Dog breeds

[KaskadskyjKozak]

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.

 

I just hope we would give him/her enough attention and exercise so he/she doesn't chew up our leather couch. :-o

 

[JayB]

I don't think that the "watch dog" specific breed traits are all that important if you are just looking for a dog that will bark if it hears strange noises at night.

 

Not being a thief myself, I can't say for sure whether the tone of the bark is important, but I'd imagine that a major part of the home intruder's plan is to get into the home undetected - and barking by any kind of dog will probably get the job done. I suspect that if you are dealing with a genuine psycho who wants to get into your home whether the occupants are on alert or not, a hefty sounding bark is more of a deterrent than a high-pitched one - but that scenario is so wildly implausible that it's really not worth factoring into any reasonable analysis. I'm sure having a big dog around is more psychologically reassuring to most owners, though.

 

As far as breeds go, I'd try to get the breed that will be the best match for your disposition, domestic situation, etc and wouldn't really worry about any qualities beyond that. If you have a dog that is too large, energetic, and independent for you to handle and train properly - the odds are that you are going to be very unhappy with the dog whether it consistently barks at strange noises in the night or not.

 

I'd also suggest doing a careful self-assesment before getting any dog, and if you aren't familiar with dogs, plan on training yourself to be a good master/owner before attempting to train the dog to be a good pet.

[rmncwrtr]

Thanks for all the suggestions and resources. I've been goggling a lot this week checking out different breeds. It's been fun

 

I contacted the NE rescue coordinator and talked to her about the breed. I am taking the kids out tonight to a gathering so we can see what they're like in person. It's one thing to read about them, another to meet some first hand. She's got a class going on, but is asking her friends to stop by with various ages for us to meet.

 

Hubby said no right away to an Akita. Too big.

 

[ZimZam]

Sumi-ko. 'cause every man needs one big girl in his life.

[Couloir]

'cause every man needs one big girl in his life.

 

Indeed.

[wfinley]

An Akita would certainly solve the intruder problem. Problem is though it would also eat your cats and bite your kids!

 

Just about any dog, once it is integrated into your family, will be somewhat protective and growl and bark at bumps in the night. Dogs can sense if you are spooked and most will automatically fly into some sort of pack / protective mentality. The hard part is getting a balance between a protective dog and one that gets along well with kids and cats.

 

My old dog (husky / lab mix) loved cats, snapped at kids and would have happily led intruders to the computer in the hopes I'd work less. My new dog (lab pitbull mix) loves kids, tries to eat cats and goes ape if he sees a reflection in the window.

 

 

[sobo]

Couloir-

Nice to see you've gone back to your "standard" stock of avatars featuring the bum and midriff. :tup:

 

The "drooling mouth" was a bit much, and left (almost) nothing to the imagination.

[mccallboater]

Headline: Dog from pound finds life good with outdoor family

 

 

 

Just walk around the pound until you find a good one.

Lucy

 

Looking for lunch in all the wrong places

 

[rmncwrtr]

I love all these dog pictures. Thanks!

 

Last night we went to the Hillsboro Fairgrounds where they were having dog classes. A bit of a drive for us, but well worth it. We got to see about 20 or so different breeds. We also met a bunch of Norwegian Elkhounds. None for adoption, but the rescue coordinator had friends bring various ages (ranging from 2 months to 6 years) to meet. It was really fun to see them as well as all the dogs, everything from mutts to purebred show dogs. Little tiny doggies as well as ones big enough to ride! The kids had a blast. So did I.

[Sherri]

My new dog (lab pitbull mix) loves kids, tries to eat cats and goes ape if he sees a reflection in the window.

 

 

Cute pics! I'm partial to the lab/pit mixes, too. Mine is the most soft-mouthed, sensitive boy you could ever meet. I think if push came to shove I'd have to protect HIM. (He hides from kids.) Though he does stalk bugs with a vengeance(especially that ONE fly he hears somewhere out in the yard).

[carolyn]

I dont know much about dogs, as the only one Ive ever had sat on my head all the time when i was 6 or 7. Then a neighbors dog tore my tummy to shreds when I was 9. I was terrified of them all until about 5 or 6 yrs ago. Now I want one!

