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Did you choose a specific breed of dog?

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LuckiLee

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I'm just wondering if you chose a certain type of dog. And why? Or did you just fall in love?

We want to get a puppy so we can train him/her as we need to. I'm unsure if we will need a "service dog" (I can't see J taking a SD into a restaurant although stranger things have happened) or just a highly trained "pet".

We're thinking a Labrador but I feel they might be too big because J will want him/her in bed with us to help with his nightmares. (They're considered a medium sized dog.)

Also, did you choose the sex of your dog? And why?

Thanks in advance. xo
 
I am a cat person. But neighbours, where I used to live, had a terrier mix that was abused and neglected. I couldn't stand it any longer and asked them if I could have her. He told me yes.

I have had her for about five years now. She had major problems when I first got her. But she is a sweet sweet girl and I can't imagine not having her. She helps me when I am symptomatic, simply because she picks up my distress. She is not a service dog. But she does help distract and sometimes helps to calm me.

I think we chose each other. She is living her best life now, and so am I. Wouldn't trade her for anything.

Great thread!
 
Absolutely. I was living in a studio, so it needed to be small. And it was going to be allowed on the bed and the couch, and since I was prepared to learn how to clip the dog myself? I went for a lap breed (low exercise need, but the trade off is low drive to work), so it doesn't shed hair everywhere. I got a shih-tsu cross maltese. Friendly, cute, but require a lot of persistence with training!

Labs are awesome as working dogs. High work drive, reliably friendly. But they do shed their coat, which may be an issue in bed?

In that case? Consider a small/toy poodle. Also working dogs, and if given even moderate socialisation they are also reliably friendly. Relatively easy to train (unless they're cross breed, and the owner didn't know how to cross breeds properly, in which case you can end up with one of the stupidest dogs on the planet - loyal, lovely, but stoopid!). Toy poodles are common because they have those great qualities. A non-shedding coat does mean regular trips to the dog groomer, but if you can afford that it's definitely worth not having everything covered in dog hair (say goodbye to wearing black pants with a golden lab!!).

If you don't mind shedding, but want small, and are prepared to be a real stickler about not letting the dog have treats except when working/training, then consider a beagle. They're super friendly as well.

Some vets prefer SDs that are working dogs but don't come with the "super friendly" thing. Kelpies need a lot of exercise, and have a shedding coat, but are very loyal, easy to train, have a high work drive, and strangers tend to be slightly less certain whether they want to trust your dog not to bite their hand off. They do need a lot of exercise, but can be taught to jog alongside you if your vet is still doing daily runs. A kelpie would need good socialisation from a young age, so joining a local dog obedience club while the dog is still a pup would be very helpful - weekly commitment type stuff.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you want something smaller to hang around the house and just be totally congenial and love you to bits? Something like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is hard to beat. Wouldn't make a great SD, but will definitely up the happiness of the household just by their gentle, loveable presence.

Just some suggestions. Definitely if you pick a breed for it's traits, you tend to end up with less unexpected issues to iron out during training!!
 
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My dad chose an English setter because they were supposed to be quiet and gentle. Charlie was just that, but we bread our second English Setter, a tricolor and one of her pups that we kept was constantly barking, to the point that neighbors complained, so we gave her to some farmers who had lots of land for her to run off some energy in.

So, when I graduated college, we took in strays. No problems with them.

PS. Charlie died from thyroid problems at age seven. Not sure why, except maybe too much inbreeding in his past.

One of our mixed breeds lived to be 17 by comparison.

We loved them all though. The y were like members of the family.
 
Pull up a chair, and grab a beer! This is gonna take awhile :sneaky:

Our last dog was a Chocolate Lab :inlove:

...that we got from -at the time- one of only three breeders in the country who was trying to breed out the dwarf leg gene that’s become so endemic in labs that many can’t even swim, anymore. Even Weiner dogs can swim!!! :eek: Not very well, but they were tunnellers, not swimmers. Labs were bed for swimming. That was their thing. Jumping off of boats, swimming to the nets, and dragging them back to the boat. The dwarf leg is one of those show ring things... judges like short legs, so that’s what breeders have bred for, for the past 50+ years. The dwarf gene is complex (sort of like hair alleles are complex) so it’s a slooooow process to get longer (or shorter) legs. I’m strongly in support of returning the breed to its working dog days, instead of showroom days, so that’s why we went with that specific breeder. Over a decade later? There’s a dozen breeders in my state alone working on that gene, hundreds across the country, and the breed is rebounding in a serious way. In 2014, with over 100k labs in the US alone? Fewer than 100 individuals didn’t carry the dwarf leg gene.

