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

[Jennifer3141]

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.....

 

DH wanted a "show horse" dog. He wants a snob dog. I out-voted him because I'm the one who has to do the work.

 

It would have been fun flying to Germany for a dog but we just adore Riker.

 

And my friend just acquired a puppy. I'm not sure I'd ever do that again now. :D

[roxanne23]

.

Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23

[livingnlearning]

Absolutely I would adopt from our shelters-in fact I decided my next one will be just to balance out my karma after daring to raise puppies! :D

 

I like to raise a pup-you can get a good older dog but puppies are hard-wired to try to fit in with their surroundings and you get a good jump on training and socialization. Plus they're fun and cute. :)

 

I have a lot of dog experience and feel confident in recognizing breeds mixed with breeds and behaviors and predicting an outcome. If you feel like you can do that or have a resource to help you (like a trainer, vet person or knowledgable friend, not the shelter employees) I would definitely start at the shelter. I am leery of rescues after having seen and experienced some real stinkers so I can't recommend a rescue too much. Proceed with caution there.

 

I think you should read all these posts, think of what you want in a dog and picture this dog in your life. Is he jogging five miles with DH in the morning or is he sleeping on the couch all day? Is he going camping and guarding the porch, playing fetch, or is he a little guy that gets carried around a lot? Long hair on the couch or sleek short hair? High energy/low energy, size, dogginess or no. Some dogs are farting drooling shedding machines-is that cute to you or something to avoid? lol Do you want to put in a lot of training time or do you want a dog that easily blends? There are ways to stack the deck in your favor and pick the right dog but do it before you go looking and fall for a sad story and a cute face!

 

I would miss the mountains if we moved away-we spend all summer in them with the dogs, kids and horses!

Edited August 24, 2011 by livingnlearning

[athomemom]

Absolutely I would adopt from our shelters-in fact I decided my next one will be just to balance out my karma after daring to raise puppies! :D

 

I like to raise a pup-you can get a good older dog but puppies are hard-wired to try to fit in with their surroundings and you get a good jump on training and socialization. Plus they're fun and cute. :)

 

I have a lot of dog experience and feel confident in recognizing breeds mixed with breeds and behaviors and predicting an outcome. If you feel like you can do that or have a resource to help you (like a trainer, vet person or knowledgable friend, not the shelter employees) I would definitely start at the shelter. I am leery of rescues after having seen and experienced some real stinkers so I can't recommend a rescue too much. Proceed with caution there.

 

I think you should read all these posts, think of what you want in a dog and picture this dog in your life. Is he jogging five miles with DH in the morning or is he sleeping on the couch all day? Is he going camping and guarding the porch, playing fetch, or is he a little guy that gets carried around a lot? Long hair on the couch or sleek short hair? High energy/low energy, size, dogginess or no. Some dogs are farting drooling shedding machines-is that cute to you or something to avoid? lol Do you want to put in a lot of training time or do you want a dog that easily blends? There are ways to stack the deck in your favor and pick the right dog but do it before you go looking and fall for a sad story and a cute face!

 

I would miss the mountains if we moved away-we spend all summer in them with the dogs, kids and horses!

 

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. My favorite dogs in the world are Aussie and Cattle Dogs (at different times). Our Cattle Dog was older and didn't need much exercise. Our Aussie loved to run. She was mostly and outdoor dog, she liked it that way.

 

I really, really, want an Aussie or Cattle dog. Maybe a mix of the two. :D That's my perfect dog. I just don't know if I can handle house training and I now live in the city. I know most of it depends on the dog's temperament, exercise and training.

 

I miss my faithful companion. We aren't goers and are home quite a bit. I always felt safe with my dog. He wouldn't have hurt a flea, but others coming to the door didn't know that! :D He had a LOUD bark.

[livingnlearning]

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. My favorite dogs in the world are Aussie and Cattle Dogs (at different times). Our Cattle Dog was older and didn't need much exercise. Our Aussie loved to run. She was mostly and outdoor dog, she liked it that way.

