getting a dog. any advise reguarding breed?

[pwilson5]

Have you considered this: An American Pit Bull Terrier, or are they allowed where you live? Right size, most don't mind water and LOVE to spend time with you 24/7 if they can. They are very trainable, actually, though like Border Collies they are also high-energy dogs that absolutely need an outlet for that energy. I used to ride mine in the car or truck with me and they loved to ride "shotgun". You won't have the hair issues that most of the breeds you mentioned will have, if lots and lots of shedding is an issue(some people don't mind it. I'm not one of those people). IF you can find REAL APBT's, not those huge waddling blue hippos that many are still trying to pass off as APBT's(if the average adult can't easily pick the dog up and carry it, it's NOT an APBT, no matter what it says on the "papers") and get to spend time with the parents AND the breeder, it would certainly be worth the time and effort, unless where you live has BSL in effect.

pitbulllady

i love pitties.. they are just so cute when they play.. they can have skin problems tho..

what about a Blue Healer? VERY smart dogs

 

[Lisa Gayle 713]

K-Train.... just wanted to add my friendly 2 cents' worth.....

I've had dogs all my life. The healthiest (by FAR) were mixed breeds. They call it "hybrid vigor" for a reason!

The dogs that have been the most loving/loyal are my rescues. There are breed specific rescue groups all over now-a-days. My Daisy is a beagle rescue from the backwoods. I will never pay 100s for another dog again. I am hooked on rescues for life.

For you, perhaps a bully rescue or border collie rescue would be appropriate. Each breed is intelligent, active and needs a strong alpha to lead them. It seems to me that usually these dogs are given up because the owners didn't realize how much work/ training the dog would need.

It costs less to get a rescue, and I think they know that you are saving them- and they appreciate it!

Just something to think about.....

 

[NikiP]

You're reasonings for avoiding a pound dog sound reasonable to me.

Also, how about a Portuguese water dog or even a poodle?

I know, everyone thinks fluffy foofoo dog when they think poodle, but they are awesome dogs. My next farm dog will probably actually be a standard poodle (clipped close, no show clip!) rather then one of the typical farm dog breeds. Highly intelligent dog! They were originally bred to be water retrievers.

 

[K-TRAIN]

You're reasonings for avoiding a pound dog sound reasonable to me.

Also, how about a Portuguese water dog or even a poodle?

I know, everyone thinks fluffy foofoo dog when they think poodle, but they are awesome dogs. My next farm dog will probably actually be a standard poodle (clipped close, no show clip!) rather then one of the typical farm dog breeds. Highly intelligent dog! They were originally bred to be water retrievers.

i never heard of the portuguese water dog, ill check them out

poodles, pit bulls, etc are out of the question.

pit bulls or anything similar im ok with, but my parents arent. i personally dont like poodles, and my dad hates them, chihuahuas, etc.

im more for dogs that are border collie, golden retriever, german shepard, etc. the "girly" dogs as some people call them around where i live i think are alright, but just not for me. the closest i think i could go to that kind of dog would be cocker spanial.


my main problem is my moms not so keen on getting another dog (i honestly think its because my last golden retriever took to her, and she loved the dog) but me and my dad are alright with it, and she'll end up ok with it once she sees that its taken care of, and she gets that "nostalgic" feeling of have a dog running through the house again.
and my dad is partial to german shepards, and doesnt like certain dogs.

so i got to work around that to find the right dog to.

like for instance my dad doesnt like chuihuahuas (sp?) alot of small breeds, pit bulls, and a few other dogs. my mom is ok with most but is afraid of german shepards. (my dad owned one and she stepped to close to it, and the dog cornered her trying to "protect" my dad)

 

[Tecnition4life]

I would say a pitbull, most loyal dogs there are. But Australian shepards are great, i have a friend that has 2 and they are great. They go fishing with us WHEREVER we go on boats and everything. They just floated 7 miles down the green river with us the other day!

 

[LeilaNami]

I would suggest blue heeler or catahoula. Catahoulas are not good with smaller animals though if you think they will have access to any in your home (like cats). If you are looking for a smaller, active, swimming dog I would suggest a Schipperke! Schipperkes are stubborn but smart. They are one of the breeds that will challenge your authority.

As far as poodles go, there is a BIG difference to the temperament and behavior of a standard poodle vs a toy poodle (mainly being the toy is annoying IMHO and standards are bigger, prettier, and not 'fancy dog' as you put it lol). Standard poodles get big and tall though so I don't know if that would fit in your truck anyway.

