What type of dog do you have?

Why did you choose it and what are the pros/cons of your breed?

We are in the planning stages of getting a puppy. Looking for input

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have a Boxer
We got a Boxer because we wanted a medium sized dog that was good with children and had short hair.

Pros - short hair and good with kids! Bama takes a lot of abuse from Jackson, and the only thing he'll do is lick Jackson in the face until he retreats
He's the sweetest sweetie that ever lived . Not to mention he's such a clown, which Boxers are known to be.

Cons - because they have a short muzzle, they can't tolerate extreme temperatures. So in the summer we have to walk him when it's not so hot out (like morning or evening).
Bama is a notorious counter surfer - we have to always make sure that we don't leave food out where he can get at it.
Some people say that Boxers are hyper, but Bama isn't. He's energetic, but he's not crazy.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

ETA: All of my dogs were rescues, except for my Chinese Crested. Please make sure once you have a breed in mind that you exhaust adoption and throughly research any breeders you might be considering. please FM me if you need any advice.

Pug: He is energetic, but has a hard time controlling his weight. He is lovable but a little overprotective, and he is a barker. He has short fur, but it is dense and the wrinkles on his face need to be cleaned with a cotton swab daily.

Shiba Inu: He is a great watchdog. He is not a barker, and is very good at "corralling" the other dogs. He is also very attentive and loving. He does shed and has fur like a husky. He gets brushed with a rake every night.

Chinese Crested: I loved the look of this dog, but also their temperament is amazing. Pyxie is incredibly intelligent and very loving, although not clingy. She is a clown, and knows it. She is very playful with the other pups. Downside: she has no fur on most of her body and needs to have special care and grooming for her skin and hair (yes hair, not fur). She gets bathed and shaved once a week. Her face needs to get shaved so that her hair does not grow into her mouth. She needs to have a pillow at all times b/c if she sits to much on the hardwood it can deteriorate her joints (actually this is true of a lot of smaller dogs with thin or no fur on their legs & hips).

Chihuahua: He is small, snarky and just plain adorable. He is cautious to a fault around new people, but very affectionate to those he warms up to. If he does not warm up, however, he can be nippy. Patience is key with him.

Other breeds we have had:
MiniPin: Big dog in a little body. A great watchdog, easy grooming maintenance, but very energetic. Be prepared to play for an hour or two a day outside. Great dog though. I'd get another in a heartbeat.

Husky: I love DHs husky, but the grooming is enough to make me cry. We vacuum her on a weekly basis, and brush her twice daily. She is with my ILs, and their house looks like it is always in a fur coat. She is also an escape artist and can run for HOURS if she really wants to. They have a high "flight risk."

Cocker Spaniel: He was good with us, but awful with strangers. He was also very nervous by nature. The grooming was insane, and he was prone to ear infections. He was great for my siblings when they were babies though, and very tolerant of them as toddlers.

Mutts: Of the 10 dogs we have had between us over the years, the mutts are always great. They have less risk of health issues than some pure breds, and if a rescue dog their temperament cannot be beat.

Message edited 8/22/2007 7:44:14 AM.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Both of my dogs are rescues from Little Shelter in Huntington.

I have a Rottweiler - we adopted her when she was 2-3 years old. She was dumped from a puppy mill out in Suffolk, they took her puppies and dumped her. She had such a pitiful face and was so sweet, we couldn't resist. We didn't go with the intention of a Rottweiler, it was just meant to me. She is wonderful with children of all ages and has a sweet disposition.

My other dog is a German Shepard/Akita mix, we got him at 8 weeks old. DH and I are both German Shepard fans and I knew I wanted a male dog, Dh is NYPD and at the time was not home at night. He is now 2.5 years old and about 100 lbs, but a love.

Both are great with kids and very good dogs. The only thing with the German Shepard is he sheds alot. The Rottie doesn't really.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Jack Russell Terrier

PROS: Small (ours is 16lbs), intelligent, generally healthy. Extremely affectionate and playful.
CONS: Not a dog for everyone. Heavy shedding, very active and has a will of her own. Loves to dig, chew and will pester you non stop to play.

Many JRTs wind up in shelters because people don't do research on the breed. They think they are like the dogs on TV... they can be with lots of training and exercise though.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Golden Retriever

We fell in love with her as a puppy - she is a total sweetheart. She is awesome with kids. Very smart and trainable. Was housetrained in a few weeks. She is NOT a guard dog She loves all people, dogs and cats.

Ok, now:

-she has a TON of energy. At 3, she is just calming down.
-she is a "chewer" - most labs / goldens are. we have to keep chew sticks around.
-she is big - not a lap dog (although she likes to think so sometimes!)

