Help me choose a dog breed for family pet

[vash]

my first dog was a black pug. little bad ass. great dog..his superpower was shedding, so that breed is out.

his name was stupid.

so after we watch starwars..we got him to answer to "VADER". he breathed just like him. it was fantastic all of us kids calling him vader.

[Charles Freeborn]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

My neighbor has three, and I can't figure out why....

For some reason they frequently come in multiples.

Ours is perfectly nice, silly, dumb as a box of rocks, but very sweet. Not loyal and completely, constantly food obsessed.

Also ridiculously expensive to maintain. We're well over $10 grand on vet bills alone. Yes, she's missing an eye (infection) and many of her teeth. They're genetic train wrecks after a thousand (yes a thousand) years of inbreeding..... never again...

[Jim Richards]

I recommend a standard schnauzer based on the OP's criteria.

Standard Schnauzer Characteristics

[Charles Freeborn]

To answer original question - definitely consider a dog from a shelter. In urban areas there is a high percentage of lab/rot mixes. They make great dogs and giving a home to an existing animal is the right thing to do.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

Why not go to your local shelter and see if there is a dog that suits your family well?

Bingo! Spring somebody on death row for the crime of being born...

[Tobra]

All my dogs have been rescues, did not get any from the pound though. They sort of found me.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Charles Freeborn

They're genetic train wrecks after a thousand (yes a thousand) years of inbreeding.....

Pugs in the 1880s:

[aigel]

Be careful with any pure breds - some are bred sub par and have genetic health issues. Especially very popular breeds are affected, as you may have many generations of rapid breeding without much scrutiny.

Stay away from short nosed breeds such as pugs, pitbull, bulldog etc. - they can have breathing issues and suffer in CA heat. They will also NOT be allowed on planes. So, if you ever want to fly your dog, you will be SOL.

I would also stay away from hounds. Too driven by nose and food. No beagles, coon hounds etc.

If I had a choice, even as a non hunter, I'd look for a pointer / pointer mix such as a GSP, Vizla, Griffon, Wirehair etc. Other good breeds would be a Rhodesian Ridgeback and I am still a fan of Great Danes - but those don't meet your size requirement ...

G

[madmmac]

We love our Bouviers. We have had 3 females.

Hypoallergenic, no/low shedding (need clipping), loyal, courageous, family protector, loving, powerful and tough as nails when need be.

Nobody with bad intentions messes with their family.

[Craig T]

I've already decided that when Tank passes (soon ), I'm going to rescue a dog who's had a rough life and spoil the $H!T out of him

There certainly are some profiteering and unethical pure breed breeders out there...But don't assume mixed breeds are healthier and don't have the genetic problems of pure breeds. Mixing breeds doesn't necessarily dilute the genetic predispositions. It's more likely to make the dog susceptible to both parents genetics.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by tadd

Standard poodle. Super smart, watchful, patient with children. Don't shed.

They are like 5 year olds themselves :-). Mine have learned to open doors (had to change lever door knobs for regular). For my first, I put up a bell by the door and showed her how to ring it to go out. She then started ringing it for her empty water bowl, then empty food bowl. What is really amazing is that she would ring it once to go out, twice for food, and three times for water. I didn't teach that... I miss my girl... RIP Colette.

My parents had a standard when I was growing up. They could put me in the middle of the yard and doodles would watch me from the porch. If I got too far from the middle, she would come down and pick me up by the dipers and put me back in the middle, then go back to watching from the porch.

Only 'negatives' are that they are really smart, so you will need to interact with them. They also need exercise...walk, throw frisebee, whatever. Finally, there is that no shedding. You need to clip them. I spent $250 up front for a nice set of oyster clippers over a decade ago and they still are going strong. About an hour a dog to shave them down. Nothing fancy. Usually monthly in the summer to keep them cool. only once in the winter. If you take them somewhere, it runs about $100 a groom. Although it sounds like a pain, it truly is 6 vs 1/2 dozen for your time since the house cleaning isn't buried in dog hair bunnies.

Like any smart dog, you will get out what you put in. My first girl I was in grad school and spent a lot of time with her when she was young. She did not need a leash and was amazing. The latest two are my spoiled beasts :-), who need more input from me for sure...

Everything said here...including a professional clipper.
Poodles are like having another person around. I have an 8 yr. old Miniature Poodle, I can watch him think.
When I look into his eyes, there's someone in there...a personage. I've never trained him, yet he will do whatever I ask of him.
He's also extremely clean (smells wonderful) and polite...and he loves to go anywhere.
I will never have another breed of dog.
My next may be a Standard, they're Regal.
.
Good luck with your choice.
.
PS The original Poodle came from Germany...known as a 'German Water Dog'...used for hunting.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by aigel

Stay away from short nosed breeds such as pugs..

I would also stay away from hounds. Too driven by nose and food. No beagles..

My puggle has all the energy of a beagle, and the brains of a pug.

[cantdrv55]

Both of my old friends were shelter dogs but I got them as puppies. Not sure if I want to go that route again because I think I just got lucky with those two. My BIL got a pit bull/lab mix as a puppy from a shelter and they had to put the dog down because of aggressiveness.

[pwd72s]

I posted on a separate thread. Perhaps you didn't click.

This Dog Was Terrified and Timid in Shelter – You Won’t Believe His Reaction Once He Realized He Was Getting Adopted! (VIDEO) | One Green Planet

[Chocaholic]

Bottom line...we all love our dogs and we all think ours are the best (me included). This is going to be a personal decision at the end of the day. Consider adopting from one of the various breed rescues. Their dogs are in foster homes and disposition, aggressiveness, health, etc., are all known entities. Most if not all will guarantee their dogs and take them back if not a good match.

That way you rescue a dog and remove much of the gamble. Often there's more of a fee than a shelter, but worth it for the peace of mind. Good luck! Dogs are great and make our lives better. That's why we have three!

And that video above will tug at your heart strings....get ready!

[cantdrv55]

Thanks for the link!

[flipper35]

Labs are great baby sitters. Ours was rescued from the pound.

[Justin@Athens]

I have 3 lab mixes. 2 are very intelligent, the chocolate--not so much.
Labs are great dogs, very loyal, trainable, smart, very affectionate.
Get a short hair mix like Mr. Riles
All three stay in my yard, no fence or collar most of the time.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

Both of my old friends were shelter dogs but I got them as puppies. Not sure if I want to go that route again because I think I just got lucky with those two. My BIL got a pit bull/lab mix as a puppy from a shelter and they had to put the dog down because of aggressiveness.

Go to the shelter....your new companion will pick YOU!

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Justin@Athens

I have 3 lab mixes. 2 are very intelligent, the chocolate--not so much.
Labs are great dogs, very loyal, trainable, smart, very affectionate.
Get a short hair mix like Mr. Riles
All three stay in my yard, no fence or collar most of the time.

Our current lab is excellent with the kids and great at fetch but the lab in the pictures above was an order of magnitude smarter than our current one. Our current one is shy of strangers but when she has to her "get your attention" bark will raise the hair on your neck. It will also set off the beagles bark collar when he annoys her too much. She sounds like a 150# Rottweiler.

Both labs were gentle with the kids and put up with a lot of poking and prodding when our youngest was really little. The only time I have been bitten was the current lab and that is because she is blind in one eye and has no depth perception. It was not intentional and didn't hurt.

The beagle and lab love anyone with a cookie. Our old lab would not take anything from someone she didn't know and did not trust anyone until we told her they were OK. She was from a hunting line and the current one is from a show line if that makes a difference. The build was completely different. The hunting line dog was build like a linebacker and the current one from the show line is build like a cornerback.