If you get any type of retriever though (be it lab, chesapeake, or golden) be prepared for lots and lots and lots of chewing and you need to curb that as soon as possible. Retrievers live their lives through their mouths . It's easy to stop but you need to stop it early. Out of those three, I found Chesapeakes to be the most rewarding to work with.

If you decide on the Portuguese water dog however, be aware that they take a lot to keep them occupied and happy. You want to be active, they will MAKE you be active.

 

[pwilson5]

im also going to get a dog once i get back from visiting my parents.. might adopt a 7 month old pitmix that needs a good home

 

[DireWolf0384]

You may consider me too sentimental but I think all Dogs deserve a loving home and I know many people that have adopted mutts from the pound and had very healthy and loving pets. I have Dog Sat for many pound mutts as I call them and they are a pleasure to work with. Full of positive personality and love. Some Pounds will let you take the Dog out and play with him. The one here will let you walk around and look at the Dogs they have. I won't go in there unless I am there to adopt one cause I know I will fall in love.

 

[ZergFront]

i never heard of the portuguese water dog, ill check them out

poodles, pit bulls, etc are out of the question.

pit bulls or anything similar im ok with, but my parents arent. i personally dont like poodles, and my dad hates them, chihuahuas, etc.

im more for dogs that are border collie, golden retriever, german shepard, etc. the "girly" dogs as some people call them around where i live i think are alright, but just not for me. the closest i think i could go to that kind of dog would be cocker spanial.
)

I'm a girl and I'm not even a fan of poodles. I work at a doggie daycare and most of our new dogs with separation anxiety and nervousness were poodles, weinmaraners and dobermans.

Cattle dogs and mixes like the Texas heeler might be up your ally as well. A little smaller than goldens and they love to work and expercise.

 

[Phancyface724]

I just want to bring a little more attention to Blue Heelers, as someone already mentioned them. I have 1 purebred and 1 mix and I couldn't ask for any more loyal of a dog. My male will follow my husband and I on our quads for MILES...literally MILES. He loves jumpin in the truck and going out in the woods with us and fetching sticks in the water. My female has the same amount of energy, but she is a 1 person dog. She is pretty much mean to everyone else but me. She tolerates my kids, but is kind of snappy at anyone else including my husband so we can't really take her out like we do the other dog. This behavior is somewhat typical for the breed, but we think she is a bit touchy because she was mistreated from her previous owners.
My female is still just a puppy, but she's already house trained, she's been for a few months now. They are very intelligent dogs. Plus, the colorations of their coat make them very unique dogs. Every time I take Chevy to the flea market, everyone makes a fuss over his coloring.

Just one more note, Blue Heelers are the same thing as Australian Cattle Dogs (ACD) but they are NOT the same as Australian Shepherds. Two totally different breeds. There is also a Red Heeler, which as the name states, has a red coat, but they carry the same traits as a Blue Heeler.

I just had to share my love of the ACD breed.
If you want to see pics I believe I have one posted of them in my profile on the forum here.

 

[pwilson5]

our temp blue healer "Blue" and Jack (pitt) playing at our old place. (they have both been rehomed)

"Blue" tryin to steal my woman.. lol

 

[K-TRAIN]

I would suggest blue heeler or catahoula. Catahoulas are not good with smaller animals though if you think they will have access to any in your home (like cats). If you are looking for a smaller, active, swimming dog I would suggest a Schipperke! Schipperkes are stubborn but smart. They are one of the breeds that will challenge your authority.

As far as poodles go, there is a BIG difference to the temperament and behavior of a standard poodle vs a toy poodle (mainly being the toy is annoying IMHO and standards are bigger, prettier, and not 'fancy dog' as you put it lol). Standard poodles get big and tall though so I don't know if that would fit in your truck anyway.

If you get any type of retriever though (be it lab, chesapeake, or golden) be prepared for lots and lots and lots of chewing and you need to curb that as soon as possible. Retrievers live their lives through their mouths . It's easy to stop but you need to stop it early. Out of those three, I found Chesapeakes to be the most rewarding to work with.

If you decide on the Portuguese water dog however, be aware that they take a lot to keep them occupied and happy. You want to be active, they will MAKE you be active.

catahoulas wouldnt be good if they dont get along with smaller pets i have a few reptiles and i plan on getting more, and possibly in a year or so breeding them again.

