Did you choose a specific breed of dog?

[Friday]

And this is about as much space they need in bed (unless they turn in the by @Friday mentioned 2-dimensional space).

It’s a magical thing... it’s like all the space cats displace in bed? (They get 90% whilst you’re falling off the edge?) Is snagged from dogs shedding their own mass as they eel their way in!

It’s a 3 dog night... but I still feel as if I’ve got miles of room to stretch and move about??? How DOES that work???

The evolutionary science/magic of dogpiles!!! :roflmao:
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@siniang ... Is your golden from Persia or thereabouts, by any chance? Stateside, goldens have a reputation for happy-dumb-happy-dumb, (Although, clearly, not all are); but all the goldens I’ve met who originated in Pakistan to The Arabian Peninsula have those same lovely dark points in their faces, and were some of the smartest / most emotionally intelligent dogs I’ve met. Still classically golden retrievers in every other regard, just the “smart” ones / IE anecdotally it seems like different traits were bred for in those areas, than have been bred for here.

 

[Rainman8772]

I chose a beagle because they are super smart. They really are great dogs as service or in general. However as a disclaimer they are HARD to train because they are very independent and the hound nose gets in the way of ears. If you can train a beagle and get them worn out before you work them it gets easier. I walk mine 5-10 miles before doing any training so the nose and drive to track/hunt doesn’t get in the way. A beagle is about the hardest I have ever trained. If they are on a scent trail they will not hear you/ignore and keep right on going. It has taken me nearly 2000 hours of training to get mine where I want her. She will wake me from nightmares, get my medicine bag if I can’t get up, get water out the refrigerator, search the house for anyone not supposed to be there, also interrupts any type of destructive behavior like head down in your hands and snap me out of a flashback.

Shepard’s and Labs are much easier to train because of their desire to please their handler and being a more visual hunter. I have trained all three and depending on what you want them for all are great. I am partial to beagles though because they are friendly/outgoing high energy dogs. The question is do you have the energy to keep up with them?

Also look for Veteran/Law enforcement programs because their are lots of non-profits that will either train you a dog or help you train a dog. I had one of those help me with my beagle. I had hit a wall myself and couldn’t force myself to do what I needed to mentally. It was money well donated for the few days of helping me cross that hurdle.

 

[siniang]

Is your golden from Persia or thereabouts, by any chance?

Nope, European Field line with some American Field line ancestry :)

Stateside, goldens have a reputation for happy-dumb-happy-dumb

Yeah, that would be your standard conformation line/show Golden (aka your average "family dog" Golden). Happy-go-lucky dogs buuuuuuuut ... not the brightest by faaaaaar, on average. We have one in our current trainee group. HANDSOME boy, but...yeah....happy-dump nails it on the head, really. It's even more obvious in competitions. My mom does a lot of hunting test type of competition (because, well, that's what they've been bred for, originally) and you get your occasional show line golden show up (those are breeders with tooooooons of show titles in their lines who for one reason or another want a Field three letter title to put after their dog's name) and well...the working styles between the two are day and night, even to my rather untrained eye. They need a LOOOT of handling/not the best for thinking on their own paws on the spot to work the target. (sorry, anecdote time). And yeah, I've noticed this distinction more in the States, too.

It's not as pronounced in Europe, yet, but we're getting there as well. Combined with all the other attributes that come with show ring breeding that you've already mentioned (stubbier legs, bigger/heavier stature, ...).

I'm actually seeing the same tendencies with Labs. Those really bulky classic show Labs? Tend to not be the smartest. Absolutely loyal lovebugs. Just not super smart. :oops:

 

[siniang]

I chose a beagle because they are super smart. They really are great dogs as service or in general. However as a disclaimer they are HARD to train because they are very independent and the hound nose gets in the way of ears.

I LOVE beagles, absolutely incredible dogs, but I would never get one. My late dog had puppy playgroup with a beagle puppy and the stories we got to hear at even a few months old scarred me for life :eek: :laugh:

 

[Rainman8772]

@siniang As long as you keep them busy they are great but if you think hounds are lazy you are in for a big surprise. They are also thieves and will take something with the owners scent to hide in their bed. It may be something you do not want them to take too. I have been outside cooking on the grill and leave mine inside only to walk back in and she was on the kitchen table looking out the window at me. No idea how she got up there.

 

[siniang]

Another thing I wanted to add, when looking into potential breeds.... since we're considering a vet here in particular, I'd personally look into breeds with an inherent steady temperament. Retrievers (labs, goldens, ...) for example have specifically been bred to not be phased by loud noises because they're gun dogs. I'm thinking thunderstorms, fireworks, .... and I know a lot of dogs get hyper anxious with those, which might not exactly be helpful for a vet (without knowing his specific triggers, obviously, just a thought that popped into my mind). Shot steadyness is actually a temperament criterium for retrievers. Again, absolutely no knowledge regarding GSDs, sorry.

