Dog breeds

[rmncwrtr]

The kids and I want a dog. Hubby says not with three cats. But he started traveling with his work and is gone at least two weeks a month and weird stuff is going around here.

 

Twice in the last month there has been someone strange at/around our house. Just last week a neighbor was having trouble with their garage door and when the repair guy showed up he said someone had tried to manually open it with a crowbar. It's a nice neighborhood and the police know about the problems (and even who the person probably is who's trying to break-in to all these houses), but I'm still a little spooked and have been borrowing a friend's dog when hubby goes away. Since we've got an almost part-time dog now I think I'm justified in getting our own. Especially since our surrogate doggy will be moving away with his family this summer.

 

So I need some advice on dog breeds. A shelter or rescue dog would be perfect, I think. I do not want a puppy unless that's my only choice because I've never had to train a dog and I'm sure there's a huge learning curve. My ideal dog would be one that's super cat and kid friendly, who will be great and loving with the family, but bark and protect when need be. Any suggestions?

[ZimZam]

An Akita. Loyal, large, and fearless. If you have any questions about them, shoot me a PM.

 

Edited March 10, 2008 by ZimZam

[denalidave]

[denalidave]

But seriously... Labs are great with kids and very trainable. Although not known for ferocity, they can still be quite intimidating and protective.

[sobo]

I'll agree with ZZ on the Akita.

 

Also consider a Norwegian Elkhound, a scaled-down version of an Akita, but still a lot of canine in the package. However, I think it's doubtful that you'd find one (purebreed) in a shelter or a pet sanctuary. The purebreeds can command some serious coin.

 

 

We had a few of these over the years while we were growing up in Walla Walla. Great dog with kids (my dad built a harness and Apache would tow us kids around in our Radio Flyer wagon all day long), but whenever someone Apache didn't know tried to enter the yard, those long pearly whites would come out. The only way you'd get by him was to kill him. Very loyal, fearless, and yet he was just a big furry pillow to us kids.

 

When we moved overseas in the late '60s, we gave him away to a co-worker friend of my dad's who had a ranch on the east side of town. For two weeks, Phil had to drive by our old house to pick him up and take him back to the ranch. Eventually, he learned that we were gone for good. He then defended Phil and his wife Bo and their horse ranch. One day, a pack of wild dogs messed with Phil's prime horses, and Apache "got into it" with the five of them. Ended up killing two of them, before he lost an eye and an ear and a big rip in his hind quarter. But he ran them off. Phil was amazed. Apache recovered and continued to defend the ranch until he died several years later.

 

We've had other NEs, like Argenta (Latin for "Silver", because of her undercoat) and Leif (obvious name for a Norwegian), but Apache stands out in my memory as the coolest of them all. Maybe it's because I was so much younger then.

 

Anyway, I cast my vote for a NE, but good luck with whatever you end up getting, Mel.

[ams]

Bummer you have to deal with break-ins . . .

Check out www.petfinder.com. There are a lot of dogs on there, mutts and PB's that need good homes. For the combo of kid/cat friendly and protective but non-aggessive, I've known a few mutts that were rottweiler/cattle dog mixes or german shepherd/cattle dog mixes that fit the bill. They're usually smart and sweet, and being mutts aren't prone to a lot of the health issues PB's are. My current dog is part of a wolf-dog rescue group, and I don't recommend them for protection. I think she'd do the job if it came down to it, but is generally very shy and quiet, and wouldn't scare off an intruder until they actually attacked someone. She's also really fluffy which is high maintenance at this time of year. The northern breeds in general, including huskies and malamutes are usually not good around cats. Good luck with your search!

Edited March 9, 2008 by ams

[builder206]

How about a beast out of Africa that needs 3/8" chain for a leash?

 

[Dane]

We've had a number of rescue dogs over the years and have two currently. We've loved them all which has included a Chesapeake Retriever, German Shorthair, Doberman, Rottweiler and a Labor Doddle.

 

But I would caution you about any rescue dog when you have kids and other pets. They are in a rescue because the dog was someone else's problem.

 

Any dog that is protective/agressive enough to help with personal/home security will likely be a problem in other ways.

 

Good protection and family dogs are a full time job. You'll want to prepare yourself for that. Big difference between males and females in every breed. Each breed has different shedding charateristics. Short haired dogs are the easiest to clean up after. But they all add to the fuss and mess in the house. Something to think about.

 

Get the youngest dog you can past 12 weeks. They learn more about you and you them and they'll bond to the kids better. Our current "kids" were both 7 months old when we adopted them, thankfully 6 months a apart and for the most part house trained. Generally dogs (any dog) will not mature till they are 2 years old. They go through all the changes that kids do in 30 years in just 2 years. And are lifetime (generally 10 to 15 years) committments.

 

I have some huge personal preferences for dogs, having lived with two protection trained dogs as an adult and our family dogs as a kid.

 

But I would suggest making several trips to the local Human Society Shelter and look at lots and lots of dogs. Take a few minutes to play with them one on one and don't let your heart be swept away with the first good looking one The best dogs we have had have all been rescues. One of the most difficult dogs we have had was also a rescue and worth the effort until his death. But I couldn't have him around kids.

