though closer to the alpha of the family. But friendly to everyone, attached to everyone, and nanny to all the kids. Goldens think they are lap dogs, so you do have that. They are super affectionate. They shed like crazy. They are smart enough to train well and easily. They are very compliant dogs, mostly. They are smart enough to be sneaky though.

 

Also, they are bred to have a "soft mouth." Not physically soft but a very light bite. You do of course have to reinforce this when they are a puppy, but whereas some dogs are bred to bite and hang on at all costs, a golden is bred to retrieve a fallen bird (from hunting) w/o damaging the bird carcass at all. Thus to mouth very lightly. This is not a fail safe or a guarantee or anything, but I like that in teaching about appropriate mouthing vs. inappropriate mouthing we're a step ahead because of their breeding. Still takes work, still takes training/reinforcement, still takes vigilance and care as any dog does. But it does put the odds slightly in your favor, a little. Not enough to neglect this aspect of training -- I am not saying that. Not enough to assume "Oh, a golden would never hurt anyone!" -- they could. You never know, with any dog. But it's a bit of comfort at least.

 

They're also very patient and gentle dogs. Excellent excellent excellent family dog. I won't say "we'll never get anything else..." because there are other breeds we like as well, but I doubt we'll ever be without a golden again.

[Hoggirl]

A mutt and a standard poodle.

 

Poodles are THE best dogs b/c they are smart and do not shed. The only downside is the cost of grooming. I had miniature poodles growing up and my mom groomed them herself at home. I just can't do that with a standard. Her trip to the beauty shop (every six weeks) is considerably more than mine!

[Hoggirl]

We have adopted MILs Maltipoo.

 

My Dog's better than your Dog,

My Dog's better than Yours,

My Dog's better 'cause,

He eats Ken-L ration,

My Dog's better than Yours!

 

Ruff.

 

Bill

 

I remember those commercials, so I am showing my age as well!

[annlaura]

Our current dog is a beagle mix. She has just turned 2 and is a little calmer. I adore her, but she has been much more difficult to train than my previous dogs. And she barks way more than they did, which can get on my nerves. She is a great dog, and is just right for my family right now. She is big enough to make me feel safer, small enough to not fill the house. Sturdy enough and energetic enough to tussle and romp with the boys, but also very gentle and patient with them. She is funny, cuddly, and smart. There is nothing quite like watching a parade of two little boys with drums and noise makers and a baying dog marching through your house.

 

That said, my real heart's desire was another Newfie or Newfie mix. I don't know if I'll ever get another, but I think the very best dog in the world is a Newf. My big girl has been gone for 3 1/2 years now, but I still miss her.

[Lady Florida.]

 

My Dog's better than your Dog,

My Dog's better than Yours,

My Dog's better 'cause,

He eats Ken-L ration,

My Dog's better than Yours!

 

Ruff.

 

Bill

 

Thank you for that earworm. /sarcasm

[KungFuPanda]

I have a greyhound mix. We call him our pound hound. Unless you want to win every round of My Dog Is Weirder Than Your Dog, you may want to avoid a greyhound mix. However, if you want a dog that behaves like a cat, this may be the breed. Ours is 5 and spends 90% of his life sleeping. He even caught a mouse once. He's a tall dog that weighs nothing and a coward with a bark that would scare anyone away. Like I said, weird.

[Lady Florida.]

I've had 7 dogs in my life, including our current dog. One was difficult, but he had been abandoned and didn't get any social skills training from his mother or littermates. Though we loved him, and cried when he died, he was not really a great pet. Other than him though, every dog I've ever had has been the best dog I've ever had. Until the next one. :D

[table4five]

We have a Weimaraner/Standard Poodle mix! Heidi :)

 

She is by far the best dog we have had. Extremely smart, lets herself outside, potty trained so easily, never has had an accident. I have heard this with Standard Poodles and with Weims, that they act like people. This is so true with Heidi. She looks at you like she is totally understanding what you are saying. She thinks at 80 pounds she should constantly be in our laps. She knows how to work the eyes and get what she wants. Most importantly she is great with the kids and a good watch dog.

 

We have had all mixed breeds over the years, except I had a ****zhu pure bred at one time and he was mean and not good with my oldest daughter.

 

We love mutts.

Attached Heidi at 2 and as a puppy

[athomemom]

I love it! Such a great response and mixed bag of doggies.

 

It seems that most of you that adopted from shelters have had good experiences. I must admit that I am hesitant about shelter dogs. It's not that I don't want to help them out, I just don't want a 'bad' dog. Sometimes there just isn't enough info on the dog.

 

I have no experience 'potty' training. This is my greatest fear with getting a puppy along with chewing.....

[LuvingLife]

I have an a 2 year old australian shepherd, border collie lab mix and he is absolutly gorgeous!! I love him and he is a great dog, although stubborn at times lol. I wouldn't trade him for the world. Get an aussie lab mix!!

 

He has the build of an aussie, he has the temperment of a lab, and the coloring and coat of a border collie!:D

[LuvingLife]

I love it! Such a great response and mixed bag of doggies.

 

It seems that most of you that adopted from shelters have had good experiences. I must admit that I am hesitant about shelter dogs. It's not that I don't want to help them out, I just don't want a 'bad' dog. Sometimes there just isn't enough info on the dog.

