Do you see a limited number of dog breeds where you live?

[Bluegoat]

12 minutes ago, Quill said:

Exactly true. A GSD is “supposed” to have low-slung hips. Until they are crippled at five years old. 

 

It's that "supposed to" that really pisses me off with a lot of the dogs, because we know darn well that it was not true when they were working dogs.  A reputable registered breeder is producing dogs who look little like the breed as originally define, unable to do the same work, often with real health issues as a result.

I actually thing the pit bull crosses coming out of people's backyards, as long as it isn't for fighting, are more ethical and healthier.

[ktgrok]

42 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I don’t understand the idea that the shelters and rescues are limited in type. The shelters around here are quite varied in shape, size, color, coat. There is also a private foundation-run rescue here that often provides emergency transport and shelter for hoarding or puppy mill busts. Those dogs can be anything. And there are rescues for any breed imaginable. 

 I think one the one hand, people that own certain breeds are less likely to bother to spay/neuter, and less likely to microchip, so those breeds end up in the shelters more often (which breed that is depends on the area- hounds in some areas, pits in others, etc). Also, the breed rescues often pull the purebred dogs out of the shelters quickly and send them to foster homes, leaving just the mixes at the shelter.

So although you can find all sorts of breeds in rescue in my state, 90 percent or more of the dogs at the local county shelter are pits or pit mixes. 

[ktgrok]

24 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

 

And the other element of that to me is that the breed itself has been compromised by the goals of the supposed good breeders - a "perfect" show winner will have serious hip problems bred in on purpose.  That impacts even the health of pet quality dogs which come out of the breeding circuit one way or another.  Hip and elbow certifications are band-aids to a problem they created, and can even make it worse.

Who wants to be part of that?

Yup. It creeps me out to even watch a show quality GSD walk. And the working line ones are more energy/drive than the average family can handle, and super expensive. 

Oh, and fun fact - the "stacked" posture needed for the show ring is an aggressive stance. There is speculation that purposely breeding dogs that default into that stance is actually breeding for aggressive tendencies. 

[ktgrok]

7 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

 

It's that "supposed to" that really pisses me off with a lot of the dogs, because we know darn well that it was not true when they were working dogs.  A reputable registered breeder is producing dogs who look little like the breed as originally define, unable to do the same work, often with real health issues as a result.

I actually thing the pit bull crosses coming out of people's backyards, as long as it isn't for fighting, are more ethical and healthier.

And better temperament. 

Working in vet medicine the pits were often the easiest to handle and deal with. Very laid back, not easy to spook or upset. 

German shepherds on the other hand are getting spookier and spookier (as in, spook easily). So shy. I cannot believe we've taken such a great breed and turned them into a bunch of disfigured animals afraid of their own shadow. LOTS of fearful, aggressive GSDs around. Oh and it got cool to make them bigger, too. So bigger, worse hips so likely to be in pain by middle age, and more likely to be fear biters. Pretty much a terrible combination and asking for a dog to do damage to a human. 

[SamanthaCarter]

I think some of what’s being said here is really classist. My sister is a pit owner (two) and they are responsible dog owners. Yes, they are lower middle/working class. No, they don’t leave thier dogs unaltered and allow them to run. Yes upper middle class families do buy fancy unaltered dogs with the idea of having a litter of puppies. And they get loose as well as the rest of them. Just because they are owned by the better-off financially doesn’t mean thier owners are more responsible or less likely to accidental breeding.  

[Bluegoat]

35 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Yup. It creeps me out to even watch a show quality GSD walk. And the working line ones are more energy/drive than the average family can handle, and super expensive. 

Oh, and fun fact - the "stacked" posture needed for the show ring is an aggressive stance. There is speculation that purposely breeding dogs that default into that stance is actually breeding for aggressive tendencies. 

 

Oh, that's interesting.  I can see why people might have wanted dogs used for things like police work to have a certain level of aggression.  But that has downsides too - a friend of mine used to have a failed police dog, and his issue was wth his aggression mainly.  He was extremely bonded to his owner and had to be kept in a very careful way - he used to go sit in the closet when strangers were around, because that's the only place he could relax.  He could never go to a kennel or anything like that.

