How to choose a dog . . .

Cherry Blossom

How does a person go about choosing a dog? I have a sort of a shortlist - load of options, any of which I will be perfectly happy with in the long run but for some reason it doesn't seem to make the decision making process any easier!

Rescue vs Ethical breeder
Restricted breed vs gundog vs terrier vs hound vs other
Size, coat maintenance and so on
What do I actually want to do with it?

I'm going to have to get little pieces of paper out and make lists of pros and cons. The problem is I'm not bothered about maintaining coats, sheding, even what I want to do with it because I will adapt to suit the dog and get on with the rest of my life whatever I end up with. I know what I don't want, but have no clue how to decide outside of that. Does anyone else have this problem? :rolleyes:

SophieSakura

I don't really have that problem I have a little list in my head of a few breeds I definitely want to get someday!

theghost

You may think you know what you don't want, but you may find that's just what you end up getting. I was never fond of Jack Russels and always said they were the last dog I'd have until I went to a rescue centre to find a companion for the eldest dog and fell in love with and adopted a three-legged Jack Russell cross.

Shanao

I'd say I was a good twentyfour months trying to decide on what kind of dog I wanted. All I knew was that I had always had a softspot for Giant breeds so wanted to go with one of them. I'd say I spent at least six months 'getting' a great dane, but eventually i started to contact a few different breeders of different dogs and it wasn't until last October that I had finally made up my mind when I met my pup's parents. What I ended up with certainly wasn't what I thought I would, but I couldn't imagine having any other dog now.

Cherry Blossom

theghost wrote: »

You may think you know what you don't want, but you may find that's just what you end up getting.

I'm sure I know what I don't want I don't want a couch potato not being one myself, there are a few breeds that don't appeal to me, a few I wouldn't touch because I think it's a travesty that they exist in the first place and a few that have so many health issues and are so common I have no wish to inadvertantly promote the breed any further as a person who will have the dog 'out and about' a lot. A giant/very big dog wouldn't be the best companion for my current dog and I would prefer to own my own house with what I would deem a big enough garden before I would even consider a giant breed and that won't happen in the forseeable future.

It's good to know I'm not the only one though

Whispered

Like you I knew we'd adapt to whatever dog we ended up with. We knew what we didn't want and outside of that, we fostered until we just couldn't let one go. Our priorities in order were: 1. Rescue 2. Not tiny 3. a mutt. We ended up with Harley. Then stopped fostering for 2 years, thinking it wouldn't be fair on Harley, but started again recently and he's adapted no problem. It might be something you could think of trying.

It's not an ideal option for many people, but it worked for us and we helped a few others along the way. But other people have different priorities. Eg you might need to avoid breeds commonly "known" to be difficult to control offlead as it may be around horses? We didn't need to take any of that into account.

Shanao

Actually the fostering is a really good idea especially when there are so many pedigrees in rescue now. We fostered a doberman and a st bernard, and they were two breeds I had been considering, but after the few weeks that we had them, I decided against them. It'll give you a taste of what the breed is like at least.

TooManyDogs

I've ended up getting my 6 dogs for various reasons

- 1st dog was a stray and just stuck
- 2nd dog we wanted to be a medium sized bitch with enough energy to keep up with number 1
- 3rd dog was a large dog so I could compete in large agility cos I got addicted to agility with numbers 1 & 2
- 4th was a puppy cos I'd never had a puppy, and another large dog for agility
- 5th was a failed foster, hubby simply couldn't let go but out of 30 odd fosters only having 1 failure isn't bad!!
- 6th was because I wanted the challange of training a deaf dog and with any luck competing in agility with her and proving disabled dogs are just as good!

So no clear pattern other than they're all rescue dogs and all mutts. If I was choosing again it would definitely be dogs who could compete in agility so that rules out some breeds I really like .Like AJ there are some breeds simply don't appeal.

Cherry Blossom

Does anyone have any decent links to sites that tell you what you should consider when getting a dog?

Fostering isn't an option while I'm still here basicly because mother dearest would never agree to it unfortunately. As soon as I'm not here I'll have a landlord to consider, I'll also be at work 8 hours a day, 4 hours at a time (flexible working hours) so probably still wouldn't be the best environment for a foster so I'm fairly sure I'll have to rule out that option.

mymo

So you're looking for a medium size, active dog breed?

Springer or springer cross would be my thoughts with your working hours. They can be very energetic and will just snooze once given a good walk, so suit the 4 hr at work times. Great companions and will go anywhere with you, loads in rescues too.

