help me choose a breed of dog...

RobLupella · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:41 pm

David Spratte wrote:

I think, almost beyond breed*, that training is key. Make a point of committing to it yourself (read a good book on it) or if you don't feel like you can, consider obedience lessons.
I know a really good dog trainer. In fact she's written a book about how to insure that your kids and dog get along. Let me know if you're interested Chris.

*Of course size limitations or hair preferences are important.

That is really the key. training is not for the dogs, it is for the human. I know more people who accuse their dog of being "stupid" because it doesn't come when called. They call it multiple times and don't enforce it and then the dog is stupid for not knowing English :shock:

I think that more than size, how you bond with the dog is most important. The dog is part of your family so that relationship is key.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:50 pm

RobLupella wrote:

The dog is part of your family so that relationship is key.

Absolutely. You will very RARELY here me refer to my Ally as a "dog". She is a huge part of my family and thus has a name not a species reference when discussed. Just ask anyone the Keene family heirarchy according to VK:

1. Me
2. Ally
3. Sonya

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:22 pm

here's what i'm considering right now...thoughts?

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:09 pm

Chris Brown wrote:

here's what i'm considering right now...thoughts?

Might get big and have longish hair with lab genes.

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:52 pm

Labs dont have long hair, Goldens do :wink:

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:56 pm

Adam Ligon wrote:

Labs dont have long hair, Goldens do :wink:

Doh, I was thinking about a golden retriever.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:59 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

RobLupella wrote:

The dog is part of your family so that relationship is key.

Absolutely. You will very RARELY here me refer to my Ally as a "dog". She is a huge part of my family and thus has a name not a species reference when discussed. Just ask anyone the Keene family heirarchy according to VK:

1. Me
2. Ally
3. Sonya

Here is what Sonya's ranking is

1 Sonya
2 Ally
3 Vincent :wink:

RobLupella · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:02 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Adam Ligon wrote:

Labs dont have long hair, Goldens do :wink:

Doh, I was thinking about a golden retriever.

Labs shed too, just finer hair. We are now down to all one colorish animals (Orange cat, yellow golden/labmix, redish brown hound/lab, and yellow pointer/Great Dane mix) When we had gray cats and black dogs it made picking out furniture more difficult :lol:

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:37 pm

RobLupella wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Adam Ligon wrote:

Labs dont have long hair, Goldens do :wink:

Doh, I was thinking about a golden retriever.

Labs shed too, just finer hair. We are now down to all one colorish animals (Orange cat, yellow golden/labmix, redish brown hound/lab, and yellow pointer/Great Dane mix) When we had gray cats and black dogs it made picking out furniture more difficult :lol:

I can understand that.

At a time I had a black lab and was about go get another lab. I thought about getting a yellow, then the whole multi colored hair thing hit me. I got another black one :wink:

DanDurusky · **Joined:** Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:31 pm **Posts:** 686

While on the topic of shedding:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2751965

Its freaking amazing.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

DanDurusky wrote:

While on the topic of shedding:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2751965

Its freaking amazing.

+1

we don't need it so much for our beagle as we do our long haired grey tabby cat

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:37 am

One other suggestion: get a female dog that has been or soon will be spayed. Females have a much more relaxed disposition and do not "mark" their territory, thus are much easier to housebreak. Worse thing you can do is "paper train" a dog! They will always think it is OK to go in the house and use any piece of paper they find on the floor.
Start right off with crate training. Crates are not punishment/jail to a dog, it is their personal space where they can feel safe and secure, a cave or den if you will. Placing a cover over it will reinforce that security even more. Once they feel like it is theirs they will use it even if you leave the door open. It also makes training easier if you must leave it home alone since a dog will not mess it's sleeping area unless absolutely desperate.
We put Winky's crate on the back seat (we have taken the door completely off) when we travel with her and she prefers riding in the crate, she goes in there by herself. On the trips her crate and the pillow inside is an oasis of familiarity for her in the trailer and the hotel room. Every time we move it she must inspect it thoroughly.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:24 pm

Chuck Frank wrote:

Start right off with crate training. It also makes training easier if you must leave it home alone since a dog will not mess it's sleeping area unless absolutely desperate.

Like people all dogs aren't the same. Not only would Ally mess in her sleeping area, she would roll around in it and need a bath EVERY day! She actually did MUCH better after we started letting her have the run of the house.

Keith Quistorff · **Posted:** Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:04 pm

Chuck Frank wrote:

One other suggestion: get a female dog that has been or soon will be spayed.

Based on personal experience, I couldn't agree more. Spayed females are the only option in my book.

Chuck Frank wrote:

Once they feel like it is theirs they will use it even if you leave the door open.

My prior dog, a Keeshond, preferred to sleep in her crate over anywhere else - once she was crate trained, we left the door open, and she went in on her own several times a day.

My current dog, however, a Goldendoodle (oops, sorry Adam - I mean a Golden Retriever / Standard Poodle mix) refused to ever go in the crate on her own. We did everything by the book and stuck with it, same as with the Keeshond, but the Goldendoodle never accepted the crate.

DanDurusky · **Joined:** Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:31 pm **Posts:** 686

fwiw, i've had great results w/ crate training.

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