Best Family Dog?

[Anonymous]

I want to add that the shelter told me that he had been temperment tested with food and toys and showed no agression whatsoever. They had 5 dogs per kennel so they knew he was good with other dogs. Our concern wasn't his color or size - our only requirement was that he had to be sweet and loving.

[Anonymous]

labs are dumb gluttons but make very loving pets provided you have time to give them plenty of attention and exercise. I prefer german shepherds, although they need a big yard, are very hairy (shedding) and can be a bit aggressive to neighbors and outsiders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hands-down, GOLDEN RETRIEVERS! IF more people had their personalities then the world would be a better place.

I noticed this is an old thread but just had to comment--you're so right! We have two shelties and a beagle that we adore, but any time I see a wonderful golden "jogging" in the park or playing with kids in the neighborhood, I can't help but smile (actually, grin--probably looking silly!) They're such terrific dogs but a bit too large for our home, so I support their local rescue group.

Oh you're making me want a golden SO badly! Or a collie, but I had collies in the past so a golden would be a nice change of pace. Now if I can just afford a place with a nice yard...I hear they do fine in townhouses if you want to walk them a dozen times a day (how do working moms get their dogs adequate exercise, anyway??).

[Anonymous]

golden retrievers are often pretty dumb in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Golden retrivers!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would stay away from German Shepherds. Those dogs have a way of looking for a fight. I have trained many dogs, and those concern me. Other breeds that are worrisome are Dalmatians, Akitas, Samoyeds, Rottweilers, and Vizlas.

In general, the herders are the "smartest" (they listen to us more). The hounds tend to be less intelligent ( they listen to us less).

Just for the record, German Shepherds are herding dogs, which are among "the smartests" (as pointed out above). As the loving owner of a 5 year-old German Shepherd and a 9-month old baby, I cannot imagine having any other breed. DH and I got our Shepherd as a 4-month old puppy and spent lots of time and resources into training him. Now he is terrific with our DD! But these dogs are not for everyone.

Just had to respond as well. Saying that a German Shepherd Dog is "looking for a fight" is ridiculous and tells me that you are not really a dog trainer. Also, any dog trainer would know that a German Shepherd IS a herding dog. Any reputable trainer will tell you that GSDs are some of the easiest dogs to train because they are so smart and so anxious to please. They are fantastic with children! They adore kids! In all of our years of parenting (we have five kids ranging from age 9 - 22) we have never had an issue with any of our German Shepherds. They love to play with the kids and with their friends. They can be a little suspicious of strangers, but that's a good thing.

Our GSD is obedience and protection trained. In other words, if you are a threat to me or my family, he will attack on command. But he is also a certified Canine Good Citizen. If you get a Shepherd, you do want to make sure you buy from a reputable breeder. And it's critical to begin training and socialization early. But they learn very quickly. They are also really easy to potty train. But, they tend to have a long puppyhood. They don't really "grow up" until somewhere between 2 and 3 years old.

We'll never own another breed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jack Russells can be mischievous. If you are considering a terrier, look at mini Schnauzers. They are not the brightest, but not too dumb. They will bark, but tend to be quite healthy.

NOT a schnauzer. I have known several schnauzers, and the all did not like children. One ran across a room to bite a child that wasn't paying any attention to the dog whatsoever. The dog had never been mistreated by a child. We looked into it and were told that schnauzers are known for not liking children. Another schnauzer we had would bark at children whenever they entered the room.

You sure they were schnauzers? I've always known schnauzers to be very tolerant of children. Now Scottish terriers on the other hand, are not. Some people confuse the two breeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would stay away from German Shepherds. Those dogs have a way of looking for a fight. I have trained many dogs, and those concern me. Other breeds that are worrisome are Dalmatians, Akitas, Samoyeds, Rottweilers, and Vizlas.

In general, the herders are the "smartest" (they listen to us more). The hounds tend to be less intelligent ( they listen to us less).

Just for the record, German Shepherds are herding dogs, which are among "the smartests" (as pointed out above). As the loving owner of a 5 year-old German Shepherd and a 9-month old baby, I cannot imagine having any other breed. DH and I got our Shepherd as a 4-month old puppy and spent lots of time and resources into training him. Now he is terrific with our DD! But these dogs are not for everyone.

Just had to respond as well. Saying that a German Shepherd Dog is "looking for a fight" is ridiculous and tells me that you are not really a dog trainer. Also, any dog trainer would know that a German Shepherd IS a herding dog. Any reputable trainer will tell you that GSDs are some of the easiest dogs to train because they are so smart and so anxious to please. They are fantastic with children! They adore kids! In all of our years of parenting (we have five kids ranging from age 9 - 22) we have never had an issue with any of our German Shepherds. They love to play with the kids and with their friends. They can be a little suspicious of strangers, but that's a good thing.

Our GSD is obedience and protection trained. In other words, if you are a threat to me or my family, he will attack on command. But he is also a certified Canine Good Citizen. If you get a Shepherd, you do want to make sure you buy from a reputable breeder. And it's critical to begin training and socialization early. But they learn very quickly. They are also really easy to potty train. But, they tend to have a long puppyhood. They don't really "grow up" until somewhere between 2 and 3 years old.

We'll never own another breed.

ah, I have a GSD as well. 100% pure bred and very well socialized. I agree with most of what you are saying (smart, loyal, playful, distrustful of strangers, etc.) But in your post, you also note that your dog is trained to "attack on command". Any dog that can be trained to attack on command is not for everyone, and certainly not everyone with small kids. My GSD is not "protection trained", but the protective instincts are obviously there, and there have been a few instances:

#1. Once a really dumb and huge (300 lbs +) cousin barged into the house while the dog was barking and going crazy. The dog didn't know the huge person, and rightly saw him as a threat. The person didn't have enough sense (unbelievably, but true) to wait while a dog is barking to assess the situation, but instead barged on into the house. The dog grabbed his pants and would not let him enter the house, ripping the pants and scratching the skin (luckily not more of a bite than that). #2. I mistakenly opened the garage door before I could put the dog on a lead in preparation for a walk. Just at that instance, a Fed Ex driver was running up our driveway with a large box. My dog took that as a threat (our property, big guy in uniform, etc.) and charged the guy and chased him up a tree.

Now honestly, in both situations I am somewhat ok with the dog's behavior, since she was protecting me and my family and following her instincts, and nobody got hurt. However, you need to know this before you buy a GSD and make sure you understand the risk. Accidents happen, the dog can occasionally get out of the house. People are sometimes stupid with dogs. You might have some liability. Again, I'm ok with what I consider the low risk of liability because the dog also protects me from crime and protects my children from harm. But you don't have the pros or the negatives with a dog like a golden retriever.

[Anonymous]

But in your post, you also note that your dog is trained to "attack on command". Any dog that can be trained to attack on command is not for everyone, and certainly not everyone with small kids. My GSD is not "protection trained", but the protective instincts are obviously there, and there have been a few instances:

I understand your point. But when I say protection trained, I mean that absent a direct threat to me or someone in our family, he will not attack unless I give the command. So, if a stranger approaches and I get nervous, I can say "watch him". My dog will immediately alert, but will not leave my side. If a stranger comes to the door, I can easily open the door and my GSD will welcome anyone I let into our house. And even if I give a command to attack, he will come to a dead stop the moment I call him off. Also, he is trained to chase and stop in front of a person and bark. He won't bite without a separate command.

A well trained protection dog isn't a threat. If they were, police officers couldn't bring K-9s into the schools and allow kids to pet them. The key is in the training.


Here is a video showing what I mean. Note that the GSD does not bite the man when he finds him behind the tree. It's not until the command is given that he attacks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rVjVu2LFk

[Anonymous]

is your GSD a male or female? are most of the protection trained dogs one or the other?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Labs, but a Lab might be too big for our home/yard. We are looking for a great family dog, smaller than a Lab, but as playful, loyal, and good with small kids. Advice?

A Heinz 57 from the local animal shelter. The best dogs ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would stay away from German Shepherds. Those dogs have a way of looking for a fight. I have trained many dogs, and those concern me. Other breeds that are worrisome are Dalmatians, Akitas, Samoyeds, Rottweilers, and Vizlas.

In general, the herders are the "smartest" (they listen to us more). The hounds tend to be less intelligent ( they listen to us less).

Just for the record, German Shepherds are herding dogs, which are among "the smartests" (as pointed out above). As the loving owner of a 5 year-old German Shepherd and a 9-month old baby, I cannot imagine having any other breed. DH and I got our Shepherd as a 4-month old puppy and spent lots of time and resources into training him. Now he is terrific with our DD! But these dogs are not for everyone.

Just had to respond as well. Saying that a German Shepherd Dog is "looking for a fight" is ridiculous and tells me that you are not really a dog trainer. Also, any dog trainer would know that a German Shepherd IS a herding dog. Any reputable trainer will tell you that GSDs are some of the easiest dogs to train because they are so smart and so anxious to please. They are fantastic with children! They adore kids! In all of our years of parenting (we have five kids ranging from age 9 - 22) we have never had an issue with any of our German Shepherds. They love to play with the kids and with their friends. They can be a little suspicious of strangers, but that's a good thing.

Our GSD is obedience and protection trained. In other words, if you are a threat to me or my family, he will attack on command. But he is also a certified Canine Good Citizen. If you get a Shepherd, you do want to make sure you buy from a reputable breeder. And it's critical to begin training and socialization early. But they learn very quickly. They are also really easy to potty train. But, they tend to have a long puppyhood. They don't really "grow up" until somewhere between 2 and 3 years old.

We'll never own another breed.

I have to put in a word for a new relative of German Shepherds: Shiloh Shepherds. We have always been cat people, but when we bought our house on some land, we put years of of careful research to work and chose a Shiloh. They look like huge wolves, larger and softer and more upright than German Shepherds. They were bred for size and temperament, and they are extremely gentle, obedient, smart, and superb with children. They only shed twice a year, and while their puppyhood does last a couple of years, once they are grown, they are very laid-back, though they will do as much or as little activity as you want. Ours never barks without a specific reason, so when he does, we know he smells trouble.

I truly love our Shiloh. I wish more families knew about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would stay away from German Shepherds. Those dogs have a way of looking for a fight. I have trained many dogs, and those concern me. Other breeds that are worrisome are Dalmatians, Akitas, Samoyeds, Rottweilers, and Vizlas.

In general, the herders are the "smartest" (they listen to us more). The hounds tend to be less intelligent ( they listen to us less).

Just for the record, German Shepherds are herding dogs, which are among "the smartests" (as pointed out above). As the loving owner of a 5 year-old German Shepherd and a 9-month old baby, I cannot imagine having any other breed. DH and I got our Shepherd as a 4-month old puppy and spent lots of time and resources into training him. Now he is terrific with our DD! But these dogs are not for everyone.

Just had to respond as well. Saying that a German Shepherd Dog is "looking for a fight" is ridiculous and tells me that you are not really a dog trainer. Also, any dog trainer would know that a German Shepherd IS a herding dog. Any reputable trainer will tell you that GSDs are some of the easiest dogs to train because they are so smart and so anxious to please. They are fantastic with children! They adore kids! In all of our years of parenting (we have five kids ranging from age 9 - 22) we have never had an issue with any of our German Shepherds. They love to play with the kids and with their friends. They can be a little suspicious of strangers, but that's a good thing.

Our GSD is obedience and protection trained. In other words, if you are a threat to me or my family, he will attack on command. But he is also a certified Canine Good Citizen. If you get a Shepherd, you do want to make sure you buy from a reputable breeder. And it's critical to begin training and socialization early. But they learn very quickly. They are also really easy to potty train. But, they tend to have a long puppyhood. They don't really "grow up" until somewhere between 2 and 3 years old.

We'll never own another breed.

I have to put in a word for a new relative of German Shepherds: Shiloh Shepherds. We have always been cat people, but when we bought our house on some land, we put years of of careful research to work and chose a Shiloh. They look like huge wolves, larger and softer and more upright than German Shepherds. They were bred for size and temperament, and they are extremely gentle, obedient, smart, and superb with children. They only shed twice a year, and while their puppyhood does last a couple of years, once they are grown, they are very laid-back, though they will do as much or as little activity as you want. Ours never barks without a specific reason, so when he does, we know he smells trouble.

I truly love our Shiloh. I wish more families knew about them.

so take all the great characteristics of a GSD and breed it out of them, so you have a big 130 lb doofus? no thanks.

[Anonymous]

We have a Cairn-Wheaten terrier mix. He's adorable and very smart -- also very hypo-allergenic with no shedding. He's great with our 5 year old. Major point: we have a wonderful dog walker/trainer and a great fenced yard and a neighbor with a puppy (ours is 1 year old) to play with. All of this helps with the high energy level.

We've also had a basset, who was stubborn as they come and simultaneously about the sweetest breed I've ever known. She was 15 when she left us -- so old when we had DC that I can't comment on interactions with children. Lot less energy than the terrier mix and a LOT harder to train.

My smartest-and-sweetest-in-one was the mutt rescued from the pound, when I was 18 (so can't speak to how well she would have done with LO's): *that* was the dog who's crossed the Rainbow Bridge in a way that still makes me cry (dog lovers will know what I mean)

Good luck -- even though this is an older thread it's clear that it's got some new traction

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was bitten by my neighbor's rescue dog. That dog eventually calmed down, but I would not have gone through all that "therapy" that they had to do with that animal. That said, yes there are some good rescue dogs, but it can be tricky.

BTW, I have heard that neutering a dog does not reduce the chances that it will bite a human.

Whoever told you that? Neutering and/or spaying reduce the changes 100% that they will not breed. Dogs do what dogs do and one of those things is biting if they are threatened or mistreated. Now, if you geld a horse this makes it easier to handle.