 

I really, really, want an Aussie or Cattle dog. Maybe a mix of the two. :D That's my perfect dog. I just don't know if I can handle house training and I now live in the city. I know most of it depends on the dog's temperament, exercise and training.

 

I miss my faithful companion. We aren't goers and are home quite a bit. I always felt safe with my dog. He wouldn't have hurt a flea, but others coming to the door didn't know that! :D He had a LOUD bark.

 

If you look into PET or COMPANION lines with an Aussie you should be fine. They are breeding lines of them for agility and companionship and they are a different dog than the working lines. My Aussie was a mix of both but took after the companion lines and she's not a high energy dog by any means. I like heelers too but I haven't wanted to deal with the heeling aspect with kids/livestock around-they don't all do it and it's in differing degrees but I've just tended to avoid. They're great protectors and loyal dogs though-we call them "truck dogs" around here b/c if you leave one in your truck nobody will ever be able to break into it!

[MelAR05]

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:

 

:iagree:

 

So smart! In obedience school, people would announce, "The entertainment is here!" when we walked through the door with Wrigley who is now 13. Love him like crazy! And though he is great with the kids, he likes to kill any small animal that moves. :tongue_smilie:

 

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 Shih-tzu passed away in May and we are looking at our next dog being a German Shepherd, though not sure how one would be with a Jack Russell.

 

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 Jack Russell has always been terrified of storms and fireworks. The 4th of July is torture for him!!

[livingnlearning]

Just to contradict myself (Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes. Walt Whitman)

 

I have a horse trainer friend that works with this rescue a lot-they seem to be a reliable, not overly invasive, responsible rescue. Just to give you some dogs to look at and think about the possibilities!

 

http://www.herdofwy.com/availabledogs.html

[Alte Veste Academy]

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.....

 

I truly believe most of the dogs who are at a shelter are there because they had bad owners, not because they are bad dogs. :( (I am aware that there are exceptions, of course.)

 

If you're going to get a puppy, I highly recommend How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With. For potty training, I loved Everything You Need to Know about House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs. I didn't crate but I still found the books useful. The best thing I ever did with potty training was to always tell Milo, "Go potty!! Go potty!!" and then when he did, I would always say, "Good potty!! Goooooood potty!!" They sound so similar and he was always so happy for the praise that he now potties on command. It's a great trick!

[Spryte]

Another Aussie girl here. I adore Aussies. My doggy soul-mate was an Aussie that I acquired in college, and he was with me till he was 16 1/2, and it was time to let go. There is still a hole in my heart. He was the smartest, most wonderful dog!

 

We now have - accidentally - a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. We found him online, and were told he was an Aussie. His pic sure looked like an Aussie. So, a 4 hour drive later, we were sure he was not an Aussie, but taking a 4 year old on a 4 hour drive to get a puppy... Leaving without the puppy is not a viable option! So... We now have a Catahoula.

 

Has anyone mentioned them on this thread? I didn't see them mentioned, so thought I'd throw out the breed and a few observations from a fairly new Catahoula person. :) I have never met a dog quite like a Catahoula.

 

And since many people who are looking for Aussies seem to end up with Catahoulas, I think it's important to know about them before accidentally acquiring one, like we did. The breed can have wildly differing appearances, so while some don't look anything like an Aussie, many do.

 

They are medium sized, often with the coloring of an Aussie, but shorter haired. They are super smart. Our Catahoula is a fabulous agility dog, and our trainer adores him. He can be trained to do anything, and if he's *not* trained, he will figure out something to do anyway. He is the most loyal dog I have ever seen, to the person he has picked out as alpha. In our family, it's DH. This pup follows DH everywhere, and when DH is not home during the day, our pup hangs out at the window with a forlorn expression, watching for DH. DH telecommutes, and pup knows the words, "Go to work" and when DH is on his way to the home office, pup is right at his side, ready to work hard all day on his dog sofa (clients on teleconferences have, on occasion, asked who is snoring in the background!). He is great with our kids, and when DH is not home at night, pup seems to think it is his exclusive job to protect us. We have had many a night with DH out of town and pup barking and snarling at every tiny sound. The moment DH leaves, pup is on high alert. Catahoulas were bred to be extremely pack oriented, so everything the Dog Whisperer has to say about dogs applies tenfold to Catahoulas.