[ktgrok]

9 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I think some of what’s being said here is really classist. My sister is a pit owner (two) and they are responsible dog owners. Yes, they are lower middle/working class. No, they don’t leave thier dogs unaltered and allow them to run. Yes upper middle class families do buy fancy unaltered dogs with the idea of having a litter of puppies. And they get loose as well as the rest of them. Just because they are owned by the better-off financially doesn’t mean thier owners are more responsible or less likely to accidental breeding.  

It's not classist, it's facts. No, not all working class people do this, far from it. But yes, there s absolutely a segment of the population that either can't afford to have their dog spayed or neutered, or doesn't have transportation to get the pet to a lower cost clinic. Happened to my neighbors. And working in veterinary medicine for 20 years and with some rescue groups yes, there is a correlation there. 

[ktgrok]

5 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

 

Oh, that's interesting.  I can see why people might have wanted dogs used for things like police work to have a certain level of aggression.  But that has downsides too - a friend of mine used to have a failed police dog, and his issue was wth his aggression mainly.  He was extremely bonded to his owner and had to be kept in a very careful way - he used to go sit in the closet when strangers were around, because that's the only place he could relax.  He could never go to a kennel or anything like that.

And t's not just the GSDs, it's all show dogs, at least any that are expected to stack in that way. 

 

[Bluegoat]

7 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I think some of what’s being said here is really classist. My sister is a pit owner (two) and they are responsible dog owners. Yes, they are lower middle/working class. No, they don’t leave thier dogs unaltered and allow them to run. Yes upper middle class families do buy fancy unaltered dogs with the idea of having a litter of puppies. And they get loose as well as the rest of them. Just because they are owned by the better-off financially doesn’t mean thier owners are more responsible or less likely to accidental breeding.  

 

I think you can see that there are different behaviour among different economic and social classes without thinking it's bad.  Although, actually I think the kennel club show breeding thing is bad, and it is classist - not only is it associated with people with more money, historically it is very much associated with the eugenic movement.  So yeah, classist maybe but not against the working classes.

Working class people are less likely to pay thousands of dollars for a dog.  And they are more likely to get dogs bred casually for the same reason.  It's financial.  They are, I think, a little less likely to neuter, whether that is more for financial or cultural reasons I don't know.  Those dogs, IMO, are often healthier and better pets too.  

I've also noticed significant variations in rural and urban behaviour around pets, I don't really think that's somehow classist in a negative way.

[Selkie]

I don't know the reason for it or whether it has anything to do with class, but my friend who manages a shelter told me that pit bull owners are much less likely to spay/neuter and more likely to let their dogs roam than other dog owners. She said the same is true of dog owners in the south, not just for pit bulls but for all varieties. She said that's one of the reasons that southern shelters are so overcrowded and have to ship their dogs up to northern shelters. 

[Bluegoat]

Also - buying  breeding contract on a fancy dog is extremely expensive, in and of itself it limits the amount it happens.

[Bluegoat]

Just now, Selkie said:

I don't know the reason for it or whether it has anything to do with class, but my friend who manages a shelter told me that pit bull owners are much less likely to spay/neuter and more likely to let their dogs roam than other dog owners. She said the same is true of dog owners in the south, not just for pit bulls but for all varieties. She said that's one of the reasons that southern shelters are so overcrowded and have to ship their dogs up to northern shelters. 

 

Yes, I think that's in part cultural.  It wasn't that long ago it was normative for dogs to wander and be intact.  You also see it in some communities from overseas.

[Barb_]

9 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I think some of what’s being said here is really classist. My sister is a pit owner (two) and they are responsible dog owners. Yes, they are lower middle/working class. No, they don’t leave thier dogs unaltered and allow them to run. Yes upper middle class families do buy fancy unaltered dogs with the idea of having a litter of puppies. And they get loose as well as the rest of them. Just because they are owned by the better-off financially doesn’t mean thier owners are more responsible or less likely to accidental breeding.  