Collie or collie cross would also be good, needs bit more stimulation than springer(but should be fine if well exercised) but similar otherwise. Also loads in rescues.

Both fairly healthy breeds, and plentiful, you could have your choice (only problem is stopping yourself from taking them all home).

caseyann

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

How does a person go about choosing a dog? I have a sort of a shortlist - load of options, any of which I will be perfectly happy with in the long run but for some reason it doesn't seem to make the decision making process any easier!

Rescue vs Ethical breeder
Restricted breed vs gundog vs terrier vs hound vs other
Size, coat maintenance and so on
What do I actually want to do with it?

I'm going to have to get little pieces of paper out and make lists of pros and cons. The problem is I'm not bothered about maintaining coats, sheding, even what I want to do with it because I will adapt to suit the dog and get on with the rest of my life whatever I end up with. I know what I don't want, but have no clue how to decide outside of that. Does anyone else have this problem? :rolleyes:

Add to your list are you high energy person or low energy person.What dog personality suits your needs and you will suit theirs.
If you get a high energy dog and dont walk it run it every day you are going to be sorry.
Another thin long hair is a night mare and dog hairs everywhere.

Try this out
http://dogtime.com/matchup/start

caseyann

My top five dogs


Anatolian Shepherd Dog
or Anatolian Shepherd Dog mix
Why?
Bold, calm, and rugged, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog fiercely protects his own.

Black Russian Terrier
or Black Russian Terrier mix
Why?
Developed by the Soviet Army, the Black Russian Terrier is the perfect working dog.

Doberman Pinscher
or Doberman Pinscher mix
Why?
Noble and athletic, the Doberman Pinscher is a courageous guardian.

German Pinscher
or German Pinscher mix
Why?
With the energy and drive of all working breeds, the German Pinscher also displays the love and devotion that make him an outstanding companion.

Great Dane
or Great Dane mix
Why?
Very large but very gentle, this is truly a great dog.


And what happens to be one of my favourite breeds the pincher's .

Cherry Blossom

mymo wrote: »

So you're looking for a medium size, active dog breed?

Springer or springer cross would be my thoughts with your working hours. They can be very energetic and will just snooze once given a good walk, so suit the 4 hr at work times. Great companions and will go anywhere with you, loads in rescues too.

Collie or collie cross would also be good, needs bit more stimulation than springer(but should be fine if well exercised) but similar otherwise. Also loads in rescues.

Both fairly healthy breeds, and plentiful, you could have your choice (only problem is stopping yourself from taking them all home).

Funny story - spaniels and collies along with most toy breeds, dalmations, poodles, boxers and jack russells are the ones that don't really appeal . Therefore I haven't really looked into them.

I'm now thinking - doberman, some sort of gsd cross (with a smaller dog), japanese spitz, sammoyed, sheltie, or some description of hound.




I'm going to end up with a working springer aren't I? :pac:

caseyann

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Funny story - spaniels and collies along with most toy breeds, dalmations, poodles, boxers and jack russells are the ones that don't really appeal . Therefore I haven't really looked into them.

I'm now thinking - doberman, some sort of gsd cross (with a smaller dog), japanese spitz, sammoyed, sheltie, or some description of hound.






I'm going to end up with a working springer aren't I? :pac:

Springers are amazing dogs,along with retrieval they are great for beaches and running all sports with you.Swimming etc..
But also its the training and time you put into any dog.
Doberman are wow dogs to my personal favourite and GSD to.
I would go up and check out your local rescue centers and get a feel for the dogs around there.
They do usually try to match the dog with the owner.

Cherry Blossom

caseyann wrote: »

Add to your list are you high energy person or low energy person.

The clue is in the username The vizsla eventually got crossed off the list as possibly being a little more than I could be bothered to deal with every single day :P

caseyann wrote: »

Try this out
http://dogtime.com/matchup/start

I tried a few of those things but just keep ticking little boxes that say - not a consideration and getting 200 results

mystika121

I never seem to get to pick a dog - they pick me!

Mine are all recues that were in dire need of help.

mymo

AH, well if I'd seen that list first I'd say Sheltie, definitely.
Great dogs and they are quite healthy (and gorgeous, and perfect size for hugs:D)
My second choice would be the Japanese Spitz, my friend has one and she is the sweetest little thing(also my daughters fav).

