Lost our old English bulldog to cancer early last summer. Got am English Staffordshire Bull Terrier in July. She’s very smart, on the small side, about 40 lbs., 28-30 inches long, short hair. Energetic and very friendly. We ‘re getting older, always had large breed dogs, time to downsize. Took awhile to find a breeder as they aren’t plentiful stateside. SSo far, so good.

A lab is the perfect dog for our family. Loves to fetch and go for walks but then settles right down when it’s time to chill. We live on a school campus with students, faculty, faculty children and about 15 other dogs. The lab gets along with everyone.

We had a Shepard. Great dog but requires 10x more work. Worth it if you have the time and energy but if you don’t put in the hours, they will take control.

Hard to think of the position you are in.
Look around, contact some rescue organizations.
I know I would never have wanted a pit bull - no way - but after getting to know the local Pit Crew rescue organization and getting to know their dogs, I cannot imagine turning down a Pit who needed me. There are probably good dogs out there of many breeds who need you - sounds like you need them. Go meet them.

Maybe this will help...
https://dogtime.com/quiz/dog-breed-selector

Bottom line...never met a dog I didn’t like. Whatever you decide, I can assure you it will be a great companion and a dear partner for this next chapter in your life.

The more time I spend with people, the more I like my dog(s).

I appreciate the continued comments and suggestions , we are not looking forward to the rainbow bridge crossing :( Right now our male that is 16 years old is showing signs of dementia and having trouble controlling bowels . The 16 year old female is somewhat blind but otherwise pretty healthy . The 13 year old male with the partial paralysis is generally healthy but he too because of the paralysis is having more indoor accidents than we would like . My wife and I love these weiner dogs and will wait as long as we can before heading to the vet .

I have been a dog owner/lover since I was a young child so this is not the first time in this situation and it is never easy to decide when the time is right . But I am a true believer in not letting them suffer . So far I don't think they are . My wife and I have also discussed the possibility of going " dog free " for maybe a year to do some things we haven't been able to do with 3 dogs . I have a feeling 2019 is going to be a painful dog year for us :(

Gordon Setters are great, but I am also partial the German Shepherds. I have owned/currently own both breeds. Shepherds can be a bit destructive if left alone too much. The Gordon is just a great gentle giant, a fantastic family dog.

I have always liked the looks of a German Shepherd , is it true they shed fur all year ?

Virtually all dogs shed fur, constantly. Even the short-haired ones. There are a precious few that don't. A GS is a pretty heavy shedder.

I love the idea of going to your local shelter. There's no better calling in life than to rescue an innocent.

In case it's of any interest.....just north of you there's a rescue organization for Australian Cattle Dogs as follows:

Carolina Acd Rescue & Rebound - Online

There are other ACD rescue organizations as well and can be found with a simple Google search.

Australian Cattle Dogs are also known as "Heelers" and they come in Red and Blue. I've had the good fortune to be owned by two Blue females over the past 13 years. As Seahawk's wife said - I would never own another breed. This breed is the smartest I have ever known - and the most loyal and devoted.

I created a few videos from various film clips I shot when they were younger and here's one - the one with a docked tail is a rescue from Louisiana and she and Winkipop have been together since 2006 - truly BFF!

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/is8bpET-1pU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Poodles don't shed- that's why they are cross bred with Golden Retrievers and Labs to get Goldendoodles and Labradoodles. I see them all around and they would be a good mid-size dog. You might need to do some research on what generation (if any) sheds the least. You'll want a dog that will be gentle with your Daschunds. I have some Shih Tzus and a standard poodle was recommended by my breeder, so I have a 50 lb female and she's great with them and they love her. Still, she's big by comparison and could easily hurt them by accident. If I had it over, I might consider a Goldendoodle as I like the traits of the Golden Retriever. Or the Tibetan Terrier or Wheaton Terrier I would check out as well. I would get another dog while you still have at least two, so there will still be a friend when you're down to one Daschund.

My oldest dog Bodhi is my heart and he's 14 years old, but perfectly healthy, although nearly deaf. I think some of the accidents around the house are from him, but my house has no carpeting, so it's not a big deal.

i was actually kinda angry with my wife when she showed up with our current dog..she did the Jedi Mind trick on me, YET AGAIN.

we have had the dog now for over a year. it was slow going, but that dog is ALL-IN. tell, you what; there is a something special about the bond between a boy and his dog.

he isnt perfect. sheds, has energy best measured in half-life, etc. but he is the easiest dog i have ever had in the training dept. i bet i could get him to herd sheep!

he would fetch or play tug-o-war till death. i am certain of it.

i wanted a Labradoodle badly..Hank scratched that itch.

I think Hank has more than a little of one of the pitbull breeds in him. It just goes to show you what can be achieved by a dog with a good owner. Dogs aren't furniture, they are meant to be involved in our lives.

Glad to see you bonding with him.

Any healthy dog can be a great companion and most behavioral stuff is on us, not the dogs. We have had quite a variety and tend to shy away from highly bred dogs, preferring a healthy rescue instead.

Here are our current companions.

Achilles (L) is a 12 yr old field spaniel rescue. He was a handful when we got him with a lot of anxiety but daily training and walks have resulted in a nearly perfect dog for our household. 50lbs, very bright, very cooperative, and loves everybody except the mailman and UPS. He responds immediately to about 30 commands and is boundary trained.

Fiona (R) is about 4 mos old in this pic and is a Doodle $$$. Wife wanted her so here we are. She will grow to around 60lbs and does not shed but requires regular trimming. Wifey decided to handle this rather than monthly grooming and it is pretty easy. So far training has been very easy as she is bright, calm, and cooperative. Sit, stay, come, down, wait, leave it, in, out, are all part of her vocabulary now. I expect this to be a very healthy and well behaved dog.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1545328927.JPG

We had a bunch of hounds and I liked them but they follow their nose too much and need confinement. Boundary training was only about 50% effective as a result. If I didn't have these two I would consider a heeler or Aus Shepherd because I like a dog that is bright and eager to please.

thanks bud.

Hank will not heel if we are going to an event. event = frisbee time, dock diving, etc. my trainer stated that we needed to make a decision early on. do we want a compliant dog 100% of the time, or will we allow Hank to maintain his drive.

she told us to look into Fly-Ball. its a crazy dog relay where the dogs run down a lane, push a button which ejects a ball into the air, and they catch the ball, and run back. it is 90% border collie dominated. not a single one of those dogs would heel. ever. i understood what the trainer was talking about. i kinda want to try it. me and Hank. it is nuts how driven those animals are..they run past each other in this relay with pure determination.

we let hank hang onto his drive. :)

hankhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1545331092.jpg

I believe in giving dogs their freedom, but once they get outside my fenced yard, they are always on a leash. I also don't care if they lead the walk, the walk is for them, not me.

I never want to take the dog out of the dog.

I have a female dachshund for sale. Located in North Carolina. Pm me for details.

I did see you had one for sale but we are not ready for a dog yet . We still have the three I am just trying to get ready for the future . Your pup is a cutie :D and I hope goes to a great home .

A third for red/ blue heeler. I agree with getting a one or two year old so you skip the velociraptor phase.