I don’t have a historic lab photo on file that meets copyright reqs, but GSDs / Alsations are another breed the show ring has shortened the legs on. Both dogs below are AKC champions. 100 years apart.
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I know, I know... you asked about how we chose the breed and I start talking about how we chose our breeder. I start most stories in the middle ;)

But that’s also how we chose. Because I really only do things 1:2 ways... sheer dumb luck, or after extensive research.

TheKiddo (age4) wanted a dog. Any dog. Badly. Meaning he’d been campaigning for 2 years solid, and at age 4 he finally wore me down. :hilarious: I said if he saved up half (adoption fees, and projected vet/food bills for 6mo) I’d pay the other half. It gave me about a year to research. I thought I’d have more time, but the little man gets durn serious about things sometimes. Over $400 in pocket change, in a year, made me seriously reconsider my cash only policy. I kept it, but damn. That’s coins only. Coins were his, paper was mine. (The following year, after our dog? He bought a $1,000 MacBook. That boy managed his money better in kindergarten than I did when I was 20 :facepalm: )

So my kid wanted a dog.

- If it were JUST me? I’d have gotten another wolf hybrid. I get on really well with wolves & horses, whilst dogs are a lot less intuitive for me. But wolves you really have to spend 2+ years with, 24/7. A lot more like raising a kid, rather than a puppy you can crate, and spend significant time away from. When TheKiddo was 4 I was in school full time, working part time, and just soooooo did not have the time to raise up a wolf cub (hybrid or not) properly. So that meant a dog.

- If I didn’t plan on being in the tropics & dessert a whole lot over the next 10 years? I’d have gotten us a husky pup. I like huskies the best out of domesticated dogs, they’re scoundrels and trouble makers. :sneaky: GREAT dogs. But not in hot weather. In hot weather they’re bisrable.

So I needed a wicked smart dog, for my sake... and one who could move back and forth between snow and sea/sun for their sake... and for my son’s sake a multi-person dog, so the dog could still be very much HIS, even if he was spending most of his time with me, once TheKiddo was in school full time. ( :rolleyes: Man plans, God laughs. We ended up homeschooling from 1st grade onwards. But at the time I was planning on TheKiddo being gone 8-10 hours at school/sports.) A one person dog would either bond with me, breaking my son’s heart, or with him, breaking the dogs heart stuck with me all day. Smart dog means working dog 99% of the time... and working dogs rarely do well in confined spaces (like riding shotgun for weeks road tripping, or on a boat, during school breaks), unless they’re guard dogs, and I wanted a better temperament than most guard dogs possess. So it was a short list of possible breeds, but Labradors were right up at the top of it. They’re smart; they’re versatile weather-wise; they’re family dogs, rather than 1 person dogs, and they’re one of the rare working dogs that will get FAT just happy to be “on the boat” (or couch, lawn ornament, etc.) but still good tempered as all out.

From probable-Lab... that led us to English vs Field, and breed standard (dwarf leg) vs leggy SOB.

OUR lab was the sport of the litter. The only one with the full expression of short legs. still longer than most, and he was a badass swimmer (even closing his nose holes like a seal, to swim underwater, which is a Lab thing!), but it cracked me up. Being the runt was fine with me, it was the practice I was supporting rather than a need I was trying to meet, and I wasn’t going to breed him (although I signed an agreement to get him neutered, the breeder agreed with me that late gelding was better (to give the bones time to grow and get dense, amongst other things) although they didn’t insist, were thrilled we were willing to wait... so we didn’t neuter him until he was abooooout a year an a half? I’d have to look it up, but a few months after his growth stablized. Which meant he LOOKED like an intact male (From all angles but one ;)), with the big dense bones & fighting ruff you almost never see on labs on the street. <grin> So even though he was mostly Field? (Mix of Field and English) Which is usually all svelte & lithe? After puberty hit, he looked like a big ole English boy. He wasn’t. He was just very very masculine. Most of the time he weighed about 125. If we’d neutered him early he’d probably have been about 80-90lbs. which is what he weighed at about 6mo-1yo. It was only in the last few months he got DENSE. His weight jumped up to 140-60 or so... every winter he pulled sled (only to trim up over the spring/summer/fall), and then for 2 years solid after my son got sick, because he GLUED himself to TheKiddp for the duration of his illness (on the couch), and I forgot to stop feeding him like he was working. :bag: Whoopsies. That’s blubber, not wicked lean muscle. Sorry boyo! (Usually new vets gave us the heaved sigh and launched into a rote lecture about obesity as soon as they came into the room, that would abruptly stop as soon as they touched him. And then they couldn’t stop touching him. Oh. Oh wait, what? I thought he was fat! This is all muscle?? And Ruff? Wow. Lookit that ruff! Is he intact? No? // He pulls sled in the winter, swims in the summer, and we neutered him late // Well that explains it! Don’t see many working labs these days. Most are just lawn ornaments.)

