what breed should I get?

Question

The things I am looking for are.....

- smaller than a great dane bigger than a cocker spaniel
- protective but not aggressive
- good with children
- fast learner
- not too common i.e. not a labrador
- won't eat my chickens
- good with other animals (other dogs, cats, chickens)
- easy to care for
- nothing "prissy" (no poodles)

Answer 1

I have a Dalmation & he is great!
About 50 pounds, great with my 2 young kids, REALLLYY smart, not agressive at all & a beautiful dog.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

a boxer sounds like the dog you are looking for..not big as a dane
-not as aggressive as a pitbull..but will be protective of its owner
-very good with children esspecially if it has grown up with them from when he was a pup
-it is a good learner
-not very common and it looks badass to have a boxer
-hahah no it won;t eat your chicken it might be curious of what it is but not eat it
-very asy to care for nothing hard about it its not as hard a raising a pitbull
-no it is not prissy, it is bad ***

hopefully that dog is the right one for you.

or look for a boxer/pit bull mix if you want that real protection on your house and still good with the kids.

Answer 3

BOXERS! The only thing on your list that doesn't match is they are somewhat common but why do you think they are. You also have to teach them from a pup to be gentle with the small animals. I have 3 boxers, a 3 and 5 yr old kids and I had 4 cats and kittens at one time they would sleep on top of the dogs.

Answer 4

I would go with either a Bernese Mountain Dog or an Australian Shepherd. Both are friendly and good with people and kids. I think Bernese tend to be a bit more territorial than an Aussie, but are not yet over-bred in the US so they tend to have really good temperaments. Aussies might try to chase your chickens as they are herding dogs but I doubt they would eat one. Both need to be brushed but I haven't heard or either of them being really high maintenance.

Answer 5

We have Pittbulls a male and a female. They are great with our kids we have a 2 year and a 1 year old. These dogs are very protective of myself and the kids but not so much my husband. So far we haven't had any problems with the dogs and cats or any other aninals.

Answer 6

Will the dog live in the house? You should get a puppy. The dog should be short haired. You should go the akc.org site, and look up breeds that you might like and go to a dog show in your area of tlhe country. You should talk to alot of people and check out breeders.

Answer 7

How about a Shetland Sheep dog ("Sheltie")? They're smart, very good with children, protective, but not aggressive; they get along well with other animals, and I've never known one to show the slightest interest in any barnyard creature other than sheep. As long as you give it a good brushing two or three times a week, they're very easy to care for; they're very elegant little dogs without being "sissy" in my opinion; they're tough little dogs, bred to withstand the cold of the Shetland Islands, whence they get their name. They're hard workers, they play even harder, and they're very good watch dogs.

Answer 8

Standard poodles are not prissy. But I rather fancy Boxers. They love kids but do take training as all dogs do. I have a farm and mine is fine with everything. They are smart but stubborn.
There is always adoption too. Mutts tend to be healthier.
www.dogbreedinfo.com

Answer 9

I would say Alaskan Malamute but their insticts usually take over when they see chickens and arent protective at all (they love everyone), but a boxer fits the description preety well. They are great dogs that are every thing above.

Answer 10

if you have chickens, you must have a little bit of land. border collies and australian shepherds meet all your criteria. lots of energy. the protective thing comes about with time. as long as they feel part of the pack, they'll protect. you just have to refine any aggression. you could find a one of a kind by taking your entire family to a shelter and picking a pet from them. they'll match you up with the right one. and i think if you have chickens your better staying away from any bird dogs.