Which dog breed?

[runamuk]

ok apparently the forum burped...double post

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[sammyelle]

My family used to breed Great Danes they were the sweetest gentle giants

: , I have very fond memories of riding them up and down the drive when I was about 3

: . So I can definitely recommend them if Its temperament you are looking for, however there are a lot of medical problems that the breed suffers from especially joint and bone problems, you can usually avoid these problems if you get your dog from a registered breeder out of certified parents.

Another breed that I would consider Is the German Sheperd They are by far the most intelligent and obedient dogs I have ever owned they have fewer health problems than the Great Danes and a longer life span.

This is my girl Jet who is the biggest sweetie she's 'hiding' here

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[_minihorses4ever_]

I vote BOXER all the way! My girl has never growled, bitten or attempted to bite at ANYONE (well, except barked at strangers that are outside the house). She is so so sweet, and loving, and ahhh.. I just can't say enough good thigns about her! She also LOVES kids. The only thing I don't like, is boxers typically have the stomache of a goat. LOL They will eat any food you leave out, and never get sick. Ever. But, if you just not leave out food, or leave it out of reach, they're fine. She doesn't chew up things either!

:

Sorry about the size of some!

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Of the breeds I find myself most attracted to the Great Dane, Shiba Inu, Smooth Collie, Bouvier des Flandres and the Dalmatian...yes I have very diverse tastes.

That is quite a diverse list of breeds. I think your best bet would be to go and visit some of these different dogs at various breeders' homes, preferably a breeder with a similar situation as yours (horses, bunnies, folks coming and going) and spend some time just hanging out with the dogs. Although some of the dogs you listed don't generally fit the situation you described (Shibas come to mind as a breed that would not like people coming and going; and you've listed a couple Herding breeds, which may not work with horses), so much depends on how they are raised.

I've trained and shown each of those that you mentioned. Of the breeds you listed, my favorite would be the Dane, but if you are wanting to show in US conformation rings (equivalent of our halter classes), you are looking at ear cropping (expensive, painful), and Danes ears are notoriously hard to get to stand well. Minimal grooming and lots of neato colors though. Fun as heck to show, but not particularly adept at the physical requirements of upper level obedience. Short lived.

Bouviers require significant grooming to keep in show coat; their ears are also cropped, but shorter and not so hard to get to stand. I found them among the easiest dogs to train and a lot of fun to work with. They reminded me of my Dobermans in personality, especially the males.

Back when I was showing, it took a big group of Dals to get a major, and it's a very competitive breed. I'm not sure what is required for a major these days. Although they are VERY active, they are really fun to be around if they have an outlet. Minimal grooming, no two look alike. Not a good first-timers dog for competitive obedience, but a blast to show in conformation.

I only worked with one Smooth Collie and he was a delight to be around. A lot less grooming than their Rough cousins, and talk about smart. The dog I worked with was frightenly adept at problem-solving. He was a talker; not loud or obnoxious about, but he did like to have conversations. Whizbang at obedience and agility and a good jr. handling dog.

I did some catch-handling for a friend of mine who bred Shibas, and one show was enough to turn me off of them for life. It could have been just her lines, but they were horrid animals to be around. They were on my very short list of "I don't work with those; let me refer you to someone who does" dogs.

Going by your list, some other breeds that have similar dispositions to the ones you've listed are Dobermans (not frequently owner-handled to championships), the Belgian trio (Malanois, Sheperd, and my favorite, the Tervuren), Mastiffs, Swiss Mtn, PWD's. You didn't list any hounds, terriers, toys or sporting, so I didn't go there; but there are dogs in those groups that may appeal to you as well.

 

[stormo41]

i also vote boxer!! i don't have one, but i really really want one

 

[Stacy Score]

What a fun post! I have had and still have a boxer - WONDERFUL dogs - but a high energy breed and they need to be channeled to not chase smaller animals - minis included, but if you can get them thru that stage they are great. We have shown and bred shelties - love them also, but they are kind of yappie and high maintenance and the show ring is gruesome! We have a dalmation and were VERY selective about temperament and he has been a world class dog - kind of a big couch potato and really loving and loyal - never even looked like he might nip and he has been harrassed by some of the worst kids on earth.

But I have to say that I am completely smitten by my Havanese! They are an AKC recognized breed - extremely playful, loyal, sturdy little dogs - lots of hair, but with a good grooming once a week and maintainable - they are a newer breed so the ring is not as competitive and they have not been inbred to the point of have a lot of health problems - AND they are NON-shedding and hypoallergenic and come in all colors. They are a smaller dog - about 10-12 lbs, but have good bone and an attitude that will win over even THE most studly guy (just ask Runamuk about my hubby - definitely not a small dog kind of guy -but even he is a complete pushover with my Havanese girls!)