After TheKiddo got sick we COULD have gotten TheDog rated as an SD... because he trained himself to alert to TheKiddo’s SPo2. The lower TheKiddo’s blood oxygen the more strenuous TheDog’s reaction. From “Holy Toledo, they can hear you in Kansas!” Alert BARK!!! in the low 90’s (over and over and over, right in his face), to fetching one of his many many inhalers in the upper 80’s, to grabbing onto the nearest adult type person and dragging them to him in the mid 80s. It’s not unusual for dogs of pulmonary kids to do that, even when they’re “just” pets, esp when they’re from working breed stock.

But there was no need to. Even before TheKiddo got sick? By accident, rather than design, I could take him just about everywhere with me/us. My school & work were both dog friendly, and even if they weren’t? I had a K-9 unit in the window of the Jeep for temp control with the engine off & hard top up. It was just me, TheKiddo, & TheDog 99% of the time... so I pulled out the back seat and he had his soft crate all denned up on one side, and our gear/camping equip on the other side.

Our only rule about furniture was that one had to be both clean and dry to hop up... an No Dogs! on the counters. Which was a thing, when he was a puppy. Turn your back for 2 seconds and he’d scoot hisself up on top of the fridge to where we kept the treats. :facepalm: From chair to counter to microwave to fridge. Just eeled himself up there lickedy split. Clean&Dry was a surprisingly easy condition to teach.

He’d split his time between sleeping with TheKiddo or with me....There was acres of room on my husband’s & my king bed... although he slept on the bottom of it until my ex got up for work, then stole his spot leaning up against me once he left! :hilarious: It got a bit crowded in my son’s bed, when it was the kid, me, the dog (nightmares, illness, etc.)... but that was a full size mattress. Crowded, but even at well over 100lbs? He’d roll himself into a tight ball, or stretch out like a 2 dimensional object, defying every law of physics to be where he wanted to be.
 
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Look into information on temperament. In terms of training, temperament of a puppy will make a bigger difference.

Second to temperament is breed and size. I have a lab who is a runt. About 50-60 lbs. She is perfect sized to cuddle up in bed and be there when nightmares and the like hit. German Shepard and labs are used for SD work often because they generally are easier to train. Goldens are great too.

I'd stay away from Collies unless one has a super active lifestyle (runs miles every day) and lots of training experience. Collies tend to need lots of work and train themselves - sometimes with bad habits.

Consider a mixed breed rescue puppy if one with the right temperament comes across your path. They tend to sometimes have lower behavior and health problems because they are not as inbred.
 
Thank you.

It is such a huge commitment and nothing to take lightly.

@Sideways, great information! Thanks for sharing. A lot to think about.

@Friday, what can I say? Thanks for yet another lol fest. You do things like I do, research or just dumb luck. Usually a combination of both. How long have I been talking about and researching this?? Too long! We just have to jump in.

RN we live in a small place with a medium sized yard so 125lbs. is too much dog for us. We could do the runt like @Justmehere has.50-60 lbs. That would be perfect. At this point we don't need a "working" dog but a smart calm breed.

I'm so glad you have HD, @ladee. She's lucky to have you!

I want a puppy so we can train accordingly and not have to also retrain bad behavior. And they're so darned cute!! Breeders are getting $1,200 for lab pups. So there's that.

I know shedding is a problem but I don't want that to be the only reason to dismiss a breed. J's sister has a Great Pyrenees and his hair is longer than mine. (Ugh)

As of right now I'm thinking a Labrador or German Sheppard. (Runt) Smart, large enough, easy to train, could be a working dog, loyal, friendly...