 

I've spent time with some great Akita, Doberman, German Shepards and Rots. Of our past dogs the one I enjoyed the most was a big male Dobie that was a rescue. He was a handfull 24/7. As good of a dog as he was it would not be an experience I'd want to repeat. It was just too much work and too much worry.

 

But if I had kids the only protective breed I would look at would be a female Rottweiler. I'd want her as a puppy that had been left with the mother till she was 12 to 16 weeks old for socialization. It will help with her training and life with your kids. Then be prepared for a lot of work 9 (and more fun than you can stand) for a year or so. After that it just gets better every day My family has had 4 outstanding female Rots over the years and all have been exceptional dogs. Good luck!

[Dechristo]

The best dog I've ever had:

[rmncwrtr]

Thanks for all the info, guys! :kisss: I've been having fun checking all these types of pups out and will be pestering you all, I'm sure, once I do some more research. I did send emails to a couple rescue organizations, too.

 

My biggest concern is how the dog will be with the cats. They are all over 10 and although I know it will take some adjusting, I have to make sure it's just learning to get along that we have to deal with. When our surrogate dog is here, all three cats have to stay in my bedroom. We've had two incidents when one cat got out and another where the dog got in, and luckily no one was hurt, but it was very stressful and scary and I couldn't imagine dealing with that every single day.

 

Hubby's still dragging his feet, but he at least looked at the various breeds mentioned here. He kept saying "those are some big dogs." He asked me not to rush into it (i.e. he doesn't want to come home from his next trip to find a dog living here) and I said I wouldn't because I know this is a huge decision and a big commitment. Plus it would probably be better for the dog if we waited until after ski season was over with At least he realizes I'm serious about this. And it looks like I'm finally going to get the go ahead on an alarm system so I'll be looking into that now, too.

 

at the weapon and the african dog/hyena! Where do you people come up with that stuff????

 

 

[denalidave]

at the weapon and the african dog/hyena! Where do you people come up with that stuff????

 

I had no idea those hyenas were so huge! They never looked that big in all those animal shows I've seen.

 

You can google anything and the world is at your fingertips. You mean to tell me you don't have a swiss army machine gun yet? I think it also has a cliff hanger style bolter too.

[sobo]

...You mean to tell me you don't have a swiss army machine gun yet? I think it also has a cliff hanger style bolter too.

 

And ya gotta love the hood ornament! If I could figger out what make that hood ornament belongs to, then I could find the maker of the machine gun...

[Bug]

I have had German Sheperds. They are great watch-dogs and good with your children. They learn to ignore cats (even if they are still alive).

But they will eat your kids' friends.

 

I second the vote for Akidas.

 

[archenemy]

Read

"The Dog Listener" before you buy a dog. If you follow the author's advice, you will be able to raise a puppy. But remember, a puppy will not be ready to protect its home until its about 6 mo. old. On the other hand, a "rescue" dog will also not bond right away. It may also not be a natural watchdog, so be sure you request that trait before adopting.

 

Another thing you can try is to foster a dog. I've done this before and had great success. You get the first dibs on adopting, and you get to work on your training skills with the dog.

[hafilax]

I lived with a couple of Akita-lab crosses and they barked at everything that moved. They also ate the house. They chewed the sofa, the living room chairs... I came home one night from the bar and the dogs had torn apart my roommates pillows and comforter and were getting to work on the mattress. Albeit, this was in university and the dogs weren't getting the exercise and attention that breed requires. I guess my point is that the watch dog breeds tend to be jumpy and intelligent which makes them both easy to train but extremely demanding of your care and attention. If you couldn't tell, living with those dogs has really soured my opinion of them as pets so take that into consideration.

 

From a dog breed website:

"The Akita craves mental and physical exercise every day. It needs to run in a safe area or on leash for a long jog. The owner of an Akita should be an energetic and consistent disciplinarian in order to handle this large and powerful dog breed. With sufficient exercise and training, an Akita can be a quiet and well-mannered house dog."

 

I can't stand the watch dog breeds because I loathe the sound of barking but if that's what you're looking for... Some people don't mind it.

 

It depends on the dog of course but it usually isn't that hard to get cats and dogs to cohabitate.

[motomagik]

Don't stress too much about the cats vs dogs thing. It is really not a big deal. Let them check each other out and they will get used to each other. Before you know it they will be spooning each other on the couch. The Humane Society is really good about saying which dogs are good with cats and which aren't.

There are so many wonderful pups out there who need homes, you won't have any trouble finding one that fits your family situation. I would have to say I'm partial to German Shepherd mixes, their intelligence and loyalty are unlike any other, but without the confirmation/lameness issues of the purebreds...

 

 

 

[ZimZam]

this was in university and the dogs weren't getting the exercise and attention that breed requires.Any dog would behave this way under those conditions. It was the Labrador in 'em.

 

 

The Akita craves mental and physical exercise every day. It needs to run in a safe area or on leash for a long jog. The owner of an Akita should be an energetic and consistent disciplinarian in order to handle this large and powerful dog breed.Discipline doesn't work with these dogs, but consistency does

 

Long jog my ass.

