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I think you really need to determine what specific characteristics you are looking for in a dog and then embark on your search. Be aware that some breeds have horrible genetic health issues and many of the larger dogs do not live long lives. Some dogs shed garbage bags full while others shed very little. Some have crazy insane energy while others will chill most of the day. Some have high grooming costs. Owning a dog and taking care of it properly is VERY expensive....and sometimes they get sick, sometimes they get hurt and heaven help you if you have to take them to the doggy dentist! (I'm looking at 10k right now from broken canine teeth) While you can get a great dog at a shelter, it is a definite crap shoot. If you use a breeder make certain to do your due diligence...there are a LOT of really poor breeders out there! Good breeders almost always have a waiting list.....it took me more than a year to get my current dog.
Bernese - Berners: short lives. Even from reputable breeders. Expect a lifespan less than 10 years, more likely around 8, according to a Berner breeder acquaintance of mine. Large, as in giant. Lots of hair. Low tolerance for heat. But very sweet and loving and good pets.
King Charles Cavaliers: notorious for health issues, but possibly one of the BEST dogs to have as a pet. They tick all the proper boxes for pet life.
Boston Terriers, any of the brachycephalic toy breeds: good pets, can be bad mannered. Training is important. Breathing issues are a given. They can do well with minimal exercise.
Chihuahuas: good pets, training is important, tho, as they can be viciously mannered. Fortunately for them, due to their size, bad manners will have less impact than a more moderate sized dog. They don't tolerate cold well, but you can always put a sweater on them.
Rescue greyhounds: good pets, and surprisingly couch potato attitudes. Individuals MAY have prey drive issues (a concern with cats).
1,000 other breeds: 10,000 other issues!
Dogs have a bond with people that cats rarely do. I've had a lifetime with both. And I had, once, a very special companion cat, whose memory still brings tears to my eyes. We've still had cats, all these years, none have ever quite made that impression.
My first advice, always and forever, is to MEET the potential dog. Look at the dog's eyes. Does the dog look back at you, in an affectionate way? I would avoid dogs who avoid meeting your eyes. Unlike on the street, where you meet dogs who HAVE people, for dogs and people who are searching for a mutual bond, looking each other in the eye is important. Looking at a strange dog on the street in the eye may be considered a challenge. If you go to a rescue place to meet dogs, and you look at a dog, and they act like it's a challenge, you're looking at problems and issues to overcome. Not a good dog for 1st time owners. Look for a dog who looks back at you.
You will also want to see how the dog responds to cats BEFORE you consider getting the dog. I would not bring a dog home without seeing a test run with cats.
I've had 17 or 18 fosters and my recommendation to the OP is to...buy a dog (puppy) from a reputable breeder.
Breeds? Lots of them. A hound, if you aren't going to be bothered by a bit of barking. A lab or golden retriever? Hard to go wrong. Pointing Breeds? A Bracco or a Griffon might be the way to go. Herding dogs? An old English Sheep dog. An Aussie Shepherd or Border collie is likely too much energy. Also consider a standard poodle, maybe a standard schnauzer.
Would a Pit Bull be a good fit for the OP? Honestly, a rescue Pibble would probably be a great choice. But I think the OP doesn't want that, for obvious and understandable reasons.
Agreed.
I grew up with shelter mutts. The two that we had the longest were remarkably different. The older one, which was supposed to be a yellow lab, was some sort of West Highland Terrier/Cocker Spaniel mix with horribly wiry hair that always matted up and was impossible to keep clean. He had an unpredictable streak where he'd appear to be happy, then bite someone or another dog. I remember he bit the groin of this giant mastiff mix who would sometimes come in our yard - the mastiff could have killed him, but just got him off and corrected him.
The other one was some kind of collie mix, but was dumb as a box of rocks. Completely unmanageable on walks with horrible leash reactivity. She was gentle and sweet, but ended up with various autoimmune problems. She might have lived eight years.
My parents have a golden retriever now. Very sweet and gentle dog. Much more manageable than the previous two. She's fairly lazy and a good fit for a couple in their 60s. Her temperament is excellent.
My girlfriend has a DDR German Shepherd. I wouldn't recommend him for a novice owner or someone that just wants a dog that you can "set it and forget it," but the intelligence is incredible. We had some fabric bags of Christmas goods in the basement. I had him grabbing the bags and taking them around the house to the front porch in about five minutes with a clicker and some hot dogs. He's very alert and protective of the home, but isn't human aggressive at all. He wasn't socialized around other dogs, so he's pretty reactive in public with other dogs, but I can take him on walks with a prong collar, correct him, and he'll behave. If I lived there, I'm sure I could get him more socialized fairly quickly.