 

The drawback here is that a Catahoula is *so* pack-oriented that while I find him a wonderful dog most of the time, when things get busy and we don't have time to properly exercise him and keep him occupied - he can be a hard dog to keep occupied. I am not sure that I would choose another Catahoula, unless I had a child who was *very* interested in working with an agility dog, to keep the pup occupied and worked. They are working dogs, and truly need to work. We have laughed in our family about our pup needing "doggy prozac" and about him being OCD... He is truly a different breed of dog. (By the way, we don't have him on any meds, other than working him to keep him happy, but when we are busy, I certainly find the thought of doggy prozac appealing.)

 

Yikes, I've written way too much here. But maybe it will save someone else from the Aussie/Catahoula confusion. :)

[melissad2]

In the past we have had 2 shih-tzu's, a male who was impossible to house train but the sweetest dog ever, and a female who was the nippiest dog ever. She had to move in with my uncle when we had ds because she bit him. The male had to be put down last year because of a long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, he eventually had a stoke and couldn't be saved.

 

Now we have Daisy...she's a beagle/basset mix and I threaten to get rid of her daily! She likes to chew, she likes to bark, and she likes to poop in the living room after she comes in from a long walk! And I don't like any of it :glare:.

 

Although the kids love her and she really is a loving dog, I think I will give her a reprieve til she hits the 1yr mark and reevaluate the situation then ;). She has to be constantly supervised so as to avoid chewing disasters or potty accidents...is there a boarding school for dogs? Maybe I could send her somewhere and they could send her back all trained and well behaved:lol:.

[myfunnybunch]

We have a beagle-Aussie-mystery mutt. The curvy tail and something in his face tell us there's something else in there.

 

He's beautiful. We named him Rover.

 

We adopted him from the animal shelter as an older pup. He's calm and responsive and sweet. He's smart. He's playful with the kids and a good companion with me.

 

We waited almost a year to find our dog. We wanted an adult, we ended up with a puppy. We wanted a girl, we got a boy. I just knew when I saw his picture on Petfinder that we were his people. We got the best of both worlds adopting an older puppy. He was potty trained and had some basic commands down, and had been raised in a loving foster home, but he was still puppy-playful and cute and adapted well to our family.

 

Cat

Edited August 24, 2011 by myfunnybunch

[KatA]

We have an Australian shepherd. He is the worst dog for our family. Only for the reason that he has soooooo much energy. He's a working dog, he needs stuff to do all the time. My husband just said last night that he only has two speeds: sleep and light speed.

 

We're such a low key family, it's a bit of a ill fit. We like him though and he likes us even with his issues (aggression towards people) so we feel if we were to give him up, he'd probably end up getting put down.

 

He's cute and loyal so we'll keep him (we have for the past 3 years)... he just needs lots and lots of walks and outdoor playtime. He needs a bunch of sheep to herd, honestly.

 

[livingnlearning]

He looks like he's mixed with something else-is he a purebred?

[AnthemLights]

The only dog that we own is a German Shepherd. (see avatar). She is the best. She is extremely sweet, very gentle. Best friends with the kitten even though she wasn't raised with cats. I have even seen them eating out of the same scrap bowl. She loves people...never aggressive. I actually wonder a bit at this....she loves people so much that I could never imagine her threatening anyone. And we did get her for protection. She doesn't bark, not even when strangers come to the door....which is kind of strange, I think. (Just wanted to add that she is just over a year old, so maybe she will get more territorial when she get older.)