I'm afraid I'm hopelessly gone on the Tibetan Terrier, I'd have 10 if I had the money to keep them all, the best dogs ever, I even kept my fella in full coat for a while but he's trimmed now and easy to manage. The only problem is he's mad as a hatter and has two speeds, sleeping and full speed ahead. Will cope with 10 min walk or go for 5 hours at a time, very clever and playful, but hates to be alone. As he proved today you can never trust their training, for months now he's come back to me every time he's been called no matter what or who he saw, then today he chased a lady with two dogs for a play, ignored me completely:rolleyes:thankfully her dogs were delighted with the game.

There was a gorgeous Dobbie (chocolate)bitch up for rehoming on irish animals and I think a male too.

Cherry Blossom

I just did that thing and I got this list!

caseyann wrote: »

My top five dogs
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Black Russian Terrier
Doberman Pinscher
German Pinscher
Great Dane

mymo wrote: »

AH, well if I'd seen that list first I'd say Sheltie, definitely.
Great dogs and they are quite healthy (and gorgeous, and perfect size for hugs:D)
My second choice would be the Japanese Spitz, my friend has one and she is the sweetest little thing(also my daughters fav).

I'm afraid I'm hopelessly gone on the Tibetan Terrier, I'd have 10 if I had the money to keep them all, the best dogs ever, I even kept my fella in full coat for a while but he's trimmed now and easy to manage. The only problem is he's mad as a hatter and has two speeds, sleeping and full speed ahead. Will cope with 10 min walk or go for 5 hours at a time, very clever and playful, but hates to be alone. As he proved today you can never trust their training, for months now he's come back to me every time he's been called no matter what or who he saw, then today he chased a lady with two dogs for a play, ignored me completely:rolleyes:thankfully her dogs were delighted with the game.

There was a gorgeous Dobbie (chocolate)bitch up for rehoming on irish animals and I think a male too.

I already have a terrier that doesn't come back so it would be quite nice to have something that will! :pac:

I still not convinced on the Dobbie, I'm afraid I might be a bit too soft . I'm going to look into the springers a bit more. I think I'd def. prefare a male.

Is there any truth in the story that long haired males get urine stains unless clipped?

ISDW

caseyann wrote: »

My top five dogs


Anatolian Shepherd Dog
or Anatolian Shepherd Dog mix
Why?
Bold, calm, and rugged, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog fiercely protects his own.

Black Russian Terrier
or Black Russian Terrier mix
Why?
Developed by the Soviet Army, the Black Russian Terrier is the perfect working dog.

Doberman Pinscher
or Doberman Pinscher mix
Why?
Noble and athletic, the Doberman Pinscher is a courageous guardian.

German Pinscher
or German Pinscher mix
Why?
With the energy and drive of all working breeds, the German Pinscher also displays the love and devotion that make him an outstanding companion.

Great Dane
or Great Dane mix
Why?
Very large but very gentle, this is truly a great dog.


And what happens to be one of my favourite breeds the pincher's .

Hmmmm, either we have very, very similar personalities, or they send the same 5 dogs to just about everyone, thats identical to what came up for me.

Cherry Blossom

mystika121 wrote: »

I never seem to get to pick a dog - they pick me!

Mine are all recues that were in dire need of help.

As well as the fact that I won't be at home 8 hours a day, I already have 3 horses fitting this description that take up huge amounts of time and 4 very young kids visiting regularly and vice versa. So in doggy terms something that can easily slot in would suit me, my current dog and the new dog better than something in need of a lot of rehabilitation. Realisticly it's just not something that would be feasable in my case.

Whispered

I got the same list....

annascott

If you get a small or medium sized dog, once he/she is bathroom trained, you could always take him/her with you to work in your car. (provided there is shade to park in when it is sunny) that way, you can let him out for bathroom breaks during the day. I do that with my little companion, who by the way was a little surprise and nothing like the dog that I had planned to get. After a shaky start where I spent the first few weeks looking for another home for her (she was a present, also a rescue puppy and 'challenging' to say the least!) we bonded and within six months I loved her as if she was my own child. Now, 5 years later, I still love her more than words can say. We get along extraordinarily well and she never puts a paw wrong. Her loyalty and intelligence are amazing and I feel priviledged to have her in my life each day. You get out of them what you put in. If you train them each day with love, encouragement and reward , they will grow to trust you unconditionally and in turn be a wonderfully loyal companion.

Don't get too hung up on a breed. Go for personality.

Good luck.

