What type of dog to get?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've posted about this before, but please do your due diligence finding a breeder. There are many lovely websites out there that mask non-ethical breeding operations, which are in effect, just puppy mills.

Responsible breeders specialize in just one breed. They want to preserve the health of their breed of choice and therefore run genetic testing on all their breeding stock and avoid breeding from dogs with known inheritable diseases. By stock, I mean very few dogs, since they have them in their own home, so each dog can have proper human socialization. No kennels. They want to meet potential owners because they don't want their puppies going to just any weirdo. If a dog breeder refuses to meet you and show you the litter, they're not ethical. They would never ship puppies - shipping a puppy by itself is traumatic for them. Unless you're willing to fly, this limits the distance to the breeder.

Finally, responsible breeders are few and far between and therefore usually have a waiting list. Getting the right dog takes patience, it's not an off-the-shelf purchase.

The only thing worse than the “pit bulls are great family pets” people are the “it’s not a reputable breeder unless you waited 3 years and found them on a Quest” people. There are far fewer of these “reputable” breeders than people who want dogs. It’s ridiculous to suggest that the only options should be a rescue puppy bred in the woods with zero planning, a puppy mill torture victim with health problems, or a magic golden dog with perfect bloodlines from the specialist home breeder ever.

Ah the ignorance. "pit bulls" which is five different breeds can be good dogs and mutts are the best! My has a about 33 percent American pit bull terrier as well as other breeds and we love him.

Most pit owners say this and are shocked when their dog turns around and bites someone’s face off.

So if that is true why arent there more 18 million attacks? Humm. We hear about mailings because it is rare

Define rare? There's at least a mauling every 3-6 days just all don't make the national news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lab person here again. Just wanted to say that when we had our invisible fence put in I expressed concern about the fact that it didn't keep people out because I didn't want little kids to wander into out yard (possible due to where it is) and maybe get bitten. Our dog was only 8 weeks and was all puppy teeth. Anyway, the guy chuckled and said "Ma'am, you don't need to worry about that. You got a lab."

I disagree. All dogs bite

Ok. So this turkey is technically correct. But labs are extremely patient and they love attention so biting is almost unheard of. You will never read the newspaper article about a lab that just ate two kids and put their mom in the hospital. Poodles bite. GSD bite. Lots of little dogs bite. Huskies and any spitz breed dog is more likely to bite.

Factually, labs are one of the highest causes of dog bites. Not deadly attacks, but bites in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lab person here again. Just wanted to say that when we had our invisible fence put in I expressed concern about the fact that it didn't keep people out because I didn't want little kids to wander into out yard (possible due to where it is) and maybe get bitten. Our dog was only 8 weeks and was all puppy teeth. Anyway, the guy chuckled and said "Ma'am, you don't need to worry about that. You got a lab."

I disagree. All dogs bite

Ok. So this turkey is technically correct. But labs are extremely patient and they love attention so biting is almost unheard of. You will never read the newspaper article about a lab that just ate two kids and put their mom in the hospital. Poodles bite. GSD bite. Lots of little dogs bite. Huskies and any spitz breed dog is more likely to bite.

Factually, labs are one of the highest causes of dog bites. Not deadly attacks, but bites in general.

I love how you insult me as you begrudging admit what I say is true. In the media we hear about sharks killing or biting humans but we never talk about the 100 million sharks humans kill yearly.

Same with dogs. Humans kill and harm more dogs, including pit bulls than they hurt us. And yes I am including animal shelters that put dogs down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lab person here again. Just wanted to say that when we had our invisible fence put in I expressed concern about the fact that it didn't keep people out because I didn't want little kids to wander into out yard (possible due to where it is) and maybe get bitten. Our dog was only 8 weeks and was all puppy teeth. Anyway, the guy chuckled and said "Ma'am, you don't need to worry about that. You got a lab."

I disagree. All dogs bite

Ok. So this turkey is technically correct. But labs are extremely patient and they love attention so biting is almost unheard of. You will never read the newspaper article about a lab that just ate two kids and put their mom in the hospital. Poodles bite. GSD bite. Lots of little dogs bite. Huskies and any spitz breed dog is more likely to bite.

Factually, labs are one of the highest causes of dog bites. Not deadly attacks, but bites in general.

I love labs, but I was bitten by a lab as a child while camping. I accidentally startled it though. My cavalier was also attacked by a lab, although the owners kept it kenneled all the time and didn't train or socialize it. The poor thing probably lost it's mind.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who is one of the reported lab bites—she put her hand into the dogs mouth to retrieve something he took and the dog bit her accidentally as he was trying to keep his prize.

But I wouldn’t want a lab puppy with a 2 year old. Too much work.

[Anonymous]

Puppy teeth are so sharp so I guess I wouldn’t get a puppy with little kids. I would wait.

[Anonymous]

I would look into a Bernese Mountain Dog or a Bernedoodle. I have a mini goldendoodle and he is great in many ways and he likes kids, but because he’s a little guy, he gets a bit anxious when kids are wild. My kids love him more than anything but he’s much more affectionate toward adults than kids, and I wish he were as snuggly with them as he is with me.