 

I introduced Latte to living with a dog (shelty) a few years back. It was fine. She hated the dog, especially when she would get followed around or try to eat her food. She used to lay in the middle of the room and stretch out belly up and entice the dog to get closer. She would scooch on her back to get closer as well. As soon as his nose was in range - WHACK! Yet the dog never learned, time and time again. It was all very entertaining.

 

The yappiness of the dog drove me bannanas, but he was sweet.

 

Good luck on your search, but I wouldnt worry about the cats so much. Just do a slow introduction - and watch out for each other;s food.

[selkirk]

We always had cats and dogs. When my dad got the Jack Russell's our old, fat, diabetic, grey cat used to sit on the coffee table with her paw cocked, waiting for them to go by and smack them for the fun of it. She was definitely the matriarch of the hosue. We also had a little tiny cat that used to chase dogs (she'd sit on the front porch and wait for them to come into range.) Though one of the funnier things was the sheepdog and the little calico we had. They'd actually sleep together. But when the cat got cabin fever in the winter she thought it was fun to run over the sleeping dogs nose a full speed to get the dog to chase her

 

One thing to remember about cats, is that if you get the dog as a puppy, they learn pretty fast that cat's have sharp thing on the end of their feet. I think the danger is introducing high prey drive dogs (husky's, sounds like akita's) to cat's when the dogs are already adults. Also a lot of the herding dogs have the chase/heard instinct, but don't have the prey drive, so all they do is the chase part.

 

Oh, and dog's love cat food!!

[rmncwrtr]

We're going tomorrow to meet a dog. A 2 year old Norwegian Elkhound. Fingers crossed it goes well. The kids saw her pic and are already calling her our dog.

[Couloir]

Good luck with that.

[Dechristo]

I was once an Elke hound.

[Sherri]

Oh, and dog's love cat food!!

 

...before AND after the cat eats it.

 

 

Good luck w/the puppy preview today, M!

[Jens]

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

 

Wow! I wonder how they keep that thing under control? Neuter it? muzzle it? sleep with one eye open?

[tvashtarkatena]

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

 

 

That's got "Don' fuck wit me" written all over it.

[rmncwrtr]

The meeting went great. She's an awesome dog. She's been raised in a house that is used during the week for a daycare so tons of exposure to kids from the time she was born. She's also been raised with a cat and other dogs. She's also very smart. She went straight to hubby and just started giving him lots of love and licks! He was surprised, but I could tell he liked it. We then went to an acre fenced field so the kids could run and play with her, and we could see her energy level. So much fun!

 

I had a couple more questions for the person so emailed those to her. I'm waiting for the answers. Even our 7 yo son, who's been the wild card in all of this because he's afraid of many animals, fell in love with her. Before we headed to the field, he walked over to me with a big smile on his face and whispered in my ear, "I'm okay with this one, mommy."

[tvashtarkatena]

How about one of these:

 

 

Awwwwwww!!!! French Britney, I mean Brittany (French version; the yankee one's don't have black)

 

Or this....

 

 

Keeeuuuwwwhhhaaattt! Rescue dog.

 

Muts are cool. Labs are dumber than posts, plus they stink. Herding dogs require huge doses of valium. But lab/herding dog mixes seem to make great dogs. Dingos don't bark, if that's an issue.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Dingos don't bark, if that's an issue.

 

 

But the Dingo'll eat ya babie!

 

[sobo]

Mel,

I'm glad you've decided upon the NE. My first post to this thread:

 

"...consider a Norwegian Elkhound. ...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."

 

was obviously wrong, and I'm happy for you to state that. I hope that Chaos becomes a lifelong and trusted member of your family.

[rmncwrtr]

We're getting a dog! Her name is Chaos (with a name like that she'll fit in perfectly here) and she is two years old. She was spayed this afternoon so we have to wait until she heals, about 10 days, to bring her home.

 

 

[chirp]

WOOT! Grats, a good home for another bud. Nice choice, and I hope shes all you ever could want and your all she needs. /cheers!

[motomagik]

Awwww!!!! Cutie!