[selkirk]

But seriously... Labs are great with kids and very trainable. Although not known for ferocity, they can still be quite intimidating and protective.

 

If you find crotch sniffing, and rolling on their backs to have their bellies scratched intimidating.

 

I'll second petfinder though That's how we found wonder dog

 

I've had a couple of different herding dogs, Growing up we had sheepdog/german Shepard/golden retriever mix, or she might have been a bearded collie, who was the smartest dog I've ever met, and in my eyes a perfect guard dog. Not actually aggressive, just a little shy/skittish if anything, but mostly around men she didn't know. Whenever anyone came to the house that she didn't recognize she'd just start barking big and loud, and she was big enough to look intimidating even though she'd never hurt a fly. In fact if anything was out of place or seemed odd, she'd bark like mad.

 

Mrs. Selkirk and I also just got a rescue female Australian Cattle Dog (might be a mix but we can't tell) who's also fantastic. Bright, focused, has ignored the cats she's been in the house with, though has shown some desire to chase outside (though no real prey instinct just the chase part likely from the herding background). And she responds the same way about the house, loud, and she puts on a pretty good aggressive face. If someone pushed her she might get aggressive, and every now and again she'll snap at people she doesn't know if she feels threatened (usually men she doesn't know, especially if they're looming/trying to pet the top of her head). She's a real stickler for "doggie protocol" on how to meet. But some of her issues are rescue dog issues (we think she may have been abused a bit, and she spent several months in the pound). She's settling down and turning into a fantastic dog though And she may not be big, but I think the breed carries a fiesty streak. I've seen her play/wrestle/occasionaly scuffle with Dobermans and labs in the 100lb range.

 

 

However.... With ANY of the herding type dogs be prepared for a lot of work. Tasha (the sheepdog) got 2 or 3, 20+ minute walks a day. Tellie get's walked every morning rain or shine for 20 or 30 minutes, at least 15 or 20 minutes of training at home, another 30+ min walk/off leash play session with other dogs in the evening, and is very busy the rest of the time were home playing fetch with various toys. On the up side, she's good by herself all day while were at work, and very sensitive to how people are feeling (if either of us is feeling sick or Mrs. Selkirk has a migraine, Tellie just wants to curl up on the bed with you all day).

 

She's also a very nice size for us (~45 lbs) Big enough to stick up for herself, go hiking/backpacking etc, but small enough that in a pinch I could carry her ass out of somewhere.

[Bug]

Any dog that does not get walked/exercised regularly will get frustrated.

The results are as varied as the breeds.

 

Ditto on the mutt recommendation. Mutts make better pets and suffer fewer in-breeding problems like hip displasia, etc.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

my friend swears by vizsla's. he has two. great with kids, but not much for guard dogs. they are a beautiful animal - athletic, muscular - they'll handle just about any hike you want to take them on and run you into the ground. also, known as the "velcro" dog - they'll stick with you constantly.

 

[selkirk]

I'm starting to think lots of dogs get the label "velcro" dogs.

 

Cattle dogs, do the same thing, they never really want to be more than a few feet away. There have been more than a few times wonder dog lays down on my feet while doing the dishes.

[minx]

my friend swears by vizsla's. he has two. great with kids, but not much for guard dogs. they are a beautiful animal - athletic, muscular - they'll handle just about any hike you want to take them on and run you into the ground. also, known as the "velcro" dog - they'll stick with you constantly.

 

i have a viszla. she's a great dog. a little neurotic but was abused in her early days. she has been known to bolt out the front door for a run through the neighborhood but always comes home if we don't find her first. not always that good off leash at first but settles down when she burns off the energy. if she sees a stranger she runs right back. she's very protective but i'm not sure she'd actually bite someone.

 

she's got endless energy to go all day long but she's always been very tolerant with my son. he was two when we got her and he's 12 now so she's been through many stages with him.

[selkirk]

When I was 2, I guess I used to chase our dog around with a wiffle ball bat. It's a damn good think he was tolerant!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

my friend swears by vizsla's. he has two. great with kids, but not much for guard dogs. they are a beautiful animal - athletic, muscular - they'll handle just about any hike you want to take them on and run you into the ground. also, known as the "velcro" dog - they'll stick with you constantly.

 

i have a viszla. she's a great dog. a little neurotic but was abused in her early days. she has been known to bolt out the front door for a run through the neighborhood but always comes home if we don't find her first. not always that good off leash at first but settles down when she burns off the energy. if she sees a stranger she runs right back. she's very protective but i'm not sure she'd actually bite someone.

 

she's got endless energy to go all day long but she's always been very tolerant with my son. he was two when we got her and he's 12 now so she's been through many stages with him.

 

also, the rep on this breed is that they have little odor, need infrequent baths, don't shed much, and don't bark a lot. if we get a dog, this is the breed i'm currently favoring...

 

 

[minx]

all of this is true. makes them a good house dog especially if they are getting enough exercise. our is on the small size for the breed but they're a good mid-size dog. 45- 65 pounds usually.