The BEST piece of advice I can give, not about breeds, is GET PET INSURANCE for whatever animal you bring into your home to love. Vet care is very expensive as we have again experienced with our blue heeler.
If you don't get insurance, get a Care Card. https://www.carecredit.com/?utm_sour...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
I use ours when I take our dogs for their annual shots and other vet visits. And you can also use this on humans. I've had quite a few copays getting ready for cancer treatment and have used the Care Card to pay them.
Dachshund. We have always had at least one, and always were the best dogs. Sadly, our last one passed away from cancer 2 years ago, and my wife just hasnt wanted another, but our beagle is enough right. Hes a good dog, but spoiled rotten!
If you don't get insurance, get a Care Card. https://www.carecredit.com/?utm_sour...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
I use ours when I take our dogs for their annual shots and other vet visits. And you can also use this on humans. I've had quite a few copays getting ready for cancer treatment and have used the Care Card to pay them.
How does this work? It appears to be some sort of loan and not typical insurance.
I also highly recommend pet insurance, you do not want to be put in a terrible position of having to decide if the cost is worth saving the dog. But the prices are all over the board so you need to do some research. I had Ensure I believe for my previous dog, it was like $40 a month for essentially $8,000 worth of coverage. Used it once and they refunded the expenses less the deductible. With this latest dog they were more expensive than WAGMO so I used them this time.
Just remember that in a cold climate a Boston with short hair is reluctant to go outside for completing number one or two. A Wire Fox won't care one way or the other and in a hot summer you clip him short. But in a hot climate that Leonberger or Malamute will suffer most of the year.
We have done adoptions and we have done purebreds.
We have had two labs. Wonderful dogs. First one lived about 9-years, we got her when she was 18-months old. She was a rescue and the most well trained rescue we have ever had. Our second lab, a Silver Lab, we have had since she was a puppy. Lots of expensive skin issues. Medicine is about $250/mo. She is now about 10 1/2.
We had a Basset and she probably would have been great as an only dog, but didn't really do well with other dogs.
We have a Great Dane that is 2-years old. Never thought we would have one. She was gifted to us. Drooling hasn't been a big issue. Grate Dane's love their people and want to be with them and in their lap at all times. She is small for Great Dane, 105 lbs. Her brothers are 180+. They have short life spans 6 to 10 years. She eats about 6 cups of food a day. You can lean on them. But, they will lean against you as well.
We rescued a Kelpie which has probably been one of our best dogs ever. She is smart as a whip. About 60 lbs.
Vet Bills can be a serious problem, and I would make sure you have the monthly income to afford them. We took care of our son's Husky for a couple of years and she had meds that were about $300/mo and we had two unfortunate incidents that added up to about $4K.
I grew up with dogs as did my wife. So life would seem empty w/o them, but it can get expensive.
We had a Bernese in my teen age years. He was rescued from the streets. Literally followed my girlfriend (now my wife) and I home when we were on a walk. Small for a Bernese, about 70lbs. Sweet, wonderful dog. He did become protective of my parents as they got older.
Do lots of research. I think I would take the time to become a foster and see if it is really for you.
cd : O)
We have done adoptions and we have done purebreds.
We have had two labs. Wonderful dogs. First one lived about 9-years, we got her when she was 18-months old. She was a rescue and the most well trained rescue we have ever had. Our second lab, a Silver Lab, we have had since she was a puppy. Lots of expensive skin issues. Medicine is about $250/mo. She is now about 10 1/2.
We had a Basset and she probably would have been great as an only dog, but didn't really do well with other dogs.
We have a Great Dane that is 2-years old. Never thought we would have one. She was gifted to us. Drooling hasn't been a big issue. Grate Dane's love their people and want to be with them and in their lap at all times. She is small for Great Dane, 105 lbs. Her brothers are 180+. They have short life spans 6 to 10 years. She eats about 6 cups of food a day. You can lean on them. But, they will lean against you as well.
We rescued a Kelpie which has probably been one of our best dogs ever. She is smart as a whip. About 60 lbs.
Vet Bills can be a serious problem, and I would make sure you have the monthly income to afford them. We took care of our son's Husky for a couple of years and she had meds that were about $300/mo and we had two unfortunate incidents that added up to about $4K.
I grew up with dogs as did my wife. So life would seem empty w/o them, but it can get expensive.
We had a Bernese in my teen age years. He was rescued from the streets. Literally followed my girlfriend (now my wife) and I home when we were on a walk. Small for a Bernese, about 70lbs. Sweet, wonderful dog. He did become protective of my parents as they got older.
Do lots of research. I think I would take the time to become a foster and see if it is really for you.
cd : O)
A thousand times this (the bolded!) The OP is all over the map as to what kind of dog to get and since the OP is a first time dog owner, fostering is the best way to go.
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