 

She is extremely smart. For example, my husband taught her in 2 minutes that "load up" means to jump on to the bed of his pickup truck. Not too amazing in itself. But the first time that I told her to "load up" she ran around the driveway a bit and then finally ran over to the 4-wheeler and jumped on. I guess she figured that since I don't drive the truck and always use the 4 wheeler, that I must mean for her to get on the 4-wheeler. :D

 

She is also the most beautiful dog in the world. JMHO, of course. :D

[Anne]

:iagree: Another vote for Standards here!!

 

I love that my dog doesn't shed. He doesn't need crazy amounts of exercise, but is always up for a walk or a hike if I'm going. He's very affectionate - he likes to sit in my lap even though he weighs in at over 65 pounds!! He's a great guard dog, but isn't aggressive, iykwim.

 

Standard Poodles are the best!!

 

Anne

[TXMomof4]

I have a boxer and absolutely adore him. He is the sweetest, most loyal, most wonderful sweetheart of an animal. Our last dog was a boxer mix and I think it was the boxer personality that made him the first most wonderful dog ever.

 

We got Ozzy (our current dog) when he was 1 and never had an issue with house training him. He had not been treated well and is very timid, but once he warms up to someone he is a friend like no other. He is happy to lay around and do nothing or to play in the yard, go for walks - I just love him. About a month after we got him we had some friends over - there were about 10 kids all over him and he just laid there and smiled. He's wonderful.

[scmama]

We have two right now. Bailey is 3 yrs old, a yellow lab. We've had him since he was 8 weeks old, and by far he's the best dog ever. He never had issues with the kids, we have 3 of those! LOL He's loving and well behaved. Since turning 3, he's become very protective of the kids and the yard. He knows who's suppose to be here and who's not, and he's a very good watch dog. When the kids play outside and he hears them scream or cry, he stands at alert and watches them. He usually doesn't quit barking to them until they go by him, he wants to sniff them over and make sure they are ok and not hurt. (Kinda like a second mommy..lol) Also he is awesome with my youngest. Sometimes there's just big kids outside, and no one for him to play with, so my youngest will take his cars outside and play in the dirt next to Bailey. I've seen this with my own eyes, so I'm not crazy...it's like he knows Colton is sad and he will paw at the cars with Colton, like he's playing cars with him!! It's the cutest and sweetest thing in the world. On those days Colton will sit there for hours and play cars with him.

 

Our second dog, Zeus, is a boxer and lab mix, more boxer than lab. He's only 5 months old. He's beautiful and sweet. He's still a pup so he has a lot of puppy antics going on right now. But he's very loyal to the kids and will go to them before coming to me...traitor! LOL I still have to see what he grows into, but he's good with kids and that's what matters to me. He's smart, and follows Bailey's lead on who to bark at and who not to.

 

By far, I have to say that my lab is the best yet. I've had a lot of dogs growing up, and with kids, labs are the best!! :)

[KrissiK]

We have a wonderful little sweet dog who adopted us about a month ago. She all the sudden showed up in our back yard and stayed. She's a mutt of some sort - terrier mix, I'm thinking. No, I haven't taken her to the vet yet. That's coming. She was a mess when she came. She's pretty long haired and she was dirty and matted. So, we washed her and cut all the matted fur off her and she's looking rather respectable now. She was obviously someone's pet and has been trained. She's quite obedient and cooperative and loves kids. My guess is that she was a drop-off; someone couldn't take care of her anymore and just cut her loose. She had no collar and I looked around the neighborhood for posters. Plus, she's not an escape-artist. She's a little homebody. So, I know she didn't just run away from a good home. We love her. Her name is Sparky.

[Remudamom]

I have a heeler. Her name is Tick. She's a real pita, but we adore her.

[Caterpiller]

Growing up I had a chocolate lab!!! She came to us around the age of four. Her name was Morty.

