Ok, So heres the deal. I am getting a dog, but I dont know what kind to get.. any ideas? suggestions?

Answer 1

I have had dogs throughout my lifetime over of decades. There is nothing like a loving dog to make coming home a pure pleasure. There is no one right dog, rather than personality and needs of the dog.

Unless you want to spend a significant part of your day teaching the dog potty training, get one that is at least six months old. DO NOT get a doggie door if a large dog because a human can get into your house through a doggie door.

A Heinz 57 (all amercian) variety has less problems due to inbreeding. There are rescue shelters for different breeds if you desire a spefic breed. Save a dog from death.

Bassets are great dogs for singles or family but if they are one of those barkers/protectors then apartments are not the best for them. But we had a bassett in an apartment for years and he was quiet except when someone rang the doorbell. Check for a local rescue organization.

Laboradors are the greatest, friendly, loving, family members. But there has been so much inbreeding that there are some serious medical problems with many of them. There are local rescue organizations for labs. Labs are puppes for two years. They need lots of room to move. Most love water so watch out if there is a swimming pool nearby.

There is a national rescue organization for greyhounds. These are ones that were used in racing and now too old or slow. They make great family pets but need a lot of room to move or daily walks around the neighborhood.

We always had a way to pick our dog. My hubby would stand there and the first dog than came and sat between his legs was the one we took home.

Just make sure before you pick a dog that you really want one, have the time to commit to taking care of it, the money to make sure the dog receives all its yearly shots, etc.

If you have any questions on picking a dog now, call your local Human Society or Animal Shelter and ask them questions. Good luck and good loving!

Answer 2

BEFORE you get any dog you should read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/

Get a healthy dog from a good breeder with a temperament that best suits your lifestyle. If you have an apartment, you should avoid the hounds, terriers, herding and toy dogs that tend to bark a lot. English Springer Spaniels, Vizslas, Goldens and other Sporting dogs are great if you've got the energy to exercise them. The bigger the dog, the longer they can go between walks and the easier they are to housebreak. Pekingese, ENGLISH Cocker Spaniels (not American!) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a great, friendly, quiet apartment dogs if you want something smaller.

Irish Wolfhounds, Greyhounds and Whippets are terrific apartment dogs, as long as you can take them out for a long daily run. They ARE couch potatoes (like our Borzoi - Russian wolfhound) and you won't even know they're around most of the time. They are quiet and easily housebroken and much better than most small dogs. Be careful if you're adopting a racing greyhound off the track. They are often fine, but many have behavior problems (like destructive chewing) from being locked in a cage with little socialization. Also, remember that sighthounds are hunting dogs and some will kill small animals (cats, rabbits, toy dogs) if they haven't grown up with them.

Answer 3

Depends. Do you have a fenced-in backyard or an apartment? Will you be gone for many hours during the day? Do you have small children in the household? There are several questions to answer before getting a dog.

Check out the Humane Society...you can find dogs that are house-trained, good with kids, etc.

If you just have a small apartment, might not be a good idea to get an Irish Wolfhound. There are dogs who are fine by themselves for some time...don't need a lot of supervision. Check out a few dog sites on the Internet or browse books at the library to find the best breed of dog for you.

Answer 4

There are lots of considerations. How many hours do you work every day? Are you very active in a way that the dog can participate in, IE do you take runs every morning that the dog could come with you, or are you relatively inactive, IE do you want a dog to snuggle with when you watch TV in the evening? Do you need a guard dog? Do you have a yard? Is it big? Is it small? Do you have kids? How old are they if you do? Do you have time to train a dog, or do you want a dog who is already trained? Is your heart set on a puppy, or would an older dog also do? How much shedding can you put up with?

There are a few guidelines to go by here. The smaller house/yard you have, the smaller dog you should get, in general. If you don't have a big yard or time to really exercise your dog, stay away from Dalmatians, greyhounds, labs or any breed that has the word "Shepard" attached to it, as they need loads and loads of exercise. These are good dogs to have, though, if you run five miles every day, because they can come with you! If you don't have several acres or a farm, it's best to stay away from Australian sheep dogs; they are VERY active and if they don't have stuff to chase, tasks to occupy their minds and a place to run they get crazy and destructive. They can be good if you distract them with agility training, but you'd need to do it every day to keep them sane. Hound dogs and beagles also often need lots of time to run around and sniff and explore the world, they're good if you have a big yard you can leave them on or lots of fenced-off land.

Good sitting around the house dogs are bichons, American Eskimos, Boston Terriers, bulldogs (they are really very sweet!) or anything you'd find in the "nonsporting" section of an American Kennel Club show.

Of course, all of this is just general, individual dogs have their own personalities and they are suited to different ways of life. (sheep dogs really do need room, though, that's not just a generalization) I once knew a very happy Doberman who lived in a row home in Philly with a tiny yard, he liked to watch TV when no one was around, and his owners had 5 kids who played with him whenever they were home, which satisfied him well enough.

My suggestion is: go to pound and look at what is available. The people there can help you find a dog who will not grow too large for you, and can help estimate how much exercise the dog will need and how much it will shed depending on what breed (or breeds) it is. I highly recommend getting a dog from a pound because these dogs really need homes, and they will be put down if someone like you doesn't take them!

Good luck finding your dog, I hope he brings you lots of love!

Answer 5

Well, if you own a house, the only thing that I would caution about is a few breeds to stay away from unless you want to risk losing homeowner's coverage or not getting any at all: Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shephards, Dobermans, Huskies (any wolf breeds), Chows, Great Danes.

We just adopted a Rottweiler from our local rescue league and came to find out that our homeowner's was dropped because of it (we were able to get a new homeowner's policy through State Farm--they don't discriminate by dog breed). Evidently, many insurance companies discriminate based upon specific dog breeds. The interesting thing is that our Rottweiler is a spayed female and is one of the most lovable dogs in the world. She's a great companion and a good walker!

Answer 6

One breed that I know of that is versatile to both apartment living and large yard living is a Great Dane. There is a reason they are known as gentle giants. They seem to be the only breed that are actually aware of their size when it comes to apartments and children and also adults. Very seldom do you see one attempt to jump on people and even as pups, they do not show a lot of energy. They are also easy to train because they are extremely intelligent. Another plus to Danes is that they have short hair and don't shed a lot so your clothes won't look like you own a dog.

Answer 7

You need to get an American Eskimo, greatest dog i have ever had. Playful, loving, and you can get rowdy with them if you want. The cool thing is they come in three sizes. Standard (25-40 lbs) Mini (15-25 lbs) and Toy (8-15 lbs.) They are pure white and have the curled tail like a husky. I love em they are awesome you should seriously look into them. They ladies love em!

Answer 8

If you want a cute chick-magnet puppy: get a Havanese b.c theyre not evil like other toy dogs lol (& they dont shed/smell like a**)
If you want a smaller guard dog: Get a Standard or Mini Schnauzer
If you want a big guard dog: Get a German or Belgian Shepherd or Doberman or Giant Schnauzer

Answer 9

It depends on how big of a dog you want. A boxer is a very intelligent dog and friendly. A yorkie is a small inside dog but they have great personalities and are very affectionate.

Answer 10

what size and temperment do you want? I think rescue dogs are the best type of dogs they just want to be loved and played with! We have 2 rescue pups from the SPCA great dogs!

if you are looking for pure breed i would recommend a westhighland terrier they are great dogs easy going and fun to be around.