Schipperke's are another breed i had to google when i read this. there nice looking dogs and seem like good dogs, but im not sure if i can find one. id have to look around. (alot of the dogs around here are either tiny dogs or mix breed pit bulls, shepards, rottweillers, etc)


and i know all too well about retrievers and chewing. my first golden one chewed everything even if i was sitting next to him and my other golden wasnt as bad, but he still never learned not to chew.

are portugese water dogs more energetic then border collies or less then?

im going to be seeing 3 border collie pups tomorrow possibly, and i know they have alot of energy

 

[kingrattus]

If you like the Border Collie, & the Australian Shepherd type dogs why not get the "original" breed... the English Shepherd

They are the best of all 3 breeds (Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Collie(Lassie)). Digi is more so on the Collie side of the gene pool as she has the pointier head/muzzle... Digi is a poor example as she is a Puppy Mill freak of nature... Her issues are purely cause of horrid breeding, abuse, & neglect before the age of 6 weeks old. Her biggest health issue is her sever food allergies. Shes allergic to red meats, dairy & shellfish... She has to be fed raw chicken & fish to ensure she doesn't bleed out from a food reaction... I don't wish this type of health issue upon anyone!! Her lesser health issue is that she cannot store body fat, so shes a Furry Skeleton Dog... Luckily they have med-long fur so when I walk her & run her no one notices how thin she is, other wise I would get screamed at more often then what I already do... jerks...

Keep in mind, the breed can range from 40~90lbs. Its not a CKC or AKC registered breed. Breeders in North America pretty much all have their own gene pools they work with, so some have the smaller ones, others have the med ones & then there are the larger ones.. then there are the diff colours, head shapes & so on...


Here is Digi

How many dogs do you know that will chew the corn off the cob? we didn't teach her this.. I get her the corn on the cob as a treat & she chewed then corn off :?

Trevor & Digi... Trevor is 6'3.. Digi is about the height of the 40lbs dog... but she weighs 25lbs on a fat day.

Digi gets a LOT of attention. Walking downtown Toronto is a nightmare for me, as it takes about 30mins to cross a street as people swarm her.. Wish I was joking But she is one PRETTY dog!

 

[pitbulllady]

catahoulas wouldnt be good if they dont get along with smaller pets i have a few reptiles and i plan on getting more, and possibly in a year or so breeding them again.

Schipperke's are another breed i had to google when i read this. there nice looking dogs and seem like good dogs, but im not sure if i can find one. id have to look around. (alot of the dogs around here are either tiny dogs or mix breed pit bulls, shepards, rottweillers, etc)


and i know all too well about retrievers and chewing. my first golden one chewed everything even if i was sitting next to him and my other golden wasnt as bad, but he still never learned not to chew.

are portugese water dogs more energetic then border collies or less then?

im going to be seeing 3 border collie pups tomorrow possibly, and i know they have alot of energy

I've successfully kept Catahoulas and reptiles for many years now, but I would not recommend a Catahoula, not for what you're looking for in a dog. They ARE often extremely dog-aggressive, much worse than APBT's, and unlike an APBT, Catahoulas could really care less if they please you or not. They were bred to work independently of direct human command, and the word "stubborn" does not begin to describe a typical Catahoula Leopard Dog! They are strongly inclined to be Alpha dogs from the get-go, and most WILL challenge you, often physically, at some point, to secure that position, especially if they sense that you're not up to defending it. They are also large dogs; my males typically weighed anywhere from 75-100 pounds, too much dog to sit on the seat of a truck with you. Catahoulas and Akitas are two breeds I'd recommend only to the most experienced working dog owners who have a job for the dog to do and are able to give the dog lots of exercise each day to work off energy. In fact, I refused to sell Catahoula pups to anyone other than cattle farmers who had unruly, tough cattle and to wild hog or other large game hunters, since I found that those I'd sold as primarily pets or companion dogs inevitably either got returned to me or worse, put down when the owners couldn't deal with them.