 

She was the best dog in the world. She would grunt to talk to you, she slept in my bed, if no one let her in their room at night she would sleep in the hall inbetween all of our bedrooms, but she wouldn't cry. She never barked or howled at anything that didn't deserve it. One time, about a year after we got her, my mom told her, "Get her morty!" referring to someone the dog hadn't ever met who was opening our screen door. My mom was only joking because it was actually her friend and the dog was so well tempered that she didn't think anything would happen. She was wrong. Morty got up and showed her teeth and started barking and tried to protect our family. :lol: She understood EVERYTHING we said. :) I always felt extremly safe with her. She was my little sister. Oh and she didn't bother my asthma either. I have not LOVED another animal since she died.

 

We were given a pug who was 3 (my husband and I) and she was the WORST DOG EVER.

 

If I ever get another dog it will be a chocolate lab, or a laber-doodle. And it will be as a puppy so we can enjoy her for as long as possible. Her name will be Xena!

[3peasinapod]

We have a boxer (albeit a very old one). They are joyful, playful, yet can be trained easily to be calm inside. They are extremely easy to housebreak and smart, smart, smart! :D We've had 2, and they are one of the most gentle dogs I have ever seen around kids. We train our kids not to bug them, but our boxers have been such a great addition to our family. We will get another one when our current 11yo passes away. LOVE them!

 

Their hair is shorter, so the shedding isn't as much as a lab or golden retriever or such.

[athomemom]

I have a heeler. Her name is Tick. She's a real pita, but we adore her.

 

Lovely! She's beautiful!

[athomemom]

We have a wonderful little sweet dog who adopted us about a month ago. She all the sudden showed up in our back yard and stayed. She's a mutt of some sort - terrier mix, I'm thinking. No, I haven't taken her to the vet yet. That's coming. She was a mess when she came. She's pretty long haired and she was dirty and matted. So, we washed her and cut all the matted fur off her and she's looking rather respectable now. She was obviously someone's pet and has been trained. She's quite obedient and cooperative and loves kids. My guess is that she was a drop-off; someone couldn't take care of her anymore and just cut her loose. She had no collar and I looked around the neighborhood for posters. Plus, she's not an escape-artist. She's a little homebody. So, I know she didn't just run away from a good home. We love her. Her name is Sparky.

 

Lovely pic of your crew. I can tell the kids are in love. :001_smile:

[Lady Florida.]

 

Now we have Daisy...she's a beagle/basset mix and I threaten to get rid of her daily! She likes to chew, she likes to bark, and she likes to poop in the living room after she comes in from a long walk! And I don't like any of it :glare:.

 

Although the kids love her and she really is a loving dog, I think I will give her a reprieve til she hits the 1yr mark and reevaluate the situation then ;). She has to be constantly supervised so as to avoid chewing disasters or potty accidents...is there a boarding school for dogs? Maybe I could send her somewhere and they could send her back all trained and well behaved:lol:.

 

She appears to have been practicing the sad-eyed dog look, and has has successfully mastered it.;)

[Jenny in Florida]

There is a well-established rule that we are not allowed to talk about food here without posting the recipe. I think we need a rule that we are not allowed to talk about dogs without posting a picture!

 

My daughter and I are enjoying looking at all of the photos (and coming up with captions), and I want more!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

We have a Pug. I absolutely LOVE pugs. I don't know why I just do. He is difficult but we adopted him from a Pug rescue so I will tell you about the pug we had before him that we got as a puppy. That would be a more accurate comparison if you ask me than a previously abused/neglected pug. The pug we had before him was pretty easy to train. Its really funny when they are puppies because when they are eating food their heads are heavier than their bodies and their butts lift off the ground when eating :lol: A huge plus for us is he did not shed much and normal regular brushing left little to no dog hair at all.

 

 

We have a bull mastiff. She is awesome! She thinks she is a 95lb lap dog :lol: :001_huh:. She does not shed much and again with regular brushing leaves little to no dog hair mess at all. She drools though. ALOT. Anytime she gets a drink one of the kids wipes her mouth with an old hand towel we leave by her water to keep the drool at bay. She will drool watching people eat or if she smells food :lol:. Its just the breed and the way the mouth/jaw align.

