Recommended dog breeds

[wilbs518]

A golden retriever is a great family dog, for sure.

[Duncan]

Get a staffy.
They are known for being good with children ( as much as any breed of dog can ).

Ours are big babies, all they want want to do is lick and have cuddles.

Wiki: "No breed is more loving with its family"[3] Because of their affinity for children, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are sometimes known as “Nanny Dogs” in England[4].

Sounds good. Maybe that's the third part of the mix I'm looking for.

[YANOULI]

Get a staffy.
They are known for being good with children ( as much as any breed of dog can ).

Ours are big babies, all they want want to do is lick and have cuddles.

[saildog]

I did some research on these guys last night, and they don't sound like the right fit for us (cats, etc). Still leaning towards a shepherd/golden mix...maybe with something smaller mixed in.

Yep, any kind of Dog that can be classified as a Working Dog better be kept busy or they will become a problem. Their nature is to have a job...if they are bored, they will become a problem.

They're kind of like Horses in that they LOVE to be put through their paces.

[Mikey]

I'm a little bias against Shepherds because back in the 70's there was a little backlash against them with reports of them attacking their masters ... I kind of never got over that when thinking of them even today.
I'm sure they're great dogs, but those reports kind of soured them for me as to not trust them, especially around kids.

[Duncan]

Word of advice on Border Collies. They are high energy and super intellegent. These dogs need obedience training right out of the gate, and plenty of room to run and burn off energy. If you have small kids or small er animals, the dogs instinct will be to heard them around the yard or house. Right after we got our dog, she had my daughter and the neighbor kids herded to the corner of the yard. Again with obedience training and a exercise plan this can be stopped. If you don't let your dog have a outlet, border colies can become destructive.

On the plus side Border Collies make excellent watch dogs, I can let my daughter play outside and know as long as the dog is with her I have no worries. Border Collies are also very faithful and loving. As long as you can do the upfront work you'll have a great pet.

I did some research on these guys last night, and they don't sound like the right fit for us (cats, etc). Still leaning towards a shepherd/golden mix...maybe with something smaller mixed in.

[Hector]

Oh, my garsh, yeah. And you should hear him whine and cry. Especially when we have pizza. He whines and cries so loud we would need to play the chalkboard scraping scene from Jaws at full volume just to drown him out! So, of course he gets some, just to shut him up!

[kept back]

I recently began sharing a living space with a corgi. They are very friendly, intelligent breeds. Good with kids and other animals, great watchdogs, and always seem to be on time with the rent.

[Adam West]

I'm a big fan of Golden Retrievers. I'm on my second one. My brother likes Labs. They are both great breeds and both have their pluses and minuses. I find Goldens to be better with kids, friendly, and a little less wild than Labs. On the down side, they shed quite a bit and being hunting dogs will run for any form of water and chase birds or other animals in your yard. Labs also generally are prone to having more hip problems that Goldens. I can assure you that you really can't go wrong with either one as a family pet.

[megoapesnut]

Does he keep on staring at you non-stop when you are eating?

You gotta get used to that...lol...

Oh, my garsh, yeah. And you should hear him whine and cry. Especially when we have pizza. He whines and cries so loud we would need to play the chalkboard scraping scene from Jaws at full volume just to drown him out! So, of course he gets some, just to shut him up!

[Mikey]

I like ****zoo's - just for the name

[Hector]

I was lucky that our Min Pin would not eat feces though...he couldn't stand being near cat poo for example...and he would NOT chew anything inside the house...he would not chew furniture, clothes, toys, nothing...I was very happy about that.

He would eat grass though...he would love to mingle with our lawn...I swear...I thought he was a sheep sometimes...

[Hector]

Does he keep on staring at you non-stop when you are eating?

You gotta get used to that...lol...

[Hector]

Wow, sounds like you are describing our dog! And he will eat ANYTHING! I have dropped vitamins on the floor that he is on in 1/100th of a nanosecond. He will eat ice cubes when dropped on the floor like they are treats. And, lo to the person who tries to stop him from eating anything that is dropped on the floor!

We love him just the same, but had I known about the breed, I would have looked for one that is less aggressive. He makes a good watchdog though. I don't worry about anyone breaking in at night. His barks would wake up the dead.

Yep...that's a Min Pin alright...lol.

Good thing the breed is under 10 pounds...otherwise...they might be outlawed...

[megoapesnut]

they are not an easy breed to maintain...very hyper, always active...they bark a lot...they think they are a super pitbull...for they will try to pick up a fight with even grizzly bears, lol...they will eat ANYTHING...from apples to potato chips...lol.

Wow, sounds like you are describing our dog! And he will eat ANYTHING! I have dropped vitamins on the floor that he is on in 1/100th of a nanosecond. He will eat ice cubes when dropped on the floor like they are treats. And, lo to the person who tries to stop him from eating anything that is dropped on the floor!

We love him just the same, but had I known about the breed, I would have looked for one that is less aggressive. He makes a good watchdog though. I don't worry about anyone breaking in at night. His barks would wake up the dead.