I wish this virus crap was over so I can start looking. I would start at the local shelters once everything opens back up. I'm also gonna keep researching breeders. I have a line on one through a friend and she speaks highly of them.

Here's another question for you... What characteristics did you look for? What did they do or not do that made you choose them?

This is crazy. Back in the day your neighbor's dog had puppies and you got to choose which FREE one you wanted. Oy!

?
 
When I was young, I waaaaaaanted a Westie. Because I had read a book series where a Westie wearing a cute little bandanda is the main star, being a little detective solving crimes. Super smart dogs. I was obsessed with him :hilarious:

Until I fell in love with Golden Retrievers. I've always been an animal person, I'v always loved every breed and except for the short Westie phase, didn't have a particular preference. I knew about Goldens before, obviously, but it never completely registered (mostly due to never having actually met one, back in the day, they just weren't as popular in my area, yet - mostly small breeds and GSDs). This changed when we went on vacation and they had a resident Golden. Who would come with us to the beach every single day. Who would apport stones from the ocean - even dive for them. Who would wait outside our cottage for us every morning to get ready... I was hooked and have been since.

My first dog was a Golden. My next dog will be a Golden. I love that they're all-around friendly dogs. I love their energy. I love their goofyness. I love that they're very handler/family-focused without being completely clingy. But I need animals that actually want to spend time with me. Not only for walks, but also for cuddles. But, I also need a dog that is ok to venture into the outdoors. I love that they get along with virtually EVERYONE, human and animal (as a multi-pet home, that's important). And I just love their optics. I admit, I'm a long-haired-big-dog kinda person. There are a few other breeds that are intriguing, and while I still love most all dogs, there's not many breeds I'd get, personally.

I'm also personally a female-dog person, but I can't quite pinpoint why. I just am.

As for sleeping in bed? Yeah....no such problem :roflmao: They fit. Yes, <they>. As in multiples.

If you guys really like Labradors @LuckiLee , I'd look into that further. Those are GREAT companion dogs with lots of potential for task training, even if they remain "just" a pet.

IMG_4877 2.jpg


:inlove: (ETA to my comment of being a female dog person - THIS ^^^ is a boy. And I love him soooooo much and would absolutely steal him. He'd be definitely an exception to my preference. Without blinking would I steal him.

ETA2: If you go purebreed (and there's lots of pros for that - a rescue is always kind of a gamble, particularly if you consider potential SD work), please do go with a reputable breeder and do loooots of homework on them. Breed temperament standards are often all over the place with back yard breeders, so are health clearances....
 
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He's beautiful!! I want cuddles. Thanks for sharing @siniang.

As a child I had a cockapoo/terrier mix. She was small and such a cuddler. The runt who ended up larger than the rest of her siblings.

My sister had a bichon frise and she was such a good smart friendly dog. I would love one like her but I think it may be too small for J. Idk.
Idk.
Idk.
Lol.
 
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I have cats, but if I got a dog I would likely get the unadoptable one at the shelter, which could be just about any breed. If I actually were going to choose a breed and I had room, I'd probably get a pit bull. Or maybe an Australian Shepherd. Or wait...I adore Border Collies.

Do we have to choose just one? LOL
 
I feel they might be too big because J will want him/her in bed with us
but even at well over 100lbs? He’d roll himself into a tight ball
RN we live in a small place

Just wanting to add. With breeds like labs (sorry, absolutely can't speak for GSDs, zero experience apart from random farm guard dogs during vacations) that are medium-energy (imho and ~experience) and not like those always hyper energy like many herding dogs but also a few others (Inus come to mind - beaaaautiful dogs, but would seriously be too much for me, also many terriers, actually), you don't actually have too worry toooo much about space. Given proper enrichment/exercise/walks, of course.

And unless you live in a teeny tiny studio, you really don't need a couple thousand square feet house even for larger breeds. (heck, I know people who live in a tiny cottage with three irish wolfhounds - ok, granted, HUGE yard :laugh: ). It's actually a fight I'm having with my hubby, because he is convinced our current home isn't large enough for two adults (one always gone during the day), three cats and a large dog. I politely disagree...because....they REALLY don't need much space indoors given proper activities. (our therapy dog trainer lives with husband and three labs in a rather small apartment but the labs get worked during the day, long walks, access to medium-sized yard....).

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

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(Goldens and Labs <are> approx equal in size or at least close)

If you go away from your standard show/conformation line Lab and towards Field labs, on average they're much smaller (and leaner).
 
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