 

We have a golden retriever. He is very laid back MOST of the time. He still likes to play like when he was a puppy when its time to play but then settles down alot. He needs ALOT of grooming to reduce pet hair mess. That would be the only downfall I can think of. We get him groomed about every 6-8 weeks. Plus dc brush him atleast weekly. We still sweep up and vacuum some dog hair from him but not alot and not all the time. I VERY easy to train.

[Lovin Learnin]

We have an 8 mo. old lab/mix. The vet isn't quite sure what the mix is. He's a bit short and stocky so she said he could have some pit, and his tongue is black, which could indicate some chow. She admitted to not really knowing at all. The shelter said he was lab/shepherd but there is nothing shepherd about him at all. Thankfully he doesn't show any aggression in the least and he's turning out to be very smart, loyal and loving. He knows each of us by name so I can tell him to go tell whoever to let you out or feed you and he will go straight to that person. Right now he's missing his boys who have selfishly left for college. And dd and I are very excited that he just learned how to bark (we were foolishly worried about that for awhile). It's a nice, deep bark and it makes me feel secure on nights when dh is working late.

 

Does anyone have a guess as to the other breed? He may be lab/mutt. And his eyes are a very dark brown, not blue.

[Janie Grace]

We have a wonderful little sweet dog who adopted us about a month ago. She all the sudden showed up in our back yard and stayed. She's a mutt of some sort - terrier mix, I'm thinking. No, I haven't taken her to the vet yet. That's coming. She was a mess when she came. She's pretty long haired and she was dirty and matted. So, we washed her and cut all the matted fur off her and she's looking rather respectable now. She was obviously someone's pet and has been trained. She's quite obedient and cooperative and loves kids. My guess is that she was a drop-off; someone couldn't take care of her anymore and just cut her loose. She had no collar and I looked around the neighborhood for posters. Plus, she's not an escape-artist. She's a little homebody. So, I know she didn't just run away from a good home. We love her. Her name is Sparky.

 

I LOVE your picture. Doesn't get much better than that, in terms of dog/kid adoration. :)

[Pam Wilhelm]

I have a heeler. Her name is Tick. She's a real pita, but we adore her.

 

 

 

Awwwww! Now you made me want another one!!! We've owned 3....yes, they are a PITA.... but they are so smart! Our Red female was amazing... I swear she could speak human. I miss my Mattie.

 

Tick is gorgeous.

[rafiki]

.

[keptwoman]

We have a boxer puppy, she is 6 months old and a bundle of cheekiness. She is very loving and tolerant with the kids, and likes to be around us. She adores kids. We are having some issues with being able to go out and leave her, and she has some training issues but nothing a manners class wont cure. Toilet training has been pretty good except that she doesnt ask to go out, she just gets naughty, then stands at the door and waits for someone to notice and if they dont notice she pees on the floor. If we put her out at the naughty stage she is fine.

She has a high activity level, so we are doing lots of walking which is really enjoyable as the weather improves but surprisingly pleasant even on cold days and i'm really getting to know the neighbourhood. She doesn't shed at all. There have been times when I've wondered what on earth we have got ourselves in to, but mostly she is fabulous.

[dkholland]

We have a schnoodle! He is the sweetest tempered dog I have ever met. Very humble and smart. Part miniature schnauzer/miniature poodle, so he is only 15 lbs. Good size for all the play he gets with our boys. He is not barky, trained easily, and is ready for love at any time. Ours is all black with curly hair, but I have seen lighter brown/white combinations. Schnoodles are not usually found as rescue dogs and can be expensive. We found a breeder that took good care of her dogs and we have the best family pet ever.

 

Our youngest kept praying for a "live" dog because we always bought him stuffed ones. Wefeel like we have the pet he prayed for.

[athomemom]

What doesPITA mean?

[Lady Florida.]

What doesPITA mean?

 

Pain in the arse.

[Mommyfaithe]

We have 2 dogs.