I def. recommend getting one IF you are willing to be committed to putting in some work. In the end it is worth it. She is such a sweetie, even tempered and lovable. But a handful at times!

eta: if you can see my avatar, the golden with a little girl, that is really how they are. Loyal companions, love kids and can tolerate climbing on them etc. My Casey LOVES babies - and babies always giggle when they see her

Message edited 8/22/2007 9:38:03 AM.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Weimaraner - Rescued through the American Weimaraner Rescue

I chose this type of dog because I wanted a dog that was -
Affectionate
Loyal
Active
Medium Sized
Short Hair

What I got was an amazing companion:
She is affectionate to a fault with us, has to sleep with us, lay on us, be near us at all times.
Not so great with strangers, she's never bitten anyone - but I watch her carefully cuz she growls at some people but definitely not all.
Extremely Active - If I don't walk her for at least half an hour off leash in the morning, we have crazy dog all day. But, she is so smart and obedient that I can let her off her leash and she stays with me and comes on command.
Easy to care for - the only thing you have to watch with Weims is the ears. I clean her ears once a month with rubbing alcohol and have had no problems. As they get older, they are prone to hip dysplasia and bloat.

I love my dog, but they are not for everyone. If you want an attention grabbing dog that doesn't want the attention, they are great dogs.
And if you are looking to get in shape they are wonderful dogs.
But, if you want a dog that strangers can pull and pet - I wouldn't recommend a Weimaraner.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We got a Rottweiler! She is now 3 months old, got her at 7 weeks.

Pros: As DH and I talked about kids and he works nights I wanted to feel safe being home alone with the baby in the house. Rottie is an excellent protective of their master and home dog. Great with kids. We wanted the Rottie young and as I was told, when you have a puppy it is like a ball of clay you can shape and mold anyway you like. So far aside from the "puppy life" she is wonderful. She doesn't really shed. Been WONDERFUL with the cat, not BFF's yet but she doesn't even bother with the cat. Rotties don't really bark, only when to they have to, I hate little yappy dogs. I love the fact that she loves eveyone and wants everyone to play with her.

Cons: She will be big, vet said at least 90lbs. I am a fan of the big dogs though so for me it is great. She is a puppy and with this breed they need to be socialized early and stimulated. I have plenty of time cause I am a teacher and off for the summer but DH and I will have to do our share to ensure a wonderful Rottie.
GOOD LUCK with whatever dog you choose!!!

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have a French Bulldog . They are medium in size usually no more then 28lbs, though Mia is a whopping 35. She is a little chubby and is on a diet.

She is amazing and that is an understatement !!!!
Not lazy or overly active. Hysterically funny, cuddly, sweet as can be, not a
mean bone in her body.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have a Cairn Terrier. She's 1 1/2 years old. Toto was the same breed.

Pros:
She's smart, lovable, energetic. She's not a foofoo little dog, she has TONS of personality. They say they are big dogs in little dog bodies. She's very brave - sometimes too brave.(see below)
She doesn't shed. She only weighs 11lbs - but that is small for the breed. Typically are 14-17lb. She was most likely the runt of the littler. (less food, less clean up )
She doesn't get groomed by the groomers, we do it all at home -which definitley saves money.
They generally live to about 16 or 17 years old.

Cons:
She's STUBBORN. She's very brave. She'll challenge dogs 5x her size. We are still training her, but will take a while if at all to allow her off the leash while being walked.
Her grooming can be considered high maintainence. Her hair gets "stripped" and it has to be done pretty regularly.
They are also prone to allergies and skin irritations.

With all that said, we are getting another one. We are adopting him from a rescue organization. We love the breed that much!!

Toto - the other side of the story

ETA: I have pretty bad allergies myself and she doesn't bother me one bit.

Message edited 8/22/2007 11:21:24 AM.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have a toy poodle.

Pros:
Small ~ He weighs 6 pounds
doesn't shed
fits in my pocketbook
doesn't require a lot of exercise (this is a pro for us because my husband and I both work full time)
He's actually a very good watch dog
great with my kids

Cons:
Nervous around strangers
spiteful
hates being left alone

Re: What type of dog do you have?

both of my dogs are mutts

sophie is a "terrier mix" - she looks part mini schnauzer and part border terrier, but in the end i don't really know exactly what breeds. what i can tell you is that terriers in general tend to be feisty. LOVE them

owen is a "schnoodle", or so we think. poodles tend to be pretty smart, and owen has definitely been easy to train.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have a Bull Terrier...Dh always wanted it.
Pros....he is fun, loving , energetic, friendly and GREAT with kids. Low maitenace on the hair.

Cons...I dont know any, they say they are aggressive with other dogs, but most that I have seen are friendly. My Con, is that everything thinks he is a Pit Bull, and he looks NOTHING like one.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

I have a labradoodle. We chose her because I grew up with labs, and DH with poodles, and mainly because of allergies.
Pros: Bella is very fun, goofy and affectionate. Loves children and other dogs. Easy to train. She has little to no shed, and I have had no problems with allergies since got her.

