Favorite family dog breeds

[fairfarmhand]

Honestly- I have never been a huge fan of dogs. Maybe I shouldn't say it that way, but I was just never raised with one and just assumed I would never have one. DH has been harking for one for awhile now. The move out to the country finally swayed me. I can see how it would give me an added bit of security. At first it was rather grudgingly but now the thought of a family pet is started to get me excited. Having no experience I suppose our best bet would be an easy to train dog or possibly paying for its training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've never been a "dog person" till we got our Pyr. I've always loved cats better ,but these dogs are just so sweet. They are also pretty mellow, and outgrow the annoying puppiness relatively quickly as compared to other large dog breeds. Lucy likes to play but is overall a very calm dog. She doesn't get so wound up that she'd knock a kid over or start nipping at you. At younger ages, we had to be very assertive about jumping and nipping, (pushing her down firmly and fussing at her when she's start to. We'd gently pop her mouth if she started to nip, telling her no, firmly) But at age 2 she never does any of that stuff anymore. It probably took her 8-10 months to figure out good behavior, but we had to be very consistent in that time.

 

BTW, pyrs love to dig. If landscaping is important to you, beware of that. And their poop is very large.

[astrid]

English Shepherds are perfect for everything that you want except that they have long hair. Long-haired dogs don't have to smell though!

 

English Shepherds are the descendants of the old farm collies that were known so well for their intelligence. They are good with animals and can herd but are more laid back than most herding breeds (not as hyper).

 

English Shepherds are on my (very) short list of dogs I'd consider if I downsized from my big guys. Quite healthy, super-smart, and just the right amount of working drive. LOVE THEM.

 

I saw a few recommendations for Berners (Bernese Mountain Dogs.) Be careful here--- even Berner folk say that the lifespan is about 4 years now. Cancer is rampant in the breed, and it's ugly cancer-- osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma. Such a heartbreak.

 

astrid

[KristenR]

I've never been a "dog person" till we got our Pyr. I've always loved cats better ,but these dogs are just so sweet. They are also pretty mellow, and outgrow the annoying puppiness relatively quickly as compared to other large dog breeds. Lucy likes to play but is overall a very calm dog. She doesn't get so wound up that she'd knock a kid over or start nipping at you. At younger ages, we had to be very assertive about jumping and nipping, (pushing her down firmly and fussing at her when she's start to. We'd gently pop her mouth if she started to nip, telling her no, firmly) But at age 2 she never does any of that stuff anymore. It probably took her 8-10 months to figure out good behavior, but we had to be very consistent in that time. BTW, pyrs love to dig. If landscaping is important to you, beware of that. And their poop is very large.

 

Good to know!! Thank you!! (especially about the poop! LOL)

 

English Shepherds are on my (very) short list of dogs I'd consider if I downsized from my big guys. Quite healthy, super-smart, and just the right amount of working drive. LOVE THEM. I saw a few recommendations for Berners (Bernese Mountain Dogs.) Be careful here--- even Berner folk say that the lifespan is about 4 years now. Cancer is rampant in the breed, and it's ugly cancer-- osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma. Such a heartbreak. astrid

 

That's my fear about boxers too. Right now that is the only downside to them that I have found.

[briansmama]

I love Australian shepherd mixes. Our girl is a yellow lab/shepherd mix and we all adore her. She is wonderful with small children and very social, but she guards our house well too. She lets us know if a creature is on our property but hardly ever barks.

[MrsBanjoClown]

We loved our greyhound, but it doesn't sound like that is the breed you are looking for. They are really indoor dogs, and if let off of the leash, they could chase something and not be able to find their way back home. Ours was wonderful with our children, and basically was a big lap dog! The day we moved our firstborn to his crib in the nursery, the dog went from sleeping on the floor of our bedroom to sleeping in the hallway between the two bedrooms. He never barked unless something was wrong. He was very friendly and loved to play. We had to put him down due to bone cancer 4 years ago, and we all still miss him. We had a couple of labs at one point, but had to give them to someone else because they wouldn't stop jumping on the kids and knocking them down. I think they are much happier on a cattle farm than they were in our small backyard.