In general the most popular working class dog of its day prolifererates. In the 70s German Shepherds were everywhere. In the 80s it was Dobermans. It’s expensive to alter a dog and that’s one factor. Irresponsible dog owners exist in all economic classes but there is no denying certain dog breed mixes  are likelier to wind up in shelters. The fancier ones are there too, but in smaller numbers, and I think that reflects what has been said. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

The fancier breeds don’t stay in shelters long because breed specific rescues snap them up. 

[SamanthaCarter]

2 minutes ago, Barb_ said:

In general the most popular working class dog of its day prolifererates. In the 70s German Shepherds were everywhere. In the 80s it was Dobermans. It’s expensive to alter a dog and that’s one factor. Irresponsible dog owners exist in all economic classes but there is no denying certain dog breed mixes  are likelier to wind up in shelters. The fancier ones are there too, but in smaller numbers, and I think that reflects what has been said. 

I absolutely agree that certain mixes are very common in local shelters. I don’t agree that the fault lies with the working class. Fault here is spread outside of economic lines. 

[StaceyinLA]

I don’t go a lot of places where there are a lot of dogs together (we have property so we rarely, if ever, go to a dog park or anything), but one reason I won’t adopt from our shelter is because everything is either a high-strung lab mix due to horrible overbreeding practices in our area, OR a pit bull mix, and I just don’t trust that not knowing the breeding (they are also terribly overbred here, and not by reputable breeders I might add).

Small/toy breeds for sale in our area - chihuahuas, Yorkies and Pomeranians seem to be prevalent. Large breeds for sale - always labs, labs and more labs, pit bulls, golden retrievers and doodle-types.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

The most common dogs in our area are pit bulls, pit bull mixes, and boxers.  For some reason, people breed boxers with pit bulls. There are also a lot of goldens, doodles, and mixed breeds. I do see quite a few purebred dogs but they tend to be in certain neighborhoods and are solitary representations of the breed. I think the variety is here but the dogs we see are the ones who are either exercised by the owners, chained outside, or kept in yards. Who knows what people have that we just don't see; I think I might ask the vet next time I stop in.

 

[ktgrok]

18 minutes ago, Selkie said:

I don't know the reason for it or whether it has anything to do with class, but my friend who manages a shelter told me that pit bull owners are much less likely to spay/neuter and more likely to let their dogs roam than other dog owners. She said the same is true of dog owners in the south, not just for pit bulls but for all varieties. She said that's one of the reasons that southern shelters are so overcrowded and have to ship their dogs up to northern shelters. 

Yes, and it varies from city to city within the south as well. Where I used to live I almost NEVER saw dogs roaming. Here I see it daily. At one point last week FOUR dogs, with collars on but no tags, were following me as I walked. Where  I used to live and here are both  working class neighborhoods, similar demographics. Both in the same state, both suburbs. Just regional differences. But you NEVER see dogs roaming in the well off neighborhoods. 

9 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I absolutely agree that certain mixes are very common in local shelters. I don’t agree that the fault lies with the working class. Fault here is spread outside of economic lines. 

The well to do where I live are not the ones breeding pit bulls, and that is what is in our shelters. That doesn't mean the richer people are morally better - they are the ones buying up the puppy mill dogs from the ridiculously overpriced pet stores. Plenty of blame to go around in all areas, just for different reasons. Heck, I have more sympathy for a working class pet owner struggling to make ends meet who has an accidental breeding because they couldn't afford to spay their dog yet than I do for the wealthy person buying a puppy mill dog. 

Edited July 31, 2018 by Ktgrok

[J-rap]

I see lots and lots of labs and lab mixes here.  We're in a rural area, and that breed seems to be popular on farms and rural sites around here.  I also see poodles and poodle mixes, pitts and pitt mixes, and smaller hairy dogs whose breeds I don't know.  Not too many show-type dogs around here. 

When we lived in Costa Rica, we noticed that almost every dog we saw was either a poodle or a light-brown mutt.

It is interesting how breed types differ depending on where you live!

[StaceyinLA]

35 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I think some of what’s being said here is really classist. My sister is a pit owner (two) and they are responsible dog owners. Yes, they are lower middle/working class. No, they don’t leave thier dogs unaltered and allow them to run. Yes upper middle class families do buy fancy unaltered dogs with the idea of having a litter of puppies. And they get loose as well as the rest of them. Just because they are owned by the better-off financially doesn’t mean thier owners are more responsible or less likely to accidental breeding.  