Cons: She is large, about 70 lbs. She is scared of the dark, jumps at her own shadow and barks for attention.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Puggle

Pros:
-friendly, happy, eager to please
-awesome with kids
-size (about 25 lbs.)
-easy to train

Cons:
-shedding

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Posted by CaseyGirl

Golden Retriever

We fell in love with her as a puppy - she is a total sweetheart. She is awesome with kids. Very smart and trainable. Was housetrained in a few weeks. She is NOT a guard dog She loves all people, dogs and cats.

Ok, now:

-she has a TON of energy. At 3, she is just calming down.
-she is a "chewer" - most labs / goldens are. we have to keep chew sticks around.
-she is big - not a lap dog (although she likes to think so sometimes!)

I def. recommend getting one IF you are willing to be committed to putting in some work. In the end it is worth it. She is such a sweetie, even tempered and lovable. But a handful at times!

eta: if you can see my avatar, the golden with a little girl, that is really how they are. Loyal companions, love kids and can tolerate climbing on them etc. My Casey LOVES babies - and babies always giggle when they see her

Re: What type of dog do you have?

we are getting a brittany (used to be brittany spaniel)

we are getting one b/c that was what my dog was growing up. he or she will be a II

but the 2nd dog (want 2) is going to be a dog from a shelter

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have a pomeranian

Pros: As her groomer says "she loves to give love" Peanut is extremely affectionate and just loves being near me, DH, or anyone for that matter. She is a really smart dog and training her (first wee wee pad then outdoors) was relatively easy. She has learned tricks in a day or less and just eats up any/all attention.

Con: the only thing I can think to complain about is she is a barker. But I think there are a lot of small breeds out there (Peanut weights 8lbs) that are barkers. That's just their nature.

She is about 3 and a half and is just now starting to slow down and mellow out.

But that isn't necessarily a bad thing - depends on what you are looking for from a dog.

edited to add another Con: she can be very stubborn at times. if she doesn't want to do something she won't!

Message edited 8/22/2007 8:36:07 PM.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

A dachshund.....

PROS cute and affectionate, loyal, always getting involved in funny antics, the smooth coated variety is an easy coat to care for, anyone who has ever had one seems to be addicted to this breed!!!

CONS They love to jump but they are prone to back problems, they all seem to have huge appetites but excess weight is very bad for their delicate backs, they know how to find trouble, they do not know the limits of their size.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Posted by HarleyGirlFLA


Guard dog he is definately NOT. he will welcome you to the house and show you were the jewelery is but not until you give him a treat. But he does bark if he hears the doorbell. Which is a loud deep bark. If you rang my doorbell you would have no idea that a cute cudly golden was behind that bark. It's a little intimadating when you hear his bark.

Simba loves to give hugs and kisses. He loves to sit on your lap, and just loves to be loved.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Jessi
4yr old Pit/shepard mix, we got her from NSAL at 10 weeks old. She is now a 70lb mush. The most loving, loyal dog...and protective of her family...always lets us know if someone is coming to the door, especially strangers.

Morgan
1.8 yr old pit/terrier mix. we got her from the local shelter when we moved down to NC. She was about 7mths when we got her. She is 35lbs and that is as big as she will get...sooooo sweet and loves to play fetch and such a mama's girl
the one thing that is a con about Morgan is that she is not the greatest with other people besides us...she barks at our friends, manily male friends...I think mainly b/c she is nervous...I don't know what happened to her in the past, but we try to pet her and calm her down...eventually she relaxes

and our newest addition
Riley

3 month old German Shepard...we were not in the market for another dog, my parents were. We checked out a breeder for them and ended up coming home with another dog. She is getting big fast was 21 lbs as of last weeks vet visit. She is very smart, but very much a puppy...chews everything and anything and super playful. She loves Morgan and copies everything she does, its very cute.

all in all, I love all my babies and wouldn't trade any of them

Message edited 8/22/2007 10:33:50 PM.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Shih tzu/Lhasa apso mix

We wanted a shih tzu but wanted to adopt...took us two yrs to find a puppy at a shelter and she won our hearts.

We wanted Shih tzu b/c we live in an apt ( small dog) and b/c they dont bark as much as other little dogs and they are good with children for a little dog.

Eta- She is a total lap dog, she also has hair, not fur, so she doesnt shed, but must be groomed to avoid Mats....tear stains etc...

she is a needy dog, hard to leave alone and semi hard to train.

Message edited 8/23/2007 12:44:01 AM.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

We have yorkies.
We chose them because they don't shed and my husband has severe allergies.

pros....
-they're small so they're happy to run around anywhere
-they're crazy enough to entertain but laid back enough to snuggle most of the day
-they love attention

cons...
-this is not my experience but they do have a bad reputation with small children because they get nervous around them and they're known to nip
-separation anxiety

Vito is still too young to tell his temperment but Bruno is 6 and loves kids as long as they don't try to ride him.

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Re: What type of dog do you have?

Message edited 1/30/2009 11:36:56 AM.