Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Onager · 06-22-2004, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooch's dad

Actually, what I'd do is get a mutt from the pound. Mutts tend to be far healthier than almost all purebred dogs. I'd look for a lab/shepherd mix, or maybe a border collie mix.

All of the lab mixes I have met were friendly and liked kids.

King Rat · 06-22-2004, 02:22 PM

Quote:

What about shedding. My Golden mix blows his undercoat in spring and sheds pretty heavy the rest of the year.

My Golden sheds his undercoat once a year, and very little the rest of the time. When I bathe him I sometimes end up with large Tribbles in the shower drain.

My two cats shed WAY more than he does.

cheetah · 06-22-2004, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyShea

Any particular reason? Have you ever met a standard poodle? I much prefer their temperment to their small counterparts and they are smart as hell.

and not as prissy as people might think when they think "Poodle." You don't have to do the prissy, cheesy hairdo, you know. Standard poodles are very *normal* dogs.

I agree with the pound/shelter idea. A way to make even more of a difference than to adopt one, is to spay or neuter that one [/Bob Barker]

StrictSeparationist · 06-22-2004, 02:44 PM

You might have a look at the Vizsla. Not a really well-known breed, but I can tell you from experience that they are among the most affectionate of breeds. Great with kids, strangers, and other non-dog pets. They range from 45-65 pounds. Downsides: extremely energetic, can cost upwards of $700.

Cynical-Chick · 06-22-2004, 02:48 PM

Springer Spaniel or Australian Shepard.

My little boy is a mix of the two, and he's perfect. Fat, but sweet, fuzzy, and lovably dumb. He adores attention, and is good with kids.

When he was a puppy, he was incredibly hyper, but it passes. Jordan has given me...holy shit, 9 years of happiness and love.

SatensSlut · 06-22-2004, 02:57 PM

Buy Me I Am The Biggest Dog Off All

King Rat · 06-22-2004, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Buy Me I Am The Biggest Dog Off All

Offal...

Was that intentional?

Amen-Moses · 06-22-2004, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick

My wife and I have started looking for our next dog and we are having a very difficult time finding the right breed. Every single breed we have looked at has issues that don't seem to fit with what we are looking for. So, what's our perfect dog? Glad you asked - here are some of the traits (seemingly mutually exclusive) that we are looking for in a dog:

Small to Medium in size <50 lbs
Great with younger children (one is almost 3 the other is 5)
Minimal shedding (not a deal stopper, but no dogs that shed a ton)
Indoor/Outdoor dog (Indoor most of the time, but able to handle various weather for hiking/camping/etc.)
Moderate activity level - Daily walks and romps in the yard
Ok to be left at home alone for up to 5 hours at a time (first year - longer afterward)
Does not bark excessively
Willing to pay $500-$600 for pure breed (not the $1500 we have seen for some breeds)

Most of the breeds we have looked at have issues with one or more of those items. So, what dog breed do you recommend and why?

A little background for you. We currently have a 7 year old Yellow Lab/Golden Retreiver mix. We are facing the prospect of having to put him down in the next couple of months. His severe hip dysplasia and related arthritis is getting to be too much for him. We have found that he is bigger than what we would like in a household pet (he weighs over 90 lbs). Because of the medical problems we have had with him we are a little reluctant to get a shelter dog where we can't investigate the health of the parents. We are planning to buy from a reputable breeder with the proper health guarantees.

After looking at breeds for the last month or so cats are looking better and better

.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier, some people find them ugly looking but they meet your requirements to a tee.

(mind you if you live anywhere with loads of cows you will have to watch out for it rounding them up and bringing them home

)

http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/stbult.cfm

(oh and SatensSlut go to bed)

Amen-Moses

AspenMama · 06-22-2004, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynical-Chick

Springer Spaniel or Australian Shepard.

My family has had 3 purebred Australian Shepherds. I had to put mine down about a year ago-- he was over 13 years old and experiencing a lot of health issues. He was incredibly smart and could distinguish between "stick", "log", "ball", "toy" and a dozen other words. But the problem with these dogs, at least in my view, is that they shed like crazy, especially so during the season changes, and remain hyper even in their senior years. They require a ton of attention and are rarely satisfied to just hang out. And with two of these dogs, I've seen them get very paranoid when there is a thunderstorm. So much so, that my dog tore through a strong wooden fence and around metal bars to escape the yard and find a friendly neighbor who would let him hide under their bed till I got home-- this was as a 13 year old. As puppies, they can cause a great deal of damage if they aren't provided with a nylabone-- they chew through any other type of toy instantly and spread it throughout the house or puke it up. As a puppy, my dog chewed through kitchen floor tiles (before I adopted him). If you take a look at Denver's Dumb Friends League's adoption page, you will see 90% of the dogs are some sort of this breed. They are simply too hyper for most people.

Amen-Moses · 06-22-2004, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Rat

Offal...

Was that intentional?

She get's the weirdness from her mothers side.

Amen-Moses

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06-22-2004, 02:44 PM	#24
StrictSeparationist Veteran Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oberlin, OH Posts: 2,846	You might have a look at the Vizsla. Not a really well-known breed, but I can tell you from experience that they are among the most affectionate of breeds. Great with kids, strangers, and other non-dog pets. They range from 45-65 pounds. Downsides: extremely energetic, can cost upwards of $700.

06-22-2004, 02:48 PM	#25
Cynical-Chick Contributor Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 11,424	Springer Spaniel or Australian Shepard. My little boy is a mix of the two, and he's perfect. Fat, but sweet, fuzzy, and lovably dumb. He adores attention, and is good with kids. When he was a puppy, he was incredibly hyper, but it passes. Jordan has given me...holy shit, 9 years of happiness and love.

06-22-2004, 02:57 PM	#26
SatensSlut Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Hell Posts: 86	Buy Me I Am The Biggest Dog Off All

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