If I was better at the whole posting pictures thing I would post a picture - maybe someone with more skill can pull it off the AKC website and show you what they look like.

 

[Ferrah]

It's probably going to take me half a year before I can decide which dog breed I want! I can pretty much say that Shiba Inus, Dalmatian and Bouvier are out of the question now.

I still really like the Danes and Smooth Collies, but thanks to your posts I will consider other breeds as well. I really like the look of the Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd and the Boxers, but I don't know very much about these breeds. I have always had a certain attraction to the Doberman as well, but the three times I have met them they were rather stand offish....I'm not sure if it was just these dogs or if they are all like that. I do know that the police dogs in town are all Belgian Malinois.

I never really was a fan of little dogs. I prefer dogs from medium to so big it is bigger than a Miniature Horse!

Keep the suggestions coming! I have learned a lot already.

 

[Sterling]

When we got our first Boxer about 15 years ago, we had never had one before. I was very surprised how easy she was to train, very smart and as I mentioned before a bit stubborn at times. One thing I can say about pretty much all the Boxers I have met....they are perpetual puppies!!! Forever and ever.....if you have had experience with a puppy......then you have it made with a Boxer!

 

[Shelley]

Wow ok so have I just flat out been lucky....or is it it my affinity to chows that make me see shiba's apparently differently?...I found the shibas I met to be similar to the chows in attitude although friendlier and wayyyyyyyyyyy more energetic than any chow I have ever met

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I am curious what breeds you would consider good beginner breeds? I know when we started in rabbits we picked a very tough breed then another and then a rare breed that was hard to even get finished

: IF and it is a huge IF ...I ever show a dog it would be a chow chow but that is because it is my breed of choice and I have an excellent mentor

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If you have met some "nice" Shibas, that is great, I'm sure there are some out there. I'm just saying that I've met many that are NOT nice. When they first hit the scene many Siberian people were attracted to them (me included) and thought they would jump on the band wagon, so I was around many of them. Even attended a Shiba specialty match before they were recognized by AKC. I sure would never trust them around a child.

What beginner breeds would I recommend? There are many. No one breed appeals to everybody. Like I said, a person should attend dog shows, visit breeders at home and see what the dogs are really like before making a decision. You have no idea how many people I have talked out of Siberians and Salukis. People who were attracted to their beauty, then visited and found out they were not the dog for them.

Shelley

 

[runamuk]

Taking the topic and running with it..................

Which breeds are hardest to show either due to popularity or politics?

Which breeds make good novice dogs...you know for the kids?

I have virtually grown up surrounded by people who show dogs yet I have never had the hankering to do it myself...and I definately still do not have desire to breed

: midwifing for others is plenty enough puppying for me :bgrin

But I am truly curious about the pro's and cons of some of the breeds and or groups in general.......

If it were rabbits I could give a list of tough competition, good kids rabbits, good beginner rabbits and rabbits only meant for the die hard rabbit people

:

I find this sport of dog showing interesting and enjoy hearing the perspectives of people who are still active or were in the past.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Well for us we are in love with the schnauzer breed. I would love some day to have the full size but for now we have the miniature and they are the funniest and sweetess breed we have ever known and of course the bonus is they don't shed and they adore other dogs and cats. It's the only breed we will have now.

Have fun choosing, there are so many nice breeds out there.

 

[Dee]

I am a lab girl!

They are such wonderful dogs! So friendly yet with their size and bark will keep strangers away.

I was raised with labs and just love the breed. I have 2 right now and they are fine with our mini's, rabbit (our black lab LOVES our bunny) and cats.

Like any dog it really pays off to train and spend the time with them as pups so they can turn into wonderful family pets. They are smart little guys and easy to train as well.

Good Luck!

Dee

This is our 5 year old black lab, Scout. As you can see he really lives the hard life

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[minisaremighty]

Taking the topic and running with it..................

Which breeds are hardest to show either due to popularity or politics?

Which breeds make good novice dogs...you know for the kids?

I have virtually grown up surrounded by people who show dogs yet I have never had the hankering to do it myself...and I definately still do not have desire to breed

: midwifing for others is plenty enough puppying for me :bgrin

But I am truly curious about the pro's and cons of some of the breeds and or groups in general.......

If it were rabbits I could give a list of tough competition, good kids rabbits, good beginner rabbits and rabbits only meant for the die hard rabbit people

:

I find this sport of dog showing interesting and enjoy hearing the perspectives of people who are still active or were in the past.

Runamuk, I wonder if you would mind starting a new thread on your questions?

: :aktion033: They are the same questions I'd like to hear opinions on.

:

My oldest daughter is VERY into dogs and she and I have discussed showing in the future and we've been planning to get a puppy for some time. Putting that off until we sell this house and have relocated, but it just gives us more time to study and learn from other's experiences. She is big into www.showdog.com and we watch the dog shows whenever they are on tv.