[Anonymous]

OP, did you all enjoy your English Bulldog? If so, you might consider an english bulldog/poodle mix. We got ours from a rescue at 8 weeks old and although he is not even 1 yet, he is a pretty easy dog. Very easygoing, trends toward the lazy side but nothing like a full-bred English Bulldog. He can run fast and keep up with our other dog who is extremely high-energy, yet he doesn't *need* that level of exercise like our other dog does. As long as he has something to chew on, he's happy. He's great with our young kids.

[Anonymous]

Standard poodle! Absolutely best personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Standard poodle! Absolutely best personality.

Poodles have a lot of personality and can be great dogs, but a lot of them do nip. Although they weren't bred for herding, they do seem to me like herding dogs in that, if a kid or anothe dog is being too wild, they will give a little warning snap or nip. That's my issue with doodles too -- about half of the doodles I know are a bit snappy. The other half are totally great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've posted about this before, but please do your due diligence finding a breeder. There are many lovely websites out there that mask non-ethical breeding operations, which are in effect, just puppy mills.

Responsible breeders specialize in just one breed. They want to preserve the health of their breed of choice and therefore run genetic testing on all their breeding stock and avoid breeding from dogs with known inheritable diseases. By stock, I mean very few dogs, since they have them in their own home, so each dog can have proper human socialization. No kennels. They want to meet potential owners because they don't want their puppies going to just any weirdo. If a dog breeder refuses to meet you and show you the litter, they're not ethical. They would never ship puppies - shipping a puppy by itself is traumatic for them. Unless you're willing to fly, this limits the distance to the breeder.

Finally, responsible breeders are few and far between and therefore usually have a waiting list. Getting the right dog takes patience, it's not an off-the-shelf purchase.

The only thing worse than the “pit bulls are great family pets” people are the “it’s not a reputable breeder unless you waited 3 years and found them on a Quest” people. There are far fewer of these “reputable” breeders than people who want dogs. It’s ridiculous to suggest that the only options should be a rescue puppy bred in the woods with zero planning, a puppy mill torture victim with health problems, or a magic golden dog with perfect bloodlines from the specialist home breeder ever.

Ah the ignorance. "pit bulls" which is five different breeds can be good dogs and mutts are the best! My has a about 33 percent American pit bull terrier as well as other breeds and we love him.

Most pit owners say this and are shocked when their dog turns around and bites someone’s face off.

So if that is true why arent there more 18 million attacks? Humm. We hear about mailings because it is rare

You need to step off it. I don't know you or your history, but you are a horrible example already of dog ownership. Part of responsible ownership is accepting breed characteristics and knowing their breeding history and bloodline. For some reason Pit owners don't want to recognize breed history. It's ludicrous. We, humans, have bred dogs for certain purposes. The Jack Russel? The are rat chasers, they will do that till the end of their days. They are pros. The Goldens and Labs? They have soft mouths to retrieve waterfowl and were also bred to be pleasant companions while hunting. Pointers? They're bred to point towards prey and they do a damn good job at it.

Pits are bred for gameness and ability to fight. Gameness is the most volatile part. They're also not particularly intelligent. If you believe this ignorance I can already tell you are not a responsible dog owner. People with Akitas, GSD, Dobermans, Malamutes, Huskies, Rottweilers, etc.? They know they own dangerous dogs and they take ownership very, very seriously in general. If you want to be a sportsman with this kind of gun ready to fire...ok I guess? But this is not a family dog.

Someone can recognize breed characteristics and be a "good" dog owner and still not agree with someone characterizing a breed as "biting someone's face off."

I'm not here to defend pits, but this is over the top. Pits were not bred to bite a human's face off.

[Anonymous]

If I could do it all over again, I would find someone else’s well tempered dog and go to the breeder they went to.

We got an English Springer Spaniel and it has not been easy. I see a lot of people around the place who seem to be finding things not too easy with their dogs. Within a breed there are individual differences so look beyond just the breed. I would also have paid a lot more attention to how the puppy behaved on first meeting - if it seemed interested in people, wagged tail, not too annxious, etc.

Definitely look around and take some time to be sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've posted about this before, but please do your due diligence finding a breeder. There are many lovely websites out there that mask non-ethical breeding operations, which are in effect, just puppy mills.

Responsible breeders specialize in just one breed. They want to preserve the health of their breed of choice and therefore run genetic testing on all their breeding stock and avoid breeding from dogs with known inheritable diseases. By stock, I mean very few dogs, since they have them in their own home, so each dog can have proper human socialization. No kennels. They want to meet potential owners because they don't want their puppies going to just any weirdo. If a dog breeder refuses to meet you and show you the litter, they're not ethical. They would never ship puppies - shipping a puppy by itself is traumatic for them. Unless you're willing to fly, this limits the distance to the breeder.

Finally, responsible breeders are few and far between and therefore usually have a waiting list. Getting the right dog takes patience, it's not an off-the-shelf purchase.