 

I have no experience 'potty' training. This is my greatest fear with getting a puppy along with chewing.....

 

Shelter dogs are the best dogs ever! If you take your time looking forone, you will find the one for you. Some shelters even allow you to take the dog home for the night or weekend to see how he/she reacts with the family.

 

We adopted my dog as a puppy and would do it all over again!:)

[livingnlearning]

My pound dog was three months old when I got her-she was the last pick of 11 puppies born in the shelter! She was raised outside at the shelter and they spayed her when she was six weeks old. For some reason, maybe one of those, she has been our worst to housebreak and will still sneak off occasionally into a back room in the middle of the night. The rest of them have been very easy though and honestly it seems like when they reach a developmental stage at around 10 weeks old they just do it themselves. I have older dogs to teach the youngers though.

 

I raised the aussie and the younger BMC myself, got the older BMC at 7 weeks old and the GP and pound dog were three months old when I got them.

 

I think I figured out how to attach thumbnails, let's hope.

Edited August 24, 2011 by livingnlearning

[i.love.lucy]

We have a great dog. She's used. I am pretty sure she's at least part border collie, but it's hard to find black and tan ones. She is lazy and sweet and gentle and soft. She doesn't drool either, which was a biggie for me. She also doesn't bark. At all. I don't know why, even when she tries to bark it comes out more like a cough.

 

We adore her!

[athomemom]

My pound dog was three months old when I got her-she was the last pick of 11 puppies born in the shelter! She was raised outside at the shelter and they spayed her when she was six weeks old. For some reason, maybe one of those, she has been our worst to housebreak and will still sneak off occasionally into a back room in the middle of the night. The rest of them have been very easy though and honestly it seems like when they reach a developmental stage at around 10 weeks old they just do it themselves. I have older dogs to teach the youngers though.

 

I raised the aussie and the younger BMC myself, got the older BMC at 7 weeks old and the GP and pound dog were three months old when I got them.

 

I think I figured out how to attach thumbnails, let's hope.

 

They are all so different and beautiful! I also love the mountains in the background pics. (I recently moved 1,000 miles from home. It's flat here.....I am a mountain girl.) :001_smile:

 

Would you adopt again from the pound then, or a rescue? Are you happy that you got younger dogs, or do you recommend an older rescue/pound dog?

[Jennifer3141]

I have TWO dogs that are the best in the world.

 

Natasha / Pooper is a Shih-Tzu-poodle mix who has been with us for 12 years now. When she was younger, she used to run around the house like a top and spin until she passed out. She's older now and has slowed down quite a bit but she NEVER attacked my kids, even the day they both cornered her when they were 2 and 3 and thought it was funny to blow in her face. Pooper just yelped until I came runnning.

 

Pooper saved me once. I had 6 years of infertility treatments before I gave up on the kid thing. We had had the last test done to determine what was going on and had been told that there was no way I'd ever conceive without IVF which was a line DH and I had decided to never pursue. DH had a family trauma around adoption as a child so I really thought that was IT - no kids.

 

Anyway, we went down to the park where we got married so we could walk around and talk about a life without kids and I was heartbroken. I could not stop sobbing. That darn dog was walking along my side and for the life of me, I don't know what got into her but she went right up to the edge of the river and threw herself in. I had to stop crying and figure out how to rescue my $#!$#@ dog. So we did and we resumed our walk and my crying jag and then 5 minutes later, the darn dog did it AGAIN. There was a 15 foot drop from the riverbankand that crazy dog just kept throwing herself in the river. I realized I had to get a grip or my dog was going to drown.

 

So I did. And of course, got pregant 3 months later.

 

Pooper's nickname is "Snausage" so you can imagine what she looks like. She's got teeny little legs and is a horrible swimmer. What the heck she was doing by jumping like that into a fast moving RIVER, I'll never understand.

 

She also attended our wedding and DH and I are positive to this day that her circling the minister was just a way to figure out how to pee on him. So DH and I were both distracted during the ceremony because we were ready to stop, "Jump, Pastor Dave!" if we had to.

 

And Riker now...

 

He's our newest shelter pet. He's a Great Dane/GS/BC/labrador mix that is AWESOME with the kids. Except that he doesn't seem to realize how big his feet are and steps on them occassionally/daily. :D

 

And he has some anxiety issues, which makes sense when you consider that he was dumped outside in a strange neighborhood in the middle of February in northern Michigan. :glare:

 

So we're working through that and hoping that someday, when I close the door to make a "number 2," that Riker stops trying to chew through the wall to get to me. :glare:

 

He's a MASTER at agility stuff. I have never seen a dog jump like this. He lives to jump and swim. We are joining 4-H because DD wants to show everyone how she can handle this giant and how he loves to jump.

 

And he thinks the sun rises and sets on his entire family. He is never happier than when everyone is at home and he knows where we are and what we are all doing.

 

Riker came leash trained and recall trained. I've never had a dog this smart before. And yet, he has this dopey "Aw Mudge" side we call it where he just doesn't realize what a moose he is and he does something randomly goofy. Today, he pulled the sheets off me so he could lick my face. Everyone likes to start off their day with about a shot glass' worth of dog spit, right???

 

Both dogs were impulse aquisitions and although Riker has definitely presented some challenges, I am so hapy they are both here.