Let's talk about dogs, man

[Shawn@PRS]

You sure your son will like a dog? I mean maybe he'd prefer .... oh I dont know..... an older brother. You know, one that also would love to go with him to the factory from time to time? LOL

And yes, I'm house broken.

Thanks Mike, that made me laugh!

 

[Mike Duncan]

Oskar is about the speed of a throw pillow. The biggest danger in my house with the dog and three children is that none of us trip over him.

 

[Hopeful Sinner]

+1 on Maltese.. Hypoallergenic, has hair not fur, so shedding is minimal to nonexistent. Loyal, very affectionate and not nearly the "yappy" dog their reputation might suggest...

 

[TGSCAN]

TON OF FUN.. We love him ! Meet MAXIE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bichon_Frise

This little gal on the other hand.. will "TAKE YOU DOWN" .. LOL

Ruby is much loved still though.

 

[bluefade]

On march 3/12, my wife and I had to put down our mini-schnauzer. His name was Fritz. Though small in stature, he was large in heart. He is deeply missed ,since that last moment we had together. He taught us the greatest lesson a human being will ever recieve... UNCONDITIONAL LOVE...If you have that in you, then you're ready for dog ownership.

 

[newfmp3]

Honestly, I find small dogs more work then big dogs. They need more attention, constant attention. My larger Sheppard I could leave alone all day come home and she was fine.

 

[Em7]

If you can find one, standard schnauzers are great dogs. They are not too big or too small. Unlike miniature schnauzers, standard schnauzers are not "yappy" because they are not terriers. The standard schnauzer is the dog from which the miniature schnauzer and the giant schnauzer were bred. I have owned minis and standards, and standards win hands down. Standard schnauzers are also incredibly intelligent dogs that are well adapted to living in tight quarters (they were originally used as merchant cart dogs in Germany). Standard and miniature schnauzers do not shed; therefore, they have to be stripped or clipped. Standards come in salt & pepper and black. We had a black standard, but salt & pepper is the dominant color.

Here's a video from the 2010 Standard Schnauzer National:

 

[dantedayjob]

Havanese are great, small, companion dogs... and aren't fu-fu at all. They're dogs... even the AKC standard for showing doesn't allow them to be clipped or have ribbons and mess in their hair when they are being shown. They're sweet dogs, smart, playful, silly and not yappy. Also hypoallergenic.

If you want a dog that is also a watch dog, a Lhasa Apso would be a good choice. That's what they were bred for. Many people don't realize it, but the Tibetan monks bred those dogs to guard the temples. They're cute, fun little dogs that don't bark too much.. but will let you know when something ain't right and they take that job seriously. Lots of people try to priss them up, but when left to their natural shape they just look like shaggy dust mops Hypoallergenic dogs too.

 

[Letrow]

These are our two cairn terriers. They are small (approximately 8 kilos, so you can actually carry them if you want), funloving and well tempered and they don't shed at all.

Although I like the idea of visiting a shelter my own preference is to buy from a good dogbreeder, so that you know its history.
A lot of dogs, especially the very popular kinds, have been overbred and they can have physical or mental problems as a result of that. Watch out for that if you make your choice. A dog that is in the top 10 of most popular dogs is not always a good choice, so make sure you know the breeder.

A good breeder will look at your family situation and at your previous experience with dogs and advise accordingly. An older dog can be fine, but again, you have to know its history. There could be hidden issues that you get to deal with later on in its life. Fear, aggressiveness, a lot of it can be solved, but you have to know how to spot it and then act on it.

Having a dog is rewarding and you get a great companion, but it is also hard work. It makes sense to go to a puppy course, not just for the dog, but also for you. You have to know a bit more about dog behaviour if you get one, otherwise there is the danger of the dog going wrong.

Cairns are good with kids, their coat has to be plucked once or twice a year to get rid of the excess hair, they are not overbred and although they are small they are real dogs.
Good luck with this.

 

[newfmp3]

I second the buying from a Breeder suggestion. Where I had allergies, once I found a dog type from a Breeder that didn't bother me, and I have been around a LOT of dogs before I found one, that is the one I bought. Plus I got to see other dogs from the Breeder and see how they behaved and asked other owners if there were any issues with behavoir. Ours is a wonderful dog now but he did go through a chewing phase. Baseboards, door mouldings, kitchen cabinets(yes, that one pissed me off) and even a Fireplace. So if you do get one, go get a couple of baby gates and block them into one area where they can't do much damage. We did use a cage during the puppy months, but once they get out of that and left alone, anything can happen. I know one family who left their Lab tied onto the patio one day around the same time they usually go for a walk with the dog, but this day they just left him home. They came back and he had eaten the patio...stairs, railings, you name it...gone. Brand new home. I also invested in some Wireless camera's that I can check from my cell phone. Wish I had them before he chewed things up.

