WHAT, a dog?

[llllllll]

If you get a Cavalier K C spaniel, only walk it when it's dark, your street cred will disappear quicker than a quick thing disappearing.

Exactly, they're hidieous. Borderline deformed.

I'd second the Greyhound, our's was an ex racer, but settled into home life very quickly. We don't have kids but it lived happily with a couple of cats - once they learnt not to run away. Very gentle, affectionate, didn't need to much walking and slept most of the time he was in the house. We never had any problems leaving him on his own. Perfect pet.

 

[jashburnham]

I gre up with Border Terriers (3 over the years), great dogs, quite small but they don't yap. Good natured as well. I have 3 siblings and we never had any problems with family dogs. Had a collie for a while as well, now that's a proper dog. When I can afford a place with a garden I'll be getting a Border Collie, they're smart but docile as well... although ours always tried to "round up" cars.

 

[Jaded]

A Westie.

However anything with "Terrier" in it's breed name is probably a terrier. Be warned.

My daughter and my wife would love to have a dog. However we don't have a garden, and we have two cats. I don't do mornings and I don't do picking up runny steaming dog faeces in a plastic bag when it is freezing and damp and shitty and dark. Since I am at home most of the time, I think that is what I'd be required to do.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Big thumbs up for Border Collies here. Never had a problem with the two Ive had since I grew up ( grew up ? Who am I kidding !! )

 

[Blue]

Don't care which breed you get - just let it roam free on the same road where the cats died. A world with one less dog would be a better world

 

[andy_wrx]

User - do you know what you're talking about ?

Labradors hunting dogs - err, no. That would be something like a Deerhound or Elkhound, bred to attack things. A labrador is a retreiver...

And you suggest a Jack Russell ? One of the nastiest, most unpleasant, snappy breeds of dog there is ?!?!

 

[Cathryn]

I'm very definitely a cat person, but with a husband with a cat allergy (aaaagh) I'm resigned to having a dog one day.

You can't have anything smaller than knee height or it's just embarrassing. I'd go for a spaniel as they're mad, or a labrador or a setter. Setters are beautiful. Or a dalmation!!!

 

[Aperitif]

Actually, I think you'll find labradors are statistically the worst for biting. Everyone thinks they're overgrown Andrex puppies rather than hunting dogs.


My vote would be for a Jack Russell - probably the most intelligent breed of dog (although they sometimes act stupid just to confuse their owners )

Ruff justice!

 

[Toshiba Boy]

User - do you know what you're talking about ?

Labradors hunting dogs - err, no. That would be something like a Deerhound or Elkhound, bred to attack things. A labrador is a retreiver...

And you suggest a Jack Russell ? One of the nastiest, most unpleasant, snappy breeds of dog there is ?!?!

Andy

Got to agree with you, we have a lab, and she's the softest dog you could ever wish to meet.

We also have a "rescue" collie, who is great with people, but an absolute nutter with other dogs(goes with her different coloured eyes we keep being told???)

 

[andy_wrx]

Actually, I suspect the worst breed with kids, based-on its natural temperament, would be a Corgi.

Gut instinct says that probably a big no-no with a group of other people's kids would be an attack/guarddog of the Doberman, Rottweiler, GSD, etc type, although I know these can be very good family pets if their owners train/socialise them properly, unlike so many which are trained/encouraged by their chav owners to be viscious - like that PitBull in that case last Christmas

I thought I'd have a Google, but I've not managed to find something on breed statistics for dog bites/attacks, although here's a document I found relating to human fatalities by dog attack in the US 1979-98
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf
- I guess it's detailing fatalities, rather than attacks/bites, so bigger more powerful dogs will figure higher than little snappy things
- but top of the list are Pit Bull (118), Rottweiler (67), GSD (41), Husky-type (21), Chow Chow (21), Malamute (16), wolf-dog hybrid (15), Doberman (13), Great Dane (13), Sled dog (12), St Bernard (8), Labrador (8)
- note though that the report author states that this isn't balanced based on relative numbers of the dog breed : the Lab is by far the most popular dog in the US and there are huge numbers of them, conversely there won't be very many Huskies/Malamutes/Sled Dogs
- but these will be kept as working dogs rather than pets

The author does note that pit bulls & rottweilers between them accounted for 67% of deaths in this 20-year period, but states that this might be factored by owner-related issues : "less responsible owners or owners who want to foster aggression in their dogs may be drawn differentially to certain breeds"

(I suppose I'm really sick but I'm amused that the report author isn't counting one death where the victim died "from fire ant bites after being pushed on a mound by a dog" )

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

dont get a rottweiler...a little girl got savagely mauled by one in the forest here last month.

 

[fossyant]

On the big but powerful dogs.... Boxers are great with kids, but very very bouncy and lively - need lots of room...fantastic temperament for such a powerful animal....


Argh...get another cat, but a fluffy house type one.... they are real nuts !

 

[gbb]

Its so pointless to generalise, even about dogs...

All my dogs have had freedom of the house, dont get a lot of excersise from me, have always been left in the house all day, none of them have really chewed...but i love to make them part of the family, fight, play and get them excited and happy. Never seperated them from the kids, grandchildren or visitors.

Ive had a Jack Russell....good family dog generally, but it didnt 'respect' the wife. Got snappy and nasty as it got old.

Cross Doberman / Lab...f'kin briliant dog....god bless him. Incurable brain tumor got him in the end

Pedigree Labrador from working stock...brilliant dog, but evidently, the working dogs have more fur or different layers of fur. Mine moults LIKE THE CLAPPERS . never seen anything like it, if he wasnt such a brill dog, i dont think i could put up with it. But fantastic with the grandkids.

Beagle...had one once...never again


The point is, ive always raised my dogs the same...no unnessessary barking, to know when enoughs enough, but loved as part of the family, and always let them have something to occupy them.
Theyve all turned out very similar in temprament...surprises me sometimes when you think theres 30 years between some of them.

If you want one, get one as a puppy and mould it to what you want it to be. The dogs ive had from pounds or rescue have generally been harder work. The dogs ive had since pups have all been brilliant. You just got to invest some time in them early on.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I don't care about street cred. I ride a bike with mudguards.

Ya Wuss !!
















SNAP !!

 

[bonj2]

I don't care about street cred. I ride a bike with mudguards.

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction in terms?