Why do I want a dog now..!

I always swore that I would never want a dog. Now, I am not so sure. I loathe it when people own dogs that are annoying, untrained barking machines and do not want to fall into that trap. What I would really want eventually is a big, low-energy dog that would also be good for home defense.
Some breeds that I was considering are German Sheps, Dobermans, and Rotties. It might not be that soon until we would get one, but I am just shooting for ideas about this. My biggest bone of contention; my husband! He swears up and down that while he loves others' dogs, he would never want one. He has bad tastes in his mouth because we know of so many people who either let their dogs walk all over them, or have too many for their space and finances and let them run amok.
But.. Mark owned an English bulldog years ago. He loved that dog.. even though it was so lazy that halfway into a walk, he would just stop and sit panting and had to be carried home :) But Herman was dog-napped from Mark about a year before we started dating.. and he has not had a dog since. Maybe my leverage would be to look into getting a puppy and seeing what breeds he likes too? I know that we both dislike super-high-energy breeds and smaller dogs, as he would have to double as a home-security provider; otherwise we would just get another cat. My cat would nuzzle and beg an intruder for food! Granted, we have cameras for security; this is not the main reason we would get the dog..
I figure. Our landlord is ok with us having the horses.. so a dog would not be much more of an addition in the grand scheme of things. If we move, we already need to et a place that accomodates horses.. so space is not an issue in that way. There is even an unused dog-run fenced off with the garage attached, where he/she could get some nice exercise in yet still be prevented from running off into the woods. :) Your thoughts? My dream dog wold be one of those huge Rotties that are trained in Germany to attack and be called-off.. but we are not millionaires yet..
I have dog experience. I taught my mom's Golden how to be housebroken in one week flat, and can teach sitting, staying, lying tricks, etc. So a good mind to learn would be an asset too for a dog we would consider.. but I am not a fan of longer-haired breeds for housecleaning (by no means appearance; they are beautiful) reasons!

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I always swore that I would never want a dog. Now, I am not so sure. I loathe it when people own dogs that are annoying, untrained barking machines and do not want to fall into that trap. What I would really want eventually is a big, low-energy dog that would also be good for home defense.
Some breeds that I was considering are German Sheps, Dobermans, and Rotties. It might not be that soon until we would get one, but I am just shooting for ideas about this. My biggest bone of contention; my husband! He swears up and down that while he loves others' dogs, he would never want one. He has bad tastes in his mouth because we know of so many people who either let their dogs walk all over them, or have too many for their space and finances and let them run amok.
But.. Mark owned an English bulldog years ago. He loved that dog.. even though it was so lazy that halfway into a walk, he would just stop and sit panting and had to be carried home :) But Herman was dog-napped from Mark about a year before we started dating.. and he has not had a dog since. Maybe my leverage would be to look into getting a puppy and seeing what breeds he likes too? I know that we both dislike super-high-energy breeds and smaller dogs, as he would have to double as a home-security provider; otherwise we would just get another cat. My cat would nuzzle and beg an intruder for food! Granted, we have cameras for security; this is not the main reason we would get the dog..
I figure. Our landlord is ok with us having the horses.. so a dog would not be much more of an addition in the grand scheme of things. If we move, we already need to et a place that accomodates horses.. so space is not an issue in that way. There is even an unused dog-run fenced off with the garage attached, where he/she could get some nice exercise in yet still be prevented from running off into the woods. :) Your thoughts? My dream dog wold be one of those huge Rotties that are trained in Germany to attack and be called-off.. but we are not millionaires yet..
I have dog experience. I taught my mom's Golden how to be housebroken in one week flat, and can teach sitting, staying, lying tricks, etc. So a good mind to learn would be an asset too for a dog we would consider.. but I am not a fan of longer-haired breeds for housecleaning (by no means appearance; they are beautiful) reasons!

