What do you look for when choosing a new dog?

[bigtiller]

I consider the size of their droppings. An 80 pound dog will leave a turd as big as mine. How ever a 6 pound dog looks like rabbit droppings. It makes clean-up much more pleasant.

And, a 6 pound dog can make as much noise in the middle of the night as an 80 pound dog.

 

[bucktaker]

My preference is Field Bred English Springer Spanials from english stock as I like a smaller dog. Tops in the field and great family house dogs.

 

[studor]

We have had a number of dogs over the years both purebred and mutts, abandoned and purchased. Our last two dogs have been labs -- one abandoned that died in a car accident with us and the one we have now that is a purebred red. I have never met a lab I did not like and I doubt at this point we will ever have another breed.
Our current Lab comes from a great breeder -- you pick the gender and colour, she picks the pup you get. Her claim is that she knows the pups better than you do and that instead of you picking one because you think it picks you, her choice is usually closer to your requirement- I have not seen her proven wrong so far and I have met a very large number of other owners with her dogs. If I wanted an adult dog, I would get a "career change" dog from one of the charitable service dog organizations -- they can tell you all about the dog and they are usually healthy, smart and the flaws they may have as service dogs are insignificant to most people looking for a friend. Before we bought our current Lab, we looked at this option figuring that a new pup might be a handful given our current lifestyle -- in retrospect I would not have missed the puppy phase for the world
My SIL adopts adult abandoned dogs -- while I appreciate her good intentions it is heartbreaking to see the vet bills she incurs to look after a problem created by someone else.
The one thing I would not do is buy one of the "designer dog" breeds (doodles, shi-poos etc) Just strikes me as spending a lot of money on a dog I can get by letting my lab loose at the wrong time and being an irresponsible dog owner :ashamed: -- So far I have yet to meet one that I like (of course that could be because of the owners not the dogs )
That said, the other thing I have learned as I get older is that insulting a persons dog is worse than calling their kids ugly - just better to keep quiet and think it -- JMHO

 

[orezok]

If there is a service dog training center near you, check with them. They will sometimes have dogs that have gone through training, but end up being unsuitable due to a minor health problem or incompatibility. They can't place a dog unless it's 100%. The pups are selected for their gentleness and intelligence and make excellent pets. They will be about 18 mos old.

Generally they are Lab's or Golden's with a couple of other breeds. You may have to wait a while as they are usually in demand.

 

[cdaigle430]

If you can, first get a rescue dog or one at the human society please. Second, try getting one of the free dogs from the classifieds, co worker, relative or friend.

I just got a free-to-a-good-home 8 month old yellow lab and he is such a good puppy. Learns fast and is very eager to please.

Please donate to your local Animal Humane Society:thumbsup:

 

[Sigarms]

Somebody else might find the biggest requirement is that the dog needs a decent home (I won't mention SigArms by name )

I resemble the remark:laughing:

I can honestly say, the best dog in my life found me, I didn't find her.

I'm a firm believer that although some breeds may show certain traits, nothing is written in stone per a dogs behavior, and more than anything, it's the home that makes the dog (along with training and supervision of course).

Labs can be a handful energy wise though until they hit "middle age". I'm certain our English Lab wasn't the only one in it's breed to have the "snorting bucking bronco" play mode LOL

 

[studor]

Labs can be a handful energy wise though until they hit "middle age". I'm certain our English Lab wasn't the only one in it's breed to have the "snorting bucking bronco" play mode LOL

Yeah --aint it grand!!! -- I think you are correct if "middle age" is about a week before they kick the bucket

 

[hizoot]

I pick one that'll fit in my suitcase:laughing:



actually...Gizmo wanted to make sure he would get to go with me

 

[Mousefield]

We got a black lab / german short hair mix last July as a pup. The problem is she likes to "play" with the chickens, which has a very unfavorable result for the poor chickens.