I can tell you in our area, pit bill owners are generally not responsible owners. There is a lot of underground fighting going on, owners are promoting the “bully” aspect of the breed, and they are NOT altering their dogs. It’s very evident in the shelters and rescue groups as most of the dogs are either lab mix (also irresponsible owners in our area), or pit mix.

I can tell you, it’s truly a different mentality with some owners and male dogs too, especially the big, bully types - they want the males intact because they see it as “taking away their manhood” to neuter. And no, I’m not generalizing or making this up; I’ve heard it come out of people’s mouths on many occasions.

I feel like people in rural areas have a different mentality about animals altogether though, and coming from the city, it’s a tough thing to see. I can’t tell you how many people I have talked to about spaying and neutering, because honestly, when they have animals reproduce and they can’t find homes or they start having too many, they just shoot them or dump them off somewhere. It’s disgusting.

Edited July 31, 2018 by StaceyinLA

[Jean in Newcastle]

8 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Yes, and it varies from city to city within the south as well. Where I used to live I almost NEVER saw dogs roaming. Here I see it daily. At one point last week FOUR dogs, with collars on but no tags, were following me as I walked. Where  I used to live and here are both  working class neighborhoods, similar demographics. Both in the same state, both suburbs. Just regional differences. But you NEVER see dogs roaming in the well off neighborhoods. 

We’re in a lower to middle middle-class neighborhood but here any roaming dogs are immediately listed on Nextdoor. If someone can corral the dog it is taken to our local vet to be scanned for a microchip. Owners of dogs with collars and tags are immediately called.  Unclaimed dogs are taken to the shelters. If a dog is unfriendly, animal control is called. So dogs get out but they are not allowed to roam for long by anyone. 

Lately there was a huge search effort here by volunteers for a scared dog fresh from a shelter  that bolted.  It took 13 days of searching and baited humane traps to capture the dog. (Part of the reason it took so long was all the green spaces around here.). 

[ktgrok]

7 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

We’re in a lower to middle middle-class neighborhood but here any roaming dogs are immediately listed on Nextdoor. If someone can corral the dog it is taken to our local vet to be scanned for a microchip. Owners of dogs with collars and tags are immediately called.  Unclaimed dogs are taken to the shelters. If a dog is unfriendly, animal control is called. So dogs get out but they are not allowed to roam for long by anyone. 

Lately there was a huge search effort here by volunteers for a scared dog fresh from a shelter  that bolted.  It took 13 days of searching and baited humane traps to capture the dog. (Part of the reason it took so long was all the green spaces around here.). 

Here, honestly, people have given up. You'd be chasing and catching dogs on a daily basis, and no one has time for that ?

Where I lived before I'd always stop and catch the dog if I could, take t to be scanned for a chip, etc. Here....no one even seems to care that their dog got out. 

[ktgrok]

Speaking of dog breeds and rarity, there is an interesting three part documentary on Amazon Prime called "My Welsh Sheepdog". It's about a rare breed that people are trying to save, and fun to watch. 

[SamanthaCarter]

Curiosity led me to take an inventory of the current adoptable dogs at our shelter:

4 terrier mixes

4 hound mixes

3 lab mixes

3 pit mixes

2 chihuahua mixes

2 chow chow mixes

2 dachshund mixes

2 shih Tzu mixes

2 unidentified mutts

1 boxer/fiest mix

1 bulldog mix

Edited July 31, 2018 by SamanthaCarter

[Barb_]

4 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Here, honestly, people have given up. You'd be chasing and catching dogs on a daily basis, and no one has time for that ?

Where I lived before I'd always stop and catch the dog if I could, take t to be scanned for a chip, etc. Here....no one even seems to care that their dog got out. 

Our immediate area is like Jean’s where we try to corral the dogs and get them returned or rehomed, but we’re also surrounded by a lot of rural property where I suspect people let their dogs roam. The temps are routinely 112-116 in the summer time and the dogs suffer.

[Selkie]

3 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Speaking of dog breeds and rarity, there is an interesting three part documentary on Amazon Prime called "My Welsh Sheepdog". It's about a rare breed that people are trying to save, and fun to watch. 