Our older dog is a toy pomeranian. She is very smart...but she can be nippy with kids. I wouldn't get that breed again...she is very yappy...she barks all.the.time.....and now that she is old, she pees on the floor. She is smart enough though to always do it in the bathroom....serious! She was very, very beautiful in her day.

 

Our younger dog is a Daschund/Yorkie mix. He is medium sized. We like to say he is 1/2 a dog high and 2 dogs long.:D We adopted him from a shelter at 6 weeks old. He is very smart, was pretty easy to train, and is as lovable as they come. He would be content to sit on your lap all day snuggling. Downside is he needs grooming and he sheds. Other than that, he has been a perfect gentleman....he even gets along with the cat!

 

Faithe

Edited August 24, 2011 by Mommyfaithe

[athomemom]

Pain in the arse.

 

Oh! :lol:

[Cindyg]

We have a Bolognese.

 

 

Sorry that's so big. I don't know how to size it.

 

Pros: (And I only have one. I don't know if these traits are true of the whole breed)

 

The sweetest, softest, gentlest, fluffiest dog in the world. Like having a living stuffed animal in the house. Loves everybody and everything. Everybody loves this dog. People come up to us and just want to touch him. Very, very tolerant of children and rough housing. Very gentle and sweet. Adorable from every angle, especially when asleep. The ultimate lap dog.

 

Cons

 

Not the smartest dog in the world. Had a lot of trouble house breaking him. Seriously high maintenance. Requires more grooming than a child would be capable of; i.e., Mom has to brush him daily. Not a dog who can fend for himself in any natural environment. He literally gets his feet caught in his own hair (like if he scratches his ear). A disaster around mud, water, snow, burrs, or stickers.

[DarlaS]

 

Does anyone have a guess as to the other breed? He may be lab/mutt. And his eyes are a very dark brown, not blue.

 

Boxer?

[Pretty in Pink]

We have a pound puppy named Millie and she is pretty darn awesome. She looks like a jack russell/wiener dog mix, but she's sort of plump, and has brindle coloring. One ear pokes out sideways instead of laying down properly, and she always looks like she is smiling. When she gets really excited she even pulls her upper lip back to show her smile -- she looks like Elvis when she does that! LOL

[Remudamom]

This is a pita. Really, who wouldn't love this?

Edited August 24, 2011 by Remudamom

[SBMama]

This is a pita.

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Pam Wilhelm]

This is a pita. Really, who wouldn't love this?

 

Oh you have just pushed me over the edge!!! I NEED!!!! another Cattle dog! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

 

(Did she tell you that the garbage was talking smack about you and she had to teach it a lesson? Mine always gave me that story!)

 

Really it was the Budweiser that made her do it....she drank them all herself, didn't she?

[Remudamom]

Oh you have just pushed me over the edge!!! I NEED!!!! another Cattle dog! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

 

(Did she tell you that the garbage was talking smack about you and she had to teach it a lesson? Mine always gave me that story!)

 

She said the cat did it. Look at the garbage, I think she was drunk.

[NotSoObvious]

I do not like animals in the house. I do not like other people's animals. I don't like the way most dogs smell. I hate the smell of dog food. I swore we would never get a big dog or a dog that sheds.

 

That said...

 

I LOVE our border collie and she cuddles in our bed. :ohmy: I never thought I'd love a dog this much! We had Aussies growing up and I love them too.

 

She was hyper as a puppy, but she is a GREAT dog. We got her from the pound at 6 months old. I've never met a smarter dog.

 

We did a trial period with my grandma's bichon and I realized we are not little dog people. I want a dog who will listen, learn, and catch a frisbee!

[Remudamom]

We have a border collie too, Hank. He is rarely more than 10 feet away from me. Drives me batty.

