Breed recommendations

Breed specific discussion of your favorite breed.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

Post Reply
Sasha22

Breed recommendations

Post by Sasha22 »

Hello

I am hoping to add a new dog to my life in a year or so.

I met Victoria last year and have been doing some research on the breed she recommend for my circumstances. I think it would be best if I gave you a background so you will understand what I'm looking for in a dog. :)

2yrs ago I was a dog owner to the most beautiful Cockapoo Pepsi she was my life and my little girl but unfortunately we were in a horrible situation and I lost my best friend.

2yrs ago at 11.37pm Pepsi started barking madly and I could hear someone down stairs so I phoned the police on my mobile and they told me to stay quit and to hide as I had no idea if he\she had a weapon or not. So I his under my bed the police said to stay on the phone so they could hear I was OK but to not speak if he comes upstairs. I could hear someone coming upstairs and I saw him coming in my room and Pepsi ran at him and grabbed his trouser I could not believe what was happening but I stayed quiet like the asked, he ran out the room and Pepsi ran after him and I was crying my eyes out as all I wanted to do was shout her name to come. I could hear her and I just could not lye there so I ran down stairs and I shouted her name but she did not come and I walked in the kitchen she was lying there. The police arrived at the same time and he was still in my house which I did not know the last thing I remember of that night was that I fell to the floor and was unconscious. I woke up the next morning and the doctor said I had been stabbed as he tried to escape, the police took my statement and told me they have him in custody thank to one of the dog units.

I identified him a few days later when I was better and ready. My vet told me that Pepsi was killed trying to save my life. I will never forget her she was best friend my little girl and she will always be in my heart.

Ever since then I have lived with my mom as I could not stand to go back to living on my own. However my mom is very unwell and is moving in with my sister as she is home all day to look after her. As I work on my laptop for a lot of the day.

I feel ready to take on another dog now but don't know which breed is right for me?

The things I DON'T want are:
1, dogs who bark at every little thing they hear or see. I don't mind a few barks but when I say quit I mean quit.

2,drooling I don't mind it to some extent but I'm not one of those women who wants drool in my shoes or over the walls ect.

3, hyper or needs tons of physical exercise one thing I enjoyed with Pepsi was playing mind games with her and watching her figure things out we also loved playing with a flirtpole and seval other toys so mental exercise is fine its physical that I could notcope with tons needed. During the week mon-fri I can give 90-100mins a day weekend as much as the dog wants.

4, massive grooming commitment

5, greyhounds, lurchers or whippets. I like these breeds but there are some nasty kids in the area who only pick on thin looking breeds. :evil: I thought they had gone after my neighbours Irish wolfhound scared them but they have come back again. across the round has the most beautiful lurchers and they keep throwing stones at them and making howling noises to annoy the dogs which is why I won't own one for the sake of the dog. Any other breed and they stop but it just seems to be them and other thin breeds.

Things I DO want:

1, protective trait. I would still like to feel protected with what happened and am scared about living on my own again. My mom is moving out in a few months when she is ready.

2, 55cm and up at height

3, willing to learn\ please . Pepsi was very easy to train so would still like that.

4, loyal to me. I love retrievers but they LOVE everyone which I don't like.

5, a breed who is not to demanding for someone who is still learning and who only has 2yrs of experience with a dog.

Victoria recommended a German Shepherd Dog as they are very loyal to there people and don't wear there heart on there sleeve like a lab with other people , they are protective and don't drool excessively like mastiffs. She said they are vocal but as there so easy to train you can train them to not bark when told.

Do you agree or should I look at another breed and which one?
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Breed recommendations

Post by Erica »

)hugs( Sounds like Pepsi was a great dog!

When you say you can give 90-100mins a day - is this physical exercise or is this mental work? If mental work, what amount of walking could you give the dog?

German Shepherds are a fairly good match for the traits on your list, if you can handle the exercise for them. We've recently had a thread with someone else who was interested in GSDs - here's a link. It's got some good info on the breed as a basis, though obviously if you have questions you can ask here :)

I would recommend going to a "meet the breeds" kind of event and seeing if any breeds jump out at you. You want a dog that, first and foremost, you like and enjoy spending time with! So meet some dogs, see what breeds you like, then look at their care requirements and temperaments to make sure they match your wants. A breed could tick every box on your list and still not be a dog you enjoy spending time with. Labs, for example, are a good match for me on paper, but while I like the labs I take care of, I would not like to own one myself.

I will say that while I don't know cockapoos, I do have a standard poodle and his intelligence is very different than our GSD's. Delta, my poodle, is a firecracker and everything is fun and games to him. Our GSD is smart too, but she is very serious about things. Not much is a game to her - more like a test and one she is intending to pass.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Sasha22

Re: Breed recommendations

Post by Sasha22 »

Hi Erica

Thanks for your reply. :D

I have done tons of research on the GSD and they do seem perfect for me.

The 90-100mins would be physical exercise a day. I met Victoria at crufts last year and there was tow breeds other than the GSD that stood out to me.

My favourite was the Irish wolfhound I just love them and don't care if there protective or not. Or that I can't take him on buses I just love sighthounds. My neighbour has tow and there just so funny, docile and gentle giants he takes his on trains as it is only trains that will accept him.

The other breed is the Dalmatian. I'm researching them at the moment.

Do you know anything about either of these tow?
JudyN
Posts: 7018
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:20 pm
Location: Dorset, UK
Contact:

Re: Breed recommendations

Post by JudyN »

Sasha22 wrote:My favourite was the Irish wolfhound I just love them and don't care if there protective or not. Or that I can't take him on buses I just love sighthounds. My neighbour has tow and there just so funny, docile and gentle giants he takes his on trains as it is only trains that will accept him.

The other breed is the Dalmatian. I'm researching them at the moment.

Do you know anything about either of these tow?
Irish wolfhounds will have the typical sensitive sighthound temperament - they can seem aloof, but they're just not so demonstrative as some dogs. As you say, they are gentle giants. Do bear in mind the practicalities... in a small house they may end up having to do three-point turns to negotiate the furniture, and I dare say they like to sprawl on their beds... and your beds... and the sofa :lol:

Most dalmatians I've met have been rather hyper - they're certainly lively and can be quite a handful. I have heard that dallys in the US are calmer... but I think you're in the UK?
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Sasha22

Re: Breed recommendations

Post by Sasha22 »

Hello

Thanks JudyN for your advice.

As much as I love them I know a wolfhound would not be right for me, either is the Dalmatian now I have been reading on them.

With the GSD I worry with the fearful side of them as pups as Pepsi was never like that she was more like a lab, And I know she would have just walked past a traffic cone as if it weren't there.

I do have a good trainer in my area but she won't be able to be here 24\7 so even if she showed me how to help a GSD I'm not sure if I'm experienced enough yet to do it on my own.

I think I will have to take off the protective trait so I can find the right breed. My trainer said get a lab however I do not agree as everyone seems to own labs these days in the UK and I was hoping for more of a unique breed to me but not rare.

Any recommendations that would match my traits above except for protective.
Sasha22

Re: Breed recommendations

Post by Sasha22 »

Hi

I have been researching dog breeds that would suit what I'm looking for in a dog now I'm not bothered about protection. I want a dog who would be similar to Pepsi but not the same.

I have only found tow breeds

Golden retriever and the flat coated retriever?

Does anyone know anything about either breeds or differences between the two?
Post Reply