She is a very pretty dog and full of energy, we should have gotten a bread of dog that was not so high strung. We only had three chickens last year but she killed them all. We plan on getting about seven more this spring to she how she acts with them. If anyone has any ideas how to stop a dog from killing the chickens please let me know.

I would suggest first to define the characteristics you want or require in a dog. Then do a little research on the breads to see which one fits most of your requirements by temperament.

I know I will hear training is a large part how a dog acts. I acknowledge that, however one would not normally pick a toy poodle to be a guard dog.

As nue2farm posted: "The only sure fire way to prevent a dog from killing more chickens is either get rid of the chickens or get rid of the dog......."

Don't think I can really improve on this comment. You have to ask yourself:
What has changed to prevent the killing of more chickens?

 

[brokenknee]

As nue2farm posted: "The only sure fire way to prevent a dog from killing more chickens is either get rid of the chickens or get rid of the dog......."

Don't think I can really improve on this comment. You have to ask yourself:
What has changed to prevent the killing of more chickens?

We are thinking of getting rid of the dog. If we don't we will keep the chickens in the coop.

 

[CurlyDave]

I don't think you can go wrong with a Lab.

We have two, and are thinking about a third. We have one English type female who is laid back and has had a long middle age period, from about 2 to 10 so far. DW wants another pone just like her.

The other one is an American type, crazy energetic until about 8 years old and then begins to mellow. I want another one just like her, but male this time and about 120 lbs. DW thinks I am nuts and she may be right.

Will probably end up with another female, but American vs. English is up in the air.

 

[Depmandog]

I like smart dogs. Our first was a Welsh Corgi. She helped raise our two kids, and was the perfect dog for us. Smart as a whip. We purchased her from a "breeder". Later learned that she was probably the runt of the litter...I couldn't have asked for a better dog. She passed away at the age of 12 with me and my wife holding her - both bawling like babies. Had some form of cancer.

A few months later, We got another smart dog - a Border Collie. She chose us when we went to look at the litter. Borders have happen to have HIGH energy. I knew this, but was prepared to do whatever necessary to wear her down daily.

Our daughter had just got a golden retriever....long story - we ended up with him. What a perfect pair. She keeps him active, he keeps her mellow.

The border - I swear must know 500 words if not more. I can tell her just about anything, and she understands. She is without a doubt my dog. Every night she hops up on the bed, lays her head on my chest and tells me goodnight.

Her are a couple pics of Oreo the border, and Sam the golden.

 

[MWRR]

We had a Doberman when we were first married. Was the best dog/friend I ever had. Very intelligent and easy to train. We were very concerned about how the Dobe would interact with our son when he was born. She was great! Even when he was in the "terrible twos". Our son would crawl all over the Dobe and just waller her to death. Whenever she had enough she would just get up and go hide. The only person she ever bit was me. I was wrestling (a little too ruff) with my wife in the house one time and my wife let out a scream. The Dobe came out of nowhere and "pinched" me on the arm. Just enough of a bite to get the message across that she didn't like what was going on. My wife loved that Dobe. She knew from that day on that she had protection when I was gone or at home, lol.

My parents have a yellow lab. He is probably the smartest dog I have ever been around. When he was a young dog he would come to our house to "visit". When it was time for him to go home I would just tell him to go home in a calm tone as if talking to another person. The dog totally understood. The dog had no training (my parents just wanted a dog that barked when someone drove up). I really believe that dog understands the english language. My parents paid $ 25 for him. The best bargain I ever saw for a dog. He is quite old now and could go any time.

I now have beagles because I love to rabbit hunt and watch the dogs run. The sad part is I don't have any rabbits on the farm.

Good luck in selecting your next best friend.:thumbsup:

 

[smstonypoint]

The border - I swear must know 500 words if not more. I can tell her just about anything, and she understands.

I don't doubt it. Here's a video of a border collie that knows the names of 1000+ toys: http://video.pbs.org/video/1778564622/.