Sheepdogs are a breed that I never see anymore. Seems like they were more popular when I was a kid, maybe because of the Shaggy Dog and Shaggy D.A. movies. ?

I remember one of my friends had a Komondor that bit me on the leg when I was about 10.

[Barb_]

3 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

Curiosity led me to take an inventory of the current adoptable dogs at our shelter:

4 terrier mixes

4 hound mixes

3 lab mixes

3 pit mixes

2 chihuahua mixes

2 chow chow mixes

2 dachshund mixes

2 shih Tzu mixes

2 unidentified mutts

1 boxer/Geist mix

1 bulldog mix

You have to take that with a grain of salt. They guess based on how the dog looks, but it’s a wildly inaccurate method. My dog was supposedly a lab/daucshund mix. We had her tested and she’s actually Boston/chihuahua  

[SamanthaCarter]

1 minute ago, Barb_ said:

You have to take that with a grain of salt. They guess based on how the dog looks, but it’s a wildly inaccurate method. My dog was supposedly a lab/daucshund mix. We had her tested and she’s actually Boston/chihuahua  

Of course, I was only curious about shapes and sizes, variety or no variety. 

[Lady Florida.]

I'd have to see a lot of dogs to see a lot of breeds, and I just don't. There are a lot of mixed breeds, Labs, Pit Bulls, and various types of "mop" dogs - small, furry dogs whose fur is close to the floor/ground.

When I worked as a vet tech I saw a lot more variety than I do now. That was the one and only time I saw a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I've only seen a Greyhound once, a friend had two as rescue dogs. And I saw a true Florida Cur dog once, a type of Black Mouth Cur. We had some homeschool friends who lived in the boonies and used to host outdoor hs activities. They had a Florida Cur.

[Barb_]

Just now, SamanthaCarter said:

Of course, I was only curious about shapes and sizes, variety or no variety. 

Our rescues look like a lot of variety when I but every other dog is actually part chihuahua or pit. I’ve been looking for a medium sized dog for a while that isn’t part chihuahua and haven’t had much luck. We travel a lot so the dog has to be sized for planes and road trip travel. Our current dog is a good enough dog around us but she’s a little nuts. High strung. Food anxiety. Snaps at invisible flies. Bites and screeches for nail trims. Anxious aggressive around certain dogs and men. We’re making progress with her this year but I’d really like to avoid that this time around.

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I don’t understand the idea that the shelters and rescues are limited in type. The shelters around here are quite varied in shape, size, color, coat. There is also a private foundation-run rescue here that often provides emergency transport and shelter for hoarding or puppy mill busts. Those dogs can be anything. And there are rescues for any breed imaginable. 

The dogs I see with owners seem to be quite varied in type.  But when we went to look for a dog at shelters, they were something like 95% various pit and chihuahua mixes.  Rescues are different, as at least the ones I looked at seem to concentrate on various specific breeds.  The dog we ended up getting was from a Papillon rescue, and is a Papillon/Pomeranian mix.  He was brought up from the South - there are no strays here to rescue - we have tough leash laws and people follow them.  The shelter dogs I think are mostly given up by people, not strays.  I also think part of it is that if anyone gives up a non-pit or chihuahua to a shelter, it's adopted in days.  The pits and chihuahuas stick around longer.

Edited July 31, 2018 by Matryoshka

[Tanaqui]

It's definitely true that shelters can be overloaded on a certain type of dog. When we got our chihuahua, nearly all the small dogs at that shelter were chihuahuas. Why? Because they'd just gotten a load in from a chihuahua airlift which moves chihuahuas from California, where there are a lot of them, to NYC, where there aren't as many, in the hopes of making them more adoptable.

Quote

I can tell you, it’s truly a different mentality with some owners and male dogs too, especially the big, bully types - they want the males intact because they see it as “taking away their manhood” to neuter. And no, I’m not generalizing or making this up; I’ve heard it come out of people’s mouths on many occasions.

