What kind of dog?

Question

I like big dogs. I have the energy to take care of them. I likely won't get one until I have a house with a yard, or my boyfriend and I move in with his brother's family. So spare me the "a dog is a lot of responsibility" crap that I know a lot of you guys would probably say. I have a 3 month old pit bull, trust me I know responsibility. But I just can't decide. Do I want a great dane, a mastiff, or a st bernard? They're all 3 great with kids and make great dogs when given proper training, etc. But tell me, which one do I want? And do I want a male or a female or does it matter? And no, I don't want to hear about boxers being great dogs (I live with a boxer and I love him to death) or yappy dogs being wonderful (I live with one and it's a love/hate relationship). I want a big dog. Big dogs are cool and I just really want one when I can afford to take care of one.

Oooh, forgot to mention what traits i'm looking for. It has to be absolutely willing to let children crawl all over it. There's two 6 year olds, a 3 year old, two 2 year olds, two 1 year olds, and a set of 5 day old twins that my dogs will be around a lot. Of course, by the time I have a house, there likely won't be any children under the age of 2 around the dogs. So they have to be good with kids. The kids will all be taught how to act around dogs, of course.

Protection i'm not worried about. If we all end up living together, there's going to be a pit bull that will lick you to death, a white german shepherd, a chihuahua, a great dane (Lesley wants a great dane) and any other dog that might end up there...So with the chihuahua and GSD, protection's not a problem...

I want a laid back dog. I mean, as a puppy it can be as psycho as it wants, but I want it to settle at least a little bit by the age of 2. I don't even know if I want a puppy. Whatever the shelter has, probably...

I don't want a GSD. My boyfriend wants a GSD. He can have a GSD, but I don't want one. I don't want an Eskimo.

Mastiff, Great Dane, or St Bernard?

Eh, drool's not too much of a problem. My parents' boxer drools a little. I can handle the drool. Drool makes kids laugh. Hehehe.

Getting rid of my pit bull is out of the question. I have done research as well, thank you.

Answer 1

I'm glad to hear that you are waiting for a yard. You want to be carefull though that if you get a large breed dog you establish who's boss while he's young. Especially if there will be small children. Even children need to be considered more dominant than the dog, in the dog's eyes (even if the dog is bigger). Honestly I would suggest waiting untill there are no small children before getting a large breed puppy. Big dogs tend to lean on people and push their weight around which can be very dangerous for a child. If the dog were to be able to push down a child you could start having dangerous dominance issues. Puppies also jump up. Have you seen little bitty dogs who sit and jump up and people just think it's cute? Imagine a 100 pound dog doing the same thing. This is also dangerous for kids. Jumping is especially a problem with puppies, and if not trained out of it big dogs continue. We once had a client with a 6 month old great dane. Every time the puppy had a chance he would jump up and put his paws on his 6 foot tall owner's shoulders. The last thing you want is this on a 3 year old.

Of the three dogs you listed it really depends on what kind of health issues you want to deal with. Great danes are wonderful with children as long as they are brought up right. They also tend to have alot of hip problems and don't live as long. They also tend to be very laid back (very good apartment dogs if the owner has time to walk them beleive it or not!) and rarely feel the need to bark. Mastiffs are a little bit harder to come by, they also tend to have bad hip problems, and somtimes skin issues. You should be carefull with this breed around children as well. Yes they are good with them if they have the proper training. Mastiffs are heavy weight dogs and tend to be stronger than they think they are and you may have trouble with them leaning or pushing you over. I dont know much about St. Bernards except that They slober alot and have hip problems like most large breeds. However you'll want to consider climate for this breed. If you live in a warm climate you'll want to consider somthing else. I would also not reccomend this dog for children (contrary to the movie "Beathoven") I hope you find this information help full. As to what sex your new dog is, it really shouldn't matter but do your research anyways, you never know when you'll find that crucial peice of information!

EDIT: I'm glad to hear having a puppy isnt neccissary, however, if you adopt an adult dog I would suggest keeping a close eye on your dog for a while because you dont know the dog's previous personality or issues.

ANOTHER EDIT:
hello again! I was reading in an earlier post that you should get rid of your pit... dont even consider it! pitt bulls are marvelous dogs especially if raised right, they are incredibly good with kids, however. When they are grown they sometimes have issues with other dogs, so just be carefull and keep an eye on them.
Also because you are considering a large breed I cannot stress how important it is to get training while it is still a baby. Once big dogs get big they are a pain to train, primarally because of size. Small breeds it doesnt make a huge difference because they cant pull you around. Also make sure you have training for your pit as well, trained dogs are happy dogs. good luck!

Answer 2

I have a Dane(8yrs) and a Mastiff(3yrs) both males. They are both great dogs. The Mastiff is more laid back than the Dane. The Dane is moody, smart, and protective. Both of them sleep a lot. We also had another Dane before we got the Mastiff but he bloated and passed away. I researched both dogs before we got them, but none of that prepared me for the slobbers on the walls and ceiling from the mastiff that I have to scrub off every other day but that doesn't bother me since he is big love bug. If I was to get another dog it would be a Mastiff he isn't as hyper as the Dane.

Answer 3

I personally would go with the Dane out of the three that you mentioned. Although all three of those dogs tend to have great personalities, Mastiffs and especially St Bernards are very slobbery. OK if you can handle the drool factor, but most of the people I know that own those breeds have to wipe their jowls constantly. Other than that, all three would make stellar companions.

Answer 4

St Bernards are excellent dogs but are better to be the only dog in the house. I personally dont like bull mastiffs due to bad experience so i cant comment on that one. Personally i would choose the great dane are they are a very loyal and very intelligent. Very easy to train excellent nature. Another suggestion if your still unsure are german shephards, they are the most loyalist and best dogs you could have. You have your companionship and protection all in one dog. Another great one is a ridgeback. Anyway goodluck in your search, hope you find the perfect dog.

Answer 5

I've worked at a kennel for 5 years. I would say out of the 3 dogs I would pick the great dane as my fav.

Answer 6

If I were you I would get a great dane,

They are high in security and they love to run, perfect dog to take on runs, and I would feel REALLY safe with a great dane in the house.

But it's your choice, get what you want most

Answer 7

well i no is you can get a female or a male because with the malel boxewr it doesnt really matter. but if you had a female boxer you wouldnt be able to get another female becausew females are the alpha dog. i could say out of those three dogs i would pick the mastiff because there cute and the bernards drool a lot and like to dig.

Answer 8

1st of all, get rid of the pit because they are so unpredictable. i know you are probably sayingbut she's so sweet but that's what they all say. 2nd, you should get a st. bernard. they let kids crawl all over them and are always loving and also are great tempered. they can be great guard dogs but are hairy and shed a TON.well i hope you choose the right one for you!

Answer 9

i prefer danes myself , all 3 are great choices , they all laid back but danes are short haired and easy to care for. they are large couch potatoes. i have had 3 of them they rule!

Answer 10

German Shepards?