I will second what LeilaNami said about Standard Poodles, though. This is NOT a "girly dog" or "sissy dog" or "foo-foo dog" in any way, shape or form! These are big dogs, and they can be tough; a dog trainer I once knew, who'd trained dogs for the US Marine Corps, had actually worked with Standards in Military K-9 training and described them as "alligators with an Afro", lol. They are great descrimitating guard dogs, able to tell friend from foe and deal with them accordingly, and their intelligence is very high. Like most Sporting dogs, they can have a stubborn streak and they do get bored easily, so it is necessary to spend lots of time with one, but this is a versitile dog that can easily adapt to virtually any task. Again, though, there's the size issue; unless you can find a smaller female, it will be difficult to find an adult Standard that can share a truck seat with you. Portuguese Water Dogs, by the way, closely resemble smaller versions of the Standard Poodle and have the same coat. "Bo", the President's dog(or his daughters' dog)is a Portuguese Water Dog. If you don't like the Poodle coat and can't get past the stigma of Standard Poodles being "girly dogs", you won't like a PWD, either, since most people will think it is a Poodle, plus you won't find one for less than $600.00, since they are fairly rare and are still expensive.

Here's a few more breeds you might want to look into:
Boykin Spaniel-a South Carolina breed developed from the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and various Water Spaniels, available in two coats, always liver in color, medium-sized, tend to have more of a Retriever temperemant than Spaniel
Hungarian Viszla-red-orange, short-coated pointing breed, also tend to be medium-sized dogs, smaller than either German Shorthairs or Weimaraners but with similar build
Norwegian Elkhounds-not a hound but a Nordic or Spitz-type breed, with that typical double coat, but tend to be less hyper and less stubborn than most Arctic dogs
Mountain Cur-similar in build to their Catahoula relative, but smaller in size and FAR less aggressive and stubborn; usually have natural bob-tails and are usually NOT merle-patterned, though some are.

pitbulllady

 

[snappleWhiteTea]

Australian cattle dog aka heelers, best dogs I've ever owned, they learn thing really quickly! i suck with dogs and my hellers listens and recognizes a ton of words, park, ball, biscuit, home, bed, out, all kind sof stuff, juts great dogs.

 

[proper_tea]

Have you considered this: An American Pit Bull Terrier, or are they allowed where you live? Right size, most don't mind water and LOVE to spend time with you 24/7 if they can. They are very trainable, actually, though like Border Collies they are also high-energy dogs that absolutely need an outlet for that energy. I used to ride mine in the car or truck with me and they loved to ride "shotgun". You won't have the hair issues that most of the breeds you mentioned will have, if lots and lots of shedding is an issue(some people don't mind it. I'm not one of those people).

Gotta say... this was my first thought when I saw what the OP was looking for in a dog. I've never lived with any pit with papers... but every pit I've lived with I've loved. They are the most loyal dogs I know, and want nothing but to please. They have endless energy, and stay that way for a long time.

Plus, you might be able to get a puppy from the pound. They don't adopt easily, because of the stigma. I know you said you didn't want a pound puppy , but these are put down all the time, so you would be saving a life.

 

[LeilaNami]

Pitbulllady is right about Catahoulas: they are very stubborn dogs. The ones I have worked with were not dog-aggressive but as I said they do not do well with smaller animals like cats. Pitbulllady seems to have more experience with this breed than I do, though.

The thing about Border collies you need to remember is that they want to WORK. You need to keep them "working" whether it be actual work or intense playing. When the dog is a little older, definitely purchase a backpack for a dog and use it with the collie if you decide to get it. I have found this makes them a little more content. One thing you gotta keep in mind about all intelligent/working breeds is that they will not be content if you don't keep them active. You might not even want to be as active as they do. As for your earlier question, PWD seem to have more of a drive to be kept busy where border collies have a drive to work. Heck, I've watched collies herd toddlers.

Honestly though, I really do believe a schipperke or heeler would be the best for what you've described.

 

[jokernyc2]

yea.. i would recommend going to the pound and picking up a pooch there.
i feel you create a certain bond that way. I rescued my dog from the pound 9 yrs ago, and been R.O.D pals since.

shes a pitt btw =)

 

[Acer]

Fox terrier are a great small-medium breed ! They are smart, comical, playful and "scrappy" as books call them I have fox\rat terrier myself.

Jack Russels are another great breed too

 

[K-TRAIN]

Fox terrier are a great small-medium breed ! They are smart, comical, playful and "scrappy" as books call them I have fox\rat terrier myself.

Jack Russels are another great breed too

jack russels are nice dogs, but they are hyper little dogs.

i knew a few people who owned them and they are extremely wired and seem to be high strung dogs.