Why did you select your dog / breed?

Question

I have often wondered why city people who dont even hunt get very large ranch/farm working and/ or sporting dogs, or even fighting dogs (pits) as pets. Of all the 2000 breeds out there why did you select your breed of dog or did he select you somehow?

Answer 1

I have a two gun dogs (viszla & lab) and I do not hunt. However, I do LOVE to be outside, to take long walks, hike and camp. I live in a smaller city of about 1 million people, but I live near a wildlife refuge and my pups and I go out everyday for a nice long walk.

I chose my dogs because I wanted some company on my walks. Besides, some hunting dogs are excellent companions. Floyd and Sheriff are great dogs and I think they are happy and I know they are healthy.

I understand what you are saying....there are people who get a weimereiner or some such breed and never walk them and wonder why they are so "hyper" or "destructrive"...well, it's cuz they're fricking bored and not getting the exercise they need!!

Answer 2

Yikes. Corgi's are very active, a herding breed, they bark too. Schnauzers are huge barkers. Any of the terriers are highly active and can be barkers. Lasa's tear, and boxers drool and are very active. Not Chow, I have not met one I would trust yet. They are a very ancient and protective breed, can be nasty with new people. Dobermans are couch potatoes, hypoallergenic, very clean, can be very large, but a beautiful dog. If you are willing to adopt, just start going to the shelters. Meet and observe the dogs for energy level, anxiety, barking (although they all seem to in shelters), friendliness. A dog over 1 or two years that is house trained (keep in mind they will need review in a new house) is a good "turn-key" dog. When you ask to see a dog you want to see a dog that is interested in you but not jumping or mouthing or running circles around the room. Ask the dog to sit - lead into sit with a treat, just to test train-ability.

Answer 3

When my husband and I first got together, he had a toy white poodle and I had a 120# red doberman. Both dogs are long gone. We received a rescue Shih Tzu..then a female from a "puppy farm" with a 2 puppy contract. Our "old lady" butterfly died last month...she was 17 years old. I have had three ladies for breeding. Over the past 15 years we have had 6 litters of puppies. All of the litters were spoken for before a lady was bred. I actually had waiting lists for my puppies...why? Because my "kids" are all house raised, they are part of the family, they are all very social dogs....they love to camp and meet people. We have delivered two litters while camping. Our ladies are now retired.
We have 5 Shih Tzu that live with us. Pokey is now the oldest living dog (14)...he was born in the very first litter (while we were camping), and looked just like the dog from the Pokey Puppy story.
Alpha is 7, she is our prima donna (very petite, white with black , not an pinch of extra weight)...she believes that her role is to be beautiful and close to mom (me). Last 4th of July, while we were camping, she and the others were on holiday at home. We came home to pick up a few things and she snuck out the door (she was going camping). She was gone 1 week...I even visited the dog pound looking for her (it made me cry). My family thought they were going to have to commit me...I was a basket case. I called the police, the radio stations and placed in ad in the newspaper. I had given up hope...I was having nightmares of her lost and by the side of the road. On the 7th day at 6am I received a call from a lady that said "I think I may have your dog". To shorten the story...it was Alpha...she had left our yard and walk 2 miles away from home. The lady found her two days after she had left home...she had crossed an highway and was curled up on the boulevard of a busy street...right across from our favorite restuarant.
Rex is the dog in the picture, a blonde. He too is 7. He is a momma's boy. I have to hired my daughter to watch him or take him camping...he does not like to eat if I'm not home...he just sits by the door and waits for me to return. (he's helping me with school homework in the picture)
Yooper is 4, she is the daughter of Alpha and Rex. She was born while we were camping in Upper Michigan...so she is a yooper. She is brown/gray and was born with no tail.
Frankie is the baby...he is blonde and two years old. He too has a birth defect. He has one blue eye and one green eye. His dad is Rex and his mother was Skoshee. Where ever Rex is so is Frankie.
The house will be Shih Tzu dogs till they are all gone. So for about 12 - 14 years I won't have to think about what breed next.