 

I've heard that, and the argument + anecdote that makes some impact runs like this: "We care a lot, because we think about sex all the time. Dogs aren't like us. They only think about sex once in a while. So they just don't care. Once I was at the van with my cat to be fixed, and two male dogs ran up the stairs, happy and eager, and we all laughed, "Oh, they don't know what's gonna happpen!" But you know what? When they came out at 3:30 they were just as happy, just as excited. They still didn't know it had happened, and they just didn't care."

That argument is surprisingly effective with the person who is at least a little open to the idea. If their mind is totally closed, no dice, but.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We see huskies, malamutes, a beautiful Old English Sheepdog, French bulldogs, beagles, and a neighbor fosters for a terrier rescue. And I saw a Landseer the orher day. I also see Wheaten terriers and standard poodles and another neighbor has an Icelandic sheepdog.   I see quite a few great danes as well. Our puppy is a rottie mix. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I also see weimeraners and vislas. And chows. 

[Selkie]

15 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I'd have to see a lot of dogs to see a lot of breeds, and I just don't. There are a lot of mixed breeds, Labs, Pit Bulls, and various types of "mop" dogs - small, furry dogs whose fur is close to the floor/ground.

When I worked as a vet tech I saw a lot more variety than I do now. That was the one and only time I saw a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I've only seen a Greyhound once, a friend had two as rescue dogs. And I saw a true Florida Cur dog once, a type of Black Mouth Cur. We had some homeschool friends who lived in the boonies and used to host outdoor hs activities. They had a Florida Cur.

Black mouth curs are beautiful dogs! One of the shelters here just got a load of dogs from Louisiana and there were 5 black mouth cur pups.

[ktgrok]

24 minutes ago, Selkie said:

Sheepdogs are a breed that I never see anymore. Seems like they were more popular when I was a kid, maybe because of the Shaggy Dog and Shaggy D.A. movies. ?

I remember one of my friends had a Komondor that bit me on the leg when I was about 10.

There is a man from hungary at the dog park with two Komondors, they are amazing! I had no idea they were so big until I met his. 

10 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

It's definitely true that shelters can be overloaded on a certain type of dog. When we got our chihuahua, nearly all the small dogs at that shelter were chihuahuas. Why? Because they'd just gotten a load in from a chihuahua airlift which moves chihuahuas from California, where there are a lot of them, to NYC, where there aren't as many, in the hopes of making them more adoptable.

 

I've heard that, and the argument + anecdote that makes some impact runs like this: "We care a lot, because we think about sex all the time. Dogs aren't like us. They only think about sex once in a while. So they just don't care. Once I was at the van with my cat to be fixed, and two male dogs ran up the stairs, happy and eager, and we all laughed, "Oh, they don't know what's gonna happpen!" But you know what? When they came out at 3:30 they were just as happy, just as excited. They still didn't know it had happened, and they just didn't care."

That argument is surprisingly effective with the person who is at least a little open to the idea. If their mind is totally closed, no dice, but.

The argument I usually used, that seemed to work, was, "Remember, your dog can smell every female in heat for miles around. So he's constantly in a mild state of arousal, but never gets to do anything about it. Imagine being stuck in a strip bar for your whole life, but never being allowed to touch a woman, and your hands tied behind your back. Not very fun. It's a kindness to not put him through that." That always worked. I also discussed how much more likely their dog was to roam and be hit by a car in search of a female to mate with.  (I have no problem with people looking at the evidence and making an informed, scientific decision to keep their dog intact and dong what it takes to prevent accidental breeding, but that was NOT the case with these people.)

[ktgrok]

Wanted to add the link to that documentary series: https://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp/B07DVJDVGB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533049297&sr=8-1&keywords=my+welsh+sheepdog

I ended up being mostly distracted by the woman's hair the whole time...it's exactly how my hair ALMOST is, but way better than my hair, lol. Like, on my best day ever it looked like that, lol. The rest of the time it was a disaster, so I cut it off. But if it had stayed like hers? Man. Total hair envy. 

[Barb_]

Hey, dog experts. They have this dog listed as a daucshund, but I think it’s the long body. My dog has that same long body/short leg thing and I think it’s the frankendog thing that causes it. I suspect chihuahua. What do you think? He’s super cute and has a sweet face. I’m thinking about going to see him. 

