I am still at the point where I have not even decided which is better for my situation-a pup or an adult.I am not working a lot of hoursn but that could change.I am in an apartment that allows large dogs but I am pretty sure they do not allow "protective breeds" which is pretty common these days as apartment owners fear the liability of dog bites-never mind it is usually the owner that is the problem and not the dog! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> At any rate I breed Arabian horses(on and off since 1987) so pedigrees are important to me.I saw a dog in Scottsdale back in 1996 who happened to be of Czech breeding and I was struck by his ability to discern unusual behavior of this one lady as she approached him but later when she came outside and walked away from us he reacted much more calmly like no big deal.I have no experience whatsoever in handling working dogs.I have been to some sieger shows and that is about it.I am finding myself most interested in Czech/ddr lines but have been told they may be too much dog for me.Is that true? Gender differences?

My advice to you is read all you can first! This forum is a great place to start as you can occupy yourself with the archives and articles for a while.

Decide what you REALLY want to do with your dog and research all you can on that. If you have any dog clubs in the area (Schutzhund, AKC obedience, agility, SAR) visit them, heck, visit them all to get an idea what it takes to work consistently with a dog.

Puppies definately take a lot more of your time than an adult, but, just like children, you have to commit yourself to taking the time, whether adult or pups.

Working lines (in any breed) are more challenging. If you decide on a companion pet, there are a lot of wonderful dogs in the shelters. I'm not trying to put you off getting a working dog, but just giving some thoughts to ponder. If you can put up with those fiesty Arabians, than you could handle a working dog! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

methinks I need to be an ambassador for my beloved Arabs here as so many people still think they are crazy/hot.Some are like in any breed but they love their people are beautiful,proud,smart as heck,and are quite versatile-working cow horses to endurance/competitive trail rides,English/western pleasure,hunters,jumpers etc. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I will be moving Nov 1st and looking for a duplex or house to rent so I hav eplenty of time to think about this.Problem though is in my heart I need an adult but frankly can't afford a trained adult but do not really want to start with a yungin'again(Have had Dobes before mostly)

one of the greatest horses I ever had was an Arab gelding - go anywhere do anything - smart enough to know that a piece of plywood had NO business lying in a field and he was not walking over it like the stupid dull witted QH at a judged trial ride! LOL

Puppy or adult is a matter of the individual and the animal - some pups are going to be fine immediately and some adults need more attention to adapt - and vice versa...

Lee

Carolyn,

The price between a puppy and an older dog may not be that far apart. If you take some time and really look for what you want you will find it at a price you can afford. It will just take a little longer. There are many cases when people need to sell an older dog because they haven't worked out. Either they don't cut it as a breeder or they just don't have what the person wants. Often you can pick up that kind of a dog for around the price of a pup + a neutering fee. Another source of a little bit older dog is breeders that are being retired. They will often be a little older but still have a significant life span left and are reasonably priced.

wow have been to your website-love your big cats! I used to volunteer at the Wildlife Waystation out in L.A. and really came to appreciate the "kitties" as well as all of the critters there.I hate how mean people can be to animals-no one is forced to have them so give them to someone who cares or don't have them in the first place.You don't want to know all the sad stories behind many of the animals there! You are not kidding about a bigheaded black LOL.Also Loved the remark re your "bestest" horse and his evaluation of plywood in the field too funny and sooooooooooo like an Arab to do!

Cool, another Arab lover! I used to have this Padron son, and when I bought him we bonded right away. I was an intermediate rider, so had my instructor come with to evaluate the horse. When I rode him he did wonderful. She rode him and he was a total butthead. Then, we crosstied him and went into the office to make the deal. He could hear us but not see us, we could see him. He went nuts, and I thought he was a crazy horse then. We went out to him and he calmed right down, just wanted to be near us. We took him home a few weeks later, and I cross tied him in the barn and walked around the corner. He started to go nuts again, I came back and he calmed right down. From that day on he never did that again, he knew I would not be gone long. He followed me around like a dog and was very smart and people orientated. One day when something scared him while I was riding, he did a 180 and I was not paying attention and fell off. It was a long way down (16 hands) so I laid there a min. He comes up to me, nuzzles my face and then proceded to start pushing me with his head like mom, what are you doing down there lol! I got back on and continued the ride. Then, we had one butthead who didn't like to be ridden (didn't buck very hard, just had an attitude and would test you everytime) which was why he was so much fun to ride. He was a Arab/quarterhorse. His sister was the same way and actually killed herself while we were trying to break her. Reared up when we went to bring her out of the barn. She reared so high she fell over backwards and hit her head. She died instantly.
Well, anyway as far as dogs go, are you an active person who includes the dogs in activities? A workingline dog is usually no couch potatoe and needs to keep busy. While they are calm in the house, they still need training time and plenty of exercise.