The only thing worse than the “pit bulls are great family pets” people are the “it’s not a reputable breeder unless you waited 3 years and found them on a Quest” people. There are far fewer of these “reputable” breeders than people who want dogs. It’s ridiculous to suggest that the only options should be a rescue puppy bred in the woods with zero planning, a puppy mill torture victim with health problems, or a magic golden dog with perfect bloodlines from the specialist home breeder ever.

Ah the ignorance. "pit bulls" which is five different breeds can be good dogs and mutts are the best! My has a about 33 percent American pit bull terrier as well as other breeds and we love him.

Most pit owners say this and are shocked when their dog turns around and bites someone’s face off.

So if that is true why arent there more 18 million attacks? Humm. We hear about mailings because it is rare

You need to step off it. I don't know you or your history, but you are a horrible example already of dog ownership. Part of responsible ownership is accepting breed characteristics and knowing their breeding history and bloodline. For some reason Pit owners don't want to recognize breed history. It's ludicrous. We, humans, have bred dogs for certain purposes. The Jack Russel? The are rat chasers, they will do that till the end of their days. They are pros. The Goldens and Labs? They have soft mouths to retrieve waterfowl and were also bred to be pleasant companions while hunting. Pointers? They're bred to point towards prey and they do a damn good job at it.

Pits are bred for gameness and ability to fight. Gameness is the most volatile part. They're also not particularly intelligent. If you believe this ignorance I can already tell you are not a responsible dog owner. People with Akitas, GSD, Dobermans, Malamutes, Huskies, Rottweilers, etc.? They know they own dangerous dogs and they take ownership very, very seriously in general. If you want to be a sportsman with this kind of gun ready to fire...ok I guess? But this is not a family dog.

Someone can recognize breed characteristics and be a "good" dog owner and still not agree with someone characterizing a breed as "biting someone's face off."

I'm not here to defend pits, but this is over the top. Pits were not bred to bite a human's face off.

NP. No, that’s a side effect of the breeding for fighting that did happen.

Honestly the lack of knowledge of pit bull owners is frightening at times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've posted about this before, but please do your due diligence finding a breeder. There are many lovely websites out there that mask non-ethical breeding operations, which are in effect, just puppy mills.

Responsible breeders specialize in just one breed. They want to preserve the health of their breed of choice and therefore run genetic testing on all their breeding stock and avoid breeding from dogs with known inheritable diseases. By stock, I mean very few dogs, since they have them in their own home, so each dog can have proper human socialization. No kennels. They want to meet potential owners because they don't want their puppies going to just any weirdo. If a dog breeder refuses to meet you and show you the litter, they're not ethical. They would never ship puppies - shipping a puppy by itself is traumatic for them. Unless you're willing to fly, this limits the distance to the breeder.

Finally, responsible breeders are few and far between and therefore usually have a waiting list. Getting the right dog takes patience, it's not an off-the-shelf purchase.

The only thing worse than the “pit bulls are great family pets” people are the “it’s not a reputable breeder unless you waited 3 years and found them on a Quest” people. There are far fewer of these “reputable” breeders than people who want dogs. It’s ridiculous to suggest that the only options should be a rescue puppy bred in the woods with zero planning, a puppy mill torture victim with health problems, or a magic golden dog with perfect bloodlines from the specialist home breeder ever.

Ah the ignorance. "pit bulls" which is five different breeds can be good dogs and mutts are the best! My has a about 33 percent American pit bull terrier as well as other breeds and we love him.

Most pit owners say this and are shocked when their dog turns around and bites someone’s face off.

So if that is true why arent there more 18 million attacks? Humm. We hear about mailings because it is rare

You need to step off it. I don't know you or your history, but you are a horrible example already of dog ownership. Part of responsible ownership is accepting breed characteristics and knowing their breeding history and bloodline. For some reason Pit owners don't want to recognize breed history. It's ludicrous. We, humans, have bred dogs for certain purposes. The Jack Russel? The are rat chasers, they will do that till the end of their days. They are pros. The Goldens and Labs? They have soft mouths to retrieve waterfowl and were also bred to be pleasant companions while hunting. Pointers? They're bred to point towards prey and they do a damn good job at it.

Pits are bred for gameness and ability to fight. Gameness is the most volatile part. They're also not particularly intelligent. If you believe this ignorance I can already tell you are not a responsible dog owner. People with Akitas, GSD, Dobermans, Malamutes, Huskies, Rottweilers, etc.? They know they own dangerous dogs and they take ownership very, very seriously in general. If you want to be a sportsman with this kind of gun ready to fire...ok I guess? But this is not a family dog.

Someone can recognize breed characteristics and be a "good" dog owner and still not agree with someone characterizing a breed as "biting someone's face off."

I'm not here to defend pits, but this is over the top. Pits were not bred to bite a human's face off.

No. But they were bred to rip into the jugular of another animal and kill it. Why would that instinctive, purposely bred characteristic not express itself in the right circumstances with a human? Jugular, face-same zone of target. What aren't you understanding?

[Anonymous]

Golden retrievers are the best!