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/werito-41669688/az/phoenix/az-dog-adoptions-az617/

Edited July 31, 2018 by Barb_

[goldberry]

A recent visitor noticed that our area has far more "big dogs" than she sees back home in Texas.  We do have a cooler climate, but Coloradoans also just like big dogs I think! People tend to take them out hiking, etc.  I do see a few small dogs, but not that many.  Lots of huskies, lots of mountain dogs, lots of Australian shepherds. Also lots of white wolf-looking dogs that I definitely don't see in Texas or in California when visiting those areas.

[ktgrok]

21 minutes ago, Barb_ said:

Hey, dog experts. They have this dog listed as a daucshund, but I think it’s the long body. My dog has that same long body/short leg thing and I think it’s the frankendog thing that causes it. I suspect chihuahua. What do you think? He’s super cute and has a sweet face. I’m thinking about going to see him. 

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/werito-41669688/az/phoenix/az-dog-adoptions-az617/

Looks like a chihuahua mix, of some sort, maybe with some kind of hound added in? Like beagle or something? It does look sweet! (and believe it or not, there ARE nice chihuahuas! A lot of the bad behavior is from terrible socialization by people that don't treat them like dogs.)

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, goldberry said:

A recent visitor noticed that our area has far more "big dogs" than she sees back home in Texas.  We do have a cooler climate, but Coloradoans also just like big dogs I think! People tend to take them out hiking, etc.  I do see a few small dogs, but not that many.  Lots of huskies, lots of mountain dogs, lots of Australian shepherds. Also lots of white wolf-looking dogs that I definitely don't see in Texas or in California when visiting those areas.

I think some states have restrictions on wolf hybrids, which may effect that. (there are issues regarding efficacy of rabies vaccine on wolves...as in, lack of studies on them, so I believe some areas don't allow them.)

[Pawz4me]

25 minutes ago, Barb_ said:

Hey, dog experts. They have this dog listed as a daucshund, but I think it’s the long body. My dog has that same long body/short leg thing and I think it’s the frankendog thing that causes it. I suspect chihuahua. What do you think? He’s super cute and has a sweet face. I’m thinking about going to see him. 

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/werito-41669688/az/phoenix/az-dog-adoptions-az617/

It's very difficult to tell from photos, especially when there's nothing in them for a size comparison. I'd guess that dog is a mish mash of quite a few breeds. If I were guessing based on those pictures I'd go with some sort of small terrier mix with maybe some Chi in there, too. I agree he has a very sweet expression!

 

1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

The fancier breeds don’t stay in shelters long because breed specific rescues snap them up. 

That's often true, and generally the shelters are VERY thankful. It frees up more of their space and resources for more common breeds/mixes.

Edited July 31, 2018 by Pawz4me

[Barb_]

3 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

It's very difficult to tell from photos, especially when there's nothing in them for a size comparison. I'd guess that dog is a mish mash of quite a few breeds. If I were guessing based on those pictures I'd go with some sort of small terrier mix with maybe some Chi in there, too. I agree he has a very sweet expression!

Sigh. That is exactly what we have now. We got her as a sweet, easy going puppy and it wasn’t until she was close to 2 that her dog/food aggression and anxiety began to show up. Maybe I’d better stick with a young dog out of the puppy stage to get a better idea of its temperament. Thanks ?

[goldberry]

11 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

I think some states have restrictions on wolf hybrids, which may effect that. (there are issues regarding efficacy of rabies vaccine on wolves...as in, lack of studies on them, so I believe some areas don't allow them.)

 

That was probably a mis-description on my part.  I'm sure they are not actual wolf-hybrids.  They just look like "white wolves" to me! ?

[Barb_]

15 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Looks like a chihuahua mix, of some sort, maybe with some kind of hound added in? Like beagle or something? It does look sweet! (and believe it or not, there ARE nice chihuahuas! A lot of the bad behavior is from terrible socialization by people that don't treat them like dogs.)

 

12 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

If I were guessing based on those pictures I'd go with some sort of small terrier mix with maybe some Chi in there, too. I agree he has a very sweet expression

I think I’d also like to see this dog if he’s still available when I get back there. He may grow to a little bigger than I’d like though. Also, if my current dog is a female and is nervous around certain dogs, but not all dogs, should I be looking for a male or female dog, puppy or grown, calm dog or is it just dependent on the chemistry between them? Maybe I’ll start another “which dog should I look for?” thread. 

