More dog talk, any feedback appreciated.

[rafiki]

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[Plucky]

My pug fetches and chases the kids around the yard. She really is a lot of dog for her size. It sounds like your kids want a lab or golden retriever.

 

I've had bigger dogs, too, and I have to say I am so impressed with our pug. I've never loved a dog as much. She is such a character and makes us laugh all the time. My kids fight over our dog and do their reading with the dog right next to them or on their lap. My boys love her as well as my girls. My kids never played as much with our bigger dogs as they do our pug. I don't think I'll ever own another type of dog. Not very helpful am I?

 

ETA: My 2nd ds & dh were skeptical about getting a pug and they spoil her rotten.

Edited February 15, 2009 by True Blue

[Chris in VA]

What about a Welsh Corgi? These sturdy, medium sized dogs are great family pets, take a lot from kids, and have a pretty easy temperament. They are pretty, too, but don't take a ton of exercise, like a lab or golden might (we have a golden, and I wouldn't change, ever, but he's 80 lbs and you might like something smaller, better).

[SonshineLearner]

Also, remember...don't feed your dog food that you're allergic to...At least that's how the story goes:-) So, for us...no peanuts....etc.

Carrie:-)

[Hen]

we are having similar discussions in our house...

 

my older kids want a big dog, a golden-retriever/standard poodle mix or a greyhound, they want to take it walking and jogging.

 

I am partial to the standard poodles, so I would kind of like to go that direction..but, a smaller dog would sure cost less to feed, buy things for, board if we need to..

 

dh wants a small dog, because we have a lot of people in and out of our house, so he thinks a small dog would be less intimidating to people.

 

He mentioned a basset hound..which the kids do not want, because it wouldn't make it around the block...

 

I am pushing to go look at beagles, I think it might be a good compromise, kind of looks like a basset, but bigger.

 

I don't know how we are going to keep everyone happy! Good luck to you!

[kalanamak]

A puggle or a poogle.

[StaceyinLA]

My issue with them (especially if yall are allergy prone) would be the shedding. They shed a LOT.

 

I can't offer you much in the way of advice. We have 7 dogs and I love each one for different reasons. We have big (Aussie and Boxer), and little (chihuahuas and poms), and an in-between mutt. We have had labs and goldens and I LOVE them. They are a LOT of dog early on though, and it takes them a while to calm down. Our Aussie is a wonderful pet, and so is our Boxer. I love our little ones too. It's just so hard with all the great breeds, to narrow it down to just one!

[StaceyinLA]

I have a friend who raises standard poodles - LOVE her 3. I LOVE goldens too. I would NOT recommend a greyhound. We adopted one a long time ago and had to return her - so many issues. Now, for a family with no other animals, totally fenced area and no small kids - yeah. We just had too many issues and having our greyhound was just not pleasant.

[Anne]

Beagles are adorable, but they are Maniacs!! Be sure you really understand their exercise needs and temperament before you get one!

 

Anne

[Ellie]

Who is going to actually be the person taking care of the dog? If that's you, then you should get the kind you want. The rest of the family will love the puggy just as much as they'd love a big dog.

[Hen]

Stacy

Thanks for the heads-up about the greyhound. We have a cat and also 4 hens, I kind of thought that would be a problem.

 

Anne, thanks for the warning about the beagles...so many things to consider before we go looking...

[nukeswife]

We have a pug, He's 4 years old and a real spark in our lives. He's a true character and would be more than willing to play fetch and chase with anyone willing. He is a lot of dog in a small package but not overwhelming in any way. As for the shedding ours really doesn't shed that bad. We spend a lot of time with my mom and dad and they claim their lab sheds more than my pug. I also have a Shar-pei/lab mix and she sheds worse than our pug. I've heard it can depend on the type of coat they have but am not sure if that's true or not. If it is, then I must have gotten the right kind LOL

[kalanamak]

 

Anne, thanks for the warning about the beagles...so many things to consider before we go looking...

 

There are some mellower beagles, but they can be relentless. My sister had one that was a horror: gorged on cow pats and barfed in car, ate cement and fell in the pool and nearly downed, chewed the cr*tches out of every panty, never house trained, had to be put in a kennel for parties because at the smell of party-food the dog would scream (not howl, scream) for 3 hours or more until the guests went home.....I could go on.

[Mamagistra]

I have to agree that pugs are terrific dogs that seem much larger than they are. The shedding issue is easily controlled with regular grooming and a good diet.

 

Pugs are prone to overweight and sometimes breathing problems (like all smushy-faced breeds). Choosing a pup from a dedicated hobby breeder or a pug rescue organization will increase your odds of getting a sound, healthy dog.

 

Good luck! :001_smile:

[hillfarm]

We have a 1 yo female pug. She loves to play and will race around the house and play fetch any time we want her to. She also loves to snuggle and sleep and spends most of our school time sleeping next to dd or me. She does shed and she does chew things. I have also been less than impressed with her willingness to do her business outside. She is very trainable and has done much better with learning agility and freestyle than our black lab.

 

Our black lab is a sweet, rather timid dog. She did agility with dd, but they didn't do super well at it. Dd was only 9 and a bit intimidated by being in a class with mostly teens and adults and I think the dog sensed that so she was also more timid. She does shed as much or more than the pug. We have tried to have the lab in the house, but she seems stressed by it and prefers to live outside. (Evidenced by her whining at the sliding door constantly and trying to get out the door every time it is open, and slinking sadly back in when we call her to come in) She is much happier outside. But the bond is certainly not as close with an outside dog as with an indoor one.

 

I grew up with beagles and they are great dogs also, but I think they might be better outdoor dogs than indoor ones. A friend has one inside and it is very neurotic unless they give it hours of daily outdoor exercise. It is also terribly loud and somewhat aggressive toward their pug. They tried to take the beagle to obedience class but it was so loud and aggressive that they dropped out. Not all are like this, but I do remember that ours were very sweet but very stubborn.