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German Shepards are the BEST :] haha I love my rocco

I love them. Our LLord had his until it had to be put down for liver problems, but he was an old dog by then.. still had life and character by the truckload. He was not afraid of anything; I once saw him take on a fox..! He had to be reined in and confined to a fenced-in yard after contracting mange from it though.. boy was he an awesome dog. Out here though, the safest thing is to fence them in.. there are too many dangers. Coyotes, the possibility of mountain lions.. or diseased from raccoons or groundhogs.. I definately am keeping that in mind.

Well, a lot of the protection type breeds need a LOT of training. An untrained German shepherd can be a nightmare (I live next door to two that bark non-stop at us) they are also prone to temperament problems (shyness, fear biting etc)

If you like the look of the GSD, consider a few similar breeds.. the Belgian malinois, Belgian sheepdog, and Belgian tervuren.. as well as the Shiloh shepherd.

I can't say enough good things about dobermans.. I have never met one I didn't like. One of my friends owns one, he is the BEST trained dog I know. They're super sensitive to their owners' wishes and just really sweet dogs.

I personally do not trust rottweilers. If you got one definitely get it from a good reputable breeder of show/working dogs. I was attacked by one when I was 4 (not harmed but it sure was scary having a 100lb dog knock you over and pin you down!) and when I was older they had them at the barn I rode at and they'd try to corner you and growl at you. Also, one of my co-workers was bitten on the neck by one (I work at a grooming salon) ..she has a good scar from that one. We've had several aggressive rotties come in.

Another option is the various mastiff breeds. Definitely low key dogs, but they are devoted guardians. The old English mastiff (aka just mastiff) is known as the 'gamekeepers night dog'. They instinctively know (properly cultivated with socialization and training) just how much is needed to avert an attacker. They are the sweetest (and biggest) dogs out there. English mastiffs and bullmastiffs are the most common, however dogue de bordeaux (French mastiff) are seen more often nowdays as well

Farm guardian breeds like the great Pyrenees are a good choice too (lots of hair though)

That'll give you a few ideas.

You have all that land.................get YO self a doggie girl!


oh yeah! Italian Mastiff (Cane Corso) my Favorite check'em out

Personally I think all the dogs that you mentioned are great, Jen. I have a GSD mix, but have had pure bred GSD in the past and they have all been wonderful. And I have not met a Dobie or Rott that I have not liked. And like others have suggested, gotta love the Mastiffs (although my 2 personal mastiff faves are the Alpine Mastiff (St. Bernard) and the Neapolitan Mastiff). The key with any dog is Training Training Training, and any dog can learn basic stuff right from the start.
So stick with training, giving your dog a "job" to do (based on the particulars of whatever breed you choose), and not letting it get away with stuff and you should have a totally wonderful obedient dog.

Man i would love to have a german shepard. Or a doberman.

Thanks for the words of advice :) Shelby, your opinion is great too b/c I know that you work with all types of dogs. I love my uncle's dobie; unfortunately he is getting older but also has some hip problems and now I guess that he has a tumorous growth also.. he does not have long to go, but he is literally the best dog I have ever met. He is huge; a small kid could ride him around like a horse I think.. but always there with a friendly lickin' of your hand.. and he has his tail intact, which means that you will get smacked with it, lol. I knew of two other dobies in my life. One, was at the barn where I learned to ride; she was trained to be a guard-type dog and I just remember as a kid being told to stay away from her; we really didn't cross paths but she was on the smaller side and seemed pretty nasty. The other one, a few of our friends inherited when they bought a house and he was there; he had hip problems too.. he was supposed to be this "vicious guard dog" as the house had been used for, of all things, a brothel before being shut down by the law for many, many violations.. but I did not know.. just got out of the car, went in the gate and pet the dog, and he was fine.. then later they're like "oh, that dog attacks people!" ::eyeroll:: I wish I could have taken him home, he was sucha sweetie..
So I would most definately get one from an awesome breeder. This does not seem like the kind of dog that you should get from a "ghetto" breeder..
A friend of ours had a rottie, and I did get an uneasy feeling about him; seemed like he did not know when to leave you alone and back off.. Granted, this guy was not an expert trainer, but still.. it seemed like something in the dog himself. He was also an intact male.. so I would not rule the breed out because of that, but they do seem a bit more energetic.
I actually like Pits. Our cousin has one who is a really sweet natured dog who is also not neutered.. but Mark thinks that they have a thug-type image.. I could try to convince him otherwise. Like, just because drug dealers might drive a Nissan pickup (his truck) would he not like his truck because of that? lol..