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/onion-42247568/az/phoenix/az-dog-adoptions-az617/#story

Edited July 31, 2018 by Barb_

[ktgrok]

3 minutes ago, Barb_ said:

 

I think I’d also like to see this dog if he’s still available when I get back there. He may grow to a little bigger than I’d like though. Also, if my current dog is a female and is nervous around certain dogs, but not all dogs, should I be looking for a male or female dog, puppy or grown, calm dog or is it just dependent on the chemistry between them? Maybe I’ll start another “which dog should I look for?” thread. 

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/onion-42247568/az/phoenix/az-dog-adoptions-az617/#story

Get a male. Definitely get a male. Female Female combo is the most fights, for sure.  (well, maybe two intact males have more fights, but two females have more serious injuries when they fight. They use the word bitch as an insult for a reason. Seriously.)

I'd go for a dog younger than yours, and somewhat calm/submissive, but NOT fearful. 

Oh, and that does NOT look like a cattle dog to me, which is a good thing. You don't want a cattle dog unless you have a ranch. 

Edited July 31, 2018 by Ktgrok

[Barb_]

5 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Get a male. Definitely get a male. Female Female combo is the most fights, for sure.  (well, maybe two intact males have more fights, but two females have more serious injuries when they fight. They use the word bitch as an insult for a reason. Seriously.)

I'd go for a dog younger than yours, and somewhat calm/submissive, but NOT fearful. 

Good to know. I think I’m headed in the right direction. She seems to hate smaller dogs the most, but every so often there is a large dog she freaks out over. We don’t do dog parks and I keep her on a short leash for walks. My thought is now that we’re making progress with her, it might be time to introduce a new dog to the household. She is 5 now, I think. She is lazy and hates to go for walks, but playtime may give her some exercise. I’d love a dog who will keep me company on runs. 

[G5052]

It really does vary. I don't go to dog parks, but walk mine a lot in our neighborhood.

In our old neighborhood (upscale professionals), the dogs I saw were largely purebreds of all types. We were the only ones that had a non-intentional mixture (aka mutt).

Where we live now (local government employees, trades), every dog I've seen seems to be a mutt.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I keep remembering other breeds I've seen around recently!  Corgi's, Westies, Scottish terrier.  I see a lot of older people with smaller dogs but I can't always tell what breeds the small fluffy things are.  I also saw a dalmation recently.  And Australian shepherds.  And cocker spaniels.  I also saw a bull terrier recently (like the Target dog).  There are quite a few pits and pit mixes in the shelters but other dogs too.  I love dogs so I love playing the "name that dog" game when out and about. 

[Innisfree]

3 hours ago, SamanthaCarter said:

I don’t understand the idea that the shelters and rescues are limited in type. The shelters around here are quite varied in shape, size, color, coat. There is also a private foundation-run rescue here that often provides emergency transport and shelter for hoarding or puppy mill busts. Those dogs can be anything. And there are rescues for any breed imaginable. 

I'm sure this is regional, but having spent a good bit of time volunteering in our local shelter, I think there are several factors in play.

Yes, breed rescues swoop in and take the purebred dogs. This can be a good thing for the dogs, though it means prospective owners have to go through those groups instead of the shelters.

Regarding the pits, and perhaps to a lesser degree the chihuahuas, I think people often surrender these dogs after having adopted or purchased them without fully understanding the dog's temperament, energy and needs.

I've walked the pits at our shelter. They are strong, high-energy dogs. They need a lot of exercise and good socialization, or their owners will start to have problems. The pits are kind of "cool" at the moment, which means a lot of people are buying them without thinking things through, and so the pits end up at the shelter once they are grown and too much for their owners to handle. Eighty percent or so of the dogs at our shelter are pits or pit mixes.

The chihuahuas can be very nervous. They're not the best fit around young kids, and may end up at the shelter for fear issues or housebreaking difficulties.

The hounds, around here, are either escape artists or hunting dogs who wandered off. There are many, many former hunting dogs.