AS

Officer Giggles

dogbreedinfo.com helped me a great deal when I was looking at what dog to get, they have a find the perfect dog tool aswell which might help

mymo

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Is there any truth in the story that long haired males get urine stains unless clipped?

Yes there is, it depends on what you feed and the dog, some foods I have tried made it worse, presume its to do with ph of urine. My dog is mostly white and gets a slight discolouring around that area, just a little pinkish tinge to the hair there. Its just a bit at the tip, I wouldn't worry about it.

pH

I have 2 spingers myself, and I'd recommend a working Springer for anyone.

Mine love to exercise, they'll run for an hour a day easy, then they like nothing more in an evening to snuggle on the couch and watch TV. If you like playing with dogs then their retrieval instinct makes for lots of fetch.

Their sense of smell is good too (you see them used as sniffer dogs all the time), I hide a scented ball around the house to let them find it.

In general they have a very placid nature, while like all dogs they might bite if provoked, they tend to back down and flee.

On the down side ...

They shed!
They can be quite needy (but this is may be entirely down to me being soft)

Here's a nice list of available spaniels -
http://www.irishanimals.ie/spanielsetters_homes.html


Awwwww

kylith

First I thought about how much space I had. Not much so a small dog was necessary.
I thought about how much time I had. I work, so decided to get two dogs to keep each other company.
Then I thought about what kind of personality I'd like. I knew that a dog that was glued to me 24/7 and couldn't do anything without my approval would drive me mad (although I kind of see the appeal now!). I grew up with terriers, and I love their personalities. They're also perfect in terms of size and exercise requirements.
Then I got on to a rescue about fostering for a while to see how we got on. That's how Rosie and Tootsie wound up at my door. I failed horribly at fostering, renamed them Rani and Tegan and they've been grinding hair into my carpet for 3 and a half years now.

I think the most important thing is exercise requirements. If you want to hike for hours a Shih Tzu won't be right for you, likewise if you just want a stroll around the block a Husky isn't a good choice. Energy levels are much more important than space; if a dog is well walked then it doesn't matter if you don't have a garden because it'll just sleep, similarly if it's not exercised enough then an acre of a garden won't stop it from being hyper.

Chris_Heilong

caseyann wrote: »

My top five dogs


Anatolian Shepherd Dog
or Anatolian Shepherd Dog mix
Why?
Bold, calm, and rugged, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog fiercely protects his own.

Black Russian Terrier
or Black Russian Terrier mix
Why?
Developed by the Soviet Army, the Black Russian Terrier is the perfect working dog.

Doberman Pinscher
or Doberman Pinscher mix
Why?
Noble and athletic, the Doberman Pinscher is a courageous guardian.

German Pinscher
or German Pinscher mix
Why?
With the energy and drive of all working breeds, the German Pinscher also displays the love and devotion that make him an outstanding companion.

Great Dane
or Great Dane mix
Why?
Very large but very gentle, this is truly a great dog.


And what happens to be one of my favourite breeds the pincher's .

I think this is rigged, look at my result.

kylith

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

I think this is rigged, look at my result.

I got
Portuguese Water Dog
Standard Schnauzer
American Water Spaniel
Clumber Spaniel
Cocker Spaniel.

It's pretty good, there's 4 breeds there that I'd quite like. I'd put the Irish Water Spaniel before the Portuguese or American though.

Cherry Blossom

I did it again and just changed a few answers and got:

German Pinscher
Portuguese Water Dog
Standard Schnauzer
American Water Spaniel
Brittany

kylith wrote: »

It's pretty good, there's 4 breeds there that I'd quite like. I'd put the Irish Water Spaniel before the Portuguese or American though.

I don't think its very reliable, I still have the german pinscher but there's a list down below of dogs that are not recommended which include the other 4 I got last time and the reason I shouldn't get them is all the same!

To the question "What size dog are you considering?", you answered "Any size is fine", which makes the (insert relevant breed) a poor choice.

This isn't one of the answers I changed :P
:rolleyes:

richymcdermott

I didnt choose my dog , my dog choose me. being a awesome 2 years since

kylith

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I don't think its very reliable, I still have the german pinscher but there's a list down below of dogs that are not recommended which include the other 4 I got last time and the reason I shouldn't get them is all the same!

I absolutely agree with you there, it's certainly not reliable. I'd never take a website's word for what dog I should get. Those types of quiz can be good for getting some kind of short list, but there's nothing like talking to someone who owns the breed, or fostering for a short while, to get real-world experience and opinions.