Check out this link...it will help you decide ;) http://warrenreptiles.com/gallery/ma...?g2_itemId=635

These are a bunch of "cutesy" pics of our dogs, my wife took most of them. As much as it looks like it...we don't let our dogs walk on us but we also did not do strict training with them. The jack russel is actually better at recognizing things and doing what she is supposed to before being told. We have extreme opposites in dogs: the mostly lazy let me sleep all day redbone coon hound and the energizer puppy jack russel. The russel's require a certain type of attention as all dogs. Ours is a good girl mostly and not one of those annoying yappers. The hound is content to sleep or sprawl when she is in the house. She loves walks and will run around the yard chasing the little one. The russel is a fetch o'holic and recently learned to catch frisbee which is alot of fun. Between the nose on the hound and the size and ambition of the russel I will never have to worry about escaped rodents LOL. Here's something funny...our russel can howl...yep that's right HOWL. We had the hound first so the russel has learned to mimick some of her traits. It's funny when we do let them get noisy and entice them to hear that little dog howl.

Your dogs look very healthy and happy :) I know that you said your wife trains horses.. I have noticed that it seems like 99% of the horse people out there have dogs. (I am the 1% that does not, hehe.) I know that they are different to train, but similar also.. like horses, dogs are capable of severely injuring their handlers when not trained properly (let alone on a good day ;).. Whether it'd be 1000 lbs. of horse rolling on me, or 100 lbs. of dog biting into my arm..
I am going to start working on the hubby :) See, I spend alot of time home alone after work, etc. I always have a gun handy, but a gun can't play fetch, tilt its head cutely and play dead..

Well you can't go wrong with any of those dogs, i have a golden right now but he's super active lol...but we have 7 rotties in our house in mexico that were trained as command guard dogs but they also double as pets and they are the sweetest dogs ever, you just have to give them a lot of affection and a lot of people are afraid of them because of the bad reputation they've gotten same with dobbies...my next door neighboor here owns two doberman show dogs, they are the most beautiful dogs i've ever seen and they have a gentle disposition...but yea as long as you train them well they should be fine...i'd go with the rotts just because i've had a lot of experience with them and the puppies are really cute lol

I was thinking about this too.. how many horse owners have dogs also. Horses are awesome animals.. but they don't get as close to humans generally as dogs can. For one, it is pretty tough to have a horse lying around in your living room :) But in general, and certainly in my horses' cases, they are not cuddly, affectionate animals. Some might be, but mine are more content to eat and play amongst themselves.. see, a dog would be something I could interact with more. I am not saying that the horses are something to be ignored.. they are going into training this spring. This year was too much with the wedding and all, but we will change their loafing habits this spring :)
So.. anymore hints on working my loving husband over with? :) I casually planted the seed this morning about getting a dog.. but if he is dead-set against it, I would not get one.. we share this house equally and it would not be good for anyone involved.
Another consideration is our cat.. but I think that he'd be fine. mark's sis brings her Aussie shepherd over alot and they generally sniff noses and he/she both move on.. but another cat would get pummelled!

