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Which Puppy Breed Should I Get?


eddie123789
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Oh..and IF you choose a breed, and want a puppy from a breeder who does all teh health testing of parents, breeds responsibly and all that ..you may have to wait months for a pup which will be the best you can get for your situation...

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Eddie Perse is right about the wait for puppies - so you might want to decide on your breed shortly, get to know some breeders and get on their list as soon as you can as you may need to wait for a litter.smile.gif

Edited by westiemum
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Hi Eddie I think you sound a reasonable guy, you sound like the normal average pet owner, the dogs are outside during the day or when at work and generally with you when at home. Nothing unusual in my books. There are pros & con on Puppy as in 8 week old vs young dog 6-12 months Vs Adult > 2 years. One of the advantages of DOL is there are mature dogs for sale that need to be re-homed for many reasons they will have been handled, shown and generally all the boxes are ticked for the health, many will be used to being outside for periods of time. I have 8 Labs - they are rotated through the house and each gets to spend time inside - but they all cope with being in the kennels and they all are obedient and co-operative dogs. Its all in how you manage their needs. Contrary to popular opinion I find older dogs adjust well , to change of owner and home life, unless they are by nature neurotic or poorly socialised. As much as I adore baby dogs they have the concentration of a gnat and it requires a lot of constancy, patience and skill to create an obedience and reliable adult. If you are looking at intelligent dogs have a look at the Gundog Group & the Working Dog group. I am biased towards the wash and wear breeds because I am too lazy to groom a lot. Before you buy any dog visit the breeders and their kennels and spend some time just sitting with their dogs and getting a feel for the breed. Consider 2 dogs together rather than 1 because dogs are social critters and pine to some degree when left alone. GSD's malt 24/7 though if you get a GSD look for a short coated GSD rather than a medium or long coat - if hair loss is an issue. They all malt a lot though. Good luck with your hunt for the right dog for your family :)

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Thank you to all the people who have actually responded to my actual question, I will do some more research into the suggested breeds. I'll defiantly look into the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

And for them who have decided that somebody they don't know much about other than he has a job, shouldn't have a dog, I am aware of the responsibility of raising a dog. It's not something I take lightly.

Do your homework on their temperament. RRs are hounds. They aren't the kinds of dogs who will turn themselves inside out for you unless there's something in it for them. That doesn't mean they are untrainable (far from it) but they simply don't live to hang off your every wish.

I imagine that for people used to working dogs like a GSD, that could become quite frustrating.

I have both and actually they compliment each others personalities. I find the RR an absolute pleasure to own and will always have one, he is easy to train, yes he is very independent and can be a bit aloof with strangers but never aggressive just cant be bothered. Our boy is very loving and is always up for a pat or play with my wife and myself. If I was going to become a 1 dog family I would choose the RR.

Edited by Dave73
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Our first dog as a couple was a large (35kg) rescue GSD cross and he was amazing. We searched for an adult dog whose temperament suited our situation (both full time workers). He got a 30-45 minute walk of a morning, outside during the day while we were at work then came inside and spent the evening with us. I did obedience classes with him, not the most obedient of chaps but soooo easy to live with and the sweetest dog you'd ever meet. Honestly he was quite independent so while he enjoyed his time inside with us at night (he spent 90% of it on his dog bed) he was quite happy to toddle outside and snooze there of his own accord. On weekends he got trips to the dog park, I took him to my husband's sports games, markets, playdates... I miss my gentle man so much :cry:

Now we both work full time, baby on the way, and have two active working breeds. It is a LOT of work.

Edit: My GSD x shed a LOT more than my longer haired Aussie Shepherds. He shed like a demon LOL!

Edited by wuffles
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Our first dog as a couple was a large (35kg) rescue GSD cross and he was amazing. We searched for an adult dog whose temperament suited our situation (both full time workers). He got a 30-45 minute walk of a morning, outside during the day while we were at work then came inside and spent the evening with us. I did obedience classes with him, not the most obedient of chaps but soooo easy to live with and the sweetest dog you'd ever meet. Honestly he was quite independent so while he enjoyed his time inside with us at night (he spent 90% of it on his dog bed) he was quite happy to toddle outside and snooze there of his own accord. On weekends he got trips to the dog park, I took him to my husband's sports games, markets, playdates... I miss my gentle man so much :cry:

Wuffles, your boy sounded like a wonderful doggie and just right for your situation at the time. Your planning & research sure paid off. I can truly imagine how much you'd miss this gentleman dog.

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Thank you to all the people who have actually responded to my actual question, I will do some more research into the suggested breeds. I'll defiantly look into the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

And for them who have decided that somebody they don't know much about other than he has a job, shouldn't have a dog, I am aware of the responsibility of raising a dog. It's not something I take lightly.

Do your homework on their temperament. RRs are hounds. They aren't the kinds of dogs who will turn themselves inside out for you unless there's something in it for them. That doesn't mean they are untrainable (far from it) but they simply don't live to hang off your every wish.

I imagine that for people used to working dogs like a GSD, that could become quite frustrating.

I have both and actually they compliment each others personalities. I find the RR an absolute pleasure to own and will always have one, he is easy to train, yes he is very independent and can be a bit aloof with strangers but never aggressive just cant be bothered. Our boy is very loving and is always up for a pat or play with my wife and myself. If I was going to become a 1 dog family I would choose the RR.

Aloof with strangers, that wouldn't be to bad. The reason I say that is that I know when I go round to friends houses who have dogs and they jump up, while I don't mind that a lot don't like it. I'd rather if a guest didn't like dogs they wouldn't be bothered by them.

What would people say the ratio of a dogs temperament / personality / intelligence etc. is down to the individual dog : breed : training? If that question makes sence???? What I'm asking is if a dog breed known for been unfriendly is it possible to train them to be approachable??

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To the people saying 30 minute walk is fine but then list all the extra activities thats what I meant by saying 30 minutes is not enough on its own.

30 min walk + classes + mental stimulation is very much different to just a 30 minute walk.

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I would say breed characteristics can be tempered with the right sort of training. I have a basset hound, they are known as being prone to barking so one of the first behaviours we focused on when she was a pup was not barking, same with my kelpie, a very high energy on the go breed so we made training an 'off switch' a priority.

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I thought that one of the reasons for choosing a particular breed would be because of its characteristics, particularly it's attitude to people? As for training getting rid of undesired characteristics, my greys have the chase instinct. No amount of training, which can be measured in months, will ever entirely overcome a characteristic bred in over 100s or 1000s of generations.

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Some characteristics of breeds make them hard to live with in suburbia though, bassets have lots of wonderful characteristics but the tendency for scent hounds to bark is not something you really want in suburbia but which does serve them well in their original job.

Edited by kelpiecuddles
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