 

In general, I would recommend a pug. They aren't perfect, but they are great with kids, active when you want, calm when you want, and fun to train.

[rafiki]

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[Danestress]

I'm surprised at how many people think that you should continue to get a dog you know your husband doesn't really want. Surely there is a dog you would BOTH like. Pugs are cute and fun and good dogs, but they aren't for everyone.

 

I think Corgi's are fun - they seem like big dogs in a small dog body. They do need a reasonable amount of exercise. Westies are great. But in your situation, I believe I might go to the pound and see what kind of smaller dogs your husband is attracted to. Even if you don't actually choose one of the dogs there, you will get a good feel for what *type* of dog would appeal to you both.

[Ria]

Here's a link to some breeders that might be near you.

 

http://www.breeders.net/search.php?action=search&doglist_id=211&zipcode=13205&country=2&submit=Fetch%21

 

I would strongly advise against getting a pup at a pet store.

 

Ria

[rafiki]

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[rafiki]

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[Ria]

That's a new to me directory, thanks.

 

The purpose of going to the pet store initially was to see how the boys responded to a small puppy and to make sure their allergies weren't stirred up. They had play time with the pups and were fine.

 

I'm glad there were no dog allergies. That's excellent. And, btw, I'm totally in love with pugs. So, buy one. And move back here while it's still a pup! LOL.

 

My goal today is to import my address book from the PC to the Mac. Wish me luck! You'll know if I'm successful!

 

Ria

[rafiki]

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[Anita in NC]

After having several kinds of dogs over the years (I did rescue and fostering, so I have had German Shepherds, Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, terriers, labs, and various mixes).

 

I have to say that my Standard Poodle has been the best dog I have ever had. He is only 45 pounds and is so gentle and playful with my children. He learns very easily, and is big enough to make me feel safe at home. The only downside with a poodle is the grooming needs. Mine takes me about 2 to 3 hours every 6 weeks. Or you can use a groomer but that can be expensive.

 

I would urge you not to get a designer pooch like a Puggle as they only seem to encourage puppy farms and backyard breeders. Unless you can find one through a rescue group that needs a home.

[hornblower]

Our local pet store also has two and claims they are vet checked and showed us AKC paperwork in addition to info on their parents. I had no clue what to look for on the paperwork. They are asking a similar price as the breeder.

 

:rant:

 

Absolutely no REPUTABLE breeder will ever let a dog be sold through a pet store. It is generally explicitly stated in the breed club's code of ethics. AKC puppies from a petstore are from puppy mills (or very shady byb's). The USDA mandates cage size is (dogs length in inches+6)2=square inches of required cage space. When you buy a dog from a pet store, this is the industry you support.

 

To figure out the size of cage your puppy's mother will spend pretty much her entire life in:

http://www.animalarkshelter.org/animal/ShelterLife.nsf/CageSizeCalculator?OpenForm

 

Furthermore, you will be getting the same problems that the puppy mill rescue dogs have, except you won't know yet what your problems are.

 

:rant:

 

Honestly? I personally would not get a pug. They've been very overbred, the lineages are quite messed up. Both the show lines & the hobby/byb/mill lines have serious health problems. There are a handful of truly excellent breeders who are doing genetic pre-testing and striving to really improve the breed, but you're looking at thousands of $ for one of their dogs and a long wait list.

 

Based on what you've said, I think for your family I would lean to a bigger spaniel (not cockers! also terribly fraught with probs. and a lot of really poor temperaments). English springer spaniel or maybe a brittany spaniel or a cavalier; or a poodle; or a mix of those from a shelter or a rescue.

 

And remember Petie from Little Rascals?

Maybe don't rule out those pittie mix guys..... they can be absolutely wonderful dogs. :001_smile:

 

 

Btw, the HSUS has a good article on how to find a good breeder, including a downloadable checklist.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/how_to_find_a_good_dog_breeder/

[SonshineLearner]

:rant:

 

Absolutely no REPUTABLE breeder will ever let a dog be sold through a pet store. It is generally explicitly stated in the breed club's code of ethics. AKC puppies from a petstore are from puppy mills (or very shady byb's).

 

Based on what you've said, I think for your family I would lean to a bigger spaniel (not cockers! also terribly fraught with probs. and a lot of really poor temperaments). English springer spaniel or maybe a brittany spaniel or a cavalier; or a poodle; or a mix of those from a shelter or a rescue.

 

And remember Petie from Little Rascals?

Maybe don't rule out those pittie mix guys..... they can be absolutely wonderful dogs. :001_smile:

 

 

Btw, the HSUS has a good article on how to find a good breeder, including a downloadable checklist.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/how_to_find_a_good_dog_breeder/

 

 

Hornblower, Thanks for sharing the links with us. Some people don't care about the life of the mom, though. I think that they same people who care about how the calfs for veal are raised...are the same people who would care about the facts that breeder pupppies can spend their lives in cages the size of rat cages...ok...maybe a little bigger. If you choose to watch the shows where the adults are sprayed down, in their cages...and those might be the lucky ones...you wouldn't be able to support that industry. If you're getting them from a Humane Society... that's one thing, but otherwise, I'd rather get dogs from someone that I can see the parents. And, of course, sorry...but pits wouldn't be on the list for me.

If you have enough space, energy, and patience, I think that English Springer Spaniels are lovely. And I met one family that just swears by their Cavalier. They've had more than one and say it's incredible. It was smaller and calmer than other spaniels. BUT, Corgis seem like a wonderful family dog. They're such sweet puppies and I've watched a neighbor corgi get big. It seems like a lovely dog.

Carrie:-)