Steve

 

[brokenknee]

We had a Doberman when we were first married. Was the best dog/friend I ever had. Very intelligent and easy to train. We were very concerned about how the Dobe would interact with our son when he was born. She was great! Even when he was in the "terrible twos". Our son would crawl all over the Dobe and just waller her to death. Whenever she had enough she would just get up and go hide. The only person she ever bit was me. I was wrestling (a little too ruff) with my wife in the house one time and my wife let out a scream. The Dobe came out of nowhere and "pinched" me on the arm. Just enough of a bite to get the message across that she didn't like what was going on. My wife loved that Dobe. She knew from that day on that she had protection when I was gone or at home, lol.

My parents have a yellow lab. He is probably the smartest dog I have ever been around. When he was a young dog he would come to our house to "visit". When it was time for him to go home I would just tell him to go home in a calm tone as if talking to another person. The dog totally understood. The dog had no training (my parents just wanted a dog that barked when someone drove up). I really believe that dog understands the english language. My parents paid $ 25 for him. The best bargain I ever saw for a dog. He is quite old now and could go any time.

I now have beagles because I love to rabbit hunt and watch the dogs run. The sad part is I don't have any rabbits on the farm.

Good luck in selecting your next best friend.:thumbsup:

Our home owners insurance will not cover us if we have a doberman, pit bull or a few other breads that have gotten a bad reputation because of poor owners.

 

[scgargoyle]

I'm in desperate need of a good dog, soon. We've been without a dog for a while now, and I need a good companion while I build our homestead in rural SC. I'm working alone up there, and living in a little pop-up camper, so a dog would be most welcome. My dog will be big enough to make a bad guy think twice, but i don't want a huge dog, or an aggressive one. Barking is enough. A mutt is fine, probably the ubiquitous 'lab mix'. I'd love a pure-bred Lab or Golden, but it's hard (and expensive) to find one with good hips, good eyes, and without whatever other genetic weaknesses that plague popular dogs.

I've been watching things like craigslist, but it seems like the vast majority are pit bulls or pit mixes. No thanks. I know there are wonderful pits (my neighbor has four) but they can turn unpredictably, and I won't take that risk. Yes, I know other breeds can turn also. As a child, was mauled by a Springer Spaniel that knew me, but just snapped one day. I wasn't even near him when he lunged directly at my throat. I do think the odds are better with breeds known for sociable behavior, though.

Since it will be a hobby farm, plus lots of woods, I need a low-maintenance dog, preferably about the color of red clay LOL! It may sound odd, but I don't want a super-smart dog, at least not Border Collie smart. My son has an Australian Shepherd, and she is so smart that she's hard to train. She thinks about two steps ahead of you- not always what you want.

I expect my dog will find me- a dog in need of a master as much as I am in need of a companion.

 

[CurlyDave]

... I need a low-maintenance dog, preferably about the color of red clay LOL!

Yellow Labs come in two colors, one is the almost white to somewhat yellow type and the other is "fox red" which is about the color of a golden retriever.

The other possibility is an Irish Setter, although the ones I have known are not overly burdened with intelligence.

 

[scgargoyle]

When I was a kid, Golden Retrievers where that color, too. Over the years, they've gotten lighter and lighter, although you sometimes see a 'field line' that is redder.

Another problem I have with Labs is that so many of them are puppies for at least 2 years. I need a dog that will settle down.

 

[300UGUY]

My boxers are great. I veg out on the couch, so do they. I want to go for a walk, so do they. Perfect buddies.

 

[JimRB]

My wife found our current dogs at two different shelters via their websites. Our 11 year old Lab found her as a pup at the pound when the dog she looked at via the website did not engage her. No connection while this lab pup did a good job of selling himself. Now he is getting hard of hearing and his eyes are getting cloudy from cataracts. Two nights ago somone turned around in our gated driveway which is quite odd. He sensed somehow and raised some cain. A going blind and deaf dog inside the house sensing trouble outside is rather amazing given how many times I get in the house now without my usual "Jim is home" dog greeting.