[TravelingChris]

I have a white miniature poodle. We got him from a poodle rescue. He is exactly what I wanted in a dog- friendly but not overly so (I found labs to be overly friendly), warning bark but not barky, good with kids, good with cats, and the final thing is his size- I needed a small dog since I will need to be able to care for him when my last goes away to college. My dog weighs 15 pounds so even when my arthritis is bad, I can still pick him up. Unfortunately, I don't think he will outlive my youngest's high school years since he is 11 and she is starting high school now and he does have a heart issue.

[Alte Veste Academy]

She said the cat did it. Look at the garbage, I think she was drunk.

 

:lol:

 

This is hysterical! That was our yellow Lab's one flaw. She got in the garbage and took food off the counter occasionally. Those people who say dogs don't remember what they did wrong after the fact are just nuts. We would come home after being gone a while and she would be sulking, tail between her legs, avoiding eye contact. She knew. :lol:

 

After our wedding, we brought what was left of our cake home, part of the second tier and the topper. We went out to dinner that night and came home to her and immediately knew something was wrong. She ate the cake off the counter, all that was left of the second tier, but she left the topper. It's like she knew what our breaking point for forgiveness would be. Then there was the time she ate two entire loaves of bread, the time she ate the turkey carcass after Thanksgiving... Ah, memories! :lol:

[Mrs.MacGyver]

My favorite dog ever was my cousin's Rottie/Black Lab mix. He had all of the wonderful qualities of both breeds without any stubbornness or rowdiness. All of the mixes like this I have seen were like that - plus they seemed to avoid some of the hip problems that some Rotties have.

 

- - We have a full bred female Rottweiler and a female Golden Retriever/Rottweiler mix - plus we babysat a male Golden Retriever for almost a year.

 

The Rottie is a wonderful dog. She is sweet and patient with the children. They literally climb all over her, jump up and down on her, and she does not care at all.. every once in a while she will get sleepy and start licking them until they leave her alone for a nap. She is a nice mix of lazy and fun (needs some activity daily, but not as much as some dogs). She is very trainable, yet you have to stay on a Rottie in the early years because they do get stubborn, but she obeys me with only a stern look now and will immediately stop barking at deer and such with a simple "shhhhhh!"

 

The "RottenGoldie" is one of the smartest dogs we have ever had. She instantly obeys any training, but needs lots of activity. She mainly stays outside so that she can hunt moles and things. She is the kid's favorite outside dog b/c she will follow them anywhere and play all day. Inside she is a spaz (even at 2yo).

 

The Golden is a good dog, loves the kids, follows them everywhere, but not as trainable as the other two...sometimes I just think it is a "boy" thing... the female goldens we had growing up were wonderful - but man, the shedding is awful!!

 

Another note on Rotties: She does like to "herd" the children, but now that she is 3 and all grown up, she is really too lazy to bother. She does keep tabs on the little guys though. Also, they tend to be really stinky, as in "farty"... not fun when sleeping in the bedroom with you. :glare:

Also, we had a male Rottie for a while - he was VERY stubborn and needed a lot of constant and very consistent training and exercise. He is now with my friend who has the time and loves to exercise and train her dogs, and he is absolutely wonderful. I just didn't have the time for him.

[akmommy]

She was born in a rescue/foster home after her mother was surrendered there (because she "kept getting pregnant")

:glare:

Ugh!! Wonder if they knew that there is an easy way fix that. People!

 

Well, my dog is a mutt, but he's the best dog I've ever had. Best we can tell is he's lab, g. Retriever and Rhodesion ridgeback. He trained easily and was housebroken by ten weeks old. I think it helped that we had an older dog too, so he went out when she did and learned by example with lots of praise. He is so mellow and gentle I never had to worry about him with the kids. When the kids were little and did something he didn't like or was tired of he just got up and walked away. He won't bite down on anything that isn't food. His nickname is Gentle Giant (85-90 lbs).

 

Eta: also we can take him places without a leash (outside city limits of course) and he won't leave our side.

Edited August 25, 2011 by akmommy

[Nakia]

Here is Odie (border collie mix) giving Anna a kiss:

 

 

 

Here is Cassie, the beagle mix: