Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My HS boyfriend had a doberman. It was a "good" dog-- never misbehaved, didn't bark, didn't stink, always responded to commands-- but man, it was creepy. It never wagged its tail or "smiled" at you. If you petted it, it would stand there until you stopped, and then walk away. Not even a natural polite sniff. It didn't seek company or affection. What PP said about the sentry-style patrol and controlling spouse was spot on. My boyfriend's mother often said she couldn't do something because "the dog wouldn't like it"-- the specific time I'm remembering was getting ready for a party, and she asked me to carry the large flower arrangements because "the dog would not like it" if he saw HER carrying it. I always thought of it as the serial killer dog. One day it was going to snap and all the neighbors were going to tell reporters "Nice dog, quiet, kept to itself mostly..." It never did, of course. Died quietly of old age with an unblemished record.
Beagles. They suck you in with their ridiculously adorable puppyness, and then you're stuck for the next 12 years with the worst-smelling dog on the planet, that barks non-stop and chews and sheds and runs away and gets so excited it can't control its bladder. The puppy-cute goes away, but the puppy behavior is forever. Never never never.
I have known many lovely greyhounds, but agree with PPs that their potentially abusive racing background makes them a bit of a crapshoot. I'd be very careful to get the right individual dog if I went that route.
My personal dog of choice is a retriever-- labrador, golden, or newfoundland. I've had a couple, and known dozens, and can't think of a single one I've known that wasn't a great dog all around (compared to other dogs, of course, not some fantasy ideal of dog).
I know I am resurrecting this from 8 years ago, but this is a masterpiece.