 Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: steve strom ]
#195103 - 05/15/2008 09:01 PM |
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Steve, I'm in Canada,but I would love to hear about the breeder you used...if nothing else, they may know of a good breeder in my area that I could look into.
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Melissa Charles ]
#195104 - 05/15/2008 09:29 PM |
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: steve strom ]
#195106 - 05/15/2008 09:53 PM |
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Got it, and responded, thanks!
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Melissa Charles ]
#195121 - 05/16/2008 12:24 AM |
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Cameron, I couldn't agree more with you.
Lassie himself  was bred almost exclusively for looks (the big white blaze) not temperament. But try walking any sable collie near a schoolyard or playground and you are sure to gather a crowd, whether the dog is friendly or not (fortunately most in my experience have been).
Choosing a knowledgeable breeder and looking at the parents of any potential puppy is much more important than the breed of dog.
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Sarah Ward ]
#195140 - 05/16/2008 07:55 AM |
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Golden retrievers are popular family dogs, but sadly are also very prone to cancer. So many of them come to the oncology clinic at the vet hospital here that the vet students I teach refer to them as "golden tumor dogs". If I were to get one I'd want to know the longevity and medical history of the dogs as far back in the pedigree as possible.
Goldens are sweet smart family dogs, I like them and they sound perfect for what you're looking for. But I agree with Sarah and the fact that they are so popular and overbred means that they are prone to almost every health issue in the book. And my vet friend had told me that in vet school they called them 'cancer factories.'
They're easy to love, and hard to lose. So if you do go with a Golden, pick your breeder carefully (not that you shouldn't with other breeds, of course) and pay special attention to their health histories. Nothing's for certain no matter the history, but you should really hedge your bets. This may mean that you'll pay more for the dog than you would for the thousands that are out there for only a few hundred dollars...but you could easily spend a fortune in vet bills and medications AND still lose the animal that you and your family have gotten so attached to.
Good luck in your search.
Carbon |
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Amber Morgan ]
#195174 - 05/16/2008 11:23 AM |
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Melissa, how about considering some lesser known breeds and their characteristics, for example:
1. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever - Jennifer Coulter has one and does SAR with him and could give you more info also. From what I've read about temperament, they might fit in with your family really well.
2. Old English Sheepdog - another even tempered dog, gorgeous too 
3. Boston Terrier - not lesser known, and not as large a breed as you want, but good temperament.
4. American Eskimo Dog - the standard size, as there are different sizes, standard being the largest in about the 15-19" range (at withers). Also noted as a good companion.
You can go to AKC.org and check out the breed standards of these breeds, also temperament, then do more research elsewhere on temperaments of these breeds.
None seem to be overly high-strung or have over the top hyperactivity.
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Kelly wrote 05/16/2008 01:18 PM
Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Sandy Moore ]
#195197 - 05/16/2008 01:18 PM |
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In my own experience (and it is decidedly less than most people here on the board), some of the best dogs I have had were rescues.
Before Toni and Caterina came into my life, I have ALWAYS had rescues. I call them "muttlings".
The muttlings in my life were even tempered, affectionate, and wonderful companions. They lived LONG lives (12-18 years) and were rarely sick.
My current Muttling, Shyner, is most likely Lab X Border Collie and her only ambition in life is to be loved and give affection.... which she does with great enthusiasm
My thought is, Purebreds are great when you want a working dog. That is why I have the Mals. But for a companion dog, I prefer to save a life.
Just my 2 cents
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Kelly ]
#195200 - 05/16/2008 01:31 PM |
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We had to return a rescue because he was growling and snapping at my little ones...Once when I was holding my daughter in my lap, petting him with her, he growled and snapped, leaving a scratch on her forehead from his tooth. I really do believe that it was only because I immediately pulled her back when he started to growl was the only thing that kept him from injuring her.
Its just not a risk I want to take again, a dog with an unknown history.
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Kelly wrote 05/16/2008 01:50 PM
Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Melissa Charles ]
#195205 - 05/16/2008 01:50 PM |
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Melissa,
I am sorry you had a bad experience with a rescue. I am lucky in that I do not have children to worry about. With that said, though, I have never had any issues with any of my rescues (to date I have had 7 of them).
Good luck with your search.
I agree with Sandy on Tollers. They are really nice dogs. For Purebreds, I also admire Curly Coated Retrievers.
--Kelly
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Re: Breed Recommend?
[Re: Kelly ]
#195208 - 05/16/2008 02:05 PM |
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Yeah, having kids changes EVERYTHING, lol! The dog we returned for example...if it were just dh and I, or even just my eldest daughter and the 2 of us, we would have kept the dog and done everything we could to work through his issues (he had a huge fear issue, which is I think why he couldn't hack the little ones around him, they move so quick, and I'm willing to bet he was abused before being found dumped with 2 sibs) but with young ones in the house, it just wasn't a risk we could afford to take. I'm looking at different breeds, and applying to a cpl of service dog organizations...so we'll see what happens. We very much miss having a dog in the house, but at the same time, willing to wait after our last experience. Admittedly, I still look at the rescue sites and sigh over the desperate plight of these poor dogs...but for now, my home isn't a good choice for them.
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