Personally, I would say go with a bullmastiff or english mastiff if you want something a little larger. They are awesome dogs with wonderful character, however they still do need some training otherwise thats a lot of out of control dog. Make sure you socialize the heck out of them so they are people friendly (which is mostly in their nature anyways), they are great family dogs, and WONDERFUL with kids. Just seeing a large menacing looking dog should be enough to deter people from wandering on our property. lol

The downfall of these large breeds, medical problems and a shorter lifespan...:(

reediculous - Cane corsos are my favorite mastiff too.

Pits are great dogs.. they get such a bad rap that they really don't deserve.

My friend who owns the doberman also trains horses.. when I asked her how she trained Renegade (her dobie) so well, she said she uses the same techniques she uses with horses.

If you like the mastiff-type, consider a boerboel.
Ginevieve, the breeder I describe in your Dobie thread is a boerboel guy. These dogs are incredible...steady, calm, quiet, smart, and astonshingly athletic for their size...his 120lb chunky-butt (muscle, not fat) girl went right over a six-foot chainlink fence (show me an English or bullmastiff who can do that without getting out of breath).

We met all of his dogs...not one barked as we came up to the property, and every last one was calm and gentle and affectionate. They were clearly eager for attention, but not the least bit pushy about it. They were smart, well-trained, and responsive to his commands. I absolutely fell in love...and I know he's not local to you, but he does ship. ;-) His main girl is loose next to a busy road with cows on one side and horses on the other, and was absolutely fine...they are not a stock-chasing breed. She has a kitten that sleeps on her!
However, the guy he swaps bloodstock with uses them to work cows and says one dog can grab a charging steer by the head and put it on the ground...and I'd believe it. They sound like a great fit for your environment.

Cons: A sudden spike in popularity means that a lot of dogs with poor temperament and bad hips are suddenly on the market. It can be tough to find a good breeder. They can be dominant...you need to get them into obedience and stay on top of them as puppies, or they can try to challenge you as adults.

Boerboels are really cool.. they're too squishy-faced for me though.

Rhodesian ridgebacks are cool too, but you need to find a good breeder with them to avoid temperament problems.

They're not all squishy-faced...the breeder we met said the ones with flatter faces aren't any good at work because they overheat too easily. He's breeding ones with longer noses. He's all about solid function. :-)

Check out his gallery of adults:
http://members.aol.com/jblack132/boerboel/boerboel.html

They look so chunky, and then when you see them move...strong, fluid, athletic...nothing like you'd imagine from a still photograph. :-)

When we buy a house and I can have another dog I want a Argentinian mastiff. They are incredible dogs, I have read, and read about them. I have always wanted some sort of mastiff but this one just blows me away every time I see it. Weird though, I never liked all white dogs that much until I saw this one, well except my Great Pyrenees.


Also known as the Dogo Mastiff
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/dogo.htm

Jen, maybe check out this link for dog shows in your area. If you want a purebred then talk to breeders about the pro's and con's of various breeds.

http://www.infodog.com/panels/ny.htm

Back that up with your own research about health concerns, exercise levels, coat care, etc.

Figure out what would work best for your specific situation...you live on a farm so a dog could get lots of running space, but you want one that easily responds to commands to return, not a runner like many of the northern sled breeds are for instance. You want a breed that can get along with your horses but not run/herd them, so perhaps something like an australian cattle dog might not be a good choice. Because of the horses and issues with coyotes a tiny breed might be a poor choice because it's at risk for death or injury. Since you are often alone on the farm you might want a dog with a more natural guarding instinct. Labs are great dogs on farms and with kids for instance but don't tend to be much good as a guard dog (they tend to lick burlgar then beg for a ride in their truck with your stuff LOL). How much time and money would you want to have to put aside for coat maintenance. For me, I just don't like that too much so I prefer dogs with low coat requirements. You like in an area that gets very cold and very snowy...what breed can be outside for a walk in that climate and not suffer for it. That sort of stuff.