Just throwing out some more breeds for consideration from the retriever cluster, that might be physically more appealing for a vet than your clichee golden (or lab): Chesapeake Bay Retriever and for a smaller size, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever also are really cool dogs.

(Bear with me, I'm reeaaaally partial to retrievers. :oops: :inlove: I'm personally also a BIG fan of medium-sized long-haired dogs from the Spitz cluster, such as Eurasians and Keeshonds, but they tend to be your clingy family dog with separation anxiety - but I LOVE their optics)

@Rainman8772 Yeah I just don't have neither the patience nor the nerves for their shenanigans :laugh: But I really do love them. Funny smart little buggers.

 

[Sideways]

And this is about as much space they need in bed

Dogs curl up and stretch out for a range of reasons. Temperature, anxiety for example. A dog wants enough room to stretch out on a warm day, or if it's a super cold day and you have the heating cranked up. They also want a bit of room to romp around a little after a meal, or when they're just having a bit of fun.

Larger dogs can be accommodated in smaller spaces. But for quality of life? Larger active breeds work best in larger homes.

 

[siniang]

Dogs curl up and stretch out for a range of reasons. Temperature, anxiety for example. A dog wants enough room to stretch out on a warm day, or if it's a super cold day and you have the heating cranked up. They also want a bit of room to romp around a little after a meal, or when they're just having a bit of fun.

Larger dogs can be accommodated in smaller spaces. But for quality of life? Larger active breeds work best in larger homes.

Of course, absolutely! I'd never have a larger/high-energy dog in a tiny apartment/studio. But most mid-sized homes, those with at least 2 bedrooms (or really roomy 1BR)? Given the dog gets enough outside exercise? Not <really> a problem. Obviously a dog needs to be able to move around, they do love to sleep in different places throughout a day, for example (just like cats). But you don't actually need enough space where a dog would be able to run laps inside to exert themselves, for example. Again, given enough time outside (including off-leash running). Just as a cat's living space is defined in 3D, a dog's "living space" is defined by enrichment and time outside for most larger breeds, not by the sheer amount of square feet. And I wouldn’t measure “quality of life” by it but by many many other factors (I don’t think all those dogs locally that essentially live in huge yards free to roam but hardly ever get human interactions with their people, let alone be allowed inside, to have a lot of quality if life)

This is just from my personal experience of having a larger active breed and how they utilize their space - despite having plenty of room in a large house.

It's also really breed-dependent - but the breeds they're considering (labs), I don't see a problem. Were it a husky? I probably would.

ETA: I obviously don’t know LuckiLee and hubby’s living situation, but from my experience, housing that is considered “small” in the states is really mid-sized, even large, in many other places. Everything’s just bigger here. And they do have a yard.

 

[Sideways]

Hehe, hopefully a reeeeally big bed, too @siniang , because frankly my 6kg shih tzu? Takes up waaaay more space in my bed than the laws of physics can explain!!

 

[siniang]

Hehe, hopefully a reeeeally big bed, too @siniang , because frankly my 6kg shih tzu? Takes up waaaay more space in my bed than the laws of physics can explain!!

Cat size - cat physics :p:p

vvvv

all the space cats displace in bed? (They get 90% whilst you’re falling off the edge?)

Just kidding, hope ya know that @Sideways :hug: Love your Buddy :)

 

[mamachick]

Always. When my kids were little and having their friends over, we got a collie that was great with kids. When they were teens, we got a chocolate lab, also great. When my daughter was in college, she rescued and labor doodle . She was so sweet. Both passed in the past couple years. Then I go a golden retriever. a few months later, I got a chocolate lab. I tend to gravitate to big dogs with a sweet disposition. It has worked well. Oh I miss those who have passed . Currently have the golden who is 1 yr old, and the lab that is 9 months old. Both are great. I personally think females are more loving ( my lab) My golden is a boy and a bit wild, demands a lot of attention and is more high strung. They are all gentle dogs though.

 

[Freida]

I was a Rottweiler girl before SD. Rotties are great but can be a huge pain in the ass so they can be a huge challenge for first time dog owners
I also love German shepherds...smart but omg there a lot of hair!

SD is a golden doodle...amazingly smart and almost no shedding so that's awesome. However they also have been overbred so they have a lot of health issues. He's 60 pounds and I have no problems dragging him everywhere... I wouldn't have a smaller dog because one of his job is to block people from coming too near me.

I guess that's a place to start....what do you want the dog to do?