 

[soundbee]

These are our two cairn terriers. They are small (approximately 8 kilos, so you can actually carry them if you want), funloving and well tempered and they don't shed at all.

We have a Norwich Terrier - that looks a lot like the one on the left with a bit longer legs. Rudy is an awesome dog. The one thing to remember about terriers is that they love to dig holes. Give em a place that's their own and they'll "get it out of their system" and leave the rest of your yard alone. Overall super happy and loving dogs.

 

[newfmp3]

how are Norwich Terrier's for grooming? My Shih-Tzu, every 4 weeks, $40 haircut.

 

[SFactor123]

what about cat?
aren't your wife interested in cats?

 

[rugerpc]

So my wife wants to get a dog. Me, I'm not so sure. If we do get a dog, I would like a relaxed, low-key, kind of dog that isn't bouncing off the walls and doesn't require a lot of exercise. I'd also prefer a smallish breed.

What kind of advice can you give me? Since dog ownership is a serious matter, I'd like to hear the good and the bad.

One more thing. I'd also like a dog that doesn't shed alot.

What you need is a new breed called a Rockwiler. It never needs walking, doesn't pee or poo or shed or lick itself. It just sits wherever you leave it. Its only major problem is that it offers no love or house protection of any kind and when you repeatedly stub your toe on it, you will be tempted to rename it "Toejam". Other than that you can take all of its good qualities for granite.

 

[markie]

I love dogs & always had at least one dog from being a very small child until about 3 years ago. However, they can be a royal pain in the a$$. Jeff killed my Brittany Spaniel about 3 years ago & we have not had a dog since. Disclaimer: My wife goes to pick up my daughter's dog (Golden Doodle) a couple of days a week & he spends the day at our house................... This works out rather nicely!

 

[docbennett]

Airedales don't shed and are extremely loyal and friendly....and always need to be on leash. Great dogs. Here is Wayneberger:

 

[swede71]

If we do get a dog, I would like a relaxed, low-key, kind of dog that isn't bouncing off the walls and doesn't require a lot of exercise. I'd also prefer a smallish breed.

If you exercise your dog it will be relaxed,low key and not bouncing off the wall .Also,if you are relaxed and low-key your dog will follow you,the packleader.
I would recommend Shetland sheepdog,a bit energic but a nice and very loyal breed.

 

[crgtr]

If you want low-key, do NOT get Aussie Sheppard's or Cattle Dogs. I love mine to death, but they are working dogs & if you don't give them a job, they will go out & find one.....like eating the siding off your house! Or go out & get bit by a Water Moccasin..

Leg very swollen up. Bad ju-ju. Almost lost that leg. He's fine now.

This is what we got for my mom-in-law & he's awesome!

Of course you could go crazy & get a pair of these!

 

[rugerpc]

Some suggestions about personality...

This is good:

This not so much...

 

[dantedayjob]

If you want low-key, do NOT get Aussie Sheppard's or Cattle Dogs. I love mine to death, but they are working dogs & if you don't give them a job, they will go out & find one.....like eating the siding off your house! Or go out & get bit by a Water Moccasin..

First, let me say glad your boy there recovered from that snake bite... that can be ugly business and is real problem for people in our part of the country


I have to second the thing about Aussie Shepherds needing a job or finding one... it's in their blood. When I was a teen, we had an Aussie Shep/Sheltie mix... beautiful dog, sweet, too smart for her own good (which has other tales attached to it) ... she took it upon herself to herd our horses... and our cats... no one ever coaxed or suggested, it just happened when she was about 6 months or so. Every day, same time, we would go to the barn to feed the horses and put some out for the cats (of which there were MANY, usually 10 or so, sometimes over 20)... it started with her going down into the pasture and running the horses up.... then, once she had a handle on that, it was the cats... summertime, they would be scattered all over the yard, basking in the sun... dog would go round 'em up and run them to the barn... I wish I had had a video camera at the time, 20 cat tails stuck high in the air, running in formation as that crazy dog ran back and forth, barking, snapping and keeping them together... she never messed with or hassled the cats and would go the other way if one of them got ill with her, BUT, at feeding time they better keep their tails in line or they were in for it LOL