Answer 4

My breed is the Labrador Retriever, a medium sized, but high energy breed. These guys are the most popular breed on the planet, chosen by city dwellers and country folk alike, for many reasons. For those that hunt, the reason is obvious - they are natural retrievers with gentle mouths and a willingness to hunt in all conditions for hours. For families, the Lab is a great choice because Labs are great with kids, easy to train, and robust enough to take the rough treatment that often comes from toddlers. For the average city-dweller, Labs are chosen as exercise companions, and watchdogs (not so much guard dogs because they will usually bark at intruders but nothing more). Dogs such as Labs gain favor because they are known to be obedient, trustworthy, easy to train, great to play with, and have the added benefit of being relatively easy to care for. With regular daily exercise and training, the Lab wins over many smaller breeds who need little exercise but much grooming. Big dogs can also 'hold it' longer than little dogs, which makes them good for people who must keep their dogs indoors while they are away at work.

These are some of the reasons for getting a lab. There are many other breeds that are similar in size that I don't think are nearly as versatile in meeting the needs of city people. For me, choosing the Lab was easy - I love to do sporting events, and athletic dog who is good with people of all sizes and ages makes being at competitions that much easier. That being said, there are many reasons why this breed wouldn't be suitable for other people. The key to choosing a dog who is a good match for anyone is research. Read up on the variety of breeds out there. Honestly evaluate what you can meet in terms of training, exercise, space, and veterinary needs. Narrow down a list of possible dog breeds. Then go meet some in person. Dog shows, or events like agility trials are a good place to meet a variety of dogs, whose owners will be friendly and knowledgable about the traits in their dogs. When you have finally selected the breed of dog you would like to get, it is imperative that you meet as many dogs from this breed as you can. Talk to several breeders, and study up before choosing one. Having a great breeder can make all the difference in your dog-ownership relationship.

This may all seem like a lot of trouble just to get a dog, but if you are patient, the wait pays off. You will end up with a dog or puppy that perfectly meets your needs and a breeder (or rescue group) who can help you every step of the way with training and health questions. Plus, the search can be a lot of fun!

Answer 5

Why not get any breed that fits your lifestyle? I know runners who have German Short-hairs, and big families with Border Collies.

Knowing the activity level, and personality for the breed is really all you need to know. Make that match, and your dog can be just as happy herding kids as well as sheep. City dwellers do not all have to have "toy" dogs.

My two dogs are mutts from a the rescue group we foster for. Our dogs are the products of humans, not doing their part to spay and neuter dogs not meant for breeding bloodlines.

Answer 6

I have 2 Very large bull mastiffs in a big city. I had several reasons for this choice.
1)Intimidation, an attacker is going to think twice before he confronts me
2) Protection, if someone is unwise enough to confront me, they may have time to shoot one of them but certainly not both before I can get away, or the other dog has him down.
3) Larger dogs are more difficult to overpower
4) Bull mastiff temperaments are in my opinion the most stable. They're naturally protective, and they're great with children.

Answer 7

first of all, i would just like to say, that pits are not fighting breeds, i don't think there is even such a catagory!! It is crazy people who make them that way!! I like in a rural neighborhood,and i chose a labrador retreiver, because they are very smart, happy, good with children breeds!! I dont think you have to hunt to have a hunting breed dog, it should just be preference!!

Answer 8

i selected my breed, lab, because they are a great family dog. i do live in the city but have over an acre for our four dogs to run on. all four are really active and hike and run, an three do dog agility

Answer 9

American Staffordshire's, two of them. I had never owned a pit before but my husband had a few and talked me into it. I am very glad he did. What an amazing breed, so smart, and sensitive and very, very sweet. A real people pleasing pet

Answer 10

I selected my dog for his personality-yes he is a purebred (Border Collie), I never select a dog by being breed specific, it is always the personality that matters to me.