I have worked with animals a lot and I have my own opinion on this, but I’d like input from some other people. We are considering getting a dog. I have always gotten shelter pets and generally prefer mixed breeds for health and personality issues, so I’d also like to know what breed mix might be best. Here’s what the ideal dog would be: small to medium sized dog with a big dog personality, great with kids and other pets, very trainable, playful and active, but not hyper, a breed that doesn’t have a history of health problems.
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February 28th, 2010 at 5:08 am
The “best” dog is a very subjective question. In my opinion, when choosing a dog that will fit well with your family you need to consider a laundry list of traits:
watchdog tendencies / loves anyone
never barks / only barks at strangers / barks at everything
very trainable / difficult to train
needs lots of exercise / couch potato
needs daily brushing / could use an annual spray with the garden hose
child friendly / adults only
These are just the basics. I would recommend any of the many dog selection sites available on the web. You choose your answer to questions like those above and they recommend a selection of breeds that fit your needs.http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htmhttp://www.petnet.com.au/dogselectapet.h…http://www.glowdog.com/bestdog/
February 28th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Gerald: A Husky?! They are big, not good with kids because of their sheer strength and prey drive. There was an incident last year where a SH killed a newborn child thinking it was a squeaky toy. Something like 90% of the Huskys that go into the HA are in there for killing the family pet. They are stubborn to train and hyper as anything. Do your research!
I’d suggest possibly a Golden Retriever mix. They’re normally great with kids (of course this depends on the dog itself), active and playful, although they do have a history of Dysplacia, which can be prevented (to some point) by limiting the amount he/she jumps off things, runs up stairs, not overexercising as a puppy, etc.
Good luck on your pup!
February 28th, 2010 at 9:07 am
For me,i would prefer Golden Retriever because its very friendly with owner and also with kids,playful dog…easily can trained,so adorable and looks like “Teddy Bear”…you will feel better & very happy whenever you be with Golden Retriever….this breed comes under canine group…As a owner,i also has 3 years old golden retriever dog & everyday i spend at least 2hours with him once i came back home from college..I always had great time with him…Golden Retriever also can be Guard Dog…other than this breed,you may choose German Shepherd,labrador retriever or Collie.This type of dogs also very intelligent & easily can trained…But very sure that Golden Retriever can be your best friend & brings you to new World..They always be loyal to their owner.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
i have had a wide range of larger dogs and i loved them all the same! but i just added a beagle to the family that i got when he was 8 weeks old, he is now 6 months old and was the easies dog to house train and he is just one loving dog with much respect toward me , my wife, and one year old daughter. so in my opinion i would have to say beagles are a great dog. and not to mention my dog shows no aggression toward any person and or pets, and has plenty of energy and play in him.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
For me, the best dog to get is the siberian husky, if its too expensive for you, you can just buy a german shepherd or labrador, because these dogs that i have mentioned was a police dog. or it can be trained easily.
February 28th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
This would be a personal choice, try visiting the shelter several times and you will likely see the dog for you and your family.
February 28th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Hi,
Check this out to help you find a dog breed that is best for you:http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/s3s
March 1st, 2010 at 1:38 am
Retriever have an excellent temperament, gentle and protective with kids and other pets, and agreat personality.
If you are selective and search around you can find labs that are medium size. You can estimate how big a puppy will get by taking a look at their parents. Labs are typically playful and active untill they are older. Labs are quite receptive to training, in fact they are prized for their trainability. They can be hyper, but good training easily addressed this Overbreeding can result in health issues but not as common as in rarer breeds. I have had three labs and only one had health issues and only after she was 17 years old. I suggest looking for a Lab mix with a breed of the same chararacteristics. Avoid Labs bred with aggressive breeds like German Shepherds, Dobermans, etc. or overly hyper breeds like Dalmatians, Greyhounds, Shepherding Dog Breeds, etc. I have had experience with both and the former make excellent Guard Dogs, while the later make great Sled Dogs. Good lab mixes would be Poodle or other dogs of good temperament and trainability. The smaller the mixed breed, the smaller the lab mix will be.
Females will tend to be more protective and smaller than males, so they might be preferable for you needs.
I have had a lot of experience trying to train other breeds and Labs are usually the smartest and quickest to pick up the fundamental.
March 1st, 2010 at 2:00 am
A WELL BRED MINATURE/MEDIUM LABRADOODLE IS A GOOD CROSS BREED DOG.IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THE TRAITS OF THE PARENTS BEFORE CHOSSING SO YOU KNOW IF THE DOG WILL BE HYPER ETC.
BLUE HEALER MIX IS STILL SMALL AND GREAT FAMILY PET VERY OBEDIENT.I WOULD SAY FOR A PURE BRED GO WITH A MINITURE SHNAUZER OR SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER.THE WHEATENS MAKE GREAT INDOOR PETS.AND THEY DON’T SHED,LIKE THE SHNAUZER.
CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW.WE HAVE A LABRADOODLE AND SHE IS A GREAT ALL AROUND
DOG.I AM PARTIAL TO PITT BULLS MY SELF,BUT YOU HAVE TO GET ONE FROM GOOD STOCK THAT HAS NOT BEEN OVER BRED.
LIhttp://dogs.about.com/cs/gallery/a/photo… THE SHNAUSER
March 1st, 2010 at 4:03 am
We got our dog at a rescue shelter, and she has been a wonderful pet. She’s very bright and learns tricks and commands easily and has plenty of energy to keep up with 2 very active kids. She is great with our kids and our cats and is friendly when people come to visit without jumping all over them. She is protective of our children though. She is a great medium-sized family dog. I love her, and I’m really more of a cat person, but she has been a great addition to our family.http://cdca.org/ This may give you more information on the breed. Ours is a rescue dog, but she looks exactly like the black and white pure breeds on the site.