Since Mark's on the wall a bit on this issue perhaps making it a goal as a couple....to list breeds you both like...then find which one works best for you two, your family, your living situation. Then you can decide if you'd prefer a puppy or perhaps a nice adult from a rescue. Breed specific rescues are often the best place...you get a dog that's out of that irritating puppy stage, they all are health and temperment checked, often they have their basic obedience already done and the rescue will help you decide if in fact that breed is suited to your home. Most rescues really strive for a good "fit" so you can take a few visits, walk the dog, maybe even be allowed to take it on lead near your horses and cat to see if it's safe that way, really take the time to decide if there's a good situation there. For a working couple like you and Mark a puppy that needs constant care at first might be more hassle than it's worth.

Great points Jo.. I m thinking that we would go with a "teenage" dog rather than a puppy.. While pups can be great fun, I know that they can be more demanding. I dealt with my mom's dog, now 9-10, when I did not work and lived at home.. I do not have that luxury of time now. Also, they are more marketable generally.. I would rather get a dog that's a little bit older that might not have an easier time of finding a home as a youngster does. But I might shy away from a much older dog, because I guess that the larger breeds have shorter lifespans.. This is how we got our cat; we passed up the kittens at the SPCA that were more easily adopted (everyone around us there looking.. had to have a kitten...) And I actually have my doubts as to how old our cat is; by their accounts he should be 13 now (got him when he was 8) but he does not seem that old!
I love GSDs too.. they are a breed that Mark likes. I adore the sled breeds but I know that they are bred to run, run, run.. I worked with one for a little while when my mom was at the pound choosing a dog and boy did that dog wanna run! For me personally after my research, it'd come down to either a doberman, or a GSD. But the hairiness of the GSD is a little more of a turn off; while I love the looks of longhaired animals, I see how muhc my mom deals with extreme hairiness on her floors with 2 longhairs; a golden and shepherd mix!
Anyone a fan of crate training? I was wondering how dobermans take to that.. I know that some people love it and some despise it. I know people who both crate and let their dogs have free-range of the house; seems like free-rangers have more of a tendency to get into things that they shouldn't regardless of how you try to prevent that. My mom's cat knocked a can of pineapple juice off her fridge, and her Golden bit through it and was lapping up the juice!!!

I would recommend some of the mastiff breeds. I have owned a Mastiff, French Mastiff (Doug De Bordeaux), St Bernard (Swiss mastiff). A lot of the mastiff breeds tend to be more low key, but you can also get them excited and hyper (although they don't stay hyper for very long)

In terms of Pits. I love them, but if you're looking for a dog that's not hyper, you may need to stay away from them. Pit bulls tend to have a lot of energy so that's something you may want to think about. :)

For me Jen crate training is always a must with a puppy. Our dogs as they matured had a crate to retreat into but it was more of their choice, their "den" and the door was always left open with their old blanket in there. It gave them a place to get away from the kids more than anything (the kids were "crate trained" too...if the dog went into her crate...you must not bother her).

I don't like seeing big mature dogs crated for long hours, I just can't see how that's terribly good for their joints if they can't leave the crate and move about freely. We did use baby gates when we left the dogs at home. They could have easily scaled them but Labs tend to be very rule oriented dogs and they knew they weren't allowed to do so.

The people that bred our Lab Maggie had the best setup I think I've ever seen for a farm dog. They attached a big run to the side of their barn, with a doggie door into an unused stall. Maggie's mom and the pups could exit outside for fresh air and confined exercise but head back into the nice warm stall with it's deep bedding if the weather wasn't nice. When the farmer wasn't busy they came out of their pen of course and had free run time and a daily trip to the pond on the farm weather allowing. They were also brought into the house, a few pups at a time with their mother for some house manners training. Because they lived basically with the stock, they never thought to chase them or bother them at all. What a great life for a dog! Maggie was likely the best adjusted, most calm and easy to deal with pup I've ever owned. I think her lifestyle when she was still a nursing pup helped instill that in her.

When it comes to purebreds I tend to like this type of breeder over someone that is a